Saturday, January 30, 2016

Panel shares insight on Solano economic, community growth

Audrey Taylor, president of Chabin Concepts, speaks at the Solano Economic Development Corporation Annual Meeting, at the Hilton Garden Inn, on Friday. (Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic)
Audrey Taylor, president of Chabin Concepts, speaks at the Solano Economic Development Corporation Annual Meeting, at the Hilton Garden Inn, on Friday. (Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic)


Panel shares insight on Solano economic, community growth

By From page B8 | January 30, 2016 
                                                                  
FAIRFIELD — A three-member panel shared insight on economic and community growth in Solano County during the Solano Economic Development Corporation’s 33rd annual meeting luncheon Friday.

Robert Eyler, Don Schjeldahl and Audrey Taylor spoke on the theme of We’re Moving Solano Forward, before an audience of more than 300 who gathered at the Hilton Garden Inn.

The trio is part of the team recently contracted through the Solano Economic Development Corporation to develop the knowledge and tools to position the county economy for growth.
Eyler started off by saying 2015 was robust for Solano County, with 4,300 new jobs – the most since 2005.

“There’s been a lot of good news about Solano County and what’s been going on,” he said.

Many people question what’s next, Eyler said. Interest rates look like they’re going to start rising, the Chinese economy is showing some issues and there is uncertainty in politics, he said.

There are points to consider in moving ahead, Eyler said. There is a need to be mindful of the global, national and regional economic context, he stressed.

It’s important to build businesses looking at the future, not so much looking at the past, he said.


“We want economic diversity and we also want to be bulletproof against the next recession, which we know is going to come,” he said.

“You’re never going to be totally bulletproof, no matter how economically diverse your communities are,” he said, however.

There will still be some exposure to a recession, he said.

Eyler also pointed to the need for balance.

One of the other challenges here is to identify what businesses export beyond Solano County, because about 25,000 people leave the county every day to do a job someplace else, he said.

He also spoke of opportunities that are ahead.

“The bottom line is that businesses are going to want to migrate when prices start to rise. And the Bay Area is a great example of this,” he said. “Are you ready for that migration? Our project is going to have some of the answers to that.”

Corporate site selection is much different now than in the past, Schjeldahl said in his presentation. The world is much more complex, he said. The markets are rapidly changing, he said.

A successful business today must be flexible and adaptable, he said. You need to know where you sit in the global economy, he said.

Schjeldahl also spoke of the younger workforce. They have a different view of quality of life, he said.
Businesses need to have a vision to train the workforce of tomorrow, he said.

Schjeldahl also talked of changes in Solano County. The county was isolated 20 years ago, he said. That isolation is going away, he said.

There is a choice of what to do, he said. There is a need to figure out what to do to attract a diversified economy, he said.

Taylor, meanwhile, said she was impressed with the county and its long-term planning. What you have here is distinct, she said.

She talked of the need to be ready for opportunities. In a global context, the speed of a business is critical, she said.


Businesses must also know their surroundings. Economic development has to understand what growth is taking place, she said.

Taylor also focused on workforce development. It’s important that the skill set matches the economy you want, she said.

Businesses must be prepared for disruptive changes as well, she said. We have to adjust to those, she said.

Taylor pointed to the need for sound city government as an attraction. Businesses also look at fiscal management of cities, she said.

Among the points she made, Taylor said there is a need to share value and vision. Typically there is a vision of what sectors you want to grow, she said.

Eyler is president of Economic Forensics and Analytics Inc. and professor of economics at Sonoma State University. Schjeldahl, principal at DSG Advisors, is a corporate site consultant. Taylor is president of the economic development consulting firm, Chabin Concepts.

Reach Kevin W. Green at 427-6974 or kgreen@dailyrepublic.net.

Solano leaders discuss how to move Solano forward economically

Solano leaders discuss how to move Solano forward economically


Kimberly K. Fu — The Reporter Audrey Taylor with Chabin Concepts was one of three economic specialists who spoke to Solano EDC members about key economic factors that can help the county move forward.


A new year, another opportunity to help Solano move forward economically.

Such was the discussion Thursday at the 33rd annual meeting of the Solano Economic Development Corporation, held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fairfield.

Myriad community leaders and three economic specialists threw out ideas and potential best practices, all in the aim of promoting #TeamSolano.

“We can move Solano forward if we work collectively,” advised Sandy Person, Solano EDC president.

Supervisor Erin Hannigan agreed, saying the need is definitely there.

“We are creating the work force of the future,” she explained, adding that Solano must create jobs for them and help employers find ways to not only remain in the county but also to grow.

Robert Eyler, president of Economic Forensics and Analytics, Inc. and an economics professor at Sonoma State University, said 2015 was a robust year for Solano, boasting 4,300 new jobs, the most since 2005.

That said, Solano must be aware of what’s going on in the world around us in order to be better prepared for what’s coming, he said, as the state of other economies will impact ours.

He suggested a one-stop monitoring system that will provide dynamic, relevant, up-to-the-minute information that will keep Solano relevant in the marketplace.

Don Schjeldahl with DSG Advisors, emphasized that the world is more complex than ever and that to compete, business leaders must be able to compete with rapidly changing markets and technology. They must be more flexible and adaptable, he continued, think global and act local.

Millennials will soon make up the work force and they have a different work ethic and view of quality of life issues than traditional workers, he said, which employers must keep in mind.

Audrey Taylor, president of Chabin Concepts, shared six keys to a better economy:

• Being ready for businesses to show up — work at the speed of business, not the other way around.
• Understand industry clusters, the economic drivers of the future.
• Develop talent.
• Know the disruptive changes, like regulations, that will impact businesses.
• Know place development. Location is key.
• Have a shared value vision with local communities and get involved. Maximize shared assets and
benefits.

Collaboration and strategy, the economists said, can move Solano in the right direction.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Is Solano County Competitive for Business? Hear from the experts on Jan. 29


FAIRFIELD, Calif. – The opportunities for economic and community growth will take center stage at Solano EDC’s 33rd annual meeting on Jan. 29.  Solano County businesses can meet the experts implementing the “Moving Solano Forward” project
 
The panel presentation will focus on Solano County’s future; specifically, how the region can develop its own way forward as the Bay Area and Sacramento grow on either side of it. In practical terms, that means asking, “Is Solano County competitive now, and how can we be more competitive in the future?”

Speaking at the event are Dr. Robert Eyler, Don Schjeldahl, and Audrey Taylor, part of the team recently contracted to develop the knowledge and tools to position the county economy for growth.

Dr. Eyler, president of Economic Forensics and Analytics, Inc., and professor of economics at Sonoma State University, will address the state of today’s economy, what he predicts for tomorrow and how that affects economic development and diversity.

Schjeldahl, principal at DSG Advisors, is a corporate site consultant who has facilitated the relocation and expansion of more than 300 companies and is the person who makes the call when multiple communities compete for new business, He will talk about changes in what industries are looking for.

Taylor is president of Chabin Concepts, a nationally known economic development consulting firm, will talk about changes in economic development practices and what new trends are likely to affect Solano County’s efforts to remain competitive for both existing and new businesses.

The event will also include a new video presentation of Solano’s community highlights from 2015.

The annual meeting will be held on Friday, January 29 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fairfield. 

Registration and networking begins at 11 a.m. with lunch and program at 11:45 am

Cost is $45 per person, $350 for a table of eight. Early reservations are encouraged since the event sells out annually.

Sponsors are: the law offices of Favaro, Lavezzo, Gill, Caretti and Heppell, NorthBay Healthcare, Northern Solano County Association of Realtors and Travis Credit Union

The Solano EDC membership programs are underwritten by the EDC Chairman's Circle Members:  Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.; Electrical Contractors Trust of Napa and Solano; Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District; Manex; Solano Garbage/Republic Services; Solano Transportation Authority and Syar Industries.

To register, call Solano EDC at (707) 864-1855 or email pat@solanoedc.org.