January 26 2025
Article in the Daily Republic
FAIRFIELD — Clichés, by their nature, are overused phrases – or perhaps – overworked cloud-resident visions.
Who, afterall, has not heard Solano County’s public and private sector leadership offer up this perspective: “We need to attract more industry with higher-paying jobs.”
Or how about, “Solano County is perfectly situated between San Francisco and Sacramento.”
And the years pass, and still:
“We need to attract more industry with higher-paying jobs” and “Solano County is perfectly situated between San Francisco and Sacramento.”
However, with perhaps the exception of Vacaville’s expanding bio-manufacturing sector and the arrival of the Swiss firm Lonza to replace Genentech, it has been difficult for the rest of the county to gain economic development traction.
Along with its global name, Lonza brings another new term to the area: Contract Development Manufacturing Organization; what Vacaville City Manager Aaron Busch called a “game-changer” and will be the catalyst to the industry’s growth and expansion.
While Genentech developed and manufactured its own products, Lonza partners with other pharmaceutical companies to offer contract-based drug development and manufacturing services. It could prove to be the industry piper for Vacaville.
Chris Rico, president and chief executive officer for the Solano County Economic Development Corp., said Solano has a lot to offer in reaching for the clouds.
“I’ve been pretty consistent since I started three years ago: It’s to create an environment where 140,000 people don’t have to commute outside the county for work,” Rico said.
He said developing industry clusters in Priority Production Areas is being worked on, as well as transportation-centric Priority Development Areas to link housing to public mobility options such as rail.
“The reality is, all this takes time. You have to roll up your sleeves and get the work done. But it takes time,” Rico said.
Solano has buildable space; transportation connectivity; a diversity of businesses that can support industry; an affordable and flexible workforce that can be enhanced by keeping skilled commuters at home; a business-friendly community college; great research universities within arm’s reach; Travis Air Force Base; and, for now, water.
So why that pie-in-the-sky results?
Well, some leaders think that the EDC is failing on that front, and some Solano County supervisors are ready to pull the plug on its funding unless there are more tangible results. Critics said the funding should produce more than workshops and webinars.
That is an off-the-record topic for Rico, hinting that those critics have a more personal bias behind the criticism.
What is certain, by nearly all accounts, the county lacks infrastructure, lacks available and sufficient energy – the turnaround point for companies that have looked at Solano – and it lacks a mix of housing that the incoming business executives want and the workforce can afford.
“It’s our biggest impediment to our economic development,” Rico said about energy resources, adding,”I think the hopeful part is to get some micro-grid projects up and running.”
Rico is not shy about pointing east.
He thinks the county’s public and private leadership needs to take a refocused, stepback view of the East Solano Plan. He understands the controversies, and is not suggesting giving California Forever free hand. However, if a coming-of-minds can be brokered, it may help the vision rain down with what it offers.
Rico said the media has carried the negative impressions of California Forever out into the industry sector, and there is an impression that Solano County is unfriendly to business. He said that needs to be repaired.
“I want people to understand, this is the reality and something we have to overcome,” Rico said.
“I think we should approach (the East Solano Plan) as an opportunity to get as much as we can … We have a pipeline to these kind of investors.”
In the meantime, he added, the EDC is focused on another critical economic element: small business.
It is the sector that has created more than 90% of the jobs in the county, and while not necessarily the higher-paying jobs, it can expand and grow if given the right support. Rico said the EDC is providing that support.
The success of the recent revolving loan program is an example he points to: a program with three lenders working together to provide financial resources to steady some businesses while helping others expand.
There is also the work by the Small Business Development Center that adds financial and advisory strength to small businesses: current and start-ups.
Additionally, the EDC is working on an ADU – accessory dwelling unit – program that aids anyone interested in adding the units to their properties.
“The goal is anyone in the county who want to build an ADU has resources to do that,” Rico said. He noted, specifically, veterans who might be willing to add an ADU to their property to support Travis airmen in need of temporary, affordable housing.
Rico said the new year needs to continue supporting and growing what the county has, while it looks to the clouds.
“It’s not anything new; it’s just continuing what we’ve been doing,” Rico said. “But it takes time.”