California Forever, a new venture aiming to create a walkable city in Solano County, has announced plans for a substantial manufacturing park named Solano Foundry. With this new initiative, the federal government takes a welcome, ambitious step to collide residential and industrial development. It looks to build more than 175,000 homes that prioritize walkability and create a desirable community.
On Thursday, Jan Sramek, the new CEO of California Forever, announced those plans at the Reindustrialize conference in Detroit. Located roughly 40 miles northeast of San Francisco, the Solano Foundry project makes economic and political sense. Its mission is to train the growing pipeline of hardware, engineering, and AI talent that is being pushed out from their growing demands in Silicon Valley.
Now, a coalition of Silicon Valley billionaires—most prominently VC titans like Marc Andreessen—has come out in support. This support paves the way for a historic announcement. Their support underscores the project’s promise to lead a new manufacturing era in California. It lures expertise to a region that has historically been underrepresented and overlooked next to the mega giants of the Bay Area.
Sramek stressed the importance of carefully choosing factory locations to ensure they are accessible and attractive to future employees. He noted that traditional manufacturing sites often found “off of random freeway exits in the middle of nowhere” fail to attract top talent. He stated,
“Building factories off of random freeway exits in the middle of nowhere. The best people don’t want to work there.” – Jan Sramek
Solano Foundry supports California Forever’s big, bold dreams. Combined, they’re trying to develop the world’s first master-planned “utopian” city built around the concept of walkability that promotes and creates community interaction. This comprehensive initiative merges residential living with advanced manufacturing opportunities. It seeks to foster a dynamic innovation ecosystem that benefits all of its workers and residents.
The project has received international attention not only for its size but for its collaborative and inventive approach to urban planning. By situating a major manufacturing hub within a thoughtfully designed community, California Forever aims to challenge conventional models of industrial development that often lead to isolated and unattractive work environments.
Given its entrepreneurial bent and continuing innovation, Solano Foundry will likely be on the frontlines of revitalizing the regional economy. It will address the immediate need for expanded domestic manufacturing capacity in the United States. California Forever’s technical expertise, vision, and grassroots support ran deep. That’s it is poised to change the state’s innovation and manufacturing ecosystem.