The marriage of advanced manufacturing techniques with information technology, data, and analytics, combined with rising costs in overseas manufacturing hubs and a desire to bring production closer to companies’ research facilities, are all stimulating a resurgence in manufacturing across the United States.
Given Oakland’s central location, transportation access, and port, we have an opportunity to capture a large share of this activity and, with it, many good-paying jobs for diverse groups of workers.
An Overview
Oakland's strengths are in Food & Beverage Manufacturing, Electrical Equipment, Appliance and Components, Primary Metals, Paper including Printing, Fabricated Metals, and Furniture and other related products. Our innovative "Maker" sector is advancing the presence of Advanced Manufacturing, including R&D, Engineering and Prototyping of new products, and new electrical applications including Lighting applications and other components, Textile & Garment Design and Industrial Arts invention.
The Economic & Workforce Development Department encourages economic growth in selected industrial areas through its Industrial District Strategy. Two public infrastructure assessment and recommendations reports (East Oakland and West Oakland) provide the groundwork for implementing this Strategy. These reports examine the existing infrastructure, discuss gateway and streetscape opportunities, and establish priorities for implementing improvements.
View Cushman Wakefield RE Presentation of 11.18.14 Manufacturing & Industrial Forum
View Oakland Foreign Trade Zone Expansion Presentation of 11.18.14 Manufacturing & Industrial Forum
View Matson Logistics Presentation of 11.18.14 Manufacturing & Industrial Forum
View KenCreative Presentation on Food & Beverage Marketing 11.18.14 Manufacturing & Industrial Forum
View Whole Foods' Harvindar Singh Forager 11.18.14 Presentation Manufacturing & Industrial Forum
View Manex Consulting Lean Manufacturing 11.18.14 Presentation Manufacturing & Industrial Forum
Public Infrastructure Assessment and Recommendations Report
West Oakland Public Infrastructure Report (3/2011)
Food & Beverage Sector
Oakland's Food & Beverage Sector earned over $1billion in gross sales in 2014. Oakland is enjoying a nationally recognized, multi-dimensional food renaissance, in areas ranging from food service (restaurant, cafes, catering) to processing, production, cold storage and distribution.
The city’s central location, plentiful industrial facilities and proximity to user-friendly Oakland International Airport and proximity to the Port of Oakland make Oakland an excellent location, especially for a variety of food producers and related industry. Oakland forms the backbone of the East Bay epicurean economy with caterers; specialty and artisan food producers; small and medium-sized product distributors; and restaurant supply, design and culinary research companies. Increasingly, Oakland’s restaurants sell homegrown products, with the help of a network of companies that deliver, package, distribute and market foods.
In addition to stalwarts such as Peerless Coffee, Mr. Espresso, Veronica Foods, East Bay Restaurant Supply, Numi Tea, and California Cereal Products, Oakland is home to up and coming new food producers such as Hodo Soy, Kaia Foods, Ocho Candy, Nona Lim, Core Foods, Kuli Kuli, Linden Street Brewery, Voila Juice, Premier Organics, Revolution Foods , It is home to legendary beverage companies Urban Legend Cellars, Dashe, and JC Cellars wineries, Linden Beer, Ale Industries, and House of Kombucha to name a few nationally-known companies.
Oakland Food Industry Forum - Click here to view a video with the latest food industry news from a presentation by the Food Service Technology Center, Manex Consulting and other experts (March 2016).
Oakland Waterfront Food Trail - From farm to factory to fork—A continuum of food production in Oakland Much of the city's revitalized food production, distribution, and supplier system is captured in the Oakland Waterfront Food Trail, a City-sponsored, self-guided tour spanning several neighborhoods and different types of food.
The Oakland Waterfront Food Trail was created in 2008 to support production and manufacturing in Oakland. The tour introduces participants to artisan and specialty food enterprises and educates policymakers, lenders, civic leaders, regulators, press and consumers about the importance of these activities in Oakland.
Oakland Food Policy Council A center for food production and distribution for more than a century, Oakland now leads the nation in creating local food security and sustainability policy.
The goals: to produce 30% of Oakland's food needs within the city and to assure all residents access to healthy food. By keeping food production local, we can be more self-sufficient, have fresher food from people we know, and use less fuel to get food onto our tables.
The 21-seat Oakland Food Policy Council analyzes Oakland's food system in its entirety and recommends policies that will allow an equitable, sustainable food system to emerge naturally. OFPC members cover every range of the food delivery system--from farming to production and distribution to café operators, chefs, and the Alameda County Food Bank. The Council also responds to current policy initiatives, such as Oakland’s Zoning Code update.
The Oakland Food Policy Council is funded jointly by the City of Oakland, Alameda County Public Health, the Friedman Family Foundation and HOPE Collaborative.