Made in the Inland Empire
By Matthew Mena, Inland Economic Growth & Opportunity (IEGO)
I grew up in San Bernardino. My family has lived and worked here for decades, like so many others who call the Inland Empire home. We’ve seen this region rise, struggle, and reinvent itself time and time again. Through it all, one thing has always stayed the same, the determination of the people who build this place.
That’s why, when I talk about the future of the Inland Empire, I start with something simple, we still make things here.
Manufacturing has always been part of our story. From aircraft parts to precision metals and building materials, the Inland Empire has powered California’s economy for decades. Today, more than 99,000 residents work in manufacturing, from machinists, welders, engineers, to other innovators. These are not just jobs, they’re careers that provide stability, pride, and a pathway to a better quality of life.
October is manufacturing month, and across Riverside and San Bernardino counties we are proud to partner with and recognize companies that are retooling for cleaner production, smarter technology, and better jobs. We see this in firms like ONYX Power, which builds zero-emission power systems that replace noisy diesel generators. They’re designing and assembling locally, proving that innovation can be made in the IE.
At IEGO, we’re proud to help lead this movement. Through the California Jobs First initiative, we’ve launched a coordinated effort to strengthen our manufacturing base, bringing together small businesses, labor unions, community colleges, and local governments around a shared mission, modernize production, grow good jobs, and keep opportunity rooted here at home.
Our partners from the Manufacturers’ Council of the Inland Empire to Chaffey College’s InTech Center and Victor Valley College’s High Desert Training Center are preparing the next generation of makers and innovators. They’re helping students and workers step into careers that pay well and build skills that last a lifetime.
What makes this effort different is how regional it is. For too long, cities and organizations worked in isolation. Now, through IEGO, we’re breaking down those walls. We’re showing that when San Bernardino, Riverside, Fontana, Victorville, and the Coachella Valley pull in the same direction, we can move faster, smarter, and farther than any one city could alone.
Manufacturing matters because it’s about more than machines or materials, it’s about people. It’s about families who can afford a home, students who see a future here, and business owners who want to pass on what they’ve built to the next generation. It’s about believing that our region can compete with anyone and that we don’t have to leave our region to find success.
That’s the spirit behind a simple idea we’re championing: “Made in the IE.”
It’s more than a slogan. It’s a promise that what we build here, from clean-energy technology to advanced materials, carries the strength and pride of the communities that made it.
I believe in this region because we’re not waiting for someone else to define us. We’re stepping into the role, and building our own future.
