City of Goodyear
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Many dedicated and talented people work hard every day to keep the city of Goodyear moving forward and to provide the best resources and services that we can for our community. We do it because we love what we do, but it’s always nice to be recognized for our efforts. Here are some of the awards and acknowledgements that our city departments and employees have received for the work that they are doing:
GYR Economic Development Awarded EDO of the Year
City of Goodyear Receives Excellence in Economic Development Awards
Goodyear's Foreign Trade Zone Program and Economic Development Department Honored at the 2020 IEDC Annual Conference
City of Goodyear Economic Development won the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Gold Award for its Foreign Trade Zone Program in the Multi-Year Economic Development Program category and a Bronze Award for Economic Development Organization of the Year, in the category of EDO of the Year. The honor was presented at the awards ceremony during the IEDC Annual Conference on October 15, 2020.
“The city of Goodyear is incredibly honored to be recognized by IEDC with two highly-esteemed International Excellence in Economic Development Awards,” said Goodyear’s City Manager, Julie Arendall. “Our amazing team of economic development professionals has worked hard to attract diverse businesses and high-quality jobs, to enhance the economic well-being of our city and the quality of life for our residents. Goodyear continues to thrive and grow thanks to this dedicated and talented team who are committed to making the city a top location for businesses.”
IEDC's Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize the world's best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year's most influential leaders. 35 award categories honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Awards are judged by a diverse panel of economic and community developers from around the world, following a nomination process held earlier this year. IEDC received over 500 submissions from 4 countries.
Nestled in the Sierra Estrella and White Tank Mountains, Goodyear is a short drive from downtown Phoenix and is rapidly becoming the employment hub of the West Valley. Goodyear continually ranks as one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, and with only 13% of Goodyear’s 191 square mile planning area currently developed, there is plenty of room for future growth. City economic development staff work to leverage Goodyear’s strong aviation assets, educated workforce, and prime logistical location to attract quality employers in the aerospace and aviation, healthcare, technology, manufacturing, and retail sectors.
Goodyear has been dominating regional news headlines in recent years as a decade of insightful planning is coming to fruition. In FY19 economic development projects created 1,824 new jobs, $1.346 B in cap ex, and 3.5 M SF of new development and FY20 kept pace with 1,647 jobs, $734 M cap ex, and 2.98 M SF. Companies recently choosing to invest in Goodyear include Ball Corporation, Andersen Corporation, Chewy.com, Amazon, Microsoft, XPO/Boeing, Daimler, Ferrero Rocher and fairlife. Local media laud Goodyear as “the next economic development hot spot,” and more exciting development like coveted spec Class A office is on the horizon.
“The winners of IEDC’s Excellence in Economic Development awards represent the very best of economic development and exemplify the ingenuity, integrity, and leadership that our profession strives for each and every day”, said 2020 IEDC Board Chair and One Columbus CEO Kenny McDonald. “We’re honored to recognize the more than 100 communities whose marketing campaigns, projects and partnerships have measurably improved regional quality of life.”
About City of Goodyear
Goodyear, Arizona has a diverse blend of amenities with abundant business, cultural, educational and entertainment resources. Today, the city’s population is nearly 89,000 and features a highly educated and skilled workforce, just minutes from the heart of Downtown Phoenix. The low cost of doing business, robust transportation options, fiber connectivity and a lot of southwest charm create the right economic conditions to power any business. Goodyear is one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing regions in the nation and spring training home to MLB’s Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds. Fortune 500 companies, including Amazon, Ball, Dick's Sporting Goods, Microsoft, UPS, and Darden Restaurants have chosen Goodyear as the place to be.
About the International Economic Development Council
The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 5,000 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind. Economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities, by creating, retaining and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth and provide a stable tax base. From public to private, rural to urban and local to international, IEDC’s members are engaged in the full range of economic development experience. Given the breadth of economic development work, our members are employed in a wide variety of settings including local, state, provincial and federal governments, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities and a variety of other institutions. When we succeed, our members create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities, and improve the quality of life in their regions. Learn more at iedconline.org.
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