Comstock's magazine 0620 - June June 2020 | Page 72

VACAVILLE & SOLANO REGION
Special Promotional Section
Welcome
The city of Vacaville is almost midway
between Sacramento and San Francisco
along Interstate 80 in Northern California’s
scenic hills of Solano County.
Vacaville has a rich history going back to
1851. That year, Juan Manuel Vaca sold his
share of a Mexican land grant to William
McDaniel, with one condition: that
1 square mile of it would be a new township.
It was named Vacaville.
Vacaville was incorporated in 1892,
and with a high quality of life and access
to excellent higher education, the city has
primed itself for economic opportunities.
UC Davis is about 16 miles northeast of
Vacaville, and UC Berkeley is about 50
miles southwest, and Solano Community
College launched a biomanufacturing
bachelor’s degree program in 2017. The
workforce in Vacaville is highly skilled to
meet the qualifications for many jobs in
the biotechnology and life sciences, an
industry that remains at the forefront of
the city’s economy.
Vacaville is home to approximately 10
life-science companies, including Genentech,
RxD Nova Pharmaceuticals, Johnson
& Johnson, and Novici Biotech. The city
has adopted a biotech and life-science
initiative as part of its Economic Vitality
Strategy, which identifies goals and
opportunities for biotech and life sciences
and advanced manufacturing industries.
In addition to biotech, Vacaville
continues to gain traction with companies
in the food-processing, logistics and
advanced-manufacturing industries. In
2019, Thistle Foods announced its primary
ready-to-eat and packaging facility would
relocate to Vacaville. A driving
force for Thistle’s move is the
access to agricultural producers
in the region, proximity to San
Francisco and the quality of life
Vacaville provides.
In 2018, SmartAsset ranked Vacaville
as one of the top-10 most livable small
cities in the United States — the only California
city on the list. Visitors have plenty
to do here, including shopping at the Vacaville
Premium Outlets, home to dozens
of retailers such as Abercrombie & Fitch,
Adidas, DKNY, Kay Jewelers, Movado, and
Van Heusen. The outlets attract about
7 million visitors each year from all over
the world — Germany, Italy, Japan and
China, among others. Plus, Napa and its
famous wineries are just a 35-minute
drive away.
Vacaville offers a diverse economy,
skilled workforce, proximity to Sacramento
and the Bay Area, and a high quality
of life that make it an ideal location to
do business. The economic development
staff is eager to work with you to meet
your every need and help you enjoy everything
that Vacaville has to offer.
Sincerely,
Tim Padden
Economic Development Manager
City of Vacaville
72 comstocksmag.com | June 2020