So. Cal – San Diego & Los Angeles, CA – Sun, Sand and Bio-Tech?

Southern California has long been known as a popular tourist destination. Few other places in the world offer you the possibility of skiing down a mountain in the morning and frolicking in the ocean surf the same afternoon. With an average of over 290 sunny days each year in LA and over 260 in San Diego it is little wonder why people flock to this region.

Less well known, but every bit as impressive, is the amount of Bio-Tech industry located in this region.  Orange County is often thought of as the home of Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm.  But it is also home to bio-tech giants like Edwards Lifesciences and Allergan. But as busy as Orange County is with bio-tech companies, San Diego has it beat. San Diego hosts over 430 companies in the bio-tech industry.

Today Southern California is one of the world’s largest hubs of life science firms.  Three cities in this region stand out for the number of bio technology organizations: Irvine, Mission Viejo and San Diego.  But it doesn’t end there. Baxter, Pfizer, Amgen and dozens more all have So Cal facilities.  Riverside and Imperial Counties are seeing significant growth in bio tech, too.  Abbott Vascular, Millipore, and others are setting up shop in this region.  With the number of outstanding research facilities throughout the Southern California area, a talented local work force is at hand.

By some estimates, the various life science sectors – medical device, biopharmaceuticals, industrial biotech, biofuels and life sciences trade (wholesale distribution of professional medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, and instrumentation) may account for roughly 9% of all jobs throughout this So Cal region.  And that number isn’t getting smaller any time soon.

Many of the companies in So Cal region are customers of Best Technology and these companies look to Best Technology for expertise in part cleaning, passivation, and metal finishing applications.

The Southern California Biomedical Council is a great resource for information on life sciences in this region.  The Lab Rat and Bio Pharm Guy websites offer information for individuals looking for positions in this industry.