PHX East Valley ( March 26th, 2015) – Decades of aviation investment and planning in Arizona’s Phoenix (PHX) East Valley has provided the optimal landscape for aerospace, defense and aviation, and high-tech industries to thrive and grow. These industries also support cargo and R&D, and maintenance and repair business development. With this array of aviation and aerospace assets, including two commercial service airports and two of the busiest general aviation airports in the country, the region has become a key point of commerce in the Southwest.
In the Southeast area of PHX East Valley, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport is contributing $1.3 billion annually to the local economy and supports a total of 10,470 jobs across the Valley.
“Collaboration between public and private sectors of the PHX East Valley is vital to creating new sources of growth in well-performing industries,” said Roc Arnett, president of East Valley Partnership.
Able Engineering, a Mesa, Ariz.-based aircraft parts provider, is a notable example of how local government collaborate with the private sectors to retain business and fostering development. The City of Mesa and the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority initially attracted Able to the East Valley by developing a bond financing mechanism that paid for the construction on their original facility. More recently, the company is partnering with Mesa and its airport for a 50,000-square-foot expansion and adding 100 high-paying jobs over the next several years.
Falcon Field Airport in Mesa is the home to more than 80 on-airport businesses that provide aviation services including fueling, maintenance and repairs, inspections, avionics, aircraft painting and aircraft interiors, all of which support aircraft operations, manufacturing, research and development activities.
“As businesses make the decision to relocate to PHX East Valley, aviation and other state of the art transportation systems will play a key role,” said Arnett. “PHX East Valley airports provide billions of dollars annually to local economies and we see that number increasing with time.”
The Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee has leveraged aviation infrastructure in the PHX East Valley to help attract two major games. As this year’s big game came and went, Scottsdale Airport experienced one of its busiest weeks of operation with a total of 1,170 reservations scheduled. No major delays were reported among the arrivals and departures of private planes and corporate jets. Increased operations from annual events such as Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction, Waste Management Phoenix Open Golf Tournament, Spring Training and the Arabian Horse Show equate to the $536 million economic benefit provided by the Scottsdale Airport and surrounding airpark businesses.
Chandler Municipal Airport serves to the business community and is home to world-class aviation training institutions. With more than 200,000 operations in 2014, the airport is among the nation’s busiest general aviation airports. Chandler Municipal Airport is the anchor of the Chandler Airpark Area, a 9-square-mile employment corridor. Experts suggest that by 2025, the corridor will be home to more than 25,000 jobs and more than 25 million square feet of non-residential space.
The Chandler Municipal Airport recently announced a new-to-market concept that introduces new businesses to Chandler’s growing aviation industry. The first phase of the project will include 80,000 square feet of hangar/office space. Each hangar building may be equipped with offices, meeting space and an Aviation Business Lobby.
About PHX East Valley
PHX East Valley is a national branding initiative led by the East Valley Partnership to systematically publicize the outstanding business and quality of life assets in the East Valley region of Greater Phoenix. Campaign efforts include coordinated events, corporate collaborations and the growth and promotion of emerging economic clusters unique to the community. For more information, visit www.evp-az.org.
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