Category: E-Commerce

Central CaliforniaE-Commerce
By Jennifer E-Commerce • New Developments 0 Comments

MADERA COUNTY HOUSING BOOM COULD SPUR AT LEAST ONE NEW CITY

By Jennifer E-Commerce • Economy • Workforce 0 Comments

Gap is bringing 600 jobs to the Fresno area

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Gap Incorporated is set to begin hiring for the 2019 holiday season which will bring more than 600 jobs to the Fresno area.

The company has announced its plans to hire employees for a range of seasonal opportunities including sales associate positions, customer relations representatives and shipment coordinators at distribution centers.

It is hosting a one-day hiring event Saturday, October 5, at all Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and other Gap incorporated locations across the United States from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Most contingency offers will be made immediately after interviewing at the hiring event.

All seasonal associates will also enjoy the same merchandise discount as the company’s current associates, just in time for holiday gift-giving.

By Jennifer E-Commerce • Economy • Health/Medical • Quality of Life 0 Comments

Signed State Budget Delivers Millions for the Valley

Friday, June 28, 2019

Funding included for Career Technical Education, Safe Drinking Water, and Valley Fever

SACRAMENTO – Today, Assemblymember Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) issued the following statement regarding Governor Newsom’s signing of the 2019-2020 state budget:

“Governor Newsom’s first state budget reinforces California’s commitment to supporting working families, small businesses, students, seniors and veterans.  This budget builds record reserves for a rainy day and pays off debt while doing more to shore up working families and tackle challenges of affordability and quality of life,” said Assemblymember Salas.  “This budget invests in the Central Valley by addressing the healthcare workforce shortage, allocating $2 million to support valley fever research and providing millions to address safe and affordable drinking water.  The budget also includes funding to help train, grow, and support our workforce and students by expanding workforce development and youth leadership programs.”

State Budget Includes:

  • $2 million to the Valley Fever Institute at Kern Medical Center to support valley fever research
  • $12.5 million General Fund one-time for safe drinking water in the Central Valley, including $2.5 million to bring communities like Arvin into compliance with safe drinking water standards
  • $705,000 for three Independent Living Centers (ILC), including ILC of Kern County
  • $40,000 for the California Central Valley Economic Development Corporation
  • $1.1 million for planning of Bakersfield College Delano Center: Learning Resource Center Multi-Purpose Building
  • $1.6 million for planning of West Hills College Lemoore Instructional Center Phase 1
  • $12 million over three years for the Youth and Family Civic Engagement Initiative

 

The main budget bill – AB 74 – can be found here.

Valley Fever Funding

“We are grateful to Assemblymember Rudy Salas for authoring this legislation and bringing critical funding to Kern County – where it is needed the most.  As Medical Director for the Valley Fever Institute at Kern Medical, I am honored to lead our clinical team as we continue our mission to increase education and awareness for the public, patients and health care providers; provide the best patient care available and promote research that includes epidemiology, clinical drug development, prevention, immunology and immunizations.  The $2 million in funding will directly help the patients we care for every day at the Valley Fever Institute.” – Royce Johnson, M.D., Medical Director of the Kern Medical Valley Fever Institute and Chief of Infectious Diseases at Kern Medical

“Every day at the Valley Fever Institute we care for patients fighting Valley Fever.  The $2 million will benefit countless people in Kern County and beyond.  We are grateful to our dedicated legislators for supporting this critical funding and working with us to ensure the health of our community.” – Russell V. Judd, CEO, Kern Medical

 

Dolores Huerta and Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center’s Youth and Family Civic Engagement Initiative (YFCEI)

“We are grateful that the legislature and the Governor have made it possible to expand the Dolores Huerta Foundation and Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center’s Youth and Family Civic Engagement Initiative (YFCEI) to reach more underserved youth throughout California, with a focus on youth engagement, youth empowerment and leadership development utilizing the philosophies of non-violence advocates.  The leadership training that the youth receive will be magnified tenfold as the youth take the lessons learned to address and resolve the many issues that they are confronted with in their respective communities.” – Dolores Huerta

This funding supports the YFCEI’s efforts to serve young people in 12 counties throughout California over the next three years.

 

Independent Living Centers of Kern County

“We want to express our gratitude and dedication to Assemblymember Salas and his staff for the work they have done to maintain equal base rate funding of all Independent Living Centers in CA.  These continued funds come directly to Kern County and stay in Kern County to support the needs of all people with disabilities.” – Jimmie Soto, Executive Director of the Independent Living Center of Kern County

 

California Central Valley Economic Development Corporation

“The California Central Valley Economic Development Corporation is excited about this unique investment to further business development in the Central Valley.  We greatly appreciate Assemblyman Salas championing this effort, and look forward to the development of new and expanding businesses as a result of this program.” – Lance Lippincott, CEO and President of Kings County Economic Development Corporation

We anticipate additional funding for the Central Valley as the Governor signs the remaining budget trailer bills.

https://a32.asmdc.org/press-releases/20190628-signed-state-budget-delivers-millions-valley

By Jennifer Back Office • E-Commerce • Food Processing 0 Comments

Three Kern companies make the 2019 Inc. 5000 list of fast-growing businesses

Three Kern County-based businesses — Grapevine MSP Technology Services and Stria LLC in Bakersfield and Tasteful Selections LLC in Arvin — have been named to 2019’s Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing privately held companies with revenues of more than $2 million last year.

Tasteful Selections, a grower and seller of bite-size potatoes, ranked highest among the three, coming in at number 2,440. Its growth year-over-year growth was pegged at 163 percent, according to Inc.’s website; its annual revenue was listed as $127.5 million.

Stria, a business process outsourcing company specializing in document management, ranked 4,350th with 70 percent growth and revenues of $6.1 million.

Grapevine is an information technology management firm with revenues of $4.8 million per year. Its 57-percent growth rate landed it 4,830th on the Inc. ranking.

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/three-kern-companies-make-the-inc-list-of-fast-growing/article_18d4a54c-c45d-11e9-b615-2be90d1e5eca.html

By Jennifer E-Commerce • Economy • New Location • Workforce 0 Comments

Amazon acknowledges new facility north of Bakersfield

By John Cox

The Bakersfield Californian

August 15, 2015

When Amazon was trying to get approval to build a massive distribution center next to Meadows Field Airport, the company’s approach was so stealthy that senior Kern County officials reviewing its permit application did not know they were actually dealing with the Seattle-based e-commerce giant.

Even after county officials told reporters one year ago this month that Amazon was coming to town, the company known for its secrecy chose to remain publicly silent about its plans for Kern.

All of that ended with an email exchange Thursday.

“Amazon absolutely acknowledges this project,” spokeswoman Shevaun Brown wrote to The Californian, “but we do not have any new information at this time.”

She was unable to provide a projected opening date or a time when the company will begin hiring people to work at the four-story building that has been under construction since October along Merle Haggard Drive. But she did confirm some details that have already been reported, clarify a misperception and fill in some important blanks.

The company, Brown noted, intends to employ 1,000 full-time, full-benefit jobs when it opens the building, which she said measures 640,000 square feet.

That last detail comes as something of a surprise. Several people have estimated the building’s size at 2.6 million square feet. But that assumes each of the four floors will offer the same amount of floor space, which apparently it will not.

County records suggest the building will house robots that will assist in the distribution process. Their towering presence will reduce the amount of interior floor space considerably. But it is still a massive building and one of the largest in Kern County.

Most of the jobs there will support “order fulfillment,” Brown wrote: “picking, packing and shipping items to customers such as books, small electronics, school supplies and home goods.”

She said there will also be jobs supporting the building operations in the areas of human resources, information technology and management.

Employees at the site will earn a minimum of $15 per hour and have access to comprehensive medical, vision and dental insurance “starting on day one,” Brown wrote.

They will also be able to enroll in a retirement savings plan, a program allowing employees to share their paid leave with their spouse or partner, and prepaid tuition covering 95 percent of the cost of courses related to in-demand fields “regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon,” she added.

Although she was unable to state when the plant might open for business, she did say hiring typically begins one to two months before operations commence — and that this launch typically takes 18 months to two years after the project is announced.

This timetable could suggest the building will begin distribution work sometime between February and August of next year.

The email exchange concluded with an implicit call for patience on the part of job-seekers.

“Even though a building may look finished on the outside,” she wrote, “we’re likely still constructing the different floors, etc.”

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/amazon-acknowledges-construction-project-north-of-bakersfield/article_91f52e16-ba3e-11e9-aacd-d3c1350830ef.html

By Jennifer E-Commerce • Logistics 0 Comments

Central Valley Continues to Charm Logistics Buyers

sf-prologis.jpg

STOCKTON, CA—Newport Beach, CA-based CT purchased the 345-acre industrial site for the 4.4 million-square-foot NorCal Logistics Center in May 2017 and has now completed the first phase development, including three spec buildings. The last to be completed is a 1.12 million-square-foot building, one of the single-largest speculative industrial buildings in Northern California. The second phase of development will begin toward the end of 2018 and include three additional buildings totaling approximately 1.6 million square feet.

The first two buildings in phase one totaling 575,127 square feet have been sold to Prologis for $47 million. Prologis paid approximately $82 per square foot for the buildings, which were unleased and in shell condition at closing.

“These transactions reflect the high demand for world-class logistics facilities in major distribution markets nationwide,” said Carter Ewing, managing partner of CT. “The speed with which these buildings transacted following completion mirrors the strong interest we are experiencing in several other projects we currently have underway. In this case, the transaction allows Prologis to enjoy a fair profit on their investment going forward while providing CT with a sizeable return and well ahead of schedule; a true win-win.”

Prologis’ interest in the Central Valley is well known. As of the end of 2017, it has taken ownership of 31 buildings, approximately 15 million square feet, and is projected to continue producing oversized returns.

CT was represented in the sale by Kevin Dal Porto, Blake Rasmussen and John McManus of Cushman & Wakefield. Prologis was self represented.

NorCal Logistics Center is home to General Mills, KeHE Foods, Allen Distributors and Fox Head, and is in the heart of California’s Central Valley, a 185 million-square-foot industrial market. The region is an extension of a global logistics supply chain infrastructure directly linked to West Coast ports in Oakland/Stockton, Los Angeles/Long Beach, Portland, OR and Seattle/Tacoma.

Since its establishment in 1994, CT has completed more than 300 transactions valued at more than $3 billion. CT has acquired more than 2,000 acres of industrial land since 2010, and the company is primarily focused on the investment of class-A US industrial logistics developments. CT has active developments in Southern California, New Jersey and other East Coast markets. CT has more than 10 million square feet under development and another 10 million square feet in its development pipeline.

For example, CT is in development on logistics centers near Chicago, Atlanta and in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, where the company last month announced the development of Oakdale Logistics Center in Grand Prairie, TX. The company plans to announce three new development projects in the next few months, further extending its nationwide logistics footprint.

Nationwide, industrial vacancy stands at 7.3%, the lowest since first quarter 2001, according to the first quarter 2018 CBRE US industrial availability index. The first quarter 2018 construction totaled 35 million square feet with absorption at 41 million square feet. This is the 32nd straight quarter of positive absorption. The drivers of supply chain demand–consumer consumption, business inventories, industrial production–all showed growth in first quarter 2018. Consumer consumption is directly linked to demand for warehouse and logistics real estate, which is fueling investment and development activity. PREA’s fourth quarter 2017 consensus forecast survey projects a 7.1% return for logistics real estate from 2017 to 2021; more than apartments, retail or office, GlobeSt.com learns.

Originally appeared in GlobeSt

https://www.cbicommercial.com/blog/2018/7/6/central-valley-continues-to-charm-logistics-buyers

By Jennifer Commercial • E-Commerce • Economy • Food Processing • Health/Medical • Hi-Tech • Logistics • Manufacturing • New Developments • New Location 0 Comments

NEW STATE GROUP TO PROMOTE OPPORTUNITY ZONES

image via caloz.org

image via caloz.org

Published On March 25, 2019 – 11:58 AM
Written By The Business Journal Staff

A new California organization has been formed to help investors and developers take advantage of federal Opportunity Zones.

CalOZ “will promote competitive, equitable and sustainable Opportunity Zone investments in California,” according to a release from the organization.

“Our state must embrace new strategies to rebuild an upward economy that works for all Californians,” said Kunal Merchant, president and Co-Founder of CalOZ. “Opportunity zones offer an important new tool, not only to promote economic mobility and the green economy in areas of our state that need it most, but also to re-evaluate and re-imagine how business, government, and community work together to foster a more competitive, equitable and sustainable economy in California.”

In President Donald Trump’s 2016 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, he outlined what was labeled Opportunity Zones, which offered tax breaks on capital gains for investments in distressed areas.

In Fresno, a number of the areas were established, including the Kings Canyon and Blackstone avenue corridors.

On average, Opportunity Zones have a poverty rate of nearly 31 percent with families making 59 percent of the median income for the area, according to the release, citing information from Economic Innovation Group.

“Opportunity zones offer an intriguing new pathway for our state to expand our middle class and restore the California Dream for all residents,” said Ashley Swearengin, Central Valley Community Foundation’s CEO and former Mayor of Fresno. “I’m thrilled to see CalOZ showing leadership on this issue and excited to support their work both in the Central Valley and state as a whole.”

CalOZ’s first priority will be coordinating with the state to create “high-impact” policies in addition to the ones being offered by the federal government. The plan is to create a “triple-bottom line mindset” for social, environmental and financial opportunities, according to the release.

“With more than three million Californians residing in opportunity zones, California can and must seize the chance to deploy an unprecedented source of private capital into the communities that need it most, “ said Jim Mayer, President and CEO of California Forward. “We’re proud to partner with CalOZ to support state and local action to ensure California emerges as a national leader in this program.”

The U.S. Department of the Treasury certified more than 8,700 qualified areas throughout the country. Of those, California has around 10 percent within its boundaries. And Fresno County is ranked third in terms of having the largest designated Opportunity Zones, according to Merchant.

Those designations will last through the end of 2028.

New state group to promote Opportunity Zones

By Jennifer E-Commerce • Logistics • Manufacturing 0 Comments

KERN COUNTY: CALIFORNIA’S NEXT MAJOR LOGISTICS HUB

Published on 2019-03-06

Tejon Ranch Commerce Center leads the effort with new space and even more available land.

March 5, 2019

By Barry Zoeller

Kern County is quickly establishing itself as a major location for distribution centers and the creation of new jobs. Located just north of Los Angeles at the geographic and population center of California, Kern County is already home to more than 50 distribution and fulfillment centers within 40 miles of the county seat of Bakersfield—California’s ninth largest city. With a lineup of distribution centers that includes major players in the logistics industry including Amazon, Dollar General, Famous Footwear, IKEA, L’Oréal, Ross, Target, and Walmart, Kern County is a region increasingly targeted by large brands looking for more space to grow.

Kern County’s competitive location

Kern County’s location enables overnight truck delivery to 40 million consumers— more than any other location in the west. Distribution centers are cost centers for companies, and the costs of doing business in Kern County are much lower than in most other regions in California. Housing in Kern County is also among the most affordable in the state, enabling companies to attract and retain employees.

Companies relocating to Kern County have access to prominent transportation corridors including Interstate 5, State Highway 99, and eastbound 58, providing easy access to all of California and beyond. Drive times are also more consistent, typically 90 minutes to Los Angeles with fewer congestion points for drivers to contend with.

Tejon Ranch Commerce Center leads the way

Located at the southern gateway to Kern County directly on Interstate 5, the Tejon Ranch Commerce Center (TRCC), a 1,450-acre active master-planned commercial development that includes industrial, retail, food, fuel, and hospitality amenities, is helping fuel this additional growth in Kern County.

TRCC’s fully entitled land is very attractive to companies looking to locate or expand in California. The center includes more than 5 million square feet of existing distribution and retail space and has capacity for the immediate development of nearly 15 million additional square feet of warehouse and industrial space.

TRCC offers next-day delivery service to Southern and Northern California, Reno, Las Vegas, and the outskirts of Phoenix along with access to up to 6.7 million more consumers than competing regions, and it does so within a single-day truck turn. TRCC features shovel-ready industrial sites for distribution, manufacturing, and e-commerce operations serving all of California and the 11 western states.

Big advantages

Its biggest advantage, though? TRCC is the closest location in Kern County to the Ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, and given its proximity to the LA basin, it is the most immediate relief valve for companies priced or spaced out of the heavily constrained markets in Southern California. One recent example: L’Oréal USA moved its professional salon distribution operations from Valencia, California to TRCC, occupying the remaining 240,000 square feet of space in a 480,000-square-foot building. The reason for their move from Los Angeles County? TRCC offered greater value, more room to grow, a deep and qualified employee base and a strategic location from which to serve the western U.S.

Incentives driving growth

Kern County recently implemented an economic incentive policy, which gives the county flexibility to craft significant incentive packages to attract quality new businesses to the county. In 2018, a $2.3 million incentive package was awarded to L’Oréal USA based on its creation of 155 new jobs at TRCC. Amazon, which is building a 2 million-square-foot multi-story facility next to Meadows Field, Kern County’s main airport, also received an incentive package tied to additional job creation. TRCC currently employs between 3,000-4,000 full time and part time employees based on season.

The growth in Kern County and at Tejon Ranch continues. Tejon, in partnership with Majestic Realty Co., is currently building a 580,000-square-foot speculative industrial building that will be ready for occupancy in the fourth quarter of 2019. 67% of the building has already been pre-leased to a user that will be moving its western U.S. distribution operations out of the Los Angeles area. Needing room to expand, the user will occupy approximately 390,000 square feet of space in the new building.

With its lower costs, new County incentives, great amenities for workers and professional drivers alike, and California’s largest activated Foreign Trade Zone as well as substantial room for growth, TRCC is poised to continue to lead the way as future tenants learn the advantages of doing business in Kern County.

Artist rendering of 580K-square-foot industrial building set to open at TRCC in the fourth quarter of 2019. Having pre-leased 390K square feet, approximately 190K square feet is still available.

For more information, visit www.tejoncommerce.com/.