PLACER VALLEY
“That’s what draws people here. The combination of
schools, of quality housing, (parks) and recreation, all
those quality-of-life elements. … And employers see
that as well.”
Shawn Tillman, economic development director, City of Lincoln
manente, Sutter Health, Pride Industries,
Adventist Health and Topgolf, according
to City of Roseville data. With three of the
city’s top five private employers health-
related, Roseville has become a health-
care hub, with the 2017 report noting that
the city had 14,800 jobs in the sector,
with average earnings annually
of $78,800.
Across sectors, Wendy Gerig,
CEO of the Roseville Area Chamber of
Commerce, says employers are encour-
aged by the city government’s attitude
toward companies, how it provides all
services and its level of responsiveness to
concerns from the business community.
“They don’t wait until there are prob-
lems,” Gerig says.
Laura Matteoli, Roseville’s economic
development director, credits the local
political atmosphere. “In the 24 years
I’ve been here, I would say that every city
council that has sat is pro-business,”
she says.
Prior to Corefact opening its local
office, which employs approximately 20,
Burnley met with Matteoli and other city
staff. “It just seemed to me like they were
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the most proactive, business-friendly
community out there,” he says. “And you
can see the growth. To us, it just felt like
a safe bet.”
Meanwhile, Rocklin has 36,515 jobs,
with its largest employers being Sierra
College, Rocklin Unified School District,
Oracle, American Health Care, and S.E.
Scher Corporation, according to city
officials.
Retail has also thrived in Rocklin,
with specialty merchants like RC Willey,
Bass Pro Shops and Pottery World, Marc
Mondell, assistant city manager, says.
“It’s been increasing year after year over
the last decade or so, frankly, which is
encouraging, because you’re seeing a re-
verse trend in other parts of the country,”
he says.
Other sectors are doing well too, says
Robin Trimble, CEO of the Rocklin Area
Chamber of Commerce.
Bruce Capagli is chief operating offi-
cer of Precision Medical Products, which
has corporate headquarters in Rocklin
with approximately 35-40 employees.
“It’s the location,” says Capagli, whose
company also recently opened a distri-
bution center with 10-20 employees in
Lincoln. “We’re a bunch of Placer County
guys.” He says, “You can provide a great
place to work in a Class A environment in
a good, safe community that’s affordable
for the people we employ.”
Lincoln, the smallest of the three
cities, has the least amount of jobs,
with fewer than 21,000, per the Greater
Sacramento Economic Council, though
it still features some major companies,
including the largest employer in Placer
Valley, Thunder Valley Casino Resort.
According to Shawn Tillman, economic
development director for Lincoln, the
next four largest private employers are
San Francisco Bay Coffee Company; Si-
erra Pacific Industries; BZ Plumbing Co.;
and Gladding, McBean.
Being small has its perks too. John
Coburn, president of GC Products, which
makes trims and finishes for commercial
buildings, consolidated operations from
Sparks, Nevada, to Lincoln in June 2018.
He says it has been easy to reach city
staff, and the cost per square foot in Lin-
coln is affordable. “The hub for workers
is much better here,” Coburn says.