Fairfield City Snapshot

Fairfield City Snapshot
East Bay Business Times - by East Bay Business Times

The area where Fairfield is located was originally inhabited by Suisun Indians 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. The Mexican government sent General Mariano Vallejo to colonize the region in 1835, and two years later gave Chief Solano a land grant known as Suisun Ranch. In 1842, Solano sold the grant to Vallejo for $1,000.

Robert Waterman, a clipper ship captain, mapped out the site for Fairfield, in 1856 and named it after his Connecticut hometown. Soon after that he organized efforts to move the county seat from Benicia to Fairfield. In 1903, Fairfield was incorporated as a city.

The U.S. Air Force created Travis Air Force Base in 1942, and it later became a major departure point for troops during the Vietnam War. Today the base is home to the 60th Air Mobility Wing, which is the largest air-mobility organization in the Air Force and handles more cargo and passengers than any other military air terminal in the United States. Travis has a work force of approximately 7,900 active-duty military and 3,500 civilians.

Besides the contributions made by the Air Force base, Fairfield's economy is based on the activities of a wide range of companies, many of which are in the food industry and were attracted to the city because of its excellent water supply.

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Abbott Nutrition
2302 Courage Drive
Fairfield 94533
707-399-1100
http://abbottnutrition.com

The Fairfield plant of the Columbus, Ohio-based Abbott Nutrition, produces ZonePerfect nutrition bars and NutriPals nutrition bars.


ABCO Laboratories Inc.
2450 South Watney Way
Fairfield 94533
707-432-2200
www.abcolabs.com

ABCO Labs develops and manufactures custom products for the food and nutritional product industries.


Anheuser-Busch Brewery
3101 Busch Drive
Fairfield 94533
707-429-7595
www.budweisertours.com/docs/calif.htm

One of 12 Anheuser-Busch breweries in the United States, the Fairfield facility annually produces about 136 million gallons of beer, including Budweiser, Bud Light and Busch.


Ball Corp.
2400 Huntington Drive
Fairfield 94533
707-437-5411
www.ball.com

The Ball Corp. Fairfield plant produces aluminum cans for Anheuser-Busch beer and soft drinks.


Calbee America Inc.
2600 Maxwell Way
Fairfield 94534
707-427-2500
www.calbeeamerica.com

Last summer Calbee Foods Co. of Japan moved its North American manufacturing plant from Sebastopol to Fairfield, where it produces snack foods such as Snapea Crisps and Shrimp Flavored Chips.


Copart Inc.
4665 Business Center Drive
Fairfield 94534
707-639-5000
www.copart.com

With headquarters in Fairfield and more than 135 facilities across the United States and in Canada and the United Kingdom, Copart is an online re-marketer of salvage vehicles.


Duracite
2100 Huntington Drive
Fairfield 94533
707-402-1600
www.duracite.com

Duracite manufactures and installs solid surface products, including natural stone and cultured marble, on everything from large commercial projects to household countertops.


GeoVera Insurance Co.
4820 Business Center Drive
Fairfield 94534
800-324-6020
www.geovera.com

GeoVera Insurance, which is based in Fairfield and has offices in Sheboygan, Wis., and Tallahassee, Fla., provides residential insurance.


Jelly Belly Candy Co.
One Jelly Belly Lane
Fairfield 94533
707-428-2800
www.jellybelly.com

Established in 1976, Jelly Belly Candy Co. makes jelly beans and other sweet treats in its Fairfield factory, which offers 40-minute walking tours, along with tastings, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.


NRE World Bento Inc.
2430 South Watney Way
Fairfield 94533
707-427-3127
www.nrewb.com

A subsidiary of Japan Restaurant Enterprises Co., owned by East Japan Railway Co., NRE World Bento produces ready-to-eat frozen Japanese meals at its Fairfield plant.


Papyrus
500 Chadbourne Road
Fairfield 94533
800-789-1649
www.papyrusonline.com

Papyrus, with headquarters in Fairfield, operates more than 150 retail stores across the United States that sell greeting cards, invitations and gift items.


Superstore Industries Fairfield Dairy Division
199 Red Top Road
Fairfield 94534
707-864-0502

Superstore Industries produces Sunnyside Farms and Bayview Farms brand fluid milk and juice products at its Fairfield plant for distribution in California and Nevada.


Trans Bay Steel Corp.
2400 Cordelia Road
Fairfield 94524
707-430-4600
www.transbaysteel.com

Trans Bay Steel is a steel product fabricator with a major focus on heavy-bridge piling and structural and mechanical fabrication.


WestAmerica Bancorporation
4550 Mangels Blvd.
Fairfield 94534
707-863-6471
www.westamerica.com

Fairfield serves as headquarters for WestAmerica Bancorporation, the holding company for WestAmerica Bank, which operates 86 branches and two trust offices in 21 Northern and Central California counties.

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Facts & figures

Size: 36.7 square miles
Population: 105,026
Projected population in 2010: 126,100
Labor force: 48,400
Projected jobs (2020): 60,550
Regional labor force: 1,149,300
Percentage of work force that speaks English: 70%
Percentage of population with high school diploma or higher: 84%
Percentage of population with college degree: 25