San Bernardino County was recognized as the primary job creator in the state at the annual State of the County event. The conference brought together leading experts throughout Southern California and leaders in San Bernardino to discuss the market's progress and an outlook for future growth. The tone was overwhelmingly positive. San Bernardino is a leader in the State of California for job growth and has seen substantial population growth. That paired with affordable commercial and residential product sets the market up for a healthy future. We sat down with Reg Javier, deputy executive officer of workforce and economic development and San Bernardino County, to talk about the market. Scroll through the slideshow above for a look inside the event. GlobeSt.com: Give me an update on the State of the County this year? James: San Bernardino County is being recognized by multiple regional and national economists and market trackers as the primary job creator for not just Southern California but also California. In Milken Institute's Best-Performing Cities U.S. Index the San Bernardino-Riverside-Ontario metro ranked number 20 in the best performing large cities. As part of State of the County, Kevin Klowden, executive director, Milken Institute's Center for Regional Economics and California Center, shared that "This surge is not just driven by housing and construction it is being driven by a greater variety of different jobs." Additional County attributes discussed included the growth of Ontario International Airport. "LAX needs a stronger Ontario Airport because LAX is running out of capacity. Ontario could be positioned as the key long-haul airport for Southern California," added Klowden. The airport, now under local County control, has been growing, adding new service with Frontier Airlines and China Airlines. The County's entrepreneurial spirit was also cited. Mike Stull, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director - IECE College, CSU, San Bernardino, said that the County has the raw materials for businesses that include educational options and excellent support from government systems. Stull further noted that, "it is those assets that make it easier for entrepreneurs to focus on what they do best. We have the eco-system to support and encourage growth." GlobeSt.com: Several experts spoke about the strength of the market. What were some of the highlights? Javier: At the event, Chris Thornberg, founding partner at Beacon Economics, noted that the region's housing and commercial real estate affordability coupled with the lack of space in coastal communities will continue to drive the Inland Empire's population growth. According to Beacon Economics, approximately 1.2 million people will move into the region over the next 20 years, which is equal to the size of New Orleans. As many speakers noted, growth for the region isn't an option, it's more about how the region's leaders and businesses will plan for it. During a pre-event State of the County panel, Randall Lewis, Lewis Management Company; Darla Longo, CBRE; and Kim Sndyer, Prologis, when asked by moderated Terry Thompson, director of real estate services, San Bernardino County, to compare the region to an investment stock, all cited that it would be considered a blue chip stock and that the recommendation would be to "buy." GlobeSt.com: How did the CRE market perform in San Bernardino in 2017, and what were the drivers? Javier: The biggest driver for all economic growth in the Inland Empire remains population and workforce. San Bernardino County is the only region adding millennials. An analysis of Census Bureau data by demographer Wendell Cox reported that the number one region for growth in the number of young people since 2000 (out of the 53 largest metropolitan areas) was the San Bernardino-Riverside metro, which saw a remarkable 47.7% growth in young people, adding more than 315,000. In addition, the Inland Empire recently topped the list of the "Metro Area Economic Conditions Indexes" list by Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, making it one of the hottest economies in Southern California. The Inland Empire averaged 5.5% of growth on an annual basis since the end of the recession, with business output exceeding 7% in the first half of 2017 alone. That growth is driving strong activity across all sectors in commercial real estate. According to CBRE, for office, the end of 2017 marked the Inland Empire's sixth consecutive year of positive net absorption, increased asking lease rates, and lower vacancy. Specifically, insurance and financial services companies expanded during the quarter. A similar story is found in retail. Inland Empire retail activity was extremely active for 2017 surpassing major surrounding markets in number of deals done, ending Q4 2017 with 265,576 square feet of positive net absorption, bringing the year-end total to 531,118 square feet with positive year end fundamentals in most submarkets. Finally, industrial continues to outperform. Colossal industrial buildings have been the hot ticket item in 2017 as e-commerce, consumer goods, retailers, and 3PLs have clamored for what inventory is available.