As you approach Mann Biomedical Park in Santa Clarita one thing is clear this world-renowned company is not part of your typical business park or industrial area. Rolling hillsides rest besides the park’s innumerable buildings, while decade-old trees line shaded pathways throughout the complex. Alfred Mann purchased the property in 2002, relocating Mannkind Corporation to Santa Clarita to provide a distinctive setting for his companies. Mann was in good company. Home to the largest master-planned industrial park in Los Angeles County, Santa Clarita has attracted a number of industry clusters including biomedical, technology, aerospace, and film/entertainment. And in the last decade alone, other biomedical companies such as Advanced Bionics, Apex Medical, Specialty Laboratories, Ultra Violet Devices, Utak Laboratories, Costech, and Neotech Products among others have opened headquarters in Santa Clarita, transforming this one-time bedroom community into one of Southern California’s most sought-after biomedical communities. GOOD FOR BUSINESS There are several reasons why businesses, and specifically biomedical companies, have headquartered in Santa Clarita. First, the City of Santa Clarita has embraced a “what’s good for business is good for Santa Clarita” philosophy, working hand-in-hand with companies to ensure financial success. The City does everything it can to make working in Santa Clarita “pencil out” through incentives such as: – No Business License Fees – No Utility Users Tax – No Gross Receipts Tax The City of Santa Clarita is also one of the state’s newest Enterprise Zones offering a variety of tax credits, which could equal thousands of dollars in savings each year. The Enterprise Zone designation covers 97 percent of all commercial, business, and industrial-zoned land in the City, making it easy for companies to take advantage of these savings. “We believe there is no better place to do business than in the City of Santa Clarita,” said City of Santa Clarita Mayor Bob Kellar. “We have seen great success in attracting biomedical companies to Santa Clarita and are committed to growing this sector in the coming years.” TRAINING A BIO-TECH WORKFORCE One of the things the City of Santa Clarita does best is collaborate. The City’s non-beaurocratic approach to business and close relationships with industry leaders and local education facilities has created a unique opportunity for biomedical-related business. College of the Canyons recently created the I3Advanced Technology Incubator to help existing and start-up technology-related businesses. The mission of the I3Advanced Technology Incubator is to nurture, grow, and graduate technology start-up and early-stage companies and move them into the local Santa Clarita economy. Designed to join education with entrepreneurship to provide traditional services, including introductions to investors, mentoring programs, student internships, and to help establish connections to a preferred third-party service provider network in the local community. The I3Advanced Technology Incubator will be the only facility of its kind in California that incubates tenant companies on campus, and its connection to one of the fastest growing community colleges in the nation will provide entrepreneurs access to the collective wisdom of a diverse faculty in business, engineering, and biotechnology, digital manufacturing, entertainment, IT, aerospace, nanotechnology, software development and advanced Internet applications. Most importantly, the Incubator is focused on key industry clusters that will provide higher wage jobs to the local economy. “The Incubator program is on the forefront of business development and Santa Clarita is the ideal City to launch this program,” said Jason Crawford, marketing and economic development manager for the City of Santa Clarita. “Santa Clarita is committed to cultivating success through education, networking, technology, and collaboration, the founding principles of the Incubator program.” One of the more unique aspects of the I3Advanced Technology Incubator program is that it focuses on biotechnology. College of the Canyons is now home to a 2,900 square foot clean room with both wet and dry lab capabilities, adding critical laboratory capacity to meet the needs of this growing industry cluster. Additionally, Santa Clarita’s Small Business Development Center offers various services to small businesses and entrepreneurs and was honored as “Top Overall Performing SBDC” by Los Angeles Regional SBDC Network in 2007. The SBDC functions as an education and training element of the Small Business Administration. Though small business is the focal area of the SBDC, the center also works with large companies looking to relocate to Santa Clarita, and offers several low-cost workshops to all interested businesses. MAKING A NAME FOR SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita’s innovative practices, incentives for business, and close proximity to Los Angeles have captured the attention of industry watchers nationwide. Prestigiously ranked by major banks, publications, and research authorities as one of California’s strongest, Santa Clarita’s recent accolades include: – One of the Top Five most Business-Friendly Cities in Los Angeles County (Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation) 2006 and 2007 – 11th Fastest Growing Retail Market in California (California Retail Survey) 2008 – “Best City for Industrial Development” – (Los Angeles Business Journal 2008) – One of the Top 25 Retail Markets in California California Retail Survey As the bio medical industry continues to grow, Santa Clarita looks to attract more companies, like Mannkind Corporation and Advanced Bionics to the area, to further expand the bio medical cluster in Santa Clarita. “Santa Clarita offers all the amenities we need to attract top people to work in our high-tech environment the future looks bright as the bio-med cluster continues to grow [in Santa Clarita],” said Jeff Griener, CEO Advanced Bionics. Santa Clarita’s streamlined approach to business guidelines make the City of Santa Clarita the place to effectively grow a business and succeed. For information about doing business in the City of Santa Clarita please contact the City’s Economic Development Division at (661) 255-4347.
