Startup Grind Launches Santa Clarita Chapter
On September 12, Startup Grind powered by Google for Entreprenuers, came to Santa Clarita with an exciting event for entrepreneurs featuring Loot Crate Co-Founder, Michael Arevalo. Loot Crate, a subscription service that launched five years ago delivering a monthly box full of geek-related merchandise to consumers, is now a $116 million business that won the No. 1 slot on the 2016 Inc. 500 list of America's fastest-growing private companies.
10 Characteristics of Successful Startups
There is no single path to startup success. If such a yellow brick road existed, laid bright and obvious to entrepreneurs of all stripes, thriving in this competitive market would become as simple as stepping into a pair of ruby slippers. The best that entrepreneurs can hope for in 2017 is to learn what they can from those who've come before in a community that supports, inspires and connects, like the Santa Clarita Startup Grind, which launched in September.
Where to plant your tech startup
Starting a new business can be overwhelming - there are so many decisions to make, and one of the most important is deciding where to plant your tech startup. A year ago, the San Fernando Valley Business Journal ran an article about the Santa Clarita Valley’s (SCV) burgeoning high-tech community, dubbing us the “Silicon Suburb." In the months since then, we’ve seen a rapid increase in both startup companies and the local resources available to support them on the road to success.
50 acre business park to break ground in Santa Clarita
New Development in the Santa Clarita Valley makes the news again as Trammell Crow Company (TCC) and Clarion Partners announce the acquisition of 54 acres of land for the development of The Center at Needham Ranch, a state-of-the-art business park in the City of Santa Clarita, CA. This project is the first phase of a larger 132-acre, fully entitled site approved for up to 4.2 million square feet of Class A industrial space. Phase 1 is scheduled to break ground in August 2017 and expected to begin deliveries during the Q3 2018.
Santa Clarita Valley - closer than you think!
Los Angeles is a huge metropolis that sprawls across Southern California, and it often seems that everything is so far away. When it comes to the Santa Clarita Valley (SCV), the perception is that it takes longer to get here than other places in LA. It’s a myth we work hard to dispel—did you know that it takes SCV residents less time to get to the Hollywood Bowl than folks who live on the Westside?
Santa Clarita Valley delivers access to the top
As kids head back to school, it’s important to keep in mind the graduates of more advanced schooling, whether it’s technical or vocational training, or a two or four-year college program. With today’s hottest industries requiring a trained and educated workforce, the Santa Clarita Valley delivers on so many fronts. There are over 50 two and four year schools, both private and public, located within 30 miles of Santa Clarita, and if you’re willing to expand your search to 50 miles, that number jumps to 97! And those schools include some of the nation’s top talent-building schools.
The Startup Grind
Starting a business is so many things – exciting, stressful, challenging, crazy, fun, terrifying… For today’s entrepreneurs, the challenges of running a successful startup can be overwhelming – you can drown in the information available online, and how do you find (and identify!) the relevant, useful information? Some days it all just seems like a never-ending grind…
SCVEDC Visits Hong Kong
As part of its ongoing effort to promote international investment into the Santa Clarita Valley (SCV), and to facilitate export opportunities for SCV companies, SCVEDC President & CEO Holly Schroeder recently traveled to Hong Kong. This was SCVEDC’s first return to Hong Kong since it joined then-Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich for a Chinese trade mission in 2014.
Summer’s last hurrah before it’s back to school in the Santa Clarita Valley
As August approaches, you can hear the sighs of relief from parents as summer vacation draws to a close and school gets back in session. Here’s a summary of those all-important first day of school dates for Santa Clarita:
J.E.M. F/X Commits to Santa Clarita with Expansion to New Facility
J.E.M. F/X, a member of Santa Clarita’s strong and rapidly growing Digital Media and Entertainment Cluster, is expanding to a new 26K SF facility. This innovative technology firm creates highly sophisticated special effects and pyrotechnics, utilizing AutoCAD and 3D rendering software.
Select LA Investment Summit 2017
On June 15th, The World Trade Center LA (WTCLA) hosted 350 attendees to the third annual Select LA Investment Summit. The event is focused on attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the region – delivering job creation and economic opportunity to the Los Angeles area. Select LA Investment Summit showcased growing industries in Los Angeles (LA) County, including bioscience, aerospace, digital media and entertainment, tech, real estate and advanced transportation, to help inform investor choices regarding projects and investment opportunities.
fDi Magazine named Santa Clarita a Small American City of the Future
fDi Magazine announced that Santa Clarita was named 4th in Foreign Direct Investment strategy among small cities in their American Cities of the Future Awards. Santa Clarita is well positioned for future growth and is attractive to foreign investors due to its economic stability and business-friendly community. Santa Clarita is a good place for foreign investors seeking long-term security and growth.
SCVEDC Wins CALED Award for Business Assistance Program
The California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED), a state-wide, California professional economic development organization, announced the winners of their CALED Awards at their annual conference on March 22nd. The Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation (SCVEDC) is pleased to win an award of merit for our Business Assistance Visitation Program for 2016-2017, following an Award of Merit for our 40 for 40 incentive program for the 2015-2016 year.
Santa Clarita Named a Best City to Start a Family
Santa Clarita was recently named 27th out of 350 Best Places to Start a Family by LendEDU. Their unique scoring system ranked cities by the quality of public education, cost of first home, crime and safety rates, and percentage of young families. This honor is added to a long list of accolades the city has received including Best Places to Live in California, Best Places to Retire, and Most Business-Friendly City in Los Angeles County.
Last week, the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation (SCVEDC) awarded its Industry Cluster Attraction Incentive to Scorpion, a leading Information Technology company in the Santa Clarita Valley. Scorpion is constructing a new Headquarters in the Santa Clarita Valley, with construction set to be completed later this year. The incentive reimburses Scorpion for permit fees incurred during the permitting process of up to $40,000, and is just one of the many SCV business services and resources provided by the SCVEDC.
Scorpion, one of the fastest growing website design and Internet marketing firms in North America serving legal, healthcare, franchise, and home service clients, broke ground today on their new corporate headquarters in the Santa Clarita Valley. Scorpion’s new headquarters will be the first creative office building of its kind in the area, and will prominently feature an environmentally conscious, employee-centric design.
Congratulations to Holly Schroeder, President & CEO of the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation, for being named as one of the 200 most influential leaders by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal (SFVBJ) in its inaugural issue of "The Valley 200."
On Thursday night, the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation recognized the City of Santa Clarita as the Most Business Friendly City with a population greater than 68,000 and the City of Pico Rivera as the Most Business Friendly City with a population under 68,000.
CDS Doors, manufacturer of quality cooler and freezer glass doors, is relocating to the SCV after the first of the year. The company has acquired a 50,000 square foot building in Canyon Country on Sierra Highway.