Tulare County Unveils Economic Development Website

Tulare County unveiled a new economic development website at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting.

County Administrative Officer Jean Rousseau said the Board of Supervisors has had a longstanding vision for the county to develop an economic development website that pulls together relevant industry information about local agribusiness, workforce development partners, site selection, zoning assistance and other factors considered essential to implement an effective campaign to foster increased economic development in Tulare County.

Board Chairman Allen Ishida made economic development a focal point when he delivered his State of the County speech on Tuesday.

“We will actively market the many benefits Tulare County has to offer businesses that are ready to expand or relocate,” Chairman Ishida said. “We have a young workforce; 30 percent of our population is 18 years old or younger, and eager to find meaningful work.”

The website, www.tularecountyeconomicdevelopment.org, will go live on Wednesday.

County economic development officials believe one of the most effective ways to influence private sector investment is to steer decision-makers toward opportunities that can lead to sustained growth. One way to accomplish this is for local leaders to communicate with potential site selectors about local areas that may offer suitable conditions to match their proposed business needs, such as access to adequate transportation corridors so they can ship their goods to target markets.

Economic development officials believe a properly designed website can be a convenient and efficient medium of instant communication for business owners, prospective entrepreneurs, suppliers and site locators to “check out” a local jurisdiction for doing business.

The website was developed by Resource Management Agency staff in partnership with other County departments. It includes industry portals designed to quickly inform prospective business site selectors about Tulare County’s dominant industry, agriculture. The website also provides detailed information about important local demographics, and also includes a guide to local educational institutions and other business development partners that can provide access to a local workforce with the relevant specialized skills a particular business desires, and other key data.

Most importantly, the website is designed to put prospective businesses directly in touch with dedicated contacts trained to rapidly respond to economic development needs and direct them to potential site locations with proper zoning and adequate infrastructure that will support their proposed business activities.

The Resource Management Agency developed the proposed website with the cooperation and resources of the County Information and Communications Technology Department, the Tulare County Ag Commissioner’s Office and County Counsel’s Office.