| West Phoenix, AZ growing at an alarming rate. | | | | The area is mixed now with Retail, Food |
| During our heated visit recently, we studied the | | | | Processing and lots of Aerospace, we talked to a |
| economic vitality of Avondale, Goodyear, Litchfield | | | | maintenance supervisor for Timco who said their |
| and Tolleson. This area is the fastest growing | | | | newest contract would require an additional 140 |
| area of all of Phoenix which is the second fastest | | | | people to be hired. Luftstanza Airlines has its |
| metro DMA area in the United States of America. | | | | training center there also. Del Monte and Poore |
| Maricopa County is #2 next to Clark County in | | | | Brothers process there. Snyders of Hanover, |
| Las Vegas NV metro. Surprise, Glendale and | | | | Rubbermaid, Walle Corp, Cavco.The Goodyear |
| Goodyear are breaking all kinds of records as the | | | | Airport is a major plus along with the neighboring |
| Governor looks at the issues of water and future | | | | business parks. The runway is over 8500 feet |
| resources. We of course do our homework on | | | | and can land and takeoff any aircraft known to |
| economic factors before we attempt to enter a | | | | man. The city has attracted many companies and |
| region as most seasoned veteran business people | | | | is business friendly and has online applications for |
| do.In Avondale the population is growing and | | | | just about every permit. They have attracted; |
| currently about 36,000 population. 33% of which is | | | | Aviation-Plastics and Composites, Sun Cor |
| Hispanic with HS education average education | | | | Development, Chariot Eagle, Wal-Mart Dist |
| level. Agriculture and Agriculture processing is the | | | | contractor McClane, West Valley Medical Center. |
| biggest industrial sector although that too is | | | | The weather is hot in summer, but year round |
| changing as light industrial is taking advantage of | | | | workable if you are able to handle the average |
| the labor supply. Many new car dealerships are | | | | daytime summer temps; .June to September it is |
| assisting the city coffers with sales tax revenue | | | | 100-105 degrees. Greater Phoenix Economic |
| although some of that has been given up short | | | | Council has some interesting stats for the area as |
| term as incentives, but all that kicks in two years. | | | | well. All the cities in the West Phoenix are charge |
| Beam Corp is a major employer there says | | | | an additional 2% sales tax and the schools are |
| Jeffrey Fairman, Economic Development | | | | considered great, even with all the non-english |
| Director.Avondale is just South of Luke AFB and | | | | speaking students struggling at first.Litchfield has |
| derives much income from military employees | | | | about 4000 population with only 8% Hispanic, but |
| who buy good and services there. Also in the | | | | is growing exponentially. Some of the major |
| area is an 80,000 square foot Medical Center. Also | | | | employers include; Conklin Rose, Wig Wam 4-star |
| major employers include; LP Steel Industries, | | | | Resort, Goodyear Family grew cotton there and |
| Cashion Tank and Steel, California Materials, Bio | | | | then sold the land to Litchfield, who grew Egyptian |
| Scientific and several new projects in progress. | | | | long-staple cotton for use in the processing and |
| Average house price has risen 10% in the past | | | | manufacturing tires for Goodyear. Water of |
| year and is still good at; $132K which is average | | | | course brought in by SRP. We will in the future do |
| for the area. The housing growth once again is | | | | a complete study of the history of SRP-Salt |
| incredible. The permit processing is helped by the | | | | Water River Project. Average Home price in the |
| City Streamlining Committee. in the area enjoy | | | | area has grown to 310K. The city is pro business |
| the local water park, bowling alley, church youth | | | | and allows grading of at risk soil before final |
| groups and Pop Warner Football and lots of | | | | permits to test the ability of the land to support |
| soccer teams. The MAG-Maricopa Association of | | | | the project. These four cities on the West side of |
| Governments is spending 15.5 Billion on new | | | | PHX average 16.8% of the population at 25-34 |
| transportation infrastructure of which much will be | | | | meaning labor supply and good customer base. |
| for expanding freeway widths through Avondale | | | | 16.2% has 35-44 age grouping. 46% Hispanic and |
| on I-10. The 22-member panel is about 1 billion | | | | similar to Los Angeles. Labor force is 29% less |
| over budget but that will be picked up as the | | | | than HS education. 23% have HS only education |
| housing is not slowing down. About the only big | | | | and 24.8% have some college but no degree. |
| draw back is the problems of auto theft which | | | | Prevailing average wage for labor is $9.86 per |
| Phoenix area is number two only beaten out by | | | | hour.Tolleson, has had good growth since the |
| Tucson AZ. Most of these cars find their way to | | | | freeway interchange got finished for the 101 loop |
| Mexico. Of all the West Maricopa cities there is | | | | connecting to I-10. Huge new Auto Center. |
| severe fire risk in the hot summers until the | | | | Freightliner Facility, Truck Stop, mostly due to the |
| Summer Monsoon season starts, at which time | | | | city fathers seeing an opportunity due to the |
| the on-call fire teams and hot shot crews move | | | | freeway interchange and had some 6 new car |
| to Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Washington, South | | | | dealerships move in by on I-10 and they used a |
| Dakota.In Goodyear, AZ things are a bit different. | | | | fast track permit processing program to do the |
| The population has absolutely exploded and is | | | | rest. Also in the area are Lisanti Foods, Nabisco, |
| continuing to. Many people work out at the | | | | Quaker Oats, Western Container, Greater PHX |
| Prisons on Palos Verde Rd and the newest prison | | | | Auto Auction, Auto Zone Dist., Graybar Dist., Sara |
| that you can see from I-10, some people we | | | | Lee Dist., Sysco Dist., Frys Dist., Cactus |
| talked to worked at the Nuclear Power plant or | | | | Transportation, Cost Co Dist., Fed Ex Depot, and |
| for SRP or Betchel all of which work there at the | | | | still there are many residents which have brought |
| Power Plant. There are about 20,000 people in | | | | the housing prices of this industrial freeway |
| Goodyear but there are also some 5000 new | | | | adjacent to 100K on average. Tolleson has a pop |
| homes going up right now. It is 22% Hispanic and | | | | of 5000 and 70% Hispanic, unemployment is 6%. |
| that number is being diluted, but future growth | | | | The major jobs are service based, retail, |
| should be equal under that ratio in my opinion for | | | | warehousing and manufacturing . Other large |
| the next decade. As more and more Hispanic | | | | employers are CSI, Sun Land Beef, Albertsons |
| Families enter the middle class we will see them | | | | Dist., Pet Smart Dist. Dist., and several meat and |
| turn Republican and buy into the area of | | | | food packing plants. .The Western Suburban areas |
| Goodyear with an average home price of 142K | | | | of Phoenix have turned from rural dusty farming |
| and climbing.Goodyear as you might have guessed | | | | communities to extremely livable middle class |
| is named after the Akron Rubber Baron, which | | | | soccer mom communities with all the trimmings. It |
| you can learn more about on the second floor of | | | | is a good place to do business, great customer |
| the Goodyear Building outside Akron in the World | | | | base and it will continue to build out for another |
| of Rubber Museum at Goodyear original HQ. In | | | | two decades.Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank |
| Goodyear they made rubber for the US Navy | | | | forum board. |
| Seaplanes, now that facility is Lockheed Martin. | | | | |