High on praising the Greater Phoenix Economic Council first:
More companies moving in to capitalize on Arizona’s business-friendly environment
Business News | 1 hour ago | Michael Gossie
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Experts say Metro Phoenix is fast-paced and possesses an unapologetic willingness to get things done, making it one of the top cities to do business. The region has a pioneering spirit and welcoming attitude – toward people and business — and that spirit is becoming contagious in the business world.
“Arizona is one of the fastest growing places to cultivate a company for multiple reasons,” says Brett Johnson, a partner at Snell & Wilmer who represents businesses and individuals in government relations matters.
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Here are the top three qualities that are attracting businesses to Metro Phoenix, according to Johnson:
• 1. Arizona prides itself on hard work, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Although still a competitive environment, there is a collective desire for everyone to succeed.
• 2. The friendly regulatory environment and cooperative government agencies make it easy to grow a business.
• 3. Due to Arizona’s higher education capabilities and quality of life, companies are able to attract top talent to Arizona.
Unifying force
Tying those elements together and marketing them to the world has been GPEC, which works with its 22 member communities, Maricopa County and more than 150 private investors to attract quality businesses and is credited with helping turn Metro Phoenix into one of the best tech relocation cities.
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Experts say GPEC has been able to effectively market the region thanks to a favorable tax structure and legislative ease, especially compared with markets like California, where there is a lot of regulation, taxes are higher and there are more challenges to doing business.
“Arizona offers a pipeline of opportunities,” Vynalek says. “I’ve observed over the past two decades that the connectivity between Seattle and Phoenix, Silicon Valley and Phoenix and even New York and Phoenix offer pipeline opportunities. People are now seeing Phoenix as a destination for an opportunity and not just as a low-cost provider. What we don’t want to be is just a place where it’s cheap to live. Leaders in other markets are now seeing that Arizona is a great place to do business and there is real innovation happening there. That hasn’t always been the case.”
Emily Richardson
