Business Journal: Uncertain Future For Bail Bonds Storefronts, Intel Hiring In Folsom, Firestone Public House Name Changing

Future Uncertain For Bail Bonds Storefronts

Sacramento bail bondsmen say they'll likely close up shop as a result of the bill signed into law this week ending cash bail in California beginning late next year. Downtown has about a dozen bail bond storefronts around 8th and J streets. The Sacramento Business Journal's Sonya Sorich says these storefronts are near areas that have received hundreds of millions of dollars in public and private revitalization investment over the past few years. But that may not make a difference.

"The blocks where bail bond agencies are located have posed challenges in the past," says Sorich. "Some buildings on those blocks appear blighted and abandoned. And these bail bond offices aren't necessarily big spaces, either. Some are less than 1,000 square feet, which could make for another challenge."

City Councilman Steve Hansen says efforts like the Downtown Sacramento Partnership's retail recruiter program could help fill those spaces.

Intel's Folsom Campus Lists More Than 20 Job Openings

If you have experience in the tech world and are looking for a job, you may want to check-in with Intel in Folsom. Sorich says the semiconductor-maker is staffing up.

"It recently listed 22 different positions for job openings in Folsom," says Sorich. "Most of these Folsom positions require a master's degree plus several year's of experience. They run the gamut from graphics software engineers to apps developers."

Intel says it will be accepting applications through Oct. 22. Analysts say the hiring spree may be a sign that the employer went too far with job cuts in 2016. Or Intel may be adding resources to a specific project. The company's Folsom campus has about 6,000 employees. It's the largest tech company in the Sacramento area and the fourth largest private-sector employer overall.

Firestone Public House Settles Name Dispute With Bridgestone

Changes are coming soon to Firestone Public House in downtown Sacramento. The bar and restaurant at 16th and L streets is getting a new name after a trademark dispute with the tire company Bridgestone. Sorich says the restaurant operators have nine months to change the name.

"But the change could happen sooner," says Sorich. "And apparently nothing will change as far as the menu goes. So if you remember, this all goes back to the building's past. The bar fills a space that used to be a Firestone tire shop and that's how it got to be known around town as the Firestone building."

Bridgestone has a trademark on the Firestone brand and accused the downtown bar of violating that trademark. The two sides have reached a settlement agreement, and the bar will change its name as a result.