West Phoenix Suburbs Explode With Growth

West Phoenix, AZ growing at an alarming rate. DuringSeaplanes, now that facility is Lockheed Martin. The
our heated visit recently, we studied the economicarea is mixed now with Retail, Food Processing and
vitality of Avondale, Goodyear, Litchfield and Tolleson.lots of Aerospace, we talked to a maintenance
This area is the fastest growing area of all ofsupervisor for Timco who said their newest contract
Phoenix which is the second fastest metro DMA areawould require an additional 140 people to be hired.
in the United States of America. Maricopa County isLuftstanza Airlines has its training center there also.
#2 next to Clark County in Las Vegas NV metro.Del Monte and Poore Brothers process there.
Surprise, Glendale and Goodyear are breaking all kindsSnyders of Hanover, Rubbermaid, Walle Corp,
of records as the Governor looks at the issues ofCavco.The Goodyear Airport is a major plus along
water and future resources. We of course do ourwith the neighboring business parks. The runway is
homework on economic factors before we attemptover 8500 feet and can land and takeoff any aircraft
to enter a region as most seasoned veteran businessknown to man. The city has attracted many
people do.In Avondale the population is growing andcompanies and is business friendly and has online
currently about 36,000 population. 33% of which isapplications for just about every permit. They have
Hispanic with HS education average education level.attracted; Aviation-Plastics and Composites, Sun Cor
Agriculture and Agriculture processing is the biggestDevelopment, Chariot Eagle, Wal-Mart Dist contractor
industrial sector although that too is changing as lightMcClane, West Valley Medical Center. The weather is
industrial is taking advantage of the labor supply.hot in summer, but year round workable if you are
Many new car dealerships are assisting the cityable to handle the average daytime summer temps;
coffers with sales tax revenue although some of.June to September it is 100-105 degrees. Greater
that has been given up short term as incentives, butPhoenix Economic Council has some interesting stats
all that kicks in two years. Beam Corp is a majorfor the area as well. All the cities in the West Phoenix
employer there says Jeffrey Fairman, Economicare charge an additional 2% sales tax and the schools
Development Director.Avondale is just South of Lukeare considered great, even with all the non-english
AFB and derives much income from militaryspeaking students struggling at first.Litchfield has
employees who buy good and services there. Also inabout 4000 population with only 8% Hispanic, but is
the area is an 80,000 square foot Medical Center.growing exponentially. Some of the major employers
Also major employers include; LP Steel Industries,include; Conklin Rose, Wig Wam 4-star Resort,
Cashion Tank and Steel, California Materials, BioGoodyear Family grew cotton there and then sold
Scientific and several new projects in progress.the land to Litchfield, who grew Egyptian long-staple
Average house price has risen 10% in the past yearcotton for use in the processing and manufacturing
and is still good at; $132K which is average for thetires for Goodyear. Water of course brought in by
area. The housing growth once again is incredible. TheSRP. We will in the future do a complete study of
permit processing is helped by the City Streamliningthe history of SRP-Salt Water River Project. Average
Committee. in the area enjoy the local water park,Home price in the area has grown to 310K. The city
bowling alley, church youth groups and Pop Warneris pro business and allows grading of at risk soil
Football and lots of soccer teams. The MAG-Maricopabefore final permits to test the ability of the land to
Association of Governments is spending 15.5 Billion onsupport the project. These four cities on the West
new transportation infrastructure of which much willside of PHX average 16.8% of the population at
be for expanding freeway widths through Avondale25-34 meaning labor supply and good customer base.
on I-10. The 22-member panel is about 1 billion over16.2% has 35-44 age grouping. 46% Hispanic and
budget but that will be picked up as the housing issimilar to Los Angeles. Labor force is 29% less than
not slowing down. About the only big draw back isHS education. 23% have HS only education and
the problems of auto theft which Phoenix area is24.8% have some college but no degree. Prevailing
number two only beaten out by Tucson AZ. Most ofaverage wage for labor is $9.86 per hour.Tolleson,
these cars find their way to Mexico. Of all the Westhas had good growth since the freeway interchange
Maricopa cities there is severe fire risk in the hotgot finished for the 101 loop connecting to I-10. Huge
summers until the Summer Monsoon season starts,new Auto Center. Freightliner Facility, Truck Stop,
at which time the on-call fire teams and hot shotmostly due to the city fathers seeing an opportunity
crews move to Colorado, Idaho, Montana,due to the freeway interchange and had some 6
Washington, South Dakota.In Goodyear, AZ thingsnew car dealerships move in by on I-10 and they
are a bit different. The population has absolutelyused a fast track permit processing program to do
exploded and is continuing to. Many people work outthe rest. Also in the area are Lisanti Foods, Nabisco,
at the Prisons on Palos Verde Rd and the newestQuaker Oats, Western Container, Greater PHX Auto
prison that you can see from I-10, some people weAuction, Auto Zone Dist., Graybar Dist., Sara Lee
talked to worked at the Nuclear Power plant or forDist., Sysco Dist., Frys Dist., Cactus Transportation,
SRP or Betchel all of which work there at the PowerCost Co Dist., Fed Ex Depot, and still there are many
Plant. There are about 20,000 people in Goodyear butresidents which have brought the housing prices of
there are also some 5000 new homes going up rightthis industrial freeway adjacent to 100K on average.
now. It is 22% Hispanic and that number is beingTolleson has a pop of 5000 and 70% Hispanic,
diluted, but future growth should be equal under thatunemployment is 6%. The major jobs are service
ratio in my opinion for the next decade. As more andbased, retail, warehousing and manufacturing . Other
more Hispanic Families enter the middle class we willlarge employers are CSI, Sun Land Beef, Albertsons
see them turn Republican and buy into the area ofDist., Pet Smart Dist. Dist., and several meat and food
Goodyear with an average home price of 142K andpacking plants. .The Western Suburban areas of
climbing.Goodyear as you might have guessed isPhoenix have turned from rural dusty farming
named after the Akron Rubber Baron, which you cancommunities to extremely livable middle class soccer
learn more about on the second floor of themom communities with all the trimmings. It is a good
Goodyear Building outside Akron in the World ofplace to do business, great customer base and it will
Rubber Museum at Goodyear original HQ. Incontinue to build out for another two decades.Lance
Goodyear they made rubber for the US NavyWinslow - Online Think Tank forum board.