Cheese Plant Expected To Announce Decision
An international cheese company is expected to announce a decision of where they will build a new 220 job cheese plant with two of the finalists said to be in the Central Valley and a location in Eastern New Mexico also in the running. The company’s consultants who first surfaced here in March have told local officials the two nearby locations are the City of Sanger and the City of Tulare.”We’ve heard we are one of the finalists” confirms Sanger economic development manager Dan Spears. Locals have been told the unnamed manufacturer would make a decision after September 1. While the cost of milk in California may be less than in New Mexico,attractive to a processor – the cost of doing business here is higher. We still have but the advantage of the largest milk supply, a cluster of supply firms and proximity to export markets. Tulare County is the US’s number one dairy county.New Mexico’s drought conditions have been worse this past year than California but the state’s fast growing dairy industry enjoys a shipping advantage to send product to the East Coast.
Expansion of Enterprise Zone Awaits State OK
Tulare County has applied to the state early in August to expand the designated state Enterprise Zone about 10% or 5,084 acres (4,457.80 industrial, 626.28 commercial) and includes properties in the Cities of Exeter, Lindsay, Porterville, Tulare, Visalia and the unincorporated communities/areas of Cutler, Dinuba (area), Earlimart, North Delano, Exeter (area), Farmersville (area), Goshen, Pixley, Tipton, Richgrove, Terra Bella, Traver and Tulare (area) says Tulare County EDC chief Paul Saldana.
“The EDC, as the Enterprise Zone Administrator, coordinated the expansion application with all of the incorporated cities and the County, which are all required to approve the expansion and all have.”
State officials say they typically turn around an application in about 30 days meaning a decision should be coming soon.
Tulare County economic development official Mike Washam says several ag-related companies have advised him they want to expand or build new if the designation on the additional lands comes through.The zone offers tax breaks to companies who plan to add equipment and/or employees.The current zone was only just approved January 1.
Shippers To Comment on Rail Sale /Work On Exeter Rail To Start
Rail firm Genesee & Wyoming Inc’s deal to buy rival RailAmerica Inc for $1.39 billion would create the biggest short-line railroad operator in the United States. Now local shippers as well as local government wants to comment to a federal board who has to approve the merger to try to leverage better service and lower costs here. A three-county group who use the San Joaquin Valley Railroad line in the Valley,owned by RailAmerica,huddled in Tulare this week with a Washington attorney to go over their strategy.TCAG rail committee member Tom Sparks who attended the meeting,says both the shippers and public entities will offer their comments .”Hopefully,the new company can grow the business rather than just add fees that reduce the use of the rail line” says Sparks.
In related news, Sparks says work to repair the aging Exeter to Dinuba rail segment on the SJVRR line should start in October funded by public monies designated through the Valley Air District to help clean the air.The $1.5 million in repairs to the track would speed up freight traffic from 3 mph in some spots to 15mph with a 5-year plan in place to upgrade further to accommodate 40 mph speeds. The idea is to reduce truck traffic pollution.
Almond & Pistachio Sales Stay Strong,Walnuts Lag
Continued strong export demand for California nut crops this year.Year to date almond sales through July are up nearly 14% while pistachio shipments have jumped 25%.But walnut shipments are down around 11% year to date as a result of a smaller crop.
Porterville Packing House Adds Solar
Magnolia Citrus packing house has added about 3 &1/2 acres of solar panels next to their packing house near Porterville this summer.” Construction should be complete by September 15” says general manager Nick Arcure. The nearly $1 million project will offset 93% of their current electricity load, says Arcure. ”With a 28% increase in our power bill last year from SCE, we thought it was time to do this.”
Visalia Lays Off Economic Development Staffer/Gets New Job
Reflecting what is happening at municipalities across the state as a result of the loss of redevelopment,Ricard Noguera has left the employ of the City of Visalia as of August 13. Noguera headed up the city’s effort to recruit new retail and industrial business to Visalia and had been with the city for five years. Calls are now directed to city assistant city manager Mike Olmos. Good news for Noguera however – he has been hired to run the city of Tacoma Washington’s community and economic development department in the past few weeks.