California
City EDC
Assisting Companies to Expand
or Relocate
A nonprofit corporation, California City Economic Development Corporation
(Cal City EDC) provides information and facilitation for companies looking
to expand or relocate in "AFFORDABLE" California
City.
DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES IN CALIFORNIA CITY; LATEST PROJECTS UNDERWAY!
Dateline: 1/02/02
Re: Overview of Pending and Approved City and Private Development Projects
1. State Route 14-CCB Interchange:
On august 1, CalTrans Districts 6 and 9 presented the approved
project designed for construction of the 14/CCB interchange, and widening
of Route 14 to four lanes from Mojave to Phillips Road. Project cost
is estimated at $40 milllion. Funding for the project has been approved
by the State Transportation Commission, and construction is due to start
in 2004. Completion date is mid-2007.
2. CCB – Baron Boulevard to State Route 14 (6.5 miles):
The City is preparing the Project Review study for KernCOG and
CalTrans to widen CCB to four lanes including railroad crossing improvements.
Estimated construction cost is $10.6 million. Construction to correspond
to 14/CCB interchange improvements.
3. Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion:
Montgomery Watson has complete engineering design for increasing
WWTP capacity from 1 million gallons per day to 1.5 million GPD.
Additional engineering for the drying beds is underway. Staff is
working with City/Agency financial advisors and Bond counsel to issue $7
million in bond financing for $1.5 million in construction and repayment
to SDI fund of $5.5 million borrowed for the 1993 expansion. Construction
for the current expansion is expected to begin in the fall, 2001.
4. CNG facility at CCMS:
CalTrans/KernCOG has approved a CMAQ grant for $500,000 to develop
and construct the Compressed Natural Gas facility. City Council has approved
entering into an MOU with the Mojave Unified School District for the facility,
to be located at the California City Middle School bus barn. Quad
Knopf has been contracted to provide the engineering. The project
is scheduled for completion in the Spring, 2002. MOU is being worked out
between City and MUSD at this date. The City has applied for additional
funding to make the CNG station a "fast-fill" station and word on that
request should be forthcoming in the next 60 days.
5. Electric Charging Stations:
Four charging stations for electric vehicles are currently installed.
They are located at the City Yard, Sprague & Son's Construction, Airport
and Fire Department. Three Toyota electric mini-SUV's were delivered to
the city on Monday. They are assigned to the Fire Department, Airport and
City Hall (Code Enforcement and other staff uses as necessary).
6. Street Improvements:
City Public Works Dept. has completed 49 miles of ground asphalt
streets including 20 miles of Twenty Mule Team Parkway. Staff is
working with San Bernardino County and CalTrans for approval to pave the
remaining 1.3 miles to connect TMT Parkway to Hwy. 395.
7. Wonder Acres Water System:
Staff is working with the Mojave Public Utility District for
upgrading the Wonder Acres water system, including a storage tank, distribution
system and line improvements for fire protection.
8. Borax Bill Park:
The City has applied for state Green Sticker grants in the amount
of $90,000 to upgrade the park for OHV/Recreation use including restrooms,
day camping and picnic areas with barbeque grills. State will make awards
this month.
9. Lakeview Mobile Home Park:
Kern County has approved a CDBG grant for $200,000 to resurface
all streets in the park. Kern County s completing the environmental
assessment for the project, and city staff is doing the street paving engineering.
Construction is scheduled to begin Winter 2001-2002.
10. Mabel Davis Senior Center:
Williams Construction has been awarded the construction contract
for $71,000 to upgrade the Senior Center, including a computer room and
ADA/Handicapped restroom facility. Funding from CDBG grant.
11. Matrix Motors, Inc.:
Grading and Foundation plans have been approved, construction
is underway. Building walls up 4 feet, on the 83,000 square-foot
industrial facility, work continuing
12. The Inn at Tierra Del Sol:
Four Star Construction has submitted plans for the hotel, grading permit
issued, city is working on the tentative tract map.
13. Village Square Shopping Center:
KZ Holdings has agreed to purchase, and the City and Weissman California
City have agreed to sell, property for a major national supermarket chain
to construct a supermarket in the Center, along with other retail space
tenants. Details will be released as soon as all agreements between KZ
Holdings and said supermarket chain have been completed.
Approved and pending are the following projects:
Herb Spry’s Mini Storage, Hubbells Mini-Storage, Charlie Sprout Mini-Storage,
High Desert Bible Church and Church of Christ, new sanctuaries; new
sanctuary for the New Hope Church of the Nazarene, Dennis Automotive
storage yard, Grimshaw Construction construction yard, and Max Gramse’s
400-unit residential Parkway Vista Estates. As others are approved they
will appear on these pages.
Every day clear plastics are used in hospitals and medical facilities
to save people’s lives. From the plastic bags that are used in transfusions
to the replaceable joints for knee surgery, clear plastics provide what
doctors need. They are lightweight, see through, and can be sterilized
hundreds of times without degrading. They keep important diagnostic equipment
sterile for infection control standards, and can be impregnated with drugs
so that they deliver time-released medication exactly where it’s needed.
The need to reduce healthcare costs by using more disposable medical supplies
are important factors in generating a higher demand for medical plastics,
says Plasticsusa.com, an independent online plastics portal.
So it’s no surprise that the use of plastic materials in the medical
device field is constantly increasing. The industry is estimated to grow
at an average annual rate of 4.3% through 2008, from $4.18 billion in 2002
to almost $5.51 billion, according to BCC Research Inc., an information
resource producing market research reports and conferences. Knowing that
the demand for plastics and medical devices will continue to increase,
the question is: Where will you grow your plastics and/or medical devices
company? Here are some of the locations that are prepared to accommodate
your expansion.
Flagstaff, AZ: Business at its Peak
The Greater Flagstaff Economic Council has identified specific industries
that are compatible with the area’s needs and resources. With plentiful
bioscience, medical devices, and technology resources, the Greater Flagstaff
community is poised to grow these vital economic sectors.
On this page: Renderings of the United States Geological Survey
facility to be located in Flagstaff, AZ. Renderings provided By The Smith
Group.
The city of Flagstaff has been identified as the leading community
for medical device manufacturers in Arizona based on the number of jobs
in this sector, with W. L. Gore & Associates, Machine Solutions, and
Prent Thermoforming leading the way.
The Strategic Alliance Business Research & Education (SABRE) Group
at Northern Arizona University—comprised of the university’s research faculty
and guided by the Greater Flagstaff Economic Council—has undertaken a collaborative
approach to market the extraordinary research projects at the university.
Biotechnology companies like Senestech and Blue Mountain Technologies have
already drawn both national and international interest. Other start-up
companies involved with the Northern Arizona Technology and Business Incubator
are also working closely with the the Greater Flagstaff Economic Council.
Machine Solutions President Dan Kasprzyk (left) receives an award
from (right to left) Flagstaff Mayor Joseph Donaldson, State Representative
Ann Kirkpatrick, and Coconino County Supervisor Liz Archuleta. Photo by
Greater Flagstaff Economic Council
In an attempt to stay competitive, the city of Flagstaff—in cooperation
with the Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) and the federal
Economic Development Administration—is building a 10,000-square-foot business
and technology incubator that will include both wet and dry lab space.
The city also created a companion public/private partnership Science &
Technology Park adjacent to the United States Geological Survey (USGS)
complex and the incubator, with groundbreaking to commence by Spring 2007.
Initiatives such as these will help the recruitment and attraction process
by providing an inventory of buildings for potential companies to locate
to.
Various local entities are involved with projects focusing on development
and use of renewable/sustainable energy (wind, solar, and geothermal) as
well, making the Greater Flagstaff area and Northern Arizona a desirable
location for new businesses in these business sectors.
Whatever business you are in, the Greater Flagstaff Economic Council
is available to assist companies looking looking to relocate or expand
within the Northern Arizona Community with information on incentives, demographics,
infrastructure, and workforce, as well as contacts that may provide additional
assistance.
Thinking California? Think Hesperia
Located in the Inland Empire North of San Bernardino County, the city
of Hesperia’s nearly 81,000 residents make it the second largest community
in the High Desert region of Southern California.
One key advantage to businesses and residents locating in Hesperia is
its strategic position at the intersection of two major thoroughfares:
I-15 and U.S. Highway 395. Hesperia, ideally situated near the summit of
the I-15’s Cajon Pass, is the most commuter-accessible community in the
High Desert, and it is closer than other Inland Empire North cities to
markets throughout the Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, and San
Diego areas.
Hesperia serves as more than just a “gateway”—it is the desired destination
in the High Desert. The city’s central location provides a direct connection
to other major interstates and highways serving the greater Los Angeles,
San Diego, northern California, and Nevada markets. Interstate 15 also
connects to Interstate 40, which serves the southwestern states, including
Arizona and beyond. Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, one of Southern
California’s dominant rail carriers, serves Hesperia. Ontario International
Airport, which provides passenger and cargo service, is a short 45-mile
drive away. If you are shipping cargo, Southern California International
Airport, 15 miles away, is another option.
Encompassing nearly 75 square miles, Hesperia’s sphere of influence
extends along 17 miles of desirable north-south frontage on Interstate
15. While parcels of land suitable for big box development are becoming
scarce in the Inland Empire valleys, large parcels are still available
in Hesperia at considerably lower costs than found in other areas of Southern
California. Additionally, Hesperia has around 1,032 acres zoned for commercial
and industrial development in two redevelopment project areas.
Graco Products (a division of Newell Rubbermaid) has expanded its distribution
center in Hesperia, and now has nearly 400,000 square feet of warehouse
space. In addition, 84 Lumber is locating on rail-served property, and
Centex Homes is building an indoor truss manufacturing facility and bringing
a rail spur to approximately 20 acres.
These companies are there because Hesperia offers one of the most favorable
business climates in the Inland Empire North. Rail-accessible parcels,
Foreign-Trade Zones, and covenants in lieu of comparable LAMBRA Zone incentives
all make Hesperia competitive.
A diverse and skilled workforce is another reason why businesses find
Hesperia the perfect location for expansion and start-up ventures. Hesperia
is home to the region’s largest labor force. Along with an average unemployment
rate under 6%, this large, qualified workforce includes 43% of Hesperia’s
workers who commute and would prefer to work closer to home. This cost-effective
labor pool enables a business to reduce collateral costs, increase profitability,
and continue to expand its operations in the future.
Hesperia is a pro-development, customer service-oriented city that is
serious about acquiring your business.
Plastics: A 30-Year Tradition at MidAmerica Industrial Park
An ever-increasing thirst for Gatorade in the middle of the nation
will be fulfilled by a new plant that will open next year at MidAmerica
Industrial Park in Pryor Creek—a community near Tulsa in northeast Oklahoma.
Construction is now well underway at MidAmerica for the nation’s largest
Gatorade plant.
Construction of the new Gatorade facility in the MidAmerica Industrial
Park in Pryor Creek, OK. Photo by MidAmerica Industrial Park Gatorade’s
1.4 million-square-foot processing, warehousing, and distribution center
was sited at MidAmerica (Oklahoma’s largest industrial park) for a variety
of reasons. “We weighed many economic, community, environmental, and resource
factors in our final decision for our ninth manufacturing and distribution
facility,” says Chuck Maniscalco, president of Gatorade.
According to Gatorade, the deciding factors were MidAmerica’s geographic
location and the subsequent cost savings of getting product to market.
“Our economic modeling shows that no additional economic incentives—tax
abatement, land, infrastructure assistance—offered from competing states
can offset these cost factors,” says Heather Mitchell, communications manager,
Gatorade.
The Gatorade plant represents a long line of firms engaged in the plastics
industry that have located facilities at MidAmerica. The tradition spans
back to 1966 when Performance Pipe (a division of Chevron/Phillips) began
operations at MidAmerica to produce pipe used in natural gas, water, oil
field, fiber optics, and energy markets across the U.S.
Interplastic Corporation began operations at MidAmerica in 1973 as a
part of Interplastic’s Thermoset Resins Division. The firm, which produces
polyester and vinyl ester resin as well as a complete line of CoREZYN and
Silmar brand gel coats, recently completed a warehouse and office expansion
of its MidAmerica plant.
Red Devil, a manufacturer of home improvement products for professional
and do-it-yourself markets, also established a plant at the MidAmerica
Industrial Park in 1973 and consolidated all production operations there
in 2001. The firm has a product line that totals 800 items that are shipped
worldwide from the MidAmerica facility.
In 1990, Tyco Plastics expanded to MidAmerica and now operates two divisions
from the facility. The company is acknowledged as one of the largest producers
of packaging materials and polyethylene films in the U.S. In February 2006,
the firm was purchased by a private investment firm and rebranded as the
Covalence Specialty Materials Corporation.
According to Sanders Mitchell, administrator of MidAmerica Industrial
Park, the combined employment for plastics firms at the park should top
650 when the new Gatorade plant opens in 2007.
“Our plastics sector has done well here at the park due to our ability
to keep operating costs at a minimum,” says Mitchell. “Plus, logistically,
we are in an ideal location to serve a variety of markets in the middle
of the country efficiently on a same-day or next-day basis.
“As the price of fuel continues to escalate and firms become more engaged
in finding supply-chain solutions to meet just-in-time transportation challenges,
I am sure that we will find additional plastics companies that relocate
here and prosper,” adds Mitchell.
Currently, 71 companies are in operation at the 9,000-acre MidAmerica
Industrial Park, including seven Fortune 500, eight Global 500, and 17
publicly-held firms.
Roanoke Valley, VA: On Target for Plastics and Medical Devices
On the surface, there doesn’t seem to be much in common between plastic
bags and a magnetic targeting device with applications in orthopedics and
trauma surgery. But Virginia’s Roanoke Valley offers key factors that benefit
both plastics companies looking to build a manufacturing facility and biomedical
device companies—cheap electricity, cost effective transportation, and
innovative research to help facilitate new product development.
With the plastics industry consuming approximately 6% of all the energy
used by U.S. industries each year according to the U.S. Department of Energy,
it makes sense for such companies to look to regions where electric costs
are low. They need look no further than the Roanoke Valley, which is served
by Appalachian Power, a unit of American Electric Power.
“Our customer service representatives regularly work with companies
that are researching power rates as part of their location studies,” says
John Shepelwich, manager of state corporation communications for Appalachian
Power.
“Fortunately, rates in the Roanoke Valley are among the lowest in the
nation; some studies rank us as low as third from the bottom in cost per
kilowatt hour.”
Trinity Packaging located in Roanoke Valley, VA. Photo by Roanoke
Valley EDP
Shepelwich says it’s a combination of power from coal-fired power plants,
reliable transmission from Appalachian’s new 765 kV power lines, and hydrogenerated
power from facilities such as the Smith Mountain Lake pump-storage project
that help to keep rates as low as possible. “Our parent company, American
Electric Power, is one of the largest producers of power in the country,”
he says. “The Roanoke Valley is ideally situated to benefit from all these
factors, which makes it very attractive to any industry that relies on
electricity.”
Low electric rates were important to Trinity Packaging in 2002 when
the company chose an existing building in Franklin County for its 300-employee
plant. Trinity produces and ships food service and industrial plastic bag
products to warehouses across the country. The Roanoke Valley’s central
location on the East Coast also was important. The region is within a day’s
shipping distance of two-thirds of the U.S. population, is served by both
Norfolk Southern and CSX railroads, and offers a large UPS hub.
Andreas SchulzeIsing—an executive at Mehler Engineered Products’
North American headquarters in Martinsville-Henry County, VA—showcases
the company’s dipped-cord product. Photo by Martinsville-Henry County Economic
Development
Easy access to both its primary end-user—Integrity Windows and Doors—and
to the research facilities at nearby Virginia Tech (located just 45 minutes
south of the Roanoke Valley’s central business district) were among the
factors that brought Tecton Products, LLC to the Roanoke Valley. Tecton,
manufacturers of ultra-efficient pultruded composite products used as framing
components for window and door products, began production at its new 75,000-square-foot
manufacturing facility in Roanoke County in July.
“We value Virginia Tech’s research into composite materials,” says Rob
Plagemann, general manager of Tecton. “Our first local new hire was a graduate
of Tech’s engineering program.”
Plagemann and others in the industry have benefited from Virginia Tech’s
Polymer Materials and Interfaces Laboratory (PMIL). The National Science
Foundation center was established in 1989 and focuses its research on new
polymeric adhesive and composite materials, establishing the fundamental
mechanisms that govern performance. These materials relate to the performance
of items produced and used by virtually every sector of society, from aviation
and automobiles to bridges and aerospace structures.
A CP Films employee tests the company’s window film product at
its facility in Martinsville-Henry County, VA. Photo by Martinsville-Henry
County Economic Development
And when it comes to medical devices, Roanoke Valley’s research sector
shines. World-class research at Virginia Tech was also key to the development
of the Magnetic Targeting Device. The device uses magnetic sensors to locate
screw holes in a hollow rod that is placed inside long bones, such as leg
bones, to repair fractures. The product grew out of an idea from a local
physician, who took it to the Carilion Biomedical Institute (CBI). CBI
was founded in 1999 to bring together Carilion Health System with two top
research universities (Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia) to
solve medical-related problems. The physician, Alfred Durham, MD, and CBI
took the problem to Professor Alfred Wick’s mechanical engineering class
at Virginia Tech, where three students came up with the magnetic solution.
A working prototype was developed by Triad Semiconductor and Plastics One,
a Roanoke Valley company which specializes in medical component molding.
The Roanoke Valley offers a business climate that works for companies
across industry sectors. With excellent market access, low electric rates,
low costs of living and doing business, unique training opportunities,
19 colleges and universities within an hour’s drive, and a skilled workforce,
Roanoke Valley is on target for your plastics or medical device company.
Martinsville-Henry County, VA: Plastics Pioneer
Martinsville-Henry County, VA knows plastics. The county is producing
some of the finest plastics products available. Solutia, Inc./CP Films,
Inc.; Commonwealth Laminating and Coating, Inc.; Applied Felts, Inc.; and
Tri-State Foam Products, Inc. are all leaders in their industries, and
they do it all from Martinsville-Henry County.
Martinsville-Henry County’s strategic mid-Atlantic location reduces
transportation time and cost for product delivery. With five interstates
and two major airports within 50 miles, plus access to the Port of Virginia
and Norfolk Southern rail service, your company has access to a variety
of reliable shipping options.
Located only 35 miles from Martinsville-Henry County, the Advanced and
Applied Polymer Processing Institute (AAPPI), part of the Institute for
Advanced Learning and Research, is a national research and engineering
center of excellence providing strategic contract research arrangements,
as well as state-of-the-art analytical, processing, and testing services
for the polymer manufacturing, processing, and converting industries. A
primary focus of the center is to strengthen polymer-based companies by
enhancing their production efficiency, profitability, product quality,
and global competitiveness.
Martinsville-Henry County offers a pro-business attitude to help you
get your plant up and running quickly. A multitude of available sites and
buildings and trained workforce mean they can help speed your product to
market. See how they can put their resources to work for your business.
FirstEnergy: A Proud Partner in Ohio’s Plastics Success
Ohio is ranked among the top states in expansions and new projects.
That’s because the state has the talented workforce and the right location
to make your company successful.
FirstEnergy is a proud partner in Ohio’s business success story. FirstEnergy
maintains an extensive database of available sites, available buildings,
and community profiles that will help you narrow down your site search
quickly.
Location is everything and luckily for you, almost two-thirds of the
U.S. population, income, and manufacturing activity is within 500 miles
of FirstEnergy’s service territory which makes the area a prime location
for your plastics and/or medical devices company.
As a plastics manufacturer, you’ll be in good company as Ohio leads
the nation in the quantity of plastic products manufactured in the state.
The latest available data show that $5.4 billion worth of plastic and rubber
products were made in Ohio, once again leading the nation according to
the Bureau of Economic Analysis’s Gross State Product data released in
March 2006. Plus, 37 companies on Fortune magazine’s U.S.-1,000 or Global-500
lists have rubber and plastic industry operations in Ohio. Seven of them
have their world headquarters in Ohio: Cooper Tire & Rubber, Ferro,
Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Owens Corning, Owens-Illinois, Parker-Hannifin,
and PolyOne.
Finding qualified and well-trained employees isn’t a problem. The latest
available data indicate the industry’s concentration in Ohio: 1,262 rubber
and plastic industry establishments in Ohio employ almost 95,000 people,
representing 7% of the U.S. industry’s establishments and 9% of its workforce
according to the Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns.
Industrial Land
Commercial Land
Administrative Office and Hours
California City EDC
8001 Cal City Blvd.
California City Ca 93505
(760) 373-2007
(800) 892-2007
FAX (760) 373-1414
edc@calcity.org
email inquiry form
map and driving
instructions to office
Office hours:
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST
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Summary of Economic Development of California City
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