  Welcome to Buena Park, California, “The Center of the Southland” and home to Knott’s Berry Farm – the first themed amusement park. During the depression, Walter Knott rescued experimental plants abandoned by horticulturalist Rudolph Boysen, and nurtured them into a bumper crop of berries which he named the “Boysenberry." People stopped at Knott’s roadside stand to buy the luscious berries on their way to and from the beaches. Cordelia Knott made berry pies and served chicken dinners to patrons on her wedding china. Walter built a ghost town to entertain guests who waited countless hours for the scrumptious dinners – and the rest is history! Nutrilite Products, now a division of Amway, was also a pioneering company in the 1940’s in Buena Park, founded by Carl and Edith Rehnborg. Dr. Rehnborg developed the first multi-vitamin here in Buena Park. The Rehnborgs financed many Buena Park projects and were extremely generous to children’s causes, a characteristic they practice today. James A. Whitaker founded Buena Park in 1887, in conjunction with the railway development in what  we now know as Orange County.The City of Buena Park incorporated in 1953 and has achieved an enviable position of being one of Orange County’s most balanced cities in which to live, work, or play. Demographics and Economic Profile LOCATION: Buena Park, County of Orange, founded in 1887, incorporated in 1953. Located 22 miles southeast of Los Angeles and 442 miles southeast of San Francisco. 10.29 sq. mi. POPULATION STATISTICS:
ETHNICITY: (2003 figures) Anglo - 57.4%, African American - 4.5%, Hispanic - 33.5%, Asian - 22.7%, American Indian - 1.8% MEDIAN AGE: (2001 figures) 65 and older - 7,305, Under 18 - 23,021 HOUSEHOLDS: (2007 figures) Owner-Occupied - 13,726, Renter-Occupied - 5,715, Total - 23,871 MEDIAN INCOME: (2002 figures) $50,336 HOUSING: Median home value - $457,000, Apartment Rent - $700 to $1257 CLIMATE: Prevailing winds SW-NW; mean hourly speed: 6 mph. Elevation: 75’
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Labor force is approximately 41,323 people. Unemployment rate: 7.3% MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENT: There are approximately 100 manufacturing plants in Buena Park. Leading groups: machine and components, paper products. Largest area manufacturers include: Georgia Pacific (Corrugated Containers) - 690 employees Leach International (Electronic Mfg.) - 610 employees Nutrilite (Food/Supplements/Vitamins) - 900 employees Ultrawheel (Auto Wheel Mfg.) - 475 employees Pepsi Cola West (Bottling & Distrib) - 410 employees Mead Packaging (Paper Cartons) - 157 employees Alloy Die Casting (Casting Mfg.) - 150 employees John Charles (Furniture Upholstery) - 100 employees NON-MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENT: The former 58 acre Kraft Foods site has been acquired by Security Capital Industrial Trust. Over 600,000 sq. ft of new warehousing space has been completed. Grubb & Ellis are brokers for the project, contact them at 714-937-0881. Knott's Berry Farm (Family Entertainment) - 2,900 employees (peak) Yamaha (Musical Instruments ) - 400 employees City Buena Park (City Government) - 567 employees Amada America (Machine Equipment) -192 employees Knott's Resort Hotel (Hotel/Banquets/Mtg.) - 190 employees ServiceCraft Dist. (Merchandise Distrib.) - 480 employees ADP (Payroll Processing) - 150 employees TAXES: Retail Sales Tax: 8.75% current 2010. Combined total industrial property tax rates 1994 -1995 statistics per $100. Assessed value for code area 14,000-14,903:
ASSESSED FULL VALUATION: (1992-1993 figures) City - $3,435,288,656, County - $165,348,168,856 POLICE SERVICES: (current) 88 Sworn officers, 9 Reserve officers, 16 Part time personnel, 44 Civilian, 49 volunteers PART ONE CRIME RATE FOR YEAR END 2003: decrease of 3.2% from 1994 FIRE SERVICES: Fire department services provided by Orange County Fire Authority COMMUNITY FACILITIES:
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