SCVEDC Blog

SCVEDC Hosts Annual Economic Outlook Forecast

Even though economist Dr. Mark Schniepp of California Economic Forecast said to expect a “boring economy” in 2019, SCVEDC’s annual Economic Outlook was anything but. With tickets selling out nearly five weeks before the event date, Holly Schroeder, President & CEO of SCVEDC gave a warm welcome to over 400 attendees that crowded into the ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Valencia. 

2018 – A Year of Growth and Development for the Santa Clarita Valley

The Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation’s overarching goals are to support the creation of high-paying jobs for our trained workforce, stimulate economic activity that grows the regional tax base, and strategically position the Santa Clarita Valley (SCV) and its businesses to better compete in the global economy.

The Santa Clarita Valley Keeps Winning

The Santa Clarita Valley has been in the news quite a lot lately -- and for good reason. Those of us who call the SCV home already know it's a great place to live and work, but others are taking notice as well. 

The Ripple Effect: New Development = Job Creation

Pretend for a moment you want to build a new house. What do you need?

Raw materials, certainly. Foundation, wood, brick, glass, etc. You’ll need labor, too. Someone has to design the place, transport your raw materials, and assemble them into something that won’t tip over when the big bad wolf comes around.

Millennials Are Buying Homes in the Burbs

While home values have reached record highs in many American cities and student debt is higher than ever, millennials in some parts of the country are choosing to buy homes anyway. But what makes a good place to live? Where are millennials choosing to live and why?

SCV Means Business: Neotech and Technifex

Among the various industry clusters that call the SCV home, most businesses agree that moving or starting here has helped them in some central way that they can’t ignore. This month we spoke with two companies who are not only pushing boundaries in their respective industries, but also found a home in Santa Clarita to serve their needs.

Workplace Education is the Future

With the constantly evolution across multiple industries and even within individual jobs, it’s no surprise that learning new skills is becoming both a requirement and expectation. It’s no longer enough to “go back to school;” instead, learning has become a continuous process the workforce is expected to integrate into daily operations to keep up with a company's growing needs.

Join us for the 2019 Economic Outlook Conference on March 14

Are you wondering where to get a sneak peek into the economy of the Santa Clarita Valley, the state of California, the United States, and the world? Does your company rely on accurate and up-to-date demographic data for the region? Are you interested in how growth and development will shape Santa Clarita in 2019 and beyond? If you answered yes! to any of these questions, you need to attend our 2019 Economic Outlook Conference!

Small Businesses Drive Employment

Quick -- when you think of companies that drive the engine of our economy forward, which come to mind? Apple? Google?

Like we’ve said before, it may feel like big companies are behind the wheel, but small and medium-sized companies are pulling more than their weight when it comes to hiring and growing the economy, and they have been for some time.

SCVEDC is Here to Help your Company GROW in 2019

A major function of our work at the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation (SCVEDC) is to monitor the diverse issues facing businesses in our region and provide support to companies as they work through these issues. This is accomplished in a variety of ways through our business assistance program, our business attraction efforts, and our partnerships with our Board, COC, the City of Santa Clarita and the County of Los Angeles to name a few.

Looking Back on a Good Year

2018 was a very good year for the Santa Clarita Valley, and 2019 shapes up to be good as well. Our local job growth has chugged along in a healthy manner, and we are on track to add several thousand new jobs in the SCV. We are also adding new housing, which is a good thing and will continue to keep our economy in balance as we go forward.

SCVEDC Honored by The Signal as 2018’s Growth Leader

Last week The Signal hosted their annual business awards. Among the honorees was the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation (SCVEDC) for Growth Leader. Growth is a very important theme here at SCVEDC. In fact, growing the number of high-quality jobs in the Santa Clarita Valley is our mission.

Must-Attend Events for the Business-Minded and Entrepreneurial Spirits

The weather has changed, and the calendar is reading December, which means 2018 is coming to a close. For some companies that might mean the year is slowing down, while for others business is ramping up. Whether you’re planning what to do with your lighter schedule or in full holiday promotion swing, there are plenty of things to keep you focused on growing your business or career into the new year.

SCV Means Business Podcast Update– Innovative SCV Startups & Mission Valley Bank

Among the diverse companies that make up the SCV economy, there are a few that are providing innovative solutions to current and future industry needs. Many of these businesses are highlighted on the new website Innovate SCV, a partnership we are proud to participate in, fueling entrepreneurial endeavors in Santa Clarita with an award-winning business incubator program and a massive network of support and resources.

Walls up at Needham Ranch Phase 1

Trammell Crow Company (TCC) and Clarion Partners, LLC were joined by City officials and community members to officially celebrate the initial raising of the walls for Phase 1 of the highly-anticipated Los Angeles County business park The Center at Needham Ranch. Phase I occupancy is scheduled for Spring 2019.

Eight SCV Companies make the San Fernando Valley Business Journals list of fastest growing private companies

The San Fernando Valley Business Journal recently recognized Los Angeles County’s fastest growing companies and eight Santa Clarita Valley Companies made the list.

The IoT in Aerospace and Defense

With the massive amount of data processing and storage required for the daily operations of Aerospace and Defense companies, automation has become not just a novelty, but a necessity. As we’ve discussed before, the Internet of Things (IoT) has drastically altered the way many manufacturing companies operate by streamlining production and increasing data collection and analysis.

Live, Work, Play: The Ideal Lifestyle for Your Business

Everyone wants a better work environment. We’ve told you before how millennials in particular are demanding it. And workers who are happy are certainly more productive. But there comes a point where achieving a better work environment has to cross beyond the office threshold into the community at large. The lifestyle of the community your business is in can have a big impact on what happens during work hours.

SCV Means Business – AMS Fulfillment and Princess Cruises

The Santa Clarita Valley is home to businesses across a number of diverse industries, many of which chose this location to address a few common needs that arise for any growing company. Two such companies, AMS Fulfillment and Princess Cruises, chose the SCV because they found the resources they needed to thrive in this area that weren’t available elsewhere. In October, SCVEDC President Holly Schroeder sat down with leaders from both companies to discuss what makes SCV a great location for business.

SCVEDC Co-Hosts Supply Chain Workshop

On October 25th, more than 30 small businesses in the Santa Clarita Valley, Antelope Valley and surrounding areas had the unique opportunity to meet resource partners at the Northern Los Angeles County Defense Supply Chain Business Resource Event. Funded by the California Advanced Supply Chain Analysis and Diversification Effort (CASCADE) initiative of the DoD, its purpose was to introduce businesses interested in or already participating in government defense contracting to a host of resource connections throughout the State of California that can help them better compete and win contracts.

SCV Startup Weekend is Just Around the Corner

Startup Weekend SCV on November 2-4 is a unique opportunity for developers, designers, and business people to team up and build a startup in just 54 hours! This event that happens all over the world can help you get from zero to a new company by Sunday night! In cooperation with Google for Entrepreneurs, this is SCV’s own Shark Tank, but much more friendly and supportive in a learning-first environment.

Current Trends in the Aerospace and Defense Industry

Although modern air travel as we know it has not changed much over the past 50 years or so, the aerospace and defense industry has been quite the opposite. Companies in the sector are proving time and again that they aren’t afraid to incorporate new technology and concepts into their products, which are finally beginning to carry over into commercial aircraft as well. Here are four trends to be on the lookout for in the near future:

Laemmle Theater Breaks Ground in Old Town Newhall

Laemmle Newhall 7 celebrated its groundbreaking in Old Town Newhall yesterday. Part of the new Newhall Crossings development, the multi-screen, 500 seat, two story arthouse cinema plans to open one year from now.

Lief Organics Expands Again in SCV

CBRE announced Lief Organics, a nutritional supplement manufacturing company, leased a nearly 112,000 square-foot, newly renovated facility in Valencia, CA for their corporate headquarters, manufacturing and distribution center.

New Commuter Bus from Antelope Valley to SCV Industrial Center

On September 25, 2018, the Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) Board of Directors approved the agency's New Employment Center Commuter Services, creating three new bus routes that will provide service to some of the North County's largest employers in the Antelope Valley and Santa Clarita. The new commuter services, to be implemented within the next 90 calendar days, will create Route 788 servicing manufacturers in the Santa Clarita area with two additional routes servicing companies in the Antelope Valley. The goal is to encourage Antelope Valley-based workers to make the positive change to using public transit as a means of getting to work.

AVITA Medical Receives FDA Approval for Spray-on Burn Treatment

Avita Medical's ReCell, a regenerative skin-cell solution, is the first treatment of its kind approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for growing back skin on burn victims. Avita Medical is a global regenerative medicine company with its US Headquarters in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Manufacturing Jobs Continue to Evolve

Over the last decade or two across the industry with the rise in automation, a misconception has grown around the direction manufacturing jobs are headed. While it’s true that the days of building products manually are just about dead, manufacturing jobs themselves are far from it.

The History and Evolution of Aerospace Manufacturing

When it comes to the manufacturing industry, it’s impossible to ignore the aerospace cluster which employs more than 350,000 people in California alone. In fact, for the first time in over a decade, more jobs in the industry are flowing into the United States rather than to foreign countries. We’ve come a long way from the wooden aircraft of the early 20^th century flown by Orville and Wilbur Wright, however, so let’s look at how aerospace manufacturing has evolved since the first flight in 1903.

Protecting Your Business from the Outside-In

When running a business, your responsibilities can seem endless. From managing employees to keeping production running smoothly, approving budgets to handling client contact, the last thing you want to worry about is an IT breach or security nightmare. And if you happen to work in an area where natural disasters are a regular occurrence, the threat of losing entire systems and databases is just as imminent as a cybersecurity risk.

Save the Date - Defense Supply Chain Business Resource Event on October 25

Are you looking to grow and diversify your business? On October 25, businesses in Santa Clarita Valley, Antelope Valley and surrounding areas will have the unique opportunity to meet resource partners at the Northern Los Angeles County Defense Supply Chain Business Resource Event. All businesses interested or already participating in government contracting are welcome. Defense contractors or subcontractors are especially encouraged to attend.