Business View Magazine | December 2019

277 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2019 MODESTO, CALIFORNIA T he City of Modesto, California was founded in 1870 as one of the San Joaquin Valley’s railroad towns. Predicating the establishment of the town was the Central Pacific Railroad purchase of approximately one square mile of land. It began selling lots and soon a bustling village grew up in the midst of a number of hard-working farm settlements. The original town layout is still visible in the 640-acre downtown tract – where numbered streets are oriented parallel to what is now the Union Pacific Railroad and lettered streets are oriented to the perpendicular. Today a vibrant community of 214,000 residents, Modesto has a wealth of attributes in its favor, including educational opportunities, multicultural lifestyles, mild weather, and some of the world’s richest soil. Dairy products, nuts, fruits, wine grapes, and poultry products are top commodities. It is the 16th largest city in California, the seat of Stanislaus County, and a 90-minute drive west of the valley and over the coastal mountain range gets you to the San Francisco Bay Area. Back in Modesto, residents, businesses, and visitors enjoy all the amenities and diversity of a metropolitan city, steeped in the ambience of old-fashioned hospitality. The city’s slogan of “Water, Wealth, Contentment, Health” is a promise to satisfy every want and need. Modesto has three major infrastructure projects on the go that raise the bar on innovation and progressive thinking. Director of Utilities, William Wong, reports, “From a utilities aspect, the city WATER, WEALTH, CONTENTMENT, HEALTH Director of Utilities, William Wong