Torrance is home to the U.S. headquarters of two of the three largest Japanese auto makers, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. and American Honda Motor Company. Robinson Helicopters are designed and built in Torrance as are Garrett Systems turbochargers, used on automobile engines worldwide. California's aerospace industry began in Torrance and surrounding communities.
Torrance is also home to the main bakery facility for King's Hawaiian, the dominant brand of Hawaiian bread in North America.
As a major oil-producing region, Torrance was once dotted with thousands of oil wells and oil derricks. Though the oil wells are not as common as they once were, the ExxonMobil refinery in the north end of the city is responsible for much of Southern California's gasoline supply. In fact, much of Southern California's gasoline supply is refined within a few miles of Torrance. ARCO produces gasoline in Carson; Texaco has a refinery a bit further east in Wilmington; Unocal is in San Pedro while one of the oldest refineries in the state is the Chevron plant in El Segundo. Torrance was also an important hub and shop site of the Pacific Electric Railway.
Torrance has a busy general aviation airport, originally named simply "Torrance Airport" and since renamed Zamperini Field after local track star, World War II hero and Torrance High graduate Louis Zamperini. In 1990 the airport had 243,324 take-offs and landings, down from the 1974 record of 428,000 operations. Airport noise abatement is a major local issue.
Torrance is home to the corporate headquarters of Edelbrock, a leading manufacturer of automotive and motorcycle aftermarket products.
Today, Torrance is considered to be a very desirable place to live in Los Angeles County, reflected in the ever-increasing property values and its proximity to the beach communities of Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and the upscale coastal communities of the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Torrance is one of the few American cities that approaches the ideal balance between the three major types of zones. This explains its slogan: "A Balanced City, Industrial, Residential, Commercial." Torrance however was not designed originally to be a balanced city, in the past it was known as "Headquarters City, Industry, Finance, Business." However, in recent years, major re-zoning of old industrial areas to residential has caused an enormous population growth and all the caveats that come with it, including heavy traffic congestion.
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