Major global companies are investing big money big-time in Phoenix

Modern infrastructure, massive investments fueling growth and job-creation

BY PAULA HUBBS COHEN

It’s not just the weather, great golf and spectacular sunsets that brings folks to Phoenix. It’s also plenty of opportunity for well-paying jobs.

Indeed, an influx of massive capital investment from both American and foreign companies has helped fuel growth in jobs, jobs and more jobs across the Phoenix area. According to information provided by the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC.org), these companies, both midsize and massive, create hundreds and even thousands of jobs as well as provide the impetus for a plethora of supporting small businesses — which in turn, provide the economic fuel for even more job creation.

A short list of some of the recent major companies moving to or expanding their facilities in metro-Phoenix includes:

TSMC: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company

Located on more than 1,100 acres in far North Phoenix, experts say that TSMC will reshape the economic landscape of the Phoenix area. Under construction since early 2021, the plant represents a more than $12 billion investment by TSMC. With plans to hire more than 2,000 people, the plant is expected to begin production in 2024 and is already boosting job creation and additional development in the area. “TSMC and their decision to come to Arizona is of global significance,” said Chris Camacho, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council.

Paramount Global Surfaces

Paramount Global Surfaces (PGS) announced the launch of a new West Coast warehouse in Goodyear. The 144,000 squarefoot facility will provide nearly 100 new jobs. PGS is a leading importer and distributor of premium porcelain tile and luxury vinyl tile.

Chang Chun Arizona

Chang Chun Arizona (CCAZ) has broken ground on its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Casa Grande. The facility is expected to be operational in 2023 and create more than 200 jobs. Representing a $300 million investment, the facility will support the state’s semiconductor industry by supplying highquality electronic grade chemicals.

IN ARIZONA

Townsquare Interactive

Townsquare Interactive, the digital marketing division of Townsquare Media, is expanding to a second location with plans to move into an 11,875 square-foot permanent space in Downtown Phoenix in 2023. The company plans to add hundreds of employees to its Phoenix workforce within the next two years.

Corning Incorporated

Corning Incorporated will build a new cable manufacturing facility in Gilbert, creating 250 jobs. The facility, expected to open in 2024, will be the industry’s western-most U.S. manufacturing site for optical. Corning and AT&T are supporting the White House’s Talent Pipeline Challenge by creating a program to train fiber-optic technicians with the skills needed to design, install and maintain a growing fiber network.

KPCT Advanced Chemicals

KPCT Advanced Chemicals plans to build a $200 million electronic grade sulfuric acid manufacturing plant in Casa Grande. KPCT is a joint venture between Kanto Group, a leading semiconductor chemical supplier based in Taiwan, and Chemtrade Logistics Inc., the leading North American producer of electronic grade sulfuric acid. The site will occupy 10 acres and is expected to be operational by 2025, creating approximately 65 jobs.

Editor’s note: Thousands of new residents are moving to the Phoenix area every month so we wanted to offer a little history on the worldfamous Valley of the Sun. Details were adapted with permission from information provided by the City of Phoenix and Salt River Project (SRP).

—Paula Hubbs Cohen, Editor, Retreats Arizona Living

Whether you have purchased several homes in Phoenix or are just now getting ready to purchase your first new home in the Valley of the Sun, you might wonder how a now-vibrant metropolis was born, survived and eventually thrived in spite of being located in such an arid climate.

Intertwined with a bit of history, here’s the scoop in a story that begins with ancient canals and disappearing civilizations, twists and turns toward cowboy visionaries and then comes face-to-face with more than a hint of mythology.

‘The people who have gone’ Centuries before Phoenix became a city, a prosperous and well-established indigenous community occupied the land. Because the desert is notoriously short on water, these highly skilled residents built a complex irrigation system made up of 135 miles of canals. While the accepted belief is that drought eventually decimated this ancient civilization, some sources say that the truth for their disappearance is not known for certain.

In recognition of this historical mystery, Native Americans who later lived in the area called these original canal engineers/builders “Hohokam” or “the people who have gone.”

Fast forward several centuries

The year is 1867. An industrious cowboy by the name of Jack Swilling stopped at the foot of the north slopes of the White Tank Mountains to rest his weary horse. As his horse grazed, Swilling gazed out over the landscape and to his amazement, he saw dry soil and farmland that was mostly rockfree and not threatened by harsh winter weather. An entrepreneurial chap by nature, Swilling saw the land’s potential, so he put his proverbial thinking cap on and launched the Swilling Irrigation and Canal Company. The Company’s purpose was to divert water from the Salt River via canals so that crops could be grown to sell to goldminers in Wickenburg and also to the U.S. Cavalry stationed at Fort McDowell.

Voilà — by March of 1868, water began to flow, quenching the thirsty land, and farmers eventually celebrated the first harvest of their crops.

Dams built to store and deliver water

A few decades later, in 1903, settlers formed the Salt River Valley Water Users’

Association which is still part of SRP today. The Association pledged more than 200,000 acres of land as collateral in order to secure a government loan to build a water storage and delivery system.

In addition to building Theodore Roosevelt Dam, government engineers also saw an opportunity to improve existing Valley canals and create efficiencies by unifying the canal system. Indeed, the government eventually purchased all of the Valley’s private canals. In 1917, operation of the canal system was turned over to the Salt River Valley Water Users’ Association, which still operates the canals for the federal government.

Nine major canals

Over the past century-plus, nine major canals have emerged across the greater Valley. Not only do they deliver water, the canal-banks were opened in 1964 for recreational activities. From running and walking to biking, fishing and more, paths along the canals offer everything from ADA-accessible routes to lights for evening strolls to commissioned public artwork.

A mythical bird

And now we come to the part of the story involving a fantastic mythical bird.

The generally accepted derivation of Phoenix’s name is that a friend of Swilling suggested it since — like the mythical Phoenix bird — the town would essentially spring up from the ashes or ruins of a former civilization.

And so the scrappy little town was officially named ‘Phoenix’ on May 4, 1868. Today, the fifth-largest city (by population) in the U.S. covers more than 500 squaremiles with more than 1.6 million people calling Phoenix home.

Giving credit where credit due

And in the category of giving credit where credit is definitely due: Numerous sources say that Swilling’s 19th-century canals were based on that long-ago original canal system created by an ancient civilization whose cryptic disappearance is the stuff of Native American legend.

Meaning, an awful lot of the city’s development and progress is due to the people who have gone — the Hohokam.

By Hanna Scott

Set amongst the stunning Sonoran Desert foothills of the Northwest Valley, Vistancia is an award-winning 7,100-acre master-planned community offering a spectacular medley of desert living in four unique lifestyle communities — The Village, Blackstone, Trilogy and Northpointe at Vistancia — offering a distinct selection of homes, two golf courses (public and private), retail, schools and a vibrant lifestyle.

Nature Inspired Amenities

Boasting panoramic views of the Sonoran Desert, White Peak and Twin Peak mountains, Vistancia residents have an opportunity to embrace the natural outdoor beauty of the area. Residents can bike, rollerblade, run or walk the 3.5-mile Discovery Trail, Vistancia’s signature amenity that connects to neighborhoods, two K-8 elementary schools, playgrounds, parks, recreation areas and retail. Vistancia residents are just a quick drive from Lake

Pleasant Regional Park to enjoy boating, water sports, fishing, camping and hiking. Residents also have access to more than 30 City of Peoria community parks and 20-plus miles of hiking and biking trails. Baseball fans can easily take a drive to the Peoria Sports Complex, home to two Major League Spring Training teams — the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres.

Jobs And Area Investment

Located in the rapidly emerging North Peoria technology hub, Vistancia is just two exits on Loop 303 from the TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) fabrication plant currently under construction. Since this massive plant is expected to create at least 10,000 high-paying high-tech jobs, the Vistancia community is poised to benefit from TSMC’s nearly $40 billion investment as well as the millions of dollars in ancillary development.

New Homes

Vistancia’s two actively selling communities include the elevated desert community of Northpointe at Vistancia — featuring some of the most spectacular views in the Northwest Valley — offering new and quick-move-in homes by David Weekley Homes, Richmond American Homes and Pulte Homes, and The Village at Vistancia — a family-friendly multi-generational community with the new Cassia by Beazer Homes single-story neighborhood.

Vistancia has been ranked No. 1 Best Master Planned Community Arizona by Ranking Arizona the past 10 years, while Money Magazine has ranked the City of Peoria as the #1 City to live in Arizona.