Lompoc Valley enjoys a healthy and diversified economy. Home to Vandenberg Air Force Base,
which contributes $1.7 billion to the regional economy and is the largest employer in Santa
Barbara County, Lompoc Valley is the powerhouse driving the county’s economy.
A recent University of California, Santa Barbara, Economic Forecast Project study of the economic impact of Vandenberg Air Force
Base to Santa Barbara County confirmed that the military facility,
with many high-skilled and high-paying jobs, accounted for an estimated
7 percent of the county’s gross economic output, totaling
$1.7 billion, and 8 percent of its jobs. The study evaluated the impact
of Vandenberg in terms of population, output, jobs, labor income
and taxes generated using data from fiscal year 2004. The report
accounted for both direct impacts created by the base and additional
impacts that occurred in relation to base activity with a multiplier
effect of 1.92, which means every dollar spent by Vandenberg generates
another 92 cents in business.
Located on nearly 100,000 acres outside of Lompoc, Vandenberg
impact is stable due to its role as a classified military installation
for rocket and missile launches. As of December 2007, Vandenberg
had 2,919 military members, 941 civilian and 2,835 contract
employees. Col. Steve Tanous, Commander, 30th Space Wing,
affirmed that the base is scheduled to get 272 more military positions,
43 civilian jobs and 160 reservists through relocation of units,
along with the growth of other programs. Construction activities on
base include a $40 million Astrotech Space Operations payload
processing facility, a $16.8 million fitness center, and a $13 million
new home for the Joint Space Operations Center.
Major employers in Lompoc Valley include:
On the manufacturing side, Fagerdala World Foams purchased
Lompoc-based Pactuco in 2003. The company retained a number of
former Pactuco employees and has a seasonally adjusted workforce
of 60 to 93 employees. An international privately held company with
corporate headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Fagerdala manufactures
polymer foam products used for insulation, packaging and
decoration. It also produces thermoformed packaging and injection
molded products used in the toy, food and electronics retail markets.
Also in 2003, Raytheon Vision Systems opened a manufacturing division
in Lompoc rather than expand its Goleta headquarters. The
55,600 square foot facility in Lompoc employs 30 workers who
develop and manufacture infrared sensors for scientific, commercial
and government applications.
The population of Lompoc Valley is about 65,000, much of which
is young and Hispanic. The recent housing boom attracted many
young professionals. Non-residential investment is now paving the
way for more job opportunities with retail and public infrastructure
growth, as well as the rehabilitation of older neighborhoods. Additionally,
Lompoc Valley’s agricultural roots have shifted to value-added
products such as flower seed research and development and
most recently, wine production.
To enhance the role of Lompoc’s space and technology workforce,
the city Economic Development Office partners with California Space
Authority in several projects, including a 3-year, $15 million grant
that CSA won from the U.S. Department of Labor for its Workforce
Innovation in Regional Economic Development initiative. The city
used WIRED grant resources for an innovation asset inventory of
local companies; federal research laboratories and federally funded
research centers; federal military R&D laboratories and military installations;
and research universities and specialized university-linked
research institutions. The WIRED survey facilitates marketing for
companies and other innovation organizations through a statewide
database to get connection with their capabilities and what they can
do for other businesses.
The city also partnered in CSA’s proposed California Space Center,
a 66-acre project to be built outside Vandenberg AFB. The California
Space Education and Workforce Institute is developing the proposed
edutainment center. The center will present a history of California’s
role in space enterprise and other aspects of the space industry. It
will also feature a permanent launch viewing area, a historic rocket
park and a Native American interpretive center that discusses
Chumash references to the sky and artifacts found on the base.
Education and office facilities on the base will also be included.
The California Space Center project has received a $150,000 planning
grant from the State of California and $54,600 from the
"Launch Team," comprised of private, corporate and individual
contributions. The business plan, environmental baseline survey and
economic impact study are complete. The plan projects that the
center will contribute $1.3 billion to the regional economy, attract
200,000 to 400,000 attendees annually, and create 1,600 local jobs.
No doubt, Lompoc will be a major beneficiary of the Center!
