Sintra Hoffman
WEST VALLEY: BY THE NUMBERS 1.6-million people live in the West Valley. 69% of the West Valley workforce commutes outside of the region to work in other parts of Maricopa County. 40% of Phoenix’s 1.5-million residents live west of Interstate 17. 62% of the West Valley population is workforce age. 28% of manufacturing workers in Maricopa County live in the West Valley, but only 16% of jobs are located there. 37% of healthcare workers in Maricopa County live in the West Valley, but only 21% of jobs are located there. 34% of professional finance and insurance workers in Maricopa County live in the West Valley, but only 12% of jobs are located there.
Pat Feeney
says, “the West Valley has a history of strength in the business and financial services, technology and aerospace and defense industries, and recently has also seen increased growth in the manufacturing and transportation and logistics industries.” Overall, a majority of activity is occurring near the West Valley’s transportation corridors like the Loop 101 and Loop 303, which is no surprise based on daily traffic counts and the amount of residents and amenities nearby. The most industrial activity can be seen along the Loop 303 within a 1,600-acre business park known as PV|303, which has already landed several company relocation projects and expansions. For example, Iris USA, a storage products manufacturer, expanded to Surprise from Japan in 2015, establishing a U.S. headquarters and manufacturing operation that created 100 projected new jobs and a $33 million capital investment. More recently in December, Chewy.com, a pet products retailer, announced plans for a new e-commerce facility in Goodyear that will create 700 projected new jobs. “As commercial developers are watching the trend of companies and people moving to West Valley cities, they are advancing new projects to meet the demand of tenants looking for space,” Watson explains. For Hoffman, what really differentiates the West Valley from the
Sandra Watson
FUTURE WORKFORCE West Valley cities’ employment estimates for 2050:
GLENDALE = 206,900 BUCKEYE = 143,600 SURPRISE = 120,300 PEORIA = 118,000 GOODYEAR = 104,600 rest of Maricopa County is the quality of life it offers, which keeps evolving and growing as the region matures and more capital investments flow into the area for new projects. “People realize what we have in the West Valley and we are seeing those investments take shape,” she explains.
INDUSTRIAL’S ROLE When the West Valley portion of the Loop 303 was completed, it created a much needed transportation corridor that in turn opened the region to more employment opportunities, especially for e-commerce and manufacturing companies. One example being developed by Merit Partners and Sunbelt Holdings is PV|303, located in Goodyear and ranked as one of the largest masterplanned business parks in the Western U.S. that will include over 20-million square feet of industrial, office and retail space at full buildout. Joining the ranks of existing companies within PV|303 — like 35