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.