PHX East Valley Project

PHX East Valley Celebrates National Small-Business Month with Purpose

Original Article Published via Phoenix Business Journal

The origins of PHX East Valley — which includes Apache Junction, Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Queen Creek and Tempe — are rooted in farming, ranching, small business, education, manufacturing, technology and the Wild West.

Our heritage is one we honor. But fitting for National Small Business Month, we also celebrate our region’s entrepreneurial spirit, one united in purpose, more collaborative and less competitive, where creative ideas bubble up, and residents, economic developers and elected officials are open and relational.

PHX East Valley, which has nearly 61,000 businesses with 10 or fewer employees, boasts many amenities today’s talented workforce demands, including:

Top-notch education: The region is home to Arizona State University and also served by a number of other educational institutions. The U.S. Census Bureau reports 36 percent of the population over age 25 have bachelor’s degrees or higher, compared to 29 percent nationally.

Affordable housing and cost of living: The median value of an owner-occupied unit here is $187,600, compared to the national average of $265,600, according to the Census. Additionally, the average cost of living in the PHX East Valley is well below the national average and comparative business markets.

Outdoor leisure and recreation: The region is home to six Major League Baseball teams during spring training, as well as 380 miles of regional paved trails — which has more than doubled during the past decade.

Mix in our growing world-class health-care facilities, and a visionary transportation plan for expanded freeways, bus lines and light rail, a self-driving vehicles pilot and a major regional airport, and you’ll see the infrastructure is in place to support our projected population of more than 1.4 million by 2020.

PHX East Valley uses a number of strategies to attract and support new entrepreneurs and assist small businesses. These include innovative co-working spaces and a vibrant angel investing program focusing on enhancing access to early-stage funding for technology start-ups.

The Gilbert Chamber of Commerce’s Partners in Progress program, for example, fosters a pro-business environment with specific focus on the growth, expansion and retention of companies. Roundtable meetings with businesses representing various sectors help local officials gain insight on how they can best foster growth and retention.

Our work is paying off with numerous success stories in diverse industries. Barnone is one of those companies. In a setting that’s all about community, thiscollection of skilled craftsmen, from woodworkers and restaurateurs to experimental winemakers, make and sell their handcrafted goods.

Barnone is housed at Agritopia, a residential and commercial area in Gilbert that was part of the farm where entrepreneur Joe Johnston was raised. With a vision of preserving his family’s land, Johnston created a village surrounded by urban farmland, where the small-business spirit is encouraged.

It’s all about relationships, and it’s the model for what PHX East Valley is doing.

Downtown Gilbert Serves the Future

GIlbert Hertiage District

It’s the past, present and future of Gilbert’s Downtown Heritage District. Mayor John Lewis noted that the family friendly atmosphere was a large part of Gilbert’s success in re-developing the area, as well as being a reflection on Gilbert’s overall ethos during our October board meeting.

He shared the history of both Gilbert’s formation as a community, as well as the Heritage District, with credit going to the early settlers of Gilbert, and both Joe Johnston (Joe’s BBQ, among others) and the founders of Hale Theatre, who had a vision for the Heritage District area and served as catalysts for the incredible growth and success that is currently being enjoyed by the area.

ICYMI:

  • There are currently 15 places to eat in the Heritage District area, with 6 more planned in the upcoming year alone.
  • Ticket Force will also be moving their HQ into the area, which will bring more pedestrian traffic and need for restaurants and retail.
  • Various other RFP’s are in the works for other spaces in the District, and Lewis called these results a “30 year overnight success” that was the result of “aggressive patience” and planning by all involved.
  • There was a deep commitment to the vision and infrastructure required to successfully develop the area, both by Town leadership and by residents.

For more on Gilbert’s Economic Development visit: www.gilbertedi.com

View Board Presentation

EVP’s Arnett Interviewed on KFNN Money Radio- PHX East Valley

roc arnett

East Valley Partnership’s Roc Arnett was recently interviewed on KFNN Money Radio’s Business for Breakfast program on job growth and education in the PHX East Valley.  Listen to Arnett’s interview by clicking the above audio link and discover the growth of the East Valley for yourself!