SCVEDC Blog

The 2024 Santa Clarita Valley Economic Outlook explores a resilient and evolving local labor market characterized by growth in key industries, changing dynamics, and challenges in workforce retention. Employment and business expansion, workforce training initiatives, and business assistance and attraction remain a primary focus, supported by the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation’s (SCVEDC) integrated approach to attracting diverse business opportunities and job creation. Here are the highlights and insights on employment and workforce trends shaping the region from the 2024 Economic Outlook Book and the 2024 Economic Outlook conference this September:

Manufacturing Day is an annual national celebration to help students discover what modern manufacturing is all about, and for years in Santa Clarita private and public organizations have come together to introduce students first-hand to how manufacturing, engineering, robotics, logistics, and quality control all play a role in shaping our world.

This year's Manufacturing Day in the SCV was certainly an iconic one. It was a day filled with excitement as the College of the Canyons unveiled its brand new Advanced Technology Center (ATC) on Thursday, October 5th. The grand opening was followed by a bustling gathering the next day, where hundreds of students and community members eagerly explored the possibilities of advanced manufacturing technologies and potential career paths.

Press Release - New aerospace company joins SCV's thriving local cluster

SANTA CLARITA VALLEY, CA – This month Lockheed Martin announced the completed transition of their hybrid airship IP and related assets to a newly formed commercial company, AT² Aerospace. AT² is developing airship solutions to support commercial and humanitarian applications around the world. The development of airships is anticipated to provide new freight alternatives for shippers, as well as the
ability to reach remote locations efficiently.

soon to occupy 965,000 square-feet across 6 buildings at Needham Ranch

When they started out, DrinkPAK was just a small start up in search of a new location in Southern California. Their principals had a long and successful track record  creating beverage brands, then selling these brands along with their manufacturing facilities to world-class companies such as PepsiCo and Keurig Dr. Pepper. For their first dedicated contract manufacturing facility they ultimately chose the Center at Needham Ranch (CANR) as the optimal location for their project.  Their plans called for a state-of-the-art, 3-line beverage contract manufacturing, packaging, and fulfillment center. 

DrinkPAK Pre-Leases 200K-SF in Final Phase to Expand SCV Footprint to 770,000 square feet

SCV Companies Making an Impact on Their Employees, Community, and Environment

Many people want to partner with, work for, buy from, and invest in companies they believe in. Two Santa Clarita Valley companies have become B Corporations demonstrating commitment to their employees, community, and the environment.   

B Corporations are for-profit companies, certified by a nonprofit called B Lab. In order to earn the certification, companies must achieve a 80/200 score on B Lab’s assessment, which is split into four parts – Governance, Workers, Community, and Environment.  

Printful Relocates North to the SCV

The Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation is pleased to announce that Printful, a print-on-demand service based in Charlotte, N.C. is relocating its California facility from Chatsworth to the Santa Clarita Valley, in the Valencia Commerce Center. This new location is triple the size of the Chatsworth site, which will accommodate their increased production demands.

Industrial Market in SCV Never Missed a Beat 

While the COVID-19 crisis initially gave many companies pause for good reason, 2020 was an exceptionally good year for industrial real estate across the board, the Santa Clarita Valley included. In 2020, the SCVEDC was pleased to announce that several new companies chose to locate in the Santa Clarita Valley including two Amazon fulfillment centers, DrinkPAK, a beverage manufacturer, and a state-of-the-art medical testing lab. Several SCV companies expanded as well, including P3 Inc., LA North Studios, Lief Labs, 24/7 Events and Mellady Direct Marketing.

Santa Clarita Valley Chapter Aerospace & Defense Forum Announces New Steering Committee Chair

Eric Jensen, Director of Manufacturing Ramp and Transition at Fralock Inc., steps in as Chair of the Steering Committee of the Santa Clarita Valley Chapter of the Aerospace & Defense Forum as of January 2021. The SCV Chapter was launched in October of 2019 to expand local business collaboration, networking, and information sharing by A&D executives relevant to the business of aerospace, commercial space and defense industries. This eighth chapter of the A&D Forum, sponsored by the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation (SCVEDC), has been well received by the SCV aerospace community with strong engagement and event attendance, even through transition to virtual meetings in 2020 due to COVID.

SCV Means Business: Trends in Manufacturing with ITT and King Henry’s Inc.

In case you missed it, over the summer SCVEDC president and CEO Holly Schroeder was able to sit down with a few local leaders to discuss how choosing to locate in the Santa Clarita Valley set them up for success. As they both have ties to the Advanced Manufacturing industry, they shared what current trends they’re experiencing and what to expect moving forward.

S.T.R.E.A.M Expo Returns to Teach Innovation for MFG Day

October 3-4 marks the 5th annual MFG Day where industry leaders come together to educate students about careers in the advanced manufacturing industry. This is the second year SCVEDC is partnering with S.T.R.E.A.M. and other local organizations like College of the Canyons and William S. Hart School District to bring a two-day event for both parents and students to focus on the future of innovation.

California Hosts National Manufacturing Asset Conference

This week SCVEDC joined forces with TeamCA, a private, non-profit that markets communities across the state, as part of the Host Committee for the Industrial Asset Management Council's (IAMC) Spring Forum in Santa Barbara, CA. IAMC, the leading industrial and manufacturing real estate trade association, holds bi-annual conferences to gather national leaders in site selection, manufacturing, and economic development for relationship building, professional development, industry strategies and best practices.

Manufacturing Jobs Continue to Evolve

Over the last decade or two across the industry with the rise in automation, a misconception has grown around the direction manufacturing jobs are headed. While it’s true that the days of building products manually are just about dead, manufacturing jobs themselves are far from it.

The History and Evolution of Aerospace Manufacturing

When it comes to the manufacturing industry, it’s impossible to ignore the aerospace cluster which employs more than 350,000 people in California alone. In fact, for the first time in over a decade, more jobs in the industry are flowing into the United States rather than to foreign countries. We’ve come a long way from the wooden aircraft of the early 20^th century flown by Orville and Wilbur Wright, however, so let’s look at how aerospace manufacturing has evolved since the first flight in 1903.

Protecting Your Business from the Outside-In

When running a business, your responsibilities can seem endless. From managing employees to keeping production running smoothly, approving budgets to handling client contact, the last thing you want to worry about is an IT breach or security nightmare. And if you happen to work in an area where natural disasters are a regular occurrence, the threat of losing entire systems and databases is just as imminent as a cybersecurity risk.

Learn About Careers in Advanced Technology at SCV's National Manufacturing Day

SCVEDC is excited to be once again co-sponsoring National Manufacturing Day. This year's celebration kicks off with a speaker panel and displays on careers in advanced technologies on Thursday, October 4 from 6 – 8 pm at the College of the Canyons (COC). This event, open to the general public, reveals the lucrative and rewarding potential of careers in design, engineering, fabrication, and more and features several SCV advanced manufacturing companies. Admission and parking are free, but reserve seats HERE.

Dream Team Beaute, Inc. Signs Deal to Relocate to SCV

Sun Valley based Dream Team Beaute, founded in 2014 by Kimberly Clark and Esme Mancia, is relocating their operations to the Santa Clarita Valley. Acquired last summer by Northwest Cosmetic Laboratories, Dream Team is a high-speed, innovative company that manufactures some of today’s most popular and award-winning cosmetic product lines. Their forward-thinking ideas and concepts can be seen throughout the pages of most major fashion publications, earning the respect of peers throughout the beauty and cosmetic professions.

Crissair Honored by Lockheed Martin

Santa Clarita Valley-based Crissair was recognized today by Lockheed Martin as one of their elite suppliers for the F-35 jet. This prestigious honor is given to fewer than 1% of suppliers.

Evolution Through Innovation

It’s almost impossible to imagine how businesses operated 10, 20, 30+ years ago without any of the everyday technology we’ve become accustomed to. Imagine the manufacturing industry without automation and computers. The same process that currently takes a few hours probably took a couple days.

Technology in Medical Manufacturing

Advances in medical device manufacturing have transformed not only what procedures we can perform safely, but also how we perform them. And while this is hardly a revelation, it’s never been at a more exciting place than it is today. The United States is currently responsible for 40% of the global medical device market and nearly 2 million jobs, with exports exceeding $41 billion in 2017 alone.

The Making of a Race Car – Innovations in Manufacturing

At first glance, the modern race car doesn’t appear to have undergone many changes over the past couple decades, other than perhaps a fancier paint job and different sponsors plastered across the body. But take a step further into the world of race car manufacturing, and it’s clear that not only is the technology advancing, it’s setting some of the trends.

Nourishing Your Body – Sourcing and Manufacturing Quality Supplements

Nutrition isn’t probably what comes to mind when you hear the words “Advanced Manufacturing,” but it fits the bill when it comes to sourcing and creating dietary supplements, particularly in adhering to strict FDA regulations. Several manufacturers behind American health and wellness brands call SCV home and conduct research and development for their own brands (as well as aspiring ones) right in our own backyard!

2018’s Top 3 Trends in 3D Printing

Just a few short years ago, the topic of 3D printing seemed confined to engineers and scientists. Today, it’s becoming a household term as one breakthrough after another makes headlines and brings the technology one step closer to widespread availability and new applications.

The 2014 SCV Manufacturing Day Evening Event will take place at the College of the Canyons on October 2nd. If you think you know what modern manufacturing is – you better think again!