Madera Economic Summit highlights growth potential, regulatory hurdles facing the county
The Madera Economic Development Commission brought together a group of leaders across the state Wednesday for its 2026 Economic Summit at San Joaquin Wine Co., where panelists discussed rapid growth, regulatory hurdles, and long-term economic risks shaping the future of Madera County.
The Business Journal’s Managing Editor Gabriel Dillard served as moderator.
Much of the discussion focused on how and why Madera County has emerged as a growth leader in California. Developer Timothy Jones, who developed the Riverstone community, said that projects like Riverstone have succeeded despite early skepticism, giving credit to local partners and demand for housing.
“I think that the state of California needs houses,”Jones said. “I think that you have the opportunity to deliver those houses. I think with those houses will come commercial, retail, industrial opportunities that generate tax dollars that are going to benefit the communities in this area tremendously, and the key is just going to be to have the vision and support and effectuate.”
Joshua Peterson, Trumark’s president for its Central California division, said that timing has played a role, pointing to northward expansion that started in Fresno and has worked its way up to Madera with Riverstone and Tesoro Viejo developments.
He highlighted the importance of long-term planning to convert “bedroom communities” into job centers.
Panelists agreed that regulation continues to be the most significant hurdle with development. Sarah Bohn, the vice president of the Economic Policy Center for the Public Policy Institute of California, cited research showing California businesses face thousands of regulatory constraints, contributing to slower job growth and reduced competitiveness.
“Uncertainty and the volatility in the crisis in trade policy and other issues that are really driving pessimism among Californians,” Bohn said. Overall, Californians are pretty pessimistic, including small businesses, only 15% think now is a good time to expand their business.”
From an industrial perspective, Michael Matter, vice president of Central Valley Industrial Real Estate for Jones Lang LaSalle, said that Madera County has an opportunity to position itself as a logistics hub but currently lacks shovel-ready sites that are large enough for distribution facilities like Amazon.
Matter pointed to the need for more entitled industrial land and infrastructure to attract major users.
“Madera has the potential to become a logistics hub,” he said. “In my opinion, the some of the bigger challenges are with a million square feet being kind of the soup du jour for large occupiers.”
Energy access also came up as a recurring issue, with Jones even noting that a company had backed out of the area after not wanting to be in an area that PG&E covers.
Despite some of the risks, the panelists expressed optimism in the county’s future. With continued housing development, improved planning and targeted industrial recruitment, Peterson said that region could become a “formidable force for economic growth compared to surrounding counties.”