One of Arizona’s economic strengths is its wealth of entrepreneurial activity. In fact, our state ranks among the highest in the nation for start-up enterprises. Businesses span the gamut from service to high-tech. Entrepreneurs from all walks of life start and develop businesses, feeding our economic engine with the fuel it needs to grow. This entrepreneurial activity … [More]
Governor Janice Brewer, State of Arizona
Since the statewide economic slide of the recent recession, Arizona economic development agencies and business leaders have focused on diversifying the state’s economy beyond the boom-and-bust industries of tourism and construction. Efforts have ranged from identifying sectors built around the “knowledge worker” whose employment helps drive an economy forward and upward to … [More]
Patricia Reiter, Rob and Melanie Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives
We’ve come a long way from just a couple of decades ago when “going green” was a choice companies or individuals made in spite of the cost involved. If you define sustainability as economic prosperity, environmental resilience and social justice — or, more simply, the future we want — businesses and organizations in Arizona are leading the way. Today, as businesses operating … [More]
David Bruno, DHR International
On the subject of jobs, the rhetoric can get very heated as numbers are cited and calls to action urged. Arizona’s unemployment figures during the recession were near the top in the nation, and in the recovery some sectors are complaining of not enough workers. But numbers do not define the bottom line in today’s employment picture. Arizona is seeing growth today in almost … [More]
Paul Hickman, Arizona Bankers Association
Capital to start a business, capital to grow a business — capital is the essential element in any business endeavor. The types of sources that businesspeople can turn to are varied, and access to funding has become increasingly complicated. But it’s not just the final borrower who is facing these challenges; issues are impacting lending institutions as well, while they continue … [More]
Jim Ward, The Phoenix Symphony
Culture is what defines us as a people, as a community. Here in the Valley of the Sun, culture surrounds us in great variety — including performances by world-class artists and paintings that sell for millions of dollars. This issue of In Business Magazine takes a look at how arts and culture live in the fabric of our community. Whether or not you enjoy the aesthetic benefit … [More]
Kimber Lanning, Local First Arizona
We’re living more and more in a global economy, and local companies have opportunities to expand and grow by connecting outward to new markets. But there is economic strength and other benefits to be derived by encouraging business interaction within the local community. The “buy local” movement has definitely taken hold in Arizona. Consumers are now actively seeking out … [More]
Jeffrey Pruitt, Tallwave
Small business is touted as the backbone of our economy. And Arizona is ranked No. 1 among the 50 states on the respected Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity. Taking these two realities in tandem gives a very positive outlook for our statewide economy — and an even stronger one for the Valley, with its preponderance of business incubators hosted by municipalities, … [More]
Charles Vermillion, OneNeck IT Services Corp.
Technology is sometimes portrayed in the media for its man-vs-machine role in workplace job losses. But it is also touted as an economic growth sector — in fact, it is one of the areas Arizona’s leaders have identified as key to the state’s development of a sustainable, strong, high-wage-based economy. A number of organizations, including the Arizona Technology Council, are … [More]
Elliott D. Pollack, Elliott D. Pollack and Company
The Valley’s real estate market can be as hot as its summer temperatures, and has been an integral part of Metro Phoenix’s growth in the last 15 years to twelfth-largest metropolitan area in the country. When the real estate market slows, the region’s entire economy feels it, which is why a healthy real estate market is of such concern to those who study the economy. What is … [More]
Michael Kennedy, Gallagher & Kennedy, P.A.
Here in Arizona, we have the year-round privilege of being able to root for our home-town team, as Metro Phoenix is host to professional teams for baseball, football, basketball and hockey. Not to mention such major events as Waste Management Phoenix Open, the Super Bowl, MLB All-Star Game and NASCAR. But sports has value far beyond entertainment. As an industry, the business … [More]
Betsey Bayless, Maricopa Integrated Health System
The healthcare landscape of Arizona is undergoing a dramatic change. Whether you are an individual recipient of healthcare benefits or an employer weighing the best healthcare options for your business, the bottom line is we are navigating uncharted waters. While there has been much speculation on how President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act will … [More]
Susan Clark-Johnson, Morrison Institute
Arizona’s history is rich in contributions from women — in business, in politics, in education, in philanthropy — in every aspect of Arizona’s evolution as a state. In business, whether as independent entrepreneurs or after ascending to the corporate C-suites, women bring diverse talent and drive to the economic fabric of our state. We are fortunate here that women indeed … [More]
Barry Broome, GPEC
After a long election and a year of moderate but much-needed growth, businesses are energized to prosper in 2013 and beyond. Arizona’s economic picture is improving, with the housing market gaining momentum, lending opportunities resurging and a focus on economic development to improve the jobs market and create economic opportunity. One thing is for certain: To inoculate … [More]
Deborah Bateman, National Bank of Arizona
Now, perhaps more than ever, business owners must manage their wealth in ways that help ensure security while positioning them to take advantage of opportunities in both the near or long term. Whether they are growing their businesses or simply preparing themselves and their employees for the future, the current environment requires that wealth management be as much a part of … [More]
Donald V. Budinger, Rodel Foundations
Not only has the economy changed due to the deep recession, it is increasingly apparent that the economy is also changing because of advances in technology; therefore, business is demanding new skill sets among the work force in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, in particular. These skills are in demand and beginning to shape the economy in ways that … [More]
Robert Sarver, Western Alliance Bancorporation
The economy in Arizona is steadily recovering and banks have increased lending to businesses. The past four years have been tough for big and small business alike, and there is no question that financial institutions have been tested through what has been the worst economic cycle since the Great Depression. Banks that have had access to capital and were proactive navigating … [More]
J. Doug Pruitt, Sundt Companies
After a tumultuous past couple of years, commercial construction is beginning to make a comeback. So let’s look at what drives the construction market locally here in Arizona. The harsh reality we have had to deal with is that local construction starts collapsed from just over $20 billion back in 2006 to averaging less than $10 billion each of the last four years, including … [More]
