Two City of Mesa economic development projects, Santander Consumer USA and Special Devices, Inc. were recently awarded 2016 Silver Shovel Awards by Area Development, a leading site selection publication. The awards are based on a combination of factors including number of new jobs created and amount of capital invested.
Santander Consumer USA, a consumer finance company focused on vehicle finance, came to Mesa's Fiesta District to occupy Centrica, a creative 117,000 square foot adaptive reuse project converting vacant big box retail space into Class A office space. In November 2015, Santander Consumer USA announced it would employ more than 970 people over three years with an average wage of approximately $51,000 at the Mesa location. In January 2016, the company finished tenant improvements and occupied the space.
Special Devices Inc. (SDI), a manufacturer of initiators used in the production of airbag inflators, broke ground March 2015 on a 64,000 square foot expansion of its facilities in Mesa's Falcon District. SDI acquired 19.6 acres adjacent to its existing facility for the expansion, which has now been completed. The company created 175 jobs with an average annual wage of $40,000.
"I'm proud of our team's efforts in assisting exceptional companies such as Santander Consumer USA and Special Devices, Inc. locate and expand in Mesa," Bill Jabjiniak, City of Mesa Economic Development Director said. "Companies like these bring quality jobs and capital investment to our local economy."
Area Development's annual Shovel Awards recognize states for their achievements in attracting high-value projects to their communities. All 50 states were invited by Area Development to provide information about their top 10 projects initiated in 2015. States receiving the highest weighted scores based on the number of high-value added jobs, amount of investment, number of new facilities, and industry diversity were given Shovel Awards.
The full report on the 2016 Shovel Award winners is published in the Q2, 2016 issue of Area Development and is available online at www.areadevelopment.com/shovels.
Office of Economic Development
Contact: Kim Lofgreen
Tel. 480-644-3962
kim.lofgreen@mesaaz.gov