Area on the Leading Edge as a Destination for High-Tech Firms

The number of high-tech businesses in Ventura County has grown 154% since 1990, with firms employing 50 people or more increasing from 56 to 142, according to a Simi Valley nonprofit training company that tracks area business trends.

The overall growth of firms with 50 or more employees in Ventura County increased in that period from 85 to 239, officials with the Ventura Institute of Technology said.

VIT defined high-tech businesses as those requiring highly trained employees and relying heavily on computers for manufacturing. The growth in such companies was documented using databases provided by the U.S. Census Bureau and Dun & Bradstreet.

Los Angeles County saw only 16% growth in high-tech businesses during the same period, VIT reported.

“Businesses are moving into Ventura County for several reasons,” said VIT Executive Director John D. Greiman. “Quality of life, safety of employees and their families, a better educational system, financial assistance from Ventura cities and proximity to other firms in their market sector are major influences in their decisions.”