The Power Of Connections
I’m a big believer in the power of connections. Connecting with your family and your community helps maintain social and mental health. Connecting is also crucial to building a healthy, robust workforce in a global economy. The networking and partnerships we have built in Maricopa County are why we have earned the top spot in the country for talent attraction for the second year in a row.
One effective method of connecting we use in District 1 is through our partnerships at Sister Cities International. The worldwide organization was established after World War II to rebuild diplomatic relationships through cultural and educational exchanges. It has evolved into a great tool for collaboration and economic development.
As Vice-President of Arizona Sister Cities, and President of the Chandler Sister Cities, I’ve been actively involved with the organization for many years and firmly believe in the importance of these relationships.
Our Sister City relationship with Tullamore, Ireland provided many local contacts for employees from Intel’s Ireland facility who trained in Chandler.
The connection with our other Sister City, Tainan, Taiwan started as a cultural exchange through Little League baseball and has evolved into much more.
It’s a continuation of a productive friendship with Dr. William Lai, the current Vice President of Taiwan. When Dr. Lai was mayor of Tainan and I was a member of the State Transportation Board, I played a significant role in getting a reciprocal driver’s license agreement established between Arizona and Taiwan.
It’s also a continuation of a vibrant working relationship between Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, and the city of Taipei. The results of the Arizona/Taiwan connection have resulted in a significant economic impact to our region.
One of the biggest economic wins was from the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. TSMC purchased more than 1,129 acres of undeveloped land in north Phoenix to build its multibillion-dollar semiconductor factory. Construction on the first phase is expected to be completed by 2024. It is the company’s first U.S. factory in two decades and will be one of just a handful of production sites outside of Taiwan. It will also generate 1,600 more jobs in Maricopa County.
TSMC’s development helps establish this region as a leader in advanced manufacturing and semiconductor industries. It also secures American jobs for work that is increasingly going overseas. This is the second major recent win for Arizona in this field. The first was Intel’s multibillion-dollar expansion in Chandler.
Sunlit Chemical also broke ground on a north Phoenix factory, the first U.S. manufacturing facility to supply the Valley's growing chipmaking industry, including TSMC. It will commit $100 million in two phases to develop the 900,000-square-foot facility on 17 acres at Seventh Avenue and Alameda Road.
As a member of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council’s International Leadership Council, I’m pleased these relationships resulted in a signed agreement between GPEC and the Taiwan-USA Industrial Cooperation Promotion Office. This agreement will help attract and grow businesses in Maricopa County.
Leaders of the Arizona Commerce Authority and the Bureau of Foreign Trade and Ministry of Economic Affairs in Taiwan also formalized a partnership to promote economic growth between Arizona and Taiwan.
Opportunities offered by these types of foreign investments should give us confidence about our ability to compete and thrive in a global economy. They should also reinforce the importance of staying connected.
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