Episodes
Tune in to this episode of SCV Means Business to join host Dr. Jey Wagner, President and CEO of the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation, as he interviews economist Mark Schniepp for an illuminating update on economic trends locally and nationally. Mark shares the latest projections on inflation, interest rates, the real estate market, and overall GDP growth. He also discusses how the softening labor market could impact office vacancy rates and remote work. 
Published 01/31/24
Published 01/31/24
In this special episode of SCV Means Business, outgoing president and CEO Holly Schroeder is interviewed by board co-chair Calvin Hedman. Holly discusses the history and evolution of the EDC over the past decade, the organization's role in supporting local businesses, her proudest accomplishments, and the recent approval of a major new film studio project. This farewell episode provides perspective on the growth and bright future ahead for the region.
Published 10/03/23
Dennis Verner, General Manager for Burrtec Waste Industries, joins the program to provide an overview of his organization and discuss California's new food waste law. Discover the details of the law, which requires every jurisdiction to provide organic waste collection services to all residents and businesses, with the goal of reducing food waste in California by 75% by 2025. Dennis reveals the successes and challenges of transitioning to the new waste removal requirements and talks about the...
Published 06/07/23
Economist Mark Schniepp returns to the program to provide an update on the local and national economies.  Mark shares an update on the unemployment rate and reveals his prediction about the odds of a recession occurring in Q2 of 2023. Discover the industries in California that are expected to experience growth this year and the key economic indicators that may determine the health of the economy. 
Published 04/26/23
In this episode, you'll learn about Amicis Research Center and the work they are doing to help advance the clinical research industry. Discover how Amicis serves both medical professionals as well as patients, and the testing process for clinical trials. You'll also hear about the training and background necessary to work in the field of clinical research and the variety of career pathways.  
Published 03/01/23
In this episode you’ll learn about DrinkPAK, a premiere contract manufacturer of premium alcoholic and non-alcohol beverages based in Santa Clarita. Discover what makes DrinkPAK the most technologically advanced canned beverage facility in North America and the skills that DrinkPAK looks for in potential hires. You’ll also hear about how DrinkPAK is addressing environmental and sustainability issues and why they decided to base their business in Santa Clarita. 
Published 01/25/23
Economist Mark Schniepp from California Economic Forecast returns to the program to provide an update on the national, state, and local economies. Mark shares his thoughts about various economic indicators and whether the U.S. economy is headed into a recession. Discover the impact of retirement on the labor force and how companies can best manage their labor needs. Mark also discusses the impact of automation and provides an overview of the housing market in the Santa Clarita Valley. 
Published 10/18/22
Stacy Chambliss, CEO of Valencia Technologies, joins the program to share the origin story of her organization and reveals details behind their innovative eCoin device. Discover how eCoin is reshaping the delivery of long-term therapy for bladder control. Stacy also discusses the growth that Valencia Technologies has experienced over the past year and the qualities that they look for in job applicants.   
Published 08/03/22
This episode features an interview with realtor Neal Weichel of the Neal Weichel Group, as he provides an overview and tour of some of the different areas of the Santa Clarita Valley. Discover some of factors that are driving population growth in the Santa Clarita Valley and the range of homes available. Neal also reveals the pros and cons of new and older homes. 
Published 06/14/22
Yoni Lavi, President of Lavi Industries, joins the program to provide an overview of his organization and the various queuing solutions they provide. Yoni shares insights about virtual queuing services and how the COVID-19 pandemic created an increased demand for digital queuing solutions. Discover the management approach and culture that has allowed Lavi Industries to pivot and meet evolving industry demands.  
Published 05/23/22
Paul Butler, Owner and Client Parter at Newleaf Training, joins the program to discuss how he came to start his company and provides an overview of the services that Newleaf provides. Discover the 3 greatest barriers that prevent people from achieving their goals and how the pandemic has changed the delivery of training courses. 
Published 04/12/22
Justin Campbell, owner of Firefly Fabrications, joins the program to provide an overview of his company and reveals what goes into the manufacturing and repair of food trucks. Discover what it takes to run a food truck business and how to get set up. Justin reveals the skills that he looks for in a potential employee and the current state of the food truck industry in the U.S.
Published 02/23/22
Jason Altman, VP of Business Development and Operations for Elite Media Technologies, joins the program to provide an overview of the services that his company provides and share the story of his own career journey. Jason discusses the various educational paths that can lead to a career in post-production and shares advice for anyone looking to break into the field. Discover the importance of cybersecurity when it comes to protecting content, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on media...
Published 01/18/22
Tony Cuccio, Founder and President of Star Nail, joins the program to discuss how he was able to pivot his business during the COVID-19 pandemic, and some of the challenges he has had to overcome over the past several years. Tony reveals how he has been able to find quality talent even during the "Great Resignation" and how the support he has received from the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation and has helped his business.
Published 12/13/21
This episode was recorded live at the Fall 2021 Economic Outlook Conference. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and associated business disruptions brought unprecedented challenges for companies in the Santa Clarita Valley and across the globe. It's more important than ever for business leaders to arm themselves with vital information and data to make decisions that will impact growth and success in 2021 and beyond. In part four of this series, you'll hear from a panel of business leaders about how...
Published 11/08/21
This episode was recorded live at the Fall 2021 Economic Outlook Conference. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and associated business disruptions brought unprecedented challenges for companies in the Santa Clarita Valley and across the globe. It's more important than ever for business leaders to arm themselves with vital information and data to make decisions that will impact growth and success in 2021 and beyond. In part three of this series you'll hear from a panel of business leaders as they...
Published 11/02/21
This episode was recorded live at the Fall 2021 Economic Outlook Conference. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and associated business disruptions brought unprecedented challenges for companies in the Santa Clarita Valley and across the globe. It's more important than ever for business leaders to arm themselves with vital information and data to make decisions that will impact growth and success in 2021 and beyond. In part two of this series you'll hear from a panel of business leaders as they...
Published 10/26/21
This episode was recorded live at the Fall 2021 Economic Outlook Conference. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and associated business disruptions brought unprecedented challenges for companies in the Santa Clarita Valley and across the globe. It's more important than ever for business leaders to arm themselves with vital information and data to make decisions that will impact growth and success in 2021 and beyond. In part one of this series you'll hear from a panel of business leaders as they...
Published 10/20/21
Dr. Mark Schniepp, Director of the California Economic Forecast, returns to the program to discuss where Santa Clarita Valley is in terms of its recovery from the pandemic induced recession. Discover the state of various industries in Santa Clarita and the impact of trends in the national economy on the region. 
Published 10/06/21
Tim and Sarah Hudson, founders of Hudson Spider, share the challenges and opportunities that they faced along the way as they built their company. Tim discusses how while working as a lighting cameraman, he found the need for a light that was soft, directional and mobile, and how he and Sarah then created a parabolic 36” fixture, known as the Redback, which has quickly made its way on to movies, tv shows, commercials and stills shoots.
Published 09/08/21
Dr. Mark Liker, world-renowned neurosurgeon and Founder, Owner and President of BrainStim Centers, Inc. joins the program to discuss the work that BrianStim is doing to provide transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, to patients to help improve their brain function. Dr. Liker explains the process of TMS, some of the conditions that TMS can help treat, and how TMS can help patients achieve optimal brain functioning.
Published 08/10/21
Billy Russell, Vice President and CTO for Alliance Integrated Technology, joins the program to discuss the work that his company does providing high performance storage and computing for the media and entertainment space, as well as other markets. Discover how Alliance Integrated Technology supports film and tv production, and the innovative ways that they met the unique challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Published 07/14/21
Tony Shepard, CFO of AMS Fulfillment and Craig McCrary, President and COO of NeoTech Products return to the program to discuss what it means to be a B Corporation (B Corp). Tony and Craig discuss why they decided to have their companies be certified B Corporations, reveal the core principles of a B Corp, and discuss the impact of those principles on the culture of their organizations.
Published 06/08/21
Jeremy Stepan, Founder and Owner of Resurgence IT, joins the program to discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has led to rapid adoption of new technologies for businesses and provides an overview of the services that Resurgence IT provides. Discover the IT needs that were created by a shift to remote work, what you need to consider when it comes to cybersecurity, and how to balance security needs with accessibility and ease of access. 
Published 05/18/21