Holly Schroeder, SCVEDC
Did you hear the recent news that a Biz Fed poll ranked Santa Clarita is Los Angeles County’s most business-friendly location (again!). LAEDC has also recognized our city as most business-friendly (twice!)
Our region has an unwavering commitment to our businesses and is unique in that we take an integrated approach to economic development. Partnerships between the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation (SCVEDC), the city, L.A. County and College of the Canyons help ensure that our community will be business-friendly for years to come.
Here’s why the SCV out-ranks the rest of the county:
1. The SCV has strong business clusters. In the Santa Clarita Valley there are five major industry clusters: aerospace and defense, medical devices, advanced manufacturing, digital media and entertainment, and information technology. While it may seem counterintuitive to encourage many of the same types of businesses to cluster in the same region, competition is good for consumers by lowering prices, and it’s good for businesses
2. The SCV has room to grow. There are nearly 30 million square feet of industrial and commercial facilities in the SCV and another 8 million square feet of future land development is approved, in addition to the 11 million square feet of planned industrial and commercial in the upcoming Newhall Ranch development. Santa Clarita Is also home to specialized, state-of-the-art facilities such as the Southern California Innovation Business Park which is well suited for companies in bioscience, medical devices, or other high-tech industries.
3. The SCV has cost advantages. The SCV has no gross receipt taxes and lower business taxes than nearby Los Angeles, Palmdale and Pasadena. The SCV is also a foreign trade zone and offers relocation incentives to companies in our target clusters.
4. The SCV has a strong support network for businesses. The SCVEDC helps Santa Clarita businesses access local, state, and federal incentives, and offers industry coalitions which feature knowledge-sharing and live discussion, so local companies can stay ahead of the information curve and network with their peers. COC provides a variety of resources for free and low-cost workforce development training.
5. The SCV has an ideal location. The physical location also contributes to it being a great location for businesses. Its location along the I-5 connects the SCV to the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, LAX and Burbank Airport. People commuting into the Santa Clarita Valley from the south will enjoy an easy reverse commute and will avoid the worst of rush hour traffic.
6. The SCV has a great quality of life. A variety of entertaining activities make the SCV not just a good place for business, but a good place to spend your free time. The numerous outdoor recreation areas satisfy athletes and nature lovers. If you’re more “indoorsy,” there are many activities for you as well including shopping, dining and cultural activities.
The leadership of this community is serious about supporting businesses, and will continue to work diligently to ensure that the SCV remains No. 1. Consider SCVEDC as your one-stop resource. Contact us to see how we can help support your company!
Holly Schroeder is president and CEO of the SCVEDC.
