| West Phoenix, AZ growing at an alarming rate. During | | | | Seaplanes, now that facility is Lockheed Martin. The |
| our heated visit recently, we studied the economic | | | | area 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 of | | | | supervisor for Timco who said their newest contract |
| Phoenix which is the second fastest metro DMA area | | | | would require an additional 140 people to be hired. |
| in the United States of America. Maricopa County is | | | | Luftstanza 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 kinds | | | | Snyders of Hanover, Rubbermaid, Walle Corp, |
| of records as the Governor looks at the issues of | | | | Cavco.The Goodyear Airport is a major plus along |
| water and future resources. We of course do our | | | | with the neighboring business parks. The runway is |
| homework on economic factors before we attempt | | | | over 8500 feet and can land and takeoff any aircraft |
| to enter a region as most seasoned veteran business | | | | known to man. The city has attracted many |
| people do.In Avondale the population is growing and | | | | companies and is business friendly and has online |
| currently about 36,000 population. 33% of which is | | | | applications 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 biggest | | | | Development, Chariot Eagle, Wal-Mart Dist contractor |
| industrial sector although that too is changing as light | | | | McClane, 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 city | | | | able 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, but | | | | Phoenix Economic Council has some interesting stats |
| all that kicks in two years. Beam Corp is a major | | | | for the area as well. All the cities in the West Phoenix |
| employer there says Jeffrey Fairman, Economic | | | | are charge an additional 2% sales tax and the schools |
| Development Director.Avondale is just South of Luke | | | | are considered great, even with all the non-english |
| AFB and derives much income from military | | | | speaking students struggling at first.Litchfield has |
| employees who buy good and services there. Also in | | | | about 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, Bio | | | | Goodyear 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 year | | | | cotton for use in the processing and manufacturing |
| and is still good at; $132K which is average for the | | | | tires for Goodyear. Water of course brought in by |
| area. The housing growth once again is incredible. The | | | | SRP. We will in the future do a complete study of |
| permit processing is helped by the City Streamlining | | | | the 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 Warner | | | | is pro business and allows grading of at risk soil |
| Football and lots of soccer teams. The MAG-Maricopa | | | | before final permits to test the ability of the land to |
| Association of Governments is spending 15.5 Billion on | | | | support the project. These four cities on the West |
| new transportation infrastructure of which much will | | | | side of PHX average 16.8% of the population at |
| be for expanding freeway widths through Avondale | | | | 25-34 meaning labor supply and good customer base. |
| on I-10. The 22-member panel is about 1 billion over | | | | 16.2% has 35-44 age grouping. 46% Hispanic and |
| budget but that will be picked up as the housing is | | | | similar to Los Angeles. Labor force is 29% less than |
| not slowing down. About the only big draw back is | | | | HS education. 23% have HS only education and |
| the problems of auto theft which Phoenix area is | | | | 24.8% have some college but no degree. Prevailing |
| number two only beaten out by Tucson AZ. Most of | | | | average wage for labor is $9.86 per hour.Tolleson, |
| these cars find their way to Mexico. Of all the West | | | | has had good growth since the freeway interchange |
| Maricopa cities there is severe fire risk in the hot | | | | got 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 shot | | | | mostly 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 things | | | | new car dealerships move in by on I-10 and they |
| are a bit different. The population has absolutely | | | | used a fast track permit processing program to do |
| exploded and is continuing to. Many people work out | | | | the rest. Also in the area are Lisanti Foods, Nabisco, |
| at the Prisons on Palos Verde Rd and the newest | | | | Quaker Oats, Western Container, Greater PHX Auto |
| prison that you can see from I-10, some people we | | | | Auction, Auto Zone Dist., Graybar Dist., Sara Lee |
| talked to worked at the Nuclear Power plant or for | | | | Dist., Sysco Dist., Frys Dist., Cactus Transportation, |
| SRP or Betchel all of which work there at the Power | | | | Cost Co Dist., Fed Ex Depot, and still there are many |
| Plant. There are about 20,000 people in Goodyear but | | | | residents which have brought the housing prices of |
| there are also some 5000 new homes going up right | | | | this industrial freeway adjacent to 100K on average. |
| now. It is 22% Hispanic and that number is being | | | | Tolleson has a pop of 5000 and 70% Hispanic, |
| diluted, but future growth should be equal under that | | | | unemployment is 6%. The major jobs are service |
| ratio in my opinion for the next decade. As more and | | | | based, retail, warehousing and manufacturing . Other |
| more Hispanic Families enter the middle class we will | | | | large employers are CSI, Sun Land Beef, Albertsons |
| see them turn Republican and buy into the area of | | | | Dist., Pet Smart Dist. Dist., and several meat and food |
| Goodyear with an average home price of 142K and | | | | packing plants. .The Western Suburban areas of |
| climbing.Goodyear as you might have guessed is | | | | Phoenix have turned from rural dusty farming |
| named after the Akron Rubber Baron, which you can | | | | communities to extremely livable middle class soccer |
| learn more about on the second floor of the | | | | mom communities with all the trimmings. It is a good |
| Goodyear Building outside Akron in the World of | | | | place to do business, great customer base and it will |
| Rubber Museum at Goodyear original HQ. In | | | | continue to build out for another two decades.Lance |
| Goodyear they made rubber for the US Navy | | | | Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. |