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SafeCleanRide LLC (SCR) and Certified Safe Drivers (CSD) form Strategic Alliance in the name of Safety

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SafeCleanRide LLC (SCR), a third-party certifier of sanitization standards for ground transportation, and Certified Safe Driver, Inc. (CSD), a driver safety training provider, announced a strategic alliance on February 10 to combine best practices and standards for ground transportation and fleet transportation sectors. 

The complementary expertise and vetted certifications of SCR and CSD will create a comprehensive training and testing program for all types of vehicle drivers, ranging from long-haul-truckers to pizza delivery couriers. 

“Certified Safe Driver was formed by experts in ground logistics to provide required state and federal certifications for professional drivers. Safe*Clean*Ride is the only transportation contagion and hygiene safety training/certification that exists- so adding it to the scope of services at CSD was a natural fit,” said Sara Eastwood-Richardson, co-founder and media, and marketing manager for Safe*Clean*Ride. “While CSD products and services ensure drivers are compliant with all state and federal laws, SCR ensures drivers are fully trained in CDC, OSHA, and EPA cleaning protocols. Our overarching goal is one — to mitigate risks associated with transportation so that drivers and the public are safer.”  

“SCR and CSD are two businesses that desire the same outcome when it comes to safety. The pandemic has added more to the definition of health and safety,” said Andrew C. Ray, vice president and CFO of Certified Safe Driver. “Health is not now just proper diet, hydration, hygiene, exercise, and rest. It now brings the definition of hygiene to another level. Everything we come in contact with needs to be clean/sanitized. CSD is a hands-on company with defensive driving training for the transportation sector and independent contractors. Now with the training session comes with following the CDC guidelines on cleaning the surfaces we are about to touch.” 

SCR’s protocols were created and tested by transportation and technology veterans, under the watchful guidance of a panel of medical experts to ensure it is scientifically sound and in full alignment with CDC guidelines. Created with all of the CDC’s educational and health goals in mind, SCR has been fully reviewed and endorsed by an esteemed panel of experts in virology, chemistry, cleaning protocols, and transportation. 

The executive team with Certified Safe Driver brings combined decades of driving safety and logistics experience at United Parcel Service. Since its founding in 2016, CSD has worked with such major companies and agencies as Coca-Cola, Caterpillar, Nestle, Alto Systems, Los Angeles County of Public Works, SoCal Gas, and independent contractors for Amazon and Fed Ex. 

Among the clients who could most benefit from the CSD-SCR alliance are the full range of ground transportation operations, from last-mile delivery and logistics services to heavy-duty truck hauling, down to local pizza delivery drivers. In particular, last-mile delivery presents a growing market for coordinated driving and health safety training. 

“Our mutual best practices can help transportation operations promote safety and wellness to reduce at-risk behaviors while reducing the exposure to the liability of a crash, injury, or illness,” said Michael Perez, founder, and CEO of CSD. “These measures instill safe habitual behaviors.” 

“Anyone who drives a vehicle for business or service needs this training,” Perez added. “Wouldn’t you want to know the driver coming to your house not only follows safe ways to drive but keeps a clean vehicle that carries your ordered products or food?” 

Perez emphasizes a keyword that applies to the CSD-SCR offerings: Exposure. “If you don’t do these things, you are exposed to liability. The more you do, the less liability. You want to have enough measures and practices in place, never to be said you were negligent in your processes. As an organization, you are reducing your exposure by putting a safety process in place that includes foods, health, and hygiene.” 

Adds Beatrice Solis, CSD’s senior VP of corporate development, “I would feel more comfortable to know I’m getting food delivered from a company that is sanitizing and has requirements for a clean vehicle.” 

Beyond the Pandemic 

The value of the alliance between CSD-SCR will endure long after the COVID-19 virus spikes and infections have subsided. “It is a huge unknown, even with herd immunity, that this virus and any mutations are just going to disappear,” Ray said. “Business will have to adopt both ends of what SCR and CSD offer moving into the future.” 

Like wearing seatbelts, the combination of CSD defensive driving and SCR sanitary travel practices can reduce the costs of illnesses, accidents, and related liabilities, allowing transportation services and businesses to reallocate money and invest it in other parts of operations. 

“We should be learning a valuable lesson from COVID,” Perez said. “We have seen fewer people hospitalized and dying from the regular flu. We have also started developing some good habits that keep us from getting the colds we always get. Moving forward, it should be that way. There will be new versions of this virus, and there will be other viruses. We need to increase the odds of not catching whatever comes next.” 

More than 20 million commercial drivers interface with millions of people in a day and are in constant motion, underscoring the wide potential for safer practices. 

“Creating a safe and clean environment in the workplace benefits companies that stay compliant to the standard mandated by OSHA,” Solis said. “Our alliance will give awareness that you can’t have either without enforcing them both to keep your workforce safe and healthy.” 

The industries served by CSD and SCR are amongst the highest risk for the transportation of any kind and the easiest to potentially spread any health risk to our general public overall, Solis added. “Although we may reach herd immunity, does not mean there will not be a different type of health threat. These policies should become a lifestyle not just for work but in one’s personal life.” 

The Inland Empire Business Journal (IEBJ) is the official business news publication of Southern California’s Inland Empire region - covering San Bernardino & Riverside Counties.

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Fire Helmet Manufacturer Helps Disabled Community find Employment

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Riverside’s Phenix Technology Leads with Inclusion, Empowering the Disabled Community Through Workforce Training and Employer Education

Written by Logan Rosselli, IEBJ Content Contributor

In the heart of Riverside, off of Chicago Avenue, a small, but mighty team has been quietly manufacturing life-saving equipment for firefighters across the world for over 50 years. Phenix Technology Inc. is an internationally recognized fire helmet manufacturer who builds their products from start to finish right here in the Inland Empire. For their great products, they’ve received numerous awards such as the Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Innovator of the Year, a 2016 “E” for Exports award from the U.S. Department of Commerce, a finalist position in the “Coolest Thing Made in California” competition and more. However, their most recent accolade doesn’t involve their products at all.

In 2024, Phenix founded the ground breaking “Opportunity for All” program to provide disabled community members with the opportunity to access career education, hands-on experience and employment opportunities through an 11 week training cohort. In this program, neurodivergent individuals wanting to find stable employment learn about standard hiring practices, writing a resume, effective interviewing and professional attire while getting on-the-job training with a partnered employer in the community. It has helped dozens of disabled community members to find a new sense of independence and achieve their full potential while helping local employers find dependable employees who bring a unique perspective to the workplace.

It’s for this program that the National Association of Workforce Development Boards (NAWB), a representative of over 570 workforce development boards across the United States, honored Phenix with the prestigious W.O. Lawton Business Leadership Award in late March.

“While we take tremendous pride in the products we make, we also believe we have a mission to create a better world through developing opportunities,” said Angel Sanchez, CEO of Phenix Technology in a statement released in early April. “Opportunity for All has helped prove that individuals who have historically been excluded from the workforce don’t just contribute — they elevate organizations. We are honored to receive this national award and grateful to the partners who have helped us make this vision a reality.”

CEO Angel Sanchez Jr. accepts the NAWB Award

CEO Angel Sanchez Jr. accepts the NAWB Award

Though “Opportunity for All” is certainly the cornerstone program for the company, Phenix’s leadership team was not satisfied to leave their mission there. Thus, in 2024, the company founded its nonprofit arm, Phenix Gateway to offer more programs and advocacy to the community. Through Phenix Gateway, the company offers workforce development workshops for individuals who don’t need the full scale of the “Opportunity for All” program, but want to improve a specific skill like resume writing or workplace social skills.

However, Phenix knows that preparing disabled people for the workforce is only one end of the equation; the workforce also has to be prepared to accept the unique skills, perspectives and challenges of the disabled community. For this reason, Phenix Gateway offers employer training workshops as well as educational materials available to businesses and the community. Training programs cover a lot of ground, ranging from assistance with optimizing interviews for people with neurodevelopmental disorders to creating sensory-friendly environments in the workplace.

In Riverside, these programs have had a huge impact on the local community. As of March 2025, Phenix’s Opportunity for All program has had over two dozen participants and 44% found stable employment through or after the program. Their one-off workforce development workshops have seen over 200 participants learn new skills and help them find employment and the nonprofit currently partners with close to 90 businesses to assist them in their endeavor to create a more inclusive workforce.

Phenix Gateway staff helps a program participant with his skills

For businesses or community members interested in learning how they can support or participate in these programs, Phenix encourages them to reach out by email to info@phenixgateway.org and to attend their First Annual Gala: Rising Together, A Phenix Gateway Celebration, on Thursday, May 15th. Tickets for this event are available at phenixgateway.org.

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Supported by Local Leaders, CALED’s Annual Conference will be in Ontario this May

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Empowering Economic Growth: CALED Conference Set to Unite Industry Leaders in Ontario

CALED’s ‘Growing Local Economies from the Ground Up’ Conference is being held in Ontario at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Ontario Airport on May 7-9. This event is co-hosted by the City of Ontario and San Bernardino County, with Jennifer McLain Hiramoto, CALED’s Chair of the Board and Derek Armstrong respectively representing their city and county as Co-Chairs of the event.

With over 950 members and 45 years of empowering economic developers, CALED is the largest economic development association in the country and the annual conference is the number one place to meet and connect with the boots-on-the -ground, decision makers in our communities. 

The conference will include a pre-conference teaching tour, ‘Building & Paying for Development Projects’ on May 6th and then begin in full on May 7th, with a welcome session and breakouts. Overall, there will be four general assembly sessions and 18 breakout sessions, which will delve into local economic development practices and innovative tools.

In addition to compelling content, the conference will have numerous opportunities to connect with community leaders and valued peers through networking receptions, the culinary crawl, and new this year, the Tournament of Champions, where conference attendees will navigate a gauntlet of games to win the grand prize on the evening of Thursday, May 8th.

To learn more about the conference and register, visit the CALED website at www.caled.org.

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Strengthening Community Connections: Our Exciting New Partnership with Toyota Arena, Ontario Convention Center, and GOCAL

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Contributed Content | By Chris Venhoff, Senior Vice President and Inland Empire Market Leader for Consumer and Business Banking at U.S. Bank

As the Inland Empire market leader for U.S. Bank, I’m thrilled to share some exciting news: we are proud to be the Official Bank Partner of Toyota Arena and Ontario Convention Center. This partnership represents a reflection of our deep commitment to the Inland Empire and our dedication to fostering a vibrant, thriving community.

At U.S. Bank, we believe that strong partnerships drive meaningful progress. Toyota Arena and Ontario Convention Center are at the heart of the region’s culture and economy, bringing people together for world-class entertainment, business conventions, and community events. By joining forces, we’re not only expanding our presence but also creating opportunities to engage with residents, businesses, and organizations in ways that make a lasting impact.

Through our sponsorship, we’ll support concerts, sporting events, and conventions that showcase the diversity and energy of the Inland Empire. But this is only the beginning. As our partnership evolves, we’ll work closely with Toyota Arena, Ontario Convention Center, and GOCAL to introduce community-focused programs, including financial literacy workshops and charitable giving initiatives.

This partnership is designed to bring added value to the people we serve. For our customers, we’re introducing the U.S. Bank Fast Pass Lanes, providing priority access at Toyota Arena events. Special offers, exclusive event experiences, and tailored financial solutions for businesses operating in the region are just a few of the many perks we’re excited to roll out.

Our employees are at the core of our success, and this partnership allows us to recognize their dedication. Through exclusive access to events, corporate hospitality opportunities, and community volunteer programs, our team will have new ways to engage with and celebrate the community they serve.

The Inland Empire is a dynamic, fast-growing region, and we’re committed to supporting its continued success. By investing in Toyota Arena and Ontario Convention Center, we’re helping to create and sustain jobs while driving local business growth. These venues bring in visitors, revenue, and visibility, strengthening the region’s economy.

This collaboration is about more than just sponsorship—it’s about making a difference. By working together, we can elevate not just these venues but the entire Inland Empire. At U.S. Bank, we’re committed to being a partner in progress, supporting our customers, businesses, and communities every step of the way.

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