A newly expanded partnership between UC Merced Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network and the Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED) at Fresno State could potentially help local business owners and entrepreneurs with growth strategies and technical assistance.

The SBDC works with business owners to help them create and retain jobs. During the last five years, the Fresno State SBDC aided in the creation or retention of 714 jobs with 258 new and existing businesses. Since that time, it served 2,505 clients with 13,205 consulting hours.

Eduardo Gonzalez, who joined the OCED in 2011, will serve as Fresno State’s new SBDC director.

Since joining the organization, Gonzalez has helped plan and develop projects for OCED and was instrumental in helping it earn the national Excellence in Community-Connected Campus Award for its San Joaquin Valley Rural Development Center.

The federally funded program is administered through the UC Merced SBDC Regional Network.

The SBDC network is nationally accredited and funded in large part by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

OCED programs attempt to provide solutions for public agencies in underserved communities by connecting them with specialized consultants.

The economic development office target areas include business services, clean energy, finance, grant writing, health and human services, housing, construction, trade development, transportation, water infrastructure and more.

“Fresno State’s Office of Community and Economic Development has a nationally recognized and award-winning rural outreach program that aligns with the SBDC mission,” regional director of the UC Merced SBDC Diane Howerton said in a news release. “This will be an opportunity for us to continue to leverage and expand services throughout Fresno, Kings, Madera and Tulare counties, the four counties served by the Fresno State SBDC.”