Glendale Targets Tech Firms

Glendale Economic Development Corp. has hired a Los Angeles consulting firm to study how the city can attract and retain technology companies, it announced Monday. Estolano LeSar Perez Advisors will begin the six-month project this month to identify local tech clusters, research how Glendale compares with other cities to determine its competitive advantages and interview employers to get a sense of their needs. Glendale City Councilman Zareh Sinanyan said the nonprofit economic development corporation board was excited to move forward with the technology initiative. “We believe we have an existing cluster of science, engineering, health and media-related companies, and this study will shed light on just how strong the cluster really is,” Sinanyan said in a prepared statement. The Glendale Economic Development Corp. was formed by the city in 2014. Estolano LeSar Perez Advisors provides multiple services, including business cluster, workforce development and business development and retention strategies for state and local government agencies, commissions and nonprofit groups. “Estolano LeSar Perez Advisors will bring a level of expertise in economics, redevelopment, public sector, technology venture capitalism, entrepreneurship and startups,” said Mayor Ara Najarian in a prepared statement. “We are excited to have them at the helm of this new endeavor.”