“This year’s forum promises to be particularly interesting, because it will spotlight an issue critical to the entire business community: the need to do more to stimulate new hiring and investment,” said Director David C. Snyder of the county Office of Economic Development. “A common refrain among manufacturers the last three years has been the desire to remove economic and regulatory barriers that limit their competitiveness.  This year, each of the main presentations will touch on that issue and its importance for stimulating job growth and business investment.”

This year’s keynote speaker will be President Jack Stewart of the California Manufacturers & Technology Association. The association works to improve the business climate for the state’s 30,000 manufacturing, processing and technology-based companies.

The forum also will feature:

• An update on the Capital Region Prosperity Plan by Senior Vice President Dennis Rogers of the Sacramento Metro Chamber;
• An interactive panel discussion on the Metropolitan Export Initiative, a collaborative effort to help regional, civic, business and political leaders create customized Metropolitan Export Plans; and
• A presentation titled “New Tools for a New Economy” by Assistant Deputy Director Mather Kearney of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. He will discuss new state incentives that seek to spur capital investment and the creation of high-quality jobs.

The forum is sponsored by the Economic Development Board (EDB) and organized by the county Office of Economic Development.

Advanced manufacturing was identified as an important target for the county’s business retention and attraction efforts in the 2009 Economic Development Board Roadmap.

Manufacturing is a relatively small, but important sector of Placer County’s economy. It played a bigger role during the 1980s and 1990s, helping the county maintain unemployment rates that were consistently below regional, state and national levels. The industry’s high point came in 1999, when it accounted for 10.3 percent of Placer County’s nonfarm employment. In 2010, it accounted for more than 7,000 jobs and an annual payroll of nearly $550 million.

Manufacturing is a key focus of the EDB’s efforts because it provides primary wage-earner jobs for residents at many skill levels. Adding manufacturing jobs also gives other sectors of the economy a big boost. The rule of thumb among experts is that each new manufacturing job typically has a ripple effect that leads to the creation of 2 ½ other jobs.

The EDB is an advisory board that assists the county with its business attraction and retention efforts. It promotes the creation of new jobs and tax revenue and supports tourism, agribusiness, film production and workforce development initiatives.

The EDB includes representatives from Placer County and the county’s incorporated communities: Auburn, Colfax, Lincoln, Loomis, Rocklin and Roseville. It also has members who represent agriculture, public and private education, healthcare, utilities, manufacturing, tourism, communications and nonprofit organizations.

The cost of the forum is $15 per person in advance and $20 at the door.

For more information or to register, contact Kelly Kreeger by EMAIL, or by telephone, 530-889-4016.