Original Article Published via Phoenix Business Journal
Co-Authored by Mayor Jenn Daniels and John Lewis
The origins of PHX East Valley – which includes Apache Junction, Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Queen Creek and Tempe – are rooted in farming, ranching, small business, education, manufacturing, technology and the Wild West.
Our heritage is one we honor. But fitting for National Small Business Month, we also celebrate our region’s entrepreneurial spirit, one united in purpose, more collaborative and less competitive, where creative ideas bubble up, and citizens, economic developers and elected officials are open and relational.
A healthy ecosystem rooted in small business, in which people look out for each other, while not forgetting their own communities, is flourishing here. Partners and leaders have this progressive mindset: to every thing there is a season — a time to put on your city hat and a time to remove it and think beyond your city’s borders.
PHX East Valley, which has nearly 61,000 businesses with 10 or fewer employees, boasts many amenities today’s talented workforce demands, including:
- Top-notch education: The region is home to Arizona State University and also is served by the University of Arizona, Grand Canyon University, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Mesa Community College, Benedictine University, Park University and the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT), among others. The U.S. Census Bureau reports 36 percent of the population over age 25 have bachelor’s degrees or higher, compared to 29 percent nationally.
- Affordable housing and cost of living: The median value of an owner-occupied unit here is $187,600, compared to the national average of $265,600, according to the Census. Additionally, the average cost of living in the PHX East Valley is well below the national average and comparative business markets; 9 percent lower than Salt Lake City, 13 percent lower than in Denver, and 46 percent lower than Los Angeles per reports from The Council for Community and Economic Research.
- Outdoor leisure and recreation: The region is home to six Major League Baseball teams during spring training, as well as 380 miles of regional paved trails — which has more than double over the past decade.
Mix in our growing world-class health care facilities, and a visionary transportation plan for expanded freeways, bus lines and light rail, a self-driving vehicles pilot and a major regional airport, and you’ll see the infrastructure is in place to support our projected population of more than 1.4 million by 2020.
PHX East Valley uses a number of strategies to attract and support new entrepreneurs and assist small businesses. These include innovative co-working spaces and a vibrant angel investing program focusing on enhancing access to early-stage funding for technology start-ups.
The Gilbert Chamber of Commerce’s Partners in Progress program fosters a pro-business environment with specific focus on the growth, expansion and retention of companies in town. Roundtable meetings with businesses representing various sectors help local officials gain insight on how they can best foster growth and retention. When we know what they need — such as a streamlining of permits — we know how to respond.
Another example of how Gilbert fosters the growth of entrepreneurship and small business in the community is the free programming offered at SPARKSpot, a space uniquely designed for entrepreneurs. Gilbert offers free educational workshops designed to provide businesses with the tools and resources they need for success. Topics range from idea generation to tax liability to the art of negotiating a deal and offer small businesses time with experts they would otherwise have to pay for.
Our work is paying off with numerous success stories in a diversity of industries. Among them:
- Footprint: With a goal of eliminating single-use and short term-use plastics in food industry packaging, this company designs, develops and manufactures molded fiber solutions that are revolutionizing the process.
- Heliae Development: This applied life sciences and technology start-up researches and develops micro algae and other cutting-edge biological platforms for production of useful products, such as healthcare products, cosmetics, and animal food.
- Ticket Force: This web-based ticketing company provides white label ticketing and box office management solutions to venues, promoters and festivals.
- Barnone: In a setting that’s all about community, this collection of skilled craftsmen, from woodworkers and restaurateurs to experimental winemakers, make and sell their handcrafted goods.
Barnone is housed at Agritopia, a residential and commercial area in Gilbert that was part of the farm where entrepreneur Joe Johnston was raised. With a vision of preserving his family’s land, Johnston created a village surrounded by urban farmland, where the small business spirit is encouraged.
It’s all about relationships, and it’s the model for what PHX East Valley is doing
