By Faughn Distribution • New Developments 0 Comments

Amazon unveils plan for large distribution center in Shafter

Amazon announced Thursday it plans to open a “fulfillment center” in Shafter by the end of this year that will become the e-commerce company’s second large distribution facility in Kern County. Employing more than 1,000 people full and part time, the more than 1 million-square-foot center is expected to launch by the end of this year, packing and shipping “softline” goods such as apparel and footwear to customers across the region. The location of the new center was not disclosed.

The Seattle-based company said it will be hiring to fill positions at the new facility including human resources, operations management, safety, security, finance and information technology. Employment at the center will pay at least $15 per hour and immediately offer various benefits including a 401(k) retirement savings program with a 50 percent company match. “Amazon is excited to make this investment in Kern County that will support local economic development and help us deliver to our growing number of customers in the region,” Amazon’s director of regional operations, Jordan Nelson, said in a news release. “As we continue to grow in California, we are contributing to the economic recovery in the Southern California and across the state.”

Shafter Mayor Cathy Prout said in Amazon’s news release the company remains competitive and continues to welcome new businesses. “During unprecedented times, cities nationwide are dealing with economic growth or the negative impacts these challenging times bring,” she stated. “For Shafter, this is not the case.” Earlier this year Amazon opened a large fulfillment center just north of Meadows Field Airport.

It has also been negotiating on at least two smaller sites, one in northern Bakersfield and one in the city’s southern portion, where people involved in the proposed transactions say the company hopes to open smaller, more locally focused distribution centers.

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/amazon-unveils-plan-for-large-distribution-center-in-shafter/article_7e9019a8-7248-11eb-acc2-cba0dedc3464.html

By Faughn Renewable Energy 0 Comments

Clearway Completes Construction on Rosamond Central Solar Project

Clearway Energy Group (“Clearway”) announced today that it completed construction and reached commercial operations on the 192 MW Rosamond Central solar project in Kern County, California. Rosamond Central is contracted under Power Purchase Agreements with East Bay Community Energy and Clean Power Alliance, both Community Choice Aggregators providing a diverse range of power options to regional customers, and the City of Palo Alto Utilities, which has administered Palo Alto’s electric power system for 120 years.

“We are proud to continue contributing to California’s goal of 100% clean electricity and keep the state on the forefront of climate leadership,” said Valerie Wooley, Vice President of Origination at Clearway Energy Group. “In a year with countless headwinds, Rosamond Central came together thanks to the dedication and effort of many partners, including McCarthy’s swift action to create a safe working environment, and the trust of East Bay Community Energy, Clean Power Alliance, and City of Palo Alto to meet their customers’ demand for clean, reliable, and low-cost renewable energy.” “We’re excited to have energy projects like Rosamond come online and start serving our customers with clean energy that will maintain long-term rate stability. This project has given us the opportunity to create much needed jobs and allowed us to meet California’s ambitious renewable energy goals ahead of schedule,” said Natasha Keefer, Director of Power Planning and Procurement, Clean Power Alliance.

“This marks the first new utility-scale solar project built to serve EBCE customers with clean, affordable, renewable energy,” said EBCE CEO Nick Chaset. “EBCE’s 112 megawatts from this project lays the foundation of our portfolio of projects that will serve our electricity customers throughout Alameda County.” “The City of Palo Alto Utilities has been delivering 100% carbon neutral electricity to our customers since 2013, and we’ve been proud to do so while maintaining highly competitive rates compared to neighboring utilities,” said Dean Batchelor, utilities director. “This new power purchase agreement further enhances our ability to offer clean, renewable energy at an affordable rate, supporting our utility’s mission and citywide sustainability and climate action goals. With the addition of 26 MW generated by the Rosamond project to our energy portfolio, solar energy will now supply almost half of Palo Alto’s total electric needs each year.”

Construction of Rosamond Central began in February and was led by McCarthy Building Companies. More than 600 jobs were created during construction and the site will sustain several permanent operations and maintenance jobs. The solar site also represents a $5 million investment in Kern County through tax revenue to support area public services and will generate enough clean energy to power more than 71,000 homes each year.

This year, Clearway partnered with East Bay Community Energy to distribute $250,000 in grants to more than two dozen community-based organizations in Alameda County providing emergency relief and to purchase personal protective equipment for area frontline workers and at-risk community members during the pandemic.

Clearway is one of the largest renewable energy companies in the state with about 1,800 MW of operating renewable energy assets. Rosamond Central will expand Clearway’s footprint in Kern County, where the company owns and operates 1,053 MW of wind and solar energy assets and contributes approximately $20,000,000 in annual property taxes to the local economy. In December, Clearway announced a joint equity transaction for a 1.6 GW portfolio that includes Rosamond Central.

https://www.clearwayenergygroup.com/press-releases/clearway-completes-construction-on-rosamond-central-solar-project/

By Faughn Commercial 0 Comments

Dave’s Hot Chicken Signs Deal to Open 20 Stores in Central California

Dave’s Hot Chicken announced today it has inked a franchise agreement with DAMM Fine Chicken to open 20 locations throughout Central California.  “During this exciting period of growth, we want to partner with experienced and qualified franchise partners to help accelerate our momentum. The DAMM Fine Chicken team fits that bill perfectly,” says Bill Phelps, CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken. “Their experience will be crucial as Dave’s Hot Chicken continues its expansion throughout California.”  “Dave’s Hot Chicken instantly stood out to us from the other chicken concepts that are out there,” says Martha Olmos, the Chief Operating Officer for DAMM Fine Chicken. “They have a great innovative product that people love and continue to crave long after they first tried it. Our team is looking forward to the future with Dave’s Hot Chicken.”

The DAMM Fine Chicken team brings with them over 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry to Dave’s Hot Chicken. The operators were formerly owners of several Taco Bell locations, and currently own over 20 Blaze Pizza restaurants. The team will focus on adding Dave’s Hot Chicken locations throughout the Central Valley, Central Coast and Sacramento areas of California. The DAMM Fine Chicken team believes strongly in becoming part of the fabric of the community and plan on supporting local non-profits in their communities.

Founded by classically-trained chef Dave Kopushyan and three friends in early 2017, Dave’s Hot Chicken initially opened as a parking lot pop-up, with lines quickly wrapping around the block. Since then, the brand has exploded in popularity and now has multiple brick-and-mortar locations open in Southern California. Today, the fast-casual brand has its sights set on growing throughout the United States through franchising and has several multi-unit agreements in development.  Specializing in hot chicken tenders and sliders, with spice levels ranging from “No Spice” to “Reaper,” each restaurant also serves sides of house-made Kale Slaw, creamy Mac & Cheese and crispy Fries or Cheese Fries.

https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/daves-hot-chicken-signs-deal-open-20-stores-central-california#:~:text=The%20DAMM%20Fine%20Chicken%20team%20will%20focus%20on,Chicken%20to%20open%2020%20locations%20throughout%20Central%20California.

By Faughn Energy • Renewable Energy 0 Comments

Bioenergy interest heats up in Kern County

Kern County business developers have seen a surge of interest lately from companies looking to build waste-to-energy projects that could create hundreds if not thousands of new local jobs in producing fuels that cut greenhouse-gas emissions. Four new bioenergy proposals came to the attention of the Kern Economic Development Corp. in the last half of 2020, joining four other prospects under active consideration. Most of the projects would employ more than 100 workers. One would dwarf the others with as many as 1,390 jobs across 100 to 200 acres.

Bioenergy has attracted substantial local investment in recent years as state lawmakers offer subsidies and favorable policies to promote big spending on infrastructure necessary to convert food waste, ag trimmings, dairy manure and even dead forest trees into cleaner-burning fuel whose environmental benefits can add up to be carbon negative. KEDC Vice President of Business Development Melinda Brown said the projects crossing her desk lately represent a variety of “green energy” technologies inspired by state mandates. Together, she said, they amount to a noticeable shift in interest in local manufacturing and industrial property. “They’re telling me this is all new industries” under development, she said Monday.

State legislation in 2016 targeted reductions in methane and other short-lived pollutants by forcing local jurisdictions to cut the amount of organic material they collectively send landfills by three-quarters. The best way to do that depends on the feedstock. Food and food-processing waste can be treated as dairy waste increasingly is, by fermenting it and refining the gas it produces into an easily stored fuel. Because that doesn’t work as well with waste such as vineyard prunings and almond hulls, another approach is to super-heat dry, fibrous, feedstock. That produces an energy-dense fuel and biochar, which can then be buried, or sequestered, to achieve carbon-reduction gains. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has estimated this technology could become a central tool for meeting California’s aggressive climate-change goals.

The executive director of the Bioenergy Association of California, Julia Levin, said Kern is “the perfect place for it,” not only because of the county’s large supply of ag waste but also its inventory of elected and appointed government officials who recognize the industry’s benefits, value and the opportunity it presents. Some environmental groups have actively opposed biofuels, in part because they usually entail emitting at least some pollution and older production techniques release relatively high levels of particulate matter. Many climate-change activists are pushing for an end to internal combustion altogether.

Levin said new technologies are much cleaner and that the alternative in much of the Central Valley is open burning. “You’re going to see a lot of growth in Kern County (bioenergy), but I think we’re going to see a lot of growth statewide,” said Levin. She added that significant government investment may yet be needed to meet California’s bioenergy potential.

The California Energy Commission said it has invested more than $27 million since 2007 in research and development in renewable natural gas, a common form of bioenergy that is basically methane, a particularly potent greenhouse gas. The commission said it has given an additional $77 million in taxpayer money to biomethane projects. A number of dairies in Kern County have worked with Visalia-based California Bioenergy LLC to turn several thousand cows’ manure into biomethane. And on Millux Road, Denver-based Crimson Renewable Energy LLC has a refining plant making biodiesel entirely from waste such as used cooking oil.

Last year Torrance-based Global Clean Energy Holdings Inc. bought the former, 67,000-barrel-per-day refinery on Rosedale Highway and announced a $365 million project to reopen the plant by early 2022 with about 100 employees producing 10,000 barrels per day of biodiesel from cooking oil. It said the refinery will later make the product from a ground-cover plant called camelina. The head of 155-employee Kern Oil & Refining Co., which makes renewable diesel and other fuels at its 26,000-barrel-per-day refinery near Lamont, said leveraging conventional fuel production with market knowledge has helped the company emerge as a leader in renewable fuel production.

President and CEO Jennifer Haley said she encourages policymakers to cultivate a wide-ranging energy portfolio in the state. By attracting public and private investment, she said, Kern can demonstrate that “we can both address climate change and set the table for perpetual regional economic success.”

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/bioenergy-interest-heats-up-in-kern-county/article_643feeca-6a4b-11eb-9351-b704ef9a2543.html

By Faughn Hi-Tech • Quality of Life 0 Comments

ELECTRIC VEHICLE FAST CHARGERS NOW AVAILABLE ON CENTRAL CA HIGHWAYS

Electric vehicle (EV) drivers now have more fast-charging options along state highways in Central California — including at the popular Tejon Pass Rest Area near the Los Angeles/Kern County line — with the installation of 22 new EV fast chargers at nine locations by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). “Fast chargers are essential to continue growing EV adoption in California and meeting our state’s goals for combating climate change,” said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. “Expanding the availability of convenient fast-charging stations along state highways is significant for the future of California transportation.”

The Level 3 DC fast chargers provide an approximate 80 percent charge in 30 minutes to EVs with fast-charging capability. The chargers have universal connectors and are able to serve all EVs on the market, including Teslas with an adapter. Charging is free with no time limit. “With four new EV fast chargers at the Tejon Pass Rest Area on Interstate 5, and 18 others staggered approximately 40 miles apart, Caltrans has reduced recharging concerns for plug-in EV drivers on long-distance trips through the Central Valley,” said District 7 Director Tony Tavares, whose district includes Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

According to the California Air Resources Board, 70 percent of California transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions come from light-duty vehicles, including passenger cars, SUVs and light-duty trucks. “This project is a tremendous example of how public agencies can collaborate with the private sector to fill gaps in the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) market,” said Tyson Eckerle, Deputy Director of ZEV Market Development at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). “More chargers throughout the state will help to incentivize the purchase of EVs, getting us closer to Governor Newsom’s goal of 100 percent ZEV sales by 2035.”

The Tejon Pass Rest Area is about 60 miles north of Los Angeles and 40 miles south of Bakersfield and is a popular stopping point for drivers traveling along I-5. The four new fast chargers are located on the southbound side of the interstate. Motorists traveling north on I-5 can exit at the Lebec off-ramp to Lebec Road, which loops over the highway, to access the fast chargers, including one that is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Other New Locations:

  • Junction Route 58/Route 184 in Bakersfield
  • Caltrans Maintenance Station on Route 41 and next to I-5 in Kettleman City
  • Caltrans Maintenance Station, 805 S. Lexington St., next to Route 99 in Delano
  • C.H. Warlow Rest Area NB/SB Route 99 in Kingsburg
  • Philip S. Raine Rest Area at SB Route 99 near Tulare
  • Philip S. Raine Rest Area at NB Route 99 near Tulare
  • Caltrans District 6 Office, 1283 N. West Ave., next to Route 99 in Fresno
  • Caltrans Maintenance Station, 125 W. Almond Ave., next to Route 99 in Madera

The $4.5 million project is funded by Caltrans and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District in Fresno. The prime contractor is Cal Valley Construction of Fresno. BTCPower (Broadband TelCom Power, Inc.) of Santa Ana provided and installed the DC EV Fast Chargers with assistance from electrical subcontractor CSI (Civil Substations, Inc.) of Clovis. Pacific Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison are the electrical service providers. In addition to the new chargers in the Central Valley, Caltrans has six Level 3 DC fast chargers in San Diego County, two in Monterey County and one in San Luis Obispo County, and two Level 2 charging stations in Napa County and three in Contra Costa County – all available to the public.

The U.S. Department of Energy has a searchable database on public alternative fuel stations in California and nationwide. Motorists can find real-time traffic information and rest area locations at Caltrans’ Quickmap by clicking on the Options menu.    Caltrans reminds drivers to “Be Work Zone Alert” and to “Slow for the Cone Zone.”

https://www.edhat.com/news/electric-vehicle-fast-chargers-now-available-on-central-ca-highways#:~:text=Electric%20vehicle%20(EV)%20drivers%20now%20have%20more%20fast-charging,locations%20by%20the%20California%20Department%20of%20Transportation%20(Caltrans).

By Faughn Distribution • Manufacturing 0 Comments

Record-breaking demand for warehouse and DC development

Unlike many other segments of the economy, warehouse and distribution center (DC) development is not only withstanding the widespread economic impact of COVID-19, it’s thriving. In fact: It’s red hot. Companies can’t find space fast enough and developers can’t build DCs quickly enough to meet demand. “The market is thriving, and with it, record high transaction volume (new leases, user sales and renewals), record high rents, a vacancy of 4.7%, and 42 consecutive quarters of positive absorption,” reports James Breeze, senior director, global head of Industrial & Logistics Research for CBRE.

Robust demand for industrial product has kept developers busy. “At the end of the third quarter of 2020, more than 312 million square feet was under construction [nationwide] and 37% of this was already preleased—the highest rate of pre-leasing in over a year,” Breeze exclaims. Other noteworthy trends include climbing rents, annual absorption inching close to the 200-million-square-foot benchmark, and record-high deliveries, reports Mehta Randhawa, director of U.S. Industrial Research, Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. (JLL).

As stay-at-home orders lifted, construction activity resumed, and deliveries spiked. Consequently, JLL data indicates that delivery of industrial space hit a record high in the third quarter of 2020, with completions totaling 97.4 million square feet. When all totaled, JLL expects that figure to hit 107.0 million square feet for 2020. “We have seen a speed associated with innovation that was never known to us before COVID,” remarks Matt Powers, executive vice president, JLL. “Supply chain models are being transformed in days instead of months or years.”

Driving this robust development surge is widespread adoption of e-commerce, accentuated by COVID-19. “Most consumers are not only buying more product online; they are expecting it to be delivered in a timely manner,” says Breeze. Consequently, developers are seeing upwards of five years of e-commerce growth in one year—a trend, they say, that’s not going away, Further, companies are looking to carry higher inventory levels given that many incurred lost revenues by not having the inventory to meet demand. “Beyond carrying higher inventory levels to favor resiliency over efficiency in their supply chains, companies are also considering more diversified manufacturing locations,” says Carter Andrus, president of Central Region at real estate investment trust company Prologis. “In some cases, companies have become too efficient without having some buffer or just-in-case stock for events that happen.”

Andrus observes that these two trends have the potential to generate more than 500 million square feet of additional warehouse and DC space in the next two to three years. “This is overwhelming,” he says. “In terms of facility size, we see good momentum in all size categories, although activity has been best above 100,000 square feet with pronounced strength in the big box spectrum, with that being greater than 250,000 square feet.” Earlier in 2020, Prologis saw some softness in spaces below 100,000 square feet, but now market demand for this space is also improving. All of these factors continue to shift supply chain strategies to increase distribution centers throughout the country whether it’s a company shipping directly to the consumer, or the supplier to that company.

According to the seasonally adjusted date from the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. consumers spent an estimate $209.5 billion online in the third quarter of 2020. That’s a whopping increase of 36.7% from the same period in 2019 when e-commerce sales made up 11.2% of total sales. Two of the biggest players in the retail world are Amazon and Walmart. Last year, Amazon was said to have over 100 fulfilment centers alone. The company typically builds fulfillment centers to feed regional sort centers as well as DCs, also known as delivery stations. Its fulfillment centers are typically 1 million-square-feet or more.

Walmart, known for running one of the largest distribution operations in the world, has over 190 DCs with more than 143 million square feet, according to global supply chain, logistics and distribution consulting firm MWPVL International Inc. “Market drivers include population growth and competition shortening the last-mile with same- or next-day delivery,” states Powers.

Robert Van Geons, president and CEO Of Fayetteville Economic Development Corp., who promotes activity in his region of North Carolina, observes how onshoring of manufacturing, increased e-commerce and drastically altered consumer demand cycles have significantly increased the demand for warehouses and DC space. “While new product is under construction, it’s nearly impossible to find a large [250,000 square feet+] quality building available between Washington, D.C. and Savanah,” Van Geons reports. “If it has good ceiling height and is close to a major interstate, it is off the market.”

https://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/record_breaking_demand_for_warehouse_and_dc_development/warehouse

By Faughn Education • Hi-Tech 0 Comments

California High-Speed Rail Authority Announces First Graduating Class of Central Valley Training Center in Selma Ready to Work on High-Speed Rail

The first cohort of students has graduated from the Central Valley Training Center in Selma and are equipped with the skills to help build the nation’s first high-speed rail system in California.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority, in partnership with the local Building and Construction Trades Council, Fresno County Economic Development Corporation and Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission, recognized the hard work of the first 22 students to complete the 16-week job training program. “This training center opened during a time when the state and the rest of the country looked for ways to expand job opportunities,” said Henry Perea, High-Speed Rail Board Member. “We are proud to continue training and investing in a skilled workforce to help rebuild the economy.”

The pre-apprenticeship training center provides veterans, at-risk young adults and low-income people from the Central Valley with a comprehensive and innovative look into careers in more than 10 different construction trades. The graduates received pre-apprenticeship and hands-on construction training from professional carpenters, cement masons, electricians and other specialists. Students also developed skills that include active listening, teamwork and critical thinking that can be applied at construction sites and in other employment opportunities. “I’ve been in the trades for 34 years and worked with people up and down the state of California, and I would put the tools on and work with any one of these students today,” said Chuck Riojas, executive director of the Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings Building Trades Council. “The Central Valley Training Center is designed to expose students to the trades so they can find what interests them. Once they show an interest in a field, they’re more apt to do better in those apprenticeship programs.”

Students also graduated with more than five industry-specific certificates, including Occupational Safety and Health Administration 10 and Forklift certifications. Upon completion of the program, the high-speed rail project and its contractors assist all graduating students with job placement. “The program is well worth it,” said Arturo Garza of Selma, a student in the first graduating cohort. “It’s a challenge because a lot of people need to work, but the sacrifice is well worth it because at the end of the day, we get these certifications in hopes to get a high-paying job. A little sacrifice is nothing compared to the reward.”

Since the start of construction, more than 5,000 construction workers have been dispatched to build the high-speed rail system in the Central Valley where there are currently 35 active construction sites. The Authority has doubled construction jobs since 2018, with an average of 1,100 workers a day at construction sites. In addition, more than 570 certified small businesses throughout the state are contributing to the high-speed rail program. For the latest on construction, visit www.buildhsr.com.

Nearly 500 Central Valley residents have applied to take part in the Central Valley Training Center program since its opening last year.

https://goldrushcam.com/sierrasuntimes/index.php/news/local-news/27903-california-high-speed-rail-authority-announces-first-graduating-class-of-central-valley-training-center-in-selma-ready-to-work-on-high-speed-rail

By Faughn Economy • Education 0 Comments

UC Merced generated $500M in one year for San Joaquin Valley economy, report shows

A report commissioned by UC Merced’s chancellor shows the university has generated thousands of jobs — and hundreds of millions of dollars — for the San Joaquin Valley’s economy. Conducted by international market analysis firm Emsi Inc., the campus’s inaugural economic impact report indicated a total of $514.6 million was contributed to Valley’s economy by the university in fiscal year 2018-19 alone, helping create 5,560 jobs. For Merced County, the university generated $372.9 million and 4,109 jobs. “Like the Merced community, UC Merced is a dynamic institution with change on the horizon as we grow and expand,” Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz said in a news release.

The report looked at how salaries and spending shaped the community, plus how the university generated a return on investments to its major stakeholders — students, taxpayers, and society at large. Students — specifically off-campus students — spent money on groceries, accommodation, transportation, and other household expenses, which contributed $27.4 million to Merced County’s economy and supported 564 jobs countywide. UC Merced’s student population for fall last year was more than 9,000.

The benefits created by UC Merced extend to state and local governments through increased tax revenues and public sector savings. “The university’s reputation and activities attract visitors and students from outside Merced County, whose expenditures benefit county vendors,” part of the report said. “In addition, UC Merced is a primary source of higher education to Merced County residents and a supplier of trained workers to county industries, enhancing overall productivity in the county workforce.”

The university regularly encourages students to volunteer in Merced County, which allowed room for growth for business and organizations, according to the report. As a result, students added $243.9 thousand in earnings to the county’s economy, and student volunteers “generated $368,000 in added income for the county in fiscal year 2018-19,” which is equivalent to supporting 15 jobs. Alumni produced $11.4 million in added income for the county’s economy, which equates to supporting 132 jobs. “This means that one out of every 26 jobs in Merced County is supported by the activities of UC Merced and its students,” the report said. “In addition, the $372.9 million, or 4,109 supported jobs, stemmed from different industry sectors. UC Merced’s spending and alumni in the construction industry sector supported 1,785 jobs in fiscal year 2018-19. These are impacts that would not have been generated without the university’s presence in Merced County.”

Ultimately, the report said the university creates value from multiple perspectives, from benefiting county businesses through consumer spending and supplying qualified and trained workers to different job fields.

https://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/local/education/article248883934.html

By Faughn Manufacturing 0 Comments

Transportation Research Center Inc. to Assume Management of California AutoTech Testing and Development Center

North America’s most comprehensive automotive testing organization, the Transportation Research Center Inc. (TRC Inc.) in East Liberty, Ohio, has assumed day-to-day management of Merced County’s California AutoTech Testing and Development Center (CATDC) at Castle to help expand testing services for automotive manufacturers, suppliers and transportation innovators in mid-California’s technology hub. TRC Inc. signed a ten-year agreement with the Merced County Board of Supervisors to manage the 225-acre CATDC testing complex and bring TRC Inc.’s nearly 50 years of technical expertise as an engineering services firm to help create a one-stop-shop approach to affirming the safety, quality and competitiveness of new technologies. TRC Inc. was selected to manage and expand the county-owned research center after an extensive RFP process conducted by KPMG International for the Merced County Board of Supervisors. Since its inception several years ago, CATDC has attracted innovators in and around Silicon
Valley and the wider San Francisco Bay region. CATDC currently operates high-speed and urban-grid automotive test zones on a substantial system of existing infrastructure. A range of US-based, Asian and European OEMs and technology firms are presently conducting testing and development on the site.

“In addition to Castle’s airport operations, the auto testing is a key part of our vision for the future of Castle as a dynamic, jobs-creating engine for our county and the region” said Daron McDaniel, Chairman of the Merced County Board of Supervisors. “Under the leadership of respected experts in automotive technology and research, we will make Merced County a destination for the high-tech firms and innovators who are reshaping transportation worldwide.” “As one of the world’s most respected leaders in advanced transportation engineering and research, TRC Inc. has the know-how and experience to take this facility to the next level, attracting more innovators and ultimately bringing jobs and economic development to our communities,” said Mark J. Hendrickson, Merced County’s Director of Community and Economic Development.

“We are excited to bring our engineering and technical experience to Merced County to help this growing facility reach its full potential,” said Brett Roubinek, TRC Inc.’s president and CEO. “With this strategic location adjacent to Silicon Valley and the Bay Region, CATDC and TRC Inc. give the West Coast’s automotive innovators, start ups as well as OEMs, convenient access to the testing facilities and expertise needed to validate their advanced mobility technologies.” When TRC Inc. assumes management of the Merced County facility, it will work to complete development of advanced testing facilities, especially new capabilities geared toward research on autonomous and connected vehicles. In Ohio, TRC Inc. operates a 540-acre SMARTCenter which provides transportation innovators with a roadway complex especially designed for testing automated and connected vehicle systems in a safe, secure and repeatable real-world environment.

Since 1974, TRC Inc. has been an acknowledged leader in transportation research and innovation, providing a full range of engineering and automotive research expertise to the world’s leading OEMs, suppliers and systems innovators. TRC Inc.’s 4,500-acre campus in East Liberty, Ohio has attracted more than 800 clients by offering North America’s most advanced automotive testing facilities and proving grounds along with a comprehensive array of research and evaluation services. As a fully independent, 501c3 nonprofit organization, TRC Inc. provides these services with the strictest respect for each client’s security, confidentially and proprietary interests. TRC Inc. engineers, test drivers and other technical specialists are skilled at testing for active and passive safety, fuel economy, durability, emissions, noise, crash simulation and crashworthiness as well as autonomous and connected mobility testing of passenger cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, aircraft, off-road, tracked, alternative-fueled vehicles and vehicle systems.

https://web2.co.merced.ca.us/pdfs/news/2021/2021-02-02_TRC_Inc.pdf