#ICYMI: The City of Chandler was named the best place to live, work, and play in Arizona, based on public voting for the 2024 edition of Ranking Arizona!
We also welcomed many new businesses to our community and celebrated the growth of others. Below is a brief recap of the year’s biggest Chandler economic development stories.
Selection of companies that announced or opened new facilities in Chandler
Comtech, a global technology leader, relocated its corporate headquarters from Melville, NY to Chandler. Their 150,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility is designed to enhance operations, improve collaboration, and accelerate the delivery of new products and services to customers across global markets.
Wedgewood Pharmacy celebrated the groundbreaking of a state-of-the-art veterinary pharmacy in Chandler. The 90,000-square-foot facility is expected to open in early 2025 and will house nearly 250 jobs by 2027.
Arizona Liver Health/ Arizona Clinical Trials celebrated the grand opening of ACT Medical Park. The 28,000-square-foot space was converted from a gym to a healthcare hub offering cutting-edge medical and research services.
D.R. Horton, the largest homebuilder in the United States, purchased a 41,000-square-foot office building on the Price Corridor to expand its regional operations.
Penn Foster Group, a leading provider of digital learning solutions for in-demand skills and careers, opened its Arizona Center of Excellence in Chandler. The 10,000-square-foot space enables the company to better serve its students by providing access to new internal technology.
Saras Micro Devices, an emerging leader in cutting-edge power performance solutions, opened its new headquarters and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chandler. The new facility boasts 33,000 square feet of clean room, manufacturing, and administrative space with nearly 50 full-time employees.
3D Barrier Bags, a producer of customized, high-barrier foil bags, opened its 22,000 square feet manufacturing facility in Chandler. The facility will help the company strengthen its service to customers in the Western United States.
Fuse Flex Space, a dynamic co-working facility offering hybrid workspace options, opened its doors in Chandler. The key differentiating feature of Fuse Flex Space is that tenants can lease dedicated warehouse space in addition to private offices.
Two new car dealerships opened their doors; Earnhardt Genesis of Chandler and Autonation USA, located in the Chandler 202 Auto Park.
A few companies that relocated or expanded their operations within Chandler
- Turbo Resources, headquartered in Uptown Chandler, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a 245,000-square-foot expansion at its company-owned site at the northeast corner of Arizona Avenue and Palomino Drive.
- Cascade Financial relocated its headquarters within the Airpark Area and now occupies a 22,000-square-foot office at Chandler Airport Center.
- Verizon relocated its operations to the Price Corridor and now occupies a 35,000-square-foot office at Chandler Freeway Crossings.
- Mr. Cooper relocated its operations to Downtown Chandler and now occupies an 18,000-square-foot office at Overstreet.
- Tivity Health relocated its operations to Downtown Chandler and now occupies a 10,000-square-foot office at The Alexander.
- Comparion Insurance, a subsidiary of Liberty Mutual, relocated a small part of its operations to Downtown Chandler and now occupies a 1,500-square-foot office at New Square.
New and exciting retail projects to check out
We welcomed Andretti Indoor Karting & Games to Arizona as it opened a three-story, 96,000-square-foot facility full of non-stop thrills and fun!
Mox Boarding House opened its first Arizona location in Chandler. This is a premier board game store and restaurant that combines the love of gaming with a full-service dining experience
Arena 23 opened an indoor amusement park in Chandler featuring sports simulators, games and batting cages.
Chandler Fashion Center will soon welcome:
- Round1, an entertainment concept from Japan is expanding into Chandler with its third Arizona location, expected to open in early 2025.
- Seafood City, a Filipino supermarket, will bring its international flair to Chandler and will offer Filipino groceries, rare fruits and vegetables, meats, and kitchen items along with a health and beauty section.
Carolina’s Mexican Food is expected to open its first location in Chandler any day now!
Ted’s Hot Dogs is bringing its famous charcoal-grilled hot dogs to Chandler with a new, first-of-its-kind location in the Airpark Area.
Portillo’s will serve up hot Chicago Street food at its first Chandler location in West Chandler.
For more updates on exciting retail, dining, and entertainment options in Chandler, follow Visit Chandler on Instagram.
Other newsworthy items from 2024
The University of Arizona continued to expand its programming in Chandler, launching a Master of Science in Business Analytics and partnering with Chandler Unified School District on a semiconductor manufacturing technical education program.
The university’s programs in Chandler are designed to align with local industry needs and create pathways to in-demand careers within our community.
The city launched the Chandler Career Center platform, a workforce development initiative to support local employers and job seekers.
The no-cost resource provides access to local job opportunities, work-based opportunities (internships and apprenticeships), and educational resources to help individuals enhance their employability and further their career goals.
The city hosted the 13th annual Chandler Innovation Fair, in partnership with Chandler Unified School District, with nearly 150 exhibitors from local technology companies and schools demonstrating the importance of science to everyday life.
Part of the statewide Arizona SciTech Festival, the Chandler Innovation Fair is designed to get kids interested in STEM careers and 9,500 people attended in 2024.
Tourism (Visit Chandler): Launched the Choose Chandler Pass to encourage residents to shop, dine, and play in Chandler.
Visit Chandler engaged with the business community to participate in the initiative and provide special offers. Shoppers accrued points by shopping locally and could use them to claim Chandler-themed swag and be entered in mini-weekly giveaways.
A few more community accolades to note
The City of Chandler is consistently recognized as one of the best cities in the United States to live, work, and operate a business. Chandler was recently included in the following rankings:
- 14th best city for first-time homebuyers: WalletHub compared 300 cities of varying sizes across 22 key indicators of market attractiveness, affordability, and quality of life.
- 3rd best mid-sized city (250k - 500k population) for economic growth: CoworkingCafe assessed metrics such as population growth, GPD, employment rates, trade activity, and other economic indicators.
- Best place in Arizona to live for families: Fortune highlighted the best place to live in each of the 50 states, with Chandler ranking first in Arizona for its economic growth, robust job market, affordability, reasonable cost of living, and modern amenities and activities.
What can the community expect to see in 2025?
Our team looks forward to continuing to execute the city’s Economic Development Strategic Plan to support business growth and long-term economic development in Chandler.
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