Playing the Waiting Game Once Again

Once again, there were no industrial lease transactions or sales of note in the second quarter of 2017. However, Nemat Inc. announced the expansion of its business that is projected to double its current employment. A manufacturer of consumer products, Nemat recently celebrated the grand opening of Lean Solar. They will specialize in making and installing ground-mount solar systems for industrial uses.

While harnessing the sun to reduce operating costs and carbon footprint is nothing new, it is becoming more popular and affordable for industry.  Pacific Ethanol, Inc. announced late last year that it is installing a 5 megawatt system at their Madera plant which is  expected to reduce annual utility costs by more than $1 million.

State Center Community College District voted in March to move forward with a plan to install solar panel shades over parking lots at five campuses, including the Madera Community College Center, which could ultimately save the district nearly a $1 million a year in energy costs. With plenty of open land and sunshine, could solar farms eventually be Madera County’s number one crop?

High-Speed Rail (HSR) continues to move forward with construction of the first 32 miles between Fresno and Madera clashing with industry and agriculture along the way. According to a recent NBC report, while HSR construction has provided hundreds of jobs, it has also taken out fruit orchards and hundreds of businesses. The first section between Bakersfield and San Jose is slated to begin operation in 2025.

For more information on available properties and current development incentives go to the Madera Economic Development Commission website at http://maderacountyedc.com/interactive-map.html.