Small Business Profile Of California’s 47th District
According to a recently released report on small businesses by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, small businesses make up 94.4% of employer businesses in California’s 47 Congressional District, which includes Long Beach. The data was pulled from the 2017 American Community Survey by the Census Bureau. At the time of the survey, 13,290 small businesses in the district – which is represented by Congressmember Alan Lowenthal – employed 124,308 people. That’s just slightly more than half of all employees in the district. The majority of these businesses are in the fields of: health care and social assistance; accommodation and food services; and professional, scientific and technical services.
Port Of Long Beach Experiences Increase in Exports, Decrease In Imports
The Port of Long Beach (POLB) experienced the fifth-busiest August in its history last month, moving 663,992 twenty-foot equivalent units of containerized cargo, the port announced today. Overall cargo movement declined 2.3% compared to August 2018, which was a record-breaking month for the port. The movement of exports increased 4.5% compared to last August, while imports decreased 5.9% and the shipment of empty containers overseas decreased by just 0.3%, according to the port. “These results are strong for any North American seaport, but lag behind our record high numbers last year, when retailers shipped goods to beat expected tariffs,” Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero stated. “We are still on track for one of our busiest years ever and our focus remains on delivering efficiency and reliability as we await the swift resolution of the U.S.-China trade dispute.”
Diesel Emissions Cut 87% Due To Port’s Efforts
As of 2018, diesel emissions caused by operations at the Port of Long Beach have decreased 87% since 2005, according to a recent announcement by the port. An annual air emissions inventory found that smog-forming nitrogen oxides have decreased 56%, sulfur oxides dipped 97% and greenhouse gases decreased 16%. Despite the long-term decline, there was a slight increase in diesel particulate and greenhouse gas emissions (GGEs) in 2018 compared to 2017, according to a port statement, which cited a record-breaking year for cargo movement as the cause. In 2017, diesel particulates were 88% lower compared to 2005, while GGEs were18% lower. “We’ve accomplished these reductions even while container traffic has risen 21% since 2005,” Cordero stated. “We are proud of what we’ve done in cooperation with our many partners, but we’re not finished. The port is managing $150 million in projects all across our port, all in the name of cleaner air. This includes $80 million in grant funding to demonstrate zero emissions equipment and advanced energy systems in port operations.”
Free Long Beach Brewery Bus Loop Event Tomorrow
Five Long Beach breweries are teaming up to launch a free Long Beach Brewery Bus Loop tomorrow in honor of the California Craft Brewers Association’s (CCBA) Craft Beer Summit & Expo. With help from the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association, the CCBA and Big Red Bus, the breweries – Liberation Brewing, Ten Mile Brewing, Dutch’s BrewHouse, Ambitious Ales, Smog City SteelCraft and Long Beach Beer Labs – arranged for two buses to loop between the breweries from 7-11 p.m. Participants may begin the loop at any of the breweries and catch a free ride to the next. Each stop will feature food, entertainment and, of course, plenty of craft beer.