The Boeing Company’s efforts to strengthen Arizona’s talent pipeline and prepare students for careers in aerospace and advanced manufacturing earned the company statewide recognition last week from Education Forward Arizona.

Boeing received the organization’s North Star Award at its annual “An InspirED Evening” celebration Oct. 21 at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn. The award recognizes organizations whose leadership and partnerships help students pursue education, explore career opportunities and develop the skills needed to succeed in the workforce.

A major presence in Arizona’s aerospace and defense industry, Boeing has made workforce development a priority through partnerships with schools, community colleges and career and technical education programs.

“Building a strong workforce starts with helping people see what’s possible and giving them opportunities to develop their skills,” said Azeem Khan, Boeing’s vice president of attack helicopter programs and senior Mesa site executive. “Our education and community partners make that work possible, and we’re honored to share this recognition with them.”

Boeing’s workforce initiatives include cable harness training bootcamps with Mesa Community College, which help prepare participants for specialized manufacturing work.

The company is also a partner in the Aerospace & Defense Future48 Workforce Accelerator at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Mesa, an initiative designed to align workforce training with the needs of Arizona’s growing aerospace and defense sector.

Another partnership supports the East Valley Institute of Technology’s STEM Academy at its Power Campus, helping introduce students to science, technology, engineering and mathematics and the career opportunities available in those fields.

Boeing’s commitment extends to its existing workforce. Through its Learning Together Program, the company provides tuition assistance to employees pursuing additional coursework, professional credentials and degrees.

The investments reflect the increasingly important relationship between education and economic development as Arizona competes for advanced manufacturing projects and the skilled workers needed to support them.

Boeing has been a major Arizona employer since 1982, with operations that include rotorcraft development, manufacturing and other aerospace-related functions. Its Mesa presence is a significant part of the state’s aerospace and defense industry

The company’s education investments also begin well before students enter the workforce. In a separate announcement this month, the Arizona Educational Foundation received a $100,000 grant from Boeing to bring aerospace career exploration to 1,500 Mesa Public Schools students.

The grant supports the foundation’s Spheres of Industry program, which introduces kindergarten through eighth-grade students to career opportunities through hands-on learning projects. It marks the fourth year of Boeing’s support for the foundation.

“Building the aerospace talent pipeline starts well before students choose a career or enter the workforce,” said Kristin Sorensen, Boeing’s senior government and community relations specialist. “Through hands-on, career-connected learning, Spheres of Industry helps students see how the skills they’re developing today can open doors to future opportunities.”

Boeing was one of three honorees recognized at Education Forward Arizona’s celebration, which brought together hundreds of education, business and community leaders.

Dr. Sybil Francis, chair, president and CEO of the Center for the Future of Arizona, received the Luminary Award for her longstanding leadership in education and her work to advance a shared vision for Arizona’s future.

Francis co-founded the Center for the Future of Arizona and has championed its Arizona We Want initiative. The center also partnered with Education Forward Arizona to develop the Arizona Education Progress Meter, which tracks the state’s performance on key education indicators.

Entrepreneur Lorena Valencia received the Stellar Achievement Award. Valencia founded Reliance Wire and Cable in Arizona in 1999 and grew the company into an automotive supply business with more than 200 employees and operations in the United States and Mexico.

“Education and economic development go hand in hand,” Valencia said. “When we invest in education, we’re also investing in the future of our communities.”

Rich Nickel, president and CEO of Education Forward Arizona, said the honorees demonstrate how collaboration among educators, employers and community leaders can create greater economic opportunity. “Education creates opportunity for individuals and helps build the skilled workforce Arizona needs,” Nickel said. “This year’s honorees show how leaders across sectors can turn that connection into meaningful progress.”

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Intel says construction and equipment installation are underway at its Fab 62 facility in Chandler, with operations expected to begin by the end of 2028, another expansion of Arizona’s role in American semiconductor manufacturing.

The factory will become the sixth high-volume manufacturing facility at Intel’s Ocotillo campus. Naga Chandrasekaran, executive vice president and chief technology and operations officer of Intel Foundry, outlined the progress in a company update on its U.S. research and manufacturing investments.

The project builds on an Arizona presence stretching back nearly half a century. Intel describes its investment in two new Arizona factories at $32 billion and estimates its existing annual economic impact in the state at $10.7 billion, reflecting a footprint that reaches beyond its campuses to local suppliers and service providers.

“Semiconductor manufacturing brings together breakthroughs in physics, materials science, chemistry and engineering at extraordinary precision and scale,” Chandrasekaran said. “It employs thousands of scientists, researchers, engineers, technicians and manufacturing professionals who work together to transform those breakthroughs into technologies used around the world.”

Building on Fab 52

The expansion follows the opening of Fab 52, Intel’s fifth high-volume factory at Ocotillo and a manufacturing site for its Intel 18A technology.

At a technology event in Arizona last year, Intel showcased the facility and processors built using that technology, including Panther Lake, designed for personal computers, and Clearwater Forest, designed for servers. The company described Intel 18A as the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing process developed and manufactured in the United States.

The two factories represent successive steps in expanding Chandler’s manufacturing capacity: Fab 52 brought Intel’s latest chipmaking technology into production, while Fab 62 is moving through construction and equipment installation toward its anticipated opening.

Preparing Arizona’s workforce

Arizona’s semiconductor expansion also requires a workforce prepared to operate and maintain sophisticated manufacturing facilities.

The Arizona Commerce Authority supported Intel’s first U.S. registered apprenticeship program for manufacturing facility technicians with a $4 million investment. The program adds a training pathway for workers entering an industry with opportunities extending beyond engineering and research positions.

The state also has invested in a semiconductor-focused Future48 Workforce Accelerator at GateWay Community College in Phoenix. Announced in November 2024, the initiative was designed to provide hands-on instruction with industry partners including Intel, TSMC and NXP. Together, those efforts connect Arizona’s manufacturing investments with its community college and workforce training systems.

An Arizona anchor for domestic manufacturing

Intel’s Arizona operations also encompass advanced packaging research and development, assembly and testing, placing the state in several stages of semiconductor development and production. Chandrasekaran’s update framed those capabilities as part of a domestic network linking research, manufacturing and suppliers. For Arizona, the next milestone is concrete: bringing another major Chandler chip factory into operation by the end of 2028.

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From copper production and steelmaking to food products and beverages, Arizona’s manufacturing industry was in the spotlight as the Arizona Manufacturers Council (AMC) gathered last week for its annual Manufacturer of the Year Awards.

The event brought together manufacturing executives, business leaders, and elected officials to recognize companies and individuals helping drive one of Arizona’s most important industries.

The honorees represented a broad cross-section of the state’s manufacturing economy, including longtime Arizona employers, companies making significant new investments, and industry advocates who have helped strengthen the state’s business environment.

Here are some of the highlights from the celebration.

Florence Copper celebrates a major milestone

For Florence Copper, the recognition came during a milestone year.

The company began producing copper in February, becoming the country’s first major new source of copper in nearly two decades.

And production is ramping up quickly.

According to company representatives, Florence Copper produced nearly 14 million pounds of copper between the start of operations and the end of September.

The company also highlighted its use of an innovative in-situ copper recovery process, which allows it to extract copper without the traditional open-pit mining approach.

In accepting the award, Florence Copper representatives thanked the company’s employees and a long list of community partners, including the town of Florence, local elected officials, the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce, the Florence Unified School District, and state and county leaders.

Nucor continues to bet on Arizona

Steelmaker Nucor used its moment in the spotlight to highlight the role its products play in major construction and infrastructure projects.

From bridges to other large-scale applications, the company emphasized the importance of American-made steel.

Nucor said it’s on track to produce 300,000 tons of steel from its Arizona steelmaking operations, another sign of the company’s commitment to manufacturing in the state.

Company representatives thanked the AMC and Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry for recognizing manufacturers and advocating for policies that support the industry.

Shamrock Foods: More than a century of Arizona roots

Few companies can claim Arizona roots as deep as Shamrock Foods.

The family-owned company has called Arizona home for more than 100 years, growing into a major food manufacturer and distributor serving customers across the country.

Company representatives reflected on that history while accepting their award, emphasizing Shamrock’s commitment to Arizona communities and the employees who help produce and deliver its products nationwide.

For a company whose history stretches back more than a century, the recognition was another chapter in a longstanding Arizona success story.

Swire Coca-Cola: A global brand with a local footprint

Coca-Cola may be one of the world’s most recognizable brands, but representatives of Swire Coca-Cola reminded attendees that its operations have a distinctly local connection.

The company highlighted its Arizona manufacturing presence and the employees who help bring familiar beverages to consumers.

The company was recognized for its commitment to sustainability, including recycling, water stewardship, and community engagement.

Valley Forge and Bolt recognizes the people behind the products

Valley Forge and Bolt representatives used their time at the microphone to thank the AMC for the recognition and acknowledge the employees whose work has helped build the company.

The company, which has approximately 100 employees, was represented at the ceremony by several members of its team.

Its representative reflected on more than three decades of experience in the industry and expressed appreciation for the recognition.

The remarks were a reminder that behind Arizona’s manufacturing growth are the workers and teams who make it possible.

In addition to being recognized as Small Manufacturer of the Year, Valley Forge also won the Hottest Thing Made in Arizona competition for its Wireless SPC4 Load Indicating System, a technologically advanced industrial fastener that allows users to remotely monitor whether studs or bolts have lost their clamp load.

Rep. Michael Carbone recognizes the importance of infrastructure

The awards weren’t limited to companies.

State Rep. Michael Carbone was also recognized for his work on behalf of Arizona manufacturing and the broader business community.

Carbone reflected on his arrival at the Legislature four years ago and his early involvement in legislation addressing infrastructure needs.

He emphasized the importance of roads, water, and other infrastructure to Arizona’s continued economic development, describing those investments as fundamental responsibilities of government.

Carbone also acknowledged the work of his legislative colleagues and thanked the AMC and Arizona Chamber for their advocacy.

Steve Macias reflects on manufacturing’s growth

For Steve Macias of Pivot Manufacturing, winner of the Arizona Success Story award, the recognition was an opportunity to reflect on both his career and the evolution of Arizona’s manufacturing industry.

Macias recalled becoming involved with the Arizona Manufacturers Council roughly 25 years ago, when the organization and the state’s manufacturing sector looked considerably different.

He described the growth of the AMC and the expansion of Arizona’s manufacturing base, which now includes an increasingly diverse mix of companies and industries.

Even after decades in manufacturing, Macias made clear that he sees plenty of opportunity ahead, both for Pivot Manufacturing and for Arizona’s industrial economy.

Celebrating the people who make things

The awards ceremony offered a snapshot of the breadth of Arizona manufacturing.

There were companies with more than a century of history, businesses expanding their operations, manufacturers introducing new production methods and advocates helping ensure the industry has a voice at the state Capitol.

Their products may be different, but the honorees shared a common theme: a commitment to making things in Arizona, creating jobs, and contributing to the state’s economic future.

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From transportation and water infrastructure to advanced manufacturing facilities, Sundt Construction has helped build Arizona’s economy since 1929. Headquartered in Tempe, the 100% employee-owned company is investing in new facilities, workforce training and technologies to support the state’s next chapter of growth. In this Chamber Business News Spotlight, Sundt’s Alex Charland discusses the company’s new Apache Junction manufacturing facility, its commitment to careers in the skilled trades and how employee ownership shapes its approach to building Arizona’s future.

Tell us about Sundt Construction and its footprint in Arizona. 

Alex Charland, president, advanced facilities: Sundt is headquartered in Tempe and has been active in Arizona since 1929. We have built the infrastructure and facilities that help communities and economies grow, from transportation and water treatment systems to mining, advanced manufacturing, data centers and other complex industrial work, just to name a few. 

We are also 100% employee-owned by more than 5,500 employee-owners. That matters because the people planning the work, managing projects and building in the field have a direct stake in Sundt’s long-term success. Our craft professionals, engineers, and support teams are building their own futures alongside the projects they deliver. 

Safety is foundational to that commitment. Sundt is the only company to have earned the Grand Safety Award three times by the Associated General Contractors of America. We see workforce development, employee ownership and safety as connected: We want our people to have the training, opportunity and ownership stake to build a long career and to return home safely every day. 

Sundt recently broke ground on a 65,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Apache Junction. What should Arizonans and the business community know about this project? What role does off-site manufacturing play in supporting Arizona’s construction growth? 

Our new Apache Junction facility is a meaningful investment in Arizona’s industrial future and in the people who will build it. The 65,000-square-foot facility will include manufacturing and fabrication space, engineering and design offices, and a regional employee training center. It is expected to create approximately 100 new jobs in its first phase, with room to expand as demand grows. 

The facility will allow us to manufacture modular components (especially mechanical, electrical, and process, or MEP, systems) for a wide variety of industrial, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects. Off-site manufacturing and fabrication give teams a more controlled environment to produce components with consistency and precision before they arrive at the jobsite. 

That has several benefits. It can reduce traffic and material movement in and out of jobsites, improve schedule reliability, and create safer, more predictable working conditions for our employee-owners. It also creates quality career opportunities closer to home for people in the Apache Junction community. 

Arizona’s economy is growing because companies are investing in advanced manufacturing and industrial production here. Our job is to help provide the facilities and infrastructure that make that growth possible. This facility strengthens our ability to do that while creating jobs, developing skills, and keeping more of that economic activity in Arizona. 

What does being 100% employee-owned mean for Sundt and its employees? 

Employee ownership means that, after meeting a one-year tenure and minimum-hours-worked threshold, every eligible employee can participate in Sundt’s ESOP. It is not reserved for executives, office roles, or a select group of employees. Craft professionals, skilled-trades workers and administrative team members all can become owners. 

That creates a different kind of workplace. Our people are invested in doing work safely, solving problems early, protecting quality and building strong relationships because they are not just working for the company. 

Employee ownership can also reshape retirement outcomes. We have seen people who spent their careers in the skilled trades or in administrative support roles build real retirement security that you don’t see in other structures. That is one reason we believe construction can offer an exceptional career: It is an opportunity to learn a valuable trade, earn a strong living, support a family, and share in the long-term success of the company. 

As an employee-owned business, we can make decisions with a longer view. We are focused on the health of our people, the success of our clients and the communities where we work, not short-term returns for outside investors. 

Sundt has emphasized semiconductor manufacturing expertise and created a dedicated Advanced Facilities Group. What differentiates your team in advanced manufacturing? 

Advanced manufacturing facilities demand a different level of planning, coordination, and execution. These are highly technical environments where precision, process reliability, schedule and safety all matter at once. 

Our teams, including our Advanced Facilities Group, bring together people with deep experience delivering complex industrial systems. We also have robust self-perform MEP capabilities, which gives us more direct control over critical work and helps our teams coordinate complex systems from preconstruction through installation and startup. 

Beyond the manufacturing facilities themselves, one area where our teams have developed significant capability is industrial water and wastewater treatment with a focus on water reuse and recycling. Those systems are essential to the next generation of sustainable semiconductor and advanced manufacturing facilities, and they require a high degree of technical understanding and disciplined project delivery. 

What differentiates Sundt is not simply that we build large facilities. It is that we understand the integrated systems inside them and can bring the right people, processes, and self-perform capability to execute demanding work with fewer handoffs and less uncertainty. Our teams know how to work collaboratively with clients and trade partners to identify issues early, manage risk, and keep projects moving. 

Which innovation tools are having the biggest impact at Sundt, and why is Arizona a strong place for companies to embrace innovation? 

We have embraced AI because construction has many real-world challenges it can help solve when it is supported by clean, reliable data and guided by experienced people. Technology is most useful when it helps our teams make better decisions, improve safety, increase productivity, or see potential problems sooner. 

We are also investing in automation in practical ways. Sundt is partnering with Bedrock Robotics on automated excavators. We have deployed a robotic survey device to regularly walk a major jobsite, and we have piloted semi-autonomous heavy-equipment systems on solar fields. These tools can help improve consistency, capture better jobsite information and allow skilled people to focus their time where their judgment matters most. 

Arizona is a strong place to embrace innovation because it has shown a willingness to welcome and test new technologies. Phoenix was among the cities willing to pilot Waymo alongside San Francisco, and Bedrock Robotics shares roots with that same ecosystem. That openness matters. 

There is a positive feedback loop at work in Arizona. The state’s willingness to support advanced technology companies has helped attract major investment. In turn, those projects have helped cultivate builders, trade partners, and skilled workers capable of delivering some of the country’s most demanding industrial systems. That makes Arizona even more attractive to the next generation of advanced manufacturing and technology companies. There is a reason Semicon is moving permanently to Arizona. 

Why is Arizona a great place to do business, and how does Arizona fit into Sundt’s growth strategy? 

Arizona is home, and it will remain central to our growth strategy. We build across the country, with a focus on fast-growing markets that value collaborative project delivery, but headquarters are here. 

We are active in Arizona across our full range of work, from heavy civil infrastructure to industrial, institutional and commercial projects. We built our training facility and Center for Craft Excellence in Phoenix, we’re underway on our dedicated off-site manufacturing facility in Apache Junction, and we are preparing to expand our headquarters into a full campus in Tempe. 

Those investments reflect confidence in Arizona’s future. The state has a growing economy, an increasingly diverse industrial base and a business community that understands the importance of infrastructure, workforce development, and long-term partnership. Sundt intends to keep investing alongside our fellow Arizonans. 

Recent news has highlighted Sundt’s Apache Junction manufacturing investment, safety recognition, outreach to Pima JTED and ACE Mentor, and acquisition of IPS. What do these milestones say about where Sundt is headed in Arizona? 

Together, these milestones show a future-focused, long-term strategy. We are investing in the capacity, people and partnerships Arizona needs to continue growing. 

Our Apache Junction facility will expand our off-site manufacturing and fabrication capabilities. Our safety recognition reflects a commitment to the wellbeing of the people doing the work. Partnerships with organizations such as Pima JTED and ACE Mentor help introduce young people to construction careers and create pathways into the skilled trades. And our acquisition of IPS strengthens the self-perform electrical and instrumentation capabilities we can bring to increasingly complex work. 

We are also the largest provider of U.S. Department of Labor-registered construction apprenticeships in Arizona, with seven programs offered in English and Spanish through our training campus near downtown Phoenix and community-college partners. Participation has quadrupled over the past two years, and we anticipate that growth to continue. 

That’s the future we are working toward: an Arizona where people can build rewarding careers, businesses can grow with confidence, and the infrastructure and facilities being built today support a thriving state for generations to come. 

The post Spotlight AZ: Sundt appeared first on Chamber Business News.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin visited Arizona Tuesday to announce proposed approval of Maricopa County Rule 204, an emissions-reduction program intended to help businesses invest and expand while improving air quality.

The announcement followed a roundtable with business leaders and elected officials. Rule 204 would allow qualifying voluntary emissions reductions from nonroad engines and equipment to generate credits that new or expanding major facilities could use to satisfy federal Clean Air Act offset requirements.

Speaking at the announcement, Zeldin praised the county and business community for finding practical ways to support growth while working toward compliance with federal ozone standards.

“They aren’t increasing emissions and they aren’t breaking federal requirements,” he said. “They are finding new innovative ways to work within their circumstances.”

The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry welcomed the proposal as an important step toward addressing a longstanding shortage of emissions credits that can constrain economic development.

“This is an important win for cleaner air, economic growth and the kind of practical problem-solving Arizona does best,” Chamber President and CEO Danny Seiden said.

Rule 204 would create a financial incentive for owners of equipment such as construction machinery and railroad locomotives to upgrade to cleaner technology. Qualifying reductions could then generate credits for facilities seeking to build or expand.

“For more than a decade, Arizona’s business community has worked to expand the tools available to reduce emissions while giving companies a workable path to invest, expand and create jobs,” Seiden said. “Rule 204 does exactly that: when businesses voluntarily replace older equipment with cleaner technology and achieve real, measurable emissions reductions, those reductions can help make continued economic growth possible.”

Parts of Maricopa County are designated as being in moderate nonattainment of federal ozone standards. Major facilities seeking to build or expand in the affected area must obtain permits and offset increases in emissions.

Under the proposed program, equipment owners that permanently reduce nitrogen oxide or volatile organic compound emissions could trade qualifying reductions as credits to those facilities. EPA said the approach could support industries including high-tech manufacturing and power generation, and that it does not expect the rule to increase emissions in the area.

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chair Kate Brophy McGee greeted the announcement with enthusiasm.

“I have been in public service for over 25 years and my dream has come true,” she said, drawing laughter from the audience.

Brophy McGee praised regulators for listening and using incentives, saying Rule 204 could help preserve the county’s quality of life while supporting its economic expansion.

“This plan demonstrates how a healthy environment and growing economy can work together,” she said. “By incentivizing rather than punishing job creators, implementing Maricopa County’s Rule 204 will improve the quality of the air we breathe while enabling key industries to continue investing in our community.”

Supervisor Thomas Galvin called the announcement “a victory for our environment, the economy, and common-sense regulation reform.”

Arizona Commerce Authority President and CEO Sandra Watson said the proposal would strengthen Arizona’s competitiveness and support responsible growth. She credited Gov. Katie Hobbs, Maricopa County and other partners, and recognized Seiden and the Chamber for their leadership in advancing the measure.

Seiden also thanked county officials, the governor and federal and state lawmakers from both parties for helping bring the proposal to this point.

“Protecting air quality and maintaining a strong economy do not have to be competing goals, and once again Arizona is showing the rest of the country how smart policy can advance both,” he said.

EPA’s announcement represents proposed approval. The agency said it will hold a 30-day public comment period before taking final action.

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Arizona has a champion headed to Washington, D.C., and he’s bringing three years of preparation, a passion for civics and a few ideas about making housing more affordable.

Shaurya Arora, Arizona’s state Civics Bee champion, will represent the Grand Canyon State at the National Civics Bee, where he’ll test his knowledge alongside other state champions.

For Arora, the trip is both a competitive opportunity and a chance to find his people.

“I’m very excited about going to Washington, D.C., and being able to meet other people who share a passion about civics, just like me,” he said.

His road to the national stage began in sixth grade, when his parents learned about the competition. Already interested in history and civics, Arora saw an opportunity to take those interests beyond the classroom.

He entered, kept studying and kept coming back. This year, that persistence paid off with a state championship.

A community issue becomes a civics project

The competition involves more than knowing the right answers. Arora’s submission for the essay portion of the contest explored an issue he had noticed affecting people around him: housing affordability.

Rising home prices, mortgage rates and limited housing supply caught his attention. So did the consequences for families trying to find a stable place to live or achieve the dream of homeownership.

His research examined Arizona’s response to the issue and ways he could help, from volunteering with housing assistance organizations to working with city agencies and councils to support vulnerable families.

The assignment gave him a chance to connect his interest in government with a practical community challenge.

“I wasn’t very educated on this topic, and I learned a lot,” he said.

That same topic will travel with him to nationals, where his original essay carries forward.

Keeping cool when the questions get tough

Arora is quick to say that the Civics Bee requires serious preparation.

Over three years, he has used study guides, online learning resources and his own notes to build his knowledge. His advice: Read carefully, remember what you’ve learned and do more than skim.

On competition day, he concentrated on processing each question and answering within the time limit, keeping nerves from interfering with his thinking.

That didn’t mean he felt certain of victory. Scoreboard updates came every 10 questions, and after the multiple-choice portion, he believed he had fallen behind.

“I wasn’t really sure about getting first place,” he said.

But the competition wasn’t over. By the end, Arizona had its champion—and Arora had a trip to Washington to prepare for.

With school back in session, Arora has been balancing classwork with preparations for nationals. He’s returning to his civics studies with an eye toward the bigger stage ahead.

The trip will also include a tour of important Washington sites, adding a chance to see some of the places connected to the subjects he has spent years studying.

And yes, he has thought about what it would be like to win the whole thing.

“It would be very cool to win the whole competition,” he said.

For now, he’s sticking with the approach that got him this far: steady preparation and a willingness to keep learning.

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A federal appeals court has left in place a ruling allowing the land exchange tied to the Resolution Copper project to move forward, rejecting a request to reconsider the case. 

The Sept. 29 decision means the Ninth Circuit will not rehear the case after a three-judge panel earlier this year declined to block the exchange. 

The case is part of the long-running legal fight over the proposed Resolution Copper mine in eastern Arizona. 

The project would develop one of the largest untapped copper deposits in the country. Resolution Copper says the mine could eventually supply up to 25% of U.S. copper demand and support about 3,700 direct and indirect jobs at full production. The company estimates the project could generate up to $61 billion in economic value for Arizona over its operating life.  

Resolution Copper has been in development for more than two decades, with the project moving through federal environmental review, permitting and litigation over the land exchange. The proposed underground mine near Superior is a joint venture between Rio Tinto and BHP. 

Congress authorized the land exchange needed for the project, which involves federal land in the Tonto National Forest. Opponents have challenged the exchange on environmental and religious-freedom grounds, including concerns over Oak Flat, a site sacred to the Western Apache. 

After a three-judge panel declined to block the exchange, opponents asked the Ninth Circuit to reconsider the case. The request failed to win enough support from the court’s active judges. 

Several judges disagreed with that decision. In dissents accompanying the order, they argued that the court should reconsider how federal religious-freedom law applies to the land exchange and its effects on religious practices at Oak Flat.  

Supporters of the project, meanwhile, have argued that its lengthy review and litigation history underscores the need for legal certainty and a clear path forward. 

The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry participated in the underlying appeal as an amicus curiae, or friend of the court. 

“This is a significant decision for Resolution Copper and for the broader principle that major projects cannot remain tied up in litigation indefinitely,” said Mike Bailey, general counsel for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry. “This project has been through years of federal review, permitting and court challenges. The Ninth Circuit has now declined another request to revisit the case, and that kind of legal certainty matters when companies are making multibillion-dollar investment decisions that support thousands of jobs and strengthen domestic supply chains.” 

The Sept. 29 order does not necessarily end the litigation, but it closes the door on rehearing the case before the Ninth Circuit. The earlier ruling allowing the land exchange to proceed remains in effect.  

Photo courtesy of Resolution Copper.

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The Arizona Court of Appeals, Division Two has upheld the rejection of two referendum petitions challenging zoning approvals for a proposed Marana data center project, ruling that the petitions failed to meet Arizona’s strict legal requirements for referenda. 

The decision affirms an earlier Pima County Superior Court ruling and leaves the Marana Town Council’s January zoning approvals in place. 

The dispute centered on referendum petitions that were circulated with incomplete copies of the zoning ordinances. 

Arizona law requires referendum petitions challenging zoning decisions to include the full and correct text of the ordinance, along with a legal description of the affected property. Courts have long required strict compliance and construction with those requirements.  

In this case, although still publicly available, the Marana town clerk initially provided referendum organizers with copies of the ordinances that were missing required exhibits containing additional legal descriptions of the properties. Those versions were then used to collect signatures. The town later corrected the omission, but the clerk ultimately rejected the petitions because the documents circulated to voters were incomplete.  

Referendum supporters argued that they had relied on the official documents provided by the town. The Court of Appeals acknowledged the town’s mistake but reiterated that under Arizona law, responsibility for complying with referendum requirements ultimately rests with the proponents circulating the petitions. 

“Regardless of whose mistake leads to a lack of strict compliance with the referendum petition statutes, a referendum petition may not move forward if its proponent fails to strictly comply with the statutory and constitutional provisions,” the court wrote. 

The court also found that the missing exhibits were expressly part of the ordinances themselves and included information about the property rights affected by the zoning changes, including water rights.  

The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry participated in the case as an amicus curiae, or friend of the court.  

“This is an important decision for the consistent application of Arizona’s referendum laws,” said Vanessa Pomeroy, chief counsel of the Arizona Chamber Legal Center. “The court made clear that strict compliance means strict compliance for referendum petition proponents. Clear, predictable statutory and constitutional requirements are important for voters, communities and businesses alike.” 

The court separately addressed an attempt by the referendum committee to withdraw the petitions after they had been filed. It held that the power to withdraw a petition signature belongs to the individual voter who signed it, not to the committee that collected the signatures.  

For developers and local governments, the ruling adds clarity around the referendum process at a point when land-use challenges can create uncertainty for major development and investment decisions. 

The three-judge panel unanimously affirmed the Superior Court’s judgment in favor of the Town of Marana.  

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Arizona’s small business owners know that the health of our economy depends on more than hard work — it depends on the strength of the institutions that support our communities. That’s why Banner Health’s continued investment in Arizona’s small business ecosystem deserves recognition, and why it should serve as a model for how anchor institutions and local entrepreneurs can grow together.

As Arizona’s largest private employer and a locally governed nonprofit health system with hospitals and clinics serving urban and rural communities across the state, Banner Health supports billions of dollars in annual economic activity while reinvesting in the people and communities it serves.

Health systems like Banner are often thought of purely in clinical terms — as places we go when we’re sick or when a loved one needs care. But in communities across Arizona, Banner functions as something more. It is the state’s largest private employer, a major purchaser of local goods and services, and a steady source of demand for everything from construction and facilities management to catering, technology, and professional services. When a health system chooses to build local supplier relationships, mentor small vendors, and invest in workforce pipelines, the ripple effects reach far beyond its hospital walls.

This matters because small businesses are the backbone of Arizona’s economy. They make up the vast majority of employers in this state, and they are disproportionately vulnerable to the ups and downs of local demand. A single new contract with an institution the size of Banner can be the difference between a small business surviving its first five years and closing its doors. Multiply that across dozens of vendors, contractors, and service providers, and you start to see how one institution’s purchasing decisions can shape the trajectory of entire local economies — from Phoenix to rural and border communities that don’t always have easy access to large-scale opportunity.

Supporting small business isn’t charity for a health system like Banner — it’s smart economics. Local vendors tend to be more responsive, more invested in the community’s outcomes, and more likely to reinvest their earnings close to home. Every dollar spent with an Arizona small business tends to circulate further within the state than a dollar spent with an out-of-state vendor. That’s the kind of multiplier effect that policymakers spend years trying to engineer through incentive programs. Banner is achieving it simply by choosing to prioritize local partnerships.

We should also recognize what this means for the resilience of our health care infrastructure itself. A hospital system that is embedded in its local business community — one that understands the needs of its small vendors and invests in their success — is a system that is more connected to the economic realities of the people it serves. That connection matters when it comes to workforce recruitment, community trust, and long-term sustainability, especially as Arizona’s population continues to grow and diversify.

None of this means the work is finished. Arizona’s small businesses continue to face real challenges: rising costs, workforce shortages, and uneven access to capital and contracting opportunities, particularly for businesses owned by women, veterans, and entrepreneurs of color. We would encourage Banner, and other large institutions across the state, to continue expanding transparent pathways for small and diverse suppliers to compete for contracts, and to treat local economic development as a core part of their mission rather than a side initiative.

That commitment matters. As a locally governed nonprofit health system, it reinvests in Arizona — supporting local businesses, strengthening communities, and improving the health of the people who live here.

Arizona’s small businesses are ready to be that kind of partner. We hope more of the state’s largest institutions follow Banner’s lead.

Steve Kaiser is CEO of the Arizona Small Business Association, a nonpartisan advocate for small businesses across the state.

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A national competition launched by Philip Morris International’s U.S. businesses is offering $250,000 to help locally developed ideas grow into scalable solutions for communities across the country.

The Community Futures Challenge will award $250,000 across five grants of $50,000 each to eligible nonprofit organizations. Applications are open through Nov. 30.

Arizona State University is serving as the program’s official judging partner, while an independent panel will evaluate submissions based on community impact, feasibility, innovation, sustainability and the strength of the project team. Pacheco Ventures operates the challenge.

Eligible projects can range from early-stage concepts to pilot programs and initiatives already beginning to scale. Organizers point to workforce development, economic mobility, public infrastructure, civic technology and entrepreneurship among the types of community challenges the competition is designed to address.

The effort recognizes that many promising solutions are already being developed in communities across the country but need additional capital and partnerships to have broader impact.

The competition is being paired with a five-city Innovator Series Tour bringing together business, government, nonprofit and community leaders to discuss how locally developed ideas can move from concept to broader impact.

The tour recently stopped in Stamford, Connecticut, where participants included Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons, University of Connecticut President Radenka Maric and Daniel O’Keefe, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development. 

Stamford is one of five stops on the tour alongside Nashville, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville and Phoenix.

The Stamford discussion focused on the role local leadership, entrepreneurship and investment can play in turning community-based ideas into scalable solutions. The event was held at PMI U.S.’s headquarters wither representatives from government, business, media and non-profit organizations as part of the company’s broader America250 initiative.

The Community Futures Challenge is open to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations serving defined communities anywhere in the United States. Finalists are expected to be notified in January, with winners announced in early 2027.

Applications are open through Nov. 30 at america250cfc.org.

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