The SCVEDC is excited to announce that we were recently honored for excellence in economic development by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in two distinct categories. For both the Business Retention & Expansion (BRE) Initiatives and Print Brochures categories impacting populations between 200,000 - 500,000 residents, the SCVEDC was recognized for two of last year's projects: The 2022 Business Survey, and the SCV Talent Report.
The SCVEDC would like to acknowledge seven local employers: CC Wellness, Lief Labs, Scenario Communications, Selleton Scales, TLK Fusion, Tri Source International, and Vance Wealth, on making it onto this year's list for the fastest-growing companies in the US!
A New Shop Local Video Series Showcasing Local Businesses
The City of Santa Clarita, in partnership with SCVTV, is excited to announce "Santa Clarita Spotlight," a brand-new Shop Local video series dedicated to promoting and celebrating the diverse range of local businesses within the City. The pilot episode of Santa Clarita Spotlight was released on Friday, August 18, on the City’s website at santa-clarita.com/ShopLocal and social media pages.
The SCVEDC would like to congratulate everyone who made this years list of most influential leaders in the region, including our own President & CEO - Holly Schroeder. Several members of the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation’s Board of Directors have also been named to the San Fernando Valley Business Journal’s Valley 200 list announced on July 31st.
“[The Valley 200 list] is 200 people we consider the most influential in our area - the San Fernando, Conejo, Santa Clarita, Simi and Antelope valleys,” wrote Charles Crumpley, SFVBJ publisher and editor, in the August 1st, 2022 edition of the bi-weekly business publication. “They are the leaders we depend on, the ones whose work – whether at the office or in nonprofits or in other ways –improve our community and make our local economy sturdier. [W]e also tend to select those who are active – in professional, political and community organizations.”
New Ownership, new location, and a new way of doing business
SANTA CLARITA VALLEY, CA – Avon Rents, a one-stop vehicle rental company serving the greater Los Angeles area for over 40 years, has recently expanded into the Santa Clarita Valley. Avon operates one of the largest independently owned and operated fleet of commercial vehicles in Southern California. While their fleet primarily serves the film industry with production trucks and trailers, Avon also offers a new and improved variety of cargo vans, stake beds and cube trucks for small businesses and individual rentals.
Press Release - New aerospace company joins SCV's thriving local cluster
SANTA CLARITA VALLEY, CA – This month Lockheed Martin announced the completed transition of their hybrid airship IP and related assets to a newly formed commercial company, AT2 Aerospace. AT2 is developing airship solutions to support commercial and humanitarian applications around the world. The development of airships is anticipated to provide new freight alternatives for shippers, as well as the
ability to reach remote locations efficiently.
Where are all the workers with the relevant job skills my company needs? Most have heard or experienced this sentiment for years now, and it was only exacerbated by the labor challenges from the pandemic. The economic impact of shifting technology and skill requirements across almost all workforce areas continues to be a concern. There are simply more jobs available than there are workers with the requisite skills.
So how do we fix it? There are short term solutions to this problem, such as offering higher pay for retention or increasing flexibility in the hiring process. High schools and colleges however are investing in comprehensive career pathways to provide real-world career experience to bridge this skill gap.
Providing vital data and information is just one of the important services and resources that the SCVEDC provides to local businesses. Most prominent of these resources comes from our resident economist, Dr. Mark Schniepp. Every quarter Dr. Schniepp and the SCVEDC publish an Economic Snapshot that updates data on labor force and employment, residential and commercial real estate, hotel vacancy rates, and film activity.
In his Q4 Snapshot for 2022, Dr. Schniepp summarized the labor force and employment trends as mainly positive, but still having areas for improvement. The job creation trend was consistent throughout 2022 and our region created 5,200 jobs in 2022, the most in any year since 2004.
Did you know the SCVEDC has an interactive, online tool that provides themed virtual tours of the amazing features our community has to offer? Engage with different media, maps and data, and really get to know the various aspects of the Santa Clarita Valley that make it such a great place to live, work, and play! We'll be adding new customized tours periodically, so keep an eye on our social media, website, and newsletters for updates.
Welcome Vallarta and it's corporate employees to the Santa Clarita Valley!
SANTA CLARITA VALLEY, CA – The Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation (SCVEDC) announced today that California-based Vallarta Supermarkets will relocate its corporate headquarters to the Santa Clarita Valley (SCV) in late 2023. Vallarta Supermarkets has purchased a three-building campus at 28470 - 28490 Avenue Stanford in Santa Clarita. The three buildings that make up the "Valencia Corporate Plaza” encompass 195,387 square-feet of office space. This campus is bordered by Advanced Bionics (HQ), Donaldson, Southern California Edison, and several other small businesses and manufacturers in the Valencia Industrial Center.
On Tuesday night Holly Schroeder, President & CEO of the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation, released the 2022 SCVEDC Annual Report to the City Council. It featured our organization's business attraction and retention, business assistance, economic information & research, and community marketing efforts.
Click here for the presentation slides, and read below for more details!
DrinkPAK Pre-Leases 200K-SF in Final Phase to Expand SCV Footprint to 770,000 square feet
New extension of Film & TV Tax Credit will support continued growth already seen in SCV film industry.
When people think filming television and movies, of course Hollywood and Los Angeles are the first to come to mind. Santa Clarita Valley however is one of the most filmed locations in the State, and that includes LA. Santa Clarita is consistently one of the most filmed places in California because it’s located within the industry’s well-known 30-Mile Zone and offers thousands of film-friendly locations that can double for almost anywhere in the world. Throw in a City Film Incentive Program, Movie Ranch Overlay Zone, low-cost permit fees and expedited permit processing, and it's easy to see how we recently broke our own record this year by generating over $40 million in economic impact!
California has long been known as the entertainment capital of the world, and one of the ways the state has been working to keep filming here is through the Film & Television Tax Credit Program. The program has been shown to generate $24 in economic activity for every $1 invested – spurring tens of billions of dollars in economic output, helping create over 110,000 jobs, and bringing shows and films to California. The legislation expands the current film credit program with a $180 million increase over two years and an additional one-time $150 million incentive to be used over multiple years for the construction of certified motion picture soundstages – building out studio infrastructure to keep pace with the growth in production.
The SCVEDC would like to congratulate everyone who made this years list of most influential leaders in the region, including our own President & CEO - Holly Schroeder. Several members of the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation’s Board of Directors have also been named to the San Fernando Valley Business Journal’s Valley 200 list announced on August 1st.
“[The Valley 200 list] is 200 people we consider the most influential in our area - the San Fernando, Conejo, Santa Clarita, Simi and Antelope valleys,” writes Charles Crumpley, SFVBJ publisher and editor, in the August 1st, 2022 edition of the bi-weekly business publication. “They are the leaders we depend on, the ones whose work – whether at the office or in nonprofits or in other ways –improve our community and make our local economy sturdier. [W]e also tend to select those who are active – in professional, political and community organizations.”
SCV Companies: Business Climate in SCV is Robust
Local companies positively rate the business climate and quality of life in the Santa Clarita Valley. That’s the key takeaway from the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation’s 2022 Business Survey of 155 companies.
The Honor Ranch Site (Honor Ranch) is a potential development located in a County-owned vacant lot in the Santa Clarita Valley. This 206-acre plot along the eastern edge of the I-5 (north of the Castaic Junction) offers an excellent opportunity for a new jobs-creating development. It consists of a large contiguous land area with high visibility and freeway access.
The location has been identified as a potential development site for years. A motion was introduced by 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger on June 14, 2022 that enters LA County into an exclusive negotiation phase for the project. The "Honor Ranch Development Project" has now moved further in the process than ever before towards making this project a reality.
Trammell Crow Company (TCC) was chosen as the preferred developer for a 1.8 million SF project consisting primarily of new industrial facilities. TCC will work closely with LA County Public Works on the pre-development phase, as well as negotiating a final agreement. Honor Ranch has great potential to bring more high quality jobs to our valley, allowing more residents in our expanding population to live and work right here in SCV!
Newmark Knight Frank (“NKF”) negotiates 169,854-Square-Foot Industrial Lease at The Center at Needham Ranch in Santa Clarita, CA.
Newmark Knight Frank (“NKF”) announced it has negotiated a 169,854-Square-Foot Industrial Lease at 21480 Needham Ranch Parkway, at The Center at Needham Ranch. The new tenant, Tire's Warehouse, will occupy newly constructed building 10 at the site. Tire's Warehouse will join current tenants Amazon, LA North Studios, Illumination Dynamics, and recently expanded beverage manufacturer DrinkPAK. With this move to SCV from the San Fernando Valley, Tire's Warehouse has now tripled their facility space in North Los Angeles. Phase 1 at The Center at Needham Ranch is completely leased and construction on Phase 2 is well underway, with buildings 11 through 18 still in the works.
As we celebrate the City of Santa Clarita's nomination once again as a business-friendly city by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, it's a good time to reflect on what makes the Santa Clarita Valley so business friendly.
City of Santa Clarita among 10 finalists for this year's "Most Business Friendly City" Award
It's been another banner year for Santa Clarita in terms of achievements and growth. Through a lot of hard work and collaboration, the citizens and businesses of SCV have really risen to meet the challenges of the last 18 months. As we heard from economist Dr. Mark Schniepp at our Economic Outlook Forecast, Santa Clarita is well on its way in terms of recovery. One of the biggest factors in growth and economic recovery is for your businesses to thrive. The City of Santa Clarita has once again been named as a finalist in the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation's (LAEDC) award for "Most Business Friendly City" in LA County. As Los Angeles County's third largest city, Santa Clarita continues its commitment to maintain a healthy business environment for current and future companies, proactively promoting business-friendly programs and services--a critical factor in job creation. With award criteria including prioritizing and supporting business recovery, reinvention, growth and hiring throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it's no surprise that we made the short list.
Last week the IAC Commerce Center celebrated the initial raising of the walls in the third and final phase of development. The 7th building is a 113,400 square foot Class A industrial facility. The construction is expected to be substantially completed by the end of this year, and ready for use in Q1 of 2022. Prospective tenants would join current residents Amazon, Bay Center Foods, Happy Returns, and more.
The SCVEDC would like to acknowledge seven local employers AMS Fulfillment, CSI Services, Inc., Lief Labs, LIFT innovate, Medical Breakthrough®, Medical Technology Solutions, LLC, and TLK Fusion Inc. on making it onto this year's list for the fastest-growing companies in the US!
How well do you know the businesses in the Santa Clarita Valley?
Most residents don’t realize that SCV is home to a broad range of companies across major industry sectors including Aerospace & Defense, Advanced Manufacturing, Biotech & Medical Devices, Digital Media & Entertainment, and Information Technology. The Santa Clarita Valley is also one of the few places in LA County that is seeing increasing population growth, with numerous ongoing residential, commercial, and industrial projects.
Over the past several years I have been interviewing many of the leaders of these innovative companies for our podcast series “SCV Means Business”. I am inspired by their commitment and dedication to their employees, as well as our community.
In a smart move to keep California’s signature industry thriving in-state, legislators earlier this month voted to increase both film and television tax incentives by another $330 million. The new bill was signed into law on July 22 by Governor Newsom, and has two primary features. The currently available $330 million is being bolstered with an additional $180 million, bringing the annual film tax incentive program total to $410 million. The entirely new component now adds $150 million, allocated towards the construction of soundstages in an effort to meet the ever-growing demand for these studio facilities. These changes could prove vital to meet California's film and television needs, stop production jobs from leaving the state, and potentially coax studios to return that had jumped ship for more enticing offers in other states.
Santa Clarita ranks top 10 in safety, as well as the 4th most ambitious and business ready city in the nation.
Santa Clarita has recently been recognized as being one of the safest cities of its size in the country, and for being one of the most business ready. While it may not seem obvious at first, these two endorsements go hand in hand. They result from deliberate efforts to grow the number and quality of jobs in the Santa Clarita Valley in order to provide great opportunities for residents.
Riedel Communications Brings North American Headquarters to SCV
The Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation is pleased to announce that Riedel Communications is relocating its North American headquarters to the Santa Clarita Valley. Riedel Communications designs, manufactures, and distributes innovative real-time networks for video, audio and communications. Its products are used for broadcast, pro-audio, event, sports, theatre and security applications worldwide.
SCVEDC BOD Members and CEO Named to Valley 200
Several members of the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation’s Board of Directors have been named to the San Fernando Valley Business Journal’s Valley 200 list announced on July 20. Holly Schroeder, President & CEO of SCVEDC has also been recognized as a Valley 200 Icon of Influence, along with SCV business owner Cheri Fleming, CEO of Acura of Valencia and SCVEDC Board Member Tamara Gurney, President of Mission Valley Bank.
Amazon Inks 2 Deals in the Santa Clarita Valley
Amazon has signed two leases for distribution centers in the Santa Clarita Valley; one in the Needham Ranch development in the City of Santa Clarita and the second at IAC Commerce Center in unincorporated Los Angeles County.
Leading Aerospace Companies that Call SCV Home
The Santa Clarita Valley (SCV) is within easy reach of Los Angeles: only 30 miles from downtown LA and 7 miles from its northern border. The fastest-growing community in Los Angeles County, the Santa Clarita Valley is home to a population of nearly 300,000 and the third largest city in LA County, the City of Santa Clarita.
New Development = Job Creation
New development might seem undesirable to some, but there are a wide range of positive effects it can have on the local economy. A whole host of jobs are required just to build one building: contractors, managers, engineers, and inspectors are just some of the many jobs that new development requires. However, the impact of new commercial, industrial, and standard office development on job creation reaches far beyond new construction. After all, once the development is completed it isn’t finished creating jobs. Manufacturing companies, offices and retail locations need employees. These are all things that grow the local economy and help it to thrive.
