Another year of growth and development

Holly Schroeder, President & CEO of SCVEDC

The SCV Economic Development Corp. (SCVEDC) compiles an annual report that details our key accomplishments that further our mission. Our organization gets stronger each year and is supported by a fantastic Board of Directors. This dynamic group of leaders is dedicated to the SCV, and we couldn’t do what we do without them. The SCVEDC remains focused on four key areas: business attraction and expansion; business retention; community marketing; and economic research and data. 

2019 was a good year in the SCV, and although some of the leasing activity was a bit slower than we might have expected, interest remains very high. In 2019, we retained two significant aerospace companies. These efforts are important because the slowdown of Boeing’s production of the 737Max and uncertainty in broader markets have had a great impact on the aerospace industry in general. The aerospace and defense cluster in the SCV remains strong and is supported by the new Aerospace and Defense Forum, an SCVEDC-sponsored, once-monthly educational and networking meeting for local  executives.

Expanding on a recent trend, in 2019, we attracted significant new companies in our target sectors of biotech, advanced manufacturing, and entertainment/digital media. One of these companies, Illumination Dynamics, is the first tenant at Needham Ranch.

But perhaps the most noteworthy action in 2019 was the launch of a new job board called LiveWorkSCV.com in July. In its first six months of operation, 127 unique SCV companies posted jobs. 

We have been hearing from local companies for some time that when they have a job opening, they get a relatively small number of applicants from the SCV, even when we know people with the skills needed are commuting south out of the valley into Los Angeles. LiveWorkSCV.com gives us a mechanism to place those jobs more prominently in front of SCV residents.

The SCVEDC’s Board of Directors established this program as a service to SCV companies and residents and local companies can post jobs on the site at no charge. We target our marketing at the SCV, encouraging residents to look at the many employment opportunities available locally. 

If you’d like more information, contact the SCV EDC at (661) 288-4400 or [email protected]. ν