Shasta EDC Blog

Made in Shasta County – Part 17: West Coast Innovations: West Coast Imaging, Technology, Marketing, and Training

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:50:00 GMT

West Coast Imaging, Technology, Marketing, and Training had a most unlikely beginning.

Todd Davis grew up learning how to sell and service x-ray equipment under his father, Mike Davis, who owned Davis X-ray for 20 years in Redding. For years, Todd learned everything he could from his father about running an x-ray repair and service business in an ethical way.

Business was good. However, in 1999, Diagnostic Imaging purchased Davis X-ray leaving Todd out of a job nearly four months later. With this unintended result of the company’s purchase, Todd took advantage of an opportunity during a pivotal time in the industry’s history. At this time the x-ray industry was making a hard right turn transitioning from analog (film and chemicals) to digital processing. This was an entirely new ballgame for everyone and resulted in companies having a huge learning curve.

Since Todd, in his 20s at the time, was left to start anew, he took the opportunity to meet the challenge head on. In 2000, West Coast Imaging was created and the small team of employees put their hearts into mastering the art of digital x-ray before much of their competition in the U.S. Since West Coast Imaging was birthed out of a time full of rapidly changing technology, they decided to make staying ahead of industry advancements and providing ongoing technician training core standards within their operations. Today, West Coast Imaging continues to invest thousands of company dollars into training technicians and engineers to keep them current as things continue to evolve.

This strategy, coupled with providing great service, has worked thus far in keeping clients happy and, in turn, has given the company clout in the industry with opportunity to grow. Suddenly and unexpectedly, the company found itself expanding with the addition of three separate companies.

In early 2012, the West Coast family of companies known today as West Coast Innovations, was officially formed to include West Coast Technology, West Coast Marketing, and West Coast Training working alongside the already established West Coast Imaging. Since West Coast Imaging found itself needing these different services on a regular basis, it only made sense to develop new divisions under their own roof to not only serve their needs, but to offer the services to other businesses, too.

Today West Coast Innovations employs about 50 people working for all 4 divisions. They are taking care in creating the right culture from the start, allowing people to do their best work and hopefully making them want to stay. West Coast Innovations is pleased to be adding more jobs in the community that pay good, solid wages while helping other businesses gain a competitive edge.

This piece is intended to introduce you to a new and growing business in Shasta County. To learn more about each facet of West Coast Innovations, please visit the individual websites: West Coast Imaging; West Coast Marketing; West Coast Training, and West Coast Technology.

We invite you to Shasta EDC on Facebook. Please show your virtual support by LIKING the page. Here you will be able to follow along as we shed light on more Shasta County companies and other economic developments. Thank you.

Follow Shasta EDC on LinkedIn

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:47:00 GMT

The Shasta Economic Development Corporation, located at 410 Hemsted in Redding, CA, now has an active Company Page on LinkedIn. We will keep the page current with items of interest regarding entrepreneurial development, manufacturing, technology, and lifestyle.

If you have an account on LinkedIn, we invite you to FOLLOW the Shasta EDC page by clicking here and then clicking the FOLLOW tab.

Shasta EDC is also on Facebook and Twitter. We hope to see you there, too.

http://facebook.com/ShastaEDC
http://twitter.com/ShastaCountyEDC

Let Us Know Where You Are Online

Let us know, in return, where your company is online. Let’s help get the word out for each other. Together we can do more.

Made in Shasta County - Part 16: Entrepreneurship – The Board Game ‘Know Opportunity’

Thu, 30 May 2013 23:35:00 GMT

How many can search AND find their name on Forbes.com? Leah Goold-Haws can. Leah’s parents are Shasta County natives and, while she was raised in Southern California, she recently returned to Redding, CA where she established LGH Marketing/Strategy and has now developed the board game ‘Know Opportunity’. (video)

Leah’s father had an entrepreneurial spirit and realized the importance of drawing his children into the operations of whatever was going on at the time. It taught her much and planted a seed which placed a high value on entrepreneurship and working for oneself.

Having coffee with her recently, Leah described what she sees her own teen-age children being up against in the workforce today. She doesn’t have to look far to see educated people working jobs requiring no special education – jobs that are generally performed by high school age students.

There has been an interesting shift in the job market in the recent economy. Based on that alone, Leah feels it will benefit us all if more people learn about entrepreneurship and what it will take to create start-ups.

Why not employ rather than be employed? Haws sees some of the benefits of an entrepreneur mind-set include an ability to tackle multiple projects at once, accommodate shifting priorities and learning a flexible approach to workforce demands. These are all qualities that have become increasingly relevant whether working for oneself or an employer.

Haws’ mind went to work on a tangible way to teach young people and interested adults about start-ups and entrepreneurship including global commerce. The result is the board game, ‘Know Opportunity.’

She and her business partner, Josh Corbelli, were interviewed recently by Forbes about the board game. Here is an excerpt: “Goold-Haws’ latest venture is ‘Know Opportunity’ — a board game that puts players in control of their own startups, tasked with navigating from early stages to eventual globalization. The game was developed with business partner Joshua Corbelli, within the duo’s company, Mindevices.”

Entrepreneurship is on the rise in the U.S.A. As shared by Forbes, “At the moment, the ‘Know Opportunity’ curriculum is being taught at four high schools in the Redding, California, area. The curriculum is also drawing interest from organizations teaching adult entrepreneurial classes, including the Working Strategies for Women initiative within northern California’s United Way. Other institutions using the game to teach entrepreneurship have included The Entrepreneur Development Center in Jackson, TN., the Redding Rancheria Native American Youth Leadership and the Academy of Personalized Learning via the S.T.E.M. Academy.

The timing of ‘Know Opportunity’ appears to be an excellent match for what is going on in the entrepreneurial / start-up world today. Who isn’t looking to “know opportunity” when we see it?

Made in Shasta County - Part 15: CH2M Hill Has Deep Roots

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:56:00 GMT

CH2M HILL is a world class engineering, procurement, construction and operations firm with deep roots in Shasta County. It is where one of its corporate co-founders, Clair A. Hill, called home. When you drive out to the dam at Whiskeytown Lake, you will note this local legend commemorated in the name: Clair A. Hill Whiskeytown Dam. (Note: This dam was christened by the late President John F. Kennedy on September 28, 1963 just 2 months prior to his death.)

CH2M Hill’s corporate base is in Englewood, Colorado. There are 116 offices across the U.S.A. today. The Redding office on Airpark Drive is one of them. Globally, there are offices in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa, Canada, Europe and Latin America employing close to 30,000 people around the world.

Taken directly from their LinkedIn Company page, CH2M HILL is a "global leader in full-service engineering, procurement, construction and operations for public and private clients. With more than $7 billion in revenue and 28,000 employees worldwide, CH2M HILL delivers innovative, practical, sustainable solutions—helping clients develop and manage infrastructure and facilities that improve efficiency, safety and quality of life. The firm has long been recognized as a most-admired company and leading employer, including being named by FORTUNE magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to work for. CH2M HILL is an industry-leading program management, construction management and design firm as ranked by Engineering News-Record."

They can be proud of the fact, for the fifth year in a row, they have been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the most ethical companies to work for. Also, here is a quick glance at how CH2M Hill compares to others in the Top 500 Design Firms around the world.

The company's specialties include: Architecture, Lean Enterprise Solutions, Facilities Management, Energy Management, Program Management, Construction Management, Environmental Services, Site/Infrastructure Planning, Engineer-Procure-Construct (EPC), Design-Build, Sustainable Solutions

Because CH2M Hill is so well renowned and respected, there is a lot of in-depth information online about them. They have global job opportunities you may be interested in checking out.

Water is becoming a more precious commodity all the time. CH2M Hill is working on better use of water around the world. You can learn how you can become involved in this via WaterMatch. It is a goodwill grassroots initiative to promote the beneficial reuse of municipal effluent by industrial and agricultural users. Water users can locate municipal wastewater treatment plants in their area. Municipal wastewater organizations can provide information in their profile.

We are proud to know how connected CH2M Hill is to Shasta County and take pride in the fact they continue to be highly regarded globally and always working to improve the world we live in.

Snapshot of Shasta County Economic Development Part 3

Sat, 11 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

This is the 3rd blog post summarizing our "Made in Shasta County" series we continue to write. We hope it helps you see in a glance some things going on in Shasta County and provokes your own imagination regarding local economic development.

AB Medical Technologies is a contract manufacturing company with a focus on (but not limited to) electro-mechanical medical devices sold internationally.

SkySki is popular watersport across the globe. All you need is a love of water and watersports to understand why.

Premiere Meats ships out 78,000 pounds of its high end deli meat weekly.

Wildcard Brewing is introducing the Northstate to some new tasty brews gearing up to become known as the regional beer.

SECO Manufacturing has grown to be recognized as a top rated, leading manufacturer of accessories for the geometrics, surveying, mapping and construction industries.

Links to other Snapshots:

Snapshot of Shasta County Part 1

Snapshot of Shasta County Part 2

We invite you to Shasta EDC on Facebook. Please show your virtual support by LIKING the page. Here you will be able to follow along as we shed light on more Shasta County companies and other economic developments. Thank you.

Snapshot of Shasta County Economic Development Part 2

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 22:41:00 GMT

This is the 2nd blogpost summarizing our "Made in Shasta County" posts we continue to write. We thought this would make it easier for you to see some things happening in our county. We hope it provokes good thought and imagination regarding Shasta County's economic development. Let us know your thoughts.

Yates Gear - Turning passion into profit is what John Yates did. He wanted to create the equipment he and his climbing buddies needed as it didn't exist in the late 70's. They sell globally.

IASCO - Have you or someone you know ever thought about a career in aviation? IASCO is creating opportunities to obtain a professional pilot's license.

EV4U - Learn about electric conversion vehicles made here in Shasta County.

Sierra Pacific Industries - Did you know SPI, based in Anderson, CA, owns 1.9 million acres of timberland in California / Washington and that it is the 2nd largest lumber producer in the U.S.?

Plant Protec - Do you have problems in your garden with deer, rabbits, gophers, moles, dogs and/or cats? Plant Protec has developed proven products to help any gardener with these issues.

Stay tuned for more "Snapshots of Shasta County" as we go.

We invite you to check out Shasta EDC on Facebook. Please show your virtual support by LIKING the page. Here you will be able to follow along as we shed light on more Shasta County companies and other economic development. Thank you.

Snapshot of Shasta County Part 1

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

This is the first in a series of blogposts which will give you easy access to the "Made in Shasta County" series we continue to add to each month. By combining five posts at a time, you will have more of a birds' eye view of what is happening in Shasta county.

We sincerely hope it will provoke some deeper thinking and your imagination, too. We're happy to get your feedback. There is more economic development happening around us than meets the eye.

The Fly Shop - Based in Redding and doing business globally, The Fly Shop has the #1 ranked fly fishing website in the world.

TechniSoil® - Produces a binder that will stabilize in-situ (undisplaced) soil (in the ground) and is used to create roadways that will last 20 years without maintenance. This product has gone global.

Sof-TEK Integrators Inc. - Umbrella company of Op-Test which builds test equipment to test High Brightness LEDs. Their customers are manufacturers of LED's worldwide. Key is that a product they make can save LED manufacturers a substantial amount annually.

Seabreacher - Innespace Productions, parent company of Seabreacher, makes a show stopper personalized watercraft whose purchasing audience includes worldwide VIP’s and corporations.

Rutaesomn - Rutaesomn's product is a sleep aid which speeds up the body’s natural process of eliminating caffeine. The developers are pharmacists, a father/son team from Shasta County, who realized there was nothing on the market specific to sleeplessness caused by caffeine consumption.

Stay tuned for more "Snapshots of Shasta County" as we go.

Made in Shasta County - Part 14: SECO Manufacturing

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 02:38:00 GMT

SECO News Flash

SECO Manufacturing, in 2013, is in definite ‘growth mode’. After a banner year in 2012, the company is seeking career minded individuals for a variety of positions. Positions include electronic and mechanical engineering, supply chain management, project management, sale and sales support, assemblers and skilled machinists. If you are industrious and success minded, and would like to join our hard working and talented team, now is a great time to get your foot in the door at a top rated manufacturing company. Its corporate headquarters are located in Redding, CA. The company is highly respected worldwide with business being done in dozens of countries around the globe.

SECO’s 82,500 sf plant in Redding, CA houses its corporate headquarters, customer service team, engineering, research and development, and a complete manufacturing facility. The facilities include anodizing, electrostatic powder-painting, silk-screening, as well as a machine shop.

SECO’s History

SECO Manufacturing, in Redding, California was established in 1977. The company was formed to meet the increased demand for new accessories used with the emerging electronic-distance-measuring-systems-market.

With focus, determination and hard work, SECO Manufacturing has grown to be recognized as a top rated, leading manufacturer of accessories for the geometrics, surveying, mapping and construction industries. As a result, SECO’s products are recognized worldwide and its customers are global.

SECO was a privately held company from 1977 until 2008 when Sunnyvale based Trimble Navigation Limited acquired SECO and is integrated with Trimble’s 6000 employees worldwide. Trimble’s stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TRMB.

Trimble’s customers include engineering and construction firms, contractors, surveying companies, farmers and agricultural companies, enterprise firms with large-scale fleets, energy, mining, utility companies, municipal, state, and federal governments.

Though best known for GPS technology, Trimble integrates a wide range of positioning technologies including GPS, laser, optical and inertial technologies with application software, wireless communications, and services to provide complete commercial solutions. Its integrated solutions allow customers to collect, manage and analyze complex information faster and easier, making them more productive, efficient and profitable. Here is more on the history of Trimble.

SECO GOING FORWARD

Projections for SECO Manufacturing are strong going forward resulting in many career opportunities for those seeking excellent jobs with this employer of choice. As a leader in its field, SECO Manufacturing continues to work on new market demands which, in turn, continues to creates new horizons.

Opportunities with SECO Manufacturing

If you are interested in becoming a part of this success story located in Redding, CA and having global opportunities with an excellent benefit package, Shawna Manha, Director of HR, invites you to contact her to learn more: Shawna_Manha@Trimble.com

Made in Shasta County - Part 13: Wildcard Brewing Company

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 06:24:00 GMT

Jeff and Jenny Hansen launched Wildcard Brewing Company at 9565 Crossroads Drive, Redding, CA in November, 2012. Jeff is from Cottonwood and Jenny from Santa Cruz. They are both graduates of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

The Hansens are brave souls. Their first homemade brew, bottled and labeled with their own design, was shared with each guest as a thank you for coming to their wedding. That was the start to more brewing to come.

Having graduated and married, they traveled to New Zealand and England where they received intensive beer making instruction and experience. They were focused on their dream of having their own brewery and needed yet determine where that would be.

Because Shasta County didn’t have a regional beer that’s well known and this is where Jeff was raised, he and Jenny determined it would be a great place to not only set up shop but to raise a family. They are currently raising a 2 y.o. daughter.

A few months into this now, Jeff was highly complimentary towards Shasta County making it straightforward to he and Jenny to get their brewing business started. He also feels fortunate to have paired with an understanding landlord (Jason Jones) who was accepting of the needed changes to his building on Crossroads in order to accommodate a brewery.

Wildcard Brewing Company’s Patrons

In a very short time, the Hansen’s business has gone from strength to strength. During this interview, customers continuously came and went from the brewery. It seemed to be half and half – some had been before and for others it was their first time. One gentleman drove in from Bear Mountain Road and another couple, from Red Bluff, stopped in on their way home from Costco. A friendly mix of people sat and chatted while others brought their growlers in to simply re-fill and depart. The brewery is open Wednesday through Sunday. Wildcard’s hours are here.

One thing you will notice at Wildcard Brewing Company is the size of their glasses is different to most American pubs. Influenced by their travels, they have English size beer glasses: 5 ounces tasters (big enough to share), and glasses are 10 and 20 ounces.

Jeff was busy behind the bar pouring beer for his customers while being interviewed. Coming across as easy going, he was also very focused on each customer making sure they were looked after.

He said, “We don’t want to just sell beer. We want a community space where people can come in and chat. We intentionally have no t.v. to encourage people to chat and get to know each other. We also want to become part of the community and have already been involved in local fundraisers and are looking forward to others.”

One such fundraiser was for ShanesWay. Shane grew up in Shasta County was another young brew enthusiast who had a favorite recipe. Wildcard made the brew for the fundraiser which was a wonderful tribute to Shane.

Like ‘Wildcard Brewing’ on Facebook

A recent post on Wildcard’s Facebook page said this: “Think you've got a great homebrew and want to see it taken to the next level? We are offering you home brewers a chance to take your recipe to scale; a 15 barrel scale to be exact. From now until April 12th, turn in samples of your brew to the Wildcard Tap Room or NorCal Brewing Solutions. Brews will be judged and the winning recipe will be brewed by Wildcard and poured by YOU at the Downtown Redding Beer and Wine Festival. This is a chance to see your own beer poured at some of Redding's finest establishments...including our own tasting room, of course. Come by the tasting room or NorCal Brewing Solutions to pick up an entry form.”

Wildcard Brewing Company’s Future

Asked what Wildcard Brewing Company wants to grow into, Jeff said they’re very interested in becoming known as a Northern California regional beer. They aren’t focused on getting their beer into retail outlets but rather into more restaurants in the region and also grow their business onsite. They have 4 people working in the business now with more to be hired very shortly.

If you enjoy beer, stop by to see them Wednesday through Sunday at their Crossroads location or look for one of their six beers on tap at area restaurants. They are a great example of a business with the groundwork and business plan laid (thanks to the SBDC - Small Business Development Center at Shasta College) where they have been going from strength to strength.

Here’s a short YouTube video of Jeff making a seasonal beer. Stop by and enjoy one of their current beers on tap!

TEDxRedding Holds First Salon Event

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 02:12:00 GMT

The Redding Catalysts, a group of young professionals in Redding, CA sponsored the first TEDxRedding Salon event at the Redding Library on Sunday, February 24, 2013. Despite it being held on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, the room was filled with many enthusiastic people looking forward to what would be shared.

TEDx Salon Purpose – Think Together Publicly

This TEDxRedding (x stands for independently organized TED event) Salon event‘s purpose is to ‘think together publicly’. The topic was Civic Innovation. The speakers, all viewed via their less than 18 minute TED talk videos, each had an innovative idea about how to help their community. Their videos are hosted on the TED website because they are deemed “ideas worth sharing.” Topics ranged from how movements get started to revitalizing neighborhood blocks to matching software geniuses with city governments to what to do with underperforming suburbs to urban farming to antidote to apathy.

TEDx Redding Launched 2012

TEDxRedding was launched locally in February, 2012. We have its organizer, Rachel Hatch, to thank for being a visionary and bringing TEDx to our area. With the help of The Redding Catalysts, the event was so successful they had to set up a second venue for more people to view the speakers via live streaming.

What is TED?

TED is an acronym for technology, entertainment and design. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to “ideas worth spreading.’ Launched in California in 1984, it has a huge global awareness, more all the time. Today, you can see 1000’s of great ‘ideas worth spreading’ on all kinds of subject matter, all 18 minutes or less, on their website, TED.com.

Who are the Redding Catalysts?

Who are the Redding Catalysts? As one Catalyst described yesterday, they are a ‘group of young professionals who put on events they’d like to go to.’ They are young, active community members, from all kinds of industries coming together to ‘improve Redding’s greatness through promoting cultural energy, collaborative philanthropy, and enhancing the vibe of Redding.’

What’s next for TEDx Redding?

Salon events:

Saturday, March 30, 2013 Business Innovation
Saturday, April 27, 2013 Medical Innovation
Saturday, May 4, 2013 Education Innovation

All sessions will be held at the Redding Library from 2:30 – 4pm.

TEDxRedding

June – date to be announced. TEDxRedding: Mapping Connections. This event will include live, local speaks who will share their idea worth spreading.

Efforts to Improve Passenger Air Service - Talks with SkyWest

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 22:19:00 GMT

Rod Dinger, Manager at Redding Municipal Airport, and Mark Lascelles, President of the Shasta EDC traveled to St. George, Utah last week to visit with SkyWest Airlines about air service in and out of Redding. SkyWest is United’s connection between Redding and their hub in San Francisco. They were joined by Trina Froehlich, Senior Air Service Consultant with Mead & Hunt. The three of them have worked together on this and other air service enhancement efforts. Each brings a different but very important component to the table.

A recent survey was done in our area of the local business community to get some up-to-date information on business travel needs in and out of our region. The survey revealed many anticipated observations and gave a clear picture of the business needs to enable a fruitful discussion with the airline. Our market is one of several vying for more air service understanding, at the end of the day, our air service is determined by a successful airline business model and not necessarily the community’s ideal wishes.

You may remember Rod, Trina and Mark traveling to Chicago last fall to meet with United Airlines. This is a continuation of that process. As Dinger said, “It is key to cultivate relations and stay in front of them as you would any important business client.” These decisions are made not overnight but over time.

Dinger and Lascelles are well aware people are desiring reliability in local flights with competitive rates to other destinations. Businesses are growing in Shasta County at this point in time. Any airline is going to be looking at business passengers to fill those seats much more than the casual traveler who has more flexibility. Bethel Church alone has increased the need for flights into and out of Redding with many more people coming from several global locations.

It is no surprise that LAX is the #1 destination sought according to the recent survey. Dinger came away from the meeting feeling we’d had a fruitful discussion and hopeful we can see an increase in Shasta County air service going into the future.

Made in Shasta County - Part 12: Premiere Brand Meats

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:56:00 GMT

For Premiere Brand Meats, located in Shasta Lake, CA, it was location, location, location encouraging the owners, Roger and Laura Lawson, to move their entire operation from Humboldt County to Shasta County in late 2004.

A meat cutter by trade, Roger Lawson had worked for many grocery stores in Humboldt County over the years. He claims all of them bar a chain store, in fact.

One day, he came across an ad for a used smokehouse a Santa Rosa bank was auctioning via a closed bid process. Something, he’s not sure what, compelled him to put in a bid of his own. Roger had no real experience smoking meat.

Lo and behold, he won the bid and you could say the rest is history.
This smokehouse is where the rubber would eventually meet the road for the Lawsons. Roger was a meat cutter by day and a sort of mad scientist at night experimenting getting up to speed with the smoker.

Eventually, through trial and error, Roger mastered how to use his smoker and turn out great food. It was the key in making the transition from meat cutter - working FOR someone - to he and Laura becoming business owners themselves.

Premiere Brand Meats – High End Deli

Since day one of opening in the 90’s, Premiere Brand Meats has seen growth. That was the Lawsons’ vision and they have always worked to keep their eye on that ball.

Premiere Brand Meats’ product is high-end deli meats. They include – but are not limited to - hams, turkey breast, roast beef, prosciutto, and sausages. The following photo is of sausage made especially for Hawaiian customers.

If you check the product labels, you realize quickly all the words can be pronounced! That is rare. Why? A high percentage of companies producing deli meats add filler to their product. Premiere Brand Meats does not. Check out the new label. The USDA logo and ingredients are apparent on their turkey breast packaging.

Restaurants and high-end grocery store delis have become their preeminent customers because of the high quality of their product.

Because Premiere Brand Meats continued to grow year by year and because they had a very large distribution area, McKinleyville became more and more logistically difficult. They realized they needed to be located closer to a main corridor as in Interstate-5.

Shasta County Sunshine

It is no secret there is plentiful fog on the coast. It is also no secret Shasta County has plentiful sunshine.

Like so many, Roger and Laura were very familiar with Shasta County having enjoyed vacations on Shasta Lake. They also drove through it on their way to Mt. Shasta to snow ski. It seemed, no matter where they went, they drove through Shasta County to get there.

When considering where they would relocate their operation closer to I-5, they were open to a few locations as far south as Stockton. However, Shasta County kept rising to the top.

Lawsons even sent their key employees for week-end getaways to Shasta County so they could experience the summer heat in the area. Looking at the whole picture, they knew the transition would be easier if they, too, bought into the move idea. All seven key employees committed to the move sealing the decision to relocate their business and families to Shasta County.

Premiere Brand Meats relocates to Shasta County

Lawsons researched where in Shasta County they should build their new plant. Their decision was the Gateway Industrial Park in the City of Shasta Lake. They had plans drawn up which the city approved and they were underway once finding a trusted local general contractor who could manage building this one-of-a-kind-plant. Roger said it went amazingly smoothly. Their building was completed and they were ready to move in by December, 2004. Roger was quick to add, “And under budget!”

Premiere Brand Meats - USDA Inspected

Premiere Brand Meats is a USDA inspected facility. They have state-of-the-art equipment to assure everything continues to meet their very high standards. Everything is computerized and recorded which means all the meat that is turned out – there is a record as to how it was processed.

78,000 pounds of deli meat are shipped from this facility per week!

Touring the plant and seeing the operations, one can’t help but be impressed by the cleanliness and the temperature. It’s cold!

Continued Growth for Premiere Brand Meats

There are 27 employees at Premiere Brand Meats today with expectations to continue their annual growth. Interestingly, business has continued to rise annually no matter what the economy is doing. Last year their business increased 19%.

Being close to the I-5 corridor in the City of Shasta Lake in Shasta County has been an important factor in being able to increase business. We look forward to checking back with the Lawsons in the months and years to come to check on their progress. There is an entrepreneurial spirit here and we want to stay tuned!

Made In Shasta County - Part 11: SkySki by Comptech Marine Inc.

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 23:06:00 GMT

Perhaps you’ve seen people appearing to fly across lakes, rivers, or ocean waters and even pulled over your car to see what they were doing. They could very well be having the time of their lives riding a SkySki made right here in Shasta County! Laird Hamilton, one of the world’s best surfers, is very familiar with SkySki as they make parts for him.

Jumping on a High Tech SkySki Hydrofoil

SkySki Roots Stem from Waterski Passion

It makes sense that SkySki developed out of a passion for water skiing. The owners of the business since 2004 are Don and Brenda Erb. They both love the sport. Don is a self proclaimed “slalom ski snob.” Anyone who is a slalom ski snob skis only when the waters are calm which typically means early morning and early evening hours. It can feel frustrating to have the hours in between when the waters tend not to be calm. The SkySki invites even ski snobs to ski any hour of the day!

History of Hydrofoiling

Timeline: Mike Murphy started Air Chair in 1989 with 2 other partners.

Left Air Chair in 1997 over wanting to build a better hydrofoil and getting shot down.

1998 started the SkySki company in Lake Elsinore CA to build a better hydrofoil called the SkySki Pro 1998

Late 1999 wanted to build an all new high performance model, The LE

End of 1999 contacted us to help on the new LE model

In 1998, Mike launched the SkySki company out of an interest in manufacturing a high quality and durable hydrofoil product he knew could be improved upon.

Getting Introduced to the Hydrofoil

It was 1999 when the hydrofoil caught Don’s attention. He went to a SkySki fly-in and met the makers of the SkySki hydrofoil. They got to talking and Don, whose work was design, machining and manufacturing, was keen to offer his expertise to SkySki if they ever needed it. He had been building racing engines for Indy and sports cars for years. With a passion for hydrofoiling, he felt there just might be a good match here if they ever needed manufacturing expertise.

Lo and behold, Mike Murphy (the originator of SkiSky) approached Don Erb at the end of 1999 for some help on a new hydrofoil ski model he had in his head but hadn’t gotten any further. That turned out to be an excellent match as Don and his crew had the tools and expertise to get this high end ski from pen to paper and then manufactured.

Don was totally on board with that as he also knew the hydrofoil skis he’d ridden had room to improve. Together they built a successful, high end product from 2000 to 2004.

It was 2004 when Murphy decided the water was calling him fulltime. It was time to sell the business and Don and Brenda Erb were interested in purchasing it. In an era when 90% of waterski products are manufactured in China Don resisted that trend and it was at that point they moved from the Sacramento area to Redding to be near Lake Shasta and start manufacturing. What a perfect place to test and ride the SkySkis they were manufacturing!

Since 2000 Comptech Marine Inc. has called Shasta County its home with reasonable costs of living and affordable places to purchase land and buildings. Comptech Marine Inc. expanded in 2007. The new larger facilities allowed them to better service their growing manufacturing of precision metal products & composites for outside customers, while continually developing the Industry standard SkySki Hydrofoil line.

SkySki’s Sold Globally from Shasta County

While the SkySki is popular all over the United States wherever people enjoy watersports, the product is also distributed and sold globally. If you are in Germany or Australia, for example, and see someone on a hydrofoil ski, that ski may well have been designed and manufactured in Shasta County.

Some ‘SkySki’ Benefits

1. 50-80% less drag than a regular ski: Because you are riding on a wing, there is less surface tension. The learning curve to use the SkySki is quick. Once you get the hang of getting up, you have it. Then it’s onto the next steps!

2. Made in America: SkySki has been recognized on Good Morning America in their Made in America series. Their intent from the beginning was to make a quality and durable product right here in the U.S. that would give years of enjoyment. It is a consistent and high quality product. You know what you are getting when you order a SkySki. Products made in other countries often have a wide variance.

3. A singular SkySki works for the entire family. It’s unlike other skis in that way. Think of the space you’ll save transporting and storing it, too. One size will work for all.

4. All ages can SkySki

More about SkySki:

See ‘SkySki’ in Enjoy Magazine – February 2013

Be watching for more about SkySki in the February 2013 edition of Enjoy Magazine. With the lakes filling up nicely again, it’s perfect timing to learn more about SkySki before the heat hits.

Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/SC7ZSs

Video of young person learning to SkySki: http://on.fb.me/SC88VP

SkySki website: http://skyski.com/store/

CONTACT: Don or Brenda Erb directly at SkySki:
1-888-SKY-SKI1 (1-888-759-7541).

Note: Comptech Marine Inc is a distributor of paddleboards. They look forward to the day they will be manufacturing paddleboards in-house. Shasta County is too!

Made in Shasta County - Part 10: AB Medical Technologies, Inc.

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 01:22:00 GMT

A golden opportunity arose out of a challenge four years ago for two Shasta County businessmen.

AB Medical Technologies, Inc., located in Redding, CA, was launched in 2009 after the company where Dwight Abbott and Ken Brown had been working was purchased by a private equity firm. That company, a division of Biomet, was where they had been working together in Redding since 1991.

As is the case, lots of questions and concerns arise when one company is acquired by another. What would happen to the local division of Biomet and to its employees? The work they did was skilled and rather specific. It might mean relocating which they surely didn’t want to do if they didn’t have to.

Abbott and Brown were both born in Redding, CA and it’s where they completed high school. After their college educations, they returned to Redding as they knew it was where they wanted to settle for its lifestyle and great place to raise their families. Now they wondered if the acquisition would require them to move elsewhere to continue the work they knew and loved.

Good news for Abbott and Brown! As it turned out, the possibility of launching their own company to continue to provide their services to Biomet, as well as to others alighed well with Biomet’s plans. AB Medical Technologies, Inc. was born.

AB Medical Technologies, Inc. continues to do contract manufacturing company with a focus on (but not limited to) electro-mechanical medical devices. Their role is to build products / devices to the specifications of whomever places the order. Interestingly, Biomet remains one of their biggest customers.

A contract manufacturer’s role includes such services as design and prototyping through to final production and also quality assurance. AB Medical Technologies, Inc. products will be shipped to the company that ordered it and they then disburse it to the end user (typically hospitals) all over the world. The products / devices made locally will end up in various locations in the United States, Europe, Japan and Latin America, to name a few.

AB Medical Technologies, Inc. works on a multitude of projects. They are Certified to ISO 13485:2003 and specialize in electronic medical systems and powered surgical instruments. They have many years of experience in all aspects of medical product development and manufacturing.

To follow is a short list of AB Medical Technologies, Inc. products:

1. Arthroscopic video systems
2. Arthroscopic shave system
3. Sterilizable cables
4. Motorized handpieces
5. Arthroscopic saline pumps
6. Ultrasonic bone cement removal system – used in hip replacement surgery

They have a clean room in their facility, ISO Class 7 (Class 10,000 enabling them to produce products used in sterile assemblies. From a lay person’s perspective, it has a sort of space-age-like appearance.

While medical electronic products are the main focus, there is nothing electro-mechanical that AB Medical Technologies, Inc. won’t consider. For instance, they are currently working on a fire pixel for a client who has plans to use it in Las Vegas shows for starters.

Their work is technical and skill level is high. All seven employees at AB Medical Technologies, Inc. wear many hats. Most have worked together for ten years, some for twenty years. It is a team effort.

How’s business for AB Medical Technologies, Inc? Three years into being company owners, Abbott and Brown are pleased to be relocating into a building they have purchased which isn’t far from their present location. They are especially pleased to have been able to stay in Shasta County.

Their outlook is positive. Business has continued to grow steadily. While most of their business still comes to them from outside the area, they have had the good luck of finding more opportunities locally. Abbott and Brown each expressed appreciation for the Enterprise Zone tax credits and also to the Shasta EDC for finding them a local project to collaborate on with another local business.

For more information, please contact AB Medical Technologies at 530.605.2522 or sales@abmedtech.com
Their website is: http://abmedtech.com.

We hope you’ll find the Shasta EDC on Facebook. Please show your virtual support by LIKING the page. Here you will be able to follow along as we shed light on more area companies.

Made in Shasta County - Part 9: Plant Pro-tec, LLC

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 18:50:00 GMT

Deer and rabbits. Gophers and moles. Dogs and cats. How many of us across the country scratch our heads over the challenges they create for property owners?

Jerry Walters, the CEO of Plant Pro-Tec, a company based in Shasta County, was fully aware of the need for an effective product that would help many with these unwanted animal problems. It was 1992 when he retired as a research scientist with the U.S. Forest Service and began to work more seriously on effective formulas that would deter deer and rabbits, gophers and moles, cats and dogs from places they aren’t wanted.

Plant Pro-Tec Advantages

Only natural products are used. Garlic is the key ingredient for the deer, rabbit, gopher and mole repellent. Natural organic oils are used in the dog and cat compound.

Rain does NOT affect the life of these products due to the smart delivery system. That is fantastic.

Delivery System and Life of Product

Plant Pro-Tec’s delivery system is easy to use. All important is breaking the barrier prior to placing it in a ground hole or clipping it on a plant or fence – which ever method is appropriate for the particular animal pest.

All 3 products have a shelf life of one or more years. Once the barrier is broken the product will start emitting the repelling odor. The repelling odor will be evident for 10-12 months for gophers and moles, 6-8 months for deer and rabbits, cats and dogs.

Product Satisfaction

Plant Pro-Tec knows that no 1 product works for every situation. Their studies indicate products work 80-85% of the time. However, 300 samples were sent to a magazine to be tested by their readers. This survey revealed a 94% satisfaction.

How to obtain Plant Pro-Tec

Plant Pro-Tec products are carried at nurseries and garden centers and can also be ordered online. Carol Walters, as President of the company, is in charge of shipping.

Employing Disabled Adults of Shasta County

An important fact to note about Plant Pro-Tec is they have always had disabled men and women from Shasta County assembling and packaging their products. Jerry Walters has put much thought and heart into making this work.

Touring the Plant Pro-Tec facility, there was a team of about 25 disabled working that day. They were working diligently to assemble and package the products and appeared taking pride in their work and enjoying it. One fellow was 18 when he started. He just celebrated his 36th birthday. Hats off to Plant Pro-Tec for providing this opportunity!

As we walked through the facility, Jerry and Carol addressed team members by name and conversed easily with them. Also noted, they received praise for their work.It appears to be a very healthy, win-win working relationship.

A little humor and the perfect gift

Product packaging states “for best results, follow the instructions.”

They also indicate on their website this is “the perfect gift for someone who has everything, including gophers and moles destroying their plants.”

For more information about Plant Pro-Tec, refer to their website (www.plantprotec.com) or contact them directly at plantpro@awwwsome.com | 800-572-0055.

Please look for the photo album on the Shasta EDC Facebook page.
It will add to the visual and story of Plant-Protec, LLC.

Shasta EDC Honored by Chinese Visit

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 16:19:00 GMT

The Shasta EDC was honored to host a Chinese Delegation from Guizhou Province last week.

During the three week tour in the US, the delegation visited Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Shasta County!

Arranged through a Chinese tour agency, we were selected as a natural resource region providing some similar industrial resources as Guizhou.

During the course of their visit they met with a number of local manufacturers currently doing business in China and were also introduced to other opportunities.

They also toured the Redding Electric Utility plant on Clear Creek Rd, Sierra Pacific Industries and Burnsini Vineyards.

We have already identified at least four new trade opportunities as a result of this visit and look forward to further discussions with Guizhou.

Perhaps the most productive aspect of this tour was that the tour agency was so impressed with this region that they have already committed to further tours which can only be positive for our economy.

The Shasta EDC would like to thank all the people who worked to make this a success including leadership from Sacramento and Shasta County, business leaders and interpreters.

Please check out more photos of their tour on the Shasta EDC Facebook page.

Shasta EDC Angel Investor Seminar

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 19:55:00 GMT

Three attendees at the Angel Investing seminar in Redding, California on October 8, 2012, offered their thoughts about what was covered.

by Scott Putnam – Apex Technology Management

The Angel Investor seminar on October 8th, 2012 was led by a recognized expert on the, topic, Bill Payne, and organized by the Shasta EDC, Frank Consulting, RMA Associates and the Poole Family was a phenomenal no-nonsense workshop. It was exactly what our community needed as a first step to transform this long talked about concept into a here and now reality. I am now more convinced than ever that a well-funded, active Angel Investor group will exist in our community within the next twelve months and will be one of the key catalysts to changing the fundamental makeup of our economy.

Utilizing the Kauffman Foundation's extensive research and materials on the subject of organizing an ‘angel capital investment network and fund’, Bill clearly laid out the how's and why's of organizing a formal angel network that will fit our community. It is clear that this is a well proven concept that can provide a tremendous win/win/win for investors, entrepreneurs and other community stakeholders in our economy.

Two key challenges facing any business attempting to grow rapidly in our region for at least as long as I've been involved in the business community have always been access to capital and mature business leaders and mentors. Angel investing provides an answer to both of these challenges without asking for charity.

After today's conference I personally am excited to get involved in an angel network and look forward to taking the next steps to make it happen.

Thank you to Mark, Mike Frank and the EDC for making this happen!

by Dan Morrow - Op-Test

The “Starting an Angel Organization” seminar was, simply put, extraordinary.

The combination of Bill Payne’s experience and sage advice and the seminars guided approach was exactly what was needed to help us understand what it takes to build a successful Angel Organization in our community.

Our community has willing and capable investors, willing and capable business mentors, willing and capable business trainers and educators, and most importantly, we have talented and ambitious minds with great ideas, looking for investors, mentors, trainers and educators willing to help them succeed.

Regionally based Angel Organizations are a key component to any region’s economic vitality, providing a much needed focal point for entrepreneurial business development.

There is no doubt in my mind that our community has both the need for, and the capacity to, support a very successful Angel Organization.

Kudos to the EDC for providing the leadership to help us form them.

by Mike Frank – Mike Frank Consulting

What a treat it was to be part of a very professional and intellectually stimulating meeting at the McConnell Foundation yesterday. The setting, the topic and the presenter were all very thrilling for me.

The presenter, Bill Payne, came totally prepared and had numerous useful insights and applications for us to use as we go down the path of trying something to jump start the Redding economy. I feel extremely confident about taking what we learned and developing strategies and a vision for our city. Bill eliminated most of my fears and concerns by both the material he presented and his inspiration. Can't wait to get started!

Our community has so much to offer but we’ve had some hard times economically so we need to harness the momentum from yesterday’s meeting and start building our future prosperity. These are exciting times and as one of the emerging "fathers" of our city, I am excited about where we go from here.

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Thank you to Scott Putnam, Dan Morrow, and Mike Frank for taking the time to put pen to paper so you could learn about the seminar from a few who were there.

The Shasta EDC will appreciate your thoughtful ideas and please share this with people you know might be interested in learning more about this promising idea of local Angel Investing.

Made in Shasta County – Part 8: Sierra Pacific Industries

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 22:35:00 GMT

Sierra Pacific Industries, a family owned forest products company, is based in Anderson, California. Owning 1.9 million acres of timberland in California and Washington State, SPI is the 2nd largest lumber producer in the U.S.

We ran across a very informative YouTube video of Mark Emmerson, SPI’s CFO, addressing a group at UC Berkeley, sharing some of the company’s rich history and background.

SPI Began

Red Emmerson, 2nd generation, started in the sawmill business with his father, Rollie, in 1948. They purchased a sawmill in Somoa, CA in 1950 which remains in operation today. Red’s children, the 3rd generation, entered the business over 25 years ago, and now they even have the 4th generation working with them.

Living in Shasta County, many of us have had the privilege of knowing the Emmersons and families who work for SPI. They are part of the backbone of Shasta County. Whether we have children going to school or playing sports together or we see them out and about in restaurants, Turtle Bay, charity events or church, Sierra Pacific Industries is well represented in a multitude of ways locally.

Hard work and family are at the center of Sierra Pacific Industries. Today, their payroll is around $200 million. Jobs cover a broad spectrum amongst their 3,600 employees including truck drivers, millwrights, electricians, machinists, office administrators, foresters and beyond. Their aim has always been to do as much as they can in-house which means they can usually handle challenges that much faster.

3,600 Employees Strong

Important to realize is that the 3,600 directly employed impact 100,000 people financially via the broad spectrum of goods and services the employees use on a daily basis.

SPI Employs Modern Forest Management

Sierra Pacific Industries manages forests carefully with the goal of bringing them back to the state they were in 200 years. Why? Back then, the forests contained 80% pine trees. Over time, that was reduced to 20%. Forests are complicated and need careful management. Sierra Pacific Industries respects this fact and works at the balance to keep them healthy.

Always under the watchful eye of environmentalists for a variety of reasons, it is interesting to note that the spotted owl was put on the endangered species list in 1989. The goal was to make sure there were at least 900 pairs of spotted owls in their forests. Today there are 2500 pairs there, 10,000 pairs overall.

Driving through one of their forests near Trinity Lake this past winter, we came across an animal we had never seen but an SPI employee was able to identify as a Pacific Fisher. It’s been recently re-introduced by SPI into Butte County. It was an animal with attitude! We knew we best keep our distance from him.

SPI in California uses 100% of the logs harvested. The wood is used for such things as lumber, fencing, doors, and windows. Co-generation uses scraps not used otherwise to generate electricity for their operations.

How to Prevent Catastrophic Forest Fires

2012 has seen some serious forest fires across the West. SPI uses modern forestry management to reduce the risk of catastrophic fires in order to diminish the likelihood this happens on their lands.

One method SPI uses is to carefully select 16 acre blocks to clear cut. They then re-plant fewer trees giving the trees needed space and sunlight to grow strong. This will work forests back to a healthier state.

Per SPI, the U.S. Forest Service does not actively thin out their forests and are some of the toughest neighbors from a fire standpoint. It is common to have 1,000 stems per acre which means they are thick and overgrown.

SPI has learned a healthy forest can be created through active management. They also are aware of the grotesque amounts of carbon dioxide emitted into the environment when forests burn.

Planting superior trees so they will have enough space and sunlight to grow will create healthy forests, habitat included.

Sierra Pacific Has an Eye on the Future

California regulations are so stringent that SPI must create plans for their forest lands decades into the future. They have been in this business a long time and intend to continue so that their forests prosper and provide healthy forests and timber for generations to come. Everyone will benefit.

It is rather daunting that the 2nd largest lumber producer in the U.S. is right here in Shasta County in Northern California.

Sierra Pacific’s website is content rich to learn much more.

Please look for the photo album on the Shasta EDC Facebook. It will add to the visual and story of Sierra Pacific Industries.

Made in Shasta County – Part 7: Electric Vehicles by EV4U Custom Conversions

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 21:23:00 GMT

Electric conversion vehicles made in Shasta County? You need only travel a few miles north of Redding to Shasta Lake where you can find Richard van Wyhe, owner of EV4U Custom Conversions a full service custom conversion shop.

It was 2008 when the custom conversion idea struck van Wyhe. A car buff from the get-go, he also has a motorcycle he loves riding. Fuel prices were going up and staying up. Being able to drive his motorcycle 8 times further than he could his pick-up on the same amount of gas started getting his attention big time. He thought there must be a way around fluctuating gas prices and the weekly shock at the fuel pumps that would be more efficient.

With a degree in electronics and a varied and deep background in business, van Wyhe found himself speculating about the reality of electric cars. Being a car guy at heart, he looked around at the EV’s (electric vehicles) being manufactured and was far from impressed with their designs. That’s where he found his opportunity.

And so this custom conversion business began. EV4U is converting people’s beloved vehicles to electric. They have received vehicles (basically a rolling chassis when shipped to them) from throughout the Western United States to perform the conversions. EV4U has worked on vehicles as diverse as a ’46 Dodge pick-up to a Porsche 912. In 2013, they have sights on expanding into the international market.

The cost of converting is mostly up front per van Wyhe. Once the conversion is complete, there is very little maintenance over the long lifespan of the vehicle. He claims that the vehicle could well outlive the owner! Think about it. An electric car has one moving part and there is no longer need to change oil, coolant, hoses, belts, etc. Yes, you still have tires and brakes to deal with. Otherwise, the car is pretty maintenance free.

FAQ about Electric Vehicles

There are some usual questions about electric conversions. Most of them are addressed on their extensive EV4U Custom Conversion YouTube videos which include walking us through an 8 day conversion of a 1974 Karman Ghia. A link to the YouTube videos is easily found on the EV4U website. In the meantime, here are some FAQ’s:

How far can a car go on a charge? van Wyhe will discuss with you how far you typically drive in a day to figure out the number of batteries that make sense to have. The U.S. Department of Transportation has determined 80% of people drive less than 40 miles a day. EV4U can provide battery range up to 127 miles per charge. Each battery adds cost. As he says, ‘range costs money.’
What if I want to take a long road trip? If the only vehicle you own is the EV (many still own a gas powered vehicle), a good alternative is to rent a car for the road trip. You’re still going to be saving lots of money long term.
Monthly cost of charging vehicle. van Wyhe’s cost for electric charging last month was $24 and he spent zero on gasoline. Compare that to filling your tank once a week and compute the savings long term.
How many times can I charge the batteries? The batteries can be recharged approximately 3000 times. Their life can be extended if recharged before draining completely. As an example, if recharged regularly when 50% of the charge is remaining, you will extend the battery life approximately 1.5 times or 4500 cycles.
How fast can a custom EV go? You will be able to exceed any speed limit as EV’s can go 100+ mph.
How efficient are EV’s? Electric vehicles are 8 times more efficient than internal combustion. Studies have shown the average cost to drive an EV is 2.8 cents/mile. How does that compare to your current car?

Spreading the EV4U Word

Richard van Wyhe has traveled extensively to more than 100 shows up and down the West Coast with his converted red VW Beetle. These shows are where much of his business is generated. If you were at the Shasta EDC Game Changer Innovation Lunch in April, you were able to see Richard with this beautiful car. It’s easy to see how its charm generates more interest and subsequent business.

EV4U’s goal is to promote the use of clean, safe, simple, reliable and economical electric transportation. He gives in-house educational workshops in Shasta Lake at the EV4U Custom Conversion shop. van Wyhe is pleased to have had college instructors take his course who have taken the information back to teach others. This spreads the word exponentially.

EV4U is working on a new YouTube series focused on a complete DIY conversion from gasoline to electric. Stay tuned in the coming months for that.

Escalating gas prices fueled EV4U. Because a car guy was fired up to do something about the cost of fueling a car and finding something more efficient, there’s now a growing population of people who are driving the custom vehicle of their dreams. What are the odds they love to plug in vs. fill up?

If you have any questions, please contact Richard van Wyhe via email:
info@EV4Unow.com

Please look for the photo album on the Shasta EDC Facebook page which will add to the visual and story of EV4U.

Made in Shasta County - Part 6: IASCO’s Flight Training Pilot Program

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Have you or someone you know ever thought about a career in aviation? For many, it may have just been a pipe dream. IASCO Flight Training (IFT) in Redding, CA, is in an expansion mode and is on the brink of launching a program focused on getting the attention of local people who would like to complete their Professional Pilot’s Course.

Since 2009, IFT has been training Chinese students to become airline pilots. The students received quality, standardized instruction allowing them to return home to work as pilots.

Perhaps there is no better way to explain the aviation dream coming true than sharing this video the Class of 2011 made and sent to Ann Marie Guay, CEO of IASCO. It gives a good overview of the student experience and pride felt in attaining their pilot’s license.

IFT is LOOKING FOR SHASTA COUNTY STUDENTS

The training model IFT uses for the Chinese pilots has been so successful they want to now open their doors to the local population interested in becoming commercial pilots. IFT’s goal is to start with five students in the next couple months and add more classes thereafter.

Shasta County is situated in one of the sunniest places in the U.S.A. The terrain is appealing with mountains, lakes and rivers.

In the past, many pilots acquired their expertise over a long period of time. This new training product would give the student pilot the opportunity to get certifications within 9-12 months. The cost of the program will be around $60K – far more economical than training over a long period of time in a less regimented way. And it is an opportunity to get A JOB AS A PILOT.

A JOB AS A PILOT

If you’re interested in aviation, think about this. Boeing states there will be a shortage of 466,000 pilots and 600,000 aircraft mechanics over the next twenty years.

AIRLINE PILOT REQUIREMENTS WILL CHANGE AUGUST 2013

The cause of the aviation accident near Buffalo, NY in February, 2009 was determined to be pilot error. Since then, the FAA has taken a hard look at requirements for becoming an airline pilot. They determined one competence marker for pilots is experience. The FAA will require commercial airline pilots to have a minimum of 1,500 flight hours before that can be considered as a candidate.

During IFT’s 9 to 12 month program, a student can complete an all inclusive ground and flight course in approximately 250 hours. The graduates will receive pilot’s certificates that include: Private, Instrument, Single/Multi-Engine, Commercial, and all three Instructor Certifications.

IFT WILL HIRE MORE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS

Working as a CFI at IFT, the employee will earn a paycheck, benefits, and flight hours. That’s not to mention the fact that it’s within a program that has a standardized curriculum in one of the most amazing places in the world.

Right now, IFT has 49 employees. By the end of the year, they will have 150 students and 65 employees.

IASCO in AUTUMN of 2012

With an eye on the future, IFT realizes pilots are going to be in shorter supply going forward. Training them here will benefit our community. We see how this forward thinking will produce a pilot training program for students from local high schools and beyond.

Not all students are cut out for a four-year university but something much more technical in nature may be the right fit. Who hasn’t dreamed of becoming a pilot at least once in their life? IFT is working on making that dream a reality for those who really want it.

CONTACT IASCO

Please contact Anne Marie Guay, IFT CEO at 530-722-9419 if you have questions about the new domestic program. You will be hearing more about this as time goes forward.

Please look for the photo album on the Shasta EDC Facebook page which will add to the visual and story of IASCO | IFT.

Made in Shasta County – Part 5: Yates Gear

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 18:28:00 GMT

Turning passion into profit. John Yates, co-founder of Yates Gear, will be the first to tell you it was all about creating the equipment he and his climbing buddies needed because it simply didn’t exist in the late 70’s. It’s an interesting career switch he made from getting a degree in “range management” at Humboldt State to then manufacturing and selling climbing and technical rescue equipment worldwide as a career.

John Yates and his brother, James, started this business in 1982. They were avid outdoorsmen with climbing being at the center of their universe. Realizing equipment was scarce or nonexistent, they started making gear for themselves in a Shingletown garage. It became evident the need was far beyond just themselves and through this a business was born.

You MAY remember their first store in Redding - Outdoor High Adventure Sports. It was the launching ground for Yates Gear.

James Yates moved on to other things (he’s now a chiropractor in Auckland, NZ) and John partnered two decades ago with Blaine Stidham. The story of John and Blaine meeting is typical of what you might expect when two enthusiastic outdoorsmen get together. Blaine came into John’s store to purchase a pair of boots that could handle a summer downhill mountain dirt ‘ski’ - with ankles tied together, mind you. Did I get that right? The pivotal point is they realized each other was a crazy outdoor adventurer.

Today, the company is run by John as CEO, Karen Yates (John’s wife) as CFO, and Blaine as Production Manager.

Behind the Scenes at Yates Gear

Yates Gear focuses on making climbing, fire, safety and rescue equipment as well as tactical equipment. Entering the front door, there’s a mix of items to be seen – all indicating the love of the outdoors. There was no indication in the front about what goes on in the back.

Walking to the back was an eye opener. 63 people were working on various components of all kinds of gear. Products are being hand made in a large room filled with focused employees working diligently on industrial sewing machines made by Mitsubishi, Brother and Juki.

Yates Gear Owners and Staff - 2012

Yates Gear Sews in America

John explained the reason there is still sewing at all in the U.S. is our government recognizes it’s vital our military products are made on American soil vs. overseas for a multitude of reasons. This is where Yates Gear tactical equipment line comes into play. Labor costs are higher short term but standard of quality and accountable delivery dates matter as they reduce long term costs and headaches.

Hand Made at Yates Gear

The company develops and patents products based purely on need. They comply with the most rigid of standards. Quality is consistently high. The standards they adhere to are: Underwriters Laboratory (UL); ISO 9001: 2008 Certification; Berry Amendment Compliance, Made in the USA; Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code 45187.

Quality standards Yates Gear complies to as seen in their 2012 Catalog

Vast Array of Product Made At Yates Gear

Harnesses, spec paks, ladder and rescue kits, air lift rescue vests, ropes and many other items needed by firemen, military, mountaineers, and first responders are what Yates Gear supplies.

A 100 page catalog for Yates professional and tactical equipment is sent out annually to thousands of Professional line dealers around the world. Not a retail business, most of their orders come from across the U.S. and overseas via Professional line dealers and military.

Who are the biggest customers of Yates Gear?

A big part of their business is Industrial. Working at heights requires harnesses. This would include PG&E type power companies, dam work, high rise inspections, industrial rope access, and working at heights such as PG&E type power, dam and high rise inspection, Industrial rope access, tower access (wind, cell, power tower construction and maintenance) as well as Industrial and theatrical stage rigging. If you’ve been to a Cirque Du Soleil show in Vegas, consider it a virtual ‘Yates Department Store’.

The list goes on: WAPA, police, fire protection, USFS, CalTrans, Cal Fire, USAF, Us Marines, US Army, US National Guard, Border Patrol, FEMA, DEA, Cal DOJ. They have tremendous dealer support and distribution channels allowing them to make a larger stand across the many world markets and into many niches. They have worked hard to achieve and maintain several thousand national and international dealers plus several regional distributors for their various market shares.

Growth at Yates Gear

Business consistently sees annual growth. According to John, even during the toughest years in the economy, the business has grown no less than 5%. Because their products are needed, fill an important niche market and are compliant to the strictest of standards, the company has typically seen a 20% annual growth. Their intuition in product research and development patenting products has helped drive this. It says something very good about the company that some of their employees are still with them after 15-20 years.

Why Shasta County?

John, Karen, and Blaine all came from other Northern California locations to Shasta County years ago. Their love of the outdoors is what drew them to this area in the first place.

It’s always interesting to learn the path of a company’s success and wonderful to know Yates Gear was launched out of personal need and grew into something substantial because the company struck a niche market globally that serves many – for work and play.

Please look for the photo album on the Shasta EDC Facebook page which will add to the visual and story of Yates Gear.

Made in Shasta County – Part 4: Rutaesomn

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 21:23:00 GMT

Rutaesomn | Linnet BioPharmaceuticals is a Redding, CA based start-up company launched four months ago. If you were at the Shasta EDC Game Changer Luncheon, you will have seen them. Their product is a sleep aid which speeds up the body’s natural process of eliminating caffeine.

Rutaesomn Homepage and Video

The Rutaesomn story started in 2007. Dr. Tim Linnet, the COO of Linnet BioPharmaceuticals, shared some background with us this past week.

Linnet is the son of pharmacists, Stan Linnet, a manager at a Safeway pharmacy in Redding and, Sharon Linnet, a pharmacist at Mercy Medical Center in Redding. There must be something in his DNA!

Tim Linnet with his parents, Sharon and Stan Linnet

A 2004 graduate of Foothill High School in Palo Cedro, Tim was accepted into the fast track pharmacy program at the University of the Pacific in Stockton. He began his studies that fall and completed his doctorate in the Spring of 2010.

While in school, it became boldly apparent to Tim and his father, Stan Linnet, there are many people sleepless from caffeine. While still in school, Tim became compelled to come up with a solution to the problem of sleeplessness due to caffeine ingestion.

Tim collaborated with his professors at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA working closely with Dr. Chan in the R&D of a product that would solve this problem. With research moving forward, Tim went to work on a business plan. This process was initiated in 2007.

Tim Linnet with his father, Stan Linnet at University of the Pacific.

Rutaesomn in 2012

Rutaesomn is the product developed to solve the issue of sleeplessness caused from caffeine consumption.

The active ingredient is “rutaecarpine” - a natural plant substance. Pharmacist Letter says that it “reduces caffeine levels and has no reported adverse effects".

Rutaesomn has been picked up by the top four herbal distribution companies to date. It has actually moved ahead of the former best selling sleep aid in a large nutrition chain.

Of note, one large nutrition chain store has a rule in place not to pick up individual products. They made an exception with Rutaesomn simply because they know it works. Already, Rutaesomn is surpassing the former best selling 30 and 60 day supply sleep aids.

Not in all pharmacies yet, Rutaesomn should be in your local pharmacy soon.

Exporting Rutaesomn

Rutaesomn is already being marketed successfully throughout the U.S. Add to that, they are currently in negotiations with other countries wanting to import the product to their countries. This will begin to happen. Each country has its own labeling requirements which they have begun work on.

Rutaesomn’s Team

The Rutaesomn team in Redding, CA consists of five at this time. Stan Linnet is the CEO with Tim Linnet functioning at COO. Justin Peisker holds the position of Project Manager. Brent Soffey is the Northern Division Sales Manager and Justin Gentile is Southern Division Sales Manager.

Rutaesomn’s Vision for Growth

Analyzing what has happened in such a short time at Rutaesomn, we see they are on a trajectory for rapid growth. Tim felt it was hard to project numbers but feels there will be ten people on the team in 2 years and potentially 200 in five years. Their goal is to manufacture the product and ship to all their destinations from Redding, California.

They are currently working with a local bank and have some investors who have been with them since the onset. However, with how quickly the company is growing, they will be looking for venture capitalists to invest and move it forward.

Future hires will multiply exponentially and will include, but not necessarily be limited to those who focus on sales and marketing, business development, regulation control, engineering, quality control, and the actual supply line.

Rutaesomn’s True Golden Egg

The true golden egg for the company and the Redding area could well be the prescription compound of Rutaesomn. It will take years to accomplish as it will undergo intense scrutiny by the FDA. While rutaecarpine is found in a plant, the compound will be slightly modified to make it even more effective than its OTC counterpart. Tim gave a lesson in organic chemistry to explain how it’s the slight alteration of what happens naturally, adding a compound to make it more effective.

Commitment to Redding, California

Having roots in Redding, the Linnets feel a firm commitment to helping bolster Redding’s economy. It’s a great place to live and raise a family. It would give them great satisfaction to bring the manufacturing component here to provide good jobs to many. It would be a game changer.

Rutaesomn’s Website URL’s:

Rutaesomn Website: Rutaesomn.com
Twitter: @Rutaesomn
Facebook: facebook.com/Rutaesomn
YouTube: YouTube.com/user/RutaesomnMedia

We invite you to like our Facebook page (ShastaEDC) and follow the Shasta EDC on Twitter (ShastaCountyEDC) This post is one in a series focusing on ‘Made in Shasta County’.

Made in Shasta County - Part 3: Seabreacher

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 21:30:00 GMT

Innespace Productions, the parent company of Seabreacher, this week’s Shasta County manufacturing-company-in-the-spotlight, makes a show stopper personalized watercraft whose purchasing audience includes worldwide VIP’s and corporations.

If you were at the Shasta EDC’s Game Changer luncheon in April, you had the benefit of seeing a Seabreacher firsthand. It would not be an exaggeration to say 98% of the 400 attendees at the luncheon made sure they didn’t leave before checking it out within touching distance.

You could say the Seabreacher enjoys a bit of a celebrity status. And why not? It’s hard not to be more than a bit curious about this water vessel that was made to jump, dive, roll, and perform wild aquabatic tricks.

Dan Piazza, Rob Innes and an employee in the shop. More photos on Shasta EDC’s Facebook page. Search for the ‘Seabreacher’ album under photos.

Background: Innespace Productions | Seabreacher was established in 1997 by Rob Innes and Dan Piazza.

Rob Innes got his degree in management from Unitech in New Zealand (he’s a true Kiwi) but soon gravitated to his love of building boats. Being an Aucklander, he grew up in a boating mad city. Eventually, with many years of boat building experience under his belt, he met and married a gal from Oregon and moved to Redding, CA with the goal of building a submersible watercraft.

Dan Piazza brought two decades of experience in custom fabrication and engineering to the team. He is a local Reddingite graduating from Shasta High in 1975. His work on race boats, hot rods and off-road vehicles made him a good fit in this venture.

The team at Innespace Productions worked for over a decade on developing this submersible watercraft that would push the limits known thus far as to what people can do underwater. To take it from their website: “diving, jumping, rolling, porpoising, and other amazing aquabatic tricks all within the safety and comfort of a dry, sealed cockpit.”

The first Seabreacher was the The Dolphin and nicknamed ‘Sweet Virgin Angel.’ This prototype has been used for research and development since as well as demonstrations at boat shows and media events around the world since. The Seabreachers are dolphin, killer whale or shark inspired.

Handling Growing Pains: Meeting Rob and Dan at their new facility this past week, they shared they have finally arrived at a place large enough to spread their wings a bit. Up until now, they’ve been in quarters that have always been cramped.

Rob and Dan are appreciative of the Shasta EDC assisting them through the county permitting process which helped expedite getting them into their new facility. Because Seabreacher orders are beginning to multiply, the larger space became vital.

They also gave high praise to the SMART Business Resource Center which assists companies in hiring and training. Innespace’s workforce is growing so they’ve appreciated SMART being there for them. Innespace hires the most qualified people and then finely tune with on-the-job-training.

Seabreacher customers come from all over the globe. Yet to sell a Seabreacher locally (they’d love to), the $60,000 to $90,000 submersible watercraft is built from the ground up to the customers desired specifications.

Some choose to select interior colors and patterns while some leave choice up to us. There is also a list of additional options to choose from. The hours of hand labor are intensive that go into the making of each craft. Every Seabreacher has a customized paint job. Many are done by well known Redding air brush talent/artist, Jeff Crank.

Seabreachers have been selling in a growing list of countries including the United States, Turks & Caicos Islands (Caribbean), Russia, South Korea, China, Thailand, Australia, United Arab Emirates (5 boats delivered), Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and Azerbaijan.

Seabreacher Video: Check out this Seabreacher demonstration video at Whiskeytown Lake which gives a quick visual of its abilities.

Aquabatic Racing League: Rob and Dan are looking forward to getting a racing league going on Shasta Lake with their Seabreachers. What better way to give them high local exposure and have some fun?

FAQ’s: Because the Seabreacher is such a unique product, Innespace has covered FAQ’s on their website very well right down to how corporations can make MONEY with a Seabreacher. Corporate advertising on a Seabreacher is an eye catcher!

Innespace’s Next Project: Rob and Dan have a new creation they will reveal soon. Based on their enthusiasm – which is like little kids at Christmas – we look forward to returning for another interview in the not too distant future. Their focus remains steady and on the cutting edge of fun.

We invite you to like our Facebook page (ShastaEDC) and follow the Shasta EDC on Twitter (ShastaCountyEDC). This post is one in a series focusing on ‘Made in Shasta County.’

Made in Shasta County – Part 2: Sof-TEK Integrators, Inc.

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Sof-TEK Integrators, Inc. was launched in Redding, CA in 2000 out of the owners’ (self-described as “deep propeller heads”) desire to maintain control over the magic that too often walks out the door when the business deal gets done. For obvious reasons, that didn’t sit well with them. There had to be a better way.

We stopped by 630 Twin View Boulevard last week to learn more about the company. Dan Morrow, Doug Tracy, and Curt Dodds were the 3 founders of the umbrella company, Sof-TEK Integrators, Inc. Dan was available to give a tour and give an overview of this fascinating local manufacturing business.

The one address has 3 companies under its roof. Everyone working there helps to create and sustain a vital synergy. Several projects are being worked on at any given time. They admit to being “geeky nerds” and finding inertia in the broad spectrum of talent at hand.

The owners of Sof-TEK Integrators are from the Redding, CA area. Going back to grade school, there are Redding schools in their pedigree.

Local Talent: Dan, Doug and Curt have found success in hiring local talent to fill the roles of managers and other positions giving credit to Shasta College, Simpson University, and UC Davis in the mix. It is quite common for them to hire locals or people who grew up here, moved away to find jobs elsewhere with hopes of one day coming back to Shasta County to live and work. They have been successful in bringing people back to the area. These are very talented people who had moved away to find the work they wanted but now are finding they can return to the work and lifestyle they’ve had their sights on all along – right here in Redding, CA / Shasta County.

Twelve years old now, they have come a long way. Growth is happening at this stage with many irons in the fire. Anticipated growth over the next 5 years is 25 new positions. One third of the positions will be professional and range in income from $60K - $100K. Other technical positions will open up, too, starting at $10-$12/hour going up to $18/hour.

What does OP-TEST do? Op-Test builds test equipment to test High Brightness LEDs. Because LEDs are 80% more efficient than regular incandescent bulbs, they are being used in a broad spectrum of places such as cars, houses, televisions, phones, and architecture.

The HBLED market (HB = high brightness) is currently about $10 billion but is expected to grow to $80 billion in just 5 years’ time. The technology hasn’t caught up which is creating a huge multi-billion dollar waste every year. This is part of the reason LED’s are expensive.

Hauman - purchased from Taiwan. Test equipment integrates with this system and tests LEDs when they are still on the wafer. Photo by Shasta EDC.

The customers of Op-Test are the manufacturers of LED’s. Op-Test has developed a test technology that can save the LED manufacturing community over $1.6 billion/year. Op-Test has 2 patents on technology that will save manufacturers 10% a year. No other test company can do this.

Of note is that most of Op-Test’s customer base is offshore which means the work is done here and shipped overseas, bringing export dollars into our economy.

Also, Cornerstone Bank helped them acquire funding via SBA so Op-Test can proceed with the next phase of their business plan. They are very excited to be moving ahead with this.

What does Sof-TEK do? This business is geared to assemble specific electronic needs for such places as China, Singapore, and Malaysia. Eric West manages Sof-TEK.

Redding is part of the Pacific Rim but away from the expensive cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles where cost of living expenses are much higher. This all weighs on creating the local wage scale. Dealing with U.S. manufacturers, other benefits that keep the cost down are our stable government, stable electricity, reliability and the fact we don’t have intellectual property issues (as often happens at overseas assembly plants).

The assemblers are called “fulfill-ologists” – a great term – and they work on such things as temperature control units for China, Singapore and Malaysia. This team does between 2,500 and 3,000 assemblies a year. They work on very specific projects and can have a fast turn around which leads to customer loyalty.

What does ‘Wire by Design’ do? They cut, strip, and label wires to your specification. This is the third and last (at the moment) business under the umbrella of Soft TEK.

With the assistance of Ryan Richardson, at Superior California Economic Development (SCED), funding was located to help them purchase the almost $100K machine that makes wires by design. Very simply, if you need one or several wires, you can order exactly what you want and have it made and returned to you within 24 hours with this equipment. Order each wire you need by gauge and length and it will be made and clearly labeled on each end. From microwaves to refrigerators to wires under the hood of your car, Wire by Design is who to call.

‘Wire by Design’ machine. Photo by Shasta EDC

Shasta County easy place to do business: Dan Morrow indicated Shasta County has been an easy place to do and grow business. The Shasta EDC, he said, was instrumental in introducing them to AirCover, (a start-up we’ll be talking about) who is new in Redding. The two companies realized they can collaborate on some things which will help them both.

The more everyone knows about who does what in Shasta County, the more we can keep business local which will grow our economy.

It’s apparent we’ll need to check back with Sof-TEK Integrators, Inc. again. Their growth is exciting. They are accomplishing what they set out to do in 2000. They are still “geeky nerds” but they are growing their business, helping the local economy, and keeping the magic at home, so to speak.

To contact Sof-TEK directly, call 530.242.0527 or email: sales@sof-tek.com

We invite you to like our Facebook page (ShastaEDC) and follow the Shasta EDC on Twitter (ShastaCountyEDC). We will work at shedding light on companies in Shasta County on a weekly basis.

TechniSoil® CEO Sean Weaver Loves Redding, CA

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 07:00:00 GMT

‘Made in Shasta County’ – Part 1: TechniSoil®

Sean Weaver’s path since graduating from Shasta High School in Redding 21 years ago has been most unusual. One might wonder how a graduate from Brigham Young University, with a degree in textiles, arrived at making evolutionary natural surfaces today. His business, known as TechniSoil®, is based in Redding, California and is taking off globally. They have just secured their first billion dollar contract. Here’s the story.

Sean Weaver’s path to being CEO of TechniSoil®… Setting off with a college degree in textiles, Sean worked for five years in the textile industry. He got interested in stone quarries. Letting no moss grow under his feet, he leased a number of quarries in California with the idea of processing stone.

Roll it forward to 2012. Under the umbrella of Eko Research, Sean, at 39 years old, is the CEO and co-owner of two companies centering around the family of products under the TechniSoil® brand. These are products, developed by Sean and his team, well on their way to revolutionizing road building globally. Greenmile Construction’s job, the other company Sean co-owns, will build off-highway roads for the US military, energy, and mining sectors worldwide.

What is TechniSoil® and why is it so revolutionary? As Sean explained, “It’s a binder that will stabilize in-situ (undisplaced) soil (in the ground) and is used to create roadways that will last 20 years without maintenance.” Energy and mining companies globally will be using this product on a large scale. Not only are these roads as durable as asphalt, they take 95% less energy and 20% of the time to build than traditional roads. The contract negotiations with countries around the world have begun.

TechniSoil® also has many applications for homeowners from driveways to pathways and borders. Reading through TechniSoil® testimonials on their website gives a good understanding of how this product can be utilized. This Technisoil® video tells more.

TechniSoil® saves on construction costs, cuts maintenance costs, and creates carbon credits. A durable product, it will save on construction costs due to a 95% savings in CO2 emissions creating substantial carbon credits which will benefit everyone concerned.

Of interest, Terry Bradshaw the host of Insights television show, is coming to town this week to interview Sean and profile his company for a 7 minute segment on the Discovery Channel which will also air several times on CNN. Sean has promised he’ll let us know the schedule.

A couple videos to view to help visualize. TechniSoil® has an asphalt sealer Nascar is interested in using on their tracks. And here is a link to the TechniSoil® Pathway product.

New Hires: Sean states that they are looking at hiring 8-12 more people over the next two years and 30-40 more over the next 5 years between TechniSoil® and Greenmile Contruction Company. Wages for these jobs will range from $50,000 to $120,000 annually.

Why Redding, California? When Sean was asked why he came back to Redding to grow his company while other locales were wining and dining him, he gave direct eye contact with a smile and said, “Redding is simply a great place to live and an easy place to do business. Everyone has made it easy on us. Also, if you have to drive somewhere to get something, it takes a few minutes. There aren’t any traffic jams!” He looks forward to building out the current location at Weaver Lumber with two 7,000sf buildings and a further goal of expanding into Stillwater Industrial Park.

Ease in doing business in Shasta County: One thing that obviously gave Sean pleasure was that Shasta County will benefit from the fact 90% of the materials are made right here in Northern California. And he feels strongly that the first billion dollar contract (which happens to be in Australia) will grow into many more around the world. They’ve worked hard and are now beginning to see some major headway. He is currently in negotiations with more places in more countries. And it will ALL benefit this great place we call Shasta County. This is definitely a company to keep an eye on in the foreseeable future.

We will be highlighting more businesses going forward. We appreciate your comments and suggestions. We invite you to the Shasta EDC Facebook page and also find us on Twitter.

The "Fly Shop" In Redding, California Goes Global

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 07:00:00 GMT

The Fly Shop. We've all seen it on the east side of I-5 as we drive north from Anderson, CA into Redding. The building sports a green metal roof and a very large rainbow trout on its west side making it hard to miss. However, unless you are a fly fisherman, you may not know all the activity that happens within. This is a wonderful success story.

Was it luck or was it the owner's very smart mother who suggested the location on I-5 would be just right because of exposure? Northern California is well known for its bountiful fly fishing waters. With no less than 51,000 cars (including all fly fishermen coming to the area) driving by the store daily - it was a prime location from the start. Taking a moment here to think about it, what passionate fly fisherman could possibly drive by without stopping?

Being a keen fly fisherman himself, Mike Michalak launched The Fly Shop in Redding on April 15, 1978. With $2,750 of his own and a $125,000 SBA loan, it began. To give a sort of cost comparison, gasoline was 63 cents a gallon.

Hard work, dedication and a love for the sport of fly fishing drove this business forward. This is a sport one can start young and continue for decades. Some of Mike's first clients still frequent 'The Fly Shop.'In fact, it's not uncommon for them to visit the store more than once a day sometimes to pick up this or that so they can get back out on the river to fish. If you've ever known a keen fisherman, this isn't a stretch of the imagination.

Arriving for a tour of the business a couple weeks ago, it was hard to ignore that the parking lot was full. In fact, a parking space was almost difficult to find in the middle of the afternoon when three cars pulled in at the same time. It was interesting to note that the cars were from California and several other states which was proof that the location was indeed a good one - just off I-5 heading north into Redding, CA. Pictures were shared of traffic jams in the parking lot prior to sunrise as fishermen pick up last minute gear and also meet up with their buddies to go fish nearby waters. It makes sense to meet there. Why? Everyone who fishes Northern California knows just where this shop is!

Entering the building, it was hard to ignore the fact that every square inch of the 3500 sf space (or so) was used to the max. Mike explained how spaces (even nooks and crannies) had once been used for this but are now used for that. As the business grows, they reconfigure. It feels fluid and responsive. Their aim was apparent. It was all about keeping their fly fishing clientele happy.

Besides this prime location for the physical building itself, years ago 'The Fly Shop' started mailing out a 4 color 176 page catalog each January. Today this catalog is mailed to 250,000 people globally. A cover of each annual catalog has been mounted on a wall as a reminder of how long ago they started. There is no doubt, when looking at that wall, that they are serious about what they do. And to think they have tentacles now in fishing communities all over the world.

Have you seen 'The Fly Shop's' website? It is ranked the #1 fly fishing website globally. In fact, 'The Fly Shop' has become the most popular retail fly fishing store in America. Located in Redding, CA, 'The Fly Shop' does 1% of the entire world of all fly fishing retail.

Today, TFS brands fly rods, reels, waders, luggage, tippets, leaders, and clothing. They have been the recipient of several prestigious awards known in global fly fishing communities. They have been recognized as the #1 fly fishing store in the world, the finest fly fishing travel company in the industry, and were inducted into the 2010 Fly Fishing Federation Hall of Fame.

Have you ever wanted to go on a fly fishing expedition? Whether booking your fly fishing adventure in Northern California (such as Bollibokka you see here) or beyond, it shouldn't be a surprise you can book your trip via 'The Fly Shop.'

Further destinations can also be booked in Alaska, Mexico, Russia, Canada, Bahamas, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, the South Pacific, and Tierra de Fuego. You'll likely note that many of the fishermen will be happily sporting gear and clothing with 'The Fly Shop's' logo on it which continues to spread the word about this dedicated establishment. Or you may wish to book a Fish Camp via the same link above. They are held at Antelope Lodge in Siskiyou County, north of Redding.

While they have many items for purchase in their catalog, TFS's #1 product category is flies. Going in the shop, you will be able to view 1000's of them beautiful enough to frame!

Locally, it's noteworthy to realize 'The Fly Shop' does approximately 2200 guided trips in the Redding area each year. The majority of these trips are between Redding and Red Bluff which results in 3000+ bed nights in Redding hotels which is a wonderful injection of tourist dollars into the local economy.

Just his year, 'TFS' has opened up a bass fishing learning center on Steiner Lake, 23 acres in size, which is 15 minutes from downtown Redding. It is where a person can learn the fundamentals of bass fishing.

The Fly Shop is a wonderful local success story. The shop itself has 14 fulltime employees, all with benefits. To walk through the shop, it's apparent each employee is dedicated to the customer's experience - be it in the shop, setting up the right fly fishing adventure in Northern California or globally, or mailing the right fly off to a fisherman so he / she can enjoy fishing at their next destination - wherever that might be.

Hats off to 'The Fly Shop' for being a wonderful part of the Redding community in Shasta County over 34 years now. They recently donated the popular exhibit Fly Fishing: The Art of Deception at the Turtle Bay Museum in Redding. This exhibit can now be shared with other museums. Hats off to Mike and Bertha Michalak and their tremendous staff for making our area richer for what they offer to the community on so many levels. They are making the global community richer, as well, by year in and year out offering the best that fly fishing has to offer.

Please check out the professional photos The Fly Shop provided us to show off the beauty of fly fishing in Northern California. They are posted in The Fly Shop photo album on the Shasta EDC Facebook page.

Redding Ranks Amongst 100 Leading Locations in 2012

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 22:45:00 GMT

We are pleased to note that Redding is amongst '100 Leading Locations for 2012'

by Area Development when it comes to Metropolitan Statistical Areas for economic and job growth.

365 MSA's were ranked across two dozen economic and workforce growth indicators from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the U.S. Census American Community Survey. This result is compiled from two dozen different economic and workforce indicators reported from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the U.S. Census American Community Survey.

Redding ranked #9 for Top 10 Pacific Cities (page 8 in linked article)

Redding ranked #17 in the Top 25 Mi-Size Cities for "Prime Workforce Growth". (page 11 in linked article)

We've steady, ongoing work to do but it's nice to know Redding ranks well amongst these serious statistics.

The rest of the article can be read here>>>

Record Searchlight's Best of the Northstate 2012

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 16:45:00 GMT

The Record Searchlight Redding.com is sponsoring the '7th annual Best of the North State' contest! The Shasta EDC wanted to help get the word out as well. This is your chance to shine a light on your favorite North State business. Everyone is welcome to vote one time in this contest. It's easy to register and to vote.

We encourage you to read the instructions carefully so you can save time telling us who your favorite businesses and services are. Voting closes at 5:00 pm Fri., Aug. 3.

When you click on the website link below, they will ask you for your email address. Then click the "register" button.

Once their system recognizes your email, they will email you a link to the voting site. Just click on the link in the email, and you're ready. The link to start to register: http://rdcfeeds.redding.com/bestofnorthstate/register.cfm

Innespace Productions: Local Business Takes Flight, Underwater

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Step off the dock, seal the cockpit and take the adventure of underwater flight! At speeds of up to 40 mph, you’ll zip across open water, roll through waves and dive below the surface to see life from a fisheye view – a thrill-seeker’s dream come true.

Watch The Seabreacher X Demo Video

While piloting the Seabreacher, developed by Innespace Productions, you’ll experience aquatic thrills like you’ve never known. And Shasta County Economic Development is proud that Innespace Productions calls Shasta County home.

The Masterminds Behind Innespace Productions

Rob Innes and Dan Piazza founded Innespace Productions, a design and development company specializing in high performance submersible watercraft, in 1997. Rob is a New Zealand boat builder with fifteen year’s experience in boat design and manufacturing. He has a management degree from Auckland University and a composite engineering diploma from Unitech University. Dan Piazza is a certified machinist with over twenty years of hands-on experience in custom fabrication and engineering. He has an extensive background working on performance vehicles including race boats, hot rods and off-road vehicles.

Watercraft that Push the Limits of Aquabatics

Rob Innes and Dan Piazza founded Innespace Productions, a design and development company specializing in high performance submersible watercraft, in 1997.

Although Innespace has been in the spotlight for several years, public interest in their unique vessels has peaked only recently. The versatility of the vessels makes them perfect for many climates and waterways, and the immense public appeal makes them especially suitable for marketing and promotional uses, which includes racing and demonstration events. Consequently, Innespace has expanded their production capacity to meet the increased demands of the recreation market.

Shasta County: The Preferred Business Location

Co-Owner Dan Piazza says the benefits of doing business in Shasta County are:

1. Two lakes are located within 15 minutes of the design shop,
2. Permitting and Regulatory compliance allows for ease of expansion, and
3. Transportation via I-5 makes shipping to international clients convenient.

Dan also points out that the tax credits (Enterprise Zone, Work Opportunity Tax Credit and other federal incentives) have been a bonus for their company, allowing them to hire more staff and grow their business. Support from Shasta County Economic Development Corporation, including assistance with the application process for these credits, has been a tremendous benefit to Innespace.

In addition to these services, the EDC has assisted Innespace with their expansion to a larger facility located off Airport Road, which they will occupy within the month.

For more information, visit Innespace SeaBreacher's website at www.seabreacher.com or watch the Seabreacher X Demo Video and see it for yourself.

In-Shoring Part 2

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 21:48:00 GMT

Recently I attended an International Asset Management Council (IAMC) conference in Austin, Texas. One interesting discussion was a presentation on ‘in-shoring’, the name given to jobs returning to the States from overseas. In the first blog I shared some comments regarding International manufacturing trends.

In this blog I would like to share some comments regarding:

Our current ability to in-shore manufacturing jobs (attract jobs from overseas).

1. 1. There are 600,000 unfilled manufacturing jobs in the US today!
The reason, companies are demanding deeper skills in manufacturing than ever before. Skills in reasoning, creativity and job ownership responsibility. It is no longer line work.

2. 2. Some base line decision assumptions for companies considering in-shoring:

- Cost of raw materials the same with in-shoring.

- Cost of automation the same with in-shoring.

- Cost of finance, a variable.

- Logistics, favors in-shoring.

- Labor cost still an issue but the range is lessening.

- Increased local market demand favors in-shoring.

- Intellectual property risks are becoming a real issue off-shore.

- Corruption is an added off-shore expense.

- China is reducing tax incentives to foreign countries.

- Fuel pricing volatility is adding to the supply chain cost.

This represents a favorable shift from five years ago.

Additional needs in our manufacturing sector to attract in-shoring:

1. 1. We must re-address our education focus, starting in high school, to refocus on math and science to prepare a labor force for manufacturing. Today’s manufacturing jobs require a high degree of basic technology knowledge, requiring us to develop trade academy’s to prepare the labor force.
Parents don’t want their children to be in manufacturing! We need to change this attitude.

2. 2. We need to retain our foreign educated student pool here. This has always been a key source of our innovative brain trust. We are educating them, and then losing them to emerging countries. We must recreate opportunities for them to use their skills here.

3. We must reduce the corporate tax rate, currently the highest in developed countries.

4. We must increase Research and Development. Other countries such as India and Brazil have moved right past us.

5. Energy costs are a major factor for companies considering re-shoring. The greening of our energy system comes at a price.

6. Robotics is an innovative part of manufacturing, in which we are still very competitive, but we need to rethink our approach.
- GM created robots to assemble standard products.
- Toyota created products to fit robotic assembly, the entire system works.

7. Much of the in-shoring is expected to locate to cities that headquarter global companies.
- Example: Minneapolis

8. One final thought presented; ‘the jobs we have lost will not return. Our manufacturing job growth will come from within our existing manufacturing sector’.

At the end of the day as long as Corporations are driven by their obligation to shareholders, manufacturing siteing will remain fluid and be a challenge to bring existing off-shore manufacturing back on-shore.
Our best hope is that innovation, something the US has traditionally been strong in, will lead to more robotic development in larger product manufacturing, creating more on-shore manufacturing and the support jobs it provides. One example would be appliances. It will be a while before we are truly competitive in labor intensive manufacturing such as electronics.

However robotic manufacturing requires a higher technology skill set than is traditionally presumed for manufacturing jobs. So as important as in-shoring jobs or expanding our current manufacturing to create jobs are, it is the preparation of the workforce to meet those jobs that we need to focus on.

3 Tax Incentives That Can Help Your Business in 2012

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 20:37:00 GMT

1. Shasta Metro Enterprise Zone

It Pays to be in the Shasta-Metro Enterprise Zone

California’s Enterprise Zone Program targets economically distressed areas throughout the state. Special incentives encourage business investment and promote the creation of new jobs. This credit is retroactive meaning you can go back and recapture on hires from previous tax years. The purpose of the program is to provide tax incentives to businesses and allow private sector market forces to revive the local economy. The Shasta Metro Enterprise Zone was designated effective from November 6, 2006 to November 5, 2021. For additional forms and assistance see ShastaZone.com or call 530-224-4920

2. New Hire Retention Credit

This tax credit encourages the retention of new hires (retained workers). The employer may claim the credit for each retained worker. A retained worker is a qualified employee (as defined for purposes of the payroll tax exemption) who remains an employee for at least 52 consecutive weeks, and whose wages (as defined for income tax withholding purposes) for the last 26 weeks equal at least 80% of the wages for the first 26 weeks. The amount of the credit is the lesser of $1,000 or 6.2% of wages (as defined for income tax withholding purposes) paid by the employer to the retained worker during the 52 consecutive week period.

3. 35% Small Business Health Care Tax Credit

This tax credit is worth up to 35% of a small business' premium costs in 2010 (25% for tax-exempt employers). On Jan. 1, 2014, this rate increases to 50 percent (35 percent for tax-exempt employers). It makes it more affordable for employers with low and moderate income workers afford to offer health insurance coverage to employees. A qualifying employer must cover at least 50% of the cost of health care coverage for some of its workers based on the single rate, have less than the equivalent of 25 full-time workers (for example, an employer with fewer than 50 half-time workers may be eligible) and must pay average annual wages below $50,000. The credit phases out gradually for firms with average wages between $25,000 and $50,000 and for firms with the equivalent of between 10 and 25 full-time workers.

For further information on these or other tax credits please contact Shasta County Economic Development at 530-224-4920 for further assistance.

In-Shoring Part 1

Wed, 30 May 2012 23:55:00 GMT

Recently, I attended an International Asset Management Council (IAMC) conference in Austin Texas. One interesting discussion was a presentation on ‘in-shoring’, the name given to jobs returning to the States from overseas. In this blog I will share some comments regarding International manufacturing trends.

In 1979 the US made up 22% of the worlds manufacturing economy, today it is 19%. Not much change.
The US manufacturing labor force is one sixth of the Chinese; however they produce 150% of Chinese output, so our labor productivity is strong.
The US has tripled manufacturing output from 1979 to 2010 ($545B to $1.7T) and increased manufacturing productivity every year since 1990, but jobs have declined. This is due to innovation replacing jobs which will not return.
Chinese labor costs are rising 17% to 18% a year and when you add currency exchange changes this boosts the cost increases to 20% to 25% per year.
This is already having the effect of driving some manufacturing to new markets, Vietnam (the new China), and some ‘near-shoring’ to Mexico and Central America.
The logistics of manufacturing site locations have changed. Previously it was cost effective to manufacture near the raw materials source and ship the final product to the market. Hence the steel mills of the North East supported the auto industry located in the same area. They then shipped out manufactured products to final markets.

Today shipping cost and greater distances to markets have created the reverse where it is more cost effective to ship raw materials and manufacture nearer the markets. Hence manufacturing is being located near growing markets, China, India and Brazil. We are seeing an increase of raw materials being exported to these regions.

Most new manufacturing in India and China are for local markets.
One school of thought is that we will not see labor intensive manufacturing return as the cost factor is too strong to overcome.However larger automation type manufacturing is becoming more competitive in the US and other developed economies. A good example CAT has moved from Japan to Georgia based on cost!

In my next blog we I will discuss the benefits and weaknesses the US economy offers in-shoring and some of the expected trends.

IASCO Flight Training Center Sold to Group of Local Investors

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

IASCO, a flight training center in Redding, California which represents more than 50 employees and 100 students who spend their money in our local economy, was going to be relocated to the East Coast, but in the 11th hour, eight local investors purchased the company keeping it here in Redding. The purchasers invested $1 million and local bank, Redding Bank of Commerce, financed the balance.

An announcement was made May 21st, 2012 by John Fitzpatrick, spokesman for the new Board of Directors, that a group of local investors has purchased the fifty-three year old company which has been operating at Redding Airport since 2009. "When it was rumored that this company was for sale and could possibly leave town, we immediately recognized the need to do all possible to keep it and the people it supports in Redding," said Fitzpatrick.

Students at IASCO Flight Training Center Redding, CA

Dave Jensen, President of Redding Distributing Co., will chair a board of eight investors including two previous employees of the company. Jensen said, "We are excited about this company, their history and growth so far at Redding Airport." He adds, "With a strong board and an experienced management team, we see excellent opportunities for continued growth in this aspect of the aviation industry."

Ann Marie Guay at the IASCO Press Conference May 21, 2012

The new company will be led by President/CEO, Ann Marie Guay. Guay has been Vice President and General Manager with the company for the past three and a half years.

The company has contracts with four Chinese airline companies to train pilots for the commercial aviation industry. Currently there are 100 students in training with a capacity to train 120 students per year.

The company owns 34 aircraft and leases 3 others along with flight simulators and classroom training facilities.

IASCO currently employs 56 people with a payroll in excess of $2 million, and also supports another 18 jobs at the airport, with approximately 26 additional jobs in the region dependent on this company.

"This company has been responsible for almost $10 million in annual economic output to the region according to the NoRTEC economic impact modeling system. In addition, the Chinese students training at the facility invest almost $1 million annually into the regional economy in accommodation, food and general spending," said Mark Lascelles, President of the Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County. "This is a remarkable achievement when a group of local investors can step up and purchase one of the oldest flight training schools in the United States, and by doing so keep one of our strategic airport companies from leaving the region. The community should take pride that IASCO Flight Training is now a locally owned company," he said.

Redding Mayor Dick Dickerson at the IASCO Press Conference May 21, 2012

Redding Mayor Dick Dickerson expressed gratitude that these jobs and families will not be displaced and can remain in a community that believes in its future, as evidenced by this action.

The purchase was made possible with a business loan from the Small Business Lending Fund from Redding Bank of Commerce. "We saw an excellent opportunity to support a strong group of investors and keep a good company in this community," said Pat Moty, President of Redding Bank of Commerce. "This Fund is intended to create jobs and promote economic growth in local communities across the nation, and that is exactly what was achieved here."

Victor Clark, Vice President of Redding Jet Center, also an investor, points out the dependency that other airport services have on companies like this that remain in the region. "Their departure would have had an enormous impact on all of the airport businesses," said Clark.

Airport manager, Rod Dinger, concurred, "At a time when we are working to recruit more passenger service to the airport, we must be seen as a strong and vital region."

Redding Airport Manager Rod Dinger at the IASCO Press Conference May 21, 2012

An interesting footnote to this story: Because the business is located within the Shasta Metro Enterprise Zone, the buyers had the additional incentive of Enterprise Zone Hiring Credits to influence their decision to purchase this company and keep it in this region of the state. Enterprise Zones are a State of California economic development program that strives to keep jobs in California.

In addition, the full list of purchasers are:

Chairman of the Board: Dave Jensen (President, Redding Distributing Co.)

President/CEO: Ann Marie Guay (Past VP, General Manager, IASCO)

Secretary/ Treasurer: Ralph Nasworthy (CFO, IASCO)

John Fitzpatrick: (Past President, Pepsi Cola)

Maurice Johannessen: (President, Extol Management Corp)

Al Shufelberger: (President, RTL Inc.)

Paul Ogden: (Past President, Seco Manufacturing Inc.)

Victor Clark: (VP, General Manager, Redding Jet Center)

For the full article in the Redding Record Searchlight click here >>>

For more images of the IASCO Press Conference May 21, 2012 click here>>>

Incubator vs. Accelerator - What Should You Use For Your Startup?

Tue, 15 May 2012 18:52:00 GMT

Do you have a start-up? Innovating a new product? If your answer is yes you probably are wondering how to take your product to the next level. The article below from Inc.com talks about the differences between Accelerator's and Incubator's. Read on to find out the differences and find links to organizations that specialize in Accelerator's or Incubator's. Have an example of what your company has used? Leave feedback here and let us know what has helped you grow your startup.

Feb 7, 2012

Accelerator vs. Incubator: What’s the Difference?

By: Christina DesMarais

Find the full article here >>>>

If you’re interested in getting your start-up into an accelerator or incubator there’s no shortage of options. But these terms sometimes get thrown around interchangeably. Do you know the difference between the two?

I asked Paul Bricault, cofounder of Amplify, a Los Angeles-based accelerator, to define them.

“An accelerator takes single-digit chunks of equity in externally developed ideas in return for small amounts of capital and mentorship. They’re generally truncated into a three to four month program at the end of which the start-ups ‘graduate,’” he says.

TechStars would be an example of an accelerator, although good luck getting in—even though thousands of companies apply every year, it only selects 10 for each of its programs.

An incubator, on the other hand, brings in an external management team to manage an idea that was developed internally. “Those ideas can gestate for much longer periods of time and the incubator takes a much larger amount of equity [compared to accelerators],” he says.

One highly successful incubator is Pasadena, California-based Idealab, which was started by Bill Gross in 1996. Bricault says Idealab itself usually comes up with all the good ideas for new businesses then recruits outside people to bring them to fruition. Incubators like Idealab take a bigger cut of the company than an accelerator does—anywhere from 20 percent or more Bricault says.

Want to get your idea incubated? Idealab doesn’t accept business plan submissions but only considers ideas it hears about from people with whom it already has a business relationship, although Bricault says that’s not the case with all incubators.

Fortunately, now there are so many to choose from. Capital efficiencies in the market have brought down the cost of creating a start-up, Bricault says, thus fueling a boom in new accelerators and incubators. “What would have taken $5 million to get off the ground with a product developed and customers and traction several years ago now can take a few hundred thousand dollars,” he says.

If you want to see your company get into an accelerator, here are a few interesting ones tailored for unique niches:

Women Innovate Mobile is a new accelerator in New York for mobile technology start-ups that have a female founder or co-founder. Companies accepted into its three-month program receive $18,000 in funding, free office space, product development and design support, mobile-marketing promotions, and mentoring. In exchange, WIM takes a 6 percent equity stake in the companies it helps get off the ground.

San Francisco is the latest city to partner with Code for America to launch an accelerator for Web developers who create apps that that can make the city government run better. In the last two years Code for America has helped hundreds of developers in dozens of cities and received $1.5 million in funding from Google. CfA in San Francisco will start taking applications in the spring.

The NewMe accelerator is a 12-week program for businesses led by underrepresented minorities, specifically African Americans, Latinos, and women. This one is intense—if your start-up is selected you’ll hole up with seven others in a house in Mountain View

Why Manufacturing Is Critical for the Economy - Including Shasta County's Economy

Thu, 10 May 2012 17:12:00 GMT

Increasing opportunities, stimulating the economy through business growth, and job creation is always an Economic Developers goal. For any economy manufacturing offers all three of these goals and delivers. In this article below "Why Manufacturing is Critical to the Economy", pinpoints why manufacturing makes such a big impact on a community. The second portion of this article takes a look at strategies to strengthen American manufacturing. What are your thoughts on Manufacturing as a stimulator for Shasta County's economy?

Why Manufacturing is Critical to the Economy

For the full article click here >>>

Largest multiplier. Manufacturing has the largest multiplier of all sectors of the economy. Every dollar in final sales in manufacturing products supports $1.37 in other sectors of the economy. By contrast, the financial services sector generates only about 50 cents for every dollar of activity.

Productivity powerhouse. Manufacturing productivity consistently outpaces productivity growth in other sectors of the economy. Between 1997 and 2005, multifactor labor productivity in manufacturing grew at an average rate of 4.6 percent per year. This was 60 percent greater than in the private, non-farm economy as a whole.

Good wages and benefits. Today’s manufacturing employees earn higher wages and receive more generous benefits than other working Americans. On average, manufacturing employees earn 23 percent more than workers in other parts of the economy.

Diversified employment. Manufacturing employs workers at all skill and education levels. For non-college educated workers, manufacturing is a crucial source of good, often highly skilled jobs that pay above average wages. On average, non-college educated manufacturing workers made $1.38 per hour (or 9.2 percent) more than similar workers in the rest of the economy in 2006-07. Thus, manufacturing helps to reduce income inequality.

Source of innovation. The manufacturing sector is of vital importance in maintaining our innovative capacity. Manufacturers are responsible for more than 70 percent of all business R&D, which ultimately benefits other manufacturing and non-manufacturing activity.

Key to an improved trade balance. An increase in the production of manufactured exports and import-replacing goods in the United States will be necessary to bring down our trade deficit to sustainable levels and to reduce America’s international debt burden..

Critical to other high value-added sectors of the economy. The maintenance of a strong and vibrant manufacturing sector is essential to other high value-added sectors of the economy, including design, telecommunications, and finance

Second, the Great Recession has exacerbated worrying trends in manufacturing.

We are shedding jobs in the manufacturing sector faster than many other sectors of the economy. This is in part because of strong productivity growth, but it is also because we are downsizing our manufacturing capacity during the recession while other countries have a policy of maintaining capacity and employment.

In the absence of a manufacturing policy, manufacturing output as a percentage of U.S. GDP will continue to decline, as it did over the last decade.

The U.S trade deficit will continue to balloon.

And the U.S. share of world manufacturing will decrease as it has since 2001.

This calls for a strategy to strengthen American manufacturing.

Because of its importance to the U.S. economy, and because of these worrying trends, we need a strategy to strengthen manufacturing across a wide range of industries and product areas not just in the newest green technologies. Such a strategy would aim to lower the cost of doing business in United States while providing companies with the essentials for success. At a minimum, it would:

Infrastructure. Provide businesses with a world-class infrastructure suited for higher-value production and advanced business services by increasing public investment.

Low-cost energy. Reduce the cost of domestic energy and materials by taking greater advantage of the efficiency revolution, and by encouraging the expansion of the supply of natural gas, which is a principal energy source for American manufacturing.

Training of skilled workers. Address the shortage of certain skilled workers by establishing job-specific training programs that would prepare and retrain workers for specific skills for which there is great demand.

Reducing the tax burden. Lower the tax burden on companies locating investment and jobs in the United States by reducing the corporate income tax and the payroll tax, thereby reducing the cost of capital and the cost of labor—eliminating the current incentives in the tax code to move investment overseas.

Enforce U.S trade laws. Better use trade policy to protect American-based companies from unfair trade practices of mercantilist economies. In particular, the United States should do a better job of protecting American-based companies from supply surges from abroad and from the dumping of excess production during slowdowns in world economic growth, such as occurred after the 1997-8 world financial crisis and is occurring now.

Increase global demand. Encourage greater middle class consumption abroad, which would increase demand for American-made goods and services and relieve the burden on the U.S. market as a dumping ground for the excess production of other economies.

Fairly valued dollar. Seek an international understanding with America’s trade partners to prevent those economies from manipulating the value of their currencies to gain competitive advantage. Such an understanding should permit a decline in the value of the dollar to facilitate the reduction of the U.S trade deficit and to remove the competitive advantages American-based companies now face. A decline in the value of the dollar would help American-based manufactures by making U.S. exports cheaper and U.S. imports more expensive.

America Revealed - Made In America

Thu, 03 May 2012 23:01:00 GMT

America Revealed, a series playing on PBS has an episode "Made in America" that I found very encouraging for manufacturing and hit home on the importance of innovation to the US economy. American manufacturing is still #1. It accounts for 12% of the US economy, employs about 11 million people and spurs a lot of spin off jobs that are important to the economy. Our factories don’t look like they used to - they require fewer people and make different products, but we manufacture more now than in any time in our history. Some of our most traditional industries are riding a remarkable wave of innovation and new ones are spring up all the time. WATCH

What Makes A Great Entrepreneur?

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:58:00 GMT

In preparation for our upcoming Game Changers Innovation Event, I was reflecting on what makes a great Entrepreneur. An Entrepreneur can not only push the boundaries of conventionalism, but can also change the face of the future. What qualities do these people posses, what makes them tick, and why do they take the risk? Read this blog from Alltop Startups to find out 22 Things That Makes A Great Entrepreneur. Here is the list:

A great entrepreneur knows how to predict the future and he creates a plan to take advantage of it.
A great entrepreneur organizes his or her objectives and sets procedures to achieve them
Team player and great at expanding network.
Great entrepreneurs see the whole picture and then go beyond it.
Ability to create a business plan and execute it
Persistence is without a doubt the most essential quality of a great entrepreneur.
Ability to wear many hats when necessary
Capable of planning, motivating, coaching, and evaluating the staff and employees.
Strong belief in yourself, but always ready to learn
Great entrepreneurs are realistic with their expectations, goals, and current situation.
Focus is another trait that is essential for success.
Ambition is another quality that all great entrepreneurs have.
Ability to trust others – delegation.
Ability to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and work on those that need improvement.
Desire – a passion toward what you want to do.
A great entrepreneurs studies the times and trends and is abreast with industry news
Great entrepreneurs are great at executing and following through.
Ability to hire and mange a great team
Ability to know when to introduce a new product or service or when to outwit the competition
A great entrepreneur knows when opportunities knock and takes advantage of it.
A great entrepreneur has wisdom to communicate and be good at it.
Keeps real good relationships with his employees, co-owners, investors, creditors, debtors and customers.

Data Centers, Can the Cloud Bring Sunshine To Our Regional Economy in Shasta County?

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:38:00 GMT

Data Centers.

Can the cloud bring sunshine to our regional economy in Shasta County?

Last Thursday, I attended the Northern California Data Center Summit in Santa Clara, the hub of data center development for California.

This is an industry that appeared a year ago to be reaching saturation point. Then along came the cloud to open up a whole new market in Cloud Data Storage. The digitization of life is putting pressure on the internet which leads to storage demand.

Data center points to ponder:
1. Currently there are three billion photos per month being loaded on the web for storage.
2. There are 500 million additional smart phones going into circulation every year.
3. There are now 2.3 trillion people using the internet.
4. Netflix is adding up to 1000 servers per day.
5. Amazon added 10,000 in December.
6. 50 million users log onto Twitter each day.

San Francisco and Silicon Valley are the top Data Center markets in the US, followed by New York and New Jersey. The primary reason for this has been market proximity and access to affordable electricity (Silicon Valley Power .10c/ KW)

However increased latency (speed) and operating efficiencies (servers were at 30% efficiency, now up to 80% efficiency) are causing data centers to consider new locations.

Some primary considerations in citing a data center:
1. Electricity rates. These facilities use a great deal of electricity for operating and cooling.
2. Air temperature. These facilities generate a great deal of heat, which needs to be off set with climatic effect (this industry measures this as hours of free cooling).
3. H2O availability. To maintain consistent temperature controls a water cooling system is installed demanding a strong water supply.
4. Fiber Optic. Not all fiber optic is the same in terms of speed and access. In an industry that measures the amount of information it can transfer in milliseconds this can be worth millions of dollars in operation. As stated there are points at which fiber optic can be accessed and are not always available.
5. Redundancy. Due to the nature of much or the information being stored, 24/7 availability is priority one. Generally a data center will require backup systems on all of the above operations.

How does Shasta County stack up for Data Center Placement?

In general, Shasta County stacks up very well for Data Center Placement! We have some of the most competitive electrical rates in the state and fairly competitive with our neighboring states. A good availability of H2O, knowing that during periods of the year our air temperature will need to be offset with additional cooling systems. Our fiber in general is good and our proximity to the Bay area allows for good latency. In addition we have good infrastructure to provide adequate redundancy.

Our only real weakness is the State of California tax system creating a higher operating cost then our neighbors to the North and East.

So yes, Data Centers can be competitively placed in Shasta County.
Data Centers in Shasta County should be pursued. At the same time, we must realize that data centers are not large job creators. Once construction is complete, a small staff of technicians and security are all the centers require to operate, generally 15 to 25 people, depending on the size of the operation.

Game Changer Innovation Event 4/27/12 - Purpose of Event

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:39:00 GMT

Game Changer Innovation Event 4/27/12

The Purpose of this Event

Historically we have been, and to a significant still are, a natural resource economy with lumber and agriculture playing a large part.

In the seventies we shifted, and grew into a regional service economy, which unfortunately has suffered the limitations of the economic strength of the region.

Today with Technology and innovation we have the ability to restructure our region into a:
Globally connected manufacturing and technology economy driven by an innovative community mindset that attracts Entrepreneurs. The global market gives us more lucrative markets, more economic stability and higher paying jobs.

To meet this challenge we need to refocus our education systems to stimulate an entrepreneurial spirit, and educate a new labor force. We must develop connections to technology research sources to provide new products to bring to market, then develop infrastructure to support Startups and the Entrepreneurs with capital and mentoring to commercialize this technology.

The purpose of this event is to demonstrate to the community a sampling of the innovative companies currently developing in this region and the Entrepreneurs who lead them, along with the resources available to assist and foster Startup development.

Whether you are the developer of the hottest new widget, an Entrepreneur needing help to bootstrap your next project, an investor looking for excellent opportunities while helping develop our economy, or a retired business leader with time and wisdom to offer, this region needs you to invest your resources into our new economy!

How to Utilize the Benefits of a HUBZone in Shasta County

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:25:00 GMT

I have had a few companies ask me lately, "what is a HUBZone and what benefits can it offer my company?" A HUBZone is Historically Underutilized Business Zone. We currently have 5 census tracts in Shasta County that qualify. Census tracts 012000, 010900, 010100, 011200, 012100. You can view these census tracts on a map here >>> The HUBZone Program stimulates economic development and creates jobs in urban and rural communities by providing Federal contracting preferences to small businesses. Small businesses in these areas need to be certified in part by employing staff who live in a HUBZone. The small businesses must also maintain a "principal office" in one of these designated areas.

What are the benefits of being HUBZone certified?

Competitive and sole source contracting
10% price evaluation preference in full and open contract competitions, as well as subcontracting opportunities.

The federal government has a goal of awarding 3% of all dollars for federal prime contracts to HUBZone-certified small business concerns.

For further information on how to qualify for this program please see the SBA website on Understanding the HUBZone

"To Plant a City" - How Buying Local Impacts a Community

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:41:00 GMT

I recently went to the Sundial Film Festival on March 10th. Not only was there tremendous talent displayed, but also foresight on what it means to buy local in the film "To Plant a City". The concept of buying local has been around for a long time. Nothing new there, but how does it impact not only the suppliers but the purchasers? In this video by Tyler Faires Productions, Tyler focuses on the portion of buying local through local organic food suppliers. From an economic development perspective Tyler hits home. Not only does buying local help our community, it strengthens community relationships. Spreading the word about what makes Shasta County unique and great is what draws decision makers to move their company here. Take a look at this video by clicking here >>> and give us your feedback. How does Tyler's video impact you?

Building an Intentional City

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:25:00 GMT

I came across this blog recently from a Twitter post. It grabbed my attention in that I see Shasta County has taken hold of this idea and is currently running with this concept. Being intentional is defined as pertaining to an appearance. Doing something with a representation in mind. Shasta County is our jewel, our representation, our passion. It's not just another city on a map, it's our home. Doing business in Shasta County enhances the life we already lead. The creativity of the Shasta County business sector is always surprising me. The ideas in innovative products, alternative ways to do business, and the desire to bring up the next generation and keep them in Shasta County is where our community's pride thrives. We are not just making a come back we're breaking the mold!

A Local Graduation: How Small Towns Can Come Back

by Sylvia L. Lovely 10/05/2008

You can see the full article here >>>

Pick anytown, USA. You were born there; went to school there; made your living there; had your children and grandchildren and ended your life there. Headstones, like many, tell the story of who came and who went and they helped make the town a unique place.

And so, for a moment, I lamented at how much of that we had lost in the changes we have witnessed over the decades. Here we are in the biggest financial crisis in history, or at least since the Great Depression. What do we do?

Towns not on interstates cannot make it we are told, towns that are not hip and exciting are dead. And so, our young people leave --- with at least a casual observance that those left behind are falling to the drug culture. In a recent focus group of young males in one eastern Kentucky town one participant stated, “Sure I sell drugs --- it’s easy money and I don’t have the connections to get a job even at Wal-Mart.”

How can we recapture that faith in ourselves in American communities? We must if we are going to move forward in a global economy.

Maybe the solution lies in focusing on ourselves. “Localism” has been linked with everything from economic development to environmentalism, but at its core and at its best, it reflects a desire to make the best with what you’ve got.

What you need to build is an intentional city. The intentional city is the middle way --- where both the need to attract creative people and the need to sustain traditional economic and social bases co-exist.

It’s okay, after all, not to be the coolest place ever. Why? Well, because most of us aren’t all that cool. But the majority of us still need jobs, fun things to do, people we like and ways to be successful. We need what ‘bell curve’ mixed communities --- with the whole spectrum of skills and talents --- can give.

Take Newton, Iowa. The closure of the Maytag plant and the loss of 1,800 jobs attracted attention from Presidential candidates. But, as is so often the case, only part of the story was told. Though the loss of Maytag was a severe setback, Newton prepared itself for a successful rebound. The town collaborated with state and other nearby cities to attract several wind-turbine manufacturers. Maytag’s previous facilities already possessed the machinery needed for large-scale turbine manufacturing. The available facilities also were situated adjacent to interstate rail lines.

This economic recovery was possible because the town’s people (many of them former Maytag employees) were interested in more than just their own jobs. They cared about Newton. These engaged citizens took a more active role in planning for their city’s future. They knew change had to come from the grassroots and move up from there.

I believe this form of American ingenuity is at work in many small towns and cities. This requires a focus not only on high-tech and “creative” jobs but maintaining more traditional types of work that is equally important to a city’s health.

This kind of effort requires more than sounding off online. Covert citizenship – yelling across the internet --- isn’t real. Sustaining communities requires involvement.

Like the people in Newton, we need to take interest in our own community and intentionally helping it flourish with its own best assets. Just as communities in tropical climates are recovering from hurricanes so can tired and waning cities recovery from malaise and a sense of inferiority.

We need to embrace what we’ve got and not try so hard to be something we’re not. We need to graduate to the current reality but understand also that our greatest advantage lies with what we had to start with.

Sylvia L. Lovely is the Executive Director/CEO of the Kentucky League of Cities and president of the NewCities Institute. She currently serves as chair of the Morehead State University Board of Regents.

Your Community as a Startup Ecosystem

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:45:00 GMT

Shasta County is in the midst of creating an innovative, entrepreneurial business climate to support and inspire the minds within our community as well as attract aspiring new minds. Entrepreneur.com is a great website to access information about the world of entrepreneurship. A recent blog on the site is Your Community as a Startup Ecosystem which hits home with our efforts. Also check out the site’s page on Innovators a great collection of stories that celebrate and encourage innovation-and those who innovate.

More than Attraction - Shasta County's Community Is Part of the Attraction

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 22:16:00 GMT

I came across this blog about business attraction and third places. Third places are those that are not just on the local map but in the hearts of the people The places they go to get together as neighbors, community leaders, and as friends. You know, the places that you just know about from living life with people. These are the places that attract businesses. A place where our community is part of the attraction. To me Shasta County has many of these "third places". How about you? See the full blog here >>>

Feb 29, 2012

Emily McMackin
All Posts

Third Places: Why They Matter for Communities Attracting Talent, Business

Downtown business and cultural districts, colleges and universities, hospitals, airports … all of these places are key assets for communities looking to attract industries and talent.

But if you really want to cut to the heart of a community and find out what makes it tick, you look for its third place — the place that serves as an informal meeting ground for friends, neighbors, colleagues or even strangers who share nothing more than a zip code.

Coined by urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg in his book, The Great Good Place, these “third places” can be anything from a bar or coffee shop to a grocery store or family restaurant. It’s not what or where they are that matters; it’s the atmosphere they create. A neutral yet welcoming environment where everyone is equal, where people can enjoy quiet company or lively conversation, where regulars can connect and gain a sense of community.

Third places offer an escape from “first places” (home) and “second places” (work), according to Oldenburg. In a third place, return visits are happily anticipated and, like in the ’80s sitcom “Cheers,” “everybody knows your name.” It’s a place of no obligation or invitation, but always accessible and accommodating to those who walk through its doors. Psychology Today describes third places as the perennial “happy place,” where the mood is light and friendly but never intrusive.

Two Benefits: Ownership and Initiation
Warm fuzzies aside, are third places all that important for communities looking to attract business and talent? Yes, for two key reasons. Third places have a unifying effect, bringing people together who might not normally cross paths and cultivating a shared sense of ownership among them. For newcomers and visitors, third places can also serve as “ports of entry,” helping them get acclimated or acquainted with an unfamiliar area and find their place in it.

People look for third places because they have been around for centuries. They are the taverns of Colonial America, the salons of the Antebellum age, the country stores, soda fountains, barbershops and beauty shops, bowling alleys and diners of the 20th century and modern era.

Bookstores, and even libraries, are emerging as third places in some communities today, according to a recent NewGeography.com article. Why? In a society that is becoming more physically isolated, yet more digitally connected by social media, they provide the best of both worlds: a calm, chaos-free yet stimulating setting — often with Wi-Fi access and coffee — where people can choose to either retreat and reflect or converse and connect, or maybe even do a little of both.

Popular Third Places
Third places can evolve anywhere; all they really require are patrons seeking a feeling of belonging and camaraderie. While it helps if they are conveniently located, they needn’t be fancy. In fact, many are physically plain and unpretentious — and that’s part of their appeal. A coffee shop in Howard, S.D., appropriately named “Higher Grounds,” has become a popular third place because “it seems to be filling the need people have to experience a sense of community,” writes Mark Knutson in his Reimagine Rural blog.

So, how can communities develop these third places if they don’t have them? This Fast Company article offers suggestions for creating places and spaces that encourage people to congregate and interact. Do you have a third place in your city or town? What sets it apart, and why is it vital to your community

Building an Innovative Community

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Innovation is the future of economic growth. In a report put out by the White House entitled "A Strategy For American Innovation","America’s future economic growth and international competitiveness depend on our capacity to innovate. We can create the jobs and industries of the future by doing what America does best – investing in the creativity and imagination of our people. To win the future, we must out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world. We also must take responsibility for our deficit, by investing in what makes America stronger, cutting what doesn’t, and reforming how our government operates so it focuses on promoting our economic growth and preparing for the challenges of a new century." For the full report Click Here

"An "Innovative community" is one that has the means to stimulate, nurture and develop innovation in its people. It can productively harness its people's innovativeness in such a way as to compete successfully in the marketplace, and promote sustainable lifestyles among its residents. Innovative communities are able to bring in new methods, ideas, etc. to improve their environment, and initiate changes through human intelligence. It has the ability to utilize its resources to ensure that present and future members of that community, as well, as those in adjacent communities, can attain a high degree of health and well-being, economic security. It has the resiliency to respond to changes in the larger environment. It is innovative communities that are in a position to foster and achieve community sustainability

Many initiatives undertaken in cities and communities have indicated that there are certain core elements - partnership, sustainability, knowledge management, efficiency etc. which form an integral part of an innovative community - that need to be highlighted as preconditions for successful local environmental management." UNEP

Shasta County is prime and ready for being an Innovative Community. We have the connection, the talent, and the partnerships in place. Give us your feedback on Building an Innovative Community. We would love to hear from you how best to succeed!

The "App" Economy

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:00:00 GMT

At last summer's Gamechangers event at the Builder's Exchange here in Shasta County there were several local entrepreneurs who demonstrated apps they had developed, and we are finding more innovative minds in the area as we have opened the dialog of supporting innovation in the community.

"America's App Economy – which had zero jobs just 5 years ago before the iPhone was introduced – demonstrates that we can quickly create economic value and jobs through cutting-edge innovation," said Rey Ramsey, President and CEO of TechNet. "Today, the App Economy is creating jobs in every part of America, employing hundreds of thousands of U.S. workers today and even more in the years to come."

And that is why growing innovation from within needs to be a priority for our region…Read more on the App Economy and a recent study.

How has the "App" Economy changed your life?

Shasta EDC Launches New Video About Shasta County

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:00:00 GMT

See why Shasta County, California is fast becoming the new west coast business hub. Watch Video >>

Small Business The Backbone of Our Economy

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They create a pool of entrepreneurial experimentation from which successful firms emerge.

According to the Census Bureau 2009 County Business Patterns there were 4,428 businesses in Shasta County, 54% have under 5 employees, 98% under 100 employees.

Small business owners often start their businesses to create employment, to be their own boss, and to capitalize on an opportunity. Other research suggests that small business owners often wish to stay within a rural community and want to create a lifestyle that is more important than business profits and growth. For some, success may be defined at a basic level and business owners’ major goal is to make do, instead of making it big.

Small Business California, a proactive, non-partisan business advocacy organization whose only agenda is the well being of California small businesses, completed its 2011 annual survey with over 1400 responses from small businesses around the state. This survey had responses from every county in the state. The survey is used to set Small Business California’s agenda and received media coverage around the state. The survey was delivered to every legislator in the state and the governor.

Also take a look at Business Insider's 18 Amazing Facts About Small Businesses In America

An Innovative Region in Shasta County will Grow Businesses

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:23:00 GMT

In reading an article by Richard Bendis, President and CEO of Innovation America, I felt the need to compare Shasta County as a region to see how we compare with Richard Bendis article which can be found here.

Mr Bendis says, "Innovation has been and should remain the end game, since it is truly how companies are driving and sustaining growth in today's economy. Innovation is not just defined through the building of new products, it is also the creation and transformation of knowledge and new processes and services that meet at market need. It's about new ways of communicating and collaborating. Innovation truly distinguishes the leaders in today's economy."

Shasta County is on the verge of major growth in the Innovation department. Companies are seeing others in Shasta County doing their model successfully and saying, "hey I want to be part of that!" With the new Clarity Movie Studio due to start building in Stillwater Business Park in September, opens another door for our out of the box innovative thinkers. Supply and demand for innovative companies creates a need that companies in Shasta County will have to meet the demand of. We are a region that seeks opportunities and grabs them. Let's make Shasta County truly an Innovative Region. Shasta County where anything is possible!

10 Reasons the American Economy Is Still One of The Best

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:08:00 GMT

I am came across this presentation on Business Insider, entitled 10 Reasons the American Economy is Awesome. What stood out to me is how even with the uncertainty, recession, and failure, America continues to be a strong force. The protections in place and the innovative ideas rising up throughout the country continue to make us a contender the world over. Here are the 10 Reasons listed per Business Insider. Click here to view the presentation in whole. Give us your feedback on these reasons and your opinion on why America continues to be the best.

1. GDP per capita sits in the top 5% in the world

2. Abundant access to credit and capital

3. Businesses operate efficiently and without the degree of corruption seen elsewhere

4. An inventive and daring population

5. Unrivaled investor protections

6. Tame inflation throughout the crisis

7. Legal and contractual obligations are kept and enforced

8. Even with rhetoric, political stability keeps markets functioning

9. A people of diversity

10. Stable population growth in the U.S.

Manufacturing - The Multiplier Effect

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:27:00 GMT

Manufacturing is so important and vital for a healthy economy. In October 2011, the Manufacturing sector made up just 4% of the jobs in Shasta County. As you read this article below you can see the importance that Manufacturing jobs can bring to a community's growth and why in economic development a prime focus is on these jobs. Manufacturing fuels and links other sectors creating a multiplier effect that expands out even to the hospitality and housing sectors. This article from Ravi Sawhney talks about the importance of manufacturing and how America's coming back. For further definition of the multiplier effect look here >>

What are your thoughts? How does manufacturing affect your specific sector?

Here's Some Good Economic News: U.S. Manufacturing Is Rising Once Again

(Link to this article here)

Despite what you may have heard, we're still a nation that makes good stuff, says RKS Design's Ravi Sawhney.

[Editors note: This is the first post in a series by Ravi Sawhney on the future of manufacturing.]

Like many of you, I’ve been following the broad discussion and trends surrounding the “making” of things in the U.S. for some time and was glad to contribute recently to the conversation about branding U.S. innovation and America’s broadening definition of domestic creation. While some readers offered some encouragement and consensus on the state of manufacturing, some misunderstood my argument as advocating for abandoning focus on a national priority. (Perhaps the provocative title was a bit misleading.) I meant, rather, that our branding opportunities have expanded. Healthy domestic manufacturing and investment in innovation remain a critical priority for both our public and private sectors. Recently, things have been relatively healthy on the “Made in America” front; however, that news is too often overshadowed. This time around, I’ll address more positive manufacturing news that people should know about, as the first in a multipart series on the topic “Made in America.” Later, I’ll explore competitive dynamics and suggest recommendations for policy leaders and the design community.

The Good News

Manufacturing employment has been growing steadily in the United States for nearly two years. That’s critical, because from 1998 to 2010, manufacturing has made the largest private-sector, value-added contribution to Real GDP. Manufacturing is an engine of our economy, and every new high-quality manufacturing job has a multiplier effect on job creation. The latest Institute for Supply Manufacturing report reveals 27 consecutive months of modest domestic expansion. And manufacturing employment added 35,000 jobs per month in the first four months of this year, 14,000 in the following four months, and another 36,000 in July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Forbes reported that it is the first year-over-year increase since 1998 and that last year, “American manufacturers added value of $1.7 trillion to the U.S. economy, up 6.6% over the previous year after accounting for inflation. By the same measure, the rest of the economy grew by 2.2%.”

The U.S. still commands about 20% of global manufacturing (the numbers vary slightly depending on whether you rely on data provided by the World Bank or the United Nations, and whether you use a nominal or value-added method to measure real output regardless of price and exchange variability.) According to the UN Industrial Development Organization’s 2010 International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics, the U.S. continues to lead the world in manufacturing, with 19% of the worldwide value-added manufacturing output.

The U.S. has a more hopeful and competitive future than most realize.

Americans make great products, lots of them. Strong examples of U.S. manufacturing are all around us, from our kitchens (Viking) to our offices (Herman Miller) and means of transportation (Tesla, GM, Ford, and Harley Davidson). Boeing unveiled the future of aviation last month with the 787 Dreamliner and just announced their largest orders ever. The company employs 164,000 people (mostly in the U.S.) and is our largest exporter by value. Other great American brands, like Intel and Caterpillar, maintain domestic manufacturing bases despite their global orientation; three-quarters of Intel’s manufacturing capacity remains in the U.S., even though three-quarters of its revenue is generated abroad. Meanwhile, many companies, such as Ford and Continental AG are coming back, “repatriating” or “in-sourcing” their manufacturing for a host of reasons, including counterfeiting problems. At the same time, foreign corporations, like transplants Volkswagen and Samsung, are building manufacturing facilities in America. In Forbes’s August issue, Jon Bruner shared a number of interesting long-term graphs on manufacturing, adding, “You might not know it from public commentary, but the United States manufactures more than any other country (including China), and U.S. factories are within reach of their all-time greatest output--a record they set in 2000 and came close to reaching again in 2007.”

The American people greatly value domestic manufacturing and want to support its growth. Three recent Gallup polls on job-creation recommendations revealed that the number one bipartisan answer is focusing on retaining U.S. manufacturing jobs and combating outsourcing. The disagreements arise over how best to support the effort. (I’ll explore some solutions in a future post.) “Made in America” is of such general interest that ABC World News Tonight created a series on the topic last spring and built a searchable online directory of U.S. manufacturing facilities. The TV network also developed this helpful resource guide on finding ways to purchase American-made goods. Similarly, Roger Simmermaker’s How Americans Can Buy American contains more than 16,000 products/services made in the United States, and the author has an accompanying e-guide to more than 2,500 goods sold at popular retailers. The resurgent feeling of American manufacturing also continues to grow, perhaps best captured in last year’s “Imported from Detroit” Super Bowl commercial, which has since become a full-blown national ad campaign.

Further Reason for Optimism

The United States’ reliable infrastructure, skilled workforce, excellent universities, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and diversity continue to be points of national manufacturing advantage. October’s report by the Boston Consulting Group addresses a positive shift in American manufacturing competitiveness, believing the U.S. will become more attractive as China’s cost advantages wane due to rising American productivity, a lower dollar and rising Chinese wages, as well as the prediction that more than 800K manufacturing jobs will return by mid-decade and have a multiplier effect. Other issues include shipping costs, duties, supply-chain risks, and piracy; last month’s Telegraph article, “World Power Swings Back to America,” by Ambrose Evan-Pritchard, offers a concise summary of other key findings. This assertion was echoed in Bill Clinton’s new book, in which the former president contends that “the cost of labor is not preventing good jobs in advanced manufacturing and related research and development activities from being created in America... Our workers are highly productive, reducing the disparity in costs with countries in which employees earn less but are also less efficient.”

Findings from a new survey of senior U.S. manufacturing executives suggest that the country’s strongest manufacturing advantages over emerging markets continue to be high-quality products, innovative processes, and the protection of intellectual property.

As you can see, the United States maintains a leadership position in global manufacturing and has a more hopeful and competitive future than most realize. However, much of this good news is eclipsed by concerns over the impressive growth of Brazil, Russia, India, and particularly China. So the next post will address other aspects of America’s global competitiveness with a particular emphasis on China.

[Images: The 1930s-1940s in color, a set of rare color transparencies from the Library of Congress]

Ravi Sawhney

ravi@rksdesign.com

As the founder and CEO of RKS Design, Ravi Sawhney has spent more than thirty years at the forefront of product and technology innovation, and has grown his industrial design consultancy into a global leader in the fields of strategy, innovation and design. While leading RKS, Sawhney has helped generate more than 150 patents and over 90 design awards on behalf of his diverse list of international clients, and his work has been featured on the cover of Business Week’s best product design issue. Sawhney invented the predictable Psycho-Aesthetics® design methodology, which Harvard Business Press adopted as a business school case study before it grew in popularity to become a central focus of Predictable Magic, a new book co-authored by Sawhney and published by Wharton School Publishing, available in August 2010 at major national retailers. Sawhney is also a popular corporate and academic lecturer who has spoken at many prominent business schools, trade conventions and international conferences. Sawhney is a fellow in the Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA) and holds a Ph.D (Hon.) from the Academy of Art University San Francisco. Prior to starting RKS in 1980, Sawhney worked at Xerox’s advanced technologies group developing the first touch screen GUI interface.

Are We Becoming an Emerging Energy Producer?

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:15:00 GMT

Last week we were contacted by a site selection company looking for communities to host a Chinese delegation looking for information on energy development. Unfortunately, due to time restraints of the delegation they were unable to make a Shasta County visit but it is reassuring to know that we are on their radar.

This inquiry does raise an interesting question regarding energy resources. Traditionally we have been a resources based economy focused on lumber and agriculture. In the past decade we have seen significant shift toward growth in our technology and medical manufacturing sectors.

One area of growth often overlooked affects our entire County, being our emerging energy sector based upon our abundant energy resources. See our Utilities page here >>>

The Redding Electric Utility Corporation is the largest producer with a combination of fuels used from hydro produced locally by the Keswick and Whiskeytown dams, with natural gas, wind energy and some solar imported. Currently 40% of their energy is considered green leaving them well placed for meeting future State green energy requirements.

Incidentally Redding Electric Utility offers among the lowest rates available in the State with one of the highest rankings in service reliability, an issue becoming more important to technology driven industry.

Wind energy became established in the region last year with the completion of the Hatchet Ridge Wind project owned by Patten Energy Group. This forty four turbine 101 megawatt project was the only large wind project completed in California in 2010. Since that time we now have nine additional sites under consideration for wind projects.

We also have several biomass plants operating in the region most taking advantage of the available lumber based fuel supply. The most recent of these is the restart of a plant located in Anderson, by Kiara Solar. They are looking to create seven Megawatts and will be adding rice straw to the fuel supply. It is anticipated they will be in production early 2012.

Other biomass plants in development include Sierra Pacific Industries expansion of its existing plant from 5 Megawatts to 31 Megawatts. A megawatt of "biomass" energy is enough to power about 800 homes according to Bill Carlson, principal for Carlson Small Power Consultants in Redding.

Solar is also in various stages of development across our region, with the opening of the first three acre solar farm located at Redding Airport earlier this year. Fall River Valley will be the site of the next project with a 19 acre Solar Farm developed by Ignite Solar of Houston TX scheduled to be completed by mid 2012. At a cost of $12 million this project is proposed to produce 1.5 megawatts.

Another 200 acre plus site located close to Burney is currently the subject of a solar study, as is a 150 acre site located east of Shingletown. Our land availability and Redding’s rating as second sunniest city in America are drawing attention to this region as a solar energy source.

Yes indeed we are an emerging green energy producer, which will add to the abundance of resources we can offer industry considering our area.

Highest Growth in Clean Tech Sector is in California

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:00:00 GMT

I came across this blog today about the Clean Tech Industry. California currently has the biggest growth in the Green Jobs sector and it still continues to grow. Shasta County continues to promote these projects and welcomes this industry to our community. Pattern Energy in 2010 completed their Hatchet Ridge Wind Farm making it the only wind project commissioned for the state in 2010. What are your thoughts on the Clean Tech Industry?

Emily McMachin - Business Climate.com - Nov. 9, 2011

Clean Tech: Where the Green Jobs Are Growing

As job growth makes a slow comeback in the aftermath of the Recession, communities across the country are looking for the next big industry sector that will revive their economic prospects and put them on the map. Sustainability seems like an obvious choice. After all, it is the future, right?

From solar to biofuels, cities in all markets are eager to grab a piece of the environmental “pie” and develop a niche within the green industry that will attract a steady stream of jobs. Some are even investing in the possibility. But how bankable is sustainability?

That’s the question tackled in a recently released Brookings Institution study titled, “Sizing the Clean Economy,” that explores the size, growth and geography of the “clean,” or green, economy. Defining a green job as one that “produces a good or service that benefits the environment,” the study takes a hard look at the 2.7 million green jobs in the U.S. to answer: Where is green growing?

Clean-tech start-ups in the wind energy segment have been particularly profitable, adding jobs at the annual rate of 14.9 perfect between 2003 and 2010. Green architecture — despite the decline in both real estate and demand for environmentally-friendly timber, appliances, lighting, ect. — also continues to be a hot spot for growth.

Not surprisingly, the biggest growth spurt came from clean energy and energy efficiency-enhancing technologies, which added jobs at twice the rate of the national economy between 2003 and 2010 and garnered the most venture capital over the past decade.

An interactive map tracking renewable energy jobs by segment, metropolitan area and state shows the biggest growth in California, New York, Washington, Oregon and South Carolina. Metro areas with more than 2,500 green jobs range from bigger markets like New York, NY-NJ-PA, where wind and solar energy has taken off, to smaller ones like Greenville-Maudlin-Easley, SC, where professional environmental services and recycling and reuse are spurring growth.

So back to the original question: Is sustainability a sustainable job creation strategy? Well, it depends on your geography, your resources and the type of service or product you are offering. Check out the study, based on the Brookings-Battelle Clean Economy Database, to see how your region competes.

Government Contracting - Can It Work for Your Business?

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:28:00 GMT

I have had a lot of people ask me lately about contracting with the state or federal government. It can be an intimidating process and many give up in the pursuit of it, but I am here to tell you that government contracting can work for your business and it can open opportunities you never thought existed! Shasta EDC has a section on their website dedicated to the process of registering with both agencies and contacts. Please click here to look at this section now. If your business is located in the Enterprise Zone you may also qualify for preference points on your state applications. Check out these California success stories and maybe, just maybe, you'll hear your story too! Let me know your thoughts!

Connecting to a New Economy

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:23:00 GMT

I recently attended a meeting of business people in the region and the discussion focused on the fact that we are dependent on the Northern California region for the major part of our economy. While I believe this is the case for much of the service and retail sectors there is a major change going on that is putting our dependence on the regional economy at risk.

I have two concerns:

1. That we become too focused on our region as the market, and limit our vision.

2. That this is not a strong economic region and I fear will continue to provide an insecure base to our economy.

Of our manufacturing sector, and I do not have solid data to support this, I believe that in excess of 50% of our companies are reaching beyond regional and marketing nationally or globally. For this discussion I will refer to it as ‘Natglobal’.

I offer a few examples:

1. We are exporting Redding made electron microscope equipment natglobal.

2. We are manufacturing Redding made expansion joints for the pipe industry, and marketing natglobal.

3. We are selling Redding manufactured surveying equipment natglobal.

4. We are manufacturing surgical equipment in Redding and marketing natglobal.

5. We have Redding made fire retardant systems on every military base worldwide.

6. We are training Chinese pilots in Redding.

7. We have local sign companies that used to work regionally now with franchise clients driving their business to Southern California and Nevada.

8. We have Shasta Lake and Redding food processors that were regional now marketing throughout the nation.

9. We produce University level textbooks in Redding and market nationwide.

10. We have a Glassblower in Anderson whose clients are Stanford and Berkeley Research Labs.

11. We have a Redding company that beat out the Chinese to sell wheels to the Bangladesh to go on bicycles to be sold in Europe. There’s a kid in France riding on Redding made wheels!

12. We have four phone App companies in development, one who is already receiving thousands of orders from the Middle East.

13. We have a company coming to town that is developing drone aircraft for the military to be used throughout the world.

I can name many more!

These companies are all marketing to much stronger economies, much less subject to the market swings that we have experienced in our regional economy over the past years. These are all comparatively stable companies in today’s economy.

Like it or not, within our region a small but rapidly growing number of our current customers are already going Natglobal in their consumptive actions thereby eroding our market in traditional regional market services.
Examples:

1. It’s now not difficult to buy a car in Dallas, Denver or Seattle. We can shop the nation.

2. We have local people choosing to have surgery in India.

3. We have others who use national online banking services.

4. We are now able to obtain information on investing in any real estate market in the country.

5. Online retail is growing every day.

Our regional consumers are already going Natglobal. Unfortunately our regional market is someone else’s Natglobal.

The great communities today are globally connected at all levels and sectors of business. If we are to develop a strong economy we need to recognize that the real opportunities are with the Natglobal world to which we are already connected.

Examples of communities adjusting to a changing world:

1. Silicon Valley was once our size and a bedroom community for San Francisco; it changed by going Natglobal in its business vision.

2. New York’s financial sector doesn’t invest regionally.

3. Detroit is losing an enormous industry by focusing regionally!

4. We could name another 100 communities that have stalled by maintaining their focus on older regional industries, and trade practices.

We have an innovative community with many excellent companies doing amazing things and competing Natglobal successfully! By growing these companies and attracting more of the same we really can build a stronger more stable Natglobal based economy for our region.

Top 10 Site Selection Factors - How does Shasta County Rank?

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:40:00 GMT

The Top 10 Site Selection Factors Ranked by Site Selection Magazine Which Surveyed Site Selectors in 2010.

1. Work Force Skills - Shasta County offers many on and off-site training programs through SMART Business Resource Center, Shasta College, and Simpson University.

2. State and Local Tax Scheme - Job credits and negotiable incentives offered at the state and local levels.

3. Transportation Infrastructure - Airport, I-5, and rail put Shasta County in a prime location for those looking to move to the west coast.

4. Flexibility of Incentive Program - Federal, state, and local incentives are offered depending on the amount of jobs being created.

5. Availability of Incentives - Incentives for new jobs and capital investments.

6. Utility Infrastructure - Shovel ready industrial sites available at Stillwater Business Park. Strong local utilities.

7. Land/Building Costs and Supply - Stillwater Business Park as well as other sites throughout Shasta County have amble supply of land in large parcels. Building costs and lease rates are very reasonable.

8. State Economic Development Strategy - Governor's Office of Economic Development is dedicated to recruiting and spurring growth in business and industry. Check out their website here http://business.ca.gov/

9. Permitting and Regulatory Structure - All permitting and regulatory structure in place for Stillwater Business Park.

10. Higher Education Resources - Shasta College and Simpson University work closely with the community to offer education needs of the local sector.

In taking a look at the above Site Selection Factors how would you rank Shasta County? Why would you say Shasta County is the best place to have a business? "Shasta County, Where California Works!"

Staying Positive in Negative Times

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:38:00 GMT

This week I was being interviewed on a morning radio show. Most of the questions and discussion was about the economy, our opportunities and obstacles.

One question caught me off guard and has caused me to ponder the question this week.

After a lengthy discussion on how the State regulations are stifling businesses ability to grow, the question was put ‘How do you stay so positive in light of all the negatives affecting our economy?”

In reflection this is a question I am asked multiple times every day, and unfortunately often reflects a frustration level in the person asking, causing them to no longer take the time to think through the issues that affect us.

I’m a simple guy, and although I do read a lot, I consciously reset my simple approach to life every day to maintain a healthy attitude.

So what are some of the thought processes that enable me to maintain a positive view of business in our region.

1. Control. It is very easy to feel overwhelmed at times as we receive a barrage of negative news that things are beyond our control. The world had become complicated, and with it goes control. For me it’s not being afraid to appear a little simple, a simpler life is controllable. When I’m in a meeting that’s over my head, I don’t hesitate to ask the simple questions until I get it. Surprisingly there are always others in the meeting in the same situation.

2. Expectation. I’m in an expectation business. I have an entire community watching me in expectation of changes and economic growth. At the same time I know more than anyone that this is going to be a slow process and most of the expectations are unrealistic. I create my own goals based on realistic knowledge that I have access to, and live and measure myself by those goals only!

3. Education. Every day we live we become less educated! This is created by the sheer volume of knowledge created every minute. There is no way we can possibly keep up with the barrage of new knowledge in our chosen field, so we must learn, as our children have learned, that it not the knowledge we carry that’s important; it’s our knowledge of how to access knowledge.

4. Think globally act locally. Today a large part of what affects us every day is driven by global actions beyond our control. Recognize that and only concern yourself with what you can change at a local level. This applies in business and life.

5. Take action. So often I see people that have become paralyzed in their business through negative fears. I ran a business for 25 years. We had slow sales months, we had payroll issues, we had regulatory issues and on and on! In every situation I analyzed options then took an action, without overanalyzing the risks. Risk avoidance is an impossibility, accept some! Sometimes the action was to do nothing for a period, but it moved it off my mind until the action date.

6. Think long term. Did anyone who felt this recession back in 2008 believe that we would still be alive if it lasted this long? Cycles happen, some short, some long, but all eventually move on to the next phase at some point. I’m sure there is an economic law to support that somewhere. I see too many people in business caught up in short term vision. My creed has always been to plan long term, manage short term and this has served to keep my vision out where I can see the results I desire, and my attitude sound.

7. Business Risk. We enjoy the most open business environment available in any nation on this earth, at a time when there is more innovation and opportunity than ever before. However business is about managing change and risk. As an example we have to get used to the fact that every new idea has a much shorter ‘expired date’ than ever before. Focus on the opportunities not the risks. Very few get genuinely hurt by the results of risk, however many have missed fantastic opportunities! We have business opportunities that few on this earth get to experience!

8. Negative infringement Law. In business there is a law against infringing on an individual’s ability to do business. I apply the same law to attitude. ‘I do not have the right to let my attitude be an infringement on someone else’s right to a positive life’.

9. Recognize the real value of what we have. We live in a wonderful region of the world, most of us surrounded by friends and family. We live in peace; we generally don’t live in fear, most peoples of the world cannot say this. We have a high standard of living compared to most countries. What else truly makes us happy? Never take what we have for granted.

So why do I remain positive despite all that is affecting our economy? One, I take responsibility for my own attitude, and two, I have never found any benefits from negative thinking, only destruction.

Finally, as I stated earlier I am a simple guy! So despite the barrage of daily information I receive on every conceivable new communication device, I have only two products to be concerned about in my daily business, selling Shasta County, which for my prospects may just be the best decision they make as a location to do business, and my attitude which drives me to work on selling this product every day.

So what’s going on in your business? Is it market or attitude driven? What risks do you take for what rewards?

California Ranked in 'Top 10 Best States to Do Business'

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 20:45:00 GMT

Area Development magazine has ranked California as one of the top 10 best states to do business. The rankings are based on a nationwide survey of highly respected business location consultants.

"Despite all the negative rhetoric, the fact remains California is still the nationwide leader in high-tech, biotech, green, venture capital and agricultural job creation," said Governor's Office of Economic Development Director Joel Ayala. "California is also being recognized for its robust international trade activities which account for billions of dollars in revenue and contribute millions of jobs to the state."

Area Development magazine noted that despite California being hit hard by the recession, California remains a global leader in international trade and access to global markets. In addition to California's international trade advantages, Area Development noted that California is finding success through the state Innovation Hub (iHub) initiative which is administered by the California Governor's Office of Economic Development (GoED).

The iHub initiative includes 12 state designated Innovation Hubs from Redding to San Diego which leverage assets such as research parks, technology incubators, universities, and federal laboratories to provide an innovation platform for startup companies, economic development organizations, business groups, and venture capitalists.

See the full article here.

U.S. Companies Reshoring Their Operations Back Home

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:23:00 GMT

I read this article from Area Development a Site and Facility Planning magazine online about Reshoring. Reshoring is defined as a growing trend of bringing manufacturing jobs back to the continental U.S. from overseas. This is great news as many companies realize keeping their manufacturing at home can be just as profitable as sending it overseas. What are your thoughts on Reshoring? Check out the article here and let us know your thoughts.

Hiring Employees? There's a Federal Incentive for That!

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:04:00 GMT

The federal government wants people re-employed. There are several tax credits available from the federal government that your business can utilize.

Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) - An employer may qualify for a tax credit of up to $9,000 per employee if the employee is a member of a designated target group and meets that group's specific requirements. Application must be completed and submitted within 28 days of hire.

New Hire Retention Tax Credit - This tax credit encourages the retention of new hires (retained workers). The employer may claim the credit for each retained worker. $1,000 or 6.2% of wages (as defined for income tax withholding purposes) paid by the employer to the retained worker during the 52 consecutive week period.

Small Business Health Care Tax Credit - This tax credit is worth up to 35% of a small business' premium costs (25% for tax-exempt employers). On Jan. 1, 2014, this rate increases to 50 percent (35 percent for tax-exempt employers). It makes it more affordable for employers with low and moderate income workers afford to offer health insurance coverage to employees.

For more information about these incentives go to the Site Selection Incentives page on our website.

Business Incentives - Do They Really Exist in California? Yes They Do!

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:01:00 GMT

For more information on each of these incentives go to the Site Selection Incentives page of our website.

1. Enterprise Zone Tax Credits - Up to $37,440 tax credit per employee. Businesses can go back 5 years and recapture credits.

2. New Jobs Credit - A onetime $3,000 credit for newly hired employees. Company must be a small business with 20 employees or less.

3. Research & Development Credits - 15% credit against corporation tax liability for qualified in-house research expenses and a 24% credit for basic research payments to outside organizations.

4. California Employment Training Panel - Job training funds for manufacturing companies.

5. Industrial Development Bonds - Tax exempt securities for acquisition, construction, rehab and equipping manufacturing facilities. Variable rate resets weekly (.38% 8/30/11), up to 30 years.

If you would like to see if you qualify for these credtis or have questions please contact Shasta EDC at 530-224-4920.

Check back next week for discussion on Federal Business Incentives.

Starting the Fire of Innovation

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 20:25:00 GMT

Starting the Fire of Innovation - Silas Lyons - Redding Record Searchlight

I've camped regularly since childhood and then went into journalism, so I've been starting fires for a long time.

There are many methods, but mine is simple and generally works, even in damp or windy conditions. You start with the driest and thinnest stuff you can get hold of — crushed newspaper or fallen leaves, generally. You place it in a small pile, then add thin kindling in a teepee shape, the pieces touching at the top. Bigger pieces of kindling layer on, then you light the whole thing from the bottom.

The worse the conditions, the trickier it is to start, and the smaller the first bits of kindling must be.

Throw a log on it at this point, and it's all over. No matter how much your fellow campers whine, you can't rush the process. It'll get hot soon enough.

Why the lecture on campfires? Because they're a lot like innovation, and I'm convinced that the careful nurturing of innovation is one of the only options for heating up the cold economy of our region.

This fire's going to have to be built in a storm, making it very challenging but even more important.

The good news? The first bits of material are piling up, in no particular order:

Leadership. People like Mark Lascelles, the new head of the Economic Development Corp. of Shasta County, and Scott Putnam, owner of Apex Technology Management Inc. and this year's chairman of the Greater Redding Chamber of Commerce, among a small group of other community leaders, are taking innovation seriously and tackling its challenges head-on.

Entrepreneurs. Dan Morrow, who grew up in Redding, has a growing global business that builds testing equipment for the fastest growing segment of the LED market. John Weise, who moved here recently from the Bay Area, is designing technology for smartphones that just might be the way you pay for things in the future. And so on. When local entrepreneurs make a global mark, the innovation space will start to be taken seriously both here at home and by those looking at us from outside.

People. Innovative companies eventually need employees — technical whizzes, mechanical geniuses, marketers, sales execs. One of the most promising, if controversial, sources right now is Bethel Church and its School of Supernatural Ministry. Local entrepreneurs with no connection to the church have repeatedly told me that the students it's bringing (and that includes mid-career professional types, not just 20-somethings) have had an unmistakable impact on the local labor pool.

Networks. Remember those bits of kindling, which light best when they're stacked so that they cross at the top. Leaders, entrepreneurs and potential employees need to connect with each other. Technology can be developed anywhere, so why do so many companies still flock to Silicon Valley? Movies, too, can be made anywhere — so why did it matter to have a place called Hollywood? One-time events like the EDC's recent innovation luncheon are vital at this stage, but the real test will be the development of ongoing meetups.

Education. Frankly, this is a weakness. Except Anderson New Technology High School, there's little focused attention on training up a skilled workforce for our region. But Shasta College's new president, Joe Wyse, and Simpson University President Larry McKinney are well aware of the movement in this space, and one hopes they'll take an interest in working directly with industry to design future courses and programs. Chico State University, too, can be an ally.

Funding. You don't just go to a bank and ask for a loan for an innovative business. Trust me — I've tried. It was a little embarrassing. Mike Frank, a former corporate executive who moved here for Bethel, is starting a fund for the kind of smaller, early-stage cash investments that startup ventures need. Frank's efforts are overtly tied to his faith (the fund name, Sons of Issachar, is a biblical reference), and that may turn off some potential investors and funding prospects. But the establishment of the first such fund here is significant, and is critical to future efforts.

So there's some kindling. It's way too early to pretend we've got a blazing fire going. What's important is to keep at it.

It would be easy to take a passive approach to this, either with optimism or defeatism.

I've heard folks refer to our proximity to Silicon Valley (um, sort of) as if that somehow means innovation will just come to us. That's like sitting waiting for an ember to shoot off your neighbor's fire and set your wood alight.

Luck and outside forces do not constitute a plan.

And don't give me the sob story about taxes, regulation, or who's running the White House or the Congress. World-class companies have started and life-changing innovations have happened throughout American history under every imaginable sort of condition.

Building our economy is our job, as a community, and it's the most important one we have. We'll have nothing better to look forward to — whether in safety, schools, social programs, pothole repair, you name it — without that.

Reach Editor Silas Lyons at slyons@redding.com or 225-8232. He’s on Facebook and Google+, and on Twitter @silaslyons_RS

Shasta County Economic Development Corporation: More Than Recruiting Businesses

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:28:00 GMT

There have been questions posed to me lately asking, "What is it exactly that Shasta EDC does?" Many know of our recruiting efforts for Shasta County and marketing Stillwater Business Park, but few might know about our efforts locally. In a survey conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, over 80% of the economic growth for an average American community results from the creation and expansion of locally owned and operated firms.

The Business Retention and Expansion Program was started by the Shasta County Economic Development Corporation to identify barriers that local businesses face here in Shasta County. It has been said that the two greatest barriers to business are red tape and lack of capital!

So that is why we spend most of our time in these areas:

Local Government Assistance: We know the inside workings of Local and State government and have a large network of contacts who can move a project along and remove bureaucracy when needed! Unfortunately, government has become so large today that often one department doesn’t know what the other one is doing. We monitor what is available for business so when the opportunity comes we can direct you to the right resources.
State Assistance: With contacts inside the Governor’s Office of Economic Development we can reach those we need to for a project to move forward.
Local Resource Directory: With the EDC's own databases we can assist companies by directing them where to find local suppliers, technology and resources.
Connections & Networking: With our connections we are often able to provide employee training opportunities, again keeping dollars in the company.
Enterprise Zone Management In managing California’s largest Enterprise Zone right here in Shasta County we assist companies in keeping valuable capital in their company through various State and Federal credits.
State & Federal Contracting Assistance Another profit opportunity is State and Federal Contracts and this year we have started opening up that tangled market for access by our local companies.

Our goal is to increase your company's bottom line!

In addition to the above mentioned areas of focus, our regional economy benefits from:

Increased job opportunities
An effective communication system between employers and community leaders
Increased business opportunities for companies locally, nationally and often internationally
A tighter flow of information between businesses with a cluster which always results in more business being created

For example, this month we have been working with Fat Daddy's BBQ. Mike Norvell contacted the EDC and asked if we could help him with his expansion plans. He is looking to move into a building where he can have his restaurant in the front end and manufacture his BBQ sauce in the back end. He currently has 4 employees and would grow to about 12 with the manufacturing portion. The EDC was able to communicate with the City of Redding and develop an incentive package that will allow Mike to move forward with his expansion plans.

Another example is Northstate Truck Equipment. When we spoke with Steve Hoke, he explained that he was looking to expand his truck part manufacturing business here in Shasta County instead of their facility in Oakland. By doing this expansion in Shasta County he will be able to maintain the quality of life that he enjoys and provide more jobs for people here in our community. Again by working closely with the Pat Keener from the City of Redding to identify Northstate Truck Equipment's needs we created a package to introduce incentives that would benefit his expansion and hiring plans. This expansion will add 10 more jobs to Shasta County's economy.

If you are expanding your business, we should talk. Find out how the EDC can assist you with your expansion.

A presentation from Dr Kurt Carlson | President and CEO of the Stanford Research Institute

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 01:27:00 GMT

I was attending an Economic Development conference last week and had the pleasure of sitting in on an outstanding presentation by Dr Kurt Carlson President and CEO of The Stanford Research Institute on the Topic of ‘Innovation’. In case you are not aware,innovation is one of the primary focuses of the EDC’s new three year plan for our region.

Unfortunately, due to his soon-to-be-released-book, Dr. Carlson would not make a copy of the presentation in full available so I am working from my notes. I will present his quotes in note form. Due to the speed of the presentation, note-taking was a challenge, so no guarantees are made as to the complete accuracy of his quotes.

I hope Dr. Carlson’s quotes stimulate some interesting thinking:

‘Innovation is the new customer value in the marketplace’. Innovation is driving the changes that give new products value in the customer’s eye.
‘An effective innovation economy requires an ‘Innovation Ecosystem’ made up of Business, Government, Capital and Education’. The innovative mindset has to permeate throughout the framework of an economy.
‘Today technology is based on ‘ideas’ not ‘stuff’ which enables a much faster pace of development’. We have to build an economy capable of moving at a faster pace in areas such as regulation, capital flow etc.
Company life: ‘In 1920 the average length of life for a Fortune 500 company was 95 years. Today the average life of a Fortune 500 company is 20 years’.
‘In the current economy 80% of all job creation is going on in companies less than five years old. Older companies are currently losing 1.5% of their workforce each year’. New jobs are being created by new companies using new technology requiring a new skill set.
‘An Entrepreneurial culture requires the ability to ‘Think big and fail’. Achievement must be the key driver, not money’.
Two examples of Entrepreneurial Countries:

Israel. Has no natural resources but their Research and Development is number one in the world at 5% of GDP. They are second only to the U.S. in start-ups.
Singapore. Is currently experiencing 14% growth GDP. They have done this by doing away with red tape and minimizing taxes.
Both countries recognized that building their own innovation economy would be too slow so have chosen to collaborate with Silicon Valley as the fastest way to make the change.

As economies have changed so have the educational focus:

Agrarian Economy – Education, Animal Husbandry
Industrial Economy- Education, Technical Drawing
Knowledge Economy – Education, Programming
Innovation economy- Education, Collaborative Creativity

Finally, some recommended reading:

‘Innovation’ Authors Dr Kurt Carlson and William Wilmot
‘The Seamless City’ Author Mayor Rick Baker (On the turnaround of St Petersburg Florida)

As he pointed out small change results in dynamic results. I am interested in your thoughts.

Top Trends in Economic Development for Site Selectors – Part II

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:10:00 GMT

In this post, we will continue our discussion of how the EDC is leveraging important trends in economic development to recruit companies to expand and/or relocate to Shasta County.

Economic Development Trends

States and cities are mapping their technology infrastructure, such as fiber optic networks, to help firms identify specific locations with access to needed technology resources.
The availability of skilled workers is a high priority, sometimes more so than financial incentives. High-tech firms are seeking to be near universities and community colleges with solid technology programs.
Buildings are being retrofitted with fiber optic cable to attract tenant firms, especially small technology firms, that need fast, high-bandwidth connections to the Internet.
Utilities work closely with local and state governments to help companies choose new sites, with the added advantage of being privately held.
Attracting and retaining skilled workers requires that firms seek out places offering a high quality of life that is vibrant and exciting for a wide range of people and lifestyles.
Geographical information systems (GIS) provide dynamic site selection information including available properties, demographics, and business analysis. Site location professionals conduct 30% to 55% of all site selection searches, creating demand for new U.S. and international site location consulting firms. Back office locations are increasingly moving from urban areas into suburban and even rural areas, taking advantage of lower wage and office costs.

How is Shasta County Leveraging These Economic Development Trends?

Technology Infrastructure - The EDC works closely with the Shasta Technology Association to identify broadband needs in Shasta County. As part of that effort the EDC and STA works with providers to reduce costs and make the Shasta County market more competitive. Download a broadband fieldmap of Shasta County>>
Highly Skilled Workers and Proximity to Higher Education - With two four year universities and a community college strong in technology programs (including the new Shasta College Health Science Center), Shasta County has a highly skilled, ready workforce. See the Shasta County Workforce Profile>>
Building Retrofits with Fiber Optics - The EDC's work with the Shasta Technology Association has brought broadband needs to the forefront to equip companies and facilities with the infrastructure they require to grow.
Partnership with Utilities - Shasta County has partnered with utility providers to offer some of the most inexpensive commercial, industrial and residential electric utility rates in California.
Attract and Retain Employees with Superb Quality of Life - Two mountains, lakes and rivers, an enormous walking and biking trail system, world renowned entertainment at the Cascade Theater, and some of the best ranked schools in California. See what life is like in Shasta County>>
GIS - The EDC website enables site selectors to build their own GIS maps for areas within Shasta County and the City of Redding. A searchable database of available sites and buildings can also be found online.

Top Trends in Economic Development for Site Selectors – Part I

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:30:00 GMT

In this post, we will answer:

What is Site Selection?
What are the Four Most Important Trends in Economic Development for Site Selectors?
How is Shasta County Leveraging These Economic Development Trends?

Excerpted from the Economic Development Reference Guide published by the IEDC.

What is Site Selection?

Site selection is the process by which firms find new locations for business facilities or expansions of their operations. Each year, more than 15,000 localities seek to attract the estimated 100-200 locations that take place. New facilities often mean new jobs, new investment, and an enhanced tax base. During location, businesses look to minimize start-up and operating costs while maintaining close proximity to their suppliers and customers.

Though most new locations are within the same region and about 60 percent are due to expansion, communities market themselves extensively to expanding firms and to independent third parties called "location professionals". These location professionals select sites based on detailed, current data about the local labor force, business climate, and available properties. This data is submitted by the community, often on short notice.

Site selection factor ratings depend on the type of facility, the company size, product and industry, and thus the kind of physical infrastructure and workforce skills that are necessary. Good data collection provides a competitive advantage to communities that are able to chart economic, industrial, and workforce trends. Rural, suburban, and urban locations offer different advantages and disadvantages for firms in a variety of growth sectors like:

Back office locations
Corporate head quarters
Corporate campuses
Industrial parks
Biotechnology
Retail sites
E-commerce

What are the Four Most Important Trends in Economic Development for Site Selectors?

Online Marketing - Marketing via the Internet is increasingly used by cities and regions to encourage firm location. Web sites offer extensive information about the community 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can be downloaded at anytime from anywhere in the world.
Data Access & Presentation - Each site location firm requires data be reported differently. Communities with quick, flexible data presentation capabilities have an advantage in the site selection process.
One-stop Permitting Centers streamline the permitting process by issuing the necessary permits and licenses that a business needs to begin or expand operations.
Performance-based Incentives are used to attract businesses and assure taxpayers that they will recoup public investments like tax abatements, land write-downs, etc.

How is Shasta County Leveraging These Economic Development Trends?

Online Marketing – The EDC launched its new economic development website, which targets site selectors. This user-friendly website makes important information readily available to site selection consultants. It presents extensive information on these key areas of interest:

Information Access & Presentation – With the new Data Cart function in the website, important files can be:

Added to the Data Cart for viewing at the end of the website visit
Downloaded to the site location consultant’s computer
Printed by the site selector in preparation for client meetings
Shared via Social Media with clients and prospects

The Data Cart enables site locators to quickly and efficiently access, capture and present the information they require during the site selection process.

One-stop Permitting Centers – In Shasta County’s Stillwater Business Park, a streamlined 90 day, no hassle permit process exists. All that is required is a building permit.

Performance-based Business Incentives - Shasta County knows that each primary industry job created brings new capital into our region’s economy and has a secondary employment multiplier effect. Our local governments have established these business expansion and relocation incentives to make it easier and more attractive to establish your company in Shasta County, California.

In our next post, we’ll cover the remaining six most important economic development trends for site selectors.

Why Manufacturing Matters and Overview of the Shasta County Economic Development Corporation’s Strategic Plan

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 23:33:00 GMT

The Shasta County Economic Development Corporation Investor Breakfast was a great success. Thank you to all who attended.

At the Breakfast, Jack Stewart of the California Manufacturers and Technology Association explained exactly why manufacturing matters to Shasta County and the State of California. The statistics he presented make a compelling case for why Shasta County should continue to attract manufacturing companies to our community.

View Jack's presentation>>

Mark Lascelles, President of the EDC, laid out the organization's three-year strategic plan and outlined the approach the EDC will employ to achieve these three strategic objectives:

Business Recruitment
Innovation
Business Retention

View Mark's presentation>>

Could Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom be the one to turn Californias economy around?

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 22:58:00 GMT

I was in San Francisco last week, attending an Intersolar Trade Show looking for potential businesses for our region. During this time I had the opportunity to attend a Team California annual planning meeting. Team California is a consortium of companies and associations interested in the economic development of California who come together to market the State, under the Team California banner at various National and International target industry events.

The meeting was held at the UCSF Bio medical campus in South San Francisco, and word was Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom was on campus attending a UC Board of Regents meeting on tuition fees. We were well into the mid afternoon session, which for me is the time when at least half my attention has completely left the room and is permanently focused on sailboats out on the bay, when the door opened and in marched Gavin Newsom.

At this point I reflected back to a meeting I had had three weeks ago with Jack Stewart, the President of the California Manufacturers and Technology Association, who in the course of discussion mentioned that the Lieutenant Governor had traveled with him to Texas as part of a delegation to review the Texas business recruitment program that has been so successful. Half the jobs created in the US in 2009 and 2010 were created in Texas. Jack had come away from the trip holding the Lieutenant Governor in high regard.

So here is Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom at the table with the fifteen of us ready to hear our views on the economic situation of our State. I should add with Gavin Newsom there is no entourage, just a somewhat intensely focused individual who looks you in the eye, a firm handshake and frankly looks far too young to be on campus let alone a retired San Francisco Mayor and now Lieutenant Governor!

As I had heard earlier from one of his colleagues as Mayor, when something lights his fire his passion is intense and he has a skilled political ability to move his ideas forward. Most of my exposure to him has been to his social agenda where he openly admits to be a passionate liberal, but I had heard also that he gets and understands the necessity of economic development.

He proudly states he comes from the private sector and created over one thousand jobs. He will tell you he has an entrepreneurial bias and supported this later in the meeting by sharing the development of the Bio Research industry during his tenure as Mayor. When he came in as Mayor there was one Bio Research company in San Francisco. Today there are seventy-five. This was not done without a great deal of public protest from many of his own supporters who did not trust where the science would go or how it would be used. Today this industry has developed into a key sector of the city’s economy.

His views on Texas? They are getting it right! Remove red tape, be prepared to invest or offer capital sources, and prospect for companies aggressively. An amusing technique Texas uses, if it were not so successful, is to send cell phones to Corporate Executives so they can be in direct contact with Texas Governor Perry. I got the sense that not only was the Lieutenant Governor impressed, but his competitive nature had been tweaked and there would be nothing more satisfying to him than getting into the fight to make California competitive and bring some of the business back.

His thoughts on Sacramento? Number one is ‘we are arrogant when it comes to business’. ‘Sacramento is pro job and anti business’. ‘ Those who sign the back of a check have no idea what it takes to sign the front of a check’. He openly admits to being ticked at his own party for their economic views. However, he does believe that from the top down they are just starting to get it. Additionally, the Labor Unions are beginning to come on board, notably the Wardens Association who is coming out in support of the California Manufacturers and Technology Association. They are recognizing the importance of a healthy economy to their own welfare.

He proposes abolishing many commissions, recognizes workforce development is utterly dysfunctional, and believes that the State cannot resolve local issues. I did get a sense of his realization that we must start removing the bureaucratic obstacles for which California has gained such a reputation if we are to attract industry to this State.

His views of the Governor? I really believe that he thinks the Governor has become too bogged down in the budget and must start working on other issues. Regarding economic development his statement was ‘Governor Brown is coming around to the realization that he can’t tax his way out of the problem, he needs new revenue sources’.

I have heard from several sources over the last month that the Gavin Newsom may just be the person to lead the task of creating a ten year plan to bring back a healthy business environment to California. It will take an interesting alliance of players from Business associations, Unions, Republicans and Democrats, but maybe we have found the Leader to do it.

The Lieutenant Governor will be announcing his own economic plan July 29th and we just may be surprised at what we see.

Top 10 Manufacturing Site Selection Factors, Results of Area Development Magazine Survey

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:14:00 GMT

Area Development Magazine publishes an annual Corporate & Consultant Survey that provides direct insight into key site selection factors that drive decisions on why and where companies locate new facilities.

The most recent survey from the winter 2011 publication summarizes the results of site location decision factors for manufacturing company respondents.

According to this survey, the Top 10 manufacturing site location factors are:

Highway accessibility
Labor costs
Tax exemptions
Occupancy or construction costs
State and local incentives
Corporate tax rate
Availability of skilled labor
Inbound/outbound shipping costs
Energy availability and costs
Availability of buildings

Of these ten site selection factors, highway accessibility, occupancy or construction costs, state and local business incentives, inbound/outbound shipping costs and the availability of buildings all increased in importance from the prior year’s survey.

Curious about how Shasta County, California performs relative to these criteria? Take a look at Shasta County's strategic location on Interstate 5, these site selection factors, and business relocation/expansion incentives.

The company recruitment process, why so long?

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:40:00 GMT

‘When will the next savior company appear?’ a phrase I hear frequently usually accompanied with a look of immediate expectation.

Unfortunately recruiting a business to an economic region is a long, long, very long, process!

Let’s review a few of the steps:

A marketing program has to be initiated to identify potential target companies. This is expensive and requires a great deal of time and materials. A campaign may include a combination of web marketing, tradeshows, business calls, and leveraging local business relationships and can often take a year or two to start building a pool of prospects.
By nature businesses are guarded about revealing any plans for expansion or relocation for fear of tipping off competition, unions, staff, existing clients etc, so getting this information is extremely difficult and often requires relationship building and time to develop. Obviously all communication is done with is high degree of confidentiality.

Once a prospect has been identified, a proposal process is initiated where vast amounts of information are gathered. This may include, local sites, existing buildings, labor pool and qualification, electrical rates, construction costs, water costs, rail or road transportation systems, broadband availability, market access and delivery times, available suppliers, other existing businesses in the region, the local political scene, and the list goes on.

Usually a business will be exploring several locations, so there is usually a considerable amount of competitiveness between the economic regions in preparing all this information. Again confidentiality is essential, and often this process will take months.

Assuming the information fits the prospects needs, a ‘final list’ is developed. This is usually four to five sites from an original list of twenty or more. This leads to the ‘site visit’ where a company sends a team of consultants to view the prospective site locations, meet with local leaders and community representatives to do an on the ground review before making the final selection.
The consultants will prepare their reports and if all goes well assist the company in making a selection. Again months go by.

Upon site selection, negotiation begins. This can be short or long in timeframe depending on the motivations and additional requirements of the parties.

Upon the successful negotiation for a site the prospect will then go back and start pulling together all the other components to complete the process of creating a new manufacturing location. (Much of this may have been completed prior to the site selection process).

Financing is a key but before it can be finalized there are several other unknowns that must be factored in. Equipment plant and machinery are a big one, and often are specific to the selected site, so design, engineering and costing will take time especially if this is being made offshore, which is more than likely the case. Depending on the company this may be a few months or a year or more. During this time contracts are negotiated with future supplies and markets.

Finally assuming the construction costs have all come in within target range to make the project viable, suppliers are still under contract, the markets for the end product are still viable and under contract, financing is still available, and the world has not experienced another catastrophe, we are able to ANNOUNCE A NEW COMPANY COMING TO OUR REGION!

Of course depending on the size of the company and project it may be another year of construction before we finally see employee’s punching their time cards!

Is it worth it? Absolutely, two or three companies of this scale over the next ten years will change the foundation of our economy adding to the job and tax base, ensuring important services continue to be delivered.