The business of bringing business to the Sacramento region produced a lot of news in 2015, particularly with the advent of a new CEO-led group on the scene.
- After deliberative hearings and a flurry of last-minute negotiations, the Sacramento City Council in October adopted a local minimum wage. But the move could be moot if state lawmakers or local ballot initiatives set a higher wage.
- The new business-recruitment organization Greater Sacramento Area Economic Council launched an ambitious effort to assess the region’s strengths and sell it to companies expanding or locating to the area. Its first CEO, Barry Broome, also championed increased integration of economic development activity.
- A surge of interest in downtown development suggests construction of Golden 1 Center will be a boost, as promised, to that part of the region’s economy. And one study suggested a proposed soccer stadium in the downtown railyard could do the same.
- With expansion of Apple’s plant in Elk Grove, Toshiba Corp.’sfirst office in the region and other expansions, we saw evidence that Sacramento is gaining traction among Silicon Valley companies as a location.
- The new local trade group Region Builders announced in October it would expand to lobby for other industries, including restaurants.
- The Sacramento Regional Technology Allianceabruptly shut down after running out of money – but has found homes for many of its programs.
- The Sacramento Metro Chamber and California State University Sacramento took over the region’s small-business development centers, and pressed ahead with ambitious expansion plans.
- Under a new dean, the business school at Sacramento State also is planning to share its problem-solving capacity with local businesses.