Biz Beat: Village market Sprouts a change

A Sunflower is turning into Sprouts.

The Sunflower Farmers Market in Modesto will become a Sprouts Farmers Market this fall. The Sunflower grocery chain was bought by the Sprouts grocery chain in May.

Phoenix-based Sprouts has some 140 stores, largely in the West. Sunflower had about 35 retail stores. Its Modesto location in McHenry Village was its second California location, though it now has six in the state.

Company spokeswoman Kim Rockley said the Modesto Sunflower Farmers Market at 1700 McHenry Ave. is scheduled to transition to a Sprouts mid-October.

When it opened as a Sunflower Farmers Market in October, the store had about 75 employees. Rockley said all Sunflower employees will transfer to become Sprouts workers.

"It will simply be a change in the interior and exterior signage, uniforms and a bit of a merchandise mix," she said. "We'll have the same great product, same great people."

The chain has positioned itself as a rival to specialty grocery giant Whole Foods. It sells a mix of fresh foods, produce, health products, bulk items, and vitamins and supplements.

Sprouts founder Henry Boney opened his first produce stand in 1943. This year, the company is projecting that annual revenue will hit $2 billion.

For more on Sprouts Farmers Market, visit www.sprouts.com.

Elsewhere around the Business Beat:

San Joaquin Valley Service and Sales, a hay and forage equipment dealership, has opened a store in Turlock.

Krone California, 2544 Industrial Rowe, will specialize in service, parts and sales of hay and forage equipment. Call (559) 759-3279.

And finally, the Modesto campus of Brandman University is offering free employment workshops Tuesday.

The information seminars will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will focus on interview skills, résumé writing and networking, and will offer tips to prepare job candidates for interviews with potential employers. Turlock Republican Rep. Jeff Denham and the Stanislaus Economic Development & Workforce Alliance are co-sponsoring the event.

The event is free and open to the public and will be held at Brandman University, 5222 Pirrone Court, Salida. To enroll, visit http://denham.house.gov/seminar-job-seekers.

Have an item for Business Beat? Contact Marijke Rowland at The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto 95352; (209) 578-2284 or mrowland@modbee.com.