Risktakers

Starting your own company is a daunting task no matter what business you’re launching.

But add a 3,000-plus hour work year, no steady pay, and a business that’s based on a fast-moving technology and you could be headed for disaster...

“I remember being so excited when I started working at State Farm,” Pete recalls. “I had been working in the restaurant business where I didn’t know what my schedule was from week to week and started this great job that had the same hours every day, didn’t have to work weekends or nights...I thought, ‘This is IT!’ ” Then Metallica rocked his world...

At any given moment on a typical “dog day afternoon” of August, thousands of Kern County residents are ready to relax, unwind, and crack open a cold one. And in this era of designer coffees, smart phones, and imported water, many Golden Empire beer aficionados are looking for something that will do more than just quench their thirst. They’re looking for something flavorful; something they can relish...

With each piece of equipment they design, manufacture, and ship, Don Nelson, Mike Houghton, Eric Berger, Frank Lawrence, and Danny Henderson have a lot at stake...

About to receive his master’s degree in social work from UC Berkeley, Jim Damian wanted to find work that he would love, but work that would also make a difference in the world. “Saving children, one child at a time” was his mantra...

Wong Louie, a Chinese immigrant who came to the San Joaquin Valley with her husband in the early 1900s, didn’t realize she was starting her own family dynasty when she began collecting eggs and selling them from a baby carriage...

This Mojave business has had major ups and downs, but it's always come out on top thanks to a wing and a prayer.

A local business that helps us document the big moments in our lives—and they rely heavily on exposure.

Just how did this local father-son company make it big in business? By making their customers' wishes come true!

There was a farmer, had a dog. No wait, an idea. An idea that would reshape the way Kern County approached agriculture.