SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
PHOTOS COURTESY OF: (LEFT) RISKALYZE, (RIGHT) SKYSLOPE
People and businesses that call Sacramento
home have routinely cited the
many reasons the area is great for businesses:
quality of life, the multiple education
institutions, and the rich history and
culture all add to the appeal. But one factor
that simply cannot be ignored is the people
of the region.
According to a 2018 Brookings Institution
Report, the talent pool in the region is
well educated and diverse, with a “workforce
that embodies the diversity that will
define the nation’s demographic future.”
The Greater Sacramento Economic Council
also touts the talent in the area as an
asset, noting that businesses located here
are able to tap into a network of 318,000
currently enrolled 4-year university students
within 90 miles of Sacramento.
While data and numbers are great for
looking at large-scale trends from an empirical
point of view, local businesses have
seen firsthand the competitive strengths
of the region’s workforce, utilizing those
strengths in different ways.
For Lincoln-based GC Products, an
architectural materials manufacturer, the
wide array of talent is the biggest benefit
of being located in the region.
“We need everybody from laborers,
draftsmen, CNC operators, to management
positions,” says Michael Coburn, vice
president of sales and marketing for GC
Products. “The nice thing about this area is
it’s all available. From the tech draftsmen
who know computer and 3D modeling
really well, to general labor. We’re able to
pull from different areas of the region to
get the labor that we need.”
Talent comes from a variety of institutions
throughout the region, such as UC
Davis, Sacramento State, eight community
colleges, private schools, and numerous
vocational schools and professional
schools which meet the educational needs
of local business and the community.
Coburn says he has participated in
curriculum development with the STEM
department at Sierra College to help prepare
the future workforce with the skills
they will need, and his company is working
to secure interns. “Because of where we’re
at, and what’s available, it seems we can
find the employees we need,” Coburn says.
Coburn credits that talent for helping
to make GC Products successful.
But a talented workforce is not the sole
appeal of the region — employee retention
is another asset that Riskalyze CEO Aaron
Klein has noticed. The fintech company
launched in 2011 and has offices in Auburn
and Atlanta which employ over 200 people.
Turnover is a legitimate concern for
The SkySlope team has a meeting in their
Sacramento office.
“I think it’s been hugely beneficial to
be based in Sacramento, instead of in
[Silicon] Valley. We’re able to recruit
amazing talent who move here for
the quality of life and affordability
of the region. Meanwhile, we get
the competitive advantage of great,
affordable talent that is loyal and
doesn’t just jump to the next company
every 18 months.”
- Aaron Klein, CEO, Riskalyze
December 2018 | comstocksmag.com 99