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