A coalition of economic development groups in Ventura County launched a federally funded campaign on Nov. 15 to sell the county as the ideal spot to build a business.

The initiative is headed by the Workforce Investment Board of Ventura County, with participation from the Economic Development Collaborative-Ventura County, chambers of commerce in the county and the county’s 10 cities, according to a WIB news release. It was paid for with a $282,000 grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the 2009 federal stimulus.

The campaign is dubbed “Grow Your Business, Live Your Life,” and it includes a website — www.venturacountygrowsbusiness.com — and print, radio, online and direct mail advertising.

The ads are pitched at business owners and managers, especially those in other parts of Southern California. They emphasize Ventura County’s advantages for businesses, the WIB said, including its access to ports, rail lines and highways; its existing corporate headquarters; its relative lack of traffic congestion and pollution; its open space and natural beauty; its low crime rates; its educated workforce; and its low cost of living, at least when compared to other coastal regions.

In an e-mail to the Business Times, WIB Executive Director Cheryl Moore said the campaign aims to bring in new business, keep existing ones from leaving and discourage further layoffs by county employers.

“Retention, expansion and attraction of businesses in Ventura County is essential for a strong, healthy workforce and economic prosperity in the region,” she said.

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