GUEST OPINION: Time for county to seek out new employers

Our local elected leaders have displayed courage, commitment and imagination in tackling issues such as conservation, gang prevention, education, public health and affordable housing. They now need to apply that same commitment to recruiting employers to Sonoma County. The need is critical.

Moody’s economy.com recently published a report placing Sonoma County in the bottom 10 percent in the nation in forecasted employment growth for 2009-2010.

Sonoma County’s office vacancy rate exceeds that of Detroit, which is generally considered the weakest office market in the nation.

Sonoma County’s office vacancy was 29.2 percent at the end of the third quarter of 2009, according to a report published by a regional commercial real estate broker. Detroit’s vacancy rate during the same period was 25.9 percent, according to a report published by the commercial real estate research firm Reis, Inc.

An office vacancy rate, the percentage of total office space that is sitting vacant, is a good barometer of high-wage white-collar job growth. In Petaluma, the office vacancy rate is approximately 33 percent, a dramatic rise from a 3 percent vacancy rate it enjoyed at the start of the decade.

Aggressively recruiting employers from outside Sonoma County is a responsible act. Jobs that we can bring into the county can provide a healthier, safer, greener, more prosperous community. There will be more funds available for nonprofit agencies, greater volunteerism and fewer latchkey children. There will be less domestic violence, drug and alcohol addiction and overall crime. There will be fewer cars on the road as commuters find jobs closer to home. More families can exist on a single income. There will be a middle class.

We cannot complacently believe that our natural amenities will save our economy. Other counties are calling our employers, trying to lure them away. Many employers have left. Why not fight back?

There are three steps to recruiting employers to Sonoma County:

• Decide which industries would best benefit Sonoma County.

• Contact Sonoma County employers in those industries and ask for their help in making introductions to similar companies located outside the area.

• Make recruitment calls to those companies recommended by our local firms.

An example of such an approach would be the decision by government leaders to recruit companies in the clean tech industry. Contact would then be initiated by government officials to successful local companies working in this sector, such as Xandex and Enphase in Petaluma, DC Power in Rohnert Park, and Thermasouce and Multi-Contact in Santa Rosa.

In the initial call, a government representative would inform the local employer that it’s the intent of local government to create jobs in Sonoma County and ask, “Would you be willing to be of assistance?” If the response is yes, questions to ask should include:

• “What customers, vendors, or manufacturer or distributors of complementary products would you like to see located close to you?”

• “Do you have investors in your company who might have interest in setting up complementary businesses nearby?”

• “Would you be willing to make introductions for us?”

Once the government representative gets names and introductions, calls should be made to those employers located outside the area. The purpose of these calls would be to invite the senior management to come visit, enjoy the Wine Country and discuss their unique needs and how the county or city government in Sonoma County can be of assistance.

If the invitation is declined, call again in three to four months. Employers respect persistence.

Successfully recruiting employers requires time, effort and money. But the rewards are a healthy, prosperous community where families can be established and grow.

With the strong commitment of our elected leaders, supported by the talented economic development professionals within city and county government, aided by the excellent leadership and staff that run our local trade groups and chambers of commerce, this can be accomplished.

Peter O’Brien is a Healdsburg resident and businessman and a member of the Sonoma County Economic Development Board.