Headquartered in Ventura: Hometown business heroes

by Visit Ventura

We’re proud of our community, on so many fronts. With that pride in mind, now and again, along with Ventura’s colorful history and culture, we’re going to give a nod to local businesses who make a difference. Because it’s not just a matter of zip code and ledgers. It’s a matter of soul. Scrooge had a zip code and a ledger. But it took him some doing to find soul.

So, for starters, thank you to these three businesses who started with soul, and never strayed.

Thank you for making our town not just proud, but a better place to live.

Patagonia

So many words have been written about Patagonia, but here’s the four that matter. They do good things. Local, national, and global activism, on so many fronts. Tin Shed Ventures, Patagonia’s venture capital fund whose sole purpose is to invest in startups that offer solutions to environmental issues. Patagonia Action Works, an online platform that helps people find good (if you’ve been vetted by Patagonia…) local environmental nonprofits in their area (just visit the website and enter your zip code). And yes, one percent of their sales go to support environmental organizations around the world. Patagonia’s Mission Statement is as straightforward as it is decidedly unbusinesslike.

We’re in business to save our home planet.

Ventura Surf Shop

Surfing is a quiet thing. Quiet and irresistible. Anyone who has dropped into a wave, heart surging as the world falls away, understands. Since it first opened its doors in Ventura in 1963, Ventura Surf Shop has been through a number of owners and changes. One thing has remained constant — true love for surfing and the Ventura community. Without fanfare, current owner Bill “Blinky” Hubina (Blinky was very much a part of the early history too) has quietly done as much for local surfers and surfing as anyone. In this town, that’s saying something.

Iron & Resin

Yes, they were founded here, and they are as blue-collared and callus-fingered as the town they call home; believers in things made by hand and made well. In a disposable world, their motto is not unlike the town they call home; simple, clear, and beautiful, with so many currents running underneath.

Choose well and buy less.

When the Thomas Fire arrived in Ventura, Iron & Resin set up a pop-up command post and distribution center adjacent to their store to provide aid and assistance to anyone who needed it. Rolling up their sleeves, they sent strike teams out to help residents make a stand against the fires. Those same teams dug in when it came time for the long process of cleanup and recovery. In times of catastrophe, the best things bloom from care.

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