Moreno Valley Wins IEEP Red Carpet Award for Hire MoVal

And the winner is.. the City of Moreno Valley for the Hire MoVal program. The City of Moreno Valley is pleased to accept the Turning Red Tape into Red Carpet Award from the Inland Empire Economic Partnership (IEEP) for the Hire MoVal program. The annual award recognizes cities, counties, and agencies for their efforts to promote business friendly practices and job creation. The Hire MoVal program won in the Tale of Two Cities category which recognizes cities, counties, and agencies for their collaborative efforts to provide solutions to complex community problems that transcend district lines. Hire MoVal is an umbrella program offered by the City of Moreno Valley in partnership with several agencies, including the Riverside County Workforce Development Center and the Moreno Valley Utility to provide a myriad of services to help create jobs, help employers adopt local hire policies, and to provide workforce readiness services to help residents connect with local jobs. The program consists of development incentives to new and existing businesses, comprehensive workforce development services to unemployed and underemployed residents at the Moreno Valley Employment Resource Center, marketing assistance to promote local jobs, and job fair and workforce recruitment assistance services to new and existing businesses. "The City of Moreno Valley is honored to receive a Red Carpet Award for Hire MoVal from the Inland Empire Economic Partnership," said Mayor Dr. Yxstian Gutierrez. "Hire MoVal is an innovative program enacted by the City Council that is effectively serving a critical need and making strides towards creating jobs and improving the quality of lives of Moreno Valley residents. It's important to shorten commutes for our residents, which is why I championed the Hire MoVal initiative." In 2015, the City of Moreno Valley City Council unanimously adopted the Hire MoVal program. Since that time, the program has been effective in assisting with the attraction and expansion of several high profile businesses, such as Amazon, ALDI, and Karma (Fisker) Automotive. The City was also recognized in two additional categories for the following outstanding Moreno Valley projects: World Logistics Center Specific Plan - The World Logistics Center (WLC) Specific Plan was a finalist in the Real Estate Redevelopment and Reuse category. The WLC is a world class business park specifically designed to support the requirements of large global companies and their logistics operations. Featuring advanced technologies and innovative architecture, the WLC is destined to become one of the premier business centers in Southern California. The 2,610-acre campus will be one of the most sustainable developments of its kind incorporating the highest environmental standards. Karma (Fisker) Automotive - IEEP also recognized the City's success in partnering with federal, state and regional agencies, along with the private sector to bring auto manufacturing back to Southern California with the Karma (Fisker) Automotive project in the Public-Private Partnerships category. Karma chose Moreno Valley after a lengthy national site competition among numerous states for this prestigious American car maker. This project will bring highly skilled jobs and will introduce the electric hybrid car manufacturing industry into the region. In partnership with the City's "Hire MoVal Program," Karma's opening will provide approximately 150 job opportunities for Moreno Valley residents. The IEEP is a regional economic development organization that has been working to improve the economic vitality of the Inland Empire region for more than 30 years. The organization is focused on bringing jobs to the region, fostering economic opportunities, and enhancing the quality of life for the residents of San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Award recipients were recognized at the annual IEEP 2016 Turning Red Tape into Red Carpet Awards ceremony held on February 25 at the Red Hill Country Club in Rancho Cucamonga.