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Central California EDC doubles efforts
Bakersfield, CA
February 22, 2008
A unified voice is emerging in Central California that may offer a real alternative for economic growth and development. It’s the Central California Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC). For years California has been known as a state with two population hubs: The Bay area and Southern California. For many outside the state, the Central Valley has remained relatively obscure; someplace to drive through on the way to either end of the state.
But the CCEDC is challenging that obscurity and bringing the economic options of Central California into the light by giving the eight county area a unified voice to reach out to the nation’s business leaders and relocation managers.
The CCEDC is a regional marketing organization, formed in the late 1980s, to promote job creation and business retention from Kern, Tulare, Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus Counties. By collaborating and cooperating, the various economic development agencies within those counties are creating a unified voice for attracting new business and industry to the region.
In June 2006, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger created the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley; a public-private partnership focusing on “a prosperous economy, quality environment and social equity.”
This partnership awarded a seed grant of $250,000 to the CCEDC to assist in marketing efforts and as a way of stimulating economic growth, focusing on various “cluster” industries that have great potential in the San Joaquin Valley. Those clusters include agri-businesses such as food processing, agricultural technologies and biotechnologies, manufacturing, supply chain management and logistics, health and medical care and renewable energy businesses.
The seed grant has allowed the CCEDC to double its marketing efforts at important national industry trade shows such as the West Pack Show held recently in Anaheim and the annual Process Expo trade show in Chicago.
“By being at such trade shows, it lets businesses know that we’re able to accommodate their requirements and that we’re in-the-game, so to speak,” explains Scott Galbraith a CCEDC board member. “By being at trade shows or undertaking trade missions we’re carrying the message that we are open for business and want to help.” concludes Galbraith.
Such trade missions have sent representatives from the various County E.D.C.s to visit national brokerage firms in Phoenix, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and most recently New York City discussing with site selectors, brokers and tenant reps, the value of doing business in Central California.
“The fact that companies can actually make money by moving there and the fact that the Valley has some competitive advantages from other states I wouldn’t have thought about were it not for the face-to-face interaction of the CCEDC efforts,” comments Ed Harris, of Commercial Tenant Services in New York City after a recent trade visit by CCEDC board members. Harris says he is impressed with information about Central California such as land costs which are more affordable, and lower wage requirements than in some of the bigger metropolitan regions, which are benefits to businesses wanting to relocate.
In addition to national outreach efforts, the CCEDC is reaching out for the first time to influential members of the California legislature to explain how important the Valley’s economic growth is to the entire state.
“In the past, we’ve limited ourselves to just participating in marketing efforts. But this is our first attempt to reach out to lawmakers in Sacramento to first introduce ourselves and also to focus on issues that impact economic development not only statewide but in the San Joaquin Valley in particular,” explains Bobby Kahn, Chairman of the Central California Economic Development Corporation.
By continuing the outreach effort among California Lawmakers and focusing on specific industry clusters, the CCEDC is hoping to develop region-wide economic development incentives to become a region-wide resource for marketing the area.
For more information, contact Jennifer Faughn, CCEDC Executive Director at 888-998-2345 or visit the Central California Economic Development Corporation online at www.californiacv.com.
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