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No. 16 Best City to Live and Work for Young Professionals (Next Generation Consulting, June 2009) Among the top 12 "Fast Cities" worldwide by Fast Company magazine.
(May 2009) Tucson named a “rising biotechnology star of Arizona”
Business
Facilities magazine. (March 2008) Fast Company magazine named Tucson among the top 10 in the United States for job growth and high-tech industry concentration. Noted
“Fast Companies” are Raytheon Missile Systems, UniSource Energy,
and Universal Avionics.
(July 2007) Tucson ranked #27 for job growth and #49 for business and careers in Forbes’ list of best places among the nation’s 200 largest cities. (March 2008) Fortune Small Business magazine named Oro Valley #44 on its list of
the “100 Best Places to Live and Launch.” (March 2008) Tucson was named one of the top 5 best places to live in the Men’s Journal based on career opportunities, access to nature and the quality of urban life. Tucson was recognized for its bike paths, Mexican food and natural amenities. (June 2008) |
| Why Tucson for solar and renewable energy companies?
The State of Arizona recently passed SB1403 – Quality Jobs Through Renewable Energy – which provides statewide incentives to persuade renewable-energy firms to locate or expand their operations in Arizona. Most Western states have aggressive programs to attract solar projects; this new incentive program will now allow Arizona to compete more effectively for these higher-wage jobs and capital investment. The new legislation will leverage Arizona’s natural strengths in solar technology and development, making it a top location for solar projects so important to our nation’s future. The legislation gives eligible firms a financial incentive from the state equal to 10 percent of what they spend on building a new manufacturing operation or a corporate office. The long-term benefits of this new legislation are enormous. The new incentive will build on the state’s commitment to transition towards renewable energy, creating new high-wage jobs in the renewable energy industry and making Arizona a global solar leader. TREO’s targeted business attraction and expansion efforts in the solar industry have already resulted in innovative companies like Solon SE, Schletter Inc., Prism Solar, General Plasma, Inc. and Global Solar choosing the Tucson region for their operations. We are optimistic that passage of this legislation will result in even greater capital investment and jobs in Arizona, and TREO plans to continue aggressively marketing and advocating for similar programs in other industries in order to raise awareness of Southern Arizona as a viable business center. For more information on locating or expanding in the Tucson region, please contact: Lee Smith
Sr. Vice President, Business Development
520.243.1909 or lee.smith@treoaz.org |
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL "HOTSPOT"
Tucson Ranks No. 16 Best City for "Next Gen" Workers
Tucson was ranked No. 16 on a list of the best places to live and work for young professionals in cities with a population of more than 500,000. The ranking comes from Next Generation Consulting, which uses an index to evaluate a city on assets important to "next gen" workers: earning, learning, vitality, around town, after hours, cost of lifestyle and social capital. Tucson was the only Arizona city to make the list.
Click here to read the report from Next Generation Consulting on the "60 U.S. Hotspots for Young, Talented Workers." |
SOLAR INDUSTRY GROWING
BizTucson Magazine Highlights Tucson's Emerging Solar Industry
 Southern Arizona's newest business magazine, BizTucson, spotlights the emerging solar industry in its Summer issue.
Five of Tucson's most innovative solar companies are profiled: SOLON Corporation, Global Solar, Schletter Inc., General Plasma Inc., and Prism Solar Technologies Inc. "Southern Arizona is truly ideal for solar energy because we have the land, we have the sunshine, and we have a very vibrant economic climate led by leadership at both the city and federal level, and business leaders really coming forward and saying we want to lead in solar energy,” said Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a leader in solar energy initiatives. TREO recently interviewed SOLON's Business Development Manager Rob Wanless to find out why Tucson is ideal for solar energy development. "Tucson is located in the heart of the solar belt, and in Arizona we have a very aggressive state program requiring renewable energy to be installed," said Wanless. "Tucson Electric Power, Arizona Public Service, the Salt River Project - all have programs of their own that make it ideal for installations going forward." Click here to read the BizTucson article online, or request a copy of the magazine by calling (520) 243-1935 or emailing erin.coulter@treoaz.org. |
MARKETING CAMPAIGN TARGETS CA
Arizona Seeks Companies Fleeing California
The Golden State is the world’s eighth-largest economy, the fourth-largest solar market, and is home to 51 Fortune 500 companies. However, the current state budget crisis, strict environmental regulations, enormous tax burdens and excessive government programs have deeply hurt the state’s economy. The high cost of running a company in California is causing firms to look elsewhere and many Western states, including Arizona, are welcoming them. Arizona offers California companies long-term cost savings, a strategic location and a favorable tax climate. A first-time collaboration was announced earlier this year with TREO and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) pooling resources to hire an on-the-ground contractor in California. The contractor is identifying quality leads within our industry sectors and initiating meetings for both organizations. “Tucson has seen success with solar company relocations in the last few years,” said Joe Snell, president and CEO of TREO. “Most notably, SOLON Corporation and Schletter Inc., both from Germany, have joined several others here in our region. Many California firms in other industries have already made the decision to expand operations in other states and we want them to discover that Arizona is an affordable and advantageous business location.” Learn more about the California marketing campaign online at www.locateinarizona.com. |
If you have feedback on the newsletter or would like to provide an idea for a future article, please contact erin.coulter@treoaz.org or (520) 243-1935. |
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