Silver Shovel Awards
Post Date: 07/18/2016 11:47 AM
Two City of Mesa economic development projects, Santander Consumer USA and Special Devices, Inc. were recently awarded 2016 Silver Shovel Awards by Area Development, a leading site selection publication. The awards are based on a combination of factors including number of new jobs created and amount of capital invested.
Santander Consumer USA, a consumer finance company focused on vehicle finance, came to Mesa’s Fiesta District to occupy Centrica, a creative 117,000 square foot adaptive reuse project converting vacant big box retail space into Class A office space. In November 2015, Santander Consumer USA announced it would employ more than 970 people over three years with an average wage of approximately $51,000 at the Mesa location. In January 2016, the company finished tenant improvements and occupied the space.
Special Devices Inc. (SDI), a manufacturer of initiators used in the production of airbag inflators, broke ground March 2015 on a 64,000 square foot expansion of its facilities in Mesa’s Falcon District. SDI acquired 19.6 acres adjacent to its existing facility for the expansion, which has now been completed. The company created 175 jobs with an average annual wage of $40,000.
“I’m proud of our team’s efforts in assisting exceptional companies such as Santander Consumer USA and Special Devices, Inc. locate and expand in Mesa,” Bill Jabjiniak, City of Mesa Economic Development Director said. “Companies like these bring quality jobs and capital investment to our local economy.”
Area Development’s annual Shovel Awards recognize states for their achievements in attracting high-value projects to their communities. All 50 states were invited by Area Development to provide information about their top 10 projects initiated in 2015. States receiving the highest weighted scores based on the number of high-value added jobs, amount of investment, number of new facilities, and industry diversity were given Shovel Awards.
The full report on the 2016 Shovel Award winners is published in the Q2, 2016 issue of Area Development and is available online at www.areadevelopment.com/
Blogger Note:The complete report can be viewed in the link provided below in next heading after the jump
Office of Economic Development
Contact: Kim Lofgreen
Tel. 480-644-3962 kim.lofgreen@mesaaz.gov
2016 Gold & Silver Shovel Awards Recognize States That Have Garnered High-Impact Economic Development Projects
The states receiving this year’s Shovel Awards are being recognized for their large numbers of high-impact economic development projects, including $1 billion+ deals with thousands of new jobs. Six states — California, Ohio, Tennessee, South Carolina, Nevada and Utah — are being awarded Gold Shovels in recognition of projects undertaken in 2015.
Q2 2016
Arizona also had a solid year — the economic scorecard shows the state added 61,600 net new jobs and held the unemployment rate at about 6 percent.
Arizona is predicted to continue its strong economic performance in high-tech and innovative industries. TechAmerica Foundation’s “2015 Cyberstates Report” notes there are more than 132,000 tech industry jobs in Arizona. High-tech entrepreneurialism is supported by a variety of incubators, accelerators, and co-working spaces around the state. It’s hoped that new startups will contribute to Arizona’s projected job growth of 3.1 percent in 2016.
2015 Top Projects: Arizona
Population: 6.73 Million
| Company | City | N/E | Job Creation | Investment | Industry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Special Devices, Inc. | Mesa | N | 174 | $60 million | Engineered Devices |
| 2. | Groupon | Scottsdale | N | 150 | $3 million | IT |
| 3. | InEight, Inc. (FKA Hard Dollar) | Scottsdale | E | 50 | $1.4 million | IT |
| 4. | Cenlar FSB | Tempe | N | 750 | $6 million | Business Support Services |
| 5. | Zenefits (YourPeople, Inc.) | Tempe | N | 1,400 | $5 million | Business Support Services |
| 6. | Isagenix International LLC | Gilbert | N | 171 | $19.9 million | Consumer Products & Services |
| 7. | KW International | Phoenix | E | 135 | $1 million | Logistics Services |
| 8. | Orbital ATK, Inc. | Gilbert | E | 86 | $16.3 million | Aerospace & Defense |
| 9. | Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. | Mesa | N | 970 | $9.4 million | Business Support Services |
| 10. | Pinnacle Transplant Technologies | Phoenix | E | 45 | $500,000 | Biotechnology |
Top employment sectors include aerospace and defense, semiconductors, electronics, IT, and software. Arizona’s robust aerospace and defense sector contributes about $38 billion annually to the Arizona economy and employs more than 52,000 workers. IT/high-tech announcements in Arizona include Groupon (Scottsdale, $3 million, 150 workers) and Orbital ATK (Gilbert, $16.3 million, 86 workers). Other high-growth tech industries are renewable energy, bioscience, advanced manufacturing, and photonics/optics. Advanced manufacturer Special Devices Inc.’s (a maker of automotive airbag inflators) new facility in Mesa will employ 174 workers.
Arizona also has a growing reputation for business support, including customer-service centers. Major announcements include Zenefits in Tempe ($5 million, 1,400 workers) and Santander Consumer USA Holdings in Mesa ($9.4 million, 970 jobs). Arizona’s business-support reputation did not go unnoticed by Cenlar FSB, the nation’s leading loan servicing provider, which recently announced its first expansion outside New Jersey — a $6 million, Western operations center in Tempe that will create 750 projected new jobs over a three-year period.
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