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Article: Economist Upbeat on Contra Costa County, Calif., Economy.(Originated from Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif.)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
- Article date:
- March 28, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Mar. 28--It's been fight or flight for Contra Costa County's steel, oil and chemical companies -- relics of an industrial age once insulated from international forces.
As new worldwide markets raised the bar for industrial competitiveness, manufacturers have either retooled or shut down plants. It has cost massive job losses locally, but the East Bay's industrial component, including five oil refineries, remains an important part of an economy it powered up almost 100 years ago.
"There hasn't been a lot of job growth, but that doesn't mean that manufacturing is declining. There has been a tremendous increase in productivity," said Tapan Munroe, ...