< PreviousADVERTISEMENT Port-Level Capabilities — Right Here in Shafter The Wonderful Container Depot, located within the Wonderful Logistics Center in Shafter—just north of Bakersfield, California—is redefining how freight moves in and out of the Central Valley. Traditionally, empty containers had to make costly, time-consuming trips back to the ports, creating inefficiencies for shippers. Our state-of-the-art depot changes that — serving as a strategic inland container exchange point that eliminates the need to return empties to Los Angeles, Long Beach, or Oakland. Shippers are now saving up to 50% on drayage costs thanks to the depot’s unique ability to match import and export freight in the region. This balanced flow means trucks run fully loaded in both directions, cutting empty miles, reducing fuel consumption, and accelerating turn times. With leading ocean carriers like MSC, CMA CGM, HMM and several more already participating, our customers enjoy reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable logistics solutions. The Wonderful Container Depot is managed in partnership with ConGlobal, bringing added efficiency and expertise to daily operations. Their services include secure container storage, au- tomated checkpoints, and on-site maintenance — further enhancing the depot’s capabilities for shippers across the Central Valley. In June 2025, The Wonderful Company and the City of Shafter entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Port of Los Angeles to expand two-way trade and boost exports through the Central Valley logistics hub—enhancing the depot’s and the Center’s importance as key connectors between California businesses and markets around the world. COMING 2026: The Wonderful Inland Rail Terminal Construction is underway on the first phase of the 130-acre Wonderful Inland Rail Terminal, a groundbreaking project set to transform freight efficiency across the Central Valley. Scheduled to begin operations in Q2 2026, this facility will be California’s first operating inland rail terminal with direct international service. The terminal is designed to process up to 250,000 containers annually, with ample capac- ity to support the depot and future expansion. Its BNSF-approved design ensures seamless con- nectivity and includes over 18,000 feet of exist- ing track for efficient train handling. This terminal will connect directly to Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland ports, reducing congestion and improving reliability for importers and exporters. Once operational, shippers will gain the abil- ity to bypass port gate congestion entirely and move cargo directly between the Central Valley and major seaports. The facility’s design accom- modates future expansion, ensuring it can grow alongside regional and global trade demands. A Smarter, Cleaner, and More Connected Future at Wonderful Logistics Center The Wonderful Logistics Center in Shafter, California, is a premier hub for distribution, manufacturing, and transportation. Located in the heart of the Central Valley, it offers unmatched access to California’s major markets and ports. Our onsite Wonderful Amenities Center provides a full-service restaurant, health and wellness facilities, and community gathering spaces — enhancing the work environment for employees and visitors alike. The adjacent Wonderful Career Center serves as a vital resource for workforce development. Tenants use the Career Center to train and upskill their employees through tailored programs, hands-on workshops, and certifications designed to meet the demands of modern logistics, manufacturing, and supply chain operations. This commitment to workforce readiness ensures that both businesses and their employees thrive in a competitive global market. From agricultural exporters to retail importers, businesses across the Central Valley will benefit from a smarter, more resilient supply chain. All of the advantages that Wonderful Logistics Center has to offer — from world-class transportation infrastructure to advanced career training — make it an ideal location for companies ranging from cold storage to manufacturing and distribution to establish their western hub and stay connected to customers throughout the U.S. and globally. The message is clear: The future of freight is here, and it’s happening at the Wonderful Logistics Center. DRIVING THE FUTURE OF FREIGHT IN CALIFORNIA How the Wonderful Container Depot and Future International Rail Terminal are Transforming Supply Chain Efficiency148 SEPTEMBER 2025 SITE SELECTION physical frontier for human exploration as well as an emerging battlefield, our new campus gives us an important edge. The local aerospace ecosystem will allow us to accelerate the design and production of breakthrough technologies that address dynamic new threats on orbit. This expansion sets the stage for True Anomaly to lead in securing and advancing humanity’s next great arena.” The space defense company recently closed on $260 million in an oversubscribed round of series C financing that aims to accelerate vertical integration, facility expansion and product development. Site Selection spoke with Emily Desai, chief deputy director at the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO- Biz), about the A&D industry in California. — Kelly Barraza What makes California so attractive to A&D companies? Emily Desai: California’s aerospace & defense sector benefits from a combination of assets — a highly skilled workforce, existing infrastructure, expansion opportunities and a long history of innovation. Employing over 115,000 workers, California is home to 16% of the national A&D workforce, which is the largest share in the United States. The state is also home to a strong pipeline of talent supported by industry-led training programs and top-ranked institutions, including the California Institute of Technology and Stanford University — two of the top three aerospace engineering universities. Furthermore, the Golden State’s robust infrastructure includes leading research centers, test ranges, rocket engine facilities and key NASA and Department of Defense installations, supporting everything from design and development to testing and launch. With over 1,900 aerospace & defense companies, California offers the opportunity to build strong B2B relationships and collaborate on large defense contracts, creating a robust network for state and local partnerships. California’s proximity to NASA and defense also positions the state as a desirable opportunity for A&D companies to partner and share capabilities — in 2023 alone, NASA procurement investment totaled $5.8 billion in California, with $2.1 billion going to California businesses. The major A&D hubs in California are Los Angeles, San Diego, Palmdale, El Segundo and the Bay area. Are there any other cities in the state where the industry is growing? Emily Desai: California’s Central Coast, anchored by the Vandenberg Space Force Base and UC Santa Barbara, has become a growing hub for aerospace & defense, with an expanding ecosystem of hard-tech companies and a network of businesses critical to national security and space. This region forms a key piece of California’s space triangle — manufacturing in Los Angeles, testing in Kern County and launching from Vandenberg. With Monterey and Ventura counties hosting companies developing electric Vertical Take- Off and Landing aircraft (eVTOL), the Central Coast is also emerging as a leader in advanced air mobility (AAM). Orange County and the Inland Southern California regions also have an established base of tier 1 and 2 suppliers to aerospace & defense. Robust talent pipelines, proximity to workforce and site availability have made these regions attractive for A&D vendors. Lastly, the Greater Sacramento region has a convergence of precision manufacturing activities that have fed the aerospace industry. The region’s concentration of A&D precision manufacturing jobs is approximately 1.75 times the national average. What kind of programs or tax incentives does the state provide to A&D companies? Emily Desai: Over the last 13 years, the Governor’s Military Council has helped position California to maintain and grow operations in the state, inclusive of the A&D industry. Within the last few years, Governor Newsom wanted to ensure a more targeted focus and launched the California Space Industry Task Force to attract A&D businesses, expand research and development and create models for public/private cooperation. In the recently released California Jobs First State Economic Blueprint, “Space, Defense, and Satellites” was named as one of four pilot sectors that will receive strategic support from the state. Accordingly, GO-Biz has launched a working group comprising state agencies with purview in the space sector and regional economic development representatives to continue the advancement of this industry. As a part of this workstream, five of the 13 Jobs First Collaboratives that identified aerospace & defense as a regional strategic sector — the Bay Area, Central Coast, Los Angeles County, Kern County and the Southern Border Region along with Orange County and Inland SoCal — are contributing to the Space Working Group efforts. SITE SELECTION SEPTEMBER 2025 149 Other key state-wide incentive programs are as follows: • The California Competes Tax Credit (CCTC) is a corporate income tax credit for companies looking to create jobs and investments in California. • The California Investment Incentive Program provides a complete property tax abatement for large investments in manufacturing (including aerospace & defense) when capital investment exceeds $25 million. • The California Space Flight Property Tax Exemption exempts qualified space flight property (satellites, space vehicles, launch vehicles and fuel exclusively for space flight) from property taxes. What are some examples of A&D projects that state tax money helped support? Desai: Earlier this year, Uplift Central Coast awarded a $550,000 grant to the County of Ventura’s Economic Vitality Unit to create an Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Innovation Center at the Camarillo and Oxnard Airports. The planned Innovation Center will feature a 500-square-mile testing range for AAM at the airports, which are both operated by the County of Ventura, as well as research facilities, business resources and workforce training opportunities. Since 2019, the state’s CalCompetes program has awarded just under $230 million in tax credits and grants to aerospace- related companies. Recent highlights include Relativity Space leasing a former Boeing facility in Long Beach and commiting to creating over 1,000 new jobs there and at their second launch site at Vandenberg. This 1-million-sq.-ft. Long Beach facility has the largest 3D printers in the world, which will produce the full-scale space technologies necessary to make a Mars mission possible. CalCompetes also STATE MAKES HEADWAY WITH APPRENTICESHIP A t this writing in August, there are 92,588 registered apprentices in California, according to the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2027. Another 1,200 are registered trainees and another 4,000+ are registered pre-apprentices. But those numbers are only signposts on the journey to what Governor Gavin Newsom envisions: 500,000 apprentices served by 2029. Since 2019, California has served 215,393 registered apprentices, according to the DIR’s Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS). The DAS provides a breakdown of apprenticeship data by industry and by county that can be helpful to companies scouting locations and scouting talent. Top fields are firefighting (12,239), carpentry (10,426) and electric/electronics (7,721). By county, here are the top five in terms of overall apprentices of every stripe: Since the beginning of the year the state has announced nearly $130 million in funding to support apprenticeships, including two tranches in July and August that dedicate $20 million toward apprentices in the building trades to fill infrastructure jobs (a seven- fold increase over previous years’ allocations) and another $26 million to support women apprentices in construction. (The state’s total of all women apprentices across all fields only comes to just over 10,300.) National statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor differ slightly. As of FY 2025 the DOL’s Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Database System (RAPIDS) tallied 80,846 apprentices residing in California. But any way you slice it, the state is No. 1 by a country mile. The next highest numbers are in Texas, where the total of 36,822 is less than half of California’s, and in Ohio (25,279). California’s apprentice cohort — supported by a network of partners that include the state’s 116 community college campuses — represents 12% of the national total of more than 678,000. — Adam Bruns CITY APPRENTICES Los Angeles 18,020 Sacramento 9,922 San Diego 9,270 Riverside 8,466 San Bernardino 7,696 Gov. Gavin Newsom150 SEPTEMBER 2025 SITE SELECTION provided Astra with the capital needed to expand both manufacturing and research & development capabilities at their facility in Alameda that has over 330 full-time employees. Where California Is Pulling Its Industrial Output Weight Recent analysis from the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) reveals good news for the Golden State. Its May 2025 State Hamilton Index ranks California fifth in the U.S. for overall industrial performance in terms of output across seven industries. They are IT and Information Services; Electrical Equipment; Motor Vehicles; Machinery & Equipment; Computers, Electronics & Optical Products; Other Transportation; and Pharmaceuticals and Biotech. Each category includes one or more subindustries, bringing the number of sectors scored to 21. The Index, authored by ITIF’s Meghan Ostertag, quantifies states’ innovation-driven production relative to China’s performance in the same context. Why? Perhaps as a wake-up call to the 50 states to do better at pulling their production-output weight where possible. “Innovation-driven production is key to reclaiming U.S. dominance on the international stage,” notes the report’s introduction. “Once the leader in the production of advanced technologies, the United States now finds itself with less capabilities than the global average. Over the past several decades, the erosion of domestic industry has slowed economic growth, weakened the terms of trade, degraded national security and made America vulnerable to China’s innovation mercantilist tactics.” What’s Your LQ? The State Hamilton Index is based on a location- quotient (LQ) system with an LQ above 1.00 indicating output overperformance in an industry or subindustry and a score below 1.00 indicating underperformance. Nineteen states have overall LQs above 1.00; California’s 1.38 is fifth nationally. The state’s performance — or overperformance, more accurately — in three of the Index’s seven broad industries is behind its fifth place ranking overall. Its LQ in Pharmaceuticals and Biotech is 1.67. Its LQ is 1.49 in IT and Information Services and 1.39 in Computers, Electronics & Optical Products. Underperformance characterizes the other four industries in California’s case with an LQ of 0.33 for Motor Vehicles being its weakest output contributor. Drilling Down Here’s how California stacks up in the subindustries comprising the three main industries in which it shines: Pharmaceuticals and Biotech (1.67): Nineteen states overperform in Pharmaceutical and Medical Manufacturing, including California with its 1.22 LQ; 15 states have higher LQs. It does better in Biotechnology R&D with a 2.58 LQ, the fourth highest nationally. IT and Information Services (1.49): California is one of just 10 overperforming states in Software Publishing, placing fifth nationally with an LQ of 1.93. In the Data Processing, Hosting and Related Services subindustry, its 1.27 LQ is in 10th place in a three-way tie with Maryland and Georgia. California’s 3.38 LQ for Internet Publishing, Broadcasting and Web Search Portals is the clear winner with the second place state at 1.78. Computers, Electronics & Optical Products (1.39): Nineteen states also overperformed in the Computer and Electronic Manufacturing subindustry with California’s 1.39 LQ placing 14th nationally. No other subindustries are included. ITIF’s State Hamilton Index includes policy recommendations for states, one of which is to “Stop Using Taxpayer Dollars to Attract Chinese Companies to the United States,” which would help level that playing field by making businesses in innovation-driven sectors in California and all states more competitive. — Mark Arend True Anomaly recently opened its Long Beach facility in California, adding to a list of facilities and offices that include locations in Denver, Colorado Springs and Washington, D.C. Image courtesy of True Anomaly SITE SELECTION SEPTEMBER 2025 151 More an Just A Pretty Place B rian Fulton, founder and CEO of vehicle camping and storage system manufacturer Goose Gear, says in a recently posted video, “Our goal is to simplify everybody’s process, whether you’re camping or working … everything is right where you need it right when you need it.” Grand Junction, Colorado, was right where Goose Gear needed it right when the company needed a place it could grow after three generations in Huntington Beach, California. And the Western Slope community’s quality of life, talent base and incentives certainly simplifi ed the site selection process. “We wanted to go somewhere where we could own our own piece of land and have a foundation to build a business for the long term,” said Fulton. “But on top of that, the number one thing was quality of life. What brought us to Grand Junction are the views and the people. e quality of people here is amazing. But there [are] a lot of business benefi ts also. Once we got tied up with GJEP [Grand Junction Economic Partnership], they helped get us some additional funding to help with the move.” Goose Gear secured the Job Growth Tax Incentive through the Colorado Economic Development Commission for the creation of up to new primary jobs over eight years, valued at $,. e tax credit provides businesses with a Colorado state income tax credit equal to % of FICA tax paid by the business per net new job for each calendar year in the credit period. Goose Gear also was awarded $, from GJEP and Industrial Development, Inc (IDI), a sister organization to the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce, to help off set relocation costs, including the transportation of manufacturing equipment. “Anything we can do to strengthen our fi nancial status just allows us to grow,” said Fulton. “It’s been a huge part of why we’re here.” Add talent to the supportive environment and you have a recipe for growth. “We have built so much infrastructure in the business and we really hired some incredible people, local talent that have just been amazing,” Fulton said. “We’re going to be here for a long time.” by ADAM BRUNS adam.bruns@siteselection.com The Grand Junction region’s exuberant sense of community, craft, hard work and positive lifestyle comes as naturally as the breathtaking scenery. INTELLIGENCE REPORT: GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO Colorado Mesa University’s Asteria Theatre in April 2025 was named the 2024 Green Globes Project of the Year. It is the fi rst performance venue to use geothermal energy, which is sourced from a campus-wide loop harnessing the earth’s energy for heating and cooling. Photo courtesy of CMU and Green Globes152 SEPTEMBER 2025 SITE SELECTION What the Site Selectors Say Goose Gear was part of a record year in economic development for Grand Junction, a city of 70,000 people and 33 square miles whose region in Mesa County also includes the communities of Palisade, Fruita, Collbran and DeBeque. Other projects last year and this year have come from Morgan Mining, a mining services company that moved from Knoxville, Tennessee, and brought 893 jobs; frequent reinvestor West Star Aviation (a new hangar at Grand Junction Regional Airport that will bring 80 to 100 new jobs); longtime local favorite Enstrom’s Candies; gummy manufacturer Hybrid Confections; and Amazon, which opened a new 38,000-sq.-ft., 75-employee last-mile distribution site just in time for the holiday season in December 2024 thanks to what Grand Junction Mayor Abe Herman called “Amazon’s efficiency and the city’s streamlined planning process.” Building on that record year was one reason GJEP this year hosted a site selector familiarization tour in May attended by Savannah Jermance, director, credits and incentives consulting with Ryan, a global tax services and software provider; Jeff Pappas, senior managing director of Newmark’s office in Dallas; Sabrina Champagne, senior incentives and tax advisor at Strategic Location Services; and Chris Lloyd, senior vice president of infrastructure and economic development at McGuireWoods Consulting. In a discussion at the end of the tour, the consultants emphasized the region’s resilience, leadership, intentionality and alignment of key stakeholders in government, business and education. Like many communities, the area needed more inventory of sites and commercial buildings, they said, recommending the creation of flex space and coworking space, as well as a collaborative facility a step above an incubator for spinoffs and startups to take root and bloom. Talent attraction and retention is key, they observed, especially in the age 18-26 demographic. I reached out to all four consultants this summer for further comments. “Grand Junction’s success trajectory reflects proactive leadership from the county, city and GJEP — a balanced economy, and a community-driven approach to feedback and change,” says Jermance. “A signature example is Las Colonias, blending recreational, commercial and residential spaces — including an amphitheater, business park, butterfly-shaped pond and zipline — that showcases the region’s innovative and playful spirit.” Awarded a 2023 EPA Phoenix Award, the historically agricultural land hosted a uranium processing mill during the region’s Cold War energy boom. Now it’s a 140-acre park with 15 acres dedicated to commercial mixed-use with a 99-year lease structure and located in an Opportunity Zone. “Colorado Mesa University further fuels this momentum,” Jermance says of the area’s upward trajectory, “advancing education, workforce development and entrepreneurship through initiatives like its Engineering Lab, where students early on apply project-based learning and present innovations directly to industry partners.” “While not all small communities have such a significant university presence, the thing I like best about Colorado Mesa University is that the focus is on ‘practical’ capabilities of its graduates,” says Jeff Pappas. “Many universities still hold to the principle of ‘enrollment numbers and graduation rates’ and place less emphasis on workforce placement. CMU — especially its president, John Marshall — has made it a standard practice to make sure its students are truly compatible to what the local economy needs when it comes to employees.” Pappas weighed in on quality of life too, noting that it “used to mean whether a city has a pro sports team. Not anymore. How a community defines Window Rock at Colorado National Monument Photo courtesy of National Park Service154 SEPTEMBER 2025 SITE SELECTION quality of life is having cost-effective housing, sports activities for all ages and desires, nightlife for all ages, and taking as much salary as possible. While the area may be slightly higher in cost of living than the U.S. average, Grand Junction has all of the aforementioned quality-of-life indicators compared to most major cities.” Pappas notes that there’s a healthy contingent of “rebound people” wanting to come back to Colorado but not necessarily to Denver. “No offense to Denver,” he writes, but Grand Junction has spectator sports, mountains, bars, trails and a lot less traffic. “Not many people can do so much without walking five steps from their office,” he says. That doesn’t mean a small metro is without challenges. “First, there is no Costco nearby. That alone is tough,” he says. “Also, no national homebuilders is tough for a growing community. Lastly, the region needs a few more medical professionals. But no community is perfect. I know that year-round great weather can overcome some of these issues. Trust me on that. “Now, all the above doesn’t make a business commit to a market, but one thing that Grand Junction has that many similar-sized communities do not is a quality airport,” Pappas observes. “GJT may not be ORD, ATL or DFW, but with the number of direct flights to/from the airport, travel is relatively easy and accessible.” The airport’s menu features service from four airlines to six nonstop destinations: Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Santa Ana/Orange County, Salt Lake City and Denver. Champagne noted that the tour began with a meal at Devil’s Kitchen, a restaurant at the hotel on the CMU campus that not only offered culinary excellence but also a glimpse into CMU’s hospitality program. “With a remarkably high graduation rate and impressively low unemployment among program alumni, CMU’s EMERGING & KEY INDUSTRIES IN GRAND JUNCTION ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AVIATION & AEROSPACE OUTDOOR RECREATION HEALTH CARE AGTECH TOURISM & HOSPITALITY SITE SELECTION SEPTEMBER 2025 155 model exemplifies how experiential education can fuel both workforce readiness and regional economic vitality. It’s a win-win: students gain real-world skills, and visitors enjoy an authentically local experience.” She also saw the promise of CMU’s RAPIDS tech hub. The Resilient & Adaptive Cyber Protection of Industrial Control Devices & Systems (RAPIDS) consortium is focused on protecting critical infrastructure, particularly the Colorado River, through cybersecurity measures, development of college-level curriculum and enablement of secure water resource management. As to the larger scope of CMU offerings, she says, “For companies seeking to reduce R&D costs while tapping into fresh talent and cutting-edge resources, CMU offers a compelling proposition. With more than 30 programs and certifications available through CMU Tech — formerly Western Colorado Community College — residents can pursue high-demand careers in fields ranging from energy infrastructure to health care, often at little or no cost thanks to state and private funding.” Chris Lloyd of McGuireWoods remembers being in the area in the late 1990s mainly for the drive through Colorado National Monument directly next door. He had “no recollection of anything special about the area. That’s primarily because it struck me as an energy dependent town that was very transient,” he says. “That’s certainly not the case now. Whether it’s investments in parks, trails, entertainment or other quality-of-life attractions, the entire valley is taking on the feel of a modern community that wants to attract and retain talent. Colorado Mesa University is a key partner in that and my impression was that they were focused on putting kids into careers, not just activity and degree throughput. “But more importantly,” he says, “it seemed to me that there was community buy-in to this transformation. It was not just a top-down, imposed mandate to ‘modernize’ but a desire from all to create something special there — a place that is desirable, fun, and one that has a future.” Next >