The Chandler City Council approved a 30-year ground lease with CHD Curtis East LLC, a new subsidiary of Vesper Aviation, to develop 4.798 acres of currently undeveloped land adjacent to an airport taxi lane at Chandler Municipal Airport. Within 24 months of lease execution, the company will deliver a minimum of 10 standard, 4 large and 2 extra-large executive hangars. Over the … [More]
A Mesa Industrial Park Serves Diverse Uses
Hawes Commerce Park, a neighborhood flex bay development in Mesa, is challenging traditional assumptions about who uses industrial space and how it is used. Developed by Scottsdale-based Cavan Commercial, the 153,000-square-foot campus is home to a diverse mix of small and midsize businesses that require more than a traditional warehouse, such as the world's largest indoor RC … [More]
Kicking Off the Season: Tempe Chamber Celebrates Sun Devil Football
For 25 years, the Tempe Chamber of Commerce has brought the business and community together to celebrate the start of Sun Devil football. This year’s 25th Annual Sun Devil Football Kickoff Luncheon, proudly presented by San Tan Ford, continued that tradition with a celebration of ASU football, community partnerships and the excitement surrounding the upcoming season. The event … [More]
Tempe Chamber Hosts EVCCA 2026 Ballot Issues Forum
On September 3, the Tempe Chamber of Commerce hosted the East Valley Chambers of Commerce Alliance (EVCCA) 2026 Ballot Issues Forum at the Rio Salado College Conference Center. With Arizona entering an election year featuring a gubernatorial race and several other contests, the forum provided an opportunity for East Valley businesses to learn more about key ballot initiatives … [More]
Building Tempe’s Future Workforce: Career Ready Tempe Celebrates Students and Business Partners
The Tempe Chamber Foundation and City of Tempe came together to celebrate another successful summer of Career Ready Tempe, recognizing the high school students, local businesses and community partners who made the program possible. The celebration brought together student interns, business hosts, education leaders, elected officials and community partners to recognize the … [More]
Unity in Uniforms: Supporting Tempe’s Next Generation of Leaders
The Tempe Chamber’s Military Affairs Committee (MAC) partnered with Catalyst Craft Ales in July for the Unity in Uniforms Fundraiser, bringing veterans, business leaders and community advocates together to support local JROTC programs. The fundraiser focused on helping Tempe middle and high school JROTC cadets obtain the uniforms and resources they need for training and … [More]
Honoring Excellence: Tempe Chamber Celebrates Business Excellence Award Winners
In June, the Tempe Chamber of Commerce brought together business and community leaders for the 2026 Business Excellence Awards Annual Luncheon, celebrating the bold leaders, businesses and organizations helping shape the future of Tempe. Held June 11 at Culinary Dropout Tempe, the event recognized nominees across nine award categories and announced this year’s winners. The … [More]
Does Size Matter? The HR Mistake Costing Small Businesses Thousands
Waiting until a company is ‘big enough’ for HR can create legal, financial and operational risks long before business owners realize those risks exist.
Hiring a first employee is a milestone for any small business. It often signals growth, increased demand and a new level of responsibility. It also marks the point when the business becomes an employer, with all the responsibilities that come with that role. That is what makes Human Resources a business necessity. One of the most common misconceptions among small-business … [More]
Building Community by Design: How California Pools & Landscape Turns Backyard Dreams into Local Impact
When Mike and Joan Smith started California Pools & Landscape at their kitchen table in 1988, they set out to build a company rooted in craftsmanship, fairness and genuine care. Thirty-eight years later, that company is Arizona's premier backyard builder, and the philosophy that guided it from the start — "What is best for the customer, is best for all of us" — has grown … [More]
Every Drop Counts
Here’s how SRP is helping Valley businesses turn water conservation into long-term water resiliency
Every drop of water counts. It’s a common saying, but one that Salt River Project has taken seriously for more than 120 years. Today, the largest supplier of raw water to the Greater Phoenix region continues its commitment to ensuring a sustainable water supply for generations to come. With that in mind, SRP has set a goal to conserve 5 billion gallons of water by 2035 … [More]
The Multiplier Effect: How Positive Leaders Transform Teams
A positive leader manages energy, not just tasks
The way a leader shows up each day shapes far more than outcomes on a spreadsheet — it shapes the people around them and the culture they carry forward. In organizations where teams consistently outperform expectations, researchers and observers tend to find the same variable at the center: a leader who practices what behavioral scientists call positive leadership. It is not … [More]
How to Know It’s Time to Alter Your Business Model
Times may be a-changing before revenue slips
Running an advertising agency in one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country has never been easy. When COVID-19 arrived, that challenge became a business owner’s worst nightmare. At The James Agency (TJA), we lost a net 62% of our business overnight in March 2020, much of it tied to hospitality, tourism, and food and beverage. We survived. I diversified our … [More]
A New CEO for a Changing Arizona
Arizona business leaders know a strong economy depends on more than balance sheets and quarterly growth. Employees need safe housing, reliable childcare, food, health services and education. Across the state, nonprofit organizations provide much of that support while employing Arizonans, purchasing goods and services, and helping communities develop into places where businesses … [More]
Choose a Credible Issue
A public position is easier to explain when it grows from the company’s work. A manufacturer may speak about energy or water. A healthcare employer may focus on licensing and staffing, while Medicaid funding affects the entire field. A builder may address housing supply, zoning or infrastructure issues. Before speaking, leaders should identify how an issue affects the … [More]
The Leadership to Shape What Comes Next
This Women of Achievement edition of In Business Magazine celebrates women who are using their leadership positions in for- and nonprofit organizations to make a difference in our community. This year’s annual tribute shines a spotlight on women whose engagement extends well beyond their organizations through board service, mentoring, philanthropy and other powerful … [More]
Advocacy without Losing Trust
Public Policy Is Already in Your Business Plan
Every Arizona business operates within decisions made at city hall, the state Capitol and regulatory agencies. Voters make consequential decisions at the ballot box, too. These choices shape utility costs and permits, tax policy reaches balance sheets, and access to skilled workers affects day-to-day operations. So does the strength of the communities where employees and … [More]
Beyond the Check: A Business Case for Community Partnership
Every company depends on conditions it did not create alone. Employees need reliable childcare, healthcare and transportation. Employers need trained workers; commercial districts benefit from arts, culture and safe neighborhoods. Nonprofits help provide this community infrastructure every day, while grantmakers supply funding that allows many of those services to reach people … [More]
ChatAEC Aims to Revolutionize the Development Lifecycle
Phoenix-based AIAEC has spent four years developing its flagship program to embed AI into the architecture, engineering and construction lifecycle to support smarter planning, revolutionizing how teams access project information and reducing research that once took weeks to minutes. The program is aimed at both public- and private-sector uses. In fact, its ChatAEC has … [More]
