FAIRFIELD — The Solano County economy is quite often discussed in the future tense rather than in the present.
Government and business leaders note how the county is in such a strong position – geographically and in terms of available resources – to attract Bay Area firms looking to relocate or even to land new companies.
The 2016 Index of Economic and Community Progress, compiled by economist Robert Eyler, is especially clear on that point.
It is why the Solano Economic Development Corp. – with its private and public sector partners – have unveiled a new marketing strategy, and a detail-rich source of information that includes available land, financing options and other critical points of interest.
The system is designed to be able to gather information quickly and distributed to anyone interested, and to get those firms in touch with the appropriate public and private resources that can be of further help.
The resource goes so far to show prospective firms the areas that are shovel-ready, and those that may need a bit more infrastructure and areas that are raw but may have potential.
The EDC is targeting certain industry clusters, such as biotechnology, food and beverage manufacturing, healthcare and agri-tourism, the latter of which just got a big jolt with the approval to construct the Caymus Solano Winery in Suisun Valley.
Eventually, though, those same officials have to leap over existing hurdles.
So their attention turns to the challenges facing the areas: transportation improvements, workforce development, a wide and troubling wage gap, lack of housing stock and other issues.
Housing is of particular importance in the now and the future. While Solano County is viewed from the outside looking in as more affordable than other Bay Area counties, the price of buying homes or even renting may be outpacing the incomes of existing residents.
The county is trying to create a kind of one-stop workforce training and job-listing clearinghouse to add employer needs, and while a great deal of work has been done on some of the highway interchanges, there remains questions about whether there will be federal and state funding available to complete the work.
The absolute single greatest strength in the whole of the Solano County economy is the abundance of water, though the ongoing study of groundwater has been difficult at times.
Water drives an agriculture industry that has a reported economic value of $531 million, and is the tastiest of carrots to dangle in front of manufacturing and other firms that are looking at Solano as a place to settle.
And with the addition of the KC-46 Pegasus, the future of Travis Air Force Base and its $1.6 billion economic impact is more secure.
The wildcard yet to be dealt, however, is marijuana.
Many believe its economic power could cure many of the economic ills, while others argue it brings its own kind of problems – not the least of which is the fact the California market may already be oversaturated.
