CITYSCAPE ROUNDUP:Workforce, housing crises loom

Huntington Beach will lose about 40% of its workforce with the impending retirement of baby-boomer city workers in the next five to 10 years, City Administrator Penny Culbreth-Graft said at a recent economic conference in the city.

City officials expect to lose the employees in five out of eight categories, with the public sector in general losing 40% to 50% of its workers in the next five years, according to figures released by Culbreth-Graft.

City officials are also worried that lack of affordable housing, long commute times and a high cost of living are making it harder for the city to attract experienced workers from out of state.

Many city services that are performed by those soon to retire will not be available when they leave office or other city workers will have to work longer hours to compensate, Culbreth-Graft said.

The city is trying to cultivate more affordable housing so its workers can afford to live here, she added.

A panel of experts discussing workforce issues at the conference agreed. “We are struggling to attract talent because of a lack of affordable housing,” said Lucy Dunn, president of the Orange County Business Council, who headed the panel. “Affordable housing is not for poor people; it’s for our kids,” said one audience member during a question-and-answer session. “If we don’t want them to move away from our community, we have to put in place affordable housing.”

The city is building more affordable housing projects and in recent weeks has signed agreements with other developers, Culbreth-Graft said at the 20th annual Huntington Beach Economic Conference on Friday at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort.

The Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce organized the conference.

The city’s other priorities include improving and repairing roads, sidewalks and other infrastructure.

On the brighter side, the city is expecting to benefit tremendously from development projects such as the 3-acre, retail and office project, known as Strand, coming up in downtown Huntington Beach; the 31-acre Pacific City project under construction near the pier and the end of the first phase of Bella Terra Mall on Edinger Avenue. The city is also studying how to improve Edinger Avenue and Beach Boulevard.

Pacific City is a 191,000-square-foot development that includes a 165-room luxury boutique hotel, retail and restaurant space, about 516 condominiums and a two-acre park.

Quiksilver deal will put products in Mexico

Huntington Beach-based Quiksilver Inc., a sports apparel and gear company, signed a joint venture with marketing and distribution company PBM International to sell its products in Mexico, according to Quiksilver. The agreement will allow Quiksilver to establish a chain of retail stores in Mexico and a wholesale business unit.

Quiksilver is the second-largest local employer after Boeing Co., with about 1,500 workers.

PBM International will market and distribute Quiksilver and Roxy brands of apparel. The Mexico-based company also distributes footwear, apparel and accessories under the Le Coq Sportif, Arena and FIFA brand names.

Quiksilver is set to hold a majority in the joint venture, according to company President Bernard Mariette.

The agreement will aid Quiksilver’s strategy to own and operate business in key locations, according to a company news release. Luxury resorts and popular coastal travel destinations in Mexico, especially in Baja as well as mainland Mexico, are lucrative markets that Quiksilver wants to compete in, company officials said.

“This new venture is a perfect fit for our strategy,” Mariette said in a news release. “Not only is Mexico an exciting and potentially meaningful market, but we are very confident that we have found exactly the right [partner].”

The joint venture is “another important step in the advance of our strategy to become the world’s leader in the outdoor sports lifestyle market,” he said.

PBM International has lot of experience representing lifestyle brands, and the contract to sell Quiksilver’s products is a welcome opportunity, Mauricio Brener, PBM International’s chief executive, said in a news release.

Quiksilver is known worldwide for offering apparel, shoes and sports gear for outdoor sports enthusiasts. The company also owns the Roxy, DC Shoes, Hawk brands and the French ski label Rossignol as well as the Cleveland Golf company.

Council on Aging to hold New Year’s dance

The Huntington Beach Council on Aging is gearing up to hold its annual ballroom dance on Sunday, Dec. 31, at the Michael E. Rodgers senior center, to celebrate New Year’s eve.

The entertainment will include music from swing band, the Bob Warren Trio, and an all-you-can-eat Italian buffet, drinks and dessert followed by a “Grand Countdown Champagne Toast” to welcome 2007. The council is offering tickets for the event, which is sold out every year, for $30. The New Year’s party kicks off at 8 p.m. and continues until 12.30 a.m. at 1706 Orange Ave.

The council, a nonprofit organization, runs programs and services for Huntington Beach seniors through the Michael E. Rodgers Senior Center and Huntington Beach Seniors’ Outreach Center. For more information, call the Michael Rodgers Seniors’ Center at (714) 536-9387.