Leaders in the field of manufacturing from across the state gathered at the Arizona Biltmore last Thursday for the Arizona Manufacturers Council’s Awards and Summit event. The event featured panel discussions and guest speakers from the industry and culminated with the Manufacturer of the Year awards ceremony recognizing those companies that have made significant positive contributions to the manufacturing and the broader state economy. 

In his opening remarks, AMC Chairman Mark Gaspers congratulated the companies represented at the event for their resiliency during the pandemic and highlighted recent significant investments, including by Intel, which is in the midst of a $20 billion expansion in Chandler.

Workforce development in focus

A panel on the state’s manufacturing sector workforce featured Darcy Renfro, the chief workforce and economic development officer for Maricopa County Community College District; Kolu Wilson, workforce program deputy administrator for the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity; Dave Garfano, executive director of the Arizona Manufacturing Extension Partnership; and was moderated by Dawn Grove, general counsel at Karsten Manufacturing and the past chair of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry and previous chair of the AMC.

The main focus of the panel was the work that various businesses and community colleges were putting in to prepare young people for the workforce. One such example is , a program at Central Arizona College that trains prospective workers for hands-on manufacturing jobs with a special focus on advanced automotive manufacturing, which is essential for the new Lucid electric vehicle plant in Casa Grande.

The panelists were in agreement that there are many programs for both workers and businesses to take advantage of to obtain additional training and recruit new skilled workers. 

Sober assessment from U.S. Rep. David Schweikert

Arizona Chamber President and CEO Danny Seiden interviewed Arizona United States Rep. David Schweikert, who spoke about the activity on Capitol Hill surrounding President Joe Biden’s attempts to pass both a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a multi-trillion-dollar social spending package known as Build Back Better, which contains a litany of tax increases that would harm job creators. 

Schweikert also urged businesses to become more involved in the issues that are pertinent to their success saying that he’s concerned “business has lost its voice.” 

Schweikert hit an optimistic tone, however, on the rate of life changing innovations hitting the market.  He spoke about the possibility of a cure for Type 2 diabetes in the near future saying that it “could be the best thing our society does.” 

Gov. Ducey touts economic achievements

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey closed out the summit portion of the program. “We’ve run a marathon in our state,” Ducey said referring to Arizona’s experience in the pandemic. 

The governor said the economy is rebounding to a point where it’s surpassing the pre-Covid economy. 

Ducey took the opportunity to remind the audience of the things that set Arizona apart from other states. He touted his administration’s work to push back against “anti-growth policies” that slow economic growth. Arizona, he said, can go toe-to-toe with other states such as Texas and Colorado in winning new job investments. 

The event concluded with an awards ceremony that honored state businesses and leaders for everything from innovation and sustainability to economic contributions. The honorees were: 

• 2021 Advocate of the Year: of the Arizona Rock Products Association and the Arizona Mining Association
• 2021 Legislator of the Year:
• 2021 Excellence in Innovation Award:  
• 2021 Excellence in Sustainability Award: 
• 2021 Small Manufacturer of the Year:
• 2021 Medium Manufacturer of the Year:  
• 2021 Large Manufacturer of the Year:  
• 2021 Economic Driver:  

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In this exclusive interview, Gov. Doug Ducey discusses his role as chair of the Arizona-Mexico Commission and why Arizona’s relationship with Mexico is important to the state.

Question: Governor, what are your duties as the chair of the Arizona-Mexico Commission?
Answer: My duties as the chair of the Arizona-Mexico Commission are to make sure that we’ve got the right people in the room so that we can best advocate for this most valued relationship that Arizona has with our number one trading partner, Mexico. It’s a position and responsibility I embrace as governor.

Q: Why do you think the work the Arizona-Mexico Commission does is important for Arizona?
A: First, I don’t think it can be stated enough that the work the Arizona-Mexico Commission does builds relationships across the border with areas of influence across the sphere—public sector, private sector and education. I come at it, first and foremost, from a commerce perspective because Mexico is our largest trading partner. I think it’s important that we maintain that relationship, but also build on it—focusing on the things we can do together, like making sure that commerce can flow more freely across the border, what we’ve done with Unified Cargo Processing, tourism, joint law enforcement efforts and more. All of these issues are real issues for both myself and Governor Claudia Pavlovich and the Arizona-Mexico Commission has been a leadership organization for solutions.

Q: What are the top trade opportunities between Arizona and Mexico in the next few years?
A: I would begin with our trade relationship and I would start with the USMCA. I’m someone who is a huge fan of this idea. I believe in free trade and if this is how we’re going to define free and fair trade. I want to make sure that Congress gets this ratified. I think another reason that the USMCA is so important is not only do we want to protect the agricultural relationship that we have with Mexico right now along with the manufacturing relationship, but it’s really these ideas of the future. It’s what’s coming that we can’t see. We’ve seen how the economy has been transformed over the past ten years; I think it’s only going to change exponentially going forward.

Q: Why is it important for Arizona to focus on maintaining and continuously build a relationship with Mexico?
A: Arizona should continually focus on its largest opportunities and its best friends and partners. I mean, you can always do more with the relationships that you already have and that are existing. We have an incredible relationship with the nation of Mexico and an incredible relationship with Sonora, which is beginning to grow with other states in Mexico. It is one where I think Arizona is the lead advocate, the ambassador state, for what can be done when you have the leader-to-leader relationships.

Q: The Arizona-Mexico Commission is celebrating its 60th anniversary, what has been its biggest achievement in the last 60 years?
A: First, I want to say happy anniversary. It is something to be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Arizona-Mexico Commission. And if I had to pick one single accomplishment, I think that would be very difficult to do. I would actually point to the totality of the relationship and how our economy is fundamentally dependent on the Sonora and Mexico economies and I believe vice versa. It shows the work ethic and the relationship that has been built by people that came long before I came into this office and it’s something that Governor Pavlovich and I both want to see outlive our administrations. We think that this type of relationship, this type of spirit and partnership and friendship that we’ve seen over the past four years is the way that it should be for the next 60 years and beyond.

Q: What is your top priority regarding our relationship with Mexico for 2019?
A: My top priority with Mexico every year is to build on the relationship. We’re seeing our economy boom here in the state of Arizona. We’re seeing our population grow at record numbers and that provides opportunity for all of our citizens, and the relationship that we have with Mexico brings jobs to the state of Arizona, it brings companies that relocate to the state of Arizona outside of our urban core. So, it’s something that’s really benefited the state of Arizona and I think if we take care of the relationship leader-to-leader, we make sure that we have the proper delegations of influencers and decision makers, we make sure we have the education exchange opportunities, that will maintain the relationship, that will help us weather whatever storm.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to mention about the Arizona-Mexico Commission?
A: I just want to say one of the things I’m most proud of as governor is what we’ve been able to do with the Arizona-Mexico Commission over the last four years. I think it’s not only been reset, it’s been refreshed and recharged for the future and I think everyone in Arizona knows what’s possible with this positive and productive relationship we have with the nation of Mexico and the state of Sonora. And I think the future has never been brighter.

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The Arizona-Mexico Commission has strengthened Arizona’s relationship with Mexico, especially Sonora, for six decades now. But, where did it all start?

Former Arizona Governor Paul Fannin founded what is now called the Arizona-Mexico Commission in 1959 following his election.

After his appointment, Gov. Fannin attended the Arizona-Sonora International Conference in Tucson held by the University of Arizona and the University of Sonora and in Hermosillo.

The intent of the conference was to expand cultural and trade relations of the two states.

“Among the things that people were discussing [was] the possibility of relationships that could be developed. And so, my dad proposed- with the consent of everybody there- that he appoint a real committee that people from Sonora and people from Arizona would develop and explore specific objectives, things that could be done to enhance and further develop the relationship between the two places, Sonora and Arizona,” Governor Fannin’s son, retired lawyer and former U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic P. Robert “Bob” Fannin said.

Gov. Fannin and the Governor of Sonora at the time, the Honorable Álvaro Obregón were motivated by the conference and decided to create a permanent Arizona-Sonora Committee.

However, Gov. Fannin knew the value of maintaining and building a relationship with Arizona’s neighbors in Sonora before his political career.

Bob Fannin explained that his father, Gov. Fannin, and his father’s brother had a business that involved propane gas tanks, gas appliances and chemical fertilizer.

There was a high-demand for Gov. Fannin’s business in Sonora, Mexico that led to a partnership with business people in Mexico.

“That’s how my dad was really heavily involved in business with Mexican citizens,” Bob Fannin explained. “It was a good relationship and I think it may have been in part to my dad’s desire to have that situation grow, to help Arizona and increase trade with Mexico which is really blossoming.”

Gov. Fannin wanted to open doors for Arizonans and Sonorans so both could benefit from economic opportunities.

“Well, I think to my dad if you have a worthwhile economic relationship, it’s really necessary to have an understanding of the other,” Fannin said.

He added, “As my dad would say, ‘No good business man would disagree with the proposition that to have a worthwhile economic relationship, there needs to be an understanding based on respect between the two parties.’”

At the first meeting after the committee was formed, leaders from both Arizona and Sonora embraced the importance of the growing relationship.

“During that meeting, my dad overheard one of the Sonoran business leaders or people say those words: ‘God let us be neighbors, let us be good neighbors,’” Fannin explained.

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