Congratulations to the 2020 CALED Award Winners

Below are the Award of Excellence recipients in each of the four categories (Collaborations, Gamechanger, Programs, Promotions). Congratulations on your great work.

City of Hayward: Industrial 2.0: Advanced Industries Business Attraction

The City of Hayward and Shea Properties partnered to create a Planned Development district that transformed land zoned for office into a modern light-industrial park designed to attract advanced industry businesses and create STEM job opportunities. Entitlement of the four “Class A” buildings, totaling 275,000 square feet, involved collaborating to create a list of allowed primary uses that are consistent with the City’s targeted industry clusters. In 2019, the business park was fully leased; adding over 400 jobs. Tenants include: a fabricator of solar hardware; an industrial 3D printer; an ambulance and medical training facility; and a biotechnology software company.

For more information, contact Paul Nguyen, Economic Development Manager for the City of Hayward, at paul.nguyen@hayward-ca.gov or 510.583.5540.

City of Burbank: MUSEXPO Creative Summit and World Wide Radio Summit Partnership

Burbank Economic Development recruited the MUSEXPO Creative Summit and World Wide Radio Summit (MUSEXPO) to Burbank supporting the top performing music/entertainment sector of the local economy. MUSEXPO had an already- established and globally-respected reputation as a flagship Hollywood/LA event for uniting forward-thinking executives from the music and media sectors. The inaugural MUSEXPO was held in 2019 at Castaway Burbank. As a result, MUSEXPO attracted 1,247 attendees, generated 769 room nights, contributed $500,000 to the local economy, and solidified the City’s standing as an international entertainment, conference and travel destination.

For more information, contact Mary Hamzoian, Economic Development Manager for the City of Burbank – Community Development Department, at MHamzoian@burbankca.govor 818.238.5208.

City of Glendale: Glendale’s Family Centric Tech Strategy

Glendale’s Family Centric Tech Strategy outlines the path to growing a technology-based sector. To promote the growth of this industry, two things were required: understanding the existing tech scene; and crafting strategies based on the distinct needs of the area. Through the City’s efforts, one common need became clear – the need to create an inclusive & family oriented tech hub. Subsequently, collaborations with local family centric startups and the school district were overwhelmingly accepted by the tech community, cementing the City’s theory that a Glendale tech hub will thrive when families with children are added to the mix.

For more information, contact Sandra Rodriguez, Program Coordinator for City of Glendale – Community Development Department, at SanRodriguez@glendaleca.gov or 818.937.8313.

City of Menifee Economic Development Department: Manufacturing Day

The City of Menifee collaborated with community partners to take part in the nation-wide initiative, Manufacturing Day. Through this event, students were led through a guided tour of one of the largest pipe manufacturers in the nation and concluded with a panel discussion of industry experts, ultimately exposing Menifee’s youth to the manufacturing industry and cultivating workforce development within the City.

For more information, contact Gina Gonzalez, Economic Development Director for the City of Menifee, at ggonzalez@cityofmenifee.us or 951.672.6777.

City of Moreno Valley: Small Business Wednesdays

Small businesses are the largest job generators in the nation. These jobs impact every community in America and Moreno Valley is no exception. As a growing community, Moreno Valley is home to over 214,000 people and over 4,500 businesses strong. With this robust and growing ecosystem, it was imperative that the City develop programming to assist small businesses and foster an environment of entrepreneurship. Small Business Wednesdays was developed and launched in January of 2019. Working with several key partners, the program conveniently provides an array of small business workshops, training, and technical assistance essential to new and existing small businesses.

For more information, contact Mike Lee, City Manager for the City of Moreno Valley, at mikel@moval.org or 951.413.3460.

City of San Marcos & North City: A New Downtown for San Marcos

North City is truly a one-of-a-kind development by Sea Breeze Properties in San Marcos, CA that has leveraged partnerships between the City of San Marcos and Cal State San Marcos to enhance life for those at the university, living in town, and the greater San Diego region. With a long view of building community in tandem with its surroundings, North City’s deliberate combination of mixed-use buildings, residences, destination-worthy restaurants/entertainment, student housing, campus facilities, open and gathering spaces has charted a new course for how purposeful development can inspire and support an entire community.

For more information, contact Tess Sangster, Economic Development Director for the City of San Marcos, at tsangster@san-marcos.net or 760.744.1050, ext. 3120.

Small Business Development Corporation of Orange County: California State Loan Guarantee Programs

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and non-profits are dedicated to beneficial causes that enhance our quality of life. Yet these ventures often struggle, particularly those in vulnerable communities and those that are owned by women, minorities, veterans, and the disabled. Through its collaboration with the California Infrastructure & Economic Development Bank (IBank) and a network of bank and non-bank lenders, the non-profit Small Business Development Corporation of Orange County (SBDC-OC) helps such entities access capital through the issuance of credit/loan guarantees enabling expansion, job retention/creation, and access to mainstream capital markets. SBDC-OC during its last fiscal year achieved unprecedented success helping Golden State businesses and non-profits thrive.

For more information, contact Michael A. Ocasio, President/CEO for SBDC-OC, at mocasio@sbfdoc.org or 714.571.1900.

City of Tehachapi: 228 W. Tehachapi Blvd.

This project was a collaboration between the City of Tehachapi and Buddy & Nikki Cummings, Mountaintop Holdings LLC, and ultimately World Wind and Solar, one of the largest employers in the City of Tehachapi. The collaborative efforts of this project went through multiple phases. Once purchased, the Cummings were not completely sold on how they would reuse the historic space. There were a variety of ideas pitched to the City’s economic development and development services teams through multiple meetings. The ideas were cross-referenced with zoning and the Downtown specific plan with the intent of developing a project that would benefit the community.

For more information, contact Corey Costelloe, Economic Development Coordinator/Assistant to the City Manager for the City of Tehachapi, at ccostelloe@tehachapicityhall.com or 661.822.2200 ex. 121.

City of Moreno Valley: The Quarter Mixed‐Use Redevelopment Project

Robertson’s Ready Mix is a leading supplier of concrete products. They operated a batch plant in Moreno Valley from before City incorporation. Over the years, the area surrounding the plant transformed. However, the batch plant remained as a non-conforming use; it became the source of substantial health hazards and roadway deterioration.

The City of Moreno Valley assembled a public-private partnership to relocate the inefficient batch plant to a new state-of-the-art facility and to redevelop the site with a job-creating, revenue generating use. The Quarter Mixed-Use Redevelopment Project features two hotels, a service station, and several top restaurants and retail shops.

For more information, contact Mike Lee, Interim City Manager, City of Moreno Valley, at mikel@moval.org or 951.413.3460.

City of Glendale: Glendale Business Expansion Grant Program

Since the dissolution of Redevelopment, Glendale has remained committed to finding innovative ways to stimulate the City’s economic vibrancy. The Business Expansion Grant Program, made possible by a 2012 Council ordinance, aimed to reclaim proactive economic development. It is a tool to improve tenant spaces, providing business expansion opportunities to attract restaurants, creative uses, and other amenities, which demand high upfront tenant costs. By providing financial incentives for property owners and tenants, we attracted higher infrastructure and specialty equipment demanding uses, made lasting upgrades to buildings, which benefited current and future tenants, stimulating job creation and increasing sales tax revenue.

For more information, contact Sandra Rodriguez, Program Coordinator for City of Glendale – Community Development Department, at SanRodriguez@glendaleca.gov or 818.937.8313.

City of Menifee: Streamline Menifee

The new “Streamline Menifee” initiative focused on providing expedited customer service and processing to save time and money by obtaining permits and approvals faster than ever. New technology, simplified fees, and a one-stop, one-floor process for approvals gets you in and out and building quicker than ever. Streamline Menifee is a Gamechanger to the City of Menifee because it has completely revolutionized the way the city does business.

For more information, contact Gina Gonzalez, Economic Development Director, City of Menifee, at ggonzalez@cityofmenifee.us or 951.672.6777.

Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation: Live Work SCV Job Board

The Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation (SCVEDC) has launched a free comprehensive job board, LiveWorkSCV.com to specifically match Santa Clarita Valley (SCV) career opportunities with the talent that lives there, to address a critical need of local employers. Businesses in the Santa Clarita Valley have long witnessed an educated, professional population of residents that commute out of SCV for jobs, while numerous opportunities exist nearby. Companies strive to hire locally as shorter commute and better work/life balance are key attributes of employment satisfaction and greater employee retention.

For more information, contact Holly Schroeder, President & CEO, SCVEDC, at HollySchroeder@scvedc.org or 661.288.4400.

City of Burbank: Startup.Burbank Pitch Festival

Harnessing the entrepreneurial spirit of more than 154,000 employees with a high concentration in entertainment, healthcare, and technology, Burbank Economic Development launched Startup.Burbank Pitch Festival in 2018. The goal was to foster innovation by recognizing the importance of inter-disciplinary collaboration in the establishment of next-generation tech companies. The 2019 event saw 50 applications by entrepreneurial startups from across Southern California, with three awardees benefiting from $140,000 in Google Cloud for Startups technical training and mentorship – fulfilling a key pillar of Burbank Economic Development’s strategy to enhance Burbank’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and impact Burbank’s growing technology and entertainment job clusters.

For more information, contact Mary Hamzoian, Economic Development Manager, City of Burbank – Community Development Department, at MHamzoian@burbankca.gov or 818.238.5208.

Glenn County: Glenn Grows

The Glenn Grows Program was developed beginning in 2017 and a physical business and employment resource center, including business incubation space for Glenn County was built. The program provides individual technical assistance, workshops, a co-working, collaborative environment, employment counseling, online job vacancy listings, online information, and responds to economic development inquiries.

For more information about Glenn Grows, visit www.glenngrows.com.

City of Menifee Economic Development Department: Menifee K.E.E.P. Business Walk

On June 6th, 2019 the City of Menifee in partnership with the Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce, hosted Menifee’s first business walk, Menifee K.E.E.P (Keeping Existing Employers Profitable) Business Walk. Menifee K.E.E.P. is a new feature of the B3 (Building Better Businesses) program, which aims to help local businesses increase their competitive advantage, retain jobs, survive economic difficulties and provide feedback as a tool to improve the way the City of Menifee and the Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce does business. This program surveyed local businesses, collected and analyzed the information, and created an annual report aimed at improving services to support Menifee’s Business community.

For more information, contact Gina Gonzalez, Economic Development Director, the City of Menifee, at ggonzalez@cityofmenifee.us or 951.672.6777.

City of Moreno Valley: MoVaLEARNS – Mayor’s Challenge

MoVaLEARNS is the first Universal Basic Income program in the United States designed specifically for college students. The program provides a monthly stipend to qualified Moreno Valley College students enrolled in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs designed to lead students to new opportunities and a living wage. With these funds, the City and College seek to eliminate Earn vs. Learn, a phenomenon experienced in communities across the nation whereby too many students drop out to work in mainly low wage jobs, trapping them and the community in a vicious cycle of poverty.

For more information, contact Mike Lee, Interim City Manager, City of Moreno Valley, at mikel@moval.org or 951.413.3460.

City of Tehachapi: Tehachapi Neighborhood Improvement Project

The Tehachapi Neighborhood Improvement project is a collaborative effort between the economic development and Tehachapi Police departments with assistance from community engagement, public works and local faith-based organizations.

The goal of this project was to improve the city’s oldest residential neighborhood, currently a popular destination for small businesses and real estate investors due to its proximity to downtown. The project included a law enforcement survey, needs assessment of residents, two neighborhood bulky item cleanup days, increased police patrols, subsidy partnership with Ring video doorbells and the establishment of a resident-controlled neighborhood watch program.

For more information, contact Corey Costelloe, Economic Development Coordinator/Assistant to the City Manager, City of Tehachapi, at ccostelloe@tehachapicityhall.com or 661.822.2200 ext. 121.

City of Anaheim Economic Development Team: “Innovation in Action” Branding Campaign

Anaheim’s “Innovation in Action” branding campaign showcases the ingenuity of Anaheim companies and the City’s Economic Development Team. The campaign demonstrates how the Economic Development Team empowers over 20,000 Anaheim companies to be innovative by providing them with the tools and resources necessary for entrepreneurial and business success. The branding campaign features a multiplatform outreach via printed collateral, marketing videos, media coverage, social media posts, and event outreach. The campaign has reached more than 150,000 people at industry events and more than 75,000 people online, resulting in more than 150 site selection inquiries, business visitations, and assistance meetings with prospective companies.

For more information, contact Jessica M. Gonzales, Economic Development Manager, City of Anaheim, at jgonzales1@anaheim.net.

California Central Valley EDC & Central California Workforce Collaborative: Central California, 300 Miles of Opportunity

California Central Valley EDC joined forces with the Central California Workforce Collaborative in a “first of its kind” collaborative effort to boost effectiveness in serving employers, existing and new. The 2019 Outreach entitled Central California, 300 Miles of Opportunity, marketed the trifecta – workforce, incentives and sites – of site selection. The highlight of this effort was a 32-page brochure on Central California, the eight-county region. CCVEDC provided information to over 2,300 brokers and close to 1,200 businesses. Results of these efforts are: 50 region-wide proposals produced for companies looking into a location or expansion, investment, property ‘site tours’ of the valley, and 1,370 direct estimated new jobs.

For more information, contact Jennifer Faughn, Executive Director, California Central Valley EDC, at jfaughn@centralcalifornia.org or 661.366.0756.

City of Glendale: Developing Glendale’s Startup Ecosystem

The City of Glendale is committed to supporting and growing business enterprises that improve the City’s economy. Since the adoption of the Glendale Tech Strategy in January 2017, the City has implemented and facilitated a variety of efforts focused on promoting an ecosystem of innovation for the local start-up community. Promoting the city as a hub for existing start-ups to put down roots and thrive was the first step in the city’s efforts. Attracting startups to the area was the next step.

For more information, contact Sandra Rodriguez, Program Coordinator, City of Glendale – Community Development Department, at SanRodriguez@glendaleca.gov or 818.937.8313.

The Greater Sacramento Economic Council: The Greater Sacramento Talent Story

The Greater Sacramento Talent Story promotion included the creation of a comprehensive report and analysis on talent in the Greater Sacramento region, in partnership with CBRE Sacramento to allow for joint marketing and offering greater credibility to the content provided. Its primary objective was to create a strong marketing piece that represents the talent pipeline available in the region to raise awareness among the site selection community as well as end user business community.

For more information, contact Danielle Casey CEcD, EDFP, Executive Vice President, Greater Sacramento Economic Council, at dcasey@greatersacramento.com or 916.441.2144.

Mono County Economic Development: Work Remotely in Mono County

“Work Remotely in Mono County” is a promotional campaign that features the region and communities as the ideal place to live and work remotely for those with mobile careers. The promotion is ongoing and has received numerous calls from people who have seen the video, researched the Economic Development website, and are interested in potentially moving to Mono County. This campaign is meeting its objectives in encouraging and inspiring people to think about the possibility of living and working in a beautiful environment that offers every outdoor activity under the sun and in the snow.

For more information about “Work Remotely in Mono County”, visit www.monocountyeconomicdevelopment.com/work-remotely/.

City of Moreno Valley: Moreno Valley Business Attraction Website

Access to real-time, digitally-based real estate information is crucial to the City of Moreno Valley’s business attraction strategy. In 2016, the City of Moreno Valley embarked on the comprehensive development of a business attraction website, Moreno Valley Business, to showcase the city’s assets and attract business investment from around the globe. The project’s scope included creation of a stand-alone site with new branding logo, color scheme, tagline, infographics, videos, GIS maps, and the latest technological features. The finished product is an innovative and inclusive marketing website that greatly influenced the successful growth and development of the City.

For more information, contact Mike Lee, Interim City Manager, City of Moreno Valley, atmikel@moval.org or 951.413.3460.

Congratulations to all the 2020 Award Winners and the economic developers who are #makinganimpact!