Conference looks for positives in poor economy

January is a time for forecasts, and while the economic outlook may look bleak, a few slits of sunshine peeked their way through at an economic conference Friday.

Several economic experts at the 2009 Economic Forecast and Business Insights, hosted by the Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corp., featured optimism despite the current outlook.

"While there have been mountains of bad news, I'm sure there is good in all of this," said Steve Brammer, the corporation's chief operating officer.

The Yuba-Sutter area has many advantages to help itself recover, he said. It offers a low cost of living, low cost of doing business and access to huge amounts of land with minimal agricultural impact.

"We just need to get together as a single heartbeat and move forward," Brammer said.

Local entrepreneurship and grassroots movements can aid in that effort, said John Nicoletti, Yuba County supervisor and the corporation's board president. Attracting new business, retaining and expanding existing businesses and advocating on behalf of existing businesses is crucial, he said.

Health care, education, public infrastructure and clean energy and green technology are four "stars" of strength in the greater Sacramento area, said Barbara Hayes, executive director of Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization. The fifth "star" is in the Yuba-Sutter area: Beale Air Force Base.

"There's phenomenal things happening out there," Hayes said. "You've got partners, you've got interested people who are looking on and want to know what they can do to help."

Nicoletti agreed and said the base's influence with technology and as an educated workforce makes it similar to a university. In addition, Beale is the largest employer in the Yuba-Sutter area. In 2007, its total economic impact was $455 million, with retirees providing an additional $352 million.

John Oji, owner of Oji Brothers Farms, had no idea the base had such an impact. He said the conference also expanded his knowledge of the Yuba-Sutter area's strong population growth, dramatic increase in birth rates and stable work force.

But as a farmer, Oji was hoping to hear more about agribusiness and the drought, which could have more impact on California than most people realize, he said.

"Given California's current economic environment and if you throw this drought situation on top of it, it's going to be very serious," he said.

Overall the conference was greatly informative, he said.

"Often times we get tunnel vision," he said. "This helps to see what everyone else is going through."