THE SOLANO ECONOMIC VOICE S P EC I A L ED I T I O N
S O L A N O ED C .O R G
S EP T EM B ER 2 0 2 6
SOLANO’S MOMENT TO BUILD CHRIS RICO PRESIDENT/CEO SOLANO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION Last week I had the honor of standing alongside Governor Newsom and other local and state leaders as we were awarded $2.425 million from the California Jobs First fund. We are being tasked with standing up a regional backbone organization for all things maritime. Coupled with the two grants that Cal Poly Maritime received for workforce and technology, Solano County was entrusted with $8.3 million in pursuit of shipbuilding companies and jobs. The Governor had hoped to be able to stand on Mare Island in front of the Golden Bear and announce that Solano had voted in favor of legislation that would have made this all more likely to happen.
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THE SOLANO ECONOMIC VOICE
SOLANOEDC.ORG • SEPTEMBER 2026
SOLANO’S MOMENT TO BUILD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
On August 13, 2026, President Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum, “Rebuilding the United States Navy and America’s Shipbuilding Industrial Base,” which orders a plan to establish a fifth public Navy yard within 120 days. His order specifically outlines that the new shipyard must support nuclear-powered submarine and aircraft carrier readiness and be located near the U.S. Pacific Fleet. In 2008 the County had the good sense to create a maritime industrial zone in Collinsville, recognizing this asset and opportunity. We have, by far, the best site in the United States to build a new shipyard. This is why Saronic wanted to bring their $3.5 Billion dollar investment to Solano County. Unfortunately, we were not willing or able to move quickly enough and we lost that opportunity to Texas, as California so often does. I’m a proud Californian. Like most of us, I’m committed to building an economy that places a value on our environment and our natural resources. With that said, we need to place equal, or greater value on all of the people who were not represented in the County Supervisors’ chambers the day the decision was made to delay or deny taking bold action. The conversation around investment opportunities should be centered on the under and unemployed, the unhoused, the rent burdened, and the ⅔ of our residents that spend hours each day in a car community out of Solano County to afford to live in the most affordable county in the Bay Area.
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Solano County has the highest unemployment rate in the Bay Area. We also have the greatest percentage of people on public assistance. In the last year, we have seen a wave of disinvestment, losing three of our largest employers. The only way to bring prosperity and opportunity to Solano County, to create home buying jobs, to lift people out of poverty, to create safer, more successful communities where parents are home more hours of the day is to aggressively and enthusiastically pursue investment and opportunities when they present themselves. This is how other states outcompete us almost every time.
WE NEED TO SEND THE SIGNAL TO THE MARKET THAT WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS. — CHRIS RICO One of the reasons we lost the Saronic Opportunity is that we could not guarantee that this venture capital backed company, that had orders from the U.S. Government, and geopolitical circumstances that required speed to market, wouldn’t be tied up in lawsuits for a decade. That leaders of companies with this kind of investment and urgency want to be met with a willingness to help them be successful, is not unreasonable.
Building on Moving Solano Forward 3, which was partially funded by the County, and the Priority Production Area studies that were funded by MTC/ABAG, the Solano EDC is ready to lead, partner, and collaborate on all of the things that will facilitate higher wage advanced manufacturing in Solano County. We are in the process of applying for another grant from the EDA to facilitate this work. I encourage all of us to work together as a region to send the signal to the market that we are open for business and willing to do what it takes to help companies thrive in Solano County. This will make all of the foundational work we’re all trying to do so much easier. If you’re a business owner, a job creator, a realtor, a banker, or someone who wants better jobs, shorter commutes, and more prosperity for our cities and our people, I encourage you to bring your voice into this conversation. We need to make decisions as a community more objectively where all of the stakeholders' wants and needs are considered.
BY THE NUMBERS
$2.425M California Jobs First funding awarded to Solano EDC $8.3M
Total funding for Solano County in partnership with Cal-Poly Maritime
$3.5B
Saronic Investment Lost to Texas.
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THE SOLANO ECONOMIC VOICE
SOLANOEDC.ORG • SEPTEMBER 2026
PERSPECTIVE
WHAT IF? What if Solano County's greatest economic opportunities are already in front of us? SANDY PERSON FORMER CEO SOLANO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Every once in a while, a generational opportunity comes along that forces a community to ask itself a difficult question:
What if Solano County became known as the place where what flies, what floats and what moves America’s military come together?
What if?
WHAT IF SOLANO COUNTY BECAME KNOWN AS THE PLACE WHERE WHAT FLIES, WHAT FLOATS AND WHAT MOVES AMERICA'S MILITARY COME TOGETHER? — SANDY PERSON
As a former CEO of the Solano Economic Development Corporation, I have spent years thinking about one fundamental question: How do we create more good-paying jobs, attract investment and build an economy that gives the next generation a reason to stay? Economic development requires taking risks. It requires negotiation, compromise and, occasionally, the courage to say, “Let’s figure out how.” That is why I keep coming back to the California Forever experience. This isn't about relitigating how California Forever arrived to Solano County. The thing is, in real life, no opportunity is ever perfect, and if we keep waiting for employers or deals that are, we will be waiting for another few decades, while the rest of America builds the future. The bigger question is whether we leave incredible opportunities on the table because we focus so intensely on “What could go wrong?” instead of “What if it works?”.
What about Travis? The Travis Community Consortium works to position Travis as the premier resilient powerprojection platform for the Pacific, supported by modern infrastructure, energy security and strong community systems. So what if we deliberately recruited defense contractors, aerospace companies, advanced manufacturers and logistics firms because Travis is here? What if we connected Travis, advanced manufacturing, energy, logistics and maritime industries into one economic ecosystem?
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And now, ships. Here is the inconvenient truth: California Forever put maritime industrial development back on the Solano County table in a very big way. California Forever not Insight Solano County's road to industrial success. Its possibilities have been known for decades. But someone has put to capital, vision and ambition behind the idea.
What if that vision had never emerged? Would we be talking about shipbuilding jobs today? Would national-security leaders be looking at Solano County? Would we be discussing how maritime manufacturing could connect with Travis AFB, advanced manufacturing and the defense industrial base? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But now we are. And that creates another question:
Are we going to seize the opportunity? Time is money. And capital won't wait forever. Opportunities have a shelf life. Investors have choices. Communities compete every day for capital, jobs and talent. If we take too long deciding what we want, someone else will decide where that investment goes.
Turn, turn, turn. The Byrds reminded us that there is a season for everything. A time to question. A time to protect. A time to negotiate. A time to change. And a time to build.
America is rediscovering the importance of domestic manufacturing, resilient supply chains and national security. Solano County has Travis AFB, transportation infrastructure, land, water access, rail, highways and a workforce. We have unique assets other communities would love to have. So what are we going to do with them? It is easy to be a naysayer. It is easy to plant seeds of doubt because none of us knows exactly what the future holds. But results matter. For decades, Solano County has talked about attracting good-paying jobs, diversifying our economy, revitalizing downtowns, building infrastructure and attracting major employers.
How are we doing? If the answer isn't good enough, perhaps the question isn't who is to blame.
So what are we willing to change? The old definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result. Solano County needs some Can-Do-ism. Not saying yes to everything. Certainly not saying no to everything. But asking: “How can we work together to make this work for Solano County?” What if we begin by taking some calculated risks? What if we welcome investment while demanding accountability? What if we stop defining ourselves by what we oppose and start defining ourselves by what we are willing to build? There is a season to turn. There is a season to change. There is a season to build. Time is money. Capital won't wait forever. I believe our season is now.
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THE SOLANO ECONOMIC VOICE
SOLANOEDC.ORG • SEPTEMBER 2026
COMMUNITY & INDUSTRY
SOLANO MANUFACTURING ROUNDTABLE
FOCUS ON WORKFORCE WANT A SEAT AT THE TABLE? Interested in participating in the Solano Manufacturing Roundtable? Connect with Steve to learn more and get involved.
CONTACT STEVE Steve@SolanoEDC.org
Wednesday, October 21
Networking: 10:30 AM | Program: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
5100 Business Center Dr, Fairfield, CA 94534 Solano County Office of Education Lunch will be provided
TOPICS
Apprenticeship & Career Technical Education
SPEAKERS
Solano Community College | Workforce Development Board | Adult School Participation
PARTNERS
California Manufacturers & Technology Association
The Solano County Manufacturing Round Table brings together manufacturers, industry leaders, and partners to strengthen collaboration, foster innovation, address shared challenges, and support economic growth throughout Solano County. For additional information contact Steve Kirnig at Steve@SolanoEDC.org or 530-518-7851
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THE SOLANO ECONOMIC VOICE