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Innovations opens expanded space Funding options for Several companies are moving small biz over coffee into 24,000 square feet of additional space at Innovations Science & Technology Incubator in Chandler, expanded from the original 38,000 square feet when the space opened in April 2010. The expansion was needed when the incubator reached full occupancy nearly 18 months ahead of projections, according to City of Chandler spokesperson Jane Poston. Now there are 23 companies with nearly 100 employees operating out of the facility including HealthTell, a biotechnology start-up company; along with Serious Integrated, Cummings Engineering, which expanded their old space into the new, Dow Media Group, ZMDI and Invoy Technologies, which is finishing tenant improvements. Last October, the Chandler City Council unanimously agreed to expand the Innovations Incubator. Opening with lease agreements from three companies, Poston says the building owner, Capital Commercial Investments, assumed the cost of the tenant improvements, with no out-of-pocket expenses from the City of Chandler. The first phase of the incubator space continues to serve companies by providing access to specialized lab equipment and facilities, while the expansion space is geared towards technology companies with a greater need for office facilities, with access to the knowledge, collaboration and support provided by Innovations. Chandler expects to benefit as tenants develop supply chains and business relationships, take commercial space and create an employment base in the city. Additionally, Poston says the jobs that are being created have an average salary of about $6,000, well above the national average. Innovations’ state-of-the-art facilities offer wet and dry labs, common lab equipment, office and lab furniture, as well as shared business services, access to capital, scientific and corporate expertise and educational forums. For more information, visit www.chandleraz.gov/ed.
ASK US ABOUT “TEETH IN A DAY”
Small businesses in Arizona can learn how to qualify for some $18.2 million in loans at the next Coffee & Connections from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Thu., Oct. 18 at the Innovations Incubator, 145 S. 79th St., Chandler. Thurston Jennings, vice president of capital strategies for the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) will explain the Arizona Innovation Accelerator Fund (AIAF) program and its requirements. The AIAF’s goal is to help provide financing to small businesses and manufacturers, in collaboration with private finance partners, to foster business expansion and job creation in Arizona. The program targets multiple industries including, but not limited to, aerospace and defense, semiconductors, optics, bioscience, and renewable energy. Jennings manages the AIAF and works with ACA management on their various grant and financial incentive programs. Coffee & Connections is a quarterly series presented by the SBDC in partnership with the Innovations Science & Technology Incubator in Chandler. Dates for the 2013 series are: Jan. 17, April 18, July 18, and Oct. 17. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required due to limited seating. To register, visit www.maricopasbdc.com or call Sanjay Dhole, Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at 480-784-0591.
October 6 – 19, 2012
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Dignity Health opening in Maricopa
Two projects on the drawing board could dramatically improve access to health care for the residents of Maricopa. Dignity Health Care plans to open two facilities in the next four years. The first, an urgent care center, is slated to open in early 2013 followed by a planned hospital in 2016. The clinic, housed in a retail center, will be staffed with board certified / eligible physicians and registered nurses, care for patients of all ages and offer on-site radiology and lab capabilities. The Dignity Health Urgent Care Center will be open from noon to 9 p.m. year-round. “Dignity Health’s presence strengthens Maricopa’s health care sector and will provide jobs throughout all of central Arizona,” says Maricopa Mayor Christian Price. In addition, Dignity Health purchased 18.56 acres at the intersection of Maricopa Road State Route 347 and Smith-Enke Road with the intent to build a free-standing emergency hospital. Initial plans call for a 34,800-square-foot, two-story hospital with 22 emergency department treatment rooms, two surgical suites, four patient beds and outpatient imaging. Dignity Health will have invested approximately $33 million at the completion of the first phase of the project. Maricopa is one of the most rapidly growing communities in the country, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. It is the 19th largest city in Arizona with more than 43,000 residents. The health services company currently operates three acute care hospitals: Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert medical centers, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, as well as the St. Joseph’s Medical Group and three Urgent Care Centers in Gilbert, Ahwatukee and Queen Creek. For more, visit www.dignityhealth.org.