This week in Santa Cruz County business: Pacific Valley Bank looks north to Santa Cruz; deportation fears stalk Watsonville business

Quick Take

In this week's local business roundup, Jessica M. Pasko spotlights a move by Salinas-based Pacific Valley Bank to open a branch in downtown Santa Cruz, notes the impact of Donald Trump's immigration policy on Watsonville businesses and passes along other news, numbers and events to know.

Each week, we’re taking a closer look at the movers and shakers, the growth of industries, and what’s really driving the Santa Cruz County economy. I’ll be spotlighting some of the biggest areas for opportunity, updates on local development and all things underpinning the regional business scene each Wednesday.

Got ideas? Send them my way to news@lookoutlocal.com with “Business News” in the subject line.

Pacific Valley Bank planning new Santa Cruz branch

Salinas-based Pacific Valley Bank is looking to expand its operations in Santa Cruz, with plans for a new branch downtown.

Bank officials recently appointed Dean Austin as senior vice president and market president to lead efforts to bring the bank to Santa Cruz. Austin has more than 25 years of commercial banking experience and has previously held positions at 1st Capital Bank, Wells Fargo Bank and Coast Commercial Bank. The Santa Cruz native also sits on the board of directors for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County, Hospice of Santa Cruz County and the Santa Cruz County Business Council.

Pacific Valley Bank has been serving Monterey County residents since 2004, through its Monterey, Salinas and King City branches. The bank’s president and chief operating officer, Sandi Eason, said an exact location in Santa Cruz is still being finalized, but she expects to have more details (and a possible timeline) later this month.

Meanwhile, the bank has also appointed the former CEO of Santa Cruz County Bank to its board of directors. David V. Heald headed up Santa Cruz County Bank as president, CEO and vice chairman from 2004 until his retirement in 2020.

Pacific Valley Bank’s move comes as Santa Cruz County Bank continues its expansion southward. The bank completed its merger with Salinas-based 1st Capital Bank at the end of this year and the combined entity will rebrand as West Coast Community Bank later this year.

ICYMI: “Everyone’s scared”: Watsonville businesses see sharp drop in customers amid Trump immigrant threat

La Princesa Market in Watsonville was closed on Monday in solidarity with the national “A Day Without Immigrants” protest. Credit: Natasha Loudermilk / Lookout Santa Cruz

Deportation fears in the immigrant community are directly affecting businesses in Watsonville, my colleague Tania Ortiz reported. Customer traffic at many stores is down amid concerns of potential federal immigration enforcement activity. One business owner said residents were even afraid to go to the grocery store.

As of late last week, however, the Watsonville Police Department said it had no information to suggest federal immigration officers had been in the city. Check out Tania’s full article here.

Ch-ch-changes: Openings, closings and other developments

Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce launches 2025 awards program: The Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture is seeking nominations for its annual man, woman, nonprofit organization and business of the year awards. The organization will hold its 63rd annual awards dinner and auction on July 26. Nominations are due April 10.
Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce gala tickets on sale: Tickets are now available for the Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce’s annual gala and awards ceremony on April 3 at the Cocoanut Grove in Santa Cruz. This year’s award winners are U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta as person of the year, Santa Cruz County Bank as business of the year, Sante Adairius Rustic Ales as small business of the year and the Soquel Creek Water District as organization of the year. Former county supervisor Zach Friend will be honored with a lifetime achievement award. Registration and more information here.
Vintage store closing in downtown Santa Cruz: Angel Aura Vintage, which opened at 108 Walnut St. in March 2022, is closing as of Feb. 17. In a post on the store’s Instagram, owner Sandra Renteria said she was shuttering the business to focus on her career as a mental health professional. “Being a business owner and working a full-time job is not easy, and thus the decision to close was a difficult yet necessary decision for me to make,” Renteria wrote. The last day for shopping will be Feb. 16.
Uplift Central Coast grants $2.7 million in funding to local projects: Ten projects that include part of Santa Cruz County, including four spearheaded by Santa Cruz County-based organizations, are among 36 organizations across the Central Coast selected to share $9 million in new funds. The funding comes from Uplift Central Coast, a six-county partnership focused on advancing the economy, environmental sustainability and equitable growth. In Santa Cruz County, the recipients include Cabrillo College, for its new child care center for student parents, and Watsonville’s Esperanza Community Farms, a community agriculture project aimed at increasing food security and healthy eating in the Pajaro Valley. Also getting funding are the Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship, for its youth economic and career development pilot program, and UC Santa Cruz’s Drones Uplifting the Central Coast program. Called Catalyst Predevelopment Funding, the money is aimed at seeding investment into regional strategies and projects that will drive innovation, growth and community impact. An exact breakdown of funding per project was not made public.

Got hires, promotions, or departures to report? Send them to news@lookoutlocal.com with the subject line “Career changes.”

What’s new on the Lookout Job Board

Career Engagement Specialist at UC Santa Cruz
Senior Building Maintenance Worker at UC Santa Cruz
Medical Care Service Worker at County of Santa Cruz
Restorative Justice Programs Director at Conflict Resolution Center of Santa Cruz County
Preschool/Childcare Teacher at Tiki Tykes
Compliance Analyst at Bay Federal Credit Union

Want more? Browse all openings on our job board.

Hiring? Post your job today!

Looking at the numbers

52.2%: That was the hotel occupancy rate in Santa Cruz County for December 2024, up more than 2% from December 2023, according to the latest numbers from Visit Santa Cruz County. Average daily room rate ($138.80) fell slightly in December 2024 compared to the same month in 2023.

Save the date

Thursday, Feb. 6: The Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce will hold a business after-hours event at Far West Fungi, 224 Laurel St., Santa Cruz from 5 to 7 p.m. The event features networking, food and drinks. Registration and details here.
Thursday, Feb. 13: The Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce will host its annual members meeting at the Dream Inn in Santa Cruz from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Details and registration here.
Thursday, Feb. 20: Pajaro Valley Business Builders will host its next business mixer from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Hampton Inn & Suites, 75 Lee Rd. in Watsonville.
Monday, Feb. 24: Monterey Bay Economic Partnership President and CEO Tahra Goraya and Santa Cruz County Bank CEO Krista Snelling are among 50 women leaders who will take part in the Silicon Valley Business Journal’s Mentoring Monday event. The event brings together the region’s top businesswomen and other leaders to share their stories and tips for success. It takes place from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Villa Ragusa, 35 S. Second St., Campbell. Tickets and more details here.
Wednesday, March 19: The cities of Watsonville and Santa Cruz are co-hosting a job fair for jobs in construction, electrical, plumbing, welding, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), agriculture and related fields. The event, open to those age 18 and up, will be held from 4 to 6:30 p.m. in the Watsonville Civic Plaza Community Room, 275 Main St., Watsonville. For details and registration, click here.
Friday, March 21: The Santa Cruz Small Business Camp will bring together a day of interactive sessions with local business owners, networking opportunities and a keynote address at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History. Speaker and session details will be released later this month. Details and registration here.