Report: San Joaquin County poised for strong growth

April 19, 2006

By Lance Turner, Arkansasbusiness.com Daily Report

San Joaquin County in the Central Valley is on the cusp of greater economic development that will reshape the county's traditional economic base says a new report prepared for the San Joaquin Partnership.

But county leaders need to be open to adjusting goals as business trends change, says the report from AngelouEconomics Inc., an Austin, Texas, consulting firm hired by the San Joaquin Partnership for a series of in-depth reports.

The consultants say the county needs to broaden its view of what is "economic development," saying past business development has been too centered on "industrial" development.

"Several of these sectors have undergone enormous change in the last two years and even represent declining industry segments due to changing technologies, global implications, or consolidations," the report says.

Angelou Economics recommends six target industries for San Joaquin County.

These are:

• Logistics/Distribution (with a focus on automotive OEM and aftermarket)

• Medical/equipment and supplies

• Air transportation supplies, maintenance and service

• Food processing

• Agriculture biotech, and,

• Energy resources and technology such as solar power, biomass and fuel cells

The report also calls for greater use in business community of higher level learning institutions, citing the need for Delta Community College to be ready to develop courses to train workers.

It also laments the county’s loss of the “young professional” demographic, those 25 to 44 years of age.

Pointing to two unique physical assets in the Stockton area, the report calls for further exploitation of the Port of Stockton, already the state’s fourth largest seaport in terms of tonnage, and of Stockton Metropolitan Airport, which boasts the longest runway of any airport in the Central Valley but which has no passenger service.

Other concerns include what the report calls the “affordability factor” of higher costs concerns regarding quality of life such as schools, commuting, parks, and the “curb appeal” of the county.

But the report remains optimistic, saying, “Overall, San Joaquin County is in a strong position to create additional, long-term economic opportunities.”

It says key to future development will be aggressive marketing of the county as a place to locate and grow a business. “Economic development marketing should start at home by building cohesive and positive support as a foundation for a new external campaign. Unifying the many marketing messages (from cities, organizations, and even businesses) is an important preparatory step to creating a consistent brand for the county,” it says.

The San Joaquin Partnership is a non-profit, private-public economic development corporation assisting business and industry to locate into San Joaquin County.