INSIDE THE JULY 2021 ISSUE: Lowell’s Expanding Universe p. 3 Keeping Walnut Canyon Village Dark p. 6 Western Tradition Gallops Back p. 8 Aesthetician Taylor Moody
Arizona’s Business Landscape Sees Explosive Growth T
By Theresa Bierer, FBN
he summer of 2021 is leading the record books for businesses relocating to Arizona, including semiconductor manufacturers, electric car makers and many other tech companies. While most relocations and expansions are happening in the Valley, Northern Arizona is also attracting companies. In east Flagstaff, the large former
Walgreens distribution is being remodeled by UACJ Automotive Whitehall Industries. The company specializes in electric car components for manufacturers including Tesla and Lucid Motors, which recently chose to expand on a 500-acre property in Casa Grande, south of Phoenix. “Arizona is now a leader in electric vehicle manufacturing,” said Gail Jackson, president and CEO of the Economic Collaborative of Northern
Arizona (ECoNA). “Once they are through their five-year plan, UACJ Automotive Whitehall Industries will be the largest new employer since the 1970s.” The company’s plans include building a new Flagstaff facility and hiring more than 300 people. Jackson, whose work includes supporting established local businesses, also regularly talks to executives from out of the area who are looking to relocate or expand operations. She recently
had inquiries from two smaller-scale semiconductor manufacturers, noting that interested parties think Flagstaff’s outdoor lifestyle would help them attract the workforce they need. While the pandemic has accelerated relocations by proving that work can get done anywhere, Jackson said the business migrations have been underway for several years. One catalyst is California’s notoriously high cost of
Restores Skin, Boosts Confidence p. 10 Community Profile: Jack Rodgers Keeps Livestock, Wildlife Watered p. 13 Honoring Women Leaders with Prescott Area ATHENA p. 16
PLEASE BE FIRE
AWARE
FIRE RESTRICTIONS IN EFFECT Open fire pits and flame devices are prohibited. The use of fireworks is prohibited. Forest closures in effect. WE’RE COUNTING ON YOU! DISCOVERFLAGSTAFF.COM
Continued on page 38
Arizona on Fire Major wildfires, drought conditions, record temperatures lead to forest closures and yet another challenge for mountain town businesses
B
Babbitt Ranches’ historic Cedar Ranch is shrouded in smoke during the Slate Fire. The ranch house, barn and other structures have been in use since the late 1800s. Courtesy photo
July 2021 | Issue 7 Volume 14
By Bonnie Stevens, FBN
illy Cordasco and Ryan Butler sat on a hilltop behind Cedar Ranch and watched as the Slate Fire pushed its way east through juniper, pinyon and ponderosa pine forest from Highway 180 toward the historic ranch house, barn, wells and pipeline north of the San Francisco Peaks. Cordasco, president and general manager of Babbitt Ranches, is a fourth generation descendant of the original Babbitt brothers who started the ranching empire here in the late 1800s. Butler is a fire division supervisor for the Forest Service, called in from Montana. A small helicopter was being used to drop water on the fire front. But as the two men watched the blaze spot ahead of fire lines, areas that had been cleared of fuel like shrubs and trees, the plan changed. “I’d never seen juniper burn like that,” said Butler. “The masticator was masticating trees and they would burn. In Montana, it would take years for them to dry out and become flammable. Usually during the day in juniper, the fire dies down at night, but not in this case. Even with heavy equipment, we couldn’t get a line around the fire.” Continued on page 39
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