By Faughn Uncategorized 0 Comments

Ross stores plans to build new $500M distribution center in Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The city of Bakersfield announced Wednesday it has been chosen as the location for Ross Stores’ 10th distribution center, the planned half-a-billion-dollar investment expected to create nearly 1,000 new jobs, according to city officials.

The 1.75-million-square-foot processing and distribution center is set to be near the corner of East Belle Terrace and Mount Vernon Avenue, city officials said in a press release.

It would be the second Ross distribution center in Kern County, following the existing center in Shafter.

Ross plans to invest about $500 million to develop the center through a multi-year project, which is expected to break ground in 2027, according to the city.

City Manager Christian Clegg said in the release that the new center is “the largest job generating project sited in Bakersfield in decades,” calling it a great win for the city and the nearby regions.

“This is an important step and signal in our efforts to grow and diversify our economy, Clegg said. “We showed we can fast track, use our development streamlining muscles, form partnerships and have a customer-first approach for this project.”

Ross is planning on recruiting locally for employees for the new distribution center, which is projected to bring hundreds of new jobs, according to the release.

“We are excited to expand our presence in the Greater Bakersfield area with the opening of a processing and distribution center in the city of Bakersfield,” said Rob Kummerer, Executive Vice President of Supply Chain, Ross Stores, Inc.

“This facility will strengthen our operations, support continued growth and create new employment opportunities in the community. We are grateful for the partnership and support of the many state and local leaders whose collaboration helped make this project possible.”

Mayor Karen Goh welcomed Ross Stores and the city’s partnership with the company, saying Ross offers many job opportunities for Bakersfield residents. According to Goh, the labor force income reinvested in the community is expected to result in an annual economic impact of over $100 million.

She thanked city staff, the site consultants and more who assisted in making the project possible.

Source: Ross Stores plans to build new distribution center in Bakersfield, investing $500M | KGET 17 News

By Faughn Distribution • E-Commerce • Logistics • Uncategorized 0 Comments

MAJOR GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY COMPANY ACQUIRES 1.1 MILLION-SQUARE-FOOT FACILITY AT WONDERFUL LOGISTICS CENTER

Transaction expands buyer’s footprint at Wonderful Logistics Center to more than three million square feet

SHAFTER, CA, September 14, 2026 – The Wonderful Company has announced that its Wonderful Real Estate business has completed the sale of 5104 Express Avenue to a major global technology and e-commerce company. The newly constructed 1,088,047-square-foot, Class A industrial facility is located at the Wonderful Logistics Center in Shafter, Calif. and marks the buyer’s third location at the 2,000-acre, fully entitled, master-planned logistics and distribution campus, bringing its owned and leased footprint to more than 3 million square feet.

“Global operators continue to choose Wonderful Logistics Center because we are a model within the state and the country that offers something fundamentally different. Nowhere else is there a master-planned logistics hub that brings together large-scale distribution, workforce and community development, and the future of clean freight infrastructure,” said Joe Vargas, president of Wonderful Real Estate. “This buyer’s continued investment validates the strength of Wonderful Logistics Center as one of California’s leading models for responsible logistics and durable economic growth that benefits businesses, workers and communities alike.”

More than 17 million square feet of warehouses are in operation at Wonderful Logistics Center today, supporting 23 tenants, including multiple Fortune 100 companies, and approximately 13,000 jobs—more than half of Kern County’s logistics workforce. 5104 Express Avenue was developed on a speculative basis to accommodate large-scale distribution and manufacturing users. It features a 40-foot clear height, 216 dock-high doors, two grade-level doors, 455 automobile parking spaces and 939 trailer stalls. Cushman & Wakefield Executive Vice Chairman Phil Lombardo, Vice Chair Andrew Starnes and Senior Director Cruise Adams represented the seller, while KBC Advisors Partner Colin MacMillan represented the buyer during negotiations for 5104 Express Avenue.

Last year, the buyer also partnered with Bakersfield College and The Wonderful Company to launch a 12-week Mechatronics & Robotics Apprenticeship program for U.S. employees at the on-site Wonderful Career Center, providing hands-on, SACA-certified training to prepare employees for skilled technical roles and career advancement. To date, more than 100 student employees have graduated from the program and entered year-long apprenticeships before they transition into mid-level technical roles at the company.

Wonderful Logistics Center continues to advance a long-term vision for a fully integrated logistics and goods movement ecosystem. Reflecting more than 30 years of master-planning and coordinated development, Wonderful Logistics Center leverages its strategic location to reduce transportation costs, improve supply chain efficiency and lower emissions. The campus includes an operational inland container depot supporting major ocean carriers, with capacity for up to 34,000 containers at full buildout. Wonderful Logistics Center is also working with public- and private-sector partners to develop a zero-emission truck corridor connecting the ports to Shafter, and the center will introduce California’s first inland rail terminal in 2027, offering both domestic and international service. Together, these investments will help reduce roadway congestion and diesel emissions, delivering meaningful community benefits while strengthening Shafter’s role as a global trade gateway.

“California’s economic growth depends on a more efficient goods movement system,” Vargas added. “We continue to develop best-in-class facilities that leverage our scale, speed to market and transportation connectivity, while investing opportunities that help neighboring communities thrive in the long-term.”

About Wonderful Logistics Center

Wonderful Logistics Center is a 2,000-acre, fully entitled, master-planned logistics and distribution campus located in Shafter, California, approximately 100 miles north of Los Angeles. With more than 17 million square feet completed and operating across 23 tenant companies, Wonderful Logistics Center accommodates facilities ranging from 100,000 square feet to more than 2 million square feet for leading companies across retail, e-commerce, food, manufacturing and logistics. Located near Highway 99, Interstate 5 and Highway 58, Wonderful Logistics Center’s advanced transportation network includes BNSF mainline connectivity, onsite rail infrastructure, an operational inland container depot, a developing zero-emission truck corridor and an inland rail terminal expected to begin domestic and international service in early 2027. Onsite resources include the Wonderful Career Center, La Cocina restaurant and shared event space, with a new health clinic expected to open in fall 2027. These amenities support employees, local residents and the broader Shafter community.

For more information, visit www.wonderfullogisticscenter.com.

About Wonderful Real Estate

Wonderful Real Estate is a professional real estate development and property management company owned by The Wonderful Company that develops, manages and invests in a diversified portfolio of real estate, with a particular focus on office and industrial properties. Leveraging over 30 years of experience in commercial real estate, Wonderful and its affiliates currently have over 10 million square feet of real estate holdings, consisting of owner-occupied industrial and commercial real estate for its operating businesses and approximately 7 million square feet of actively managed office and industrial properties occupied by third parties located mainly in Southern and Central California.

Wonderful Real Estate and its affiliates have invested almost $2 billion since 2008 in commercial real estate development, facility improvements, processing equipment and real estate acquisitions. Wonderful and its affiliates are also currently developing three business parks totaling over 1,865 acres for office and industrial use in California’s Central Valley, several parcels of which have already been sold or leased to Fortune 500 companies and other high-quality anchor tenants.

About The Wonderful Company 

The Wonderful Company is a privately held $6 billion company committed to offering high-quality, healthy brands and helping consumers make better choices, every day.

The company grows, harvests, bottles, packages, and markets a diverse range of products, including fruits, nuts, flowers, water, wines and juices. It is the world’s leading grower of tree nuts and America’s largest citrus grower. In addition to Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds, Wonderful Citrus, and POM Wonderful, its brands include FIJI Water, the world’s largest flower delivery service Teleflora, and JUSTIN, Landmark and Lewis Cellars wines.

 

Media Contacts:

Erin Poulson Morris

Senior Director of Business Development, Wonderful Real Estate

erin.poulson.morris@wonderful.com

Alison Day

Manager of External Communications, The Wonderful Company

alison.day@wonderful.com

By Faughn Distribution • Logistics • Uncategorized 0 Comments

2 Major deals in one week

Sept 17, 2026

Bakersfield is having a major industrial moment.

Two announcements this week make the opportunity especially clear:

Amazon has acquired a newly constructed 1,088,047-square-foot Class A distribution facility at Wonderful Logistics Center in Shafter. The building includes 40-foot clear height, 216 dock-high doors, hundreds of trailer stalls and expandable 4,000-amp electrical service.

This is Amazon’s third location at the logistics center, bringing its total footprint there to more than 3 million square feet. The campus now exceeds 17 million square feet of operating warehouse space, with 23 tenants and approximately 13,000 jobs.

At the same time, Ross Stores selected Bakersfield for a new 1.75-million-square-foot processing and distribution center near East Belle Terrace and Mount Vernon Avenue. The project represents approximately $500 million in investment and is expected to create nearly 1,000 jobs.

From a broker’s perspective, these announcements send a powerful message:

Bakersfield and Shafter are no longer simply competing for industrial users. We are competing successfully for major institutional capital, national logistics operators and long-term corporate commitments.

The fundamentals are compelling:

• Strategic access to Highways 99 and 58, I-5 and major California markets • Available land for large-scale industrial development • Lower occupancy and operating costs compared with many coastal markets • A growing labor force and substantial employment base • Proven infrastructure and an expanding logistics ecosystem • Local leadership willing to streamline development and collaborate with users

These projects will create demand far beyond the buildings themselves—including truck terminals, IOS yards, suppliers, packaging companies, maintenance operations, automation providers, cold storage, food-related users and smaller logistics facilities.

For developers, landowners and investors, the takeaway is simple:

The time to study Bakersfield is before the next wave of demand fully arrives—not after every major parcel has been absorbed.

Bakersfield is building momentum, and the market is increasingly proving that it can support large-scale industrial investment.

Exciting news for Bakersfield and the entire Central Valley.

Source: Eric Powers (7) 2 MAJOR DEALS IN 1 WEEK… BAKERSFIELD, CA. | LinkedIn

By Faughn Economy • Education • Manufacturing 0 Comments

Fresno State gets $4.36M for new entrepreneurship innovation hub

Fresno State will receive $4.36 million through California Jobs First to create The Forge, an innovation and commercialization hub designed to help entrepreneurs and emerging companies build, test and grow their businesses in the Central Valley.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Jobs First Council announced the investment Aug. 26 as part of a $48.5 million awarded across eight economic regions and 33 counties to support job creation and regional economic growth.

Part of $10.4M for Valley

The Forge investment is part of more than $10.4 million awarded to a portfolio of Central Valley manufacturing projects developed with the San Joaquin Valley Manufacturing Alliance and other education, workforce and economic development partners.

“For too long, entrepreneurs and emerging companies from our region have had to look elsewhere for the specialized facilities, technical support and connections they need to grow,” President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval said. “The Forge will help change that. We want innovators to start here, build here, manufacture here and create jobs here.”

A hub for supporting innovation

The hub will support startups in advanced manufacturing, robotics, automation, ag-tech, biotech and related fields, including ventures started by Fresno State faculty, staff and students.

Entrepreneurs will have access to specialized resources, technical expertise and connections to industry, investors and regional partners.

Partners include the San Joaquin Valley Manufacturing Alliance, Plug and Play, F3i, Fresno County Economic Development Corp., the cities of Fresno and Clovis and the Central Valley Community Foundation.

Dr. Ram Nunna, special assistant to the president for strategic partnerships and dean of the Lyles College of Engineering, led the development of The Forge and the funding effort.

Source: The Business Journal

Fresno State receives $4.36M to launch The Forge

By Faughn Education • Hi-Tech • Manufacturing 0 Comments

NASA administrator offers UC Merced students a glimpse of their future

It might seem that an airfield filled with old planes is a strange place to talk about the future of space flight. But Jared Isaacman, the administrator of NASA, said Atwater’s Castle Air Museum was the perfect setting to talk about what’s ahead.

Isaacman visited the former Air Force base last week to tour the planes and talk with students, including a contingent of more than 30 from UC Merced. The group included undergraduate and graduate students, members of the university’s first nanosatellite team, and faculty conducting NASA-supported research.

Among the faculty were Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development Gillian Wilson, an astronomer and cosmologist, Professor Sayantani Ghosh, an expert in condensed matter physics, and Professor Erin Hestir, a remote-sensing scientist and director of CITRIS, the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society & the Banatao Institute at UC Merced. The visit followed a stop at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab, where Isaacman met with scientists working on some of the technology to launch with Artemis IV, a moon-landing mission planned for early 2028.

“That’s just the opening act to America’s grand return to the lunar surface,” Isaacman said.

But space flight started with subspace flight, and the Castle display includes a F-100 previously flown by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Gus Grissom, the NASA director said in a post on X. “A real piece of NASA and American aviation history.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/nasa-administrator-offers-uc-merced-students-a-glimpse-of-their-future/ar-AA2bZ9Cx?ocid=BingNewsSerp

By Faughn Distribution • Logistics • New Location 0 Comments

AGCO Opens Advanced Parts Distribution Center in Visalia, Calif., Expanding Parts Availability for Western U.S. Farmers

The 115,000-square-foot facility more than doubles AGCO’s West Coast parts capacity, putting more critical parts within fast reach of dealers and farmers.

AGCO  will open a new, expanded Parts Distribution Center in Visalia, Calif., on September 1, 2026, significantly increasing the range of parts stocked for farmers and dealers across the western United States. Located in the heart of West Coast agriculture, the modern facility replaces AGCO’s existing Visalia location and is designed to improve parts availability, accelerate delivery times and strengthen service for farmers and dealers across the western United States. A grand opening of the facility is planned for the first quarter of 2027.

“We reimagined every step of how parts move, from receiving to shipping, and built the systems to match, including advanced automation, smarter forecasting and a deeper local inventory,” said Stefan Caspari, Senior Vice President, Customer Success and North American Ag, AGCO. “For our dealers and farmers, this means more of the parts they need are on the shelf and closer to home, giving them greater confidence that the right part will be there when it matters most.”

The new 115,000-square-foot distribution center, visible from the Golden State Highway, more than doubles the size of AGCO’s operation in the region. Expanded stocking capacity, advanced warehouse automation and improved forecasting will enable AGCO to stock a broader range of high-demand parts closer to customers. Strategically located in California’s Central Valley, the center will support dealers and farmers across the western United States and AGCO’s full brand portfolio, including Fendt™ and Massey Ferguson™.

AGCO dealers like Pat O’Neill, VP, Ag & Lift of Quinn Company are excited about the benefits the new center will bring their customers. “A parts center of this caliber in our backyard is a game changer,” said O’Neill. “AGCO stocking more parts closer to home means we can get farmers the parts they need the same day, a real win for growers across California and the entire West Coast.”

The facility reflects a long-term investment in AGCO’s Farmer-First strategy and its growth across North America. AGCO designed the operation from the ground up, leveraging advanced storage systems, specialized material handling equipment and digital infrastructure to support the region’s needs and AGCO’s e-commerce growth for more than 20 years. The facility features vertical lift modules; high-density, narrow-aisle racking; dedicated storage for oversized components; rooftop solar power; and electric vehicle charging stations.

The Visalia project took shape over four years of network analysis, design and collaboration across AGCO’s global organization, making it one of the most advanced parts facilities in the company. Its opening on September 1 lays the foundation for AGCO’s continued growth across the western United States.

https://investors.agcocorp.com/news-releases/news-release-details/agco-opens-advanced-parts-distribution-center-visalia-calif?utm_source=chatgpt.com

By Faughn Economy • Education • Hi-Tech • Manufacturing 0 Comments

‘We’re not finished making history yet’: CSUB hosts celebration of aerospace, defense grants

Industry, government and academic leaders gathered at Cal State Bakersfield Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the award of $6.8 million in state grant money to support a series of aerospace and defense projects in eastern Kern.

The brief event focused on the momentum that appears to be building around an industry speakers said has the potential to support job creation and entrepreneurial interest.

One of the event’s speakers, county District 2 Supervisor Chris Parlier, extended the celebration to include a compressed-air energy storage project and a steel rebar plant, both of which are being developed not far from the properties where the state grant money will be invested.

“If you haven’t been out to the east side lately, you have to,” he said, adding that aerospace testing and other assets available in the area “are difficult if not impossible to replicate anywhere else.”

Event emcee Justin Salters, project lead at New York-based talent and tech accelerator the Griffiss Institute, traced the county’s success at winning the grants to an economic development effort begun in 2021 and later named B3K Prosperity. He said the collaboration led to the creation of tactics for overcoming fragmentation within the local sector.

The grants through the California Jobs First initiative are intended to fund improvements to the Mojave Air & Space Port, establishment of an innovation hub at CSUB and enhancement of an engineering workshop open to entrepreneurs in the Ridgecrest area.

Salters outlined several efforts he said will come together during the next two years. One will provide leadership within the local industry cluster, including formalization of a “public-private-federal” steering committee and execution of an agreement guiding collaboration.

There will also be a significant expansion of the Mojave Aerospace Accelerator, he said, as well as a broadening of efforts to commercialize military technology.

Additionally, the industry’s growth will benefit from greater use of the Aerospace Valley brand name, development of a business retention and expansion strategy, and construction of a pipeline of companies exploring expansion or relocation within the region, Salters noted.

He said Aerospace Valley, which encompasses much of Antelope Valley, is one of three industry clusters in California, with the other two focused in Southern California and the area around Vandenberg Space Force Base in the Lompoc area. Salters said there is hope that the three can be integrated in a way that benefits all three.

One-quarter of the grant sum will be spent on a project known as Techgrid that CEO Bryan Went of Camarillo-based Future Laboratories said will foster collaboration and innovation among the U.S. Navy, small businesses, industry leaders, academic, government agencies and the U.S. military.

CEO and General Manager David G. Smith at Mojave Air & Space Port, which scored $3.1 million in state grant money, described three construction projects at the facility that are expected to create close to 1,000 construction jobs he predicted will be “repeatable over time.”

The three consist of the repair of a hangar door at the facility, a roof repair job at a building whose next tenant Smith said has already been lined up, and rehabilitation work on a road that offers access to rocket test sites around Mojave.

Already, he said, the air and space port houses 60 “mission partners” supporting 3,000 jobs.

“We can grow that number and absolutely make it better,” Smith added.

Among other speakers at the event was President Vernon B. Harper Jr. of CSUB, which took the lead in applying for the state grant money.

Harper recalled the region’s substantial contributions to the aerospace industry, saying, “We’re not finished making history yet.”

He voiced optimism for the cluster’s future, including for entrepreneurs looking to find ways to innovate in aerospace.

“We believe in the talent, the ingenuity of the people that call this place home,” he said.

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/were-not-finished-making-history-yet-csub-hosts-celebration-of-aerospace-defense-grants/article_72c1ad59-98a6-48c8-bc1a-6a7919e2b32b.html

By Faughn Economy • Logistics • New Developments 0 Comments

CA HSR maintenance site, and jobs, meeting in Hanford.

California High Speed Rail Authority says to to keep the 500-mile California high-speed rail system running smoothly, operations and maintenance facilities will be located along the route between  San Francisco and Los Angeles/Anaheim.
Each type of facility will perform a distinct role in  maintaining rail infrastructure, servicing trains and supporting safe and reliable passenger operations.
Maintenance activities will operate 24 hours a day across three overlapping shifts, with most  major work occurring overnight between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. to minimize effects on train operations.
One Heavy Maintenance Facility (HMF) will serve as the primary location for inspections, servicing,  maintenance, overhaul and major component replacement for the high-speed train fleet. The HMF will be located along the Early Operating Segment in the Central Valley.
The Authority is evaluating two potential sites near Fresno and Hanford as part of the environmental review process. At full buildout in 2040, the HMF is anticipated to employ approximately 450 skilled day- and night-shift workers. Total long-term employment at the selected site, including associated facilities, is anticipated to range from approximately 1,500 to 2,000 positions.
The Kings County site being evaluated is south of 198 near Hwy. 43 and Houston.

“It would be an amazing boost to our local economy. It would be huge. That’s up to 2,000 new jobs that we could have right here in Kings County, and we need those jobs,” Hanford Councilmember Nancy Howze said. “We’re where you want to go. We’re the county you want to work with. We’re the city you want to work with.” Verboon said having the facility in Kings County is a “big deal,” but at the same time, the HSR Authority needs to address the concerns of the people, especially those who would be directly impacted by losing their land. The heavy maintenance facility would serve as the primary location for inspections, servicing, maintenance, overhaul and replacement of major components for the high-speed train fleet. The authority anticipates at least 1,700 jobs, and up to 2,100, positions at the site. “From an economic development perspective, the city is always looking for opportunities, and this might provide that,” said Jason Water, Hanford deputy city manager. “Hanford has a lot to offer.”

By Faughn Economy 0 Comments

Madera County Annual Report

Madera County remains open for business. This year, Gimme Seaweed announced the expansion of its manufacturing operations to Madera and is expected to create more than 100 new jobs. We also celebrated several significant business milestones across the county, including the groundbreaking of Raley’s O-N-E Market at Riverstone’s Riverwalk, and more. See report.

Madera County Annual Report