By Faughn New Developments 0 Comments

Jackson Ranch

OPEN FOR OPPORTUNITY

Jackson Ranch is approximately 415 acres of fully entitled, master planned development along the Interstate 5 and the existing Utica Avenue off-ramp, with a unique integration of industrial, commercial and agricultural centers aligned to create economic growth
As the half-way point between San Francisco and Los Angeles and adjacent to Interstate 5, Jackson Ranch offers visibility to a high volume of existing motorists who pass by annually. Upon completion, the center will be the only stop to offer food, lodging, a truck stop, and service stations within a 39 mile stretch of the freeway.

The site is located within a Federal Opportunity Zone, which was established within economically challenged areas in 2018 to encourage job growth and investment. This designation offers tax incentives over a 10 year period to businesses that locate and expand within this designation area.

By Faughn Energy • New Developments 0 Comments

Saint-Gobain Invests $32 Million to Upgrade Equipment in Chowchilla, California, Increasing Insulation Production Capacity by 13% and Reducing Carbon Footprint

Saint-Gobain, through its building products subsidiary CertainTeed LLC, is investing $32 million to upgrade equipment at its insulation plant in Chowchilla, California, allowing the facility to expand its production capacity by 13%. The new oven, new furnace and additional new equipment installed at the plant will consume less natural gas and electricity, ultimately reducing the facility’s carbon footprint by more than 4,000 metric tons per year.

The investments in Chowchilla were first announced in November as part of a broader $400 Million expansion of Saint-Gobain’s manufacturing facilities in the United States, and come only months after the company announced its global Grow and Impact strategy, which includes increasing its presence in key high-growth markets while reducing its environmental footprint. The furnace in Chowchilla is used to melt recycled glass and sand into molten glass which is eventually fiberized. The oven is used to cure binding material which holds the fibers together, allowing the insulation to assume its final shape and dimensions. The new equipment is more energy efficient than the plant’s current equipment.

As part of the expansion project, the plant has also installed a new oxygen generation unit which consumes 30% less electricity than the older equipment it replaces. Oxygen is mixed with natural gas and used at the plant to heat the furnace. “Our strategic investments in Chowchilla represent a major commitment to our customers on the West Coast for decades to come, ensuring that we will meet the need for our industry-leading fiberglass insulation at a time of unprecedented demand growth, all while reducing the plant’s carbon footprint,” said Andrew Goldberg, Vice President and General Manager of CertainTeed Insulation Product Group. “We will continue to strive to maximize our positive impact, for our customers and the communities where we do business, while minimizing our environmental footprint. We are grateful for the support we’ve received from our customers and the community, along with the hard work of the incredible team at our plant, as we begin this new chapter of our history in Chowchilla.”

A team of approximately 20 Saint-Gobain engineers and project management professionals worked for several years to plan the equipment upgrades in Chowchilla. An additional team of approximately 300 contract workers were brought on site to install the new equipment starting in January. The new equipment is expected to come online in February and March. This is the largest capital investment CertainTeed has made in Chowchilla since the plant began operations in 1978. Today the facility is home to 180 employees and is looking to hire additional colleagues in the coming weeks. Open positions include roles in controls, engineering, health and safety management, instrumentation, packaging and production management. A current list of job openings can be found on the company’s careers website. Dating back to 2009, the CertainTeed plant in Chowchilla has operated safely for more than four million worker hours without a lost time incident.

About CertainTeed
Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed, headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, has helped shape the building products industry for more than 115 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm’s slogan “Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed,” inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed is a leading North American brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, solar, fence, railing, trim, insulation, drywall and ceilings. www.certainteed.com.

About Saint-Gobain
Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The group’s commitment is guided by its purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME.”

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220215005271/en/Saint-Gobain-Invests-32-Million-to-Upgrade-Equipment-in-Chowchilla-California-Increasing-Insulation-Production-Capacity-by-13-and-Reducing-Carbon-Footprint

By Faughn Economy • New Developments 0 Comments

Madera County Receives $450K Grant From Caltrans

Madera County is pleased to announce the receipt of a Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant award of $450,000 from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The award will be used to develop a Transit Area Specific Plan that will establish a vision for the phased implementation effort to relocate the San Joaquins Madera Station and construct the adjacent future High-Speed Rail (HSR) station.

The plan will lead to the creation of new intermodal transit options and future transit-oriented development along the Avenue 12 corridor in southeastern Madera County. The project is consistent with and supportive of the goals of the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program, Senate Bill 1 requirements, the Madera County General Plan, the Madera State Center Community College Specific Plan (SCCCSP), Federal Railroad Administration(FRA) requirements, as well as the HSR Authority’s programmatic and project environmental documents.

Madera County will do the planning work in partnership with the City of Madera, Madera County Transportation Commission, San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA), California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), and Caltrans. This effort will guide the design and land-use in the vicinity of the station area as well as enable Madera County to promote economic development, encourage station area development and enhance multi-modal access connections between the station, the City of Madera, Madera Community College, and other surrounding communities throughout Madera County and northern Fresno County. “This is an exciting step towards enhancing our current rail connectivity. I believe this is imperative to the success of our cities, our County, Madera Community College, and the residents we serve through smart transit-oriented development,” said Madera County Board of Supervisor Brett Frazier following Monday’s announcement.

https://sierranewsonline.com/madera-county-receives-450k-grant-from-caltrans/

By Faughn New Developments 0 Comments

MGA RESEARCH ANNOUNCES WEST COAST EXPANSION

MGA is excited to announce our West Coast geographic expansion with a new test facility in Hughson, California! Localization has been a core principle of MGA starting approximately 30 years ago, with the purchase of our Wisconsin proving grounds and test facility in the Detroit region. These facilities focused on serving the Midwest based automotive industry. As time went on, the localized demand from our customers continued to grow as they pushed into the Southeastern US and Mexican markets. As a result, MGA established facilities in Texas, Virginia, South Carolina, and Alabama. The emergence and success of many automotive startups and established aerospace customers in the Western United States, has created a demand for local testing services, and MGA is responding. 

As the ninth location in North America, our California facility will serve as a strong addition to existing automotive, space, and aircraft testing capabilities we offer. The location is approximately 100 miles east of San Jose and San Francisco. Sitting on 9 acres with expansion capabilities, this 80,000 sq ft facility will bring unparalleled testing capability under one roof to the West Coast. Capabilities will be added in a phased approach starting in the Summer of 2022. We are bringing these capabilities online based on customer feedback and needs for that region – currently that plan calls for 3 phases: 

Phase 1 – Summer 2022  

FMVSS 200-Level Component Safety, Environmental and Lifecycle, Durability, and Pyroshock 

Phase 2 – Early 2023 

Accelerator Sled testing, Component Safety Expansion, Vibration, and Durability Expansion 

Phase 3 – 2023 

Indoor Full Vehicle Crash Track, Battery and Electronics lab, Materials

Testing Since late 2021, we have hired local CA associates who have been training at multiple MGA facilities to learn our processes and enhance their skillsets. In addition to local hires, several key MGA associates are moving out to California to work full time and bring the same quality of service provided at all our facilities. MGA will continue to grow and expand this facility as time goes on to best serve our growing customer base. With all our planning, state of the art equipment, and experienced staff, we look forward to supporting our west coast customers achieve their goals.

https://mgaresearch.com/news/mga-research-announces-west-coast-expansion/

By Faughn Manufacturing • New Developments 0 Comments

Pacific Steel awards main contract for $350M California rebar mill

Pacific Steel Group anticipates an early-2025 start for a 380,000 ton/year rebar mill in Mojave, Calif., integrating the facility with its fabrication and installation businesses. The company has awarded a contract to Pennsylvania-based Danieli Corp. to build an advanced MIDA Hybrid micro mill, potentially powered by adjacent solar arrays. With four North American rebar mill installations since 2009, the MIDA milling technology yields production efficiencies through “endless” casting and rolling and lowers energy consumption by eliminating the need for the second heating phase typical of steel bar production.

The Mojave facility will help lower carbon dioxide emissions through world class productivity metrics, reduced transportation requirements for Southwest region concrete contractors, and the use of green energy, Pacific Steel affirms. “We are excited about partnering with Danieli to build one of the cleanest, safest and most efficient steel mills in the world,” adds Chairman Eric Benson.

https://concreteproducts.com/index.php/2022/04/11/pacific-steel-awards-main-contract-for-350m-california-rebar-mill/

By Faughn New Developments 0 Comments

Kern Economic Development hopes to increase retention

The Kern Economic Development Foundation is launching a new talent retention initiative, which will link the region’s businesses with students throughout Kern County. This year’s students will be recent graduates of the regional occupational center with disciplines ranging from culinary arts to robotics. Still KEDF is calling on local business owners in Kern to partner with them. “The project is only as good as the job listing we have. So, we have the flow of students right now but we need to work to tell the employers about this talent pool that’s available to step in the job since day one,” said Richard Chapman, Executive Director of the Kern Economic Development Foundation.

The Kern Economic Development Foundation’s goal is to link the region’s businesses with KHSD students through the Kern Intern Connection Executive Director of the Kern Economic Development Foundation. Richard Chapman is hoping not only increase retention of workers in Kern but to gain employers from a variety of disciplines. “The key for us is these internships. The students are going to have to be involved in what that company does, we want to make sure this experience is based on, if you’re a manufacturer, that you’re working in the facility, that you are not just filing papers.”

Chapman said these students already have hours of training but what they need is the opportunity to gain soft skills like showing up to work on time and working with a team. “We know that workforce development, the quality and availability, is by far the number one challenge. I mean, think about it, in our county we have a labor participation of 60% so that means 40% of people that are able to work for various reasons are not looking for a job.” He said this is where the Kern intern connection comes in. “It helps students connect the dots. They learn the skills in the classrooms and the labs but then they get to go out in a real world setting and it really turns the light on for them,” said Brian Miller, Principal of the Kern High Regional Occupational Programs.

Miller said he’s seen students start out not knowing what they want to do at all to finding an internship to getting a job and coming back to teach the next generation of students. “I am a true believer, that this is a very important part of education I see a lot of kids every year that just connect the dot.”Chapman said they are accepting applications from employers on a rolling basis.

https://www.turnto23.com/money/kern-economic-development-hopes-to-increase-retention?msclkid=71ebfca8d08911ec94c1a96c5b18e72c

By Faughn New Developments 0 Comments

Big rental complexes in Visalia, Central Valley mean big money for investors

Local residents have had epic battles at public meetings to stifle the development of apartment and rental homes in the last few years but they may not be able to hold them off much longer. The price of multifamily housing has dramatically increased since new construction slowed to a crawl before the pandemic, which snuffed out what was left. High-end rental complexes have caught the attention of Southern California investors looking to turn big profits on a tight housing market. On April 19, The Mogharebi Group (TMG) brokered the sale of ReNew, a 128-unit development in Visalia from FPA Multifamily to a Santa Barbara-based private investment firm for $30.65 million.

There are 1,055 multifamily properties of 50 units or more, a total of 123,000 rental units, scattered among 70 cities between Bakersfield and Sacramento, according to commercial real estate database Yardi Matrix. “The Central Valley has long been thought of as strictly an agricultural area, but that is only one part of its economic story,” said TMG Executive Vice President Otto Ozen. “Government and healthcare are large and growing economic drivers, which combined with the region’s lower cost of living has resulted in an in-migration of people from higher-cost coastal cities. Yet new construction has not kept up with demand.  The strong regional economy and steady population growth combined with the high barriers to entry, has not been lost on investors,” Ozen added.

Built in 2008, ReNew Visalia is a two-story, 128-unit apartment community located at 3315  Lovers Lane. The property comprises 16 residential buildings totaling 119,608 rentable square feet. The complex is situated on a 6.76-acre site, for a comfortable density of 18.9 units per acre. The apartment homes feature spacious one-, two-, and three-bedroom floor plans with an average size of 934 square feet, respectively. The property boasts a swimming pool, recreation room with wet-bar, laundry facilities, clubhouse, spa, and reserved parking. “Not only did we help the seller find ReNew a few years ago, but after 24 months, we were able to sell it for 50% higher price, which is indicative of growing investor interest for properties in the Central Valley,” Ozen concluded. TMG also brokered the sale of a 240-unit apartment complex in Bakersfield for $22 million, a 109-unit complex in Tulare for $15.66 million and a 237-unit complex in Visalia for $42.5 million in 2020 alone.

In the last two years, 445 multifamily properties in the Central Valley have traded hands, 10% of those transactions brokered by TMG. Over that span, the average sales price per unit increased  21% from $111,275 to $135,444.  The greatest increases could be found in 4- and 5-star properties which increased 28% from $228,465 to $292,412. And there are plenty more in the permitting pipeline. Apartment permits in Visalia were up 30% in the first two months of 2022 alone. Permits in Tulare are estimated to skyrocket as they are often priced lower than similar sized homes in Visalia, and the same can be said of apartment complexes as well. Since its founding in 2015, TMG, one of the leading multifamily brokers in the State of California, according to real estate research and advisory firm Green Street, has been involved in the sale of more than 6,500 units in the Central Valley with sales exceeding $800 million.

https://thesungazette.com/article/news/2022/04/26/big-rental-complexes-in-visalia-central-valley-mean-big-money-for-investors/

By Faughn Economy • New Developments 0 Comments

California one step closer to establishing high-speed rail with Silicon Valley to Merced line

After years of anticipation and developments, the state is one step closer to establishing a high-speed rail connection between Northern and Southern California. This week, California High-Speed Rail Authority officials approved a 90-mile stretch set to run from San Jose to Merced. This section would begin at San Jose’s Diridon Station and connect to a Central Valley site currently under construction. This connection will cut travel time between the two regions from roughly three hours to one hour.  San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo says he sees the developments as good news for the local economy.  “Completion of this critically important high-speed rail project helps the state expand economic opportunity and affordable housing, two critical goals for all of us,” he said.

Monterey County resident Stefan Mora says he often travels up and down the state for work and believes the high speed rail is a good alternative for people who spend a lot of time behind the wheel.  “It’s a great way to travel,” he said. “You’ll save gas with the prices it’s at right now, and save plenty of time not dealing with traffic.” High-speed rail officials say this development helped achieve environmental clearance for nearly 400 miles of the project’s 500-mile Phase 1 alignment from San Francisco to the Los Angeles and Anaheim area. This includes a stretch from Merced to Palmdale, and Burbank to Los Angeles — a section cleared earlier this year.

The project is also set to “modernize and electrify” an existing rail corridor between San Jose and Gilroy, allowing for high speed rail and Caltrans services. This alignment includes more than 15 miles of tunnels through the Pacheco Pass in the Diablo Range. Gilroy Mayor Marie Blankley is calling it “the next most significant transit hub” behind San Jose.  “Gilroy Transit Center is very much ready for this to happen,” Blankley said.   Salinas resident Christian Lopez says he hopes the high speed rail will make for a better traveling experience. “Maybe it can help take vehicles off the freeways and they can lessen how crowded it is at airports,” he said. Construction for the high-speed rail is ongoing along 119 miles in the Central Valley at 35 active job sites. “The authority is poised to make the vision of high-speed rail in the Bay Area a reality,” Authority CEO Brian Kelly said. “We look forward to continued collaboration with our federal, state and local partners to advance the project in Northern California.”

 

https://www.thecalifornian.com/story/news/2022/04/29/california-closer-high-speed-rail-silicon-valley-to-merced-line-bullet-train-san-jose-sf-to-la-next/9578137002/

By Faughn New Developments • Workforce 0 Comments

Inland Port concept to flow more trade to Central Valley, cut pollution

A collaborative consortium of California port authorities, county governments, transportation agencies, air pollution control districts have joined forces to analyze the feasibility of developing a new, intermodal rail spine to connect seaports to key markets via the Central Valley. The plan is to develop a network of three or four “Inland Ports” in Central Valley cities with built-in access to freight rail and trucking routes. By developing a better intermodal system of moving freight, where trucks are used to transport cargo containers from ships to rail and then from rail to their destination instead of driving across the state, the project promises to cut greenhouse gasses, significantly improve air quality, reduce road congestion, boost traffic safety, and advance California’s extraordinarily large intra-state freight movement system. “Given the scale of California’s market, its geographic proximity, and its seaport infrastructure, the California Inland Port would become a nationally significant logistics and economic development project; a key to advancing California’s ambitious climate, economy, and equity goals which could then be modeled in other states,” stated a feasibility report conducted by the San Joaquin Valley Regional Planning Agencies Policy Council.

Tulare County has been on board with the project since its inception through its membership in the San Joaquin Valley Metropolitan Planning Organizations and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Now the city of Visalia has joined efforts to become one of the Inland Ports although Fresno may have the inside track with access to both freight rail giants, Union Pacific (UP) and Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF). But Visalia is now a key logistics center adjacent to both Highway 99 and the main UP line. ”It’s on our radar,” says Devon Jones, economic development manager for the city of Visalia.

The objectives of the California Inland Port are:

  • Support new job creation and investment growth by fundamentally repositioning the economic competitiveness of the San Joaquin Valley region.
  • Create a more robust and efficient distribution system with a specific focus on high-value manufacturing, e-commerce, and the agriculture sectors.
  • Reducing shipping costs for shippers that manage global supply chains through direct intermodal rail service to/from the San Pedro seaports.
  • Significantly reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the number of truck trips from the seaports complex in the Los Angeles region to the Central Valley and the Bay Area.
  • Reduce highway road congestion, with a parallel reduction in the requirement for road maintenance; accident-avoidance savings; all of this reducing cost.  There is currently no rail intermodal service from the Ports to intra-California markets.

Practically all containerized cargo being transported to and from California seaports from inland markets travel by truck. The report noted that in recent years, there has been considerable interest in better connecting the San Joaquin Valley to the international seaports in Southern California, such as Los Angeles and Long Beach.  These efforts have the potential to enhance economic opportunity in the Central Valley while simultaneously reducing air pollution. The Port of Los Angeles and Merced County kicked off the concept by developing the Mid-California International Trade District, a growing logistics and manufacturing hub in Merced County. Building on this effort, a group of business leaders and the Central Valley Community Foundation initiated the California Inland Port Feasibility Analysis (CIPFA) which set out to determine whether it would be feasible to establish a rail-served inland port project in California.

Based upon an analysis completed in spring 2020, proposed intermodal rail service would provide a significant reduction in annual emissions for cargo being shipped in and out of the San Joaquin Valley. Nitric oxide (NOx) emissions, the primary byproduct of burning fossil fuel, would be reduced by up to 83% while greenhouse gas emissions, such as ozone, would be reduced by up to 93%, according to a feasibility conducted by the San Joaquin Valley Regional Planning Agencies Policy Council. Moving large quantities of freight via rail would remove some freight trucks from the public highways, reducing congestion, improving traffic flow and safety on Highways 101, 99 and I-5.

Industry is On Board
The feasibility study also gathered input from key sectors of the shipping industry including large agricultural exporters, key exporters of manufactured products, inbound retailers, logistical companies like Amazon, and trucking companies and ocean carriers.  “In general, the input strongly suggested that industry felt that the introduction of intermodal rail through the California market would be beneficial to their current business and would support increased business in the future,” the report stated. “In terms of today’s condition, there was an overwhelming desire for reductions in shipping costs and more surety about stable logistics solutions to support growth.”

Agricultural processors, such as Tulare County citrus, indicated a desire for far more efficient field-to-port logistics.  They indicated that lower costs would increase their profit margins and support increased export production. Distribution centers, like Walmart, Joann’s and Amazon in Tulare County, saw rail as a way to offset shipping cost through fuel reductions and dynamics. Due to the challenges of securing drivers for longer hauls, the trucking community reacted positively to the concept of increased rail service to key hubs in the Central Valley.  They felt that an intermodal rail inland port would reduce their exposure to running longer haul trucks into the Los Angeles traffic zone and reduce their exposure to long wait times at the ports. Serving intermodal hubs in the Central Valley would allow them to substitute shorter and more profitable routes and would allow them to retain drivers.

Pulling Forward
The Inland Ports project is currently in Phase two of its feasibility study determining market readiness, industry acceptance, estimating costs and competitive impacts to the region while preparing for the environmental process moving forward. This phase is where the Executive Advisory Group (EAG) is formed, helping to inform decision making as the study moves forward. All major stakeholders will have a role in this group. The private sector, including major shippers and experts, will inform the EAG through a Shipper’s Committee. Phase Two is fully funded and is proceeding through GLDPartners under the management of the Fresno Council of Governments.

Phase Three will move the project forward to the delivery stage, detail a project financial performance model, develop a business plan for green, high-efficiency logistics/investment hubs around intermodal facilities, plan for an intermodal facility site selection, develop detailed capital cost programs, deliver a railroad agreement to collaborate, and develop public-private delivery options. Phase Three received a Caltrans Strategic Partnership grant for $388,000 in the 2021-22 funding cycle.

https://thesungazette.com/article/news/2022/04/26/inland-port-concept-to-flow-more-trade-to-central-valley-cut-pollution/

By Faughn Economy • New Developments 0 Comments

High-speed rail between San Jose, Central Valley receives final EIR certification

High-speed rail between San Jose and the Central Valley took a step closer to becoming reality after the final environmental impact report was certified Thursday. In a unanimous vote, the High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors approved the 90-mile section stretching from Diridon Station in San Jose to Merced. “Today’s approval represents another major milestone and brings us one step closer to delivering high-speed rail between the Silicon Valley and the Central Valley,” Authority CEO Brian Kelly said in a statement. “The Authority is poised to make the vision of high-speed rail in the Bay Area a reality.” The approval moves the project closer to being “shovel ready” once funding becomes available, officials said. Currently, construction is underway between Madera County and Bakersfield in the Central Valley.

Once high-speed rail is complete between San Jose and Fresno, officials said the travel time between the two cities would be one hour, compared to three hours by car. “Completion of this critically important high-speed rail project helps the state expand economic opportunity and affordable housing, two critical goals for all of us,” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said. In its decision, the board selected “Alternative 4” out of the four alignments studied. As part of the project, the existing rail corridor between San Jose and Gilroy would be electrified, allowing for both high-speed rail and Caltrain service. From Gilroy, the rail line would head east into the Central Valley, with 15 miles of tunnels through the Pacheco Pass in the Diablo Range. “Next to San Jose, Gilroy will be the next most significant transit hub on this stretch,” Gilroy Mayor Marie Blankley said, noting the city’s transit center is “very much ready for this to happen.”

Despite years of delays and cost overruns, the project, which aims to connect the Bay Area, Central Valley and Southern California with high-speed trains, continues to have high support. A recent poll by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found Californians back high-speed rail by a five-to-three margin. According to officials, 400 miles out of the 500 mile alignment of the system have been environmentally cleared. Sections that remain to be cleared include San Francisco to San Jose, Palmdale to Burbank and Los Angeles to Anaheim. The agency’s board of directors said it would consider final EIR certification for the San Francisco to San Jose segment this summer.

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/high-speed-rail-san-jose-central-valley-final-eir-certification/