In July of 1982, Santa Barbara Business College opened its third campus in Bakersfield, California. The college campus is located in the heart of the southern San Joaquin Valley. Situated between the Coast Range Mountains to the west and the snow-capped Sierra Nevadas to the east, Kern County enjoys a solid economic foundation. Its cotton production is one of the largest in the world, a prosperous petroleum industry thrives on abundant deposits, and the valley floor serves as a produce garden for the state and nation. The location is particularly conducive to grape production, making Kern County one of the largest grape-growing regions in the world.