The economy of Pinal County is surging. Located in central Arizona, between Phoenix and Tucson, the terms “unicorn” and “opportunity” are often used when describing the boom happening in the state’s fastest-growing county.
Benefiting from the expansion in semiconductor manufacturing in the surrounding region, Pinal County has attracted many companies in that industry’s supply chain. It has also convinced companies in the electric vehicle industry, such as Lucid Motors, Nikola and LG, to set up operations. In addition, it has seen new manufacturing projects emerge in the building materials industry, with companies like Kohler, Owens Corning and Gold Bond commencing operations.
“Pinal County is primed and ready to go. We’re well-positioned for manufacturing projects here in America, and particularly in Arizona, to serve some of the largest economies in the world. We are a very business-friendly area,” said Pinal County Director of Economic Development James P. Smith.
The Pinal County Economic Development team’s strategy targets advanced manufacturing and involves, when appropriate, the use of foreign trade zones, wherein domestic and foreign goods may be stored in designated duty-deferred areas under the supervision of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The strategy also includes state incentives, which may include tax credits for research and development and developing a highly qualified workforce.
“We are definitely seeking those advanced manufacturing jobs that pay good wages and require skilled workers. A primary focus is to create high-skilled, high-wage manufacturing jobs so that our residents can find good employment here in the county,” Smith said.
Pinal County’s central location is another major reason for the boom. Its main traffic corridors, Interstate 10 (stretching from the West Coast to the East Coast), Interstate 8, Route 60 and the Union Pacific Railroad Line, make the county an ideal logistics and supply chain hub and create significant opportunities for a multimodal warehouse and distribution network.
“We are close to large supply chains and close to a good transportation network. That’s where we believe that our strengths lie and we want to take advantage of those strengths,” Smith said.
