Economic Development Update

Dignity Health establishes Tehachapi Medical Practice

When Dr. Mark Pesche retired after decades of medical service in Tehachapi, it didn't take long to find a new care provider for the practice located at 707 W. Valley Blvd. Dignity Health, the fifth largest health care provider in the nation is the new tenant, and will bring their excellent care to Tehachapi residents.

Isaac Lin, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for Dignity Health says Tehachapi has been a market that has been on their expansion radar for quite some time. Dignity Health had a tremendous relationship with Dr. Pesche so the opportunity to bring services to Tehachapi came to fruition with the most recent acquisition.

 "Dr. Pesche has been a pillar in the Tehachapi community and it will be our goal to continue that level of service," Lin said.

Initial plans include a primary care physician along with specialty coverage such as optometry and diabetes treatment. Lin says Dignity Health will respond and work to meet the needs of the community as they establish their Tehachapi location. Dignity Health is well-established in the San Joaquin Valley operating Mercy and Memorial Hospitals along with an extensive network of physicians.

Dignity Health is made up of more than 60,000 caregivers and staff who deliver excellent care to diverse communities in 21 states. Headquartered in San Francisco, Dignity Health is the fifth largest health system in the nation and the largest hospital provider in California.

Tehachapi attracts top investment opportunities

In a small community, the term "franchise" often scares those who see a corporation without understanding the entire story. 

Truth is, a franchise is just that, an opportunity for a local investor to open a nationally-recognized chain, investing their own money while creating jobs and relying on support from their franchise to keep their business successful. Many chains deal almost exclusively with local franchisees which provides a local connection to well-established brands.

This year, as part of Entrepreneur Magazine's  "Franchise 500" the top 50 brands in America were identified. Their rankings were based on five pillars: cost and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength and financial strength and stability. The full article and rankings can be found online.

Ten brands are already located in the City of Tehachapi, some of which have been established for years while Tehachapi has four of the top-five franchises actively doing business. There are also a few more on the list that are currently planning Tehachapi expansions (we can't tell you who yet, that would ruin the surprise).

Here are the current Entrepreneur rankings (Top 50) of brands already located in the City of Tehachapi:

Pizza Hut (47th)

Jack in the Box (43rd)

Baskin Robbins (41st)

Keller Williams Realty (22nd)

Taco Bell (8th)

Sonic (6th)

Re/Max (5th)

UPS Store (4th)

Dunkin' Donuts (3rd)

McDonalds (1st)

The City of Tehachapi is actively engaged with corporate partners seeking franchisees for our market. If you're interested in investing in a franchise, or interested in an independent business, please reach out to our economic development department at (661) 822-2200 ex. 121 or [email protected].

Walmart Construction Process To Bring Economic Impact

Eleven Western Builders, Inc. from Escondido, Calif. was awarded the contract to construct the new Walmart in Tehachapi and has started work on the Tucker Road site.

According to Craig Stewart, Superintendent for Eleven Western Builders, there are normally 200 workers on site during a Walmart project and he expects a similar number for Tehachapi. While he plans to hire some Kern County subcontractors, Stewart says that many of the workers will be staying temporarily in the community.

While the financial impact of the Walmart store and sales won't be seen for over a year, the impact of construction activities will be felt almost immediately. 200 workers on site will be purchasing meals, gas, hotel rooms and shopping locally. The impact to restaurants, especially those on the Tucker Road corridor, the City's main commercial center, is expected to be vast.

Several business owners and managers were informed by the City about the anticipated increase in traffic and spending so preparations for additional staff could be made. This is the largest commercial construction project in the history of Tehachapi and with it comes economic impact.

City officials in the East Kern community of Ridgecrest mentioned a similar impact from Eleven Western Builders' presence in their community when asked about the subject. One of their biggest benefactors were their local hotels who saw occupancy rates increase as contractors and workers stayed in the community.

The 157,000 square-foot store is expected to open in summer of 2019.