Meghan Huber Works to Ensure Small Business Continues to Thrive

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - In January, the City of Citrus Heights welcomed Meghan Huber as the new economic development manager.

Prior to taking on this role in Citrus Heights, Huber worked as an economic development analyst for the City of Rancho Cordova for three years. Huber has a background in hospitality and sales marketing with Marriott and Hilton hotels.

Huber was looking for a new challenge, which led her to the position with Citrus Heights. She said, “I admire the City of Citrus Heights’ origin story of incorporation despite really big odds, especially having the grit to fight all the way to the State Supreme Court. Citrus Heights is a City that takes its future into its own hands, and that passion is still here in the City and with our businesses and residents.”

With prior experience working in economic development, Huber knew the best way to spend her first month on the job was “knee deep in data.” She said, “I took the time to familiarize myself with the community through data analytics.”

Huber explained that data analytics “allows you to move past the common perceptions of your community into understanding your true strengths and weaknesses, [so] we are able to connect our economic development initiatives directly to our community needs.”

Retaining and supporting existing businesses is an important part of Huber’s job, so she has introduced  herself to local business groups like the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce, Sunrise MarketPlace, Auburn Blvd. Business Association, and Antelope Crossing Business Association.

In order to attract new businesses to the area, Huber spends time researching available real estate in the city so she can match businesses with appropriate locations to suit their needs. 

“The most important part is to ask the right questions to get to know a business, their product or service, operations, [and] customer type so I can point them in the right direction,” said Huber. 

Start-up support is another essential element of business development, and Huber strives to ensure businesses have access to all the resources they need. “It’s so important to continue to grow that ecosystem,” said Huber. “I am also very interested in the work of how to generate economic development in a mostly built-out city, which needs unique ideas and creative problem solving.”

Huber stated that the marketing aspect of economic development is about telling the “Solid Roots, New Growth” story of Citrus Heights, and attracting and maintaining “local businesses that confirm that story.”

One “compelling story” Huber is using in her marketing materials is that the “intersection of Sunrise and Greenback is the third-highest traffic count area in Sacramento County.

So that’s really significant for us because that is right where our retail core is, so that speaks to a high-volume foot traffic area – which is really great for potential retail recruitment.”

Retail is a major industry for Citrus Heights and Huber found that 67% of all businesses in the city have fewer than 10 employees, so “Citrus Heights is a place where small business thrives.”

Recognizing how vital small businesses are to the local economy, Huber said, “We build out tools and resources to support our current small businesses and attract new ones.” As an example, Huber cited the Auburn Blvd. Business Association, which has 229 businesses averaging fewer than eight employees per business.

“To support this important corridor, the City of Citrus Heights created the Activate Auburn grant program that provides consulting for ideas on how to enhance the exterior of a property and funding to make those improvements,” said Huber.

With an overall population of more than 88,000 people, and an expected increase in median income by 13% over the next five years, Huber said, “We are a really robust residential and business community and we’re working to create tools and marketing initiatives that promote that and tell that story.”

Huber also discovered that Citrus Heights “has a higher than average population of both millennials and retirees than other cities of our size, so that tells me that we’re a genuine community since we can capture everyone.”

She said this statistic really shows how the City “welcomes both ends of the spectrum.”

Huber enthusiastically declared, “I adore my job,” and her passion for the work is evident. She described her role as a “nexus point between business development and community advocacy.”

Huber works to “amplify the voice of the City of Citrus Heights” and partner with property owners, brokers, and businesses – all of whom contribute to and are part of the local economy.