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October 9, 2025
By Brian Hews
Santa Fe Springs will unveil a new Industry Growth and Attraction Program on Thursday, October 16, aiming to keep jobs and investment in California at a time when companies are eyeing Texas, Arizona, and Nevada. The announcement will take place during an invitation-only luncheon at the historic Clark Estate, where business leaders, elected officials, and city staff will outline how targeted incentives, development-ready sites, and streamlined permitting can accelerate projects and strengthen the local economy.
City officials say the initiative builds on Santa Fe Springs’ outsized regional role. Though the city occupies just 0.2 percent of Los Angeles County’s land, it accounts for more than 6 percent of the county’s industrial footprint—an under-the-radar concentration of manufacturing, logistics, and advanced industrial firms that supports thousands of jobs and a robust tax base. The new program is designed to modernize that base, reduce time-to-market for expansions, and position the city as a competitive alternative to out-of-state sites.
Mayor William K. Rounds and City Manager René Bobadilla will headline the program, joined by private-sector and academic leaders who will discuss market realities and the policy shifts needed to keep California competitive. Scheduled speakers include Ron Frierson, Director of Economic Development for Amazon Western U.S.; Leandro Tyberg, President and Co-Founder of Primestor Development; Stephane Wandel, Executive Director of Acquisitions and Development at The Roden Company; and Dr. Wesley Yin, a UCLA professor of public policy and management and former chief economist in the White House budget office. The city also expects keynote remarks from a high-profile elected official to be announced at the event.
According to the agenda, the city’s presentation will cover a package of new tools: performance-based business incentives, a clearer path for site selection, and an enhanced permitting process to help companies expand or relocate without costly delays. Officials will also preview public-private partnership opportunities and plans for a future mixed-use downtown that would add housing, retail, and amenities, creating a stronger talent pipeline and improving quality of life for workers and residents.
A panel titled “What Businesses Really Need to Succeed in California” will examine energy reliability, goods-movement infrastructure, workforce development, and the impact of regulatory timelines on capital investment. Organizers say the discussion is meant to be candid and solution-oriented, linking statewide concerns to practical actions cities can take now.
The luncheon runs from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Clark Estate, 10211 Pioneer Blvd., Santa Fe Springs.
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