CalPERS private investment lead Desrochers, Congressman Costa to Highlight 9th Annual Central Valley Venture Forum

Central Valley Venture Forum

WHAT: 9th Annual Central Valley Venture Forum, including:

Valley Entrepreneur Showcase (Five Central Valley businesses presenting to a panel of judges actively seeking investment opportunities)

• Réal Desrochers, head of private equity investing for CalPERS

• Congressman Jim Costa, representative of California’s 16th Congressional District

• Ag & Water Technologies panel

• California and Mexico Trade and Investment panel

• Tips regarding how to raise investment capital

Full agenda: www.ValleyVentureForum.com

WHO: Keynote speakers are Réal Desrochers, head of private equity investing for CalPERS, and Congressman Jim Costa, representative of California’s 16th Congressional District

California & Mexico Trade & Investment Panel will include:

• José Blanco, Central Valley Fund (MODERATOR)

• Ricardo Cervantes, Chair, California ProMexico Trade Group

• Jacqueline Paniagua, Fondo de Fondos

• Dora Westerland, Fresno Area Hispanic Business Foundation

WHEN: 8:30 a.m.to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014

WHERE: Clovis Memorial District – 808 4th St, Clovis, CA 93612

WHY: The all-day event will bring more than $1 billion in investment capital into one room. It is designed to provide Valley business leaders with relevant, useful information to help them survive and thrive in today’s economy. Attendees, expected to number about 500, will include local business executives, entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, professional services providers, consultants, educators, and civic leaders.

The Central Valley Venture Forum is a partnership between the Lyles Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship and the Central Valley Fund.

For more information, visit www.ValleyVentureForum.com.

NAFTA and California: 20 Years Later

NAFTA encourage trade growth between California and Mexico

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the NAFTA trade treaty between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

In the last 20 years under NAFTA, trade between Mexico and the U.S. has more than sextupled (6.2), growing at nearly 10% annually and far exceeding the U.S. trade rate growth with the rest of the world (6.7%). Mexican exports to the U.S. have multiplied by seven, surpassing $280 billion in 2013. Currently, Mexico is the U.S.’s third-largest supplier.

Mexico has become a major market for a wide range of U.S. exports: agricultural exports, fabricated metal products, semiconductors, electrical equipment and components, audio and video equipment, computer equipment, and auto parts among others. The trade relationship between Mexico and the United States reached another milestone as products traded between both countries set a new record of $506 billion in 2013, an annual increase of 2.6%. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce now estimates that six million U.S. jobs depend on trade with Mexico.

The NAFTA treaty substantially motivated the growth in cross-border trade and investment with Mexico, benefiting California as the state has undergone greater economic integration with Mexico.

Mexico is California’s largest international trading partner as bilateral trade reached $60.2 billion a year in 2013. California’s exports to Mexico reached $24 billion in 2013, representing 14.2% of the state’s total merchandise exports. Computers and transportation equipment account for 32% of all California sales to Mexico. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, one-quarter of all manufacturing jobs in California depend on exports to Mexico.

The impacts of increased Mexican trade under NAFTA are forcing certain sectors in California to evolve:

• California farms have access to less manual labor as the Mexican middle class emerges. Less than 2% of the farm workforce is non-immigrants. This will force farmers to invest in more technology and improve their labor-management practices overtime.

• The increase in Mexico’s middle class, estimated to be 0.50% to 1.00% a year, is helping propel California’s exports in technology and consumer products and services.

• California agricultural exports, particularly meat and dairy products, will continue to expand.

• Seasonal fruits and vegetable imports from Mexico will continue to grow in excess of 10% YOY trade volumes as Californians seek access to year-round fresh produce.

The increased economic integration between California and Mexico under the NAFTA treaty is a trend CVF Capital Partners expects to continue in the future. Strategic relationships with Nacional Financiera (México’s economic development bank), ProMéxico (a part of México’s Secretary of the Economy), Fondo de Fondos, and numerous Hispanic-managed businesses provide CVF the needed expertise to navigate the growing Hispanic marketplace in California and Mexico.

3rd Annual California Food & Ag Summit

Save the Date! Friday! Friday, November 21, 2014

Friday, November 21, 2014

Mark your calendars for the 3rd Annual California Food & Ag Summit on Friday, November 21, 2014, hosted by PwC, Central Valley Fund, and Rabobank.

This conference is an exclusive (invitation-only) forum for owners, executives, and senior management of companies in the Food and Agricultural sectors including growers, processors, distributors, and suppliers across California.

The Summit will include:

A discussion by guest experts on California Food & Ag hot topics such as water supply, consumer & retail trends, and the current state of the ag economy

• Opportunities to connect with executive and senior leaders in Food & Ag

• Keynote speaker Fred Ruiz – The Ruiz Foods Story

• Breakfast, lunch, and a closing dessert & coffee reception

A formal invitation with a registration link will be sent out in October