DRAFT #1: Page 10
COGENT 2629 (Greater Bakersfield Vision 2020)
n=400 LOI=12 MIN
(California business persons) (July 2002)
QUOTAS: [BUSINESS] [400]
INTRODUCTION: Hello, my name is ____ from Cogent Research, the national polling firm. We are conducting a brief survey regarding business communities in California and would like to include your opinions. This is not a sales call. At no time during or after this call will you be asked to purchase anything.
SCREENER
We’re interested in your overall perceptions of various areas in California.
ROTATE Q1-Q3
1. What is your overall perception of Bakersfield, California? Please use a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is “very unfavorable” and 5 is “very favorable.” If you have never heard of the area, please just say so.
Analyzed Responses 400
1) Very unfavorable 14%
2) Somewhat unfavorable 28%
3) Neither unfavorable nor favorable 38%
4) Somewhat favorable 14%
5) Very favorable 6%
6) Never heard of it – TERMINATE -
2. What is your overall perception of Fresno, California?
Analyzed Responses 400
1) Very unfavorable 9%
2) Somewhat unfavorable 19%
3) Neither unfavorable nor favorable 38%
4) Somewhat favorable 21%
5) Very favorable 8%
6) Never heard of it 6%
3. What is your overall perception of Los Angeles, California?
Analyzed Responses 400
1) Very unfavorable 16%
2) Somewhat unfavorable 24%
3) Neither unfavorable nor favorable 24%
4) Somewhat favorable 23%
5) Very favorable 14%
6) Never heard of it -
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE RELOCATION
4. How likely is your company to relocate to another community beside the one where you are currently located within the next two years?
Analyzed Responses 400
1) Very unlikely - skip next question 77%
2) Somewhat unlikely - skip next question 9%
3) Neither unlikely nor likely - skip next question 3%
4) Somewhat likely 5%
5) Very likely 7%
5. What are the main reasons causing your company to consider relocating?
Analyzed Responses 47
1) Costs (general) 36%
2) Company growth/need a bigger facility 17%
3) Government regulations 9%
4) Energy costs 6%
5) Lease is almost up 6%
6) Location of corporate headquarters 6%
7) Availability/cost of labor 6%
8) Traffic 4%
9) Other 9%
10) Don't know/Refused 11%
6. If your company were planning to relocate to a different community within California, what are the most important factors it would consider?
Analyzed Responses 400
1) Availability of workforce 22%
2) Location/traveling distance to work 21%
3) Cost of living 18%
4) Amount of business opportunity 13%
5) Transportation 12%
6) Cost (general) 12%
7) Not considering relocation 7%
8) The people/community 6%
9) Tax costs 5%
10) Amount of space available 5%
11) Environment 5%
12) Population 3%
13) Proximity to the owner's home 3%
14) Accessibility to recreation/other places 3%
15) Weather 2%
16) Shipping/trucking services 2%
17) Government support/regulations 1%
18) Other 9%
19) Don't know/Refused 7%
Now, I’m going to read you a list of factors that might be used to evaluate a community as a place to live and as a business location. Please tell me how important each factor would be to your company if it were considering moving some where else in California.
Please rate each factor on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is “Not important at all” and 5 is “Very important.” (n=400)
ROTATE LIST
1 2 3 4 5
7. The higher education opportunities 8% 13% 34% 27% 20%
8. The cost of housing 3% 8% 23% 37% 30%
9. The overall cost of living 2% 5% 20% 37% 37%
10. The cultural and recreational activities available 7% 13% 42% 26% 13%
11. The availability of the labor force 2% 2% 13% 34% 50%
12. The work ethic of the labor force 2% 5% 9% 30% 55%
13. The training of the labor force 4% 9% 20% 30% 38%
14. The stability of the labor force 2% 2% 12% 37% 48%
15. How well the labor force's skills fits
the needs of your company 3% 4% 18% 31% 44%
16. The cost of labor 2% 3% 17% 35% 43%
17. The cost of land 6% 7% 17% 27% 44%
18. The area's accessibility to major highways 3% 6% 22% 30% 40%
19. The area's proximity to major markets 7% 11% 21% 26% 35%
20. The accessibility to air travel 11% 16% 34% 22% 18%
21. The area's technical infrastructure (T1 and T3 lines) 6% 9% 31% 25% 30%
PERCEPTION OF BAKERSFIELD
22. Have you ever been to Bakersfield, California?
Analyzed Responses 400
1) Yes 85%
2) No - skip next question 16%
23. When was the last time you were in Bakersfield?
Analyzed Responses 338
1) Within the last year 43%
2) Within the last five years 30%
3) Within the last ten years 14%
4) Within the last twenty years 9%
5) Over twenty years ago 5%
24. Which of the following best describes Bakersfield’s location?
Analyzed Responses 400
1) The northern part of Southern California 24%
2) The southern part of the Central Valley 63%
3) Something else better describes the location 5%
4) Don't know 8%
25. Are you aware that Bakersfield is located in Kern County?
Analyzed Responses 400
1) Yes 68%
2) No –skip next question 32%
26. Which description of the area do you have a more favorable impression of?
Analyzed Responses 275
1) Greater Bakersfield 25%
2) Kern County 32%
3) Neither is better than the other 43%
27. You mentioned before that your perception of Bakersfield is (answer Q1). What experiences or information helped form this perception?
Analyzed Responses 400
1) Weather/hot/dry 24%
2) Location/desolate/isolated 13%
3) Have visited Bakersfield 12%
4) Have only driven through 11%
5) Bad business opportunity 9%
6) Have read or heard about it 7%
7) Used to live/work there 5%
8) Business opportunities/industry 5%
9) Agricultural/farming/oil industry 5%
10) New development/nice housing 3%
11) Never been there 3%
12) Family/friends 3%
13) Smog/fog 2%
14) Dirty/wasn't clean 2%
15) Don't know Bakersfield that well 2%
16) Not a lot to do 2%
17) Rural community/not a big city 2%
18) Too much desert 1%
19) Crime/corrupt police system 1%
20) Lack of education 1%
21) Nothing 2%
22) Other 24%
23) Don't know/Refused 4%
28. If your company were planning on relocating to somewhere else in California within the next two years, how likely would it be to relocate to Bakersfield?
Analyzed Responses 400
1) Very unlikely 77%
2) Somewhat unlikely 11%
3) Neither unlikely nor likely 8%
4) Somewhat likely 3%
5) Very likely - skip next question 2%
29. Why isn’t your company more likely to relocate to Bakersfield?
Analyzed Responses 391
1) Distance/need to be close to other places 23%
2) Customer base already established elsewhere 13%
3) Not likely we will relocate 12%
4) Bad business opportunity/small market 9%
5) Lacks work force/talent needed 7%
6) Weather is too hot 6%
7) Happy elsewhere 6%
8) Employees live elsewhere 4%
9) Owner's issues 3%
10) Nothing to attract us there 2%
11) Too small for our business 2%
12) Other 23%
13) Don't know/Refused 4%
Now, I’m going to read once again a list of factors that might be used to evaluate a community. For each factor, please tell me whether Bakersfield is much worse, somewhat worse, about the same, somewhat better, or much better than other communities in California you are familiar with. [Scale: 1= “Much worse,” 2= “Somewhat worse,” 3= “About the same,” 4= “Somewhat better,” 5= “Much better”]
(n=400)
ROTATE LIST
1 2 3 4 5
30. The higher education opportunities 7% 30% 52% 8% 3%
31. The cost of housing 1% 5% 27% 43% 25%
32. The overall cost of living 1% 5% 31% 41% 22%
33. The cultural and recreational activities available 11% 29% 48% 11% 2%
34. The availability of the labor force 5% 18% 53% 20% 5%
35. The work ethic of the labor force 3% 9% 68% 18% 3%
36. The training of the labor force 5% 17% 67% 7% 4%
37. The stability of the labor force 3% 11% 64% 19% 4%
38. How well the labor force's skills fits
the needs of your company 8% 23% 54% 11% 5%
39. The cost of labor 1% 6% 45% 38% 11%
40. The cost of land 1% 5% 29% 43% 23%
41. The area's accessibility to major highways 6% 13% 46% 24% 12%
42. The area's proximity to major markets 14% 31% 37% 14% 5%
43. The accessibility to air travel 16% 32% 39% 10% 4%
44. The area's technical infrastructure 8% 22% 60% 8% 3%
Now, I’m going to read you some statements about Bakersfield, California. Please tell me whether each statement makes you less likely, neither less nor more likely, or more likely to consider relocating there. (if less likely or more likely, ask) Is that somewhat less/more likely or much less/more likely? [Scale: 1= “Much less likely, ” 2= “Somewhat less likely, ” 3= “Neither less nor more likely,” 4= “Somewhat more likely,” 5= “Much more likely”] (n=400)
1 2 3 4 5
45. The median home sales price in Bakersfield
is $105,500 5% 6% 25% 40% 25%
46. Several major Fortune 500 companies have
headquarters or major regional operations in
Bakersfield 6% 10% 45% 31% 8%
47. Bakersfield is considered one of the best places
in the United States for business and careers,
ranked 53rd in the nation and 15th in California,
according to the latest Forbes/Milken Institute Best
Places ranking 7% 10% 41% 32% 10%
48. Situated between Los Angeles, Sacramento, and
San Francisco, Bakersfield is the hub for three key
freeways- Interstate 5 and State Routes 99 and 58 8% 9% 47% 26% 10%
49. Industrial zoned land in the Bakersfield region
averages $1.40 to $2.50 per square foot 6% 11% 37% 35% 12%
50. The cost of labor in Bakersfield is around $3.60 less
per hour than the national average 7% 12% 29% 37% 16%
51. The availability of labor in Bakersfield is high
On average, there are between 5 and 10 quality
applicants per job opening 5% 11% 33% 36% 16%
52. With a turnover rate that is much lower than
average, Bakersfield has a loyal labor force with
a strong work ethic 4% 8% 31% 41% 16%
53. Bakersfield's labor force has a large and diverse
skill set that spans from agriculture to high
tech skills 5% 10% 38% 37% 10%
54. Bakersfield contains abundant ATM, ISDN, DSL,
and T1 and T3 lines 5% 9% 49% 27% 10%
DEMOGRAPHICS
Now a few questions for statistical purposes only.
55. Which of the following general categories best describes the type of business your company conducts?
Analyzed Responses 400
1) Agricultural 3%
2) Construction/Mining 4%
3) Manufacturing 58%
4) Distribution 5%
5) Public Administration 1%
6) Transportation 1%
7) Wholesale 2%
8) Retail 2%
9) Financial/Insurance/Real Estate 1%
10) General services 3%
11) Professional Services/Associations 4%
12) High technology 11%
13) Other 6%
14) Refused 1%
56. Which of the following categories includes your total [operating budget/revenue] for 2002?
Analyzed Responses 400
1) Less than $500,000 6%
2) $500,000 to less than $1 million 14%
3) $1 million to less than $2.5 million 19%
4) $2.5 million to less than $5 million 14%
5) More than $5 million 37%
6) Don't know 8%
7) Refused 3%
57. What is your title?
Analyzed Responses 400
1) Manager/Supervisor/Director/Coordinator 33%
2) Executive V.P./ Senior V.P./ V.P. 13%
3) Owner/President/CEO 21%
4) Some other executive level position 14%
5) Other non-executive level position 19%
58. [OBSERVATION] Gender
Analyzed Responses 400
1) Male 61%
2) Female 39%
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND COOPERATION!
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