Where is Opportunity, California?
   It's where you can own a home, build a business, live closer to where you work while still having the time and money to enjoy your life. It's where you access global markets and business partners from the heart of the supply chain. It's where affordability, competitive commercial real estate and a quality lifestyle all come together.
   It's The County of San Bernardino, California.
   San Bernardino County is a nearly $100 billion economy representing a diverse array of industries leading the top job-creating region of California. Standing alone, the San Bernardino County economy would rank among the top 50 countries – larger than three-quarters of all nations. However, the strength of the County's economy lies in its relationships with the region and the world.
   The County of San Bernardino, the nation's largest at more than 20,000 square miles, is home to 24 cities. The list ranges from established commercial magnets like Ontario and Fontana to cities primed to grow.
   San Bernardino County is an emerging global commercial center offering direct access to key national and international transportation corridors. Private industry has already identified San Bernardino County as a global gateway linking domestic markets with international trade destinations around the world. Giants from retail, shipping, automotive, consumer technology and other industries anchor their supply chains in San Bernardino County.
   Rails and roads connect the County with Pacific Rim trade via the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Three international airports, including LA/Ontario International Airport featuring the UPS West Coast Hub, are being prepared to support trade growth for generations. San Bernardino International Airport is working to reincarnate the former Air Force base into an international destination laden with potential. Southern California Logistics Airport in the High Desert has developed into a test site for modern avionics as well as key part of the regional air transport solution for Southern California.
   The combination of factors has allowed the County of San Bernardino to emerge as a trade center. Since 2003 the value of trade originating and ending in the County rose from slightly above $4 billion to nearly $16 billion. According to the most recent data available, nearly 90 percent of international shipments destined for inland Southern California come to San Bernardino County.
   This fall the County led the first of several planned business-intensive trade missions to China. Nearly two dozen representatives of private industry joined County of San Bernardino officials and Economic Development Agency staff on a one-week trip that netted $67 million in potential business.
   As trade barriers fall and competitiveness takes center stage, the County of San Bernardino is also leading initiatives to cultivate a skilled and globally competitive workforce. By working to partner business needs with the educational system, the workforce will support companies who choose to anchor their global operations from Inland Southern California.
   With global trade as one leading force, the County has evolved from its status as one of the nation's leaders in industrial development to also become an elite magnet for office and retail development. Nearly two million square feet of primarily class A office space is under construction in San Bernardino County.
   Relatively low land costs and lease rates make San Bernardino County an affordable alternative within Southern California. Office lease rates in some areas of San Bernardino County are about 50 percent lower than Los Angeles and Orange counties. Industrial space is also more economical. Land availability drives the low cost of leasing and buying land in San Bernardino County. However, land is selling quickly, pushing emerging real estate markets further east and north along key transportation corridors. The activity is also pushing prices higher.
   Growth is driving development of new, upscale communities throughout San Bernardino County to match business growth in the region. However, despite increasing demand, home prices in San Bernardino County remained the lowest in Southern California.
   The County of San Bernardino anchors the strongest job-creating region in California. Nearly a quarter of all jobs created in California in 2005 sprouted in Inland Southern California. Economists predict that San Bernardino County will add more jobs than Los Angeles County through the year 2020.
   The County of San Bernardino is a destination for entrepreneurs and established companies alike. It's home to a large workforce quickly growing in both size and skill.

   For more information, call the County of San Bernardino Economic Development Agency at (909) 387-4700 or visit our Web site at www.OpportunityCA.us.