City officials and business leaders on Thursday launched Fairfield’s Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) program at an event hosted by Tricor Braun at the interchange logistics center, an effort officials said is designed to keep local companies growing and remove obstacles to their expansion.

City representatives framed the BRE program as a partnership-driven effort to "listen" to established businesses, identify barriers and help firms access supports. "This program reflects our city's commitment to the businesses that are already here and call our community home," said Speaker 3, identified in the event transcript as a city representative. Speaker 3 added that the city receives "federal funding, state funding, to help businesses grow."

Officials and business leaders said the program aims to accelerate solutions and build trust between the city and local employers. "Our goal is to remove barriers, accelerate solutions, and build trust," Speaker 3 said. Event host Speaker 1 described a recent example of local coordination: an email several months earlier prompted real estate and construction partners and city staff to mobilize quickly, which Speaker 1 said made possible Tricor Braun’s expansion into one of Fairfield’s largest buildings in a matter of months.

Speaker 2, a representative of Tricor Braun, said the company was "proud to host this inaugural event of the Fairfield BRE, here at the interchange logistics center," and noted the firm has had a regional presence for 14 years. Speaker 2 thanked attendees and said the opening marked an important milestone that "reflects our continued growth here in the region as well as our investment in the city of Fairfield."

Representatives of the Salton County Economic Development Corporation described their mission as supporting local prosperity and assisting businesses and communities to grow. Speaker 4 said the group’s work is aimed at helping "the businesses and the cities and the people, in this community prosper."

The event emphasized collaboration among city staff, private developers and economic development organizations; no formal votes, ordinances or funding allocations were recorded at the event. Speakers closed the program with brief remarks and a holiday greeting from Speaker 1.

Next steps for the BRE program — including timelines for outreach, any specific grant awards, or staff assignments — were not specified at the event.