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University of the Pacific to open small business center with $1M boost from San Joaquin County

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University of the Pacific to open small business center with M boost from San Joaquin County

Thanks to a $1 million boost from the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, University of the Pacific will launch a small business center to grow and support small businesses in the region.

At its Nov. 12 meeting, the board unanimously approved a $1 million investment to create the center, which will be matched with an additional $1 million from the university.

The center, which will be housed at the Eberhardt School of Business, was initiated and championed by District 3 Supervisor Tom Patti.

“Small businesses are a vital part of our local economy in San Joaquin County, and the board is allocating these funds to offer support to help existing and new businesses grow and thrive,” Patti said. “We are grateful to University of the Pacific for this opportunity to partner together to grow greatness here in San Joaquin County.”

What services will the small business center provide?

Businesses will be able to receive help with market research, creating business plans, digital and social media strategies, navigating human resources and legal issues, hiring strategies, and accounting and finance expertise.

Services will be provided through one-on-one consultations, workshops and seminars. There also will be a resource library with business templates, industry reports and other material, training programs, and opportunities to network with other local business owners and industry experts. Businesses can also connect with expertise across campus, such as engineering.

District 2 Supervisor Paul Canepa, whose district includes the university’s Stockton campus, said the center will help recruit and retain talent in the county.

“This center will give students the skills and opportunities to learn and grow, which will benefit the community long-term, as it will enable students to see career paths in our local community,” Canepa said.

The center will be staffed by Eberhardt School of Business students, who will be overseen by a university director. It is expected to open next year.

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Power of partnerships

Pacific President Christopher Callahan said that the center is modeled after a core element of a Pacific education: real-life learning experiences that give students learning opportunities while providing critical resources and services to local communities.

Callahan added that the small business initiative is a perfect example of the power of the partnership between the county and the university.

“We are incredibly grateful to Supervisor Patti, Supervisor Canepa and the rest of the board of supervisors for making this center a reality for the small business community,” Callahan said. “The new center will help the university expand our essential role as an economic driver for our region.”

Pacific’s Stockton campus generates $300 million in total economic impact and a total employment of more than 2,400 jobs each year, according to university officials.

Pacific has also launched centers and clinics that serve thousands of Northern Californians, including mobile health screenings, speech clinics and a Medicare Part D program in Stockton, free law clinics in Sacramento, and dental and audiology clinics in San Francisco.

Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

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