NEW EDC CHIEF SPEAKS TO REALTORS
INDUSTRY NEWS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, SHASTA COUNTY
September 11th, 2008
Warehouse under construction
Greg O’Sullivan, who was hired in January to head the local Economic Development Corporation (EDC), spoke about his new role at this agency. The EDC’s mission is to create 1500 new jobs in 5 years. The corporation is funded by a combination of grants and donations from local business groups.
Mr. O’Sullivan highlighted efforts to recruit, retain and expand job opportunities in the Shasta County area. He recently completed videotaped interviews of local CEO’s touting why they located here and why they feel this is a good area to do business. These videos will be presented to company officials that are expanding or relocating their companies.
The EDC is also working with a Canadian firm called ROI (Return on Investment) to identify companies that align with the target industries the EDC is trying to recruit. ROI surveys companies to see if they have any plans to expand or relocate. Today, companies looking to expand allow only 6-12 months to locate and build or retrofit an existing space. In the past, this would have been a multi-year process.
He attends trade shows for specific industries and meets with site selection consultants to pitch our area. The positive attributes of our area include an available workforce, a great location midway between Los Angeles and Seattle, cheap energy and easy highway and rail access. He also expounds on the beautiful surroundings that make people want to live, play and work here! Distribution companies have trended toward building smaller strategically located warehouses instead of one large warehouse. The spike in energy and shipping costs has caused companies to site manufacturing facilities closer to their potential markets.
EDC also works with existing companies to retain employees and provide financial incentives for expansion. The EDC is working to re-secure our area as an Enterprise Zone which allows attractive incentives in the form of tax credits to companies that hire new employees to expand their operations.
The target businesses are distribution and medical equipment manufacturing. One potential business that is considering locating here is a distribution company that expects to have a facility that will employ 350 people.
As a local Realtor, I believe it is important to stay informed of what efforts are being made to facilitate job growth in our local economy. If you are looking for a real estate professional to assist you in a sale or purchase, please contact me:
530-941-7492 or 530-224-6767
BRAD GARBUTT
REALTOR/BROKER ASSOCIATE
REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS GMAC
QUARTER CENTURY LOCAL REAL ESTATE EXPERIENCE
