Commerce, City of Industry, Santa Fe Springs, and Vernon keep Juanita’s Foods’ manufacturing operations in the region
LOS ANGELES , CA, UNITED STATES, September 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — A year ago, Commerce, City of Industry, Santa Fe Springs, and Vernon were four adjoining Los Angeles County cities that competed against one another for the same industrial employers. In October 2025, they formalized a different approach: the BIG 4, a coalition built to pursue investment as one region rather than four competitors. Today, the alliance points to its first completed deal. Juanita’s Foods, the 80-year-old maker of the No. 1 brand of Mexican-style menudo and pozole in the United States, will consolidate production from its longtime Wilmington plant into a new 120,000-square-foot facility at 13100 Arctic Circle in Santa Fe Springs, backed by a City of Santa Fe Springs economic development incentives agreement and the fast-tracked permitting and relocation incentives the BIG 4 cities built together.
The BIG 4 was formed as one of the first coordinated economic development partnerships of its kind in California, aligning policy, incentives, and technical standards across four historically separate cities. Together, they represent 250 million square feet of industrial space, more than 5,000 businesses, and a combined workforce of 200,000, generating an estimated $33 billion in industrial economic output. Juanita’s Foods is the first company the alliance has worked with directly since it formed.
“This is what becomes possible when cities stop looking at economic development as a competition and start looking at it as a regional opportunity,” said René Bobadilla, City Manager of Santa Fe Springs.”By working together, we were able to align resources, move with greater speed, and give Juanita’s Foods a clear path to invest and grow here in the region.”
Juanita’s Foods pointed to that coordinated support as the deciding factor.
“We conducted an exhaustive nationwide search before deciding where Juanita’s Foods would build its next chapter,” said Jody Jordan, Chief Operating Officer of Juanita’s Foods. “Ultimately, the combination of Santa Fe Springs’ business-friendly approach, the right facility and a competitive incentive package made staying in Southern California a no-brainer. It allowed us to remain where Juanita’s was founded while continuing to invest in our people and our future.”
Businesses, investors and site selectors interested in opportunities within the BIG 4 cities may reach out contact@citiesbuilt4business.com.
About BIG 4
The BIG 4 is a regional economic development alliance comprising Commerce, City of Industry, Santa Fe Springs, and Vernon. The initiative brings together four of Los Angeles County’s established industrial and business communities to coordinate investment attraction, support business growth, and strengthen the regional industrial economy.
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Dena Vang
North Star Alliances
dena.vang@northstaralliances.com
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