Merced County, L.A. port to create joint business plan

The Merced County, California, Board of Supervisors earlier this week authorized a memorandum of agreement with the the Port of Los Angeles that calls for a joint business development plan.

The agreement will help open the door to "significant investment and development" in the Mid-California International Trade District located at Castle Commerce Center and Castle Airport in Atwater, California, county officials said in a press release.

The plan calls for turning Castle into a hub for manufacturers and providing the port a Central California focal point for the movement of goods. Castle and the port both have direct access to BNSF Railway Co.

"This agreement has the potential to expand local participation in the movement of goods not only statewide, but also nationally and globally," said Mark Hendrickson, director of community and economic development for Merced County.

Although the agreement is the first of several steps to bring the project to fruition, county officials believe formalizing Merced County's relationship with the port will help advance the county's economic agenda.