How Valley Firms Can Cash In on Corridor

Hollywood and Disneyland. They often provide the primary impressions that foreign business leaders have about the local economy, said Jack Kyser, chief economist at the Economic Development Corp. of Los Angeles.

“We know there is a little bit more,” Kyser said. To drive home that point, Kyser will speak at a Greater San Fernando Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday on how Valley firms can tap the global market and benefit from the Alameda Corridor.

The corridor is a $2-billion project to construct a 20-mile freight rail expressway linking the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to the transcontinental rail hub east of downtown. Construction began in 1997 and is scheduled for completion in 2001.

The Economic Development Corp., organized in 1981, is a not-for-profit association with a board of directors whose members are appointed by various government officials throughout the county.

The chamber holds a luncheon with guest speakers once a month.

The luncheon starts at noon and will be held at the Odyssey Restaurant at 15600 Odyssey Drive in Granada Hills. Tickets cost $16 at the door or $14 in advance by calling (818) 361-1184.