In this eNewsletter, you will find information about key efforts that impact our business community, including:
-Third-quarter sales tax data remains positive
-(40) Significant projects currently in the pipeline
-Storm-impacted businesses could qualify for tax and loan relief
-Morgan Hill becomes home to the Bay Area Panthers
-What is the Chips and Science Act of 2022
-Nationwide holiday retail sales miss the mark
Read the January 2023 eNewsletterHEREand reach out to the team if you have any questions or want to connect with us. Thank you for continuing to “Choose Morgan Hill.”
Have questions? Contact City of Morgan Hill Economic Development Director Matt Mahood at Matt.Mahood@morganhill.ca.gov
In honor of National Manufacturing Month, celebrated every year in October, the City of Morgan Hill Economic Development Team took (42) high school students on in-person tours at two local manufacturing facilities.
The first tour was hosted by SunBasket, a food prep and delivery company that prepares millions of meals per week for hungry customers around the West Coast. Students were amazed by the intricacies of the food preparation and preservation process, and the chilly 33 degree temperature of the refrigerated spaces.
The second tour was hosted by Creative Manufacturing Solutions (CMS), a privately owned sheet metal company specializing in CNC punching, laser cutting, forming, welding, and in-house powder coating. CMS was a familiar location for a handful of students who were partaking in their second tour of the facility and also for two students who were already enrolled in the company’s internship program. Questions about the machines and punching process poured from first-time students driven by an interest in machining and the trades.
The day was rounded out with an afternoon pizza party, and because it was organized during tradition school hours, a quiz with some good natured competition between Live Oak and Sobrato Students.
Have questions? Contact City of Morgan Hill Economic Development Director Matt Mahood at Matt.Mahood@morganhill.ca.gov
The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) organizes several retail conferences every year, in locations worldwide. The City’s Economic Development Team attended the most recent conference in San Diego this past September. Here are some high-level takeaways:
The concepts behind “right-sizing” and “de-malling” are leading the retail industry, and “outdoors everything” is being coined as an anchor of the 21st Century. Nationwide shopping centers are undergoing a revitalization, centering around housing, shopping, entertainment, and outdoor space. Developers are anchoring their sites with residential and backfilling with a mix of retail, grocery, entertainment, and even medical activations. Shopping Center Brokers and leasing agents are now taking an active role in the marketing and advertising of retailers, providing monthly marketing packets and social media services focused on engagement not followers.
Larger Anchor retailers are “right sizing” with discounted brands such as Saks off 5th Ave, Macy’s Backstage, Nordstrom Rack, Forever 21, etc. Several discount brands are aggressively expanding, including Grocery Outlet and Five-Below who is aiming to triple its footprint over the next 3 years. Restaurants and fast-food chains continue to stress the importance of drive-thru and designated delivery/pick-up access. Buffalo Wild Wings just launched their “mini-scape” which is a pick-up only location. If a fast-food restaurant’s model doesn’t currently include expedited services, it will very soon.
All in all, the various retailers and brokers we spoke with were amazed with Morgan Hill’s residential and industrial growth. To some, we were a market they hadn’t previously considered, and to others we were already a market they were actively planning to expand into.
Have questions? Contact City of Morgan Hill Economic Development Director Matt Mahood at Matt.Mahood@morganhill.ca.gov
In honor of Manufacturing Week, the City of Morgan Hill invites you to participate in a Manufacturing Roundtable featuring two panels with leading industry experts!
The first portion of the panel will consist of manufacturer executives who will discuss the industry's current environment, challenges, issues, opportunities, and future. The second portion of the panel will consist of service providers and subject matter experts who can offer counsel, advice, information, tools, and resources to manufacturers.
Visionary Michael Van Every sees opportunity in transit-oriented mixed-use developments — outside of San Jose’s downtown core. Van Every is the President and Managing Partner of Republic Urban Properties, who completed an 83-unit apartment mixed-use complex in Downtown Morgan Hill in 2020. He commended Morgan Hill’s Economic Development, Planning, and City Manager’s offices for their commitment and expediency to supporting the Sunsweet Project every step of the way. Van Every said Morgan Hill is prepped for additional compact development and he will be keeping an eye out for future development opportunities.
