SCVEDC Blog

SCVEDC to Join TeamCalifornia at MD&M West

Next month the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation will join TeamCalifornia as exhibitors at Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) West, the world's largest medical design and manufacturing event on February 11-13, 2020. This expo provides professionals in the industry the ability to network, swap ideas, find inspiration, overcome challenges, and source products so they can continue to develop the latest and greatest medical devices.

SCVEDC Hosts Local Companies for Roundtable on China Trade

SCVEDC was approached in early December by U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce with an invitation to coordinate an event on doing business in China. A Roundtable was convened on January 7, 2020 with business leaders of local companies that are currently exporting to China or are interested in learning how they can expand their trade into this country. The venue also gave businesses the opportunity to discuss their challenges in China trade and learn how U.S. Commercial Service can assist in global expansion.

Wayforward Technologies - An Independent Video Game Developer and Publisher in SCV

Are you a gamer, or do you know one? Chances are they're familiar with the characters and games developed by this Santa Clarita Valley company.

Five Point Holdings, LLC Announces the Sale of First Homesites at new Community in the Santa Clarita Valley

Five Point Holdings, LLC announced the sale of 781 homesites at Valencia (formerly Newhall Ranch) in the fourth quarter of 2019. The Company closed on 711 of these homesites, and the balance is anticipated to close in the first half of this year. The proceeds from the closed homesites were approximately $135 million.

January Marks Another Minimum Wage Increase in the City of Santa Clarita

Are you confused about the minimum wage increases? You’re not alone! The Santa Clarita Valley is in an especially unique situation in that the City of Santa Clarita and the County of Los Angeles have two different minimum wage increase schedules which has caused confusion and challenges for many of our local employers and residents alike. The City increases its wages in keeping with the State of California’s schedule (January - December), while the County of Los Angeles has adopted a wage increase schedule based on their fiscal calendar (July - June).

Five New Year’s Resolutions for Employers

The start of a new year brings the inevitable personal New Year’s Resolutions. While those are often fleeting, this can be a great time for employers to assess their priorities and take action to build a great team. Here are my recommendations for five New Year’s Resolutions that will help strengthen your business in 2020 and beyond.

California Competes Tax Credit Application Starts in January

Have you heard about the California Competes Tax Credit? It’s a state income tax credit supporting growth of high quality jobs in California, available to businesses who want to come to, stay in, or grow in our state. Through a two-phase process, businesses apply and compete for this credit during three application periods each fiscal year.

Social Media Builds…

When it comes to Social Media and Digital Marketing for your business, the amount of information can feel overwhelming. Post this not that, target this audience, use this platform instead of that one, etc. How do you break through the chatter to figure out what really matters in terms of driving business and brand awareness? Just as you as a business owner, manager, or employee get bombarded with different aspects of social media, so do your consumers and clients.

SCVEDC attends Meet the Consultants in Sacramento, California

TeamCalifornia, a statewide non-profit with a focus on marketing California as a great location for business, hosted Meet the Consultants in Sacramento, California on November 5 and 6, 2019. This two day event offered economic development organizations (EDOs) from across the state opportunities for learning from and networking with top site consultants who gave presentations on a wide variety of topics such as California competitiveness, foreign direct investment, incentives, trends in advanced manufacturing, and labor and workforce.

Are high electricity costs forcing you to consider moving your company out of state? We have some good news for you! Southern California Edison (SCE) has reauthorized their Economic Development Rate (EDR) to attract, retain and expand businesses throughout their territories in California, offering a 12% discount on your energy bill over a 5-year period.

Emergency Preparation: Getting Ready for an External Disaster

How to Create a Positive Mental Health Environment in the Workplace

Previously, we examined the employer’s role in work-life balance for their employees, but we don’t want to stop there. We want to take it one step further to an individual level and look at someone who often lets their own needs fall to the wayside: the business owner themselves.

SCV’s Growth Means More (and Better) Jobs for Residents

If you’ve driven out the 14 or 126 highways recently, you have probably noticed the amount of development and construction along those corridors. And if you’re on Facebook, you’ve probably noticed that some people aren’t happy about that. I’d like to share why this growth is beneficial to the Santa Clarita Valley economy and the people who live here.

The Impact of Health on the Workplace

It’s not exactly a shocking revelation that leading a healthy lifestyle can improve your physical and mental well being, but did you know that it can also have a profound effect on your performance at work, as well? Recently, we’ve begun to see companies incentivize employees with wellness programs, access to onsite workout facilities or discounted health club memberships, and mindfulness/meditation training to not only improve productivity, but also increase employee satisfaction.

Inc. Magazine announced its annual list of 5000 fastest growing private companies, and included in the list are eight Santa Clarita Valley-based companies: Hennessey Consulting (290), Hardcore Fitness Boot Camp (506), Beverly Hills Teddy Bear (1016), Lief Labs (1022), Scorpion (1665), Agilisium Consulting (1873), Med Tech Solutions (2577), and KRG Tecnhologies (4252).

The Employer’s Role in Work-Life Balance

As we’ve discussed before, the growing millennial workforce places a premium on flexible schedules, the ability to work remotely, and communication and mentorship from management. And one of the most important factors they’ve identified is having a sense of work-life balance; that is, the ability to work while still having the freedom and time to pursue outside activities.

fDi Magazine named Santa Clarita an American City of the Future

Like all businesses that have chosen to locate in the Santa Clarita Valley (SCV), foreign companies are attracted by the region’s business-friendly approach, abundance of land, high quality of life, modern facilities and infrastructure, talented workforce and strong local economy. Additionally, SCV’s proximity to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which are ranked the #1 and #2 ports by cargo volume in North America, make it an ideal location for international businesses.

SCV Means Business: Trends in Manufacturing with ITT and King Henry’s Inc.

In case you missed it, over the summer SCVEDC president and CEO Holly Schroeder was able to sit down with a few local leaders to discuss how choosing to locate in the Santa Clarita Valley set them up for success. As they both have ties to the Advanced Manufacturing industry, they shared what current trends they’re experiencing and what to expect moving forward.

S.T.R.E.A.M Expo Returns to Teach Innovation for MFG Day

October 3-4 marks the 5th annual MFG Day where industry leaders come together to educate students about careers in the advanced manufacturing industry. This is the second year SCVEDC is partnering with S.T.R.E.A.M. and other local organizations like College of the Canyons and William S. Hart School District to bring a two-day event for both parents and students to focus on the future of innovation.

The Santa Clarita Business Incubator Spotlight

One of the greatest local resources we have for startups is the Santa Clarita Business Incubator. A partnership between the City of Santa Clarita, College of the Canyons, and the Small Business Development Center, the Business Incubator has helped local entrepreneurs kickstart their businesses through networking opportunities, low cost office space, and access to partnerships with local legal and financial services, all while establishing roots in the SCV to create high-quality jobs for the community.

Millennials and Startups in SCV

We’ve discussed before how Santa Clarita is one of the top tech areas to watch in LA and OC and a hot place for startups to call home. Considering millennials are outpacing former generations in the number of businesses being started and their current exodus to the suburbs, it’s no surprise that we’ve seen a resurgence in the interest in startups locally.

Combining Millennials and Baby Boomers in the Workforce

We’ve already discussed what kind of demands millennials have for the workplace and why it matters. But with the generation now making up the majority of the workforce, it’s becoming more important than ever to recognize ways to integrate their new way of thinking into the company culture to foster peaceful relationships with the established baby boomers.

Quality of Life Matters – Millennials are Moving to the Suburbs

As millennials grow up and begin to settle into their careers and buy homes, it’s hardly surprising that their demands from just a few years ago have changed. A generation that once flocked to apartments in the city is now looking to settle down and start a family – but where are they moving to and what are they looking for?

Richard Photo Lab Grows Again in the Santa Clarita Valley

For the past 50 years, Richard Photo Lab has been a top source for film processing and printing. In a world where much of film photography has been overtaken by digital technologies, Richard is one of the few labs that remain that cater to devotees of analog film. However, that doesn’t mean that Richard’s processes are stuck in the past. In fact, quite a lot of effort and engineering has gone into streamlining and modernizing their film development and print fulfillment.

The Santa Clarita Valley Remains an Important Hub for the Film Industry

Hollywood North has become a common moniker of the Santa Clarita Valley in reference to the large amount of filming that takes place here. And it’s true – there are many TV shows, feature films, music videos and commercials shot in our region. The last fiscal year was another incredible year for the SCV, in part thanks to the City of Santa Clarita’s film-friendly attitude and Film Incentive Program and the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program which has brought many productions “home” from locations out of state.

LiveWorkSCV.com by the numbers

Have you heard about LiveWorkSCV.com, the new resource from the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation? LiveWorkSCV.com is a comprehensive, highly visible job board that matches SCV career opportunities with SCV residents who want a job closer to home.

Another Fantastic Fiscal Year for Location Filming in Santa Clarita

The City of Santa Clarita had another fantastic year of location filming in the 2018-2019 Fiscal Year with the Film Office recording 526 film permits and 1,380 film days, which generated an estimated $33.4 million in economic impact to the local community. These statistics represent an increase in the estimated economic impact when compared to the previous fiscal year.

Spotlight: Leading Tech Companies that Call SCV Home

When you think of “booming tech hub,” you’re probably more inclined to think Silicon Valley than Santa Clarita. But the truth is that over the past few years more companies are moving out of Silicon Valley and looking for locations with a greater quality of life that corresponds to the desires of their workforce.

New Resource to Help SCV Employers Find Local Talent

The Santa Clarita Valley (SCV) is home to many top employers in a wide variety of industries like medical devices & biotechnology, aerospace & defense, digital media & entertainment, information technology, and advanced manufacturing. Despite the fact that SCV residents are highly skilled and often experience long commute times, local employers note that they have trouble hiring talent that lives locally, and they frequently have to cast a wide net to fill open positions. We have also found that residents of the Santa Clarita Valley lack awareness of the types of career opportunities that are offered at local companies.

Trust and Transparency: The Future of Innovation

In a world where technology evolves on an almost daily basis and it can be challenging to decipher between what is real and what isn’t, the growing demand for transparency is greater than ever. For companies whose main business is technology, it is becoming more evident that the only way to fuel future success is to build trust with consumers through open communication and information sharing.