NEVADA COUNTY, Calif. January 7, 2024 – A new attitude toward working remotely is one of the silver linings of the Covid 19 pandemic. How does this remote work trend affect the tech industry in Nevada County, aside from an influx of tech workers who fled the Bay Area during the pandemic and found a new home here?
I spoke with eight local tech executives on the state of the tech industry in Western Nevada County and here is what they shared.
It’s not just video today
The tech industry is alive and well in Nevada County, and it looks different than it did ten years ago, or even three years ago.
Vestiges of the video revolution spawned by the Grass Valley Group remain in the form of AJA Video Systems, which manufactures a wide range of digital production equipment for the media and broadcast industry. 30 years in, AJA remains one of the largest employers in Nevada County with more than 200 employees.
But the Nevada County tech industry is no longer composed mainly of Grass Valley Group spin-offs.
Some new(ish) kids on the block are using cutting-edge technology to innovate in a variety of industries, many of them inspired by circumstances specific to the forested Foothill town where we live. Ladris Technologies, Inc. uses artificial intelligence to design solutions for climate risk – including wildfires in Nevada County. BoxPower provides power solutions for solar microgrid projects, providing clean, reliable and affordable energy to rural consumers.
Tech companies in Nevada County are growing – fast
Of the eight tech companies I spoke with, only one was forced to reduce their workforce as a result of the pandemic – the rest have grown, some exponentially.
BoxPower doubled in the last three years. Gyro-Stabilized Systems (GSS), which designs and manufactures camera and gimbal platform solutions, increased its staff by nearly 50 percent over the last three years. Most of Ladris’ 14 employees were hired in the last eight months.
Six out of the eight companies are hiring right now. BoxPower expects to add another 15-20 employees over the next few years. These companies aren’t just hiring software and hardware engineers, although those roles are certainly in demand. Active Theory, whose flagship product BitGym provides virtual travel experiences that connect with your stationary bike, elliptical or rower, is looking to hire videographers later this year. There are currently openings for marketing and sales, field technicians, project managers, and customer service, and many other roles, according to the executives I spoke to.
GSS is “always accepting resumes from great local candidates to support our growth,” said Jason Fountaine, Managing Director at GSS. The company is currently looking for engineers (software, electrical, and mechanical), customer service technicians, final test technicians, electro-mechanical assemblers, export compliance and finance, and other manufacturing, sales, marketing, machinists, purchasing, and planning folks with a tech/manufacturing background. Many executives expressed a preference for hiring locals, even when the companies embrace a remote-first work policy.
Not all roles require a tech or manufacturing background. A small pool of qualified local candidates means companies are willing to train, like SmarterBroadband, which provides high-speed internet to rural communities (including Nevada County)
“We used to look for technology experience, now everyone has experience with technology. Someone who has been a handyman or knows construction or landscaping would make a good installer,” Kathy Talso, Owner and CFO at SmarterBroadband explained.
In the office or WFH?
Each of these companies responded differently to the pandemic-induced experiment of working from home.
While about half of the companies are now fully remote or remote-friendly, this is not the case for companies manufacturing physical products. Instead, local tech manufacturers are offering employees more flexibility.
“People were productive, so we have embraced remote work where it makes sense,” said Nick Rashby, President at AJA, who has used remote work to AJA’s advantage in several ways.
“Key employees moved out of the area, and remote work has enabled us to keep them. Remote work also allows us to attract talent from outside the area,”Rashby added.
Leo Zlimen, CEO of Ladris, believes being fully remote gives his company “a significant hiring advantage,” but he would still prefer to hire local employees.
“If you are small and starting off with a great story and an inspiring team, you can get people to move [to Nevada County]. Huge companies can also get great people, regardless of policies. Companies in between might have a harder time,” said Zlimen.
Local tech companies face unique challenges
Although most of Nevada County’s tech companies appear to be doing well, continued success relies on overcoming some significant challenges, like scaling and hiring for both BoxPower and Ladris. Other issues — like infrastructure deficiencies and room to grow — are unique to being located in a rural county. Rashby cited power outages as an ongoing challenge.
“We are down for a few days and we are out a lot of money,” he said.
Jonathan Palmer, owner and CEO of Autometrix, which sells industrial, integrated cutting solutions, is concerned about how much industrial space is available in Nevada County.
“We are watching most of the local manufacturing companies shrink because industrial building space gets turned into something else,” he said. “There is no place to grow – nowhere to build new buildings. Manufacturers need large building space. You need to move out of the area to get more space. There is very little industrially zoned land in Nevada County.”
There were mixed opinions on whether our proximity to Reno and Sacramento is a challenge or a benefit.
“Trying to attract creative and technical talent to a small company in the mountains when we are so close to the big cities is a challenge,” said Rashby.
Zlimen sees our proximity to big cities differently.
“There is great potential here on the I-80 corridor,” he said. “There are lots of people passing through, with vibrant start-up communities in Reno, Sacramento and the Bay Area. Why not here? We have the right mix of forward-looking talent and practical experience.”
Support your local tech company
And why not?
It would certainly benefit our region, economically, to have more tech companies and tech workers based here. The tech industry undeniably brings revenue into Nevada County and supports our local economy.
“99% of our revenue, and the same with most tech companies in Nevada County, comes from outside Nevada County. We import wealth and spend it in the community,” said Palmer.
It’s in our best interest as a community to do what we can to support our local tech companies.
Sierra Commons, a local nonprofit that supports small businesses in Nevada County, is committed to helping the tech industry in Nevada County thrive. The organization has hosted networking gatherings for the tech community, such as last year’s CEOs and Tacos lunch, which invited tech leaders to convene and reimagine the future of tech in Nevada County. Sierra Commons’ coworking space has long been a landing place for tech workers relocating from the Bay Area and tech entrepreneurs who need infrastructure (fast internet) to launch.
Robert Trent, Executive Director at Sierra Commons, sees great potential for bringing tech professionals together.
“Right now in our coworking space, we have a user interface designer, a big wig at a large global tech company, a social media marketer, a programmer and someone who manages large distance learning programs… Hopefully, by providing a community, new startups will form with local talent,” said Trent.
Benji Brown, founder and CEO of Tesuji, an engineering and design development company, agrees.
“We need to get tech talent together at events where we can meet up and connect about new ways of making things. Presenting new and exciting ideas and trends inspires people and helps people stay in the know,” said Brown.
To stay in the know about any of the companies featured in this article, or to view current job listings, visit the company websites:
Active Theory https://www.activetheoryinc.com/
Autometrix https://www.autometrix.com/
BoxPower: https://boxpower.io/
GSS https://gyrostabilizedsystems.com/
Ladris https://www.ladris.com/
SmarterBroadband https://smarterbroadband.com/
Tesuji https://www.tesuji.io/
Erika Kosina lives in Nevada City and writes about what is happening in the technology industry locally and globally. She sits on the board of Sierra Commons, a heart-forward business community offering education, advising, and co-working.