The biggest misconception about John is that he wants to sell water to LA, he said. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Hugues holds a BEng in Applied Maths from the Universite Catholique de Louvain, an MSc in Financial Economics from the University of London, a PhD in Operations Research from the Centre for Operations Research and Econometrics (UCL) / Columbia University and attended INSEADs General Management Program. The entire San Joaquin Valley, including Kings County, is critically over drafted. It specifically set aside $2.7 billion for water storage projects. He became more involved with De Anza, working with his dad, whom he describes as bigger than life.. Vidovich is the owner of Sandridge Partners, LP - a farmland investment firm that has undertaken more than 100,000 acres of Valley farmland. Buttonwillow, California Search Background Check Sandridge Partners, L.P. Business Data 19087 Milan Rd, Buttonwillow, California, 93206 (408) 738-4444 AllBiz Business Profile Background Search FAQ's about John Vidovich Where does John Vidovich work? In terms of special enforcement to shut things down, thats not what SGMA provides to the department, she said. Even if he has access to the California Aqueduct, Vidovich would have to jump through a lot of state hoops to move water independently of Semitropic. We lose innovation., Still, Zetland didnt fault Sandridge or Boswell. EDMUND JOHN VIDOVICH Lake Havasu City, Arizona Trinitas Partners LLC Investment Management . Attorneys for the Tulare Lake Canal Company, controlled by the giant J.G. Sandridge Partners, controlled by Vidovich, is building a 10-mile-long route on its properties to ship water from its wells in the north to its thirsty fields in the south. The Kings is as erratic a river as the Kern so floodwaters are unpredictable. We are a specialist agribusiness investment group, with deep industry expertise and hands-on operating experience, helping mid-sized food and agriculture companies grow to become clear industry leaders. That was a permanent water loss to Kings County that many still grumble over. We help agribusiness owners, operators, and entrepreneurs grow their businesses into industry leaders with the help of our capital and strong industry focussed expertise, globally, Our unique focus on food and agriculture, allows us to better understand particular agribusiness needs faster and have in-depth sector and sub-sector expertise bringing solutions to your business, Our stewardship and value creation track-record is unparalleled and our investing, operations and business development skills add value beyond just capital, We are driven by the highest environmental, ethical and socially responsible principles and work with you to achieve the best possible outcomes for all stakeholders during the whole lifetime of our ownership, As we are family backed, we pride ourselves on providing patient and long-term capital, We can provide owners and operations with the following solutions, We have flexible mandate to create custom solutions for owners and operators wishing to either fully transition a business yet also have the ability to form mutually beneficial partnerships for ownership and growth, Growth capital (organic and acquisitions), Financing for management buy-outs/buy-ins, Real estate and agriculture tourism development (full in-house design & construction teams). Vidovich continues to run De Anza and in a surprisingly hands-on manner. Site development by. And in 2017, the levees had to be raised another two feet at a cost of $14 million to residents, according to the letter. John Vidovich General Partner Contact 2 Contact 3 Contact 4 See All Contacts Dynamic search and list-building capabilities Real-time trigger alerts Comprehensive company profiles Valuable research and technology reports Get a D&B Hoovers Free Trial Financial Data This is all being driven by the JG Boswell Company out of animus, not out of practicality, Whitney told the judge. But its difficult when right next door theyre dropping [water levels] 60 to 100 feet, Russ Freeman, Westlands Deputy General Manager for water resources, said in a previous SJV Water article. SJV Water is a nonprofit, independent online news publication covering water in the San Joaquin Valley. After all, Vidovich, water and pipelines have a history in Kings County. Strafford PUD attorney Ray Carlson said during the hearing that the district had been in very preliminary talks with Sandridge about the future possibility of moving its wastewater through the pipeline. Not according to Jeoff Wyrick, Chairman of the El Rico GSA, the largest GSA in the Tulare Lake Subbasin. Get inside access to SJV Water by becoming a member. We pioneer innovative approaches to solve many of the headwinds facing modern agriculture and always put environmental, social and governance considerations at the heart of our investments and operations. Founded in 1966, with legacies dating back more than 100 years; our highly trained staff provides value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, and financing services to clients across the . Karen isnt the only one who feels this way. Mavens Notebook is an excellent daily accounting of California water happenings statewide. But farmers Jack Mitchell and Milt Pace are upfront about their distaste for Vidovich and especially Hurley. Water, Latest He ran, unsuccessfully for city council in his hometown of Los Altos Hills in 2006. Mavens Notebook is an excellent daily accounting of California water happenings statewide. His strategy has always been to use about 30% of his land for farming and 70% for its water. Designed with by Trinity Mobile Apps, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), From bulldozers to helicopters, Boswell-Vidovich battles continue, Jan. 17 letter to Tulare Lake Canal Company, Too little or too much, theres always controversy brewing over Kern River water, Kern River water heads north through flood channel but wont hit Tulare Lake yet, Kaweah River water managers prepare for more high water as the valley heats up, Vibration in Isabella Dam power plant causes temporary halt of Kern River outflows. And, you know, at some point in time that water is in risk of going to an urban area. Through Sandridge, Vidovich owns about 130,000 acres with 38,500 acres in Kern, 82,000 acres in Kings, 9,500 acres in Tulare and 300 acres in Fresno county, per ParcelQuest. By locking up the land, he said, Vidovich will be able to deny smaller farmers like him and Pace the water they need for their own operations. 2022 by Sunridge Partners (UK) LLP. Clearly, much more can be done to slow down this undesirable result.. By comparison, its closest neighbors, Kern, Fresno and Tulare sit at 8,000, 6,000 and 4,800 square miles, respectively. It now retains about 132,000 acres in Kings as well as 3,700 acres in Tulare County and 23,000 acres in Kern County, according to ParcelQuest, a property information database. People just dont want to face the music.. As water drops, growers engage in a well-digging arms race. Now the land is covered with huge almond and pistachio orchards, permanent crops which account for more than 66,000 acres of Kings total 782,731 harvested acres, according to county crop reports. His investment firm, Sandridge Partners, has amassed more than 100,000 acres of . Previously, Hugues was a principal investment professional at GDF SUEZ, leading transaction in LNG, infrastructure and power projects globally. The trenching was blocked in late January by heavy equipment bearing the diamond B Boswell logo after negotiations between Sandridge and Tulare Lake Canal Company stalled over an operating agreement. At the time, I was heavy with state water but the state water had low allocations and I had no other water source over there (Dudley Ridge land in western Kings County).. It doesnt make economic sense. Comments from the Boswell camp got downright personal, calling out Vidovich by name and all but accusing him of hiding groundwater usage by moving it through pipes outside the area. They set the ground rules, and once the rules are set, people play the game.. SANDRIDGE PARTNERS | 16 followers on LinkedIn. The Water Board began holding hearings on the issue this past summer. The Fresno Bee reported the verdict against McCarthy Family Farms and San Francisco Bay Area developer John Vidovich and Sandridge Partners. In any event, Vidovich fallowed his Angiola land and took its groundwater about 25 miles west to his Dudley Ridge lands. What we do not agree with is the assessment that the (plan) is managing subsidence effectively. Wyrick writes that it is believed Sandridge uses a canal/pipeline system to move groundwater from the Tule and Westside subbasins south and west for use in the Southwest Kings GSA as well as lands in the Kern Subbasin. Theres a mythology out there that Angiola is stealing water, he said. As for Angiolas involvement, Chrissakis found a Jan. 17 letter to Tulare Lake Canal Company, in which Angiola says it will use the pipeline and indemnify the canal company for any damage from the pipeline, highly relevant.. So far, the 48-inch pipeline has been trenched and laid out from somewhere north of Lemoore more than 10 miles south near the community of Stratford on private land with no public notice or oversight. Vidovich owns that land, and Semitropic has already paid him $40 million for an easement. From that perspective, it becomes massively economically inefficient, said Zetland. Latest The difference, according to Vidovich, is Sandridge is letting some of its Kings County lands go fallow, while, he says, Boswell is pumping additional groundwater to continue farming its Kings County acreage. Lois Henry is the CEO/editor of SJV Water. At this point, he said, he uses about 30 percent of his land for farming and 70 percent for water. That act requires groundwater agencies in areas with critically over drafted water basins to draw up plans to bring aquifers into balance by 2040, meaning more water shouldnt be pumped out than goes back in. The judge on Thursday may find in Sandridges favor as she already issued a tentative ruling last week which noted that, The use of the heavy equipment to stop the pipe project is not a protected tactic under the law.. Some farmers cant afford to do either, making the difficult decision to get out of agriculture all together. Enter your email address to receive INSTANT ALERTS of new articles and to be added to SJV Waters WEEKLY NEWSLETTER. And the company maintains positions on just about every ag and water related board and commission in Kings, giving it considerable political heft. Though he did sell a chunk of water rights to southern California in 2009, Vidovich scoffed at the idea that hes currently selling water to the southland. Farming runs deep in the blood of growers like Jeff and Karen Gilcrease. The company is run from its Pasadena offices by James W. Boswell, chairman, CEO and great-nephew of the founder. Package options range from 25lb cartons to 2,200lb super sacks. Sunridge Partners (UK), LLP acts as the investment advisor for the Sunridge funds that invest in agribusinesses globally. He specialised in product and growth strategy projects within the consumer and food space. One of Angiolas main well fields is actually inside the Pixley Irrigation District boundaries where water managers were concerned by the amount of water leaving their district. Vidovich is, after all, a powerful landowner in the Central Valley. Lukas works across all aspects of the firm from business development to portfolio company operations. The large, black pipe could be seen . SGMA refers to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act passed in 2014 that mandates water basins be in balance by 2040. Right, smoke from local fires mutes the South San Joaquin Valley sky over I-5 and farms operated by . What is clear is that over the past 12 years, Boswell and Sandridge have moved a combined 239,000 acre feet of State Water Project water out of Kings County all with approval from the states Department of Water Resources (DWR). According to legal briefs filed by Tulare Lake, all the floodwater that can be put to beneficial use has been, and theres no leftover water available for Semitropic. While he was just starting out, he also enlisted in the Navy and served in the reserves for six or eight years, he cant recall the exact term. environmental, ethical and socially responsible principles and work with you to achieve the best possible outcomes for all stakeholders during the whole lifetime of our ownership, Promoting food and agribusiness products and systems that contribute to improved health and well-being, We have also made a commitment to meaningfully contribute to and find solutions in our investments to the SDGs. Boswell and Sandridge are the two biggest kids on the block when it comes to farming and water in Kings County. Contributed Developer, farmer and water trader John Vidovich plans to build a beef feedlot and processing plant near Lemoore according to a preliminary application filed with the county. Kings Officials Unhappy About Water Proposal, Local Water Guys Eyeing Kings River Flood Water. Less surface water forces growers to pay for deeper wells or additional water supplies particularly expensive during one of the worst droughts in recent state history. In 2013, the Lower Tule River and Pixley irrigation districts sued Angiola Water District, whose largest landowner is Vidovich, for over pumping groundwater from a well field in Tulare County and moving it outside the county. However, state and water district records indicate the Boswell and Sandridge water is largely staying in the valley. The boundaries of that service area, however, have yet to be determined. But this outwardly unassuming multimillionaire has become a lightning rod of controversy. The elder Vidovich built a regional real estate powerhouse, which the younger Vidovich grew into a statewide empire. His pumping and movement of groundwater out of its home district has also landed him in a dubious spotlight, according to media reports. A skill his detractors say hes used to maneuver water away from its rightful place to his own benefit. })(); Ghana Business News Copyright 2022, All Rights Reserved, Inside the News by Mpakoo All pieces appearing in this column are satire. Kings and Tulare farmers and water managers want to know. It wanted an operating agreement and hefty insurance coverage. Whether the water is leaving Kings County for cash payments or to grow crops that will eventually be sold for profit, its all the same thing, said economist David Zetland, who lectures on the politics and economics of water at Leiden University College in the Netherlands. He sold rights to more than 14,000 acre feet a year to the Mojave Water Agency in San Bernardino County for a headline-grabbing $73 million. Hugues was also divisional CFO in Turkey. He came on board full-time in 2011, give or take, he said. Two giant Central Valley farming companies are slinging serious mud at one another over groundwater. Its a decimal point, Vidovich said of state water amounts compared to what farmers use from rivers and groundwater. Latest allegation in Boswell-Vidovich ditch bank battle: Environmental laws were willfully ignored . Home | DMCA | SJV Content Use | Contact, Copyright 2022 SJV Water. But everybody talks about it, and were all concerned.. The SDGs where we believe Sunridge can have the greatest impact are: We are a proud signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment, the leading global proponent for incorporating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles in investment activities. Vidovich, meanwhile, is accusing Boswell-backed groundwater agencies of dragging their feet on pumping reductions to the point their actions could sink the small, rural town of Corcoran up to another 11 feet. Ive seen a lot of people come and go out here. (See sidebar online.). He made friends everywhere he went, John Vidovich told the Mercury News in 2007. Groundwater agencies up and down the San Joaquin Valley had to file plans with the Department of Water Resources earlier this year showing how they will bring the areas seriously depleted aquifers into balance by 2040 per the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. When asked if he applies the skills he learned in his military intelligence training to his life today, he answers that we all use the things we learn through life. Over the years, the farm has truly been a family operation with Karen keeping the books and their children helping to bring in the harvests. The giant JG Boswell Company has little love for Sandridge Partners. About 90% of its farms are considered family owned, according to the 2017 US Department of Agriculture farm census. Floodwater is considered a nuisance, a menace even. The purpose of the pipeline is irrelevant, said Sandridge Attorney Marshall Whitney. Now, in the grip of yet another devastating drought, Kings County farmers like Walker want to know: Where is the water going? Home | DMCA | SJV Content Use | Contact, Copyright 2022 SJV Water. There is some uncertainty by El Rico GSA with regard to this request because of the hidden nature of Sandridges operations. var cx = '013080029684751512081:kj7d0adj7da'; Avila, along with his wife and children, grows nearly 100 varieties of fruit trees on multiple small plots of land and sells the produce at dozens of farmers markets from Beverly Hills to San Luis Obispo. Even if I were to move water and sell it, it would be to farming operations.. Sunridge Partners (UK), LLP acts as the investment advisor for the Sunridge funds that invest in agribusinesses globally. Litigation is pending with respect to some of the suspected transfers, but not all., Sandridge is being sued by the Kings River Water Association, which claims it is moving river water outside its rightful place of use.. Lukas holds an MA in Natural Sciences, an MPhil in Management, and a PhD in Plant Sciences from the University of Cambridge. Semitropic Water Storage District, in northwestern Kern, has raised a lot of eyebrows with its ambitious, some say audacious, Tulare Lake Storage and Floodwater Protection Project. Farmers in the heart of Californias agricultural belt Kings County sense something is awry with their water supplies. More recently, he filed a voter initiative in 2016 to allow a 48-foot-tall hotel after the Cupertino City Council shot down a De Anza proposal for building a 105-foot-tall hotel in the western Santa Clara Valley town. Hes now the president of that powerful panel. Something Vidovich declared is Really, really not cool, in an area that has already sunk more than 11 feet in the past 14 years because of groundwater extractions. The plaintiffs, Kings County Ventures and Green Renewable Organic and Water Holdings, sued after the deal fell through in 2009 for their Quay Valley project. News The titans behind the comments are J.G. Will this pipeline move water out of Kings County to farmers in Kern County? John Lewis plc, 171 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5NN. Our farming company, Sandridge Partners, farms thousands of acres of almonds each year in the central region of California providing an ever-increasing supply of almonds. Those are just some of the indirect costs attached to moving large amounts of water out of a region, Zetland said. John Vidovich Active Sunnyvale, CA President for De Anza Building & Maintenance Construction, Inc. (408)738-4444 Overview 46 Companies 8 Connections 7 Locations Contribute Follow John Vidovich Overview John Thomas Vidovich has been associated with forty-six companies, according to public records. Its just smart business. That could trigger intervention by the State Water Resources Control Board, SGMAs enforcement arm. Not one acre foot, he insisted. Michael began his career in commodities trading at Dominion Resources, one of the largest physical and financial traders of natural gas in the US. Independent farmers are selling out, said Kings County farmer Robert Smith, who grows walnuts, almonds, corn and cotton on about 1,000 acres. Incorporate ESG considerations into our investment analysis and decision-making processes, Prioritize ESG issues in our ownership policies and practices, as active owners, Seek appropriate disclosure on ESG metrics within Sunridge investments, Promote acceptance and implementation of the Principles within the investment industry, Work with internal and external stakeholders to enhance our effectiveness in implementing the Principles, Report on our activities and progress towards implementing the Principles, We invest in experienced management teams and companies to build and grow sustainable champions across the food and agribusiness value chain, Seeds, genetics, fertilizers, crop protection, equipment, services, Produce, plantations, aquaculture, specialty crops, Shipping, infrastructure, cold storage, distribution, Our focus is on member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), We have the ability to scale businesses globally beyond OECD countries. In 2016, the levees had to be built up another four feet. Pace gave a nod to Vidovich on that count. We are one of the largest vertically integrated almond suppliers in the world. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for credit broking and consumer hire activity (FRN 724309). The line will transfer well water belonging to Sandridge Partners for irrigation purposes, Andrews declaration states. A large water pipeline being built near Lemoore in Kings County is raising eyebrows as much for its possible uses as for the name associated with its construction John Vidovich. If the plans are rejected and local groundwater agencies refuse to make corrections, the state can refer the issue to the Water Resources Control Board, which could set pumping limits and issue fines but only after a lengthy process. The project would consist of a small reservoir, more like short-term storage cells, along the California Aqueduct just north of Kettleman City where floodwater off the south fork of the Kings River would be captured. DWR staffers now have two years to decide if the plans come up to snuff or not. strategic advisory firm. Though Boswell and Vidovich both have access to large shares of water, their relationship over this precious resource is downright antagonistic. Now, Pace said, Vidovich will do the same thing on a larger scale by moving Kings and Tulare groundwater to Kern County. Water from Angiola Water District will also be moved in the line, according to a declaration by Angiola General Manager Mark Grewal. The sale is still considered a blow to Kings' water portfolio by other farmers. HANFORD, Calif. (AP) A Kings County jury has awarded $128.6 million to developers of a proposed solar-powered city who claimed the land sellers broke a contract when they sold the parcels and water rights to someone else. The case status is Disposed - Dismissed. Vidovich used the $73 million in 2010 to buy nearly 75 percent of the land in the Angiola Water District. It was a permanent water loss for Kings County and put Vidovich under a lingering cloud of suspicion among area farmers and water managers. Whether those pipes end on Vidovich lands or Resnicks is hard to know. The GSAs are supposed to set pumping limits to stop overdraft. Angiola was rehabbing old wells, drilling new ones and installed a large pipeline. Our goal is to supply the highest quality almonds, at competitive prices, to customers worldwide. If we had water transfers that we know dont mesh with an approved groundwater sustainability plan, thats going to be a problem for DWRs continued approval of those transfers, Nemeth said, adding that the department will be reevaluating its transfer program to add greater oversight and transparency. For his part, Vidovich is ready for the water pinch. He was semi-retired living in Clovis when another Kings County farmer, Pat McCarthy not Vidovich called him to do some work for Angiola. The comments dont come from Boswell and Vidovich themselves, of course, but from the groundwater sustainability agencies each farming operation essentially controls. When you first meet John Vidovich, everything from his ball cap to his dirty boots tells you hes a farmer. Jeff has been involved in the groundwater sustainability planning in his area and is concerned about the out-of-county water transfers hes heard about. Though Vidovich describes them as simply having known each other at school, others in Tulare and Kings water circles say Hurley is Vidovichs right-hand man some say henchman. In the meantime, Boswell and Vidovich have brought their concerns to Californias DWR, which oversees transfers involving state water. This is privately owned water being moved on private land, Whitney said, warning that requiring an irrigation pipeline to undergo CEQA review could impact irrigation projects on a wide scale throughout the San Joaquin Valley. Indeed, as president of the board, Vidovich has a great deal of influence in directing much of the water districts business. In this intensively farmed, perennially dry county, water is leaving at a concerning rate. gcse.type = 'text/javascript'; That said, she explained the department would be looking closely at groundwater pumping and water transfers from Kings County, because it appears this is a hot spot where the math doesnt work.. Sandridge filed a restraining order to have the excavators, bulldozers and trucks removed, but Kings County Superior Court SunnyGem is the one-stop-shop for your almond needs, packing and shipping California varieties worldwide. Earlier this week, a Kings County Superior Court Judge ordered a preliminary injunction on the pipeline owned by Sandridge Partners and Santa Clara County's John Vidovich, as first reported by SJV Water. So, capturing that south fork floodwater would benefit both Kings and Kern county farmers, according to Semitropics Gianquinto. The 5th District Court of Appeal in Fresno has overturned a $73.4 million verdict against McCarthy Family Farms and Bay Area developer John Vidovich and Sandridge Partners involving a land. Semitropic Water Storage District in Kern County has applied for the flood water which it plans to store on land owned by Vidovich near Kettleman City, between the Blakeley Canal and California Aqueduct. If those seem like minute details for the head of a major development company to trouble with, hes even more hands-on with Sandridge Partners LP, the family business he formed for farming acquisitions. He said he bought his first parcel here in 1994 when he invested in a foreclosed property in Kings County. Boswell has employed generations of Kings County families, mostly in the small town of Corcoran where a high school stadium and park bear the Boswell name. Im actually not supposed to talk about it.. Regardless of Thursdays ruling, onlookers can expect it wont be the end of this issue. Zakaria: These Revolutions May Help India Really Take off at Last, Future of California at Risk if CEQA Environmental Law Remains Unchanged, NBA Playoffs: Star-Studded Round 2 Has Big Names, Intense Rivalries. As the processing and sales branch of the organization, SunnyGem almonds are sorted, processed and sold to the wholesale ingredient industry. Theres nothing hidden about how Sandridge moves water, he said. Trenching for the pipeline was slated to cut under the Tulare Lake Canal in late January but the canal company, which is controlled by Boswell, made several demands. The state of California is at fault. However, Vidovich has been somewhat of a welcome presence to some in Kings County. Related Story: Its Farmers vs. Thats partly due to drought but also greater use. In 2017, he made news again for his part in a plan to take Kings River flood water out of the county an effort thats still ongoing. Gianquinto and Vidovich have repeatedly said that it would be nearly impossible for an individual to use state facilities to create a private water market using any water, let alone groundwater.

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