New Industrial Site Breaks Ground in Simi Valley, More Local Jobs Could Follow
(CLAIR | Simi Valley, CA) — Simi Valley residents could see new job opportunities on the horizon. Houston-based Hanover Company has broken ground on its first Southern California industrial project, a facility rising off the 118 Freeway in Simi Valley that marks the developer's entry into the West Coast market. The building is expected to be complete next year, and once it fills with tenants, it stands to bring jobs to the local economy.
Construction of the building at 903 Quimisa Drive started in July.
Hanover, founded in 1982, describes itself as one of the most active private real estate companies in the country. The family-owned firm builds apartment communities and industrial properties nationwide and is headquartered in Houston. Company figures show it has developed $19 billion worth of projects, built more than 71,000 apartment units and delivered 15 million square feet of industrial space to date. The Simi Valley project is its first industrial development in Southern California.
In a statement, the company said its new facility in Simi Valley will be designed to accommodate a range of tenants, from corporate headquarters to packaging and assembly to distribution operations. "We are fortunate that the dimensions of the property allowed us to design a modern industrial facility with functional features for a wide array of future tenants," said Anthony Feenick, Hanover's development partner for Southern California.
Simi Valley Mayor Dee Dee Cavanaugh welcomed the project in a statement, saying Hanover's investment "reflects the confidence businesses have in our community" and reinforces the city's reputation as a place where companies can grow.
Newmark Vice Chairmen Patrick DuRoss and John DeGrinis, along with colleagues Jeff Abraham and Javier Galvan, will represent Hanover and Crow Holdings Capital in lease negotiations. DuRoss pointed to the site's freeway access as a draw, saying it gives tenants a direct route to the San Fernando Valley and greater Los Angeles. Chad Solomon of JLL and David Young of NAI Capital are also working on the deal. Rasmussen is the project architect and M3 Civil is the civil engineer.
Beyond Simi Valley, Hanover is working to get the green light to build on an 80-acre site in Riverside County. Outside California, the company's industrial team mainly builds in Texas, the Mid-Atlantic region and Georgia, areas it sees as key hubs for shipping and distribution.
The new facility in Ventura County arrives as manufacturing remains one of Simi Valley's largest job sectors. According to U.S. Census data compiled by Data USA, manufacturing employed about 7,250 city residents in 2024, the second-largest industry in Simi Valley after health care and social assistance.
The balance between manufacturing and office jobs came up at this week’s Simi Valley City Council meeting when one public speaker told officials that manufacturing and industrial jobs offer more potential than office work for well-paying positions. He cautioned against trading production jobs for desk jobs, noting that one major manufacturing company is reportedly planning to leave the city. "They both can belong here, but the truth is they're not the same jobs," he said.
City Manager Samantha Argabrite addressed one such case at the meeting, telling the council that AeroVironment has indicated it plans to relocate to Moorpark, where it found a site with more of a campus setting than what was available in Simi Valley. She said that reasoning was still speculation at this point. "Obviously we don't like to lose jobs in the city," Argabrite said, adding that the jobs would at least remain in the local area. Separately, mortgage lender Pennymac is expected to bring 1,000 to 1,200 office jobs to Simi Valley when it relocates to the here.
More information on Hanover is available at hanoverco.com.
