Editing Palmdale, California (section)

==Economy==
The most important industry for Palmdale is the [[aerospace]] industry.{{r|LAT 2012-05-29}} Other [[manufacturing]] companies have relocated to Palmdale seeking more affordable land, proximity to [[LA/Palmdale Regional Airport|Palmdale Airport]], and special tax breaks.

The special tax breaks granted for companies that relocate to Palmdale is due to the city having the '''Antelope Valley [[Enterprise Zone]]''' and the '''Palmdale Federal [[Foreign trade zones of the United States|Foreign Trade Zone]]'''. These are special zoning areas within the city that are given various state and federal tax breaks and municipal grant incentives to relocate their business there. These zones were put in effect to help Palmdale, as well as nearby Lancaster, draw more jobs to the area so that they would be less dependent on the [[Los Angeles Basin]] and the [[San Fernando Valley]] area for employment. This will help relieve traffic congestion and pollution and stabilize the Antelope Valley economy on several industries. The local governments of the Antelope Valley seek to diversify their economies and not just depend on the aerospace industry as it is known for having "feast or famine" seasons.
[[File:Lockheed L-1011-1 Tristar, Lockheed JP5893645.jpg|thumb|right|A completed Lockheed L-1011; this aircraft was built and underwent testing at Palmdale]]
Palmdale refers to itself with the nickname the "aerospace capital of the United States", and has been the site of research, development, final assembly, flight testing and/or servicing/modifications of the [[Space Shuttle]], [[B-1 Lancer]], [[X-15]], [[B-2 Spirit]], [[B-21 Raider]], [[F-117 Nighthawk]], [[F-22 Raptor]], [[F-35 Lightning II]], [[SR-71 Blackbird]], [[Lockheed L-1011|Lockheed L-1011 Tristar]], and many other aircraft that have been used in the [[United States Air Force]], [[NASA]] and air forces and airlines around the world. [[USAF Plant 42]], where the aerospace projects occurred / occur is home to major operations of the following aerospace companies: [[Boeing]], [[Lockheed Martin]] and its famed [[Skunk Works]], and [[Northrop Grumman]].<ref>Petersen, Melody (February 7, 2015) [http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-stealth-bomber-20150208-story.html "New stealth bomber contract likely to be boon for Antelope Valley"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143026/http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-stealth-bomber-20150208-story.html |date=June 12, 2018 }} ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''</ref> The Los Angeles World Airports owns the former Boeing hangar (formerly North American Rockwell) at Plant 42 near [[LA/Palmdale Regional Airport]] which is one of the largest buildings in the world. The hangar was used for the set of the 2004 film ''[[The Terminal]]'', which featured an enormous replica of a [[John F. Kennedy International Airport|JFK International Airport]] terminal. [[NASA]]'s [[Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy|SOFIA]] program relocated its operation to this hangar at Site 9 from [[Edwards Air Force Base]].

A number of world class corporations and manufacturing firms have made Palmdale home, helping to diversify the local economy. Delta Scientific, a world leader in high strength vehicle barrier systems, supplying protection for many federal, state and local buildings, and a prime supplier to the military and US State Department for embassies and other installations worldwide, and US Pole, a major manufacturer of street lighting poles, are major anchor tenants in the Fairway Business Park. The Palmdale Trade and Commerce Center is home to many other major manufacturing, industrial, corporate offices and other employers, as well as home to the Palmdale [[Auto Mall]]. A number of medical and related support offices are coming on-line to meet the needs of the new Palmdale Regional Medical Center. On July 8, 2009, Quallion LLC, which manufactures lithium ion cells and battery packs, announced plans to build a battery manufacturing plant in Palmdale if it won a government grant being offered by the U.S. Department of Energy.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Shepard|first=Jeff|date=July 8, 2009|title=Quallion Selects California For New Lithium Ion Battery Manufacturing Facility - News|url=https://eepower.com/news/quallion-selects-california-for-new-lithium-ion-battery-manufacturing-facility/|access-date=August 31, 2020|website=EE Power|language=en|archive-date=December 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207213203/https://eepower.com/news/quallion-selects-california-for-new-lithium-ion-battery-manufacturing-facility/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Beginning in the 1960s, Palmdale was home to Don Babb's The Model A Ford Company, which became Classic Manufacturing and Supply, builder of exact reproduction and custom steel bodies and parts for [[hot rod]]s and [[custom car|custom]]s.<ref>''Street Rodder'', 7/94, pp.132–40.</ref>

With an $890-million contract to build 175 [[light-rail]] cars for [[Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority|Metropolitan Transportation Authority]] that was behind schedule, Kinkisharyo, the El Segundo-based U.S. arm of [[Kinki Sharyo]] Co. Ltd. of [[Osaka]] announced in December 2014 that they would retrofit an existing space in Palmdale to build the [[Los Angeles Metro Rail rolling stock|P3010 series vehicles]]. A major shipment was needed for the [[E Line (Los Angeles Metro)|Expo Line]] Phase II extension to [[Santa Monica]] and [[Foothill Extension]] to [[Azusa, California|Azusa]] which were scheduled to open in 2016. The balance of the 175 cars will be needed in the following years as the [[K Line (Los Angeles Metro)|K Line]] and [[Regional Connector]] open.<ref>Nelson, Laura J. (November 26, 2014) [http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-kinkisharyo-20141126-story.html "Japanese firm plans to build light-rail cars in L.A. area after all"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010054644/http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-kinkisharyo-20141126-story.html |date=October 10, 2017 }} ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''</ref> Final assembly work has already occurred in [[hangar]] space the company leased in Palmdale from [[Los Angeles World Airports]].<ref>Madler, Mark (October 20, 2014) [http://www.sfvbj.com/news/2014/oct/20/kinkisharyo-delivers-rail-car-amid-dispute/ "Update: Kinkisharyo Delivers Rail Car Amid Dispute"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010005937/http://www.sfvbj.com/news/2014/oct/20/kinkisharyo-delivers-rail-car-amid-dispute/ |date=October 10, 2017 }} ''San Fernando Valley Business Journal''</ref> The first car was delivered to Metro in October for testing before series production begins.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/los-angeles-takes-delivery-of-p3010-light-rail-vehicle.html |title=Los Angeles takes delivery of P3010 light rail vehicle |journal=Railway Gazette |date=October 20, 2014 |access-date=November 26, 2014 |archive-date=October 23, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023111723/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/los-angeles-takes-delivery-of-p3010-light-rail-vehicle.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Antelope Valley Mall is the retail shopping destination in the region, with a variety of dining choices on its restaurant row.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.latimes.com/local/great-reads/la-me-c1-cactus-curtain-20130930-dto-story.html|title= Great Read: Desert cities Lancaster and Palmdale are a prickly pair|website= Los Angeles Times|date= September 30, 2013|access-date= September 15, 2023|archive-date= October 5, 2023|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231005042124/https://www.latimes.com/local/great-reads/la-me-c1-cactus-curtain-20130930-dto-story.html|url-status= live}}</ref>

[[Onions]] are the most valued crop that grows in Palmdale.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-08-21-me-26063-story.html|title=Measuring Onion Economics : Agriculture: The Antelope Valley harvest has become the county's most highly valued vegetable crop, and to farm workers the yield represents a way to eke out a living.|first=JOHN|last=CHANDLER|date=August 21, 1993|access-date=February 6, 2019|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> Some of Antelope Valley's onions were exported to [[Japan]], [[Taiwan]], [[Dubai]] and [[Australia]].<ref name="auto"/> Other crops grown in Palmdale and the Antelope Valley are alfalfa, wheat, fruit, oats and barley.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Drought Measures for Dust |url=https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/docs/Drought_Measures_for_Dust.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224202940/https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/docs/Drought_Measures_for_Dust.pdf |archive-date=2019-02-24 |website=www.cdfa.ca.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=CROP & LIVESTOCK REPORT, ANTELOPE VALLEY: AGRICULTURAL VISTAS |url=http://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/acwm/247204_LACounty2012report_R2.pdf |website=Los Angeles County |date=2012}}</ref>

===Largest employers===
Employers include:<ref>{{cite web |date=2023 |title=Annual Comprehensive Financial Report |url=https://www.cityofpalmdaleca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/15481/ACFR---Fiscal-Year-Ended-June-30-2023-PDF |url-status=dead |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=}}</ref>
* [[Northrop Grumman]] 7,000
* [[Lockheed Martin]] 3,750
* [[Antelope Valley Union High School District]] 3,089
* [[Palmdale School District]] 2,100
* [[Antelope Valley Mall]] 1,800
* [[Palmdale Regional Medical Center]] 1,200
* [[Walmart]] 800
* [[Palmdale School District]] 1,792
* [[Walmart]] 1,242
* Robertson's Ready Mix Concrete 500
* Palmdale Auto Mal 410
* Granite Construction 400