SAN FERNANDO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Today, U.S. Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-San Fernando Valley) led several of his fellow Southern California Representatives in supporting the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership for Southern California (AMP SoCal). AMP SoCal is applying for the newly-created Investment in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) designation from the Department of Commerce.
AMP SoCal is made up of industry, local and regional government, economic development organizations, community colleges, universities, workforce investment boards and philanthropy spanning four counties with the common goal of investing in American manufacturing and bringing jobs to Southern California.
An IMCP designation would help by allowing AMP SoCal to apply for $1.3 billion in future federal grants. With only 12 IMCP designations awarded in 2014, this is a unique opportunity for the region to prove itself as a leader in the aerospace and defense industry.
In a letter to Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, Representatives Cárdenas, Roybal-Allard, Brownley and Peters joined most of the LA Delegation and Representatives from Orange County, San Diego and Ventura to highlight the importance of the IMCP designation for Southern California.
“This opportunity will benefit my district, and all of Southern California,” said Cárdenas. “We can create American manufacturing jobs across four counties and 29 Districts. Our region is a pioneer in aerospace and defense, and we want to send the message that this is the best place in America to invest in advanced manufacturing.”
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard said, “I am proud to join my colleagues throughout Southern California in support of the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership for Southern California (AMP So Cal) application for an Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) designation. This innovative, four county consortium has the potential to bring a resurgence to the aerospace and defense industry in the very region that originally helped pioneer it. It’s time to leverage Southern California’s significant resources, leadership and talent to create additional jobs, robust economic growth and new opportunities by designating AMP So Cal as an IMCP.”
“I have been working closely with the Workforce Investment Board of Ventura County, the Economic Development Collaborative of Ventura County, and California State University Channel Islands to ensure that Ventura County is at the forefront of AMP SoCal efforts to obtain an Investment in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) designation from the Department of Commerce,” said Congresswoman Brownley. “This designation will help our region maintain its leadership in the aerospace and defense industries, bringing jobs and investment to Ventura County.”
Southern California is home to 22.6 million people and 60 percent of California’s population. The letter to Secretary Pritzker emphasizes the wide range of people and businesses that would benefit from the IMCP designation. The letter was signed by a total of twenty Representatives from four different counties – Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego and Ventura.
