Dan Gonzales is the founder and owner of Fifth Sun, an apparel design and manufacturing company based in Chico, California. He earned his Civil Engineering degree from Chico State in 1986 and pursued a career as a licensed professional engineer.
After holding positions at Caltrans and North Star Engineering, he decided to follow his creative and entrepreneurial passions by starting Fifth Sun. He credits his success to persistence and an analytic, yet creative approach to problem solving. This powerful combination has propelled Fifth Sun from a humble garage-based outfit into a 22 year-old manufacturing and design powerhouse, producing and selling over 2 million garments per month to nearly every national chain in the United States, and employing more than 200 people.
Dan’s experience designing and marketing apparel to a variety of demographics and managing his creative and technical divisions has given him valuable insight into the working habits, lifestyles and trends of the complex millennial generation. As the most collaborative and inclusive generation of our time, these young adults expect the places they work and live to embrace the same idealism and values they hold so dear. Dan understands and shares a passion for building environments that take a more holistic approach to creating a sense of place and connection. This was his inspiration for the master plan at Meriam Park.
Always intrigued by the challenge and opportunities of land development, Gonzales seeks to create in Meriam Park a thriving, vibrant community that provides economic sustainability, social connection and healthy living for current and future generations of Chico.
