CHANDLER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UPDATE : MAY 2, 2018
New Orbital ATK Campus Breaks Ground
A groundbreaking ceremony was held last week for a new 617,000-square-foot-campus for Orbital ATK. The campus will encompass 47 acres along the Price Road Corridor at the southeast corner of Price and Willis roads.The multiple-building facility is scheduled for completion in 2019 and will serve as Orbital ATK's Launch Vehicles Division Headquarters.
Rich Straka, VP and general manager of Orbital ATK's Launch Vehicles Division, said he is looking forward to expanding the company's business in Chandler. "The launch vehicles we design and manufacture here are instrumental in providing cargo to the crews on the International Space Station, launching satellites for space and earth science, and in defending the nation. This new campus allows Orbital ATK to continue to execute on these vital programs for our country."
Orbital ATK's launch vehicle business in Chandler began in the 1980s and has grown to nearly 1,600 employees. The company hired 250 employees at its Chandler facility in 2017, has plans to fill 200 open positions this year, and eventually expand its Chandler workforce by another 50 employees over the next year and a half.
"Orbital ATK's continued investment in Chandler - and in the Price Road Corridor - is a shining example of our long-term vision for this employment center," said Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny. "Adding these sustainable, high-wage jobs to the community, along with the research and development that will take place, only solidifies our reputation as the Innovation and Technology Hub of the Southwest."
EXIM Annual Conference Highlights Impact of Trade Financing on Global Competitiveness
The City of Chandler has joined forces with the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) to empower local businesses to boost their export sales and add quality American jobs as part of EXIM's Regional Export Promotion Program. EXIM serves as the official export credit agency of the United States and was established more than 80 years ago to ensure U.S. companies are equipped to compete in the global marketplace. Trade financing solutions offered by EXIM include export credit insurance, working capital, loan guarantees and direct loans.
EXIM recently held its annual conference, which focused on challenges and opportunities for American businesses in the global economy. It also touched on EXIM's position in today's export credit agency (ECA) landscape, where there are more than 90 different foreign-government backed ECAs all working to support their own domestic industries.
Below is a link to a panel discussion that featured business executives sharing how their ability to win international contracts often hinges on EXIM financing.
National Economic Development Week starts next week on May 7th. Created by the
International Economic Development Council, the event's goal is to increase awareness of local programs that create jobs, advance career development and increase quality of life. In honor of National Economic Development Week, below is a sample of Chandler economic development stories covered in this newsletter over the past year.
