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Madera County E-BIZ
Director's Message
As we begin a new year may I wish it to be the best ever for you all. This is also a great time to say thanks to the many people in our communities that make Madera County “The Perfect Location!” I certainly want to thank all who give of their time to serve on the Madera County Economic Development Commission Board giving freely of their time and energy to help MCEDC be the best it can be. Thanks to the staff here at MCEDC for always willing to go the extra mile to make sure all of those who call on this agency get nothing but paramount service. Acknowledgements are certainly in order for all of our elected officials who are often forced to make the hard decisions knowing those choices may not be popular but are in the best interest of our communities.
Tributes need to be handed out to all of the staff members of our communities. Madera County is fortunate to have so many truly dedicated individuals making sure our communities run as smoothly as possible. Recognition is certainly warranted for all those who volunteer all of their time and expertise serving on various commissions that help shape our towns.
And finally, let us be so grateful for all of our community members who work in the private sector. Without our local business men and women we would not have the great County we have. We are lucky to have all of you. In closing let me say thank you to all for allowing me to have a small role in making Madera County the “Perfect Location!”
Bobby Kahn
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MCEDC Commissioner Meetings
January 11, 2012 3:00PM
MCEDC Office
Madera County Economic Development Commission (MCEDC) will hold their quarterly Commissioners Meeting on Wednesday, January 11th at 3:00 p.m. at the Madera County EDC office. The public is welcome to attend MCEDC's Commissioner Meetings. This is a great opportunity to meet Economic Development staff and learn more about the mission and services that MCEDC provides.
Note: MCEDC requests that presentations are no longer than 3-5 minutes.
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Attention Manufacturers- GMCIA Meeting
Wednesday, Jan. 11th, 2012 at 7AM
Location: MCEDC Office
 Madera Manufacturers, please attend the upcoming Greater Madera County Industrial Association (GMCIA) meeting on January 11, 2011 at 7AM, located at the MCEDC Office.
For more information, contact Lois Grow at 559-675-7768
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Featured Property
 For Lease- Office/Warehouse Space with Loading Dock and Yard
(No Triple Net Charges for the first year)
40365 Brickyard Drive-Madera, CA
- Location: Located North of Ave. 10, 1 mile west of Freeway 41
- Total Size: Approximately 5,120 Square Feet
- Office Area: Approximately 1,400 Square Feet
- Restrooms: 2 H/C Accessible restrooms
- Clear Height: 16' (Clear Span)
- Loading Dock: Double Dock Well behind Suite 105 (common dock)
- Loading Doors: 3 – 14' x 14' grade level roll-up door
- Electrical: 200 amps, 3 phase
- Zoning: I-L (Light Industrial, County of Madera
- Lease Rate: $2,560 per month, NNN
- Click here for a property flyer
For a listing of available Madera County industrial and commercial properties please click here.
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Madera County Industry Statistics - 3rd Quarter
Total Base
(Sq. Ft.) |
Total Vacancy
(Sq. Ft.) |
Vacancy Rate |
Avg. Asking
Rental Rate |
| 7,042,114 |
622,078 |
8.83% |
$0.36 |
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Click here for the full report.
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Madera County Unemployment Rate
November 2011 Unemployment Rate
- Madera County 14.3%
- Central Valley* (Avg.) 15.1%
- California 10.9%
For Madera County cities and Census Designated Places click here
*Central Valley counties include: San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings & Kern
Source: www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov
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LOCAL NEWS
Rail board approves Fresno-Merced route
The Business Journal
The California High-Speed Rail Authority approved the recommended hybrid route from the Merced to Fresno section of the project at its December board meeting in Merced. The 65-mile route veers east to miss Madera and connects with a Merced station, a course chosen to avoid impact to downtown Madera. The "hybrid" designation refers to the fact that the route parallels both the BNSF and Union Pacific existing rail alignments. Read more...
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Fitch: Madera tribal casino could move forward
 The Business Journal
Plans to build a tribal casino near Madera will likely be realized in the next few years even in frosty conditions for Indian gaming expansion in the U.S., according to a report released by Fitch Ratings. The barriers to tribal gaming expansion include "regional economic weakness and the still-sluggish labor and housing markets," the report says, but the regulatory environment has become more favorable with recent expedited project reviews by the Department of Interior. Read more...
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Chowchilla prison to switch to men's facility
 The Fresno Bee
Chowchilla's Valley State Prison for Women will be converted to a men's prison in July 2013, even though local officials have voiced strong opposition to the change. The change is being made because of fewer female inmates and overcrowding in men's prisons, said Dana Toyama, spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The prison will hold low-to medium-security adult male inmates. Read more...
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Giant New Beast Moves to Valley
KMPH FOX 26
The biggest mammal ever to walk North America now lives in a museum in Madera County. The Fossil Discovery Center unveiled its new replica skeleton of a prehistoric giant. Center director Blake Bufford says it took three hours to set up the display of the mammoth that lived right here in the Valley about 10,000 years ago. Read more...
Click here to watch the news clip.
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STATE NEWS
California to draw more than $100 billion from tourists in 2011
The Los Angeles Times
Travel and tourism in California is expected to generate a total of $104.4 billion in direct spending in 2011, a 10% increase over last year. The 2011 forecast included in a report by Tourism Economics, a Pennsylvania-based tourism consulting firm, also projects continued growth in travel spending in 2012. California is expected to exceed the $100-billion mark for the first time ever in 2011 thanks to growth in domestic travel spending and a surge in international travel to the Golden State. Read more...
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Pacific Ethanol increases ownership level in refineries
Central Valley Business Times
- Gets $8 Million from a private placement
- "We continue to further our objective of increasing ownership"
Central Valley ethanol maker Pacific Ethanol Inc. of Sacramento says it has entered into a deal with a group on institutional investors, which were not identified, to raise $8 million in a private placement transaction. The company also says that it has signed purchase agreements to acquire an additional 7 percent interest in the Pacific Ethanol production facilities. Pacific Ethanol's four production facilities include one in Stockton, as well as in Boardman, Ore., and Burley, Idaho. The fourth, in Madera, is idle. Read more...
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Madera nut processing facility goes solar
The Business Journal
Ready Roast Nut Company's new facility will be the latest to save energy through a 472-kilowatt solar power system mounted on the roof. Located at 2805 Falcon Drive, the facility looks to save over $5 million on utility charges over the next 25 years through the systems, offsetting 90 percent of its cold storage electricity usage. Read more... top of the page |
Schafer family spread risks with four major California crops
Western Farm Press
Over the past three decades, Steve Schafer and his brother, Mike have combined individual skills, talents and interests to expand their Madera County, Calif., family farm into an enterprise that now encompasses 1,700 acres of almonds, 2,100 acres of wine and raisin grapes and 120 acres of pomegranates. That includes orchards and vineyards they manage for others. Read more...
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California's Bargain Wine Boom (featuring Madera wineries)
Time Video
As consumers shift away from expensive Napa Valley wines, business is booming for small winemakers in nearby San Joaquin Valley.
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RESOURCES
Community Grant Application Available
Filing deadline: January 1, 2012 through March 1, 2012
Applications for the Community Grant Program are available on the Madera County website at www.madera-county.com under Public Notices or at the Madera County Clerk of the Board of Supervisors office, 200 W. 4th Street. The grant filing period runs from January 1 through March 1, 2012. Read more.
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Resource links for financial aid and business advice
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Contact
Madera County
EDC
2425 W.
Cleveland Ave., Suite 101
Madera, CA
93637
559-675-7768
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