Tag: Economic Development

After seven months of gathering input from stakeholders, including 90 different community, business and industry leaders through a series of interviews, Oro Valley has unveiled its new Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.

The report analyzes the current state of Oro Valley’s local economy and identifies strategies for making some key changes. It also notes that the revenues of the town of Oro Valley are mostly sales tax, hotel occupancy and construction tax.

Since there’s no property tax within Oro Valley, the key to sustainability is all about expanding the economic base: job creation, business retention, expansion, attraction and building on infrastructure.

– The Arizona 100 staff

Andersen Corporation, a Minnesota-based window and door manufacturing company, will officially begin construction on its newest facility located in Goodyear Crossing Industrial Park, which is just west of the Phoenix Goodyear Airport in Arizona.

The company plans to invest more than $105 million and create more than 415 jobs during the first phase. New jobs in the 546,000-square-foot facility will include production employees, engineers, maintenance and many operational support positions.

The facility is expected to open in 2020, and it joins a growing roster of advanced manufacturing and technology jobs coming to Goodyear in recent months.

– Tammy Vo, City of Goodyear

A massive remodeling project at Sky Harbor International Airport is one step closer to completion as the second phase of the $590 million project at the airport’s Terminal 3 has opened.

The terminal’s South Concourse features 15 gates, electrical outlets at each seat, panoramic windows, new restaurants and art displays.

The final phase, which includes expanded restaurant options, is expected to be completed by 2020. Plans then call for the closure of Terminal 2 with its airlines moving to Terminal 3, which was built in 1979. It is home to Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Hawaiian Airlines.

– Sky Harbor International Airport reports

SurchX, which enables retailers to recover losses from merchant processing fees, has announced the opening of its new office in downtown Phoenix. Previously located in Tempe, the space will accommodate more than 500 employees who will join the team over the next year.

In addition, SurchX is also now eligible to apply for Quality Jobs tax credits through the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), the state’s main economic development organization with a streamlined mission to grow and strengthen Arizona’s economy.

SurchX is the latest venture of Robert Maynard, creator and co-founder of LifeLock, the world’s largest identity theft protection company.

– Connie Weber, Arizona Commerce Authority

AgJunction has announced the relocation of its corporate headquarters from Hiawatha, Kansas, to Scottsdale, effective immediately. The decision to select Arizona as AgJunction’s new headquarters was based on the successful growth of its Technology Center of Excellence in Scottsdale and the state’s focus on the autonomous and agriculture technology industries.

AgJunction creates agricultural solutions to help farmers get more out of land through hands-free farming. For example, the ability to precisely autosteer a tractor is proven to increase yield and decrease input costs.

The Scottsdale facility will initially create 56 jobs in engineering, program management, finance and customer support.

– Connie Weber, Arizona Commerce Authority

San Francisco-based Imperfect Produce, a produce delivery company focused on fighting food waste by finding a home for “ugly produce,” has leased a 24,000-square-foot office space in Tucson, which it will use as a customer care center.

The company is expected to begin operations in early 2019. Tucson-area produce delivery service is planned for late 2019.

The company plans to hire 350 direct jobs over the next five years at all levels, including customer care associates, supervisors and managers. Total capital investment is projected at $200,000, with a total economic impact of $137 million.

– Sun Corridor, Inc. reports

The Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED) has awarded three AAED Ben Warren Memorial Scholarships. The recipients of the scholarships, which provides full tuition for the Arizona Basic Economic Development Course, are:

• John Coomer, economic development project manager, town of Chino Valley.

• Fernando Garcia, economic development specialist, city of Casa Grande.

• Loraine German, economic development communications manager, city of Glendale.

The course provides intensive training in economic development basics.

Warren was a charter member and past president of AAED. He worked in economic development for 34 years, and he is credited with being a pioneer in Arizona’s industry-attraction model.

– Joyce Grossman, AAED

SeaCa Packaging, which makes recyclable packaging for agriculture products, is expanding into Greater Phoenix. The company broke ground on a manufacturing facility in Surprise, Arizona, on Oct. 26, with plans to open by April 2019. The Arizona Commerce Authority anticipates a $17 million capital investment into the Valley through the facility.

The new location will expand SeaCa Packaging’s manufacturing operation outside of California. SeaCa Packaging was initially created in 1991 to service central California’s produce industry with high-graphic corrugated boxes. SeaCa Packaging eventually incorporated a line of extruded polypropylene recyclable cartons with a goal of replacing wax corrugated boxes.

– Connie Weber, Arizona Commerce Authority

Chandler Fashion Center will become home to the newest Crayola Experience, set to open next summer. Guests will enjoy experiences, including naming and wrapping their own crayon, starring in their own coloring page, using their touch to bring art to life, creating melted wax spin art, as well as new experiences yet to be revealed.

Crayola Experience will be open 365 days a year and will hire more than 100 employees. It also will host private events and birthday parties.

The 20,000-square-foot attraction will take over the former Gap space on the west side of the mall.

– Stephanie Romero, City of Chandler