The City of Los Banos is a vibrant anchor to the western portion of Merced County. Situated adjacent to the busy I-5 Corridor, Los Banos is a growing, dynamic community with a quintessential small city downtown at its core. From a business perspective, Los Banos has a uniquely strategic setting, being located near the intersection of I-5 and State Route 152. This location allows for easy road connections to both the South Bay/San Jose and northward to the East Bay. In fact, because of its proximity to the Bay Area and its affordable residential property values, Los Banos has a large percentage of its workforce regularly commuting into the area for work. A range of businesses are located in Los Banos and are thriving, including Kagome Inc. This Japanese firm chose Los Banos for its tomato products manufacturing site. Los Banos is also home to Morning Star, a world leader in tomato processing, with clients all around the world. Liberty Packing, offering crating, packing, and shipment services, takes advantage of Los Banos strategic position being near to major markets. The City of Los Banos has mapped a thoughtful strategic plan for economic development including the creation of new industrial areas and an expansion of its retail and commercial base.