One of the tenants of sustainability is economic development. We realize that in order for our enterprise to be successful, the state's business community must remain robust. That is why our company places such stock in economic development. 

Our company is dedicated to supporting economic development efforts throughout the state. We help many Arizona communities retain successful hometown companies and encourage them to create more jobs through APS’ Building Bridges to Business program and through APS’ Focused Future economic development program. 

An example of the company's commitment to economic development can be seen in Gila Bend, where APS helped Doubletree Paper establish new roots. 

In 2007, APS’ Business Development team worked with our economic development
partners to bring new business to Arizona which resulted in:

• creation of an estimated 2,420 new jobs
• new electrical load of 23 megawatts (MW)
• capital Investments of $415 million, and
• 1,247,000 square feet of new building space.

APS B3: Building Bridges to Business
A community’s greatest assets are the businesses that call it home.

Economic Development studies show that at least 76 percent of new jobs and capital investment comes from a community’s existing companies. That is why APS’ Building Bridges to Business program or B3 is investing in Arizona’s greatest assets – the businesses that call our communities home.

APS' B3 program goes beyond traditional business development to provide an innovative retention and expansion tool that addresses that needs of existing businesses and the cities and towns in which they reside. The B3 program helps economic development organizations define and analyze company and community specific information, and creates an environment for establishing relationships between businesses and their community.

With the B3 program, community leaders and economic development organizations gain a better understanding of individual business needs and insights into their local economy and each company’s role in the community’s economic future.

The B3 program utilizes an internet-based business assessment software program called Synchronist, and uses a face to face interview/survey to find and track a wide range of useful company and community specific information, such as:

• Determining benchmarks on critical economic indicators, such as value to the community, growth potential, risk of relocation or downsizing, overall satisfaction, employment trends, and tracking business and workforce status.

What Others Are Saying About B3:

“The B3 Program has allowed us to collect information in a standard format that allows comparison of businesses in this region to other parts of the co9untry. I also allows us to identify issues that need to be addressed by us, the County and the State. B3 helps us provide better services to businesses because we know what issues affect them most.”
                                         - Michelle Pierson, Economic Development Deputy Directory, City of Phoenix

Benefits to Local Community and APS

The B3 program strengthens community by helping:

• Retain and expand existing businesses
• Retain jobs and tax revenues
• Develop local firms, creating new jobs
• Enhance a community’s reputation as a good place to do business

APS’ partners include the Arizona Department of Commerce (ADOC), the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), as well as all of the rural Economic Development Departments in our Arizona communities (such as Casa Grande, Yuma, Prescott, Prescott Valley, Payson, Flagstaff, Globe and Parker.

APS Focused Future Program
Through its Focused Future program, established in 1991, APS has helped leaders from less populated areas develop community and economic development plans that will best prepare their communities for inevitable growth.  Focused Future is a step by-step process designed to empower rural communities with the ability to determine their own futures.

The program helps them:

•   Define the goals that ensure their economic futures
•   Uncover their community’s strengths and weaknesses
•   Create policies and implement practical programs that enhance their economy
•   Save time and money

To read more about the Focused Future Program, please click here

Additional APS Economic Development Initiatives:

• APS offers its economic development Web site, Explore Arizona, which provides Arizona demographic information and information on available buildings in rural communities and has now created an updated tool called Arizona Prospector www.arizonaprospector.com to help find land, buildings, and demographics with a GIS integrated system
• APS provides electric rate analysis and infrastructure evaluations for prospective companies
• APS assists its partners with site visits from site selectors and facility managers, and on occasion for the larger companies, a helicopter tour to help them get a better perspective of transportation routes and other factors
• APS helps GPEC, ADOC and our rural partners with sales missions with site selectors throughout the United States
• The APS Community Initiatives team works with Arizona communities to create business plans that emphasize quality growth with quality of life as well as leadership and other programs, all to help them become vibrant, growing communities