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California's CalBIS Site Selection Regions
One of the largest markets in the world, California is home to more than 36 million people and has 58 counties and over 470
incorporated cities. California's size and diversity offer a wide range of opportunities for every kind of business
venture. We want to make it easy for you to discover which of the State's ten CalBIS Site Selection Regions offer the most value for your
project.
Click on the links below or on the map to learn more about California's CalBIS Site Selection Regions.
Upstate California. Located halfway between Canada and Mexico, high technology,
food processing, medical equipment, software development, distribution, wood products, and
other manufacturing fields prosper upstate. Nearly every part of the region is connected by
rail service and a growing network of state and interstate highways, making overnight access
to California and Pacific Northwest markets and ports, and two-day truck trips to Las Vegas,
Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Boise a reality. And the Port of Humboldt Bay boasts deep-water
port capabilities. Upstate California combines affordable real estate options with low cost a
nd reliable utilities, abundant water supplies, and high-capacity telecommunications technology.
A strong commitment to environmental quality shows in the ancient forests, crystal clear lakes, and outdoor recreational activities.
Sacramento Region. In 1975, government accounted for 40% of the jobs in the Sacramento
region. Today, economic restructuring has fostered a rapidly growing service sector, which has
manifested opportunities in Trade, Transportation and Utilities, Information, Financial
Activities, Professional and Business Services, Education and Health Services, Leisure and
Hospitality, and Government. Coupled with the highest real population growth in the state,
growth in Construction and Manufacturing industries has nearly doubled employment in those
fields. Several municipal utilities, abundant water supply, and wholesale gas prices capstone
the region with stable utilities. Inland from the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento’s rich
infrastructure boasts expedient transportation on all fronts: an international airport,
deep-water port tapping the San Francisco Bay, trans-continental rail line, fast light rail
commutes, and the crossroads of several major and interstate freeways.
Bay Area. Renowned as the birthplace and
worldwide center of high technology, the Bay Area successfully competes in the national and
international markets as a knowledge-based economy with world class research institutions,
thousands of technology companies, and a highly-skilled, innovative workforce. As a region,
the Bay Area has a national competitive advantage in productivity and employment in
knowledge-based industries: Computers and Electronics, Telecommunications, Multimedia,
Movie/Television Production, Bioscience, Banking and Finance, Environmental Technology, and
Business Services. The UCSF Mission Bay campus is home to the headquarters for California’s
$3 Billion stem cell program. The Bay Area houses three metropolitan centers: San Francisco,
a financial and cultural powerhouse, San Jose, in the center of the Silicon Valley – the high
technology center of the world, and Oakland, a major manufacturing and distribution center.
The Napa Valley is experiencing exponential growth in the winemaking industry. The nine bay
area counties house three international airports and major international seaport facilities,
solidifying its position as a major coastal distribution center.
Central Valley. Home to the world’s most productive agricultural region, the area lends
itself particularly well to the needs of the food processing industry through a diverse range of
agricultural products and support services including the world’s most extensive food processing
research and development. Light Manufacturing industries like plastic products, advanced
materials, software, and hardware development, and back office jobs complement the region’s
workforce. Sustained population growth provides a large workforce available at some of the
most competitive wages in California. An integral part of California’s transportation
infrastructure, the state’s two major north-south highways extend the length of the Central
Valley. It is possible to ship freight by highway, air, rail, and sea via an inland port,
with the advantage of low cost and high availability of developed land for plants, warehouses,
and offices.
Central Sierra. The Central Sierra
Region offers affordable real estate with an emphasis on promoting small business growth.
Labor costs are competitive and stable. In recent years the economy once dominated by the
lumber and mining industries has shifted to light manufacturing, retail, services, and home
based businesses. Also encouraging for agribusiness, the terrain and soils of the Central
Sierra provide excellent opportunities for both traditional and specialty agribusiness
operations. Abundant rangeland offers inexpensive grazing opportunities for cattle, sheep,
and even free-range poultry. Unique microclimates support a diverse crop base. Spurred by
widespread advanced fiber optics in many areas, information and communication industries are
prime for development. The area bills as a foothill Silicon Valley – a refuge for the
tech-savvy desiring mountain life.
Central Coast. Situated along the
Pacific Ocean between San Jose and Santa Barbara, the California Central Coast Region presents
natural beauty along with a thriving dynamic economy in a coastal urban setting. Agriculture
and tourism drive the regional economy coupled with expanding investment in information,
environmental printing and publishing, electronics, metal and wood fabrication, marine research,
business services, and global space communications industries. The workforce draws on a
million plus population, marked by above average incomes and healthy retail sales. From
prestigious business parks to undeveloped commercial property, most of the available property
is served by well-developed civic, business and communications infrastructure. With the large
selection of commercial and industrial parcels available, the Central Coast can provide a
cost-effective option for any business. Convenient access to international markets via air
and sea is available in nearby San Francisco bay area airports and shipping ports.
Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Region is considered one of the first globally
representative communities, including the largest Asian population outside Asia and the
largest Latino population outside Latin America. With a population of over 11 million,
there are markets and available labor for every industry. The region is a leader and a major
force in tourism, wholesale trade and logistics, technology and motion picture/TV production
with unparalleled direct international trade. The high-tech community houses bio-medical
research facilities, digital information technology, environmental technology, and creative
resource industries. As the largest major manufacturing center in the U.S., apparel, computer
& electronic products, transportation products, toys, fabricated metal products, food products,
and furniture industries thrive. There are six airports in the region, three seaports, plus
extensive freeways and service by two rail carriers. The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles
are numbers one and two in the nation in terms of container traffic handled, while the Los
Angeles International Airport ranks number four among the airports of the world in cargo traffic
handled.
Orange County. Orange County, home to the world-renowned Disneyland theme
park, is a high-productivity urban center between Los Angeles and San Diego. Tech-savvy
industries like Advertising, Apparel Companies, Architecture, Auto Design, E-Commerce,
Professional services, Manufacturing, Medical Devices, Pharmaceutical, Residential Builders,
Telecommunications, Venture Capital Firms, and World Trade have proliferated in its environment.
The American Electronics Association ranked the region 10th nationally in its “Cybercities”
ratings. A large number of the Orange County workforce is employed in high technology industries
. Orange County is also the second most integrated of the 100 top U.S. metropolitan areas,
according to the 2000 Census. With close proximity to Mexico and major gateways to the Asian
markets of the Pacific Rim, foreign trade is a significant component of the Orange County
economy.
Inland Empire. With large tracts of
undeveloped land, lower space costs, and a huge blue collar labor force, the area offers
thousands of technicians, professionals, and executives who are migrating to the new upscale
neighborhoods being built across the region, willing to work for local firms for less to avoid
coastal commutes. The Inland Empire, comprised of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, is
among the highest job growth regions in the nation. Many of Southern California’s newest and
most technologically and entrepreneurialy aggressive companies have started in or are migrating
to the region. They are expanding the region’s economic base, leading to improvements in local
employment, personal income, retail sales, home sales, and home prices. Its rich
infrastructure encloses five regional airports including the second largest cargo-handling
airport in the Southland, a major intermodal rail yard, and cargo sorting cross-dock facilities
for nearly every Southern California trucking firm.
San Diego/Imperial. San Diego made a commitment in the 1980s to diversify
the economy and encourage the growth of technology companies. They were motivated by the desire
to move away from the boom or bust cycles that dependency on narrow core industries had
created. Since then there has been a transformation from an economy dependant on military
spending and aerospace contracts to a region where a broad array of technological industries
have taken root and flourished. Today’s thriving environment of international trade and
research breakthroughs, bioscience, communications, electronics, software and recreational
goods have added to the defense and space industries in the region. The San Diego/Imperial
region provides a wide range of lifestyle choices, from urban chic to rural peace.
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