California Exodus Watch — this one is 20,000 jobs and $3.2 billion that the Golden State didn’t land.
Defense-technology company Saronic Technologies considered Solano County for its massive next-generation shipyard. California was one of two finalists. But Saronic chose Brownsville, Texas.
And here’s the California Exodus angle: supporters of the California site say California had the better location — deep-water Pacific access, a skilled workforce and proximity to Silicon Valley. So why did Texas win? The coalition trying to bring Saronic to California says the state’s approval process simply couldn’t move fast enough. Texas saw an opportunity and approved a local tax-abatement agreement for the project quickly.
And here’s why: Saronic planned investment of $3.2 billion, 10,000 permanent jobs — expected salary above $100,000 a year — and another 10,000 construction jobs for the project. California had the location, the workforce and Silicon Valley. But Texas got the investment, the shipyard and the jobs.
This isn’t a company technically “leaving” California, but losing a head-to-head competition for billions of dollars in new investment and thousands of future jobs, because it couldn’t move quickly enough.
California Exodus Watch — sometimes businesses don’t have to leave California. They simply decide never to come here.
