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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 6, 2024
VICTORVILLE, Calif. — On Dec. 4, community leaders from throughout the High Desert Region gathered to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Southern California Logistics Airport, an enterprise of the City of Victorville. From its humble beginnings in 1994 and following the economic crisis caused by the closure of the former George Air Force Base, SCLA has emerged as a thriving industrial airport and business center.
In 1988, Victorville City leaders first learned the Department of Defense planned to close the George Air Force Base taking with it 7,500 jobs and the buying power of many Air Force families who patronized local Victorville businesses. With the goal of restoring jobs lost from the base closure, the City of Victorville reimagined the former base into a 5,000-acre business and logistics park.
“Thankfully, our City leaders acted on their vision for what the base could become – a thriving business center that would drive our local and regional economy and bring jobs to our residents,” said Victorville Mayor Pro Tem Bob Harriman. “Building SCLA into the booming enterprise it is today took ingenuity and collaboration, and we are grateful to the visionary leaders and businesses who have contributed to its success.”
Today, SCLA is financially self-sustaining. It’s the largest employment center in the Victor Valley offering 4,500 jobs, and it’s home to 62 businesses including Fortune 500 companies like Boeing and GE Aviation. With on-airport and off-airport development, SCLA serves manufacturing, warehousing, aviation, and aerospace companies in one location.
SCLA’s on-airport operations cater to the entire aircraft lifecycle including flight testing and aircraft maintenance, painting, recycling, and asset management. Currently, 99 percent of the tenantable space on the airport is occupied.
Off-airport development has transformed into a thriving industrial center. As of December 2024, seven million square feet of industrial space has been built at SCLA for major manufacturing and warehousing companies like Keurig Dr Pepper, Amazon, Plastipak, Mars, and Graco.
“SCLA’s transformation was a huge undertaking. For starters, we had to upgrade the base architecture to ensure SCLA could serve modern businesses. Considering the military base was established in 1941, upgrades to the utility infrastructure, roads, and buildings were numerous,” said Victorville Mayor Liz Becerra. “All the while, we were finalizing complex real estate agreements with the federal government, establishing airport operations, and securing funding to make much-needed improvements.”
In 1998, SCLA’s first tenant, ComAv, began its aircraft maintenance, repair and asset management business that continues today. Boeing and GE Aviation would soon follow with their flight and engine testing operations at SCLA.
In 1999, the Keurig Dr Pepper manufacturing plant began operations at SCLA, and Stirling Capital was brought onboard to help reimagine approximately 2,000 acres of the off-airport property into the current industrial park.
Now, with development partners Prologis and Covington, commercial development at SCLA continues. A 1.3 million square foot warehouse facility for Goodyear Tire is currently under construction, and a 2.5 million square foot development is planned at the location of the former golf course. City officials also expect air cargo services to expand at SCLA in the future.
“I am honored to be a part of the team that brought our vision for SCLA to reality and I couldn’t be prouder of our many Council Members and City Staff for their incredible contributions over the years,” said City Manager Metzler. “Our City leadership is very excited to see SCLA continue to evolve and further contribute to our economy.”
Located in Southern California at the high-point between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Victorville is the leading city for both industry and retail in the High Desert region. Victorville is a growing, vibrant community that is home to more than 135,000 residents and some of the area’s largest employers. Clean air, abundant mountain vistas, family-friendly recreational activities, spectacular sunsets, and breathtaking night skies entice locals and visitors alike to fall in love with this city that is within a few hours of SoCal beaches, National Parks, mountain retreats, and other major attractions. Ontario International Airport is less than an hour away. Learn more about the City of Victorville at VictorvilleCA.gov.
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