Congresswoman Matsui Announces Federal Designation to Improve Food and Beverage Manufacturing in the Central Valley
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 9, 2015
CONTACT: JULIE EDDY
(202) 225-7163
Congresswoman Matsui Announces Federal Designation to Improve Food and Beverage Manufacturing in the Central Valley
CA Today Congresswoman Doris Matsui announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce has awarded an Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) designation to a number of public and private organizations in California's Central Valley. Central Valley AgPlus is a strategic partnership that is lead by Fresno State University, and includes the University of California Davis, Los Rios Community College District, Valley Vision and others. The partnership aims to help accelerate food and beverage manufacturing and create jobs in Sacramento region and across the Central Valley.
"California's Central Valley is the breadbasket for the world and Sacramento is the nation's Farm to Fork capitol. With this Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) designation, partners as diverse as Fresno State, UC Davis, Valley Vision and others will undertake an effort to modernize and boost the Central Valley's food manufacturing abilities," noted Congresswoman Matsui. "The designation means that the Central Valley AgPlus partners will receive preferential consideration for a variety of federal programs and together they will lead an effort to create a more cost-efficient and sustainable food manufacturing process. Sacramento has cemented itself as a leader in the agricultural economy and this designation will help create new jobs and grow our food manufacturing industry."
"This is a huge win for the entire Central Valley representing 1,600 companies in this sector," stated Bill Mueller, Valley Vision's chief executive. "The IMCP effort is an outgrowth initiative of the Next Economy job strategy that will have immense benefit for our food and beverage manufacturing businesses and middle-skills jobs across the Central Valley."
Congresswoman Matsui is a strong supporter of the Central Valley AgPlus and advocated with the U.S. Department of Commerce for the designation. More on the AgPlus effort can be found here.
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