Greater Sacramento is the capital of California, the world’s fifth largest economy. It is located 88 miles east of the San Francisco Bay Area. The two areas share an economy and workforce. Greater Sacramento is the ideal entry point for international companies to access West Coast markets while keeping costs low.

Globalizing Greater Sacramento: 2024 Germany market visit

In February 2024, GSEC led a delegation of 20 regional leaders on a weeklong market visit to Germany. We attended 24 meetings in five days across five Germany cities, including meetings with global leadership at some of Germany’s largest companies. We also toured Aachen University and their zero-emission vehicle center – a model for the ZEV Hub at Sac State. We made groundbreaking connections and incredible headway on key initiatives.

Top international employers in the region

Munich, Germany

2,500 regional employees

Leverkusen, Germany*

250 regional employees

Aichi, Japan

120 regional employees

Montreal, Canada

196 regional employees

Asker, Norway

112 regional employees

Bagsværd, Denmark

110 regional employees

Icheon-si, South Korea*

1,900 regional employees

Osaka, Japan

174 regional employees

Syngenta

Basel, Switzerland

79 regional employees

Noida, India

663 regional employees

Valence, France

159 regional employees

Gerlingen, Germany

Regional employee count TBD

Sources: Business Journal Book of Lists, LinkedIn & DB Hoovers

* Subsidiary’s global headquarters is based in Greater Sacramento

International connections and resources

consulates within 100 miles

foreign-owned companies

ethnic and trade organizations within 100 miles

jobs supported by foreign-owned companies

Top countries for foreign direct investment (FDI)

Top 5 countries for FDI by jobs supported

  1. United Kingdom
  2. Japan
  3. Germany
  4. France
  5. Netherlands

Top 5 countries for FDI by number of foreign-owned companies

  1. United Kingdom
  2. Japan
  3. France
  4. Canada
  5. Netherlands

Recent announcements

Greater Sacramento is gaining momentum as a destination for international investment. One-third of the companies Greater Sacramento Economic Council brings to the region and 40% of those in the team’s pipeline are foreign-owned. Between 2021 and early 2023, GSEC brought 11 foreign-owned companies to the region, creating more than 2,900 jobs.

wdt_ID Company Parent company headquarters Regional jobs
1 Solidigm Icheon-si, South Korea 1,900
2 HCL Technologies Noida, India 663
3 Kubota Tractor Osaka, Japan 125
4 Schilling Robotics United Kingdom 100
5 TurtleTree Labs Singapore 40
6 Shalby Limited Ahmedabad, India 25
7 SIR Robotics Modena, Italy 15
8 QPQ Ireland 15
19 Bosch Gerlingen, Germany TBD

The best place to live and work on the West Coast

Greater Sacramento is the #1 place to live in California (Forbes). It has one of the lowest cost of living among large cities in California and on the West Coast.

Source: C2ER 2022 Annual Average

Business expansion and relocation assistance

The Greater Sacramento Economic Council (GSEC) is the region’s leading economic development organization. Our team helps companies navigate and identify solutions to meet their goals. With regional, state and national connections, GSEC ensures companies have a customized and seamless entry into the Greater Sacramento region. Our services include:

  • Site selection assistance
  • State and local incentive identification
  • Custom research and analytics
  • Talent attraction and development
  • Diversity and inclusion strategy
  • Public relations and marketing
  • Connectivity to consulates and service providers
  • Experience working with international investors

Learn More

Global connectivity

of population is foreign-born

of population speaks a foreign language

Source: 2021 ACS 1-Yr Estimate Data Profile, DP02 table

Transportation

An international airport, Amtrak train network, major north-south and east-west freeways and regional public transportation offer great connectivity between Greater Sacramento and major markets in the U.S. and around the world. The downtown area also offers shipping access from its deep-water port: the Port of West Sacramento, which is a Foreign Trade Zone.

Sacramento International Airport

Sacramento International Airport is the #1 midsize airport in the U.S. (Wall Street Journal). The airport is a 10 minute drive from downtown Sacramento. It offers daily nonstop flights to Canada (Toronto and Vancouver), Mexico (Guadalajara and Cabo San Lucas) and major hubs across the United States.

Sister Cities

Cities and counties within the Greater Sacramento region are connected to cities across the world. See the cities that our communities have Sister City relationships in the map below.