In the News: Fourth Quarter 2023

This post contains items we have found in Arizona news web sites and economic development releases where there are job figures recorded. It also includes items from the Arizona Job Connection Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification Act (WARN) search. While this list is not a complete description of activity during the last quarter, it does provide insight into current developments that affect Arizona’s employment base. Detailed information on individual announcements is available on the Reports and Presentations page (scroll to the bottom of the page). Graphs summarizing overall trends for Arizona, Phoenix, and Tucson are below.

E-commerce and logistics firm Tradefull leased space in Goodyear last year with plans to hire 178. Washington-based pipe manufacturer Romac Industries Inc. is opening a new manufacturing and distribution facility in Goodyear that will be operational by December (no job numbers available). Amphenol Industries Operations is opening a factory in Mesa by the end of this year, creating 50 jobs. The company makes solar junction boxes, connectors and other items in the solar energy industry. Food service firm Sysco Corporation broke ground on a facility in Mesa this fall that is expected to be operational by spring 2025 and employ 257 workers. DraftKings Sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale announced that it was hiring 100 workers and held a job fair in September. Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café will open three locations in the Phoenix area between 2024 and 2027. Job estimates based on other locations indicate 25 per café. Casual dining restaurant chain Bubba’s 33 plans to build restaurants in Tempe and Goodyear with 200 employees each.

Barrow Neurological Institute is building a research center in Phoenix that will provide training for students at Creighton Medical School, Arizona State University, and University of Arizona College of Medicine and have about 56 employees. Semiconductor supplier Tokyo Electron America will occupy a facility in north Phoenix and hire 300 employees. Digital marketing company Townsquare Interactive moved into office space in downtown Phoenix and plans to hire 100 people in its first phase. Logistical Systems (LSI) opened an office in Phoenix this summer with 10 employees and possible growth to 60.

Exact Sciences Corp., a diagnostic company that provides cancer detection, intends to expand in Phoenix. The company plans a new facility with lab, office, manufacturing, and warehouse space that will create 800 new jobs. Financial technology company ZayZoon recently raised funding to expand its services. The Canadian-based company has an office in Scottsdale and reported that it grew from 55 to over 100 employees in the last year.

General Motors announced in August that it was laying off 936 employees and closing its Chandler innovation hub later this year as it adjusts its IT resources. Tech company TD SYNNEX filed a WARN notice in September indicating 71 Chandler employees were being let go. KeHE Distributors, a large food supplier with a warehouse in Goodyear, filed a WARN notice in August indicating 22 layoffs. Manufacturer Novembal USA Inc permanently closed its facility in Peoria at the end of September, a loss of 100 jobs. CVS cut about 100 corporate positions at its Scottsdale office this summer. Software company Ipro Tech, LLC notified 79 Scottsdale employees of layoffs at the end of August about the same time the company announced it was acquired by Reveal. Texas-based contract manufacturer Flex Ltd announced in August that it was closing the Tempe location effective October 31, laying off 50. There were 112 layoffs at Bank of the West corporate office in Tempe this fall. BMO Financial Group acquired Bank of the West this February. Counseling and psychiatry service Thriveworks Administrative Services, LLC listed 78 layoffs in Phoenix.  There was a WARN notice submitted in July for TransDev Services (Valley Metro Phoenix Paratransit) listing 135 positions. Alliance Ambulance of Arizona LLC filed a WARN notice for 156 workers this fall. Leclerc Foods Nutrition Arizona LLC indicated 93 workers laid off based on WARN notices. Yellow Corp ceased business at the end of July, shutting down all of its freight operations, including the facility in Phoenix. No word on the exact number of Arizona jobs that meant.

Ascent Aviation Services in Marana has a 15-year agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries to convert passenger planes into cargo planes. The company is adding hangers and about 300 employees to handle the new project. Colorado-based company MicroStar Logistics, a supplier of outsourced beer kegs, plans to build a facility in Tucson that will employ 243. Bass Pro Shops plans to open a store in Tucson at the Bridges and employ 128. This is the outdoor retailer’s first location in Southern Arizona. Manufacturer Critical Systems Inc. opened an R&D and assembly office at the University of Arizona Tech Park this summer. There were five employees when the office opened and the company expects hiring in Tucson to be “pretty significant.” Strike Photonics, Inc., which makes photonic chips used in biotechnology, electronic defense, communications, and optical computing, is planning a development hub at UA Tech Park. There were three employees there in August and plans for growing over time but no specific number was indicated.

NRS Logistics America is building a chemical and gas products distribution and storage facility in Casa Grande that will employ 30 initially and about 90 when fully operational. The facility will have temperature-controlled storage for chemicals used in semiconductor chip production and electronic vehicle manufacturing. Freepoint Eco-Systems LLC is building a commercial-scale plastics recycling facility in Eloy that will employ 100.

Centerra indicated that it let go of 129 employees at multiple locations in Arizona. The Mediterra Bakehouse in Coolidge closed this summer, affecting 20. Cannabis dispensary Nature’s Medicines in Show Low closed this summer, leaving 18 out of work. The Olde Town Grill in Winslow closed this summer, leaving 18 people without jobs. Flooring manufacturer Shaw Industries Group, Inc. closed its manufacturing operations in Yuma, letting go of 250 workers. Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc. in Yuma submitted a WARN notice saying it was laying off 64 workers this summer.