More than 1,300 business, government and community leaders gathered at the 2025 State of the County Event on Wednesday to learn how San Bernardino County is building a stronger tomorrow through workforce development, technology and innovation, entertainment and tourism, mining and natural resources, and manufacturing industries.
This year, some of the county’s student leaders assisted members of the board of supervisors in presenting information on the county’s leading economic sectors and their top employers.
Kaine Koltoniuk from Hesperia’s Sultana High School in the First Supervisorial District spoke about Castle Mountain Gold Mine and CalPortland Cement, as well as MP Materials in Mountain Pass, which is the most productive U.S. mine producing rare earth materials, accounting for more than 10 percent of the world supply. Recently, MP Materials announced a new public-private partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense to accelerate the development of a complete U.S. rare earth magnet supply chain.
Julius Freeman, a student leader from Etiwanda High School in the Second Supervisorial District highlighted another key business, KraftPal Technologies in Ontario. KraftPal is a market leader in sustainable corrugated cardboard pallet solutions with products that use 80 percent less material from trees and are 100 percent recyclable.  Freeman also recognized Alger Precision Machining in Ontario and Sorenson Engineering in Yucaipa for their efforts to work with local vocational programs to source and develop talent.
Second District Supervisors Jesse Armendarez lauded the success of Crown Technical Systems in Fontana as a leader in power distribution and protection systems.
Aakriti Maske from Redlands High School in the Third Supervisorial District made a presentation with Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe, who is also chairwoman of the board of supervisors and the event’s host, to acknowledge premier destinations in the county, including Pappy and Harriet’s Palace in Pioneertown, Ritual Brewing Co. in Redlands, Oak Glen Preserve, Lake Gregory, Goodwin and Sons Market, Thousand Pines Christian Camp in Crestline and Gubler Orchids in the Morongo Basin.
Tiffany Munoz, a student leader from Ontario High School in the Fourth Supervisorial District, recognized ZM Trucks in Fontana, a manufacturer and seller of zero emission urban environment commercial vehicles. The county’s economic development department was instrumental in helping ZM Trucks establish its first North American manufacturing plant in San Bernardino County. Munoz also recognized Kemira Water Solutions in Fontana and General Atomics in Adelanto for their leadership in innovation and technology.
Emeli Barcenes, a student leader at Norton Science and Language Academy in the Fifth Supervisorial District, highlighted the Center for Employment Training in Colton, which offers programs in trades such as automotive specialist, electrician and green building construction. She also spoke about the High Desert Training Center in Victorville, where students can earn degrees and certifications in programs such as aviation, industrial maintenance, forklift operation and OSHA safety.
Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. provided an overview of San Bernardino County’s workforce, which totals 908,418 employees across all industries.
First District Supervisor Paul Cook spoke of his efforts to reactivate the Colosseum Mine, where gold was first discovered in the 1860s and mining continued sporadically until the 1990s. He said up to $270 million in gold could be extracted from the mine annually upon its reopening.
Second District Supervisor Curt Hagman acknowledged Upland’s Claremont BioSolutions in Upland, a business involved in research and development of low power devices for molecular and biosystems diagnostics.