Innovate summit to focus on bringing manufacturing back to state – Bizjournals.com

Innovate North State will present a manufacturing repatriation summit next year, focusing on why companies should bring production to California, especially to the northern part of the state.

Innovate North State will present a Manufacturing Repatriation Summit in the first quarter of next year, sponsored by U.S. Bank.

The bank recently made a three-year commitment of $75,000 to sponsor the event, which will be in Chico.

The summit will feature panels on why companies should bring manufacturing back to California, said Jon Gregory, managing director at Innovate North State.

“Many of the advantages companies had for offshoring manufacturing are no longer viable,” Gregory said. “The pendulum is swinging back, and we want to get out in front of this.”

Manufacturing can drive meaningful economic impact for rural communities, he said.

Robert Staton, district manager at U.S. Bank, will serve on the board of directors for Innovate North State. Valerie Lee, business relationship manager at U.S. Bank, will serve as Staton’s alternate on the board.

“U.S. Bank is committed to the manufacturing industry and the businesses that support it,” said Evelyn Jacobs, regional president for U.S. Bank in Northern California, in a news release. “The economic turnaround depends on business success and job creation, which is what an investment in growing the manufacturing industry will bring to our region.”

The summit will invite at least 10 major American-based companies with a global manufacturing presence and have them consider bringing operations to California, and especially the North State — at least one component of their overall manufacturing, Gregory said.

In addition to presentations, there will be a series of one-on-one meetings with owners or key executives with small business manufacturers — “with a goal of getting real deals done,” Gregory said.

Innovate North State was founded in April. Its first event was the Sierra Nevada Innovation Challenge on June 22, which drew dozens of entrepreneurial companies for a competition of business concepts before panels of investors, academics and others. That event was sponsored by Rabobank N.A.

Mark Anderson covers technology, banking, finance, restaurants and tourism for the Sacramento Business Journal.