New tech company coming to Atascadero
A new tech company is coming to Atascadero.
The company specializes in Ozone technology for sanitation solutions in the food industry and it’s expected to be a boost to the economy and provide high paying jobs.
The Economic Vitality Corporation (EVC), a local nonprofit that focuses on helping businesses and the local economy thrive, strategically sought out Ozone.
EVC hopes to offset the jobs that will be lost when the Diablo Canyon Power Plant closes.
“So we are looking at various industries for which we can help grow jobs in order to not only help the community by creating more employment, but also by replacing the jobs that will be lost by the Diablo Canyon Power Plant closer,” said the CEO of EVC Michael Manchak.
Advanced Ozone Integration will open their doors for business in May and plans to have jobs available by the spring.
“That means positions like mechanical and electrical engineers that we can bring in, service technicians that can manage both external and internal,” said Advanced Ozone Integration partner Mat Lowe.
The Diablo Canyon Power Plant is the largest private employer in San Luis Obispo County. EVC said the plant represents a half a million to a billion dollars a year in economic impact.
“So those 1,500 jobs that will go away in 2024 is something that is of great interest to us as an organization to help replace those jobs,” said Manchak.
Ozone will partner with manufacturers that will most likely bring additional jobs in later on.
According to the EVC, manufacturing is one of the top six employment sectors that provide jobs on the Central Coast.
“All of those six industry clusters include advanced manufacturing which is really where this category falls,” said EVC Senior Project Manager, Loreli Cappel.
The tech company appears to be a good fit for the coast because it works directly with agricultural and food suppliers.
“With engineering like food scientists we can really tap Cal Poly and their food and agricultural department,” said Lowe.
Lowe is a local that grew up in Atascadero. He said he is excited to give back to his community and hopefully attract more food science and tech companies on the Central Coast by doing so.
