Our Mission
To attract and grow quality businesses, and advocate for Greater Phoenix’s competitiveness.
We are an inclusive, diverse family
Our Values
We are
change agents
We lead from
the front
We promote
intellectual curiosity
We remain on
the edge
We are
tenacious
We are agile and
adapt to change
We are committed to selfless service
By the Numbers
Over the last 35 years GPEC has fueled the regional economy, racking up some impressive stats along the way.
1,000+
GPEC Assisted Locates
190K+
High-Quality Jobs
$69.4B+
Capital Investment
A Few Words From Our Leadership
Chris Camacho
President & CEO, GPEC
“Years of strategic planning to elevate Greater Phoenix’s standing as an economic powerhouse has resulted in increased international attention of the abundant opportunities across the region. Once-in-a-generation companies are choosing our market to grow and reshape the future, from the most advanced technologies in the world to entrepreneurs launching novel ideas, thanks to the commitment of the GPEC network and economic development leaders across our communities.”
David Rousseau
Chair, GPEC Board of Directors
President, Salt River Project (SRP)
“The region’s surge in economic activity is fueled by strong infrastructure, strategic partnerships and the dedication of regional leaders to creating an environment where businesses thrive. GPEC’s strategic work sets Greater Phoenix above peer markets and has gained increased attention from cutting-edge companies, strengthening our economy and driving sustainable future growth.”
Our Impact
CarbonCapture Inc., Custom Control Sensors LLC and DSV Transport & Logistics are just a few examples of the companies GPEC has helped locate to the region.
Through these stories, you'll see how our advocacy for regional competitiveness is fostering success and strengthening our local economy.
A Year of Action
An award-winning team, recognized as a global leader in economic development.
GPEC AWARDS
DEPARTMENT AWARDS
Economic Development Organization of the Year
IEDC, Silver Winner
Cross-Border Collaboration Award
IEDC, Silver Winner
Top Economic
Development Organization
No. 1 Regional Economic Development Organization
Voted by National Site Selectors
Golden Prospector Award,
Special Event
Taiwan Delegation
Award of Merit, Website
Industry Pages
Special Event
Greater Phoenix is Poppin'
Nonprofit Communications Awards
Media Relations Campaign,
Honorable Mention for National Media Branding
Manufacturing Project of the Year
LG Electronics
STAFF AWARDS
Corporate Honoree
Chris Camacho
President & CEO
North America's Top 50 Economic Developers
Ashley Busada, CEcD
Vice President, Business Development
Phoenix Business Journal 40 Under 40
Maureen Howell
Chief Operating Officer
Emerging Leader EDDE Award
Casey Gilchrist
Vice President, International Business Development
LEAD GENERATION
Podcasts
11
1,550
Published Episodes
Total Downloads
Top Episode: Housing
17,860
41
3%
Featuring Gregg Ghelfi and Steve Betts
Companies Targeted
Qualified Leads
Project Pipeline
MEDIA PLACEMENTS
2,249
Total Placements
5.2B
Total Impressions
Notable Outlets:
SOCIAL MEDIA
ART EXHIBITS
RESEARCH
2
Virtual & in-person
511
Research Requests
2,522,234
Art Exhibits
Total Impressions
ECONOMIC MONITOR
45,018
104
02
535K+
Total Audience Size
Local Artists
Art Pieces Sold
Impressions
149
255,182
3,990
Pieces of Art
Total Impressions
Users
HOSTED
PARTNERSHIPS
Ambassador & Regional Report Events
21
2,699
Rebranded and expanded joint soft landing program with ASU
New partnership established to cultivate and grow the startup ecosystem
Pinal County joined GPEC in Greater Phoenix partnership
New consortium established to drive EDA Tech Hubs Strategy Grant
Events Hosted
Total Attendees
SIGNATURE EVENTS
February 4-6, 2024
IEDC Leadership Summit
The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) hosted its annual Leadership Summit in Greater Phoenix, with GPEC leadership serving as the Host Committee. Over 400 economic development leaders from across the nation and abroad, representing municipalities, partnerships, and private organizations, attended the summit and explored the region.
February 6-8, 2024
WM Phoenix Open Famtour
GPEC hosted eight national site selectors for the WM Phoenix Open FamTour to highlight Greater Phoenix and deepen critical relationships over two packed days of learning about recent regional growth, connecting with regional leaders and experiencing the renowned megaevent.
february 7-8, 2024
Desert Tech Connect
To attract new venture capital firms and investment to Greater Phoenix, GPEC partnered with Crossover VC for the second year in a row to host over 100 founders, investors, professional athletes, and entertainers at Desert Tech Connect, an exclusive, thoughtfully curated two-day showcase of regional innovation centered around the WM Phoenix Open.
May 6-9, 2024
Washington, D.C. ExecMission
Forty-seven regional leaders traveled with GPEC to our nation's capitol to advocate for the region within critical sectors of aerospace and defense, biosciences, climate technologies, foreign direct investment and infrastructure resiliency with a focus on advancing innovation, fostering collaboration, and addressing regional priorities for sustainable growth and resilience within each sector.
June 20-21, 2024
SelectUSA Spinoff Event
For the second consecutive year, federal officials with the U.S. Department of Commerce selected GPEC to host an official SelectUSA Spinoff event before the Investment Summit in D.C. Over two days, eight participating international biomedical and climate technology companies learned about the advantages of Greater Phoenix through various events showcasing the region.
International Efforts
Canada
PERU
NETHERLANDS
GERMANY
DENMARK
TURKEY
SOUTH AFRICA
JAPAN
SOUTH KOREA
TAIWAN
SINGAPORE
In FY24, GPEC participated in six international conferences, hosted four market visits, and took part in several inbound and outbound delegation visits organized by key partners, including the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, Global Ties Arizona, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Phoenix Sister Cities and others.
70
International Prospects
27%
Prospect Pipeline
Action Plan Recap
With two years of our three-year strategic plan behind us, we reflect on the goals that have driven our success. In collaboration with GPEC’s 22 member communities, Maricopa and Pinal counties, and over 220 private investors and regional partners, we have established a strong foundation. This positions us to finish the current plan successfully over the next year, as we prepare to launch our next three-year strategic plan in FY26.
3-Year Strategic Goals:
Lead an ambitious shared vision for the region’s economic future
Enhance the foundation
of the future economy
with a focus on emerging
and innovation-driven
industry sectors
FY24 Action Plan Goals:
GOAL #01
Working collaboratively with partners at the local, state and federal level FY24
will focus on amplifying opportunities for action on economic imperatives
impacting the Greater Phoenix region.
GOAL #02
FY24 will build on the successes of the past year, proactively engaging audiences nationally and internationally to reinforce
Greater Phoenix as a premier location for investment and expansion.
Expand organizational
capacity to serve the
Greater Phoenix economic ecosystem and meet the needs of the market
GOAL #03
Building on its strong foundation, GPEC will continue to leverage internal strengths in FY24 to ensure organizational health and demonstrable value to its stakeholders while maintaining best-in-class processes and talent.
Performance Metrics
In FY24, GPEC met or exceeded nearly all of its performance goals, performed well against each of the initiatives outlined in the FY24 Action Plan and surpassed the significant milestone of assisting 1,000 locates.
49
7,431
Businesses Located
1
New Jobs Created
$513M
$86,802
Payroll Generated
Average High- Wage Salary
1 Locates number is not part of GPEC’s performance metrics. Included for information purposes only.
2 Based on a scale of 1 to 10.
FY24 Noteworthy Events
JULY 2023
SEPTEMBER 2023
FEBRUARY 2024
APRIL 2024
GPEC 201: How we’re adapting to build an anti-fragile market
Ambassador Event: Dispelling the Myths of AZ’s Water Position
Ambassador Event: Addressing Housing Supply in the Region
Ambassador Event: The Next Era of Semicon
“This idea of anti-fragility — it’s more than resilience. Anti-fragility is when you absorb market shocks and come out better and more agile, versus just recovering,” said Chief of Staff Maureen Howell.
As concerns over the Colorado River and other southwest water sources rear, Greater Phoenix and Arizona are ahead of the game in planning for the future.
Housing supply directly impacts a region’s growth potential and competitiveness, serving as a key driver for quality of life and affordability of a region.
Greater Phoenix plays a pivotal role in advancing the semiconductor industry in the United States and internationally. With more than 155 semiconductor-related companies operating in the region...
FY24 Locates
Greater Phoenix offers a pro-business climate with the infrastructure necessary to support business operations, making it no surprise that in FY24, 49 businesses located or expanded in the region.
Explore our interactive locate map to take a deeper dive into the companies that now call Greater Phoenix home.
Meet Our Investors
Through the support of local business, community, and statewide leadership, we’re proactively taking steps to assure that Greater Phoenix is the place for talent to be bred, community to be built and business to thrive.
Meet Our Team
The Greater Phoenix Economic Council team works collaboratively to support expansion and relocation projects for companies considering Greater Phoenix.
