The PHX East Valley is one of the most prominent business and employment centers in the State of Arizona and the Southwestern U.S. spurred by the continued growth of corporate giants and unique businesses. Discover what is made right here in our region.
1)
Shoulder-fired rockets
What: Nammo Talley, Mesa.
Details: The company’s M72A9 Light Assault Weapon (LAW) is billed as lightweight, accurate, and powerful enough to breach walls in light clad buildings or destroy enemy bunkers. Well-suited for urbanized settings, the launcher fires rockets that can penetrate single brick/concrete block. Nammo Talley also produces the US Army’s M141 Bunker Defeat Munition (BDM), which can be used against reinforced concrete structures, heavily fortified buildings and cave complexes.
Photo by: Nammo Talley
2)
Algae
What: Heliae, Gilbert.
Details: Heliae initially intended to produce algae for use in jet fuel but has since shifted its focus toward specialty-product markets. Advanced algae strains developed at Heliae’s research plant in Gilbert are now grown for use in nutrition, disease prevention, agriculture and cosmetics. The company recently announced plans to open a similar production facility in Saga City, Japan.
Photo by: Patrick Breen/The Republic
3)
3D-printed car
What: Local Motors, Chandler.
Details: The company builds rally-style race cars and sells remote-controlled cars and skateboards. At the International Manufacturing Technology Show last month in Chicago, Local Motors unveiled the Strati 3D-printed electric car, which the company says is the first of its kind in the world. The car was printed in 44 hours and driven for the first time during the Chicago show.
Photo by: Nyko
4)
Aircraft fuel systems
What: Robertson Fuel Systems, Tempe.
Details: The company manufactures self-sealing fuel tanks for airplanes, helicopters and ground combat vehicles, protecting them from armor-piercing bullets, explosives and crashes. The tanks, ranging from 30 gallons to 800 gallons, are used by every branch of the U.S. military. The tanks are designed for vehicles including the Apache helicopter and Bradley tanks.
Photo by: Robertson Fuel Systems
5)
Prosthetic Eyes
What: The Eye Concern, Mesa.
Details: Eye Concern creates eye and facial prosthetics. The company casts a mold of the socket and creates an artificial eye through a two-day process. The final product is made with acrylic and must be removed for polishing about every six months.
Photo by: Getty Images
6)
Skin-tightening Ultrasound
What: Ulthera, Mesa.
Details: Ulthera produces an ultrasound device cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to lift and tighten skin on the brow, neck and under the chin. The ultrasound therapy takes about 30 minutes and stimulates the formation of collagen and elastin in the skin, Ulthera claims. The medical-device company in July was acquired by Mertz for $600 million.
Photo by: Mark Henle, The Republic
7)
Emergency Vehicle Lights
What: Tomar Electronics, Gilbert.
Details: The company makes LED and strobe lights primarily for emergency vehicles and police cars. Tomar also manufactures industrial warning lights that you might find in petrochemical plants and steel mills and amber warning lights for tow trucks.
Photo by: Catherine J. Jun/The Republic
8)
Fresh Juice
What: Sun Orchard Juicery, Tempe.
Details: Beginning in a small citrus packing house in Tempe in 1984, Sun Orchard now produces pure juices from oranges, grapefruits, apples, lemons and limes. The company also makes lemonades, canned juice drinks with no high fructose corn syrup and a non-dairy fruit foam topping. With juiceries operating in Tempe and Haines City, Fla., Sun Orchard ships to every metro area in the U.S. and Canada.
Photo by: Sun Orchard Juicery
8)
Satellites
What: OrbitalATK, Gilbert.
Details: Virginia-based Orbital Sciences operates one of the nation’s largest spacecraft assembly and test facilities in Gilbert. The company contracted with NASA to build the Orbiting Carbon Observatory II satellite, which will help scientists track greenhouse gas emissions involved with global climate change. Orbital also built the Landsat 8 satellite, which monitors the global impact of environmental changes and natural disasters. Earlier this year, Orbital launched a $3 billion project to build 81 communications satellites for Iridium Communications.
Photo by: Gannett
10)
Eye-tracking Systems
What: EyeTech, Mesa.
Details: The company creates hardware and software for eye-tracking systems used for research studies, interactive exhibits and computing for people with disabilities. EyeTech claims to have developed the first Windows-based eye-tracking mouse and first long-distance eye tracker.
Photo by: EyeTech
11)
Non-itch Insulation
What: Bonded Logic, Chandler.
Details: Bonded Logic makes safer insulation and acoustic padding from materials like recycled denim, cotton and cellulose. The insulation has no harmful chemicals or irritants and is designed to avoid causing the “fiberglass itch.”
Photo by: Cheryl Evans/The Republic
12)
Helicopters
What: Boeing Co. and MD Helicopters, Mesa.
Details: Boeing builds its well-known AH-64 Apache helicopter at a large plant north of Mesa’s Falcon Field Airport. From 1984 to 1997, the company built nearly 1,000 AH-64A Apache helicopters for the U.S. Army, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Boeing now employs about 4,800 people in Mesa. Across the street, MD Helicopters builds light-attack choppers and other helicopters for law-enforcement and rescue operations.
Photo by: MD Helicopters
13)
Tortilla Chips
What: Mission Foods, Tempe.
Details: Mission Foods is a subsidiary of Mexico-based food corporation Gruma. Mission, which is based in Texas, makes tortillas, chips, taco shells, salsas and other dips and has a plant in Tempe.
Photo by: Getty Images
14)
Cow Coolers
What: Korral Kool, Mesa.
Details: The company makes cooling systems for dairies that monitor weather conditions and adjust water-injection levels accordingly. Fans blow air and mist onto the cows, and curtains are raised or lowered to block sunlight.
Photo by: Korral Kool
15)
Microprocessors
What: Intel Corp. and Microchip, Chandler.
Details: Anchored by Intel and Microchip, Chandler’s semiconductor industry is known nationally and plays a huge role in the region’s economy. The materials are used in computer processors. The two companies account for roughly 14,000 jobs in Chandler.
Photo by: Britta Pedersen/EPA
16)
Golf Club Grips
What: Pure Grips, Mesa.
Details: Pure Grips is the largest U.S. manufacturer of golf-club grips, according to Mesa’s economic development staff. The company claims its grips resist heat and moisture, and installation requires no tape or chemicals. If you want to golf in greater style, Pure Grips also makes grips in colors like green, orange, blue and red.
Photo by: Getty Images
Original Story via AZCentral.com
