Nevada County and the ERC

Gil Mathew, Director of Community Outreach

Nevada County and the ERC – The Place to be

                The Nevada County Economic Resource Council is a place for all to be. It assembles the largest spectrum of the community partners, from healthcare, government, utilities, retail, technology, service, finance, hospitality, arts and manufacturing.  Combining all of these sectors and the ERC has the power of numbers to help build Nevada County to an economic healthy community.

               One of the least visible of these community partners is the manufacturing sector.  Often working quietly out of the public view, but remains a prime generator of economic health to our economy by exporting products and importing wealth that in turn re-circulates in the community to the butcher, the baker and the candle stick maker.   

                Economic resilience is the ability of a community to embrace the change around it.  Nevada County has evolved from a mining and natural resource extraction economy to now, a healthy economy of technology, art, tourism and manufacturing.  These changes have come from innovative individuals and companies that have looked beyond our borders to see what possibilities lay out there.

     Part of this forward looking came on May 30th, as the Nevada County Economic Resource Council (ERC) hosted the manufacturing companies in the inaugural “Nevada County Manufacturing Forum”. The ERC produced this forum in collaboration with Nevada County Tech Connection (an initiative of the ERC) as part of a new “Manufacturing Connection” an  initiative in partnership with California Manufacturing Technology Consulting (CMTC), a federally funded nonprofit that provides technical assistance for small to medium sized companies  to help them grow and retain jobs in California. The cities of Grass Valley and Nevada City, the Town of Truckee, and the County Board of Supervisors were all supporters of this event.  Some 40 companies attended taking the opportunity to network with their peers and participate in a facilitated discussion about common challenges and opportunities in the local manufacturing sector. 

     Several local and regional agencies were present to answer questions about the services and resources available to help accelerate business growth and transform operations to be more innovative, efficient, and market-driven approach. These agencies included: Sierra Business Council, Business and Career Center, Nevada County Tech Connection, Nevada County Sierra College, Nevada County Economic Resource Council, and California Manufacturing Technology Consulting, Connecting Point, Nevada Joint Union High School District and SVMI (Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative.)

     Manufacturing is just one of the many sectors contributing to the healthy economy of Nevada County.  With the help of the ERC and the Nevada County Tech Connection, the many sectors of the community are being brought together for the mutual benefit of all.  Nevada County and the ERC is the place to be.  Come join us. Call the ERC office at 530-274-8455 or email.