Fresno County Economic Development Corporation

On Tuesday, June 9th, the Fresno County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) hosted a successful Business Resource breakfast event at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District, with over 80 in attendance, bringing together key regional partners and local business leaders to drive economic growth.

Special thanks to our vital partners who were able to join us — the City of Clovis, City of Firebaugh, Fresno County, and the Department of Social Services — to support our local business ecosystem.

📈 Key Highlights & Business Incentives Discussed:

• The NEO Program: A panel featuring Avakian Insurance Services and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory highlighted the New Employment Opportunity (NEO) program. Through this partnership with the Department of Social Services, employers can access up to 12 months of partially subsidized wages for new hires.
• Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC): Valuable federal tax credits available to employers hiring from specific target groups.
• PG&E’s Economic Development Rate: Financial incentives designed to help select businesses lower their operational costs to remain or grow in California.
The combination of these powerful programs and our experienced business development teams is how we champion economic growth in Fresno County.

👉 Want to scale your business? Reach out to the Fresno County EDC team today to see how your business can leverage these wage subsidies and tax incentives.

Building the Future of Central Valley Manufacturing! 🚀🏭

We were honored to partner with Reedley College , The Manufacturing Institute , and the San Joaquin Valley Manufacturing Alliance (SJVMA) to host Senator Adam Schiff for an inspiring look at the future of our regional manufacturing workforce.
Senator Schiff toured Reedley’s manufacturing facilities, met with our trailblazing first FAME (Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education) cohort—the very first on the West Coast!—and joined us for the program's second "Signing Day" ceremony to welcome our new incoming cohort of Advanced Manufacturing Technicians.

The evening put a powerful spotlight on regional collaboration, bringing together Senator Schiff, Congressman Jim Costa , State Center Community College District Trustee Magdalena Gomez, Chancellor Carole Goldsmith, and Reedley College President Jerry Buckley to celebrate these talented student-employees and their mentors at Central Valley FAME.

✨ The Big Announcement: Senator Schiff has secured a transformative $2.3 million federal appropriation for the FAME program at Reedley College! This crucial funding will directly upgrade advanced training equipment and expand staff capacity, keeping the Central Valley at the cutting edge of workforce development.

Central Valley Fame was launched thanks to funding from the Economic Development Administration's Good Jobs Challenge. This additional appropriation will significantly upgrade the program's capacity and equipment, providing long-term sustainability for this global best manufacturing workforce program.

Thank you to all of our industry and education partners for proving what’s possible when we invest in high-skill, high-wage career pipelines right here at home.

Fresno County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) invites interested and qualified service providers to submit Proposals electronically to provide vocational training and job placement support as part of its "Good Jobs Central Valley" workforce development project. EDC seeks one or more qualified provider(s) to add to its training portfolio as part of this grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration. Proposals must be prepared and submitted in conformance with the requirements of the GJC 26-01 Document, which shall be available at: https://www.fresnoedc.com/goodjobs/rfp/ on June 1, 2026. All questions shall be directed by e-mail as detailed in the GJC 26-01 Document available at that link.

Join us at the BEAR Breakfast to connect with local businesses and community partners while learning about workforce and economic development resources, including the Ready2Hire New Employment Opportunities (NEO) program and how it supports local businesses with hiring and training opportunities.

Network with community partners and employers working together to strengthen our local workforce.

Register:
bearbreakfast.eventbrite.com

It's almost game time!! We'll see you this evening at our sold-out event!

Yesterday, our CEO Will Oliver testified at the State Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee regular session hearing in support of AB 2377, alongside Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria, who has introduced the accelerated depreciation bill.

This bill would effectively create a new state incentive allowing for 50% upfront depreciation on manufacturing equipment statewide, and 100% first-year expensing in high-need areas. AB 2377 was designed to close the gap in depreciation schedules between federal and state tax law to improve early-year cash flow on new operations. If passed, this bill stands to strengthen the California's global competitiveness and encourage new investment in capital-intensive industries such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and life sciences.