Last week, I had theprivilege of joining Congressman Eric Swalwell at a ‘town hall’ meeting at Fremont-based dB Control. The defense electronics manufacturer is providing mission critical products to military organizations and defense contractors around the world. It was a great opportunity to hear about industry trends from executives and speak with employees about Fremont’s economy and major initiatives like the Warm Springs plan.

As military technologies continue to advance, such as the increased use in unmanned aerial vehicles, so too does the demand for dB Control’s products and services. So it’s no surprise that the state of the federal budget is of great importance to a company like this—a theme we hear from many Fremont manufacturers, highlighting the role the federal government plays in our economy.

Leaving the meeting, I was very encouraged. While their business is global, dB Control thinks local. President Fred Ortiz told us he is committed to helping position Fremont as a center for manufacturing and to hiring from Fremont’s strong talent pool. I was happy to hear about local partnerships they have formed with institutions like DeVry University for internship programs. And they must be doing something right because they maintain a 95% employee retention rate—pretty impressive in a valley where job-hopping is not uncommon and employment choices can be abundant.

We look forward to continued collaboration with dB Control and other companies like it that reinforce Fremont’s reputation as an advanced manufacturing capital in the Silicon Valley. But just as important, they reflect a culture of partnership that we see growing in our business community. So here is my message to all businesses out there, Fremont is ready to work with you to accomplish great things together.