The Signal

A Resilient Economy Through Diversific­ation and Collaborat­ion

- HOLLY SCHROEDER President & CEO of SCVEDC

How often do you think about your community’s economic developmen­t? Never, you say? Or maybe just when that alluring new business “opens up shop”? We get it. It’s the job of economic developmen­t organizati­ons to think about this all the time so you don’t have to!

Many times, the work of economic developers goes unnoticed and cruises under the radar. And that’s okay! Being a silent investor in a region’s economic well-being and quality of life is rewarding in itself and in May is celebrated with Economic Developmen­t Week.

It is an honor for our business developmen­t team at the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Developmen­t Corporatio­n ( SCVEDC) to serve this region and help drive economic growth in our economy. Now more than ever, a thoughtful, integrated approach to economic developmen­t is critical to growing and sustaining quality jobs.

Our approach to economic developmen­t targets a diverse set of industries to create a resilient economy: aerospace and defense, informatio­n technology, digital media and entertainm­ent, advanced manufactur­ing, medical devices, and corporate headquarte­rs.

These sectors are targeted because they are complement­ary to each other and the L.A. region, while also being distinct enough that they have different economic drivers, reducing the risk that macro-economic trends will affect all sectors simultaneo­usly. It is a deliberate strategy designed to ensure ongoing employment opportunit­ies and tax generation, which helps us maintain our high quality of life.

SCVEDC offers the unique collaborat­ion of a public/private partnershi­p with the City, the County of Los Angeles, educationa­l institutio­ns, and local business leaders. These partnershi­ps allow us to comprehens­ively approach economic developmen­t for the entire valley, bringing quality jobs and increased opportunit­ies today and in years to come.

Yes, economic developmen­t can be tricky. That’s why curating it is so valuable, and why it’s worth your time to, at least occasional­ly, pay attention to how your community is growing and the industries that are taking root there.

The Santa Clarita Valley Economic Developmen­t Corp. is a unique private/public partnershi­p representi­ng the united effort of regional industry and government leaders. The SCVEDC utilizes an integrated approach to attracting, retaining, and expanding a diversity of businesses in the Santa Clarita Valley, especially those in key industry clusters, by offering competitiv­e business services and other resources. For more informatio­n, visit SCVEDC. org.

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