INDUSTRIAL REAL ESTATE GUIDE
Bill Chaplin is the senior key account representative for Roseville Electric . He says California faces a significant challenge in attracting new business .
“ Our ability to work with national and regional site selectors to bring new businesses to our service territory helps to ensure our commercial and industrial sites remain leased , green and infill sites are developed , and businesses continue to see the utility as a partner ,” said Chaplin .
Despite a number of event cancellations as a result of COVID-19 , our team has been able to successfully host a number of site selectors through sociallydistanced events as well as virtual discussions with regional partners .
“ Roseville Electric ’ s reliability and low rates gives companies confidence to pursue innovation in an environment not found in many places in California ,” said Matteoli . “ Whether we are dealing with business attraction or retention , Roseville Electric plays a key role in the success of our economic development efforts .”
New businesses equals new jobs
The city has seen a number of new commercial customers come to Roseville in 2020 as a result of outreach efforts and a consistent communication strategy from the utility and economic development departments .
In addition to population growth , we continue to see an increase in businesses and jobs year after year . Companies such as Penumbra , Amazon , Restaurant Depot , and Living Spaces have made our city their home this year . Shovel ready sites throughout the city have afforded those businesses an opportunity to move quickly . For the new Amazon distribution site that opened in early fall of 2020 , they were able to complete construction within six months .
In September , Roseville was also ranked the 45th best place to live in the USA by Money Magazine , and the only California city recognized . According to the article , “ With city-run electric , water and waste management keeping ownership costs low , it ’ s no wonder 63 % of residents own their homes ( compared to a 55 % statewide homeownership rate ) or that Roseville ’ s population has grown three-times faster than the state ’ s in the last decade .”
The impacts of COVID-19
Balancing new business outreach with existing account support and program development has become more important than ever .
As our community and nation mobilized to slow the spread of COVID-19 in March 2020 , our utility focus shifted from business attraction to business retention as a number of customers started feeling the immediate impacts of the shelter in place orders .
Like many others across the nation , Roseville Electric closed all buildings to the public and moved customer services online in response to the escalating concerns about public safety and the pandemic . In late March , we also paused disconnections for non-payment for both residential and commercial customers and began actively working with customers on payment plans and available resources at both the county and local level .
Since that time , we have seen a significant increase on past due balances for both commercial and residential customers , in some cases four times higher than usual . Just before Thanksgiving , Roseville and the rest of Placer County moved back into the most restrictive tier of Governor Gavin Newsom ’ s blueprint for recovery , shutting some businesses down for a second time and curbing capacity for others .
Despite this shift , a number of our commercial customers have reached out regarding ways to save on monthly electricity bills so we can reopen Roseville , together .
Westfield Galleria at Roseville experienced the most successful business comeback recovery from the COVID-19 crisis in the U . S . portfolio . The Center was recognized by Chains Store Age as # 4 in the top 10 in the U . S . for Comeback Retail Center Experiences .
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