Member news: May 2024
Addressing workforce needs: PVCC debuts Business Institute for community advancement
Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) has taken a bold step forward to align the demands of Arizona’s growing workforce with higher education. Data in the 2023 Lightcast Talent Attraction Scorecard ranked Maricopa County No. 1 nationally for adding skilled jobs and securing the second-highest position for competitiveness.
Additionally, as Arizona landed the third-highest percentage nationwide job growth ranking and the fifth-highest surge in skilled job growth, PVCC’s commitment to advancing business development becomes more important. Read more >>
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport passenger numbers break another record
More travelers went through Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in March 2024 than any other month on record.
In March, Sky Harbor recorded 5,064,407 total passengers going through its terminals, a 9.7% increase from March 2023, the previous record, according to data released April 30 by the Phoenix Aviation Department. Read more >>
Research: Autonomous Trucks Can Reduce Emissions and Fight Climate Change
Aurora Innovation, Inc. (NASDAQ: AUR) has released a white paper indicating that autonomous trucking has the potential for significant environmental benefits. The paper finds that autonomous trucking could increase energy efficiency by up to 32% relative to traditional trucking – helping the freight and logistics industry reduce emissions, meet environmental regulatory mandates, and bring down operating costs. Read more >>
Enhancing Collaboration through Cultural Training
Phoenix has long been a hub for semiconductor manufacturing, a legacy that dates back to 1949, but throughout the years the costs of maintaining cutting-edge facilities soared and some companies opted for a “fab-lite” approach. This strategy involved continuing some local production while outsourcing more advanced manufacturing to Asian fabs like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Read more >>
South32 Selects Nogales As Location Of Remote Operations Center
South32’s Hermosa project announced today that it would construct its remote operations center in Nogales, Arizona. Hermosa is currently the only advanced mining project in the United States capable of producing two federally designated critical minerals – zinc and manganese.
The decision follows two years of extensive analysis and careful consideration of Hermosa’s county-wide planning and employment goals to retain the economic benefits of the project in the Santa Cruz County area. Read more >>
April 2024 TechCast | Empowering Tomorrow: Green Banks, Resiliency and the Energy Transition
In this episode of AZ TechCast, Karen Nowicki and Steve Zylstra explore Arizona’s energy landscape with Earl Collins, Dre Thompson, and Maren Mahoney, highlighting collaborations between public and private sectors and tribal communities. They discuss the fusion of private investment and public funding to drive innovation and address environmental challenges, showcasing Arizona’s commitment to sustainability. Read more >>
Solar power on Tribal Lands brings electrification for the first time — and possibly a new industry
SHONTO, Ariz. and DURANGO, Colo. — Although electricity has been widely available in the United States for more than half a century, on Navajo lands about 30% of families continue to live without power in their homes.
For the past two years, Fort Lewis College students have worked to reduce that number by installing solar panels and battery storage systems for families living off the grid.
Led by engineering professor Laurie Williams and Camille Keith, a native of Shonto, Arizona and engineering graduate of Fort Lewis College, 25 students recently spent their spring break powering up the community. Read more >>
How multibillion-dollar plans from TSMC, Intel compare to other gigantic US tech projects
The Phoenix metro is home to some of the most ambitious economic development projects in the country, including major semiconductor factories from Intel Corp. and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
But how do the Valley’s major projects compare to other large U.S. projects? That’s hard to track, but a recent slate of CHIPS Act funding announcements have offered updated — and eye-popping — investment figures. Read more >>
Arizona has one of nation’s most reliable electrical grids
Arizona experienced only six power outages caused by extreme weather between 2000 and 2023, well below the national average, a new report from nonprofit research and communications group Climate Central found.
Why it matters: A resilient electrical grid — which keeps our air conditioners working — can be a matter of life and death during the summer. Read more >>
Chandler tech giant Insight Enterprises acquires Charlotte IT consulting firm
Chandler-based Insight Enterprises Inc., one of the Valley’s largest publicly traded tech companies, has acquired Infocenter, a rapidly-growing information technology consulting firm based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Insight (Nasdaq: NSIT) said in a Thursday announcement that the deal closed May 1. The acquisition equips the firm with full ServiceNow offerings such as consulting, implementation and managed services to its automation solutions portfolio. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Read more >>
Axon to acquire drone startup, reports strong year-over-year revenue growth
Axon Enterprise Inc. is off to a fast start in 2024.
The Scottsdale-based law enforcement technology company announced in its May 6 Q1 2024 earnings call that it plans to acquire drone defense startup Dedrone. For Axon, the move is in line with the company’s push to expand its presence in the drone as a first responder category. Read more >>
Arizona senators invest in solar energy for tribes
Arizona Senators Krysten Sinema and Mark Kelly announced over $87 million in funding today for solar projects that benefit tribal homes.
The Hopi Nation, where roughly a third of houses lack access to electricity, will receive $25 million for solar systems.
Another $62 million will go to the Grid Alternatives’ Western Indigenous Network Solar for All program. It’s a nationwide program with a focus on Western states. Read more >>
Sustainable Climate Tech Manufacturer Breaks Ground in Mesa
Autonomous vehicle company Cruise is preparing to put cars back on roads in Phoenix several months after suspending operations.
After resuming manual driving to create maps and collect road information in April, Cruise LLC has announced their automated vehicles “will begin supervised autonomous driving in Phoenix” this week, according to a May 13 announcement. The vehicles will have safety drivers behind the wheel in case of any issues. Read more >>
Phoenix ad agency changes leadership structure
Lavidge, a Phoenix-based advertising agency, announced May 13 it will be restructuring its leadership to create two co-presidents to run the firm, along side CEO Bill Lavidge.
Lavidge CFO and executive vice president Sandra Torre and Bob Case, the former chief creative officer, have been promoted to co-presidents of the company, which in 2023 ranked as the ninth-largest Phoenix-area public relations firms, according to Phoenix Business Journal data. Read more >>
US, Canadian banks back construction financing for huge Pinal County solar project
A syndicate including U.S. and Canadian banks will provide financing for the large-scale 300 megawatt Box Canyon solar power project south of Phoenix in Pinal County.
Construction on the project near Florence began in December 2023, as a joint venture between West Palm Beach, Florida-based BrightNight and Toronto-based Cordelio Power LP, which is owned by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. The joint venture company is called BOCA BN LLC. Read more >>
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport starts process to build new terminal, set to open in late 2030s
The city of Phoenix has started the process of getting a new terminal built at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport but it will be more than a decade until it is open.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego announced last month that she was directing city staff to get the ball rolling on getting a new terminal built at the city-owned Sky Harbor. The city’s Aviation Department presented a plan on May 7 to Phoenix City Council for the new terminal. Read more >>
LegacyEV garners Hollywood attention, moves to larger HQ in Gilbert
A Tempe-based company that makes electric vehicle conversion kits is experiencing “massive growth,” capturing the attention of Hollywood and leading to a move into a larger office space in Gilbert this month.
Legacy EV is relocating to a 24,000-square-foot facility at 565 E. Germann Road, which will house the company’s research and development, validation and warehousing operations. Read more >>
Air2o Exceeds $50M in Orders for it’s ELH Units serving Lithium-ion Battery Manufacturing Facilities in North America
Air2o Exceeds $50M in Orders for it’s ELH Units serving Lithium-ion Battery Manufacturing Facilities in North America
Air2O, a leading provider of cutting-edge HVACD solutions for large-scale mission-critical industries, has reached a significant milestone, surpassing $50 million in orders for its extreme low humidity (ELH) units being utilized within lithium-ion battery facilities in North America. Read more >>
Key leader named for Intel’s foundry business
Intel has named industry veteran Kevin O’Buckley to fill a key role in the company’s ambitious bid to take the lead in contract chip manufacturing.
O’Buckley succeeded Stuart Pann as senior vice president and general manager of foundry services, starting on Monday, said Intel (Nasdaq: INTC).
O’Buckley will oversee the “customer service and ecosystems operations division” of Intel Foundry, the new unit that CEO Pat Gelsinger is gambling can become second only to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (NYSE:TSM) as a contract chip manufacturer by 2030. Read more >>