BizTucson Winter 2020 Special Section Sun Corridor

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Sun Corridor Inc.

BizECONOMY

Mastering the Megaregion Region’s Economic Engine Hits 15 Years, Looks to Future

By David Pittman

Historically, economic development in Tucson has been known for division, infighting, disappointment and missed opportunity. But it’s a new dawn in the Old Pueblo.

Sun Corridor Inc. – in collaboration with business, community leaders, higher education and state and local government – has steadfastly built a national reputation for Tucson as a vibrant, emerging market that is successfully recruiting high-quality, high-tech and high-wage business and industry to Southern Arizona.

It didn’t come easily or quickly. It didn’t come without extensive planning or hard work. But entering its landmark 15th year, Sun Corridor Inc. has evolved into an economic development juggernaut.

Tucson’s economy has posted strong growth for five consecutive years as Sun Corridor Inc. has built an impressive record of recruiting A-list companies to relocate or expand here. The list includes Amazon, Comcast, Texas Instruments, GEICO, Caterpillar, Hexagon Mining, HomeGoods, Accelerate Di-

agnostics, Target, Ernst & Young and Raytheon Missile Systems.

Since 2005, Sun Corridor Inc. has facilitated the attraction or expansion of 173 companies as of December 2019 – creating 50,989 direct/indirect jobs and an economic impact of $29.5 billion.

“We have proven year after year that we are a professionally focused, worldclass economic development team,” said David Hutchens, CEO of Tucson Electric Power and chair of Sun Corridor Inc. “Private- and public-sector leaders have worked together with educators and nonprofit groups on numerous projects that have contributed to our economic growth.

“It wasn’t always that way. But after Tucson missed out on some significant opportunities, a group of key stakeholders committed to working together to put us in a position to attract Caterpillar, the Raytheon Missile Systems’ expansion and other projects that have contributed to our success.”

Economic comparisons of Tucson to Austin, once just wishful thinking, are now reality.

The Oliver Wyman Forum, a global management consulting firm, has listed Tucson among the fastest growing metro areas in the country, reporting that the city tied Austin with 33% increased high-tech job growth from 2007 to 2017.

Even more impressive, the global commercial real estate services and investment giant, CBRE, ranked Tucson as the No. 1 “Opportunity Market” in its 2019 “Scoring Tech Talent Report.”

“Tucson added more high-tech jobs on a percentage basis than any other market in North America,” said Spencer Levy, CBRE head of research and senior economic advisor. He described Tucson as “a momentum market on the rise in tech.”

Levy said the report shows increased levels of high-tech growth within “emerging markets like Tucson that have large universities to create both talent and a live-work-play environment where people want to live.”

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, in a recent editorial column in the Arizona Daily continued on page 54 >>> continued on page 38 >>>

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BizECONOMY continued from page 53 Star, praised Tucson’s success in attracting high-tech, high-wage jobs, saying the city has earned “a reputation as one of the fastest growing and most attractive tech hubs” in the nation. “Tucson has seen its tech jobs increase a whopping 90% over the last five years.”

It wasn’t always so.

Tucson economic development was faltering before Joe Snell was hired president and CEO of TREO – Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities – later rebranded as Sun Corridor Inc. Snell previously succeeded in starting and reorganizing similar organizations in Albuquerque and Denver.

“Looking back, we are the longeststanding economic development group in Tucson history,” Snell said. “When we started, a lot of people didn’t believe we would last four years – because none of the groups that did this before us had.”

In fact, five different Tucson economic development groups shuttered between World War II and the creation in 2005 of what is now Sun Corridor Inc. “That’s unheard of,” said Snell. “It caused Tucson to have a poor reputation in the economic development field and made many people wonder, ‘What’s wrong with Tucson?’ I saw potential in Tucson, but it had no foundation and no formula. One of the stipulations I had before accepting the job was that we had to develop a business plan, which we called an ‘Economic Blueprint.’ ” Development of the blueprint, underwritten by Tucson Electric Power, is credited with giving Sun Corridor Inc. a recipe for success.

“The blueprint was created by a steering committee made up of a diverse group,” Snell said. “That plan was our guidebook, and I told our staff we wouldn’t buy a pencil unless it could be traced to the blueprint.”

The document prioritized the attraction of high-wage jobs, emphasized the need for business, higher education and government to work collaboratively, and prioritized key growth industries that already had a strong presence here.

Those industries included aerospace and defense, bioscience/healthcare (specifically diagnostics), transportation and logistics, and renewable/mining technologies.

But other organizational changes were required before Sun Corridor Inc. could begin running on all cylinders.

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“We needed to turn TREO into a different type of organization,” said Snell.

“The next step for us was changing our financial model. If we hadn’t, we’d have become Tucson’s sixth failed economic development group.”

Under its initial model, 90% of Sun Corridor’s budget was from local government and just 10% percent from the private sector.

“The model Tucson had adopted of ‘the public sector funds it, but the private sector runs it’ wasn’t working,” Snell said. “It created parochial infighting and not enough direction from business interests. Who is going to pay for something and have somebody else run it? Long story short, we reached a decision that the majority of our budget should come from private interests.”

“

The growth of our pipeline is because our reputation is stronger than ever and site selectors are on our radar screen.

–

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Joe Snell, President & CEO Sun Corridor Inc.

Today, 80% of Sun Corridor’s money is from business, 20% from government.

“We have just one public contract, which is with Pima County because they are regional,” Snell said. “Changing the funding structure was a watershed moment for us.”

Before Sun Corridor Inc. could reverse Tucson’s economic development misfortunes, the Great Recession struck the city hard in 2008, forcing business closures and skyrocketing bankruptcies, double-digit unemployment and a high volume of home repossessions. As for Sun Corridor Inc., it may as well have hit a brick wall. Damage was felt across the nation, but Tucson was slower to recover from the recession than most cities.

Good economic news arrived in 2012, when Fletcher McCusker became chair of the struggling Rio Nuevo Multipurpose Facilities District. With a reconstituted board, the group began accomplishing what Rio Nuevo was meant to do – revitalize downtown. Since McCusker arrived, every $1 in tax money spent by Rio Nuevo has produced $10 from private interests for downtown projects.

More good news came in July 2014, when the Tucson Streetcar began operating along a four-mile route connecting downtown to the University of Arizona, Main Gate Square, Fourth Avenue and the Mercado District west of Interstate 10. Even before the streetcar was running, developers and financial institutions began investing along the streetcar line. Soon, new restaurants, stores, housing and mixed-use projects were rising in downtown.

“Downtown Tucson has been the center of Tucson’s resurgence,” said McCusker, CEO of UAVenture Capital and a member of the Sun Corridor Inc. Chairman’s Circle. “Caterpillar moved their headquarters downtown. We have light rail. And real estate investment banks have collaboratively created 21 projects downtown, partnering with the city and county.”

McCusker said Caterpillar’s decision to locate its Surface Mining & Technology Division near “A” Mountain was a monumental victory for Tucson.

“Tucson was in direct competition with Denver in recruiting Caterpillar,” he said. “Everybody thought it would go to Denver, but Tucson won out. It was a game changer for Tucson.”

When TREO was first established, Snell said, state government was nearly nonexistent in Southern Arizona economic development efforts. Not anymore.

McCusker said Ducey “played a key role” in convincing Caterpillar to select Tucson. Snell said Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority and a Sun Corridor Inc. Chairman’s Circle member, “is committed to increasing economic development within the entire state.

We work hand and glove with the commerce authority. Their office is 50 feet from ours.”

In fiscal year 2014-2015, Sun Corridor Inc. had a banner year, supporting the relocation or expansion of 16 companies – with an economic impact of www.BizTucson.com

nearly $2.6 billion.

Also in 2015, TREO became Sun Corridor Inc. and expanded its geographic horizons from metro Tucson into a megaregion that stretches from northern Mexico to northern Pinal County. Its boundaries include Pima, Cochise, Santa Cruz and Pinal counties.

Sun Corridor Inc. leadership believes expanding its boundaries increases collective assets to better compete, encourages greater binational commerce, and increases the organization’s credibility and influence.

Today, Sun Corridor Inc. has a 67-member board that comprises influential leaders from business and industry; municipal, county and state government; higher education; and nonprofits.

“It’s a pretty decent-sized army where everyone checks their politics at the door and works together,” Snell said.

In March 2017, the Site Selectors Guild brought its annual conference to Tucson for the first time – another coup for Sun Corridor Inc. “The economic development industry is driven by about 400 site selectors who are hired by major corporations to assist in making decisions about business expansions and relocations,” Snell said. “Many of those attending the conference had never been to Southern Arizona and we were able to profile what a great community Tucson is. It was very beneficial for us.”

Sun Corridor Inc. has recently conducted sales missions across North America. “We’ve hit California countless times, from San Diego to Los Angeles to San Francisco. We’ve also been to Toronto, Salt Lake City, Dallas, Atlanta, Boston and Denver, to name a few.

“We do something called investor sales missions where we will take business leaders and blanket a market,” Snell said. “We just got back from New York City. It’s a force multiplier for us because we can take 25 people and we all call on site selectors and bombard the market over three or four days.”

Snell said Sun Corridor Inc. has built the largest, highest-quality pipeline of businesses to pursue in the region’s history. “The growth of our pipeline is because our reputation is stronger than ever and site selectors are on our radar screen,” he said.

That bodes well for the future of this dynamic megaregion.

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Amazon Loves Tucson Logistics Team Effort Got Fulfillment, Distribution Centers Opened

By Tara Kirkpatrick Logistics. It’s what lured a global online giant to Tucson not once, but twice.

Amazon, one of the world’s largest companies, opened its first facility at the Port of Tucson last year. The 855,000-square-foot fulfillment center on the southeast side employs more than 1,500 people and is expected to have a $600 million economic impact to the community over the next five years.

The company has since opened a second, complementary center on the city’s west edge – one of the first locations for its new “last mile” concept that focuses on improved delivery.

“We have long been a center for logistics and distribution,” said Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry. “If you look at the locations of their facilities, they are near interstate highways, rail, the airport – everything they need.”

Tucson had already set the blueprint when Target opened its 975,000-square-foot center on the city’s southeast side in 2009. Then, in 2016 HomeGoods opened its immense West Coast distribution center near the Tucson International Airport.

Amazon is just the latest company to take advantage of Southern Arizona’s lucrative gateway to Mexico and California – a true megaregion that Sun Corridor Inc. has helped to develop over the past 15 years.

“Economic development is a team sport,” said Joe Snell, Sun Corridor Inc.’s president and CEO. “Successful projects like Amazon – now with two facilities in Tucson – do not happen with just the efforts of one group. Sun Corridor Inc. will quarterback the project, but everyone plays a critical partnership role.”

Pointing to local and state organizations – including the Arizona Commerce Authority – Snell added, “In this case, Pima County, the Port of Tucson, ACA, the City of Tucson and others were at the table every step of the way.”

Amazon’s larger Tucson fulfillment center will receive, store and ship auto parts, electronics, appliances, groceries, and other products – while also handling customer returns and direct customer pickup.

Amazon’s facility on Tucson’s west side will focus on “last mile” systems, which move product from a receiving center to the final destination. The “last mile” center aims for shorter delivery times by enabling individual drivers and contractors to pick up packages for faster delivery.

“There are a variety of factors that we take into account when deciding to launch a building – such as customer demand, a dedicated and talented workforce and great local support – and we’ve found all of those in Tucson and surrounding communities,” said Zeshan Kazmi, Amazon’s regional public relations manager.

Huckelberry said a recent Amazon hiring event for its facilities pleased Amazon officials. “They have been impressed with our workforce,” he said.

“We are thrilled to be a member of the Tucson community and thankful for the support we’ve received from city, state and community leaders,” Kazmi said. “We look forward to even more ways to better serve our customers. Our fulfillment center and delivery station in Tucson allow us to reach even more customers.”

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Airport Eyes G Aerospace, New TUS Blueprint Charts Vision for Land Use

By Tara Kirkpatrick

Plans are really taking off for the Tucson International Airport.

An ambitious blueprint – helmed by Sun Corridor Inc. and guided by more than 120 community stakeholders – would see the Tucson airport expand, as well as offer new commercial space to companies.

“Traditionally, when you think of an airport, you think of passenger traffic, you think of airlines,” said Joe Snell, Sun Corridor Inc. president and CEO. “They’re becoming much more. At least they need to. They are convergence centers – a place where people, freight, ideas, infrastructure – all converge in one nucleus point.”

Sun Corridor Inc. released the blueprint last fall, laying out plans across three substantial land parcels that would provide ample room for companies drawn to Tucson’s aeronautical and logistics prowess. It details a new, more attractive airport entrance and an extension of roadways in and out of the airport.

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can bring to this community beyond air service,” said Lisa Lovallo, chair of the Tucson Airport Authority board of directors and the TUS Blueprint Steering Committee. “It’s got an amazing amount of land and resources in that part of our community that really haven’t been captured to their fullest potential.”

The auspicious plan calls for the development of a 550-acre strip of former mining land south of Aerospace Parkway, a 1,400-acre parcel southeast of the Aerospace Parkway tract and a 600-acre parcel on the airport’s northeast side.

It also calls for two new interchanges on Interstate 10 – one at Country Club Road and another at Alvernon Way, at the proposed Sonoran Corridor to link State Route 210 from downtown to State Route 410.

Sun Corridor Inc. and the Tucson Airport Authority partnered in 2018 to advance commercial development around the airport, which ranks among the top 10 in the country in total acreage, 8,282 acres.

The blueprint states that airports

around the nation are gateways to growing regions and control large tracts of land for development. Locating near an airport presents a business with many opportunities for growth.

With a steering committee of 20 leaders and organizations, Sun Corridor Inc. and the TAA sought out the advice of more than 100 employers to generate the plan. Retired General Motors executive Dennis Minano chaired the targeted industries/opportunities committee during the process.

“Airports are easily a part of any economic regional success and we have a well-run airport,” said Minano, immediate past chair of Sun Corridor Inc. “It was important that our plan for the airport align well with the economic activity that is already underway – and that it is based on what our community can do in terms of education, skills and demographics.”

His committee recommended a focus on attracting more companies in aerospace and in transportation and logistics. “Those areas really build on our natural geographic assets,” Minano said. www.BizTucson.com

Growth in , Commerce Raytheon Missile Systems, Southern Arizona’s largest private employer with 13,000 current jobs, is the anchor for the region’s solid aeronautical base of more than 200 companies, according to the blueprint. The strength of the inland Port of Tucson, along with recent distribution centers opened by HomeGoods, Target and Amazon, underscore the region’s burgeoning logistics base.

“From a Raytheon perspective, it’s about access – access for our employees, access for our customers,” said Wes Kremer, president of Raytheon Missile Systems. “I think that’s the whole purpose of the aerospace corridor here – to attract additional aerospace and defense companies and to grow that high-tech sector in Tucson. We’re seeing some positive indications that some of our suppliers are very interested in establishing a presence here.”

Tucson can also train the needed workforce for this growth. The University of Arizona has its premier James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences and the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering program. Pima Community College boasts a nationally ranked www.BizTucson.com

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I think the blueprint is an opportunity for us to look at the opportunities that the Tucson International Airport can bring to this community beyond air service.

”

– Lisa Lovallo Board of Directors Chair Tucson Airport Authority

aviation training program with a 90% graduate placement rate.

“Everyone worries about the workforce capability,” Minano said. “We can now say we have the capability of training these people.”

Sun Corridor Inc. has a proven track record with economic blueprints – they have all become reality. “The critical next step is to ensure all entities are pulling together to move the strategies forward,” said Steve Eggen, chair of the blueprint’s stakeholder engagement committee. “Sun Corridor Inc. will act as a coordinator going forward.”

The blueprint is already stirring interest. A Sun Corridor Inc.-led team of board members and investors recently traveled to New York City to meet with potential site selectors and received a positive response to the plan, Minano said.

“We are creating news about this region and about Tucson,” he said. “Word gets out in the site-selector business and they see that something is going on in Tucson. We have to keep that momentum.”

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. LEADERSHIP What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

The opportunities are obvious: If we can maintain the momentum we’ve created through collaboration among our local elected officials and business leaders, we can build on our recent success and continue attracting new and expanding businesses that provide good jobs and create economic growth. The challenge will be making sure that we all keep rowing in the same direction, working together for the betterment of our community.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

We all know our local roads need serious attention.

While we should continue lobbying for additional investment at the state level, we can’t just throw up our hands if that support doesn’t arrive. We need to work together at the local level to identify sustainable, longterm resources to maintain and improve our roads – including large arterial roadways, local streets and bridges.

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

Education is always going to be the key factor in determining whether any group of people is prepared for change. In our business, we talk a lot about building capacity – not only the capacity to generate energy, but also the capacity to accommodate unexpected developments and seize new opportunities. A strong education system – from kindergarten up through the community college and university level – can give our community the capacity to capitalize on new technology rather than being left behind.

What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming year?

CHAIR SUN CORRIDOR INC. CEO, UNS ENERGY COO, FORTIS

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PHOTO: CHRIS MOONEY

David G. Hutchens

2020 is going to be a landmark year in TEP’s ongoing transition to cleaner energy resources. Construction will be ongoing for three new systems – two new wind farms and a solar-plus-storage project – that will more than double our renewable energy resources by 2021. TEP is a leader in our industry’s effort to provide more sustainable energy for our communities. We’ll also be working hard over the coming year and beyond to extend the use of that cleaner energy to power other sectors of our economy, including transportation.

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. LEADERSHIP What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

Keeping the momentum going in an eventual downturn in the overall economy. Defense and aerospace have a natural home given our climate and airspace.

We already have a diverse group of companies in this sector forming a core cluster that will attract others in the industry. Pima Community College has a nationally recognized aircraft maintenance training program providing a skilled workforce other communities can only envy. The importance of Raytheon and DavisMonthan cannot be overstated as anchors of this cluster. Continue to support our innovation economy and create conditions that foster new company formation. Startup Tucson, the University of Arizona’s tech parks, technology incubators and tech transfer programs will continue to play an increasing role in the growth of our economy. Community support of our entrepreneurial economy in turn creates a positive vibe for recruiting new companies and employees. Our proximity to Mexico continues to be a huge area of opportunity. We should leverage our bilingual population and continue to invest in transportation and logistical infrastructure.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

We need to keep a laser focus on road maintenance.

Keeping the Interstate-11 conversation productive, and completing the Sonoran Corridor. The community needs to overcome its “not in my backyard” tendencies.

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

SECRETARY/TREASURER SUN CORRIDOR INC. MANAGING DIRECTOR MIRAMAR VENTURES

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What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming year?

I believe in the next year, Southern Arizona and the national economy will continue to grow as they have in the last few years at a moderate pace. That being said, the risk still exists that a significant geopolitical event may cause a significant downturn in our national and, in turn, our local economy.

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David Smallhouse

Aligning our P-20 educational system will be a key component. Pima Community College and the University of Arizona are making great strides in this regard, but K-12 continues to be a drag. Jobs of the future will require advanced skills, and PCC and UArizona should not have to provide remedial education for incoming students. Also, adults who want to gain new skills or add to their current capabilities need support. Talent development in the region must be a strategic priority.

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. LEADERSHIP What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

The region has been uniquely successful in attracting companies to relocate here. The financial impact and new jobs created show a vibrant trend of success. Our challenge is to maintain that momentum by continuing a unified approach in our messaging. Second, we must build on the collaboration we’ve shown to date among local, city, county and state governments. Third, our education system must keep pace with advancements in technologies by showing an ability to design and offer programs to train and prepare a workforce for the next generation. Our growth targets in aerospace and related businesses present rich opportunities. Specifically, we are home to numerous companies that are customers for these businesses, as is Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Our University of Arizona is recognized for its advanced work in aerospace programs.

Our location provides a supply chain advantage, just in time to leverage the worldwide restructuring of logistics by all industrial sectors. Opportunities are also available in emerging areas of autonomous vehicles and electric vehicles.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

We need to improve our roads. This requires that local, elected leadership must agree to resolve that issue in a nonpartisan manner. We also need to provide full support to our PAG leadership in developing and vigorously advocating federally supported infrastructure legislation. Federally elected Arizona representatives can’t be constrained by political lines. The community must fully support the economic plans and related infrastructure improvements to achieve the future capabilities of the Tucson airport, which is poised to become a future epicenter of economic activity.

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR SUN CORRIDOR INC. MANAGING DIRECTOR, CMM VICE PRESIDENT PUBLIC POLICY CHIEF ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER GENERAL MOTORS (RET.)

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Successful adaptation depends directly on how well businesses and employees accept that training can no longer be a “one and done” affair. Completing high school and earning an associate degree, a bachelor’s or advanced degree is only a first step because of the rapid development of technology. Businesses and employees must accept that they will need to be continually retrained as technology evolves. Educational institutions must be prepared with relevant training programs ahead of the curve. The days of deleting the training budget at the first sign of a financial slowdown are gone if companies wish to remain in business.

What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming year?

We are seeing a worldwide thirst for innovation.

This trend will open up opportunities for both large and small businesses, which will compete on the basis of their products utility, value and performance.

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Dennis R. Minano

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. LEADERSHIP How will Sun Corridor Inc. continue to build economic development momentum over the next 15 years?

First, we need to drive greater exposure of Southern Arizona as a leading business center with site selectors and national business media. We’re known as a tourist center, but not a business center. It takes resources to maintain a sustained program and remain aggressive in sales and marketing efforts. We are building relationships with site selectors, getting on airplanes for meetings and conferences, working with our real estate brokers, analyzing deals, hosting clients. Second, we need to address market gaps such as lack of speculative space.

When we were on a New York City sales mission, lack of spec space was a key topic. Lastly, we are positioning the Tucson airport as an economic development asset.

Key community leaders are at the table who are ready to make things happen.

What puts Southern Arizona on the radar for site selectors?

Excellent talent pipeline. The University of Arizona, Arizona State University and Pima Community College are highly ranked, powerhouse institutions serving nearly 200,000 students. Over 8,000 engineering majors graduate annually.

Strategic Southwest location with Tucson’s population growth twice the rate of the U.S. for more than 40 years and lack of natural disasters to ensure operations continuity.

Our market reaches over 46 million people within 500 miles, including California and Texas. More than 25% of the working-age population speaks Spanish.

Low cost of doing business with a good tax climate, including low costs for real estate and personnel. Worker’s compensation and unemployment insurance costs are among the lowest in the U.S. High quality of life with a booming downtown, affordable housing and minimal traffic congestion.

PRESIDENT & CEO SUN CORRIDOR INC.

Being top-of-mind. When considering Arizona, site selectors think of Phoenix, not Tucson. We need a consistent effort to remind site selectors and companies of our market. We need to maintain and strengthen our unity. CEOs and site selectors consider communities that have strong partnerships and very engaged players who can operate from one platform. Most importantly, we need to invest in our schools and roads/infrastructure.

If another recession or economic slowdown hits, how would this region protect itself and maintain its success?

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We always need to act as though a recession is imminent. There are warning signs that the economy is weakening. How much or to what degree, who knows? What I do know is that the fight is going to get harder. We can’t rest on our laurels, and we have to take advantage of the time now. We’ve been very successful in focusing on targeted industries that pay good wages and diversify our economy. We’ll continue that focus – stay hyper-aggressive in sales efforts and continue to push the boundaries, tell our story to the world.

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Joe Snell

What specific steps are needed to further define this megaregion and keep it competitive?

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

I work with other economic councils through the Southwest region. The No. 1 question most often asked by companies looking to expand is, “What is the status of the prepared workforce?” We need to develop more innovative partnerships among nonprofits, private sector and education institutions. Tucson has a great opportunity in expanding its relationship with Mexico. Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) has an office in Mexico City. Mexican companies are very interested in expanding into the United States. CPLC recently recruited a manufacturing firm from Mexico to expand, creating jobs in Phoenix. There are great opportunities in the areas of research and technology, as well.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

Border portals are being expanded, but more needs to be done to continue to compete with other states in the region. Additionally, highways need to be expanded and utilities need to be upgraded to support companies that need access to power, water and technology.

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the work force for the fourth industrial revolution?

We need new creative ways to support the development of a prepared workforce (i.e. what Amazon is doing). Public private partnerships are key to help train a future workforce.

David Adame PHOTO: CHRIS MOONEY

PRESIDENT & CEO CHICANOS POR LA CAUSA

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

There are many employment opportunities in Tucson for specialized work. Our industry needs airframe and powerplant mechanics, as well as, avionics and structures specialists. Building such a qualified work force and training technicians in aviation is a high priority for our industry, which is continually looking to attract a younger generation in Tucson to careers in aviation. The jobs are available. We must work between our industry and elected officials to ensure that our educational system encourages career paths in aviation.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

Continuing to improve on public transportation is important. Tucson has done a great job of developing Sun Link, which benefits both transit users and businesses. As the city grows, people will want more options to get around. For example, Sun Link routes can be expanded to access Tucson International Airport. We can also improve Tucson’s roads. We live in a vibrant, growing city. We should strive for a 21st century transportation system that will enhance how our citizens get around and encourage our region to grow.

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

GENERAL MANAGER BOMBARDIER – TUCSON

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What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming year?

The outlook for the aviation industry is positive as our industry continues to grow. In addition to building a work force to maintain a strong aerospace industry, we must adapt with infrastructure, such as larger, modern aircraft hangars to accommodate advanced aircraft, like the Bombardier Global 7500, the industry’s largest business jet. Our focus in Tucson is on world-class customer support and aftermarket services that continue to grow as we deliver more business jets.

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PHOTO: CHRIS MOONEY

Marc Beaudette

We must reach out earlier to a younger generation and foster a talent pipeline to maintain a strong aviation industry. With an aging work force, our industry must find ways to inspire young people and get them hooked on aviation and also demonstrate that our industry is leading the way for change. Environmental issues and sustainability are important concerns with millennials and the younger generation. Our industry has taken steps to address these issues through improved technologies and the use of sustainable aviation fuel. We can also ensure our educational system stays current. Middle and high school students are fully versed in the latest computer and telephone technologies. Our industry can seize these opportunities to showcase the advances shaping aviation. The key to inspire a younger generation is through consistent exposure to the possibilities offered by the aviation industry, coupled with the right curriculum.

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

Site selectors focus on several factors when evaluating a community, including cost of living, education, a skilled workforce, air service, recreational activities, medical facilities and the look and feel of the community. Tucson is well-positioned to compete in these categories and many other areas. To promote economic development and attract businesses to Tucson, the work to improve highways, roadways and connectivity, the beautification of roadway areas, and new air service to critical markets should continue to be priorities. Also, consider the development of an identity that defines the region.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

From the airport perspective and as a major employment center, areas around the Tucson International Airport (TUS) need to provide good access for airport users and smooth traffic flow for employees. The addition of a new Interstate-10 highway interchange that provides passengers and employees a direct route to the airport and access to nearby businesses is essential.

Travel times, congestion and airport access are major factors when site selectors consider a location, so expediting commute times is an important factor in our attractiveness to large employers.

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

PRESIDENT & CEO TUCSON AIRPORT AUTHORITY

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What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming year?

The outlook for the U.S. airport sector remains positive for 2020. Moody’s Investors Service stated in a new report, “growth in the U.S. economy and airlines’ seat capacity will result in enplanement growth above our 3% threshold for a positive outlook.” This infers that TUS will benefit with a continued upward trend in passenger numbers. Through the first 10 months of 2019, TUS surpassed three million passengers, and, over last year, we are seeing an increase of more than 5%. We expect we will continue to grow and see passenger numbers increase. www.BizTucson.com

PHOTO: CHRIS MOONEY

Danette Bewley

To ensure students are trained with the right skills and prepared for the changing world, educational institutions should focus on revamped models that combine competencies (i.e., technical skills and soft skills, such as communication and systems thinking) in their learning and technology certification programs. To get there, we continue to encourage students and promote education as an avenue to career success and job stability through STEM programs, invest in scholarship opportunities for high school students or those with lower income levels, fund programs that match grants and build deep employer connections that provide a career path for specialty jobs. Also, recognize educators as a critical resource and ensure teachers’ salaries are commensurate with the industry average.

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

Our opportunities are to continue the progress made over the past decade diversifying the local economy, especially with growth in logistics, aerospace and defense industries. The Great Recession wiped out 25% of property value in the county and we’ve only recently returned to pre-recession values, thanks in part to the county’s aggressive Economic Development Plan that emphasizes diversification. Our biggest challenge is workforce development so that our region is able to meet the increasing technological demands of the 21st-century economy, and public infrastructure funding, both of which are addressed in the latest update to the county’s Economic Development Plan.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

The area near Tucson International Airport is expected to continue to attract new and expanding logistics companies similar to Amazon and HomeGoods.

Development of the transportation infrastructure in the Sonoran Corridor is essential to serve the needs of these companies while aiding in their recruitment to the region. The expansion of Interstate 10 from Interstate 19 to Kolb Road, the extension of Arizona 210 from Aviation Parkway to Tucson International Airport, and the funding and construction of the Sonoran Corridor Auxiliary Interstate Highway are important to the development of the corridor. Regionwide expansion of 5G and fiber optic data transmission systems are paramount.

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

SUPERVISOR, DISTRICT 3 PIMA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

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What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming year?

I wouldn’t characterize county government as an industry, but we are planning for continued growth in the local economy. Sun Corridor’s business prospects pipeline is full and our region is one of the hottest tourist destinations in the country. We see continued growth in the local tax base, which will aid the county in investing in infrastructure and workforce needs while also lowering tax rates.

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Sharon Bronson

Funding and public-private partnerships. This is an all-hands-on-deck issue. We need leadership and investment from the private sector across all industries, and the alignment of all levels of schooling – as well as federal, state and local workforce programs – with the needs of existing and burgeoning new private sector industries.

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

The biggest challenge and opportunity for economic development calls for the acknowledgement by regional decision-makers of the direct correlation between educational attainment and economic competitiveness, and of the pressing need to take rapid, collaborative action to raise our state attainment rate to 60%. Arizona currently lags behind the national average by 4.2%, and that gap is projected to grow to more than 6.4% over 30 years. Our economy is highly reliant on service and manual labor and data indicate that those jobs have a significant risk of being replaced by future automation. As a state, we need to choose to design a resilient economy – or better yet, an anti-fragile one – and develop effective pathways for learners to continue and complete their formal education at scale.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

Transformational regional economic development requires the advancement of modern, reliable and sustainable infrastructure and built environment, but those alone are not enough.

Entrepreneurial, risk-taking and collaborative public organizations and a world-class engineering school are also critical assets. When matched with well-prepared, skilled human capital and a robust economic culture of networked entities that are anchored in technology development and entrepreneurship, meaningful growth and prosperity are demonstrated outcomes.

Michael Crow PRESIDENT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

Training a 21st century workforce requires that we conceptualize new educational models that embrace technology, analytics and personalization to more effectively educate learners of all ages at scale. At ASU, we focus on helping our students to “learn how to learn,” so that they are able to work across disciplines, think creatively and adapt to the ever-changing landscape of the modern, global workforce.

Progress is not only about college. We need more people to finish high school. There are 25% fewer jobs in the U.S. economy than in 2007 for people with only a high school diploma. We need them to have varied pathways to continue their education, whether it be technical school, community college, online classes or a four-year college. We also need to address the 1.1 million people in Arizona who went to college and never finished. Nearly 900,000 want to finish, so we are creating new ways to make that possible because we need their talent and ideas. If we do not work together as a state to strategically redesign postsecondary learning to support the kind of economy we want, we should not be surprised to see diminishing prosperity and competitiveness going forward. ASU is moving ahead anyway.

What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming year?

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ASU will continue to evolve as an emerging national service university dedicated to growing in excellence, access and impact through the advancement of technology, entrepreneurship and social engagement. We are already designing our university to meet the future needs of the communities we serve, and we are always looking for partners interested in moving Arizona forward.

PHOTO: DEANNA DENT

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

It’s critical that students in Southern Arizona are increasingly equipped to compete for jobs in the global economy. Fully understanding the outcomes of local education, taking bolder steps to ensure student preparedness and providing competitive employment packages for local teachers should be top priorities.

With the U.S. economy performing so strongly, cities and states are competing like never before to entice new business investment. It’s important that we keep Southern Arizona visible and viable in these competitions, which makes Sun Corridor’s mission even more vital to our region’s future.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

Direct flights to East Coast airports have represented a longstanding need that, if secured, would speed commerce, stimulate our local economy, and make it easier for vacationers to experience the southern part of the state. The blueprint for continuing to develop the Tucson International Airport is the type of zone-oriented plan that can reap benefits for this area. We also need to keep up the momentum of revitalizing Tucson’s downtown, where a new urban lifestyle is beginning to emerge. We need to continue investing smartly in Tucson’s road quality, which is generally improving.

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

VICE PRESIDENT RAYTHEON COMPANY PRESIDENT RAYTHEON MISSILE SYSTEMS

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What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming year?

Arizona remains among the most attractive states for locating an aerospace and defense business. We continue to urge others in our industry, including Raytheon’s suppliers, to locate in Tucson and will do all we can to motivate them. Aerospace Parkway is a great location for high-tech companies and represents a fine example of what can be accomplished when the public and private sectors work productively together on projects for economic growth.

www.BizTucson.com

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Wesley D. Kremer

Inspiring, hiring and developing America’s next generation of innovators requires new approaches to talent development. These include stimulating the pursuit of STEM subjects from an early age, on-the-job apprenticeships, guiding local universities on curriculum development and ensuring the right environment and digital workplaces for retaining top technical talent. Arizona’s educators and training programs should be focusing on advanced computing capabilities such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, software engineering and data analysis. A pipeline of advanced digital talent is required for growing hightechnology jobs.

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

Southern Arizona economic development in the 2020s will depend on our region’s investment in its people. Schools must provide the region’s current and future employees with the skills to thrive in industries transformed by rapid technological changes and globalization. We also must invest in families and communities. The challenges so many of our neighbors face regarding healthcare, child care and housing must be addressed comprehensively and holistically. Quality education alone will not bring about a prosperous, equitable society.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

The schools of the future must be planned and built with the cooperation of business and community partners. They must be equipped with the latest in industry and learning technology. As an example, Pima’s new Automotive Technology and Innovation Center, scheduled to go online in early 2021, will feature instruction not only in traditional gas- and dieselpowered vehicles, but in electric and autonomous vehicle technology. Beyond brick-and-mortar structures, business, government, education and nonprofits must collaborate to build flexible education pathways that make the most of students’ limited time and resources while meeting employer expectations. These initiatives must feature multiple on-ramps that allow everyone – from high school students to incumbent workers – to obtain everything from stackable industry-recognized micro-credentials to higher-education degrees. Given that the amount of new technical information doubles every two years, the real infrastructure challenge will be the ability to quickly react and retool in order to remain relevant.

CHANCELLOR & CEO PIMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

The fourth industrial revolution – an economic transformation triggered by rapid advances in mobile technology, artificial intelligence, cloud-based computing and the Internet of Things – will certainly lead more educators to incorporate digital competencies into their schools’ curriculum. Equally important, however, is to encourage and motivate students to become lifelong learners. The world will change so rapidly that many of the jobs that today’s students will have, haven’t been invented yet.

What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming year?

Pima Community College recently was featured in a national white paper, ”Shift Happens @ Pima Community College – The Future of Working and Learning.” It described the college’s significant shift from a traditional transfer-focused college to a globally engaged school dedicated to meeting the high-tech training needs of the work force and to closing our community’s skills gaps. This shift was critical to our continued relevance in our higher education space.

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Lee Lambert

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

Too many of our neighbors are living in poverty.

Our community must make an authentic and sincere effort to address the root causes of poverty in Southern Arizona. During the Great Recession, we learned how to pull together. Over the past six to eight years, we have had excellent cooperation between the public and private sectors. We are definitely more competitive now and that will serve us well in the coming years.

What new infrastructure needs to be in our community?

I believe the RTA, our cities and the county have done a good job of prioritizing our infrastructure needs. There is no secret sauce here – infrastructure projects need funding. We must secure our fair share of state and federal infrastructure resources. If that doesn’t get us there, we have to take matters into our own hands and pass more city and county bonds to fund infrastructure projects.

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will continue to have significant impacts on all aspects of our lives. From hospital stays to home entertainment, consumers are demanding smarter products, more transparency and self-service options. The workforce of today is already adapting to the convergence of people and technology.

This is not a new phenomenon. It’s Darwinism.

What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming years?

Lisa Lovallo

Telecommunications infrastructure remains a top priority for every community. In Southern Arizona, Cox is building out a new network platform that improves reliability, delivers 10-gig speeds and keeps the region competitive. We are working with all of our regional governments to provide smart city solutions to better manage water resources, traffic flows and public safety. There is no end to the possibilities.

PHOTO: CHRIS MOONEY

MARKET VICE PRESIDENT SOUTHERN ARIZONA COX COMMUNICATIONS

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE – DOD LIAISON What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

From my perspective as the 162nd Wing Commander, I feel that we help meet the challenges in economic development by taking advantage of our great climate, abundant airspace and land resources. They make for great training and draw financial and other resources here from around the globe to integrate military activity locally. Opportunity comes in areas outside those natural advantages by embracing efforts in cyber, space and other innovative fields.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

Arizona has one of the fastest growing populations in the nation. With that, we have a duty to support the need for our nation’s defense. We can do this by continuing our current efforts to improve the strength, redundancy and accessibility of multiple logistics and communication nodes that support increased business in our community.

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

We need to welcome efforts in technological advances such as artificial intelligence, robotics and cyber. However, we also need a renewed focus on supporting our diverse work force in skilled areas such as welding, metal works and tooling. Those fields still provide the backbone of most production and manufacturing. In fact, these areas intertwine at times with technological advancement.

What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming year?

Brigadier General

Andrew J. MacDonald

We will invest in new communications equipment and continue innovative efforts in the air, space and cyber environments. Currently, there are multiple innovation labs working on improving military capabilities. Most recently, the National Guard Bureau funded the creation of a hub-like facility here in downtown Tucson. That facility will focus on developing and testing innovative ideas and technological advances in a multitude of disciplines within the Air National Guard.

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COMMANDER 162ND WING MORRIS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

We must align at every level regarding the value of incentives. Rio Nuevo has used a number of incentives to attract billions of dollars of economic development to downtown Tucson. However, Rio Nuevo is a taxing district exempt from the Arizona constitutional “gift clause” that prohibits every other regional jurisdiction from using tax dollars to incentivize private development. A number of underdeveloped areas in our region could be designated as a Tax Incremental Financing District. We have elected officials who continue to oppose incentives, despite dramatic and positive results. Florida has 207 TIFs. Rio Nuevo is Arizona’s only TIF and the state has had no interest in launching another. That perception has changed in the last year due to the success of Rio Nuevo, the 10-year extension approved by the legislature and the rules of engagement established by the Rio Nuevo Board. It’s time to use the TIF tool to its fullest advantage.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

The downtown links project needs to accelerate its development pace and traffic planners need an equally creative solution for east/west crosstown traffic. My grandfather moved here in 1929 and we are driving the same surface streets he did when Tucson was a town of 35,000. An improved rail system south to Mexico and north to the western United States could enable Guaymas to serve as a deep-water port with faster access to U.S. markets than the port of Long Beach.

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

CEO UAVENTURE CAPITAL

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What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming year?

As the first venture capital fund dedicated to UArizona science and technology, we are bullish about the outlook for startups in our region. UAVenture Capital has made 13 investments in new startups in 18 months.

Combine the availability of growth capital with the rapidly developing startup ecosystem evolving in the region and Tucson will become one of the most welcoming communities in the United States, perhaps the world, for new innovation and company launch activity.

www.BizTucson.com

PHOTO: CHRIS MOONEY

Fletcher McCusker

Encourage tech jobs, new tech companies, tech spin outs from the University of Arizona, Raytheon Missile Systems and Caterpillar’s Surface Mining and Technology division, smart city commitment and installation of 5G technology. Combine that with aggressive recruitment of tech industries that shows Tucson can compete with Austin, Portland and San Diego. We need to get a higher percentage of our high school students into college or into a technical field so our workforce can keep pace with the disruption generated by the fourth industrial revolution.

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

I think our opportunity over the next decade is to build on the success we have had in recent years. We don’t always get on the radar of firms who are looking to relocate or expand, so we will be constantly challenged to keep Tucson and Southern Arizona in the conversation.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

Much of the infrastructure is right where it needs to be, but we would benefit from more direct flights to major cities, and more class A office space that is ready to occupy. We also need to make sure we are sustaining our economic development infrastructure so that we keep a high profile for our region.

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

We are lucky to have institutions like the University of Arizona and Pima Community College educating our next generation of leadership in Tucson. Industry investment and involvement with these institutions will help to define the needs of the modern workplace.

What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming year?

The construction industry has experienced a resurgence in recent years, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. The recovery has been particularly good in Southern Arizona. The pipeline of projects continues to grow, so the outlook for construction in the near future is also bright. All the architects I know are busy, so that is a good indicator for people in the construction industry.

Ian McDowell

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VP & REGIONAL DIRECTOR TUCSON SUNDT CONSTRUCTION

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

The Pima County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) believes the challenges over the next decade to regional economic development in Pima County are three-fold: rising costs in education, rising student loan debts and availability of jobs with attractive wages to meet the new workforce’s financial needs. These challenges must be reconciled in effort to sustain a highquality workforce that the community needs.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

We at the Pima IDA feel the community’s transportation infrastructure needs to be repaired, maintained, expanded and improved to address the needs of a changing workforce and the economic opportunities in the region.

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

We believe we need to scrap the outdated traditional forms of education and enter a new educational paradigm. Online learning and job-specific training will be essential to training the future workforce. Traditional education needs to adapt to new models that look outward and tailor their programs to meet the specific needs of students in relation to employers.

What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming year?

Low interest rates may continue to provide beneficial project based financings, on which the IDA assists, which the Pima County community can always use and which will better our standard of living. The needs in our nonprofit community and for affordable housing will continue in the short-term.

Diane Quihuis

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS & TREASURER PIMA COUNTY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CIRCLE What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

One challenge to Arizona includes developing a highly educated workforce with the right skills to compete. Currently, Arizona lags most states in K-12 and post-secondary education, and it shows. Top talent leaves the region, especially Southern Arizona, for more lucrative opportunities elsewhere. Many businesses need an educated workforce and want good schools for their own families. Southern Arizona needs to step up and provide quality, affordable education to its residents. Also, the state needs to ensure the right mix of medical doctors and advance-care providers to care for our aging population.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

In addition to fixing crumbling roads, bridges and 20th-century infrastructure, Arizona needs to ensure high-speed, affordable digital access to all areas throughout the state. The more affordable, the better.

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

The future of health care includes providing the right health care in the right setting at the right time.

With an aging population, the need to access quality health care is only going to grow â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially in rural areas where access to services continues to be a problem. With the right digital tools, a great deal of health care in the future will be delivered remotely.

What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming year?

Judy Rich

PHOTO: CHRIS MOONEY

PRESIDENT & CEO TMC HEALTHCARE

In Southern Arizona, we expect to continue to be challenged to find trained, experienced nurses, doctors and other critical health care professionals. And, while we recruit and train, we also need to look for new ways to expand access without stretching our workforce.

People can access a doctor from their smartphone in their homes for minor illnesses. Rural communities are offering telehealth services with specialists to help patients manage chronic conditions. Technology is helping to address a lack of access to care in smaller, more rural areas, which can have a hard time recruiting physicians in primary and specialty care.

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

One of our biggest challenges is improving educational attainment for Arizona, an area where we have a lot of opportunity. We have amazing potential as a region, and if we can continue to work strategically throughout the K-20 ecosystem to make the most of our unique assets, develop new talent and encourage new ideas to reach fruition, we will have the foundation for long-term success. This means increased degree attainment and training programs oriented to the needs and challenges of the fourth industrial revolution economy.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

Infrastructure is not just physical. We need a robust, statewide innovation ecosystem, and the University of Arizona is committed to our role. One way we help shape the conditions to retain talented entrepreneurs and innovators in Arizona is with facilities and programs to support companies as they launch. We opened the UA Center for Innovation at Oro Valley, an expansion of the Arizona Center for Innovation.

This new location serves as a new bioscience incubator that advances scientific breakthroughs from laboratory to market.

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

We need to stay open to the positive aspects of automation and artificial intelligence. If used wisely, these technologies can relieve employees of routine tasks and free them for more creative, collaborative and fulfilling work. A college education will become more important, as it will be essential at all levels of the workforce to have people who combine a general education rich in the arts and humanities with deep technical knowledge. This ensures highly skilled workers are highly skilled in working with others, which is why our students become stellar team members and critical thinkers.

PHOTO: CHRIS MOONEY

What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming year?

We are one year into implementing our new strategic plan, with over 65% of our initiatives launched.

The University of Arizona is strengthening our expertise in research and education, accelerating the pace of innovation and creating meaningful ways to engage with our community globally to stay on the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution. This includes commercializing products to meet people’s needs around the world. We have incredible partners like UAVenture Capital to help us. We have exciting things to come, including the launch of our health sciences initiatives. We intend to reach our ambitious goals to serve Arizona students; meet our state’s need for healthcare professionals, especially physicians and nurses, and become a national leader in healthcare and health sciences research.

Dr. Robert C. Robbins PRESIDENT UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CIRCLE What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

The U.S. economy is the big unknown and may represent the biggest challenge. Tucson has done an amazing job of diversifying its job base since the last recession and now counts aerospace, biotech, defense, tourism, mining, design and manufacturing and higher education among its employers, which should lessen the effects of future downturns. The success of Sun Corridor Inc. in attracting significant new businesses in the region is evident. The group identified a need for speculative industrial development to help attract businesses and we are filling that need with a new stateof-the-art project in the airport sub market. We have seen firsthand the collaborative efforts of the county, the City of Tucson, the business community, and the University of Arizona to make our project a reality.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

A tremendous improvement to area infrastructure has taken place over the last decade. I remember visiting Tucson about 14 years ago to look at potential development sites. The downtown area was largely vacant with little energy that we could see. Things have changed in very positive ways. The Sun Link line has done wonders to bring life to downtown and the new and planned hotels are creating a buzz. The airport area represents a great opportunity for a visionary plan and should play a big part in attracting new business.

There is a pressing need for improving existing roads to attract and maintain the tenants we serve. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had some positive conversations with city and county leaders and remain optimistic that this issue will be addressed.

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & REGIONAL MANAGER HARSCH INVESTMENT PROPERTIES

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What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming year?

The local commercial brokerage industry provides us with very detailed and professional reports, which show a very low vacancy rate in the industrial sector and very little new product coming on line. Those metrics, combined with the companies that Sun Corridor Inc. is working with to potentially locate to Tucson, provide a great outlook to my industry.

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Bill Rodewald

The key to adaptation will be the ability of the community and its businesses to get ahead of potential issues and opportunities. Understanding which industries will be disrupted and which jobs will be automatable can help prepare for the future. At Harsch Investment Properties, we look at the future of self-driving trucks, re-use options for parking lots and parking structures, the growth of e-commerce and the expansion of artificial intelligence in the warehouse environment.

SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

Attracting businesses and talent to the region will require an ongoing focus on equipping our schools, colleges and universities to effectively prepare our future workforce. Businesses need a growing pool of talent we can draw from with the type of skill sets we need to be successful in the marketplace. It’s also critical that we maintain a business-friendly environment and tax structure to continue attracting diverse industries to the region. I was excited to learn from Arizona Governor Doug Ducey that Tucson is emerging as one of the country’s leading centers of technology. This is an important distinction to promote as we compete with other cities for business.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

First, we need to ensure our current roads and highways are maintained effectively. Traffic will become more of an issue as we continue to grow, so we should be exploring better access points and routes to navigate the city more quickly. We don’t want the workforce spending large amounts of time getting to and from work. Easy and quick access to the city is also critical, so the major expansion planned at Tucson International Airport over the next five years is also a huge plus.

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

Jean Savage VICE PRESIDENT CATERPILLAR SURFACE MINING & TECHNOLOGY DIVISION

PHOTO: CHRIS MOONEY

There is definitely a race for the top talent in many industries. For example, autonomy is something that many college students want to work on and they want to work at a company with proven results. One of our key focus areas is building the team we need to support the future of the mining industry. We’re working with universities and looking inside and outside of Caterpillar to find and develop the people who will lead us into the future. We need engineers focused on automation and mining to help us research and develop new offerings, as well as, talented people to work on site with our customers to make sure they’re getting the full benefit of what technology and automation can do for their operations. Our employees focused on technology and specifically, autonomy, receive first-hand customer interaction, knowledge and have some of the most coveted jobs in the company.

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

Challenges: Pinal County has emerged as a preferred location for new technology startups such as Lucid Motors, an electric car manufacturer, and Nikola Motor Company, a hybrid truck design and manufacturing company. To meet the challenging workforce needs of these industries and many others, a group of diverse partners has banded together to ensure we’re ready to meet all challenges. Pinal County’s prime location between two major metropolitan areas with a growing population of nearly 500,000 people gives us a distinct advantage for finding this talented workforce.

Opportunities: Assets that make Pinal County a strong regional partner include a favorable mid-range corporate tax burden and several federally designated Opportunity Zones that offer investors significant tax investment advantages. To build upon the momentum that’s already been created, Pinal County has created the “Arizona Innovation and Technology Corridor.”

This corridor encompasses Pinal and much of Maricopa and Pima counties. With the assistance of the University of Arizona, a framework for the corridor is being formulated to manage its growth and foster prosperity.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

SUPERVISOR, DISTRICT 4 PINAL COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

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How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

This is a national challenge and one that requires a long-term commitment. In Pinal County, educational leaders are working with the business community to implement strategies to serve traditional markets such as housing, mining and the agricultural industry while also meeting the new challenges of our growing number of high-tech businesses.

www.BizTucson.com

PHOTO: CHRIS MOONEY

Anthony Smith

Pinal County has a rich inventory of infrastructure assets for moving goods, services and people. The county is home to the Union Pacific Railroad main southern line, two major interstates and has close access to three major international airports. To increase economic development and stimulate additional commerce with Mexico, Interstate-11 is being planned to strengthen an already robust transportation network.

Recently, our Arizona senators announced that a $15 million BUILD (Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development) grant was awarded to Pinal County and the city of Coolidge to improve roadways and railroad crossings. This win will benefit not only Pinal County, but all of Arizona.

SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

Arizona is perfectly positioned to continue our momentum over the next decade. Economist Jim Rounds predicts the 2020s could be our best yet, based on current indicators. Under Gov. Doug Ducey’s leadership, Arizona is experiencing incredible economic success.

Since 2015, we’ve added 300,000 new jobs and rank among the top five U.S. states for growth in personal income, employment and population. A recent report from the American Enterprise Institute shows Arizona is first in the nation for inbound migration. This demonstrates Arizona’s excellent economic opportunities and quality of life. The growth we’re seeing in Southern Arizona is especially exciting! Over the last five years, the Tucson metro area has experienced a 90% increase in tech jobs and 29% in wage growth--the top “Opportunity Market” in CBRE’s 2019 Scoring Tech Talent rankings.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

Our state is consistently recognized for our modern infrastructure – a critical part of ensuring supply-chain efficiency, access to millions of consumers and easy commutes. Southern Arizona’s private sector works with organizations like the Southern Arizona Leadership Council’s Infrastructure Committee, working with local and regional governments to ensure Arizona’s infrastructure continues to facilitate economic prosperity and high quality of life.

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

This is one of the most critical topics discussed worldwide as economic frameworks are being rapidly altered by automation. In Arizona, our business and community leaders are working to train the workforce of the future. A great example of this is the Arizona Advanced Technologies Network, a historic collaboration among Pima Community College, Central Arizona College, Maricopa Community Colleges and private industry facilitated by the Arizona Commerce Authority. The initiative provides a standardized curriculum for advanced manufacturing, ensuring companies can access a steady pipeline of talent.

What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming year?

As we head into 2020, I’m very optimistic about Arizona’s economic development prospects. My team and I talk to business leaders every day, and there is a high level of interest in what we have going on in Arizona. Gov. Ducey’s commitment to smart policies has earned our state a reputation as a hub for innovation and technology. Arizona is growing new ventures and attracting established players doing amazing work in automated mobility, blockchain, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, the internet of things and cybersecurity. The advancements made by these companies could potentially solve global challenges in health care, access to food and water, urban mobility, connectivity and more.

Sandra Watson PRESIDENT & CEO ARIZONA COMMERCE AUTHORITY

Winter 2020

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE What challenges and opportunities for economic development in this region do you see over the next decade?

Preserving Tucson for what makes it special is important, yet that can present challenges when competing with other cities and regions that may be more willing to adapt and remain flexible. In addition to the natural beauty and resources, we have an internationally known university and a community pride that is palpable. New companies have come in to Tucson recently and existing ones have grown. We need to continue attracting businesses and people who are part of a future-focused, diversified economy. Several cities have figured out how to walk that fine line of being true to their history while growing and thriving in new and different ways. To me, this is both our greatest challenge and opportunity.

What new infrastructure needs to be in place?

I believe the two areas of greatest need are a forward-looking regional transportation system to support a growing region and an educational system that prepares our students of today to be the workers and leaders for tomorrow. These systems must imagine future needs and address foundational factors that contribute to the great economic divide we face here.

How do we adapt to technological advances and train the workforce for the fourth industrial revolution?

CEO BANNER – UNIVERSITY MEDICINE TUCSON

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Winter 2020

What is the local outlook in your industry for the coming year?

While health care is local, the challenges we face are far bigger. Affordability, aging populations, consumerism and rapid technological advances are just some of the forces we face. These uncertainties may seem scary, but I see them as incredible opportunities. We will likely see more provider consolidations, new insurance options and technologies that make it easier for people to access care. Other areas of the country have already had to face many of these challenges, so I believe we can learn from the mistakes and successes of others to make the transitions easier here.

www.BizTucson.com

PHOTO: CHRIS MOONEY

Chad Whelan

To not only adapt to but also develop these advances, we must create an environment that attracts innovative thinking and partnerships across our economy.

Similarly, we need a future-ready workforce. Unfortunately, not every student is prepared for even today’s economy. We need to attract from afar and retain from within those who are trained, but that is not enough.

We must invest in programs that start early and continue to assure that all our students are prepared, be it through vocational training, our great community colleges or traditional four-year degrees and beyond.

SUN CORRIDOR INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mara G. Aspinall

Mara G. Aspinall

Managing Director, BlueStone Venture Partners CEO, Health Catalysts Groups A $50 million venture capital fund focused on life sciences investments in the Southwestern states.

Aspinall serves on the board of directors of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Allscripts, Orasure, 3Scan and Castle Biosciences.

She’s the co-founder of ASU International School of Biomedical Diagnostics, the only school in the world focused entirely on the study of diagnostics.

Jean-Claude Bernard

Finance Manager – Service Center Network Bombardier – Tucson Global leader in aviation and transportation headquartered in Montreal with over 68,100 employees worldwide and products in over 100 countries. $16.2 billion in revenues for 2018.

Tucson facility serves the aftermarket business servicing in-service commercial and business aircraft.

Has been present in Tucson since 1975 through Learjet Inc. Largest Bombardier service center in the world, providing aircraft maintenance, interior refurbishment and paint services to customers worldwide.

Jean-Claude Bernard

Don Bourn

Don Bourn

CEO Bourn Companies Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Tucson.

Privately held real estate development and investment company, specializing in large-scale mixed-use projects, corporate office and retail properties.

Completed more than 4 million square feet of projects across Tucson and the Western United States.

Jaime S. Chamberlain

Chairman Greater Nogales and Santa Cruz County Port Authority Founded in December 2004.

Brings together key stakeholders from the area to address improving Arizona’s largest port facilities, streamlining the crossing process at the Nogales ports of entry and enhancing economic development in the Nogales-Santa Cruz County region.

Jaime S. Chamberlain

The Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales processes 600,000 commercial vehicles annually, which equates to $30 billion in imports into the U.S. and $11 billion in exports into Mexico.

Joe Coyle

Managing Director The Patrick Group Management consulting and executive search for the aerospace and healthcare fields.

Coyle previously held senior executive positions with Raytheon Missile Systems, Hughes Aircraft, Loral Aerospace and Ford Motor Companies.

Joe Coyle

www.BizTucson.com

Winter 2020

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jon Dudas

Tom Florino

Jon Dudas

Senior VP and Chief of Staff University of Arizona Founded in 1885.

A land-grant university with over 45,900 students.

Ranks in the top 20 among all U.S. public research institutions and top 35 overall nationwide with more than $687 million annually in total research activity.

University’s research ranks in the top 50 in health sciences and No. 1 in astronomy and astrophysics.

Ali J. Farhang

Managing Partner Farhang & Medcoff

Ali J. Farhang

Firm has offices in Tucson and Phoenix.

Practices business consultation, commercial litigation, labor and employment law, and various regulatory issues.

Co-owner of the Tucson Sugar Skulls, chairman and founder of the Arizona Bowl and member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council.

Pro bono general counsel for the Boys and Girls Club of Tucson and a Salpointe Catholic High School football coach.

Co-host of the Sports Exchange, ESPN Tucson Radio 104.9FM/1490AM.

Marc D. Fleischman CEO BeachFleischman

Marc D. Fleischman

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Winter 2020

Sarah Frost

entrepreneurs in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Helps clients enhance profitability, develop strategy, scale growth, save taxes, achieve compliance, improve accountability and protect wealth.

Tom Florino

Senior Manager, Public Policy Amazon Leads economic development for Amazon Studios worldwide.

Supports retail operations and corporate expansion in the Western U.S. and Asian-Pacific region.

Leads engagement with global emerging markets and indigenous peoples.

Manages the economic development compliance team.

Sarah Frost

CEO Banner – University Medical Center Tucson Banner – University Medical Center South Nonprofit health system making the highest level of care accessible for Arizona residents.

Nearly 7,000 employees providing exceptional patient care, teaching future healthcare professionals and conducting ground-breaking research.

Opened a $450 million hospital in April 2019.

Largest locally owned public accounting and consulting firm in Arizona with offices in Tucson and Phoenix.

Partnership between the University of Arizona and Banner allows for aligned leadership of academic research and clinical care delivery.

“Top 200” largest public accounting firms in the nation.

Banner’s 2018 economic impact in Tucson was $727 million.

Serves more than 7,000 private enterprises, nonprofit organizations and

www.BizTucson.com

SUN CORRIDOR INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Edmundo M. Gamillo

Michael Groeger

Edmundo M. Gamillo

Lawrence M. Hecker

The U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Spent 47 years practicing law in Tucson.

Executive Director Commercial Banking Chase

Serves nearly half of America’s households with a broad range of financial services.

Part of Arizona’s history for more than 100 years through its predecessors Valley National Bank and the Gila Valley Bank.

350 employees, 35 branches and 85 ATMs in Southern Arizona.

In 2018, donated $260,000 to charities in Southern Arizona, including the Primavera Foundation.

Michael Groeger

Managing Member Hecker & Pew Of Counsel, Sun Corridor Inc.

1993-2020 named among Best Lawyers in America in corporate law; business organizations, including LLCs and partnerships; corporate governance law, and venture capital law.

Practice has been recognized among Best Law Firms in America.

Mary Jacobs

Town Manager Town of Oro Valley Incorporated 1974 Population: 43,565 Median household income: $74,480

VP, Commercial Group & Specialty Sales Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

Oro Valley is home to global bioscience and high-tech companies.

Committed to helping Arizonans get healthier faster and stay healthier longer.

CEO El Rio Health

Offers health insurance and related services to more than 1.5 million customers with a focus on connecting people with the care they need.

A not-for-profit company and an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

Employs more than 1,800 people in its Phoenix, Chandler, Flagstaff and Tucson offices.

Inspires health through advanced clinical programs and community outreach.

Lawrence M. Hecker

Mary Jacobs

Nancy J. Johnson Founded 50 years ago as a small neighborhood health center.

The 20th largest health center in the nation, providing fully integrated health care for over 110,000 individuals in the Tucson community.

Offers medical, dental, behavioral health, laboratory, radiology, pharmacy and health and wellness services at their 12 locations across Tucson.

Has a $180 million budget and over 1,400 employees.

Nancy J. Johnson

www.BizTucson.com

Winter 2020

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ernest Jones

Steve Lace

Ernest Jones

Senior Director, Call Center Operations Comcast Tucson Leads a team of more than 1,100 employees in Tucson and Georgia who provide support for residential products and services.

Spanish-speaking employees specialize in customer service online and through social media channels.

Sits on the board of directors for United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona.

Bill Kelley

CFO Diamond Ventures Founded 1988.

Bill Kelley

Privately held company specializing in real estate development and private equity investments.

2 million-plus square feet of developed industrial, office and retail projects.

20,000-plus acres of developed and planned residential projects.

Dr. Clinton Kuntz CEO MHC Healthcare Founded in 1957.

Arizona’s oldest community health center and the state’s first nonprofit community health center to integrate medical and behavioral healthcare into one facility.

Serves Marana and greater Tucson in primary care, behavioral health, dental, radiology, lab, pharmacy, urgent care, women’s health and WIC. 15 health centers in the MHC Healthcare family serve more than 55,000 patients a year and employ more than 550 employees.

Dr. Clinton Kuntz

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Winter 2020

Robert Lamb

Steve Lace

Past President Tucson New Car Dealers Association VP Royal Automotive Group & Lexus of Tucson The Tucson New Car Dealers Association was established 1947 by dealers to offer support for economic development and transportation initiatives.

Robert Lamb

COO GLHN Architects & Engineers Established 1963.

Employee-owned company offers services in architecture and mechanical, electrical, civil and technology engineering.

70-plus employees work in Tucson and Phoenix offices.

David Larson

President BFL Construction Co. Ranked among Tucson’s top 10 commercial contractors. $100 million in annual revenues with 50 FTE. In January 2018, BFL Construction Co. became part of JV Driver Group, an international construction firm headquartered in Canada.

Has a Phoenix office, as well as the Tucson headquarters.

Clint Mabie

President & CEO Community Foundation for Southern Arizona Created in 1980 to help connect individuals, families and businesses to the causes they care about by serving as a vital link between philanthropy and the community’s needs.

In partnership with its donors, has awarded more than $200 million to regional nonprofits and educational institutions.

www.BizTucson.com

SUN CORRIDOR INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

David Larson

Clint Mabie

Xavier Manrique

Kelle Maslyn

Edmund Marquez

Xavier Manrique Senior VP Wells Fargo

In 2008 celebrated its 150th anniversary in Arizona, dating from when the Overland Mail came to the state.

Service was suspended during the Civil War. Returned to Arizona in 1877 with five offices – including Phoenix and Tucson.

Today is Arizona’s fourth largest corporate employer.

In 2017 provided over $6.9 million to Arizona nonprofits and schools through corporate and foundation giving and over 113,000 volunteer hours contributed by team members.

Edmund Marquez

Agency Principal Edmund Marquez Allstate Agencies Founded in 1996.

Largest Allstate group in Southern Arizona.

Serves on the boards of Rio Nuevo, Reid Park Zoological Society and Southern Arizona Leadership Council.

Chairs the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona and is past-chair of the Pima Community College Foundation.

Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 2004 Businessman of the Year and 2016 Father of the Year.

Enrique J. Marroquin President, Hunt Mexico Senior VP, Hunt Power

Part of Hunt Consolidated, a diversified holding company for a privately owned group of entities based in Dallas.

Includes oil and gas exploration and production, refining, liquefied natural gas, power, real estate, investments, ranching and infrastructure.

www.BizTucson.com

Hunt Power develops and invests in entrepreneurial electric and gas utility opportunities.

Hunt Mexico seeks investment opportunities, including infrastructure, power marketing and energy resource management.

Kelle Maslyn

Executive Director of Community & Corporate Engagement, Tucson Arizona State University ASU’s nationally and internationally ranked programs prepare next-generation innovators while advancing pioneering research, strategic partnerships, entrepreneurship and economic development.

Top 1% of the world’s most prestigious universities, top 10 for best undergraduate teaching nationwide and in the world for patents, No. 1 in the U.S. for innovation, No. 5 in the nation for producing the best-qualified graduates and No. 2 online degree program in the nation.

Enrique J. Marroquin

Winter 2020

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Omar Mireles

Tom Murphy

Omar Mireles

Arizona’s fifth youngest town.

Owns and operates 38 apartment communities in Arizona, including 31 in the Tucson metro area, totaling more than 10,000 apartment homes.

Focus on economic development is embodied in Sahuarita Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center (SAMTEC), a project that will establish a high-tech business incubator and offer opportunities to firms seeking relocation or expansion.

Owns and operates hotels and resorts, including the Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Resort and The Ritz Carlton, Dove Mountain.

Known for its well-maintained infrastructure, great schools, pristine neighborhoods, highly educated population and strong community spirit.

Mark Mistler

Steve Odenkirk

President HSL Properties Founded 1975.

CEO – Tucson & Southern Arizona BBVA

Mark Mistler

Ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. banks with 672 branches and 15 Southern Arizona branches.

Benefits Southern Arizona charitable organizations through employee volunteerism and financial contributions.

Farhad Moghimi

Executive Director Pima Association of Governments/ Regional Transportation Authority Coordinates regional planning efforts to enhance mobility, sustainability, livability and economic vitality of the region.

Programs federal, state, regional and local funding for all regional transportation investments.

Manages the locally funded RTA and its 20-year, $2.1 billion regional transportation plan.

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Executive Director, Southern Region Manager Alliance Bank of Arizona, a division of Western Alliance Bank. Member FDIC. Founded in 2003.

Offers a full spectrum of loan, deposit and treasury management capabilities with 10 offices in Tucson, Greater Phoenix and Flagstaff.

Earned the 2018 Corporate Philanthropy Award from the Phoenix Business Journal.

Ranked No. 1 regional bank by S&P Global Market Intelligence for 2018 and in the Top 10 on the Forbes “Best Banks in America” list from 2016 to 2019.

Jon Post

Vice Mayor Town of Marana

Tom Murphy

Marana native owns the 6,000-acre Post Farms and the Marana Pumpkin Patch. Crops include cotton, wheat, corn and alfalfa.

Population – 30,225 Median Household Income – $73,579 Full-time-equivalent employees – 129 Incorporated in 1994.

Elected Marana vice mayor in 2013.

Served on the board of directors for Trico Electric Co-Op, Cortaro Water Users Association and Cortaro Marana Irrigation District.

Mayor Town of Sahuarita

Farhad Moghimi

Steve Odenkirk

www.BizTucson.com

SUN CORRIDOR INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jon Post

Charles P. Potucek

Barbi Reuter

Adriana Kong Romero

Walter Richter

Served as chairman of Marana’s Planning and Zoning Commission and was president of the Marana Junior Rodeo Association.

Charles P. Potucek

City Manager City of Sierra Vista Population – 43,888 Home of Fort Huachuca, largest military installation in Arizona.

Member of the Great American Defense Communities Class of 2017.

Barbi Reuter

President / CEO Cushman & Wakefield|PICOR Commercial Real Estate Services Founded in Tucson in 1985.

A leading independently owned, full-service commercial real estate company.

Licensed in Southern Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.

Provides services in office, retail, industrial, medical, multi-family and land sectors.

Walter Richter

Public Affairs Administrator Southwest Gas Corporation Founded in 1931.

Serves more than two million residential, commercial and industrial customers in parts of Arizona, Nevada and California.

Randy Rogers

CEO Tucson Association of REALTORS® Represents more than 6,000 members and is the largest trade association in Southern Arizona.

Advocates for homeownership and property rights issues.

Invests in the community through membership engagement in the Tucson REALTORS® Charitable Foundation.

www.BizTucson.com

Adriana Kong Romero Senior VP Tucson Market President Bank of America

Through its commitment to the community, has invested more than $1.8 million in grants and matching gifts to local nonprofits over the past five years.

Last year, employees volunteered more than 3,000 hours in service to the community and provided more than $250 million in loans to Tucson businesses.

Randy Rogers

Winter 2020

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Regina Romero

Mary Seely

Regina Romero

Mayor City of Tucson Incorporated: 1877 Population: 535,677 Median household income: $51,425 First woman and first Latina to become mayor.

First Latina to be elected to the Tucson City Council.

First woman to represent Ward 1 on the Tucson City Council.

Co-founder and board member of Arizona Association of Latino Elected Officials (AALEO).

Steven E. Rosenberg

Recipient of the Ohtli Award, the highest Mexican government honor given to a U.S. citizen.

Steven E. Rosenberg

Publisher & Owner BizTucson Founded in Spring 2009, BizTucson is the region’s business magazine BizTucson provides in-depth coverage of the region’s business news, including economic development, university research, downtown revitalization, technology, construction, real estate, space industry, entrepreneurship, education, government, sports, health care, workforce development, the arts, education, tourism, defense, aviation, bioscience, non-profits Published quarterly in print and online at BizTucson.com, the magazine has received regional and national awards

Keri Lazarus Silvyn

Jeffrey S. Rothstein VP & Head of Legal Roche Tissue Diagnostics

A world leader and innovator of tissuebased cancer diagnostic solutions.

Provides 250-plus cancer tests with related instruments globally to improve outcomes for the 14 million people diagnosed with cancer annually.

Mary Seely

Lead Human Resources Manager Caterpillar Surface Mining & Technology Division The world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives.

The Tucson Mining Center is headquarters for its Surface Mining & Technology Division and serves as the division’s primary hub for design, sales and technology.

The Tucson Proving Ground and Tinaja Hills Demonstration and Learning Center are in Green Valley. About 700 people work at the three facilities.

Keri Lazarus Silvyn Partner/Owner Lazarus, Silvyn & Bangs

Arizona’s preeminent land-use law firm with offices in Phoenix and Tucson.

Specializes in zoning, land use, entitlements, development agreements and project approvals.

Represents local jurisdictions to drafting land use codes and ordinances.

Jeffrey S. Rothstein

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Silvyn serves as chair of the Arizona State Land Board of Appeals and serves on the Tucson Airport Authority Board of Directors.

www.BizTucson.com

SUN CORRIDOR INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kevin Stockton

Kevin Stockton

Regional President and Market CEO Northwest Healthcare An integrated network of Northwest Medical Center and Oro Valley Hospital, Northwest Emergency Centers, Northwest Urgent Care Centers and physician practices, including Northwest Allied Physicians and Northwest Cardiology.

Will open Northwest Medical Center Sahuarita in fall 2020 and Northwest Medical Center Houghton in 2021. Offers online check-in for emergencyroom and urgent-care visits and online scheduling for primary-care appointments.

Employs more than 2,200 people.

James V. Stover

Medicaid President Arizona Complete Health (Formerly Health Net of Arizona and Cenpatico Integrated Care) Serves about 350,000 Arizonans across 10 counties through Medicare Advantage, Marketplace and Medicaid by using a whole-health, community-based local approach to healthcare.

Offices in Tucson, Tempe, Yuma, Casa Grande, Sierra Vista employ nearly 2,000 with emphasis on supporting diversity and inclusion.

A subsidiary of Centene, a Fortune 500 company, a diversified, multi-national healthcare enterprise that provides services to government-sponsored healthcare programs, focusing on underinsured and uninsured individuals.

James Stover

Jim Tofel

Jim Tofel

Managing Member of Development Tofel Dent Construction Formed in 1984.

A third-party general contractor specializing in commercial, hospitality and multi-family housing construction in the Southwest.

Col. Sandra L. Wilson

DoD Liaison to Board of Directors 162d Wing Mission Support Group Commander Morris Air National Guard Base Provides primary support for military and civilian functions for the largest full-time force in the Air National Guard, including civil engineering, fire department, communications, contracting, logistics readiness, force support and security forces.

Col. Sandra L. Wilson

Steven G. Zylstra

President & CEO Arizona Technology Council Arizonaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier trade association for the technology sector fosters a climate of creativity, innovation and community for its members to enhance technology and the lives of people.

Supporting the development, growth and advancement of science- and technology-driven companies in Arizona, by identifying and enhancing capabilities and eliminating impediments that Arizona technology companies face.

Creating the destination for technology companies to be, to thrive and to stay.

Steven G. Zylstra

www.BizTucson.com

Winter 2020

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. RECENT BUSINESS EXPANSION AND RECRUITMENT SUCCESSES Alicat Scientific Headquartered in Marana, Alicat Scientific is the pioneer of laminar differential pressure flow technology, and manufactures and develops custom flow control, flow meter and pressure solutions for both gas and liquid applications. The company currently has 150 employees and is expanding its presence with the addition of 12,000 square feet to accommodate the addition of 100 office and manufacturing jobs. With the addition of those jobs over the next five years, Alicat’s economic impact will be more than $142 million added to the regional economy.

Amazon Amazon, the global e-commerce leader, has opened a “last mile” distribution site that will receive and sort packages from larger warehouses to be transferred onto vans and smaller delivery vehicles.

The company plans to create 300 jobs, which will primarily be delivery drivers and warehouse employees. The economic impact of this new delivery center will be $181 million over the next five years.

AXISCADES AXISCADES – one of India’s leading technology solutions providers catering to the futuristic needs of aerospace, defense, heavy engineering, automotive and industrial production sectors – opened a Tucson office. The new operation will expand the ability of the company to provide engineering services to clients, particularly Caterpillar, among others.

AXISCADES plans to create more than 318 positions at the Tucson office, which will primarily be mechanical and electrical engineers, along with finance, human resources, sales and project management. AXISCADES projects to invest $2.1 million in capital expenditures, bringing its economic impact to $598 million over the next five years.

Carondelet Health Network – Eastside Carondelet Health Network has been providing a full spectrum of healthcare in Southern Arizona for more than 135 years. Carondelet is expanding its medical network into Tucson’s eastside. The new hospital will offer emergency and acute-care services. The company plans to hire 37 employees, which will include physicians, medical technicians and office personnel. The economic impact of the new micro-hospital is expected to be over $14 million over the next five years.

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Carondelet Health Network – Marana Carondelet Health Network has been providing a full spectrum of health care in Southern Arizona for more than 135 years. Carondelet is expanding its medical network into Marana by opening a new hospital that will offer emergency and acute-care services. The company plans to hire 37 employees, which will include physicians, medical technicians and office personnel. The economic impact of the new micro-hospital is expected to be over $14 million over the next five years.

Distant Focus Corporation Distant Focus Corporation is an R&D engineering firm that has specialized in optical and sensing technologies for more than a decade. The company designs and produces prototype cameras and advanced imaging platforms, as well as multi-sensor electronic circuit boards, microscopes, interferometric systems, fiber-optic solutions and other advanced technologies. Distant Focus relocated its headquarters and manufacturing to Tucson. Distant Focus will hire 15 employees, resulting in over $27 million added to the regional economy in the next five years.

Imperfect Foods Imperfect Foods – an online producedelivery company focused on fighting food waste by finding a home for “ugly produce” – has opened its first customer care center in Tucson. The company plans to create 350 jobs, including customer care associates, supervisors and managers. Imperfect plans to make a capital investment of $200,000, creating an economic impact of $137 million over the next five years.

La Sonora at Dove Mountain La Sonora at Dove Mountain is a nextgeneration senior-living facility that introduces a mid-range, market-rate product offering a continuum of healthcare and housing options. This facility supports aging-in-place in a vibrant social setting and at a lower cost as compared to the mainstream senior-living market. This new $35 million facility will add 67 jobs in Marana. The project is expected to create an economic impact of more than $27 million over the next five years.

MicroMex MicroMex, a privately owned company based in Mexico that provides contract manufacturing to a wide range of industries, is opening a manufacturing and distribution center at the Port of Tucson.

The company plans to create 100 jobs,

which will primarily be assembly and warehouse workers. The economic impact of the new Tucson distribution center is anticipated to be $181 million over the next five years.

Modular Mining Systems Modular Mining Systems, a global provider of mining equipment management systems, including its fleet management technology, is renovating its Tucson headquarters. The renovation will include a new customer experience center, new work spaces, meeting rooms, lunch rooms, laboratories, training facilities, equipment and infrastructure. Modular Mining plans to create 32 new engineering and administrative positions at its Tucson facility. Modular Mining plans to invest $6.4 million in capital expenditures, which will generate an economic impact of more than $71 million over the next five years.

Northwest Medical Center Northwest Healthcare announced a new 70-bed acute care hospital and expanded medical services that will be located on the southwest corner of Houghton Road and Old Spanish Trail. Northwest Healthcare is an affiliate of Community Health Systems, a Fortune 500 company and the largest provider of general hospital healthcare services in the United States in terms of the number of acutecare facilities. This new $94 million facility and related physician offices and services will add 595 jobs in Tucson. The project is expected to create an economic impact of more than $567 million over the next five years.

Raytheon Missile Systems Raytheon Missile Systems, the region’s largest employer, continues to grow in Southern Arizona. The company is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. Raytheon’s second expansion in recent years results in 1,000 new jobs.

Sierra Vista Grant Projects The goal of this two-year grant was to enhance the growth and diversification of budding and established commercial, technological and defense-oriented businesses located in the Sierra Vista area.

In order to successfully accomplish the goals of the grant, Sun Corridor Inc. engaged subject matter experts skilled and experienced in the areas of management, manufacturing, capital and finance, human resources and information technology. The grant work resulted in 19 new jobs.

www.BizTucson.com

SUN CORRIDOR INC. INVESTORS & STAFF Southern New Hampshire University Southern New Hampshire University, a nonprofit, regionally accredited university with an 80-year-plus history of providing high-quality education to students online and on campus, will open an operations center in Tucson to better support its growing student body across the nation. The new center will house 350 employees, including additional student-support staff, academic advisors, student financial services staff, admissions and IT support. The economic impact of the Tucson SNHU Operations Center will be $218 million over the next five years.

Symboticware Symboticware – an industry leader that provides an industrial Internet of Things hardware and software platform to help customers unlock, collect and analyze valuable data for improved business outcomes in the mining industry – is establishing a U.S./Mexico headquarters in Tucson. Symboticware will add 20 high-tech jobs and invest $500,000 in its Tucson headquarters. The project is expected to create an economic impact of more than $17 million over the next five years.

Texas Instruments Texas Instruments, a global semiconductor design and manufacturing company, is building a new facility in Tucson to accommodate future needs. It anticipates moving into the facility in the Williams Center by mid-2020. Texas Instruments plans to create 35 electrical engineering positions at its Tucson facility. The company plans to invest $41.5 million in capital expenditures, which will create an economic impact of $67.8 million over the next five years.

TuSimple TuSimple, a global self-driving truck solutions company, plans to expand its operations in Tucson by adding 200 trucks to its autonomous fleet. With 500 trucks worldwide, TuSimple will be the world’s largest autonomous truck fleet. TuSimple will add 500 jobs, primarily engineering and truck-driver positions, along with other technical and administrative jobs. TuSimple’s expansion will create an economic impact of $1.1 billion over the next five years.

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CBRE DPR Construction Freeport-McMoRan GEICO Hacienda Del Sol Resort Long Realty Madden Media Nextrio Nova Home Loans Rancho Sahuarita SAHBA Trico Electric Cooperative Venture West Visit Tucson Westland Resources

1. Cathy Casper, Senior VP 2. Sydney Chong

Marketing Coordinator 3. Susan Dumon

VP, Economic Development 4. Daniela Gallagher

VP, Economic Development 5. Danielle Gonzalez

Administrative Receptionist 6. Skye Mendonca

Corporate Administrator 7. Jeff Powell

Economic Development Coordinator

520.243.1900 www.SunCorridorInc.com

8. Laura Shaw, Senior VP 9. Joe Snell, President & CEO 10. David Welsh, Executive VP

1985 E. River Rd, Ste 101 Tucson, AZ 85718 www.BizTucson.com

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