CYNTHIA
SWEENEY
NORTH BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL | April 19, 2017, 2:57PM
The Solano County Economic Development Corporation is launching a new strategy to attract new businesses to the area, and is also saying goodbye to its long-time president and CEO, Sandy Person.
In May, the Board of Directors will be asked to endorse a new $500,000 budget to fund enhanced business attraction efforts, including a website that gives companies looking to relocate or expand a comprehensive description of developable sites available in Solano cities. It features extensive demographics of the county, its capable workforce, the quality of life and other promotional messages.
“To achieve these goals we need new financial support from business members, public sector partners in cities and county government, and anywhere else we can find it,” said Steve Huddleston, immediate past chairman of the board.
Strategic targets include the biotech industry, biomed, logistics, advanced materials, and food and beverage industries.
Solano has attracted a lot of interest from the wine industry, and craft brewing is growing, said Louise Walker, EDC board chairwoman.
In 2015, Solano experience a 3 percent job growth, with 4,300 new jobs, led by non-durable manufacturing and wholesale positions, according to the latest figures from the EDC, and the county generates $19.6 billion in annual gross regional product.
Along with business attraction, the new strategy will continue to address business retention.
“While gaining jobs and new employers are the top priority, Solano EDC will not ignore business retention, support for Travis Air Force Base and legislative advocacy on behalf of local employers. I hope we might find there’s a role for Sandy in those efforts in conjunction with us. She is so strong in those areas,” said Huddleston.
Person has been an active staff member of the EDC for 16 years, and an active member since 1987.
Click here for a link to the article in the North Bay Business Journal.
NORTH BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL | April 19, 2017, 2:57PM
The Solano County Economic Development Corporation is launching a new strategy to attract new businesses to the area, and is also saying goodbye to its long-time president and CEO, Sandy Person.
In May, the Board of Directors will be asked to endorse a new $500,000 budget to fund enhanced business attraction efforts, including a website that gives companies looking to relocate or expand a comprehensive description of developable sites available in Solano cities. It features extensive demographics of the county, its capable workforce, the quality of life and other promotional messages.
“To achieve these goals we need new financial support from business members, public sector partners in cities and county government, and anywhere else we can find it,” said Steve Huddleston, immediate past chairman of the board.
Strategic targets include the biotech industry, biomed, logistics, advanced materials, and food and beverage industries.
Solano has attracted a lot of interest from the wine industry, and craft brewing is growing, said Louise Walker, EDC board chairwoman.
In 2015, Solano experience a 3 percent job growth, with 4,300 new jobs, led by non-durable manufacturing and wholesale positions, according to the latest figures from the EDC, and the county generates $19.6 billion in annual gross regional product.
Along with business attraction, the new strategy will continue to address business retention.
“While gaining jobs and new employers are the top priority, Solano EDC will not ignore business retention, support for Travis Air Force Base and legislative advocacy on behalf of local employers. I hope we might find there’s a role for Sandy in those efforts in conjunction with us. She is so strong in those areas,” said Huddleston.
Person has been an active staff member of the EDC for 16 years, and an active member since 1987.
Click here for a link to the article in the North Bay Business Journal.
