Goodwill Central Coast plans renovation, relocation

The GoodwillCentralCoast’s Strategic Directions Plan is designed to sustain the organization’s social enterprise while building the capacity for growth. A key objective is to ensure all facilities are clean, modern, free of barriers and characterized by efficiency and respect for human dignity.
The $25 million plan calls for relocation and expansion of the ScottsValley store in 2016, and renovation of Santa Cruz and Watsonville stores in 2017. The plan also includes renovation for some of their stores located in MontereyCounty.
An important component of the Strategic Directions Plan is the relocation and expansion of the headquarters and central processing facility from Santa Cruz to Salinas, where a renovated facility will more than double the organization’s space from 35,000 square feet to 98,000 square feet. This expansion will increase Goodwill’s employee base by more than 10 percent over two years.
The renovated building will also allow Goodwill to expand its existing CulinaryAcademy by training students in the commercial kitchen and cafeteria. “The kitchen is just one of the exciting features of the new facility,” said Ed Durkee, CEO of Goodwill Central Coast. “This facility, and all of the other investments we are making, will really help us create more economic opportunities for people.” A modernized work environment for employees and a more central location necessitated the move to Salinas, a project that was studied for two years.
“This investment will set GoodwillCentralCoast on the right path to better serve our clients and customers for years to come,” said Walt Henning, chair of the Board of Directors, who led the Strategic Directions Committee. For many of the 114 employees working at the Santa Cruz facility, their commute to and from work will be shorter, and all employees have been offered jobs in Salinas or at other sites in Santa Cruz County.
“The headquarters relocation demonstrates that GoodwillCentralCoast is as committed as ever to serving the unemployed in all three of its counties, as well as to its own work force,” said Mary Lou Goeke, Executive Director of United Way of Santa Cruz, which partners with Goodwill on economic independence programs.