Olhasso: The County of San Bernardino Economic Development Agency plays a critical role in implementing the Board of Supervisors’ directive to create, maintain, and grow the economic value of the region. The agency provides many vital resources for businesses looking to grow, residents seeking jobs and housing, and investors and developers seeking opportunity and certainty.

Dolce: What difference can working with an Economic Development Agency make to a business or investor?

Olhasso: We must look at our industry with an entrepreneurial perspective. If our companies aren’t open and making money, our cities aren't making money. Whether it’s fast-tracking permits or helping them find employees, we must work with them, not get in the way of their success.

Dolce: What can executives gain from a county location?

Olhasso: There are measureable advantages in terms of work force, infrastructure, and location. Two of the leading industries in the county are logistics and manufacturing. We have one of the best transportation networks in the world that includes proximity to the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaports, three large airports, a major highway system, and links to the Union Pacific and BNSF railway corridors. Plus the county’s available land and relatively affordable commercial space make it affordable location for business and trade-related operations.

Dolce: What can you share about the county that the real estate community may not know?

Olhasso: We have significant cost advantages. Available industrial spaces in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties are between 40% (for warehouses/distribution) to more than 100% (for R&D/flexible spaces) more expensive than in the Riverside-San Bernardino metro area. Lower vacancy rates in Southern California’s coastal counties also mean fewer choices in general. County industrial spaces tend to be more modern, have better amenities and feature easier access to major highways and arteries.

Dolce: What programs can you provide that benefit business today?

Olhasso: The county’s Workforce Development Department has programs to help businesses improve their operational efficiency, marketing capabilities, and management expertise. Our Economic Development Agency provides free site selection assistance to new and existing businesses including confidential site search for available properties based on specific, client-provided site criteria, as well as coordinating site tours with real estate brokers and developers. We can also help with financial and work force assistance through our Enterprise Zones, Foreign Trade Zones, and LAMBRA districts to name a few. Plus we can assist in coordinating permits with various development-review departments and provide expedited permit processing and plan checks.

Dolce: What are you doing to help the developers and investors already committed to the county?

Olhasso: The county is looking to maximize its resources and work proactively with its private sector to encourage greater job growth and investment. The County’s Redevelopment Agency is an example of how effective public -private partnerships can be and the unique benefits to businesses located in Redevelopment Project Areas. Redevelopment breathes new life into deteriorating areas through the use of property taxes generated from a project area. These funds can assist in the renovation of industrial and commercial businesses and homes, as well as spur new construction, removing barriers to new investment by private enterprise.

Dolce: Can California still remain competitive?

Olhasso: Global leaders such as Dr Pepper Snapple prove how competitive we are today. Dr Pepper Snapple Group, one of the largest beverage companies in the nation, built its new 850,000-square-foot facility in Victorville, CA, in the county’s high desert region. Their new plant fills a void in its distribution network, allowing DPS to distribute product from a regional hub that the company once had to ship cross-country from facilities on the East Coast. The location enables the company to better meet their demands. They underscore the strength of this region in logistics. It’s still the location of choice for major industrial users' regional and headquarters operations and remains Corporate America’s Global Gateway.