EV Enterprises President Bill Schlanger chose to move his electric car conversion firm to Palm Springs from Arizona 18 months ago, and hasn’t looked back.
Schlanger credits his success to the strong support he received as one of the first Coachella Valley iHub clients. “The iHub has been with us every step of the way,” he says. “They have really helped us in starting up and growing our business.”
Schlanger also cites easy access to major markets — Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego — as key to EV Enterprises’ expansion.
“The people at iHub are advising us how to put together appropriate deals with investors, and helping us refine our business plan,” he says. “When we were ready to begin manufacturing one of our products, we were given the opportunity to move into the iHub Accelerator Campus and set up in a 6,000-square-foot building so that we could house our machines and start manufacturing. It was a huge help.”
Schlanger will also take advantage of CVEP’s workforce pipeline. “One of the attractions of the Coachella Valley for us was the programs in the high schools to teach kids about technology. It’s our intention to start bringing in students from College of the Desert and from the high schools,” he says.
Most of all, Schlanger enjoys the area’s quality of life. “Palm Springs is laid back, very relaxed,” he says. “The people have a wonderful disposition. We have plans to relocate the family and settle down here.”