In the News: Fourth Quarter 2024
Arizona announcements of job gain remained above announcements of job loss
This post contains items we have found in Arizona news websites 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.
Air2O Cooling LLC, which manufactures HVAC systems, plans an expansion of its north Phoenix facility, allowing for 50 additional employees. Advanced Semiconductor Materials (ASM) announced that it will place its North American headquarters in Scottsdale and plans to hire 500 new employees along with transferring 700 from its existing headquarters in Phoenix. Aftermarket aircraft parts supplier Setna iO will expand to a new facility in Tempe that will be operational by 2025 and add 120 positions. Telecommunications firm Comtech relocated its headquarters from Melville, NY, to Chander, though no word on employment figures. BP Lubricants, a division of British Petroleum, will relocate its operations from California to Surprise this fall, bringing about 21 jobs.
Amazon revealed this summer that it was opening a new fulfillment center in Goodyear that will employ about 500. Korean-based company KoMiCo, which is a leader in semiconductor equipment parts cleaning, coating, and repair, is developing a facility in Mesa that will employ over 200. Quantum Industrial Services LLC leased a facility in Mesa for a pipe fabrication shop that will employ about 200. Hyperion Technologies Inc. plans to build a manufacturing facility in Peoria that will be completed by the end of 2026 and employ 1,500 to supply equipment used in semiconductors. Brooks Rehabilitation is building a rehab hospital in north Phoenix, near the Mayo Clinic that is expected to be open by the summer of 2025 and employ more than 200. Terraline, which is developing autonomous-ready electric trucks, plans to establish an engineering headquarters in the Phoenix area that will create 30 jobs. Texas-based Home Run Dugout is bringing a location to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community near Scottsdale. The entertainment center that is described as a baseball version of Top Golf will employ 150. Wellness center and med spa firm Next Health is opening three locations in Scottsdale by the third quarter of 2025, each with 10-12 employees. San Diego-based LPL Financial Holdings Inc. leased office space in Tempe and plans to have 300 employees there by the end of the year, growing to 700 within two years.
Several retailers announced new locations in the Phoenix area this quarter. Hobby Lobby opened a store in Queen Creek earlier this year that employs about 50. Home Depot announced that it was adding stores in Surprise, Buckeye, and Maricopa. No employment information was provided, but based on previous reports, these stores typically hire 125-150 employees each. Sprouts Farmers Market opened two stores in the Valley during October, in Gilbert and Avondale. The grocery store usually employs 140 or so full- and part-time workers.
Intel announced earlier this year that it was planning job cuts, but official word on the number of cuts locally did not come until October, when a WARN listing was filed for the Chandler Ocotillo campus for 385 positions. Zevx Inc., which was formerly Zero Electronic Vehicles, filed bankruptcy this summer and is closing the company. No job numbers were released, though when the company moved to Gilbert in 2021, there had been 300 employees reported. St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Center in Phoenix laid off over 200 people this fall. Steward Health Care System, which operates the clinic, filed for bankruptcy and is selling off many of its facilities. Costume company Rubies II LLC reported to the state that it let go of 22 Phoenix employees. ABM Industry Groups LLC, which provides building maintenance and facility services, filed a WARN notice indicating 148 employees laid off in Tempe.
There was only one notice for the Tucson area this quarter. Industrial metals recycler W. Silver Recycling chose Tucson for a new facility that will employ 25.
Green Bay Packaging Inc. purchased land in Casa Grande to build a corrugated packaging facility. Myers PowerProducts, which manufactures power distribution centers, electrical pedestals, and low/medium voltage products, plans to hire 35 employees in San Luis.
LL Flooring filed bankruptcy this summer and was going out of business, affecting seven stores in Arizona; however, the company made a deal with a private equity firm headed by the founder of Lumber Liquidators (the original name of LL Flooring) to purchase the company. There were 15 layoffs in Mesa in September, but no other staffing information is available. The Papa Murphy’s location in Fort Mohave closed this fall, leaving 10 without work. Red Lobster closed its Yuma location this summer, affecting 15 workers. Daybreakers Café in Yuma let go of 10 employees this fall.