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| Business Beat:
12/01/2009
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Business Beat: Independence is the goal for Universal Design Specialists
Glen Ellen-based Universal Design Specialists has a straightforward goal: to make a home or office safe and accessible for all ages regardless of ability or disability. But to make that goal an affordable and high quality reality requires a company with diverse and specialized skills, and that’s what firm president Marc Mendelsohn has to offer. Mendelsohn is an architect, a licensed general contractor, a certified kitchen designer, and a certified bathroom designer, He has specialized in barrier-free construction since 1992, and is considered one of the leading experts in the country, regularly lecturing to college and university classes, as well as teaching universal design principles for professional associations. Mendelsohn also has served as an expert witness in litigation regarding accessible spaces. Mendelsohn said that for people getting older, it’s important to have a home that is designed safely for aging. The most common job for Universal Design Specialists is working to make the bathroom area safe, the place where people are most likely to get hurt. A wide range of remodeling services for the bathroom are available, from grab bars to wheel-in showers. In fact, said Mendelsohn, a fiberglass wheel-in shower installed by Universal Design Specialists can be done at 1/3 of the price of a regular contractor. Kitchens are another specialty, including the installation of motor-driven cooktops and kitchen sinks, as well as accessible microwaves. Universal Design Specialists offers a beginning-to-end service, from the design all the way through construction. An on-site evaluation starts the process, determining what can and can’t be achieved, as well as developing a realistic budget. Mendelsohn is now offering one free hour of on-site consultation. The company is currently donating five percent of any profit on a job to an organization that best represents the client they are working for (for example, ALS). Mendelsohn has also been working to develop a foundation that would help pay for barrier-free construction for those who may not be able to pay the full tab. In addition to their home-based Glen Ellen office, Universal Design Specialists has a showroom In San Anselmo, 42 Greenfield Ave., so people can see exactly how products look and operate. The showroom is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and by appointment on Saturday. The showroom can be reached at 415-457-9505, and the Glen Ellen office at 938-7424. Their website is www.universaldesignspecialists.com. WeCare open house in Oakmont WeCare Home Assistants and Valley Oxygen Medical Equipment of Santa Rosa are hosting an Open House on Dec. 7. A manufacturer’s representative from Pride Mobility Products will demonstrate the latest power wheelchair, and a respiratory therapist will be on-site to perform free oximetry testing. Refreshments will be provided. Valley Oxygen is a leading provider of oxygen systems, hospital beds, wheelchairs and other seniors products. They will be available to answer questions regarding Medicare coverage for their products. WeCare Home Assistants is a full service agency providing companion and non-medical care to seniors of Santa Rosa and surrounding areas, and is known for personalized service and affordable rates. Caregivers are background checked for criminal history, bonded and insured. The Open House will be held Monday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 6637 Oakmont Drive, Suite C, next to the Oakmont Village Association office. For more information, call 843-3838. You can visit WeCare’s website at www.wecarehomeassistants.com. Good Riddance Hauling at your service How long have you been waiting to throw out a bunch of stuff and take that trip to the dump? Well, Good Riddance Hauling can take care of it for you. Simon Purshouse and Leslie Boutell of Sonoma Valley are the owners of Good Riddance Hauling, and they will come right to your home or office to haul items away. Their services include hauling, junk removal, recycling, appliance removal, furniture removal, dump runs, debris removal, and more. Due to environmental restrictions, they can’t take hazardous waste or fluids of any kind. Prices are determined by a number of factors, including, weight, volume, time, access, types of junk, and disposal fees. Call 935-0530 for a free estimate. Good Riddance Hauling is always working in Oakmont on Mondays, and in the Sonoma area on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. You can also go to their website at www.goodriddancehauling.com for more information Adler Fels closing Kenwood tasting room Adler Fels Winery will be closing its Kenwood tasting room at 9575 Sonoma Highway as of Dec. 1. A spokesperson said the closure will allow the winery to focus resources on expanding its private and control label business operated at a production facility in Santa Rosa. Adler Fels is well-known for its Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc – still made in small lots at the original Tudor style winery in Santa Rosa. In more recent years the winery has expanded to become one of the country’s largest custom wine brand producers. Today, the winery produces four core brands including the flagship Adler Fels Wines ($14.99/bottle) as well as the Big Ass ($14.99/bottle) Leaping Lizard ($11.99/bottle) and Coyote Creek ($7.99/bottle). The Adler Fels family of wines is distributed nationally to grocery chains, wine shops and restaurants, and directly to consumers via the winery website at www.adlerfels.com. To contact Adler Fels Winery, call 569-1493. Sonoma Valley Chamber upcoming eventsThe Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce will host its next Business After Hours at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn, 181440 Sonoma Highway, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Chamber members are invited to network and expand your business relationships. On Dec. 4, Santa will be visiting the Sonoma Plaza, with Santa arriving at Sonoma City Hall at 5:30 p.m. Bring the kids to tell Santa what they want for Christmas. And mark your calendar for Friday, Jan. 22. That’s when the State of the Valley Breakfast Forum will take place at the Sonoma Golf Club, 17700 Arnold Dr., from 7:30-9 a.m. Local officials will give the lowdown on what to expect from the 2010 Sonoma Valley economy. For more information about any of the above events, call the Chamber at 996-1033. New CFO at Kunde Kunde Family Estate has appointed William Molinari to the position of Chief Financial Officer at the winery. Bill was most recently senior manager, financial planning and analysis of pharmaceutical company DEY LP, and his 23-year career has also included Fosters Wine Estates Americas and F. Korbel & Bros., Inc. “Bill will be a great asset to Kunde Family Estate moving forward,” said winery president Don Chase. “The family welcomes his expertise and impressive track record in financial management and controllership.” Molinari holds a BS in Business Administration/Accounting from San Jose State University, is a member of the Institute for Management Accountants, and is both a Certified Public Accountant, and Certified Management Accountant. Kunde Estate Winery is located at 9825 Sonoma Highway in Kenwood, and can be reached at 833-5501. |
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