Member news: February 2023
Chandler-Gilbert Community College celebrates 30th anniversary
Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) was founded in 1985 to serve the higher education needs of the Southeast Valley. In 1992, CGCC was accredited as an independent college by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association. Today, with four locations and an average of 19,000 students every year, Chandler-Gilbert Community College is a fast-growing member of the Maricopa Community College system. What began as two buildings at Gilbert and Pecos roads has since grown to 667,240 square feet of state-of-the-art educational spaces across 188 acres, including the Pecos and Williams campuses, Sun Lakes Center, and the Communiversity at Queen Creek. Read more >>
Terkel guest blog: 15 tips for where to find diverse tech talent
From working with a staffing agency to looking into programs that support STEM students, here are 15 answers to the question, “Can you share your most effective tips for sourcing a sustainable talent pipeline of software engineers, especially from underrepresented backgrounds in tech?” To start, collaborating with a leading technology staffing firm in your area will give your company a steady stream of qualified developer applicants. Look for a company in your area with relevant experience and a solid reputation in the industry. Any tech company worth its salt will use this method in its hiring strategy. Read more >>
Thunderbird at ASU launches virtual reality experience in Phoenix ahead of Super Bowl
Visitors to downtown Phoenix can catch a glimpse of the city’s past and future landmarks through an augmented reality experience hosted by the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University. Thunderbird, in partnership with the city of Phoenix, created the immersive virtual reality experience, ‘Phoenix: The Global City of the Future,’ which takes place Feb. 10-11. The augmented reality experience features sites selected by local historians, including the Rosson House Museum at Heritage Square, Orpheum Theatre and several others. Read more >>
TSMC board approves company’s investment of billions in Arizona
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is moving forward with its plans to invest up to $3.5 billion for its Phoenix factory, according to a new Reuters report. The chip giant, which makes a large portion of the world’s semiconductor chips, said on Tuesday that its board had approved a plan to increase the capital investment for its Arizona factory by up to $3.5 billion. The approval comes two months after TSMC confirmed its plans to triple its investment in Arizona to $40 billion, a significant increase from its initial $12 billion investment. The potential $3.5 billion is part of the overall $40 billion investment. Read more >>
ONE Community celebrates 10-year anniversary of UNITY Pledge in support of a fully inclusive Arizona
Today marks the 10th anniversary of ONE Community’s UNITY Pledge, which is now the largest equality pledge in the nation. Ten years ago today, on February 13th, 2013, ONE Community launched the UNITY Pledge, a concerted effort by businesses, organizations and individuals who support equal treatment and inclusive non-discrimination policies in employment, housing, and public accommodations for LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies. To date, more than 3,500 businesses, 500 faith leaders and 20,000 Arizonans have taken the UNITY Pledge in support of equality and non-discrimination. Read more >>
Impact Sales Advisors LLC guest blog: Recession proof strategies for sales leaders
Sales leaders are accountable for driving sales performance in good times and bad. What “good” looks like in each scenario can make it difficult to discern if your sales strategies are really working, relative to the market. The best sales leaders adapt to changing market conditions to drive performance, regardless of the landscape. Here are two tried and true strategies to revisit when navigating a tough selling environment. Read more >>
Raytheon extends relationship with University of Arizona with expansion into tech park
Arizona defense contracting giant Raytheon Missiles & Defense has picked up some new office space at a new southern Arizona tech park. Raytheon (NYSE: RTX) becomes the first corporate tenant at the UA Tech Park at the Bridges near the University of Arizona’s main campus in Tucson. The company, whose Missiles & Defense division is also based in Tucson, said expanding there will help it in its ongoing partnership with the university. Read more >>
Qwick partnering with Super Bowl Host Committee, local businesses to fill thousands of temporary jobs
Super Bowl LVII is expected to bring a significant wave of tourists to the Valley and businesses are turning to hospitality staffing company Qwick to fill thousands of temporary positions at restaurants and events. The Phoenix-based company has partnered with the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee to become its exclusive staffing platform for several upcoming events, including the multi-day Super Bowl Experience at Margaret T. Hance Park in downtown Phoenix. Read more >>
Honeywell Aerospace to test sustainable aircraft fuels in Phoenix
Honeywell Aerospace is now testing a new kind of sustainable aviation fuel in Phoenix with the aim of making its equipment fully compatible with these new energy sources. Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) said it received its first delivery of sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, and will be using it in support development and production testing for auxiliary power units, or APUs, and propulsion engines at the company’s Phoenix Engines campus and at its repair and overhaul facility. The fuel was developed, using Honeywell refining technology, by World Energy LLC in California and was produced using renewable materials such as hydro treated esters and fatty acids, which come from vegetable oils. Read more >>
Paragon IT Professionals guest blog: 2023 tech hiring looks promising
Interest rates are up, the economy is slowing down, and recession fears abound. So where does that leave the future of IT hiring as 2023 launches? Better than expected, according to many sources. Despite economic uncertainty and significant tech layoffs in the headlines, according to CompTIA the outlook in IT is promising. Earlier this month, they recorded the 25th straight month of added tech jobs. The latest Tech Jobs Report found that tech unemployment is at 1.8%, down from 2% the month before. Further analysis, and likely no surprise, reveals that 30% of new tech job postings are in emerging fields, such as artificial intelligence. Read more >>
Fresh off merger with Arizona Grantmakers Forum, Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits looks to expand impact
The newly merged Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits and Arizona Grantmakers Forum have implemented several changes and enhancements in the new year to expand the organization’s impact in the nonprofit community. In August, the Alliance announced that Kristen Merrifield, previously CEO for Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits, would become the CEO for the newly merged organization and Laurie Liles, previously CEO for Arizona Grantmakers Forum, would become the Chief Public Policy Officer & VP, Arizona Grantmakers Forum. Read more >>
Scottsdale-based Encora acquires Pennsylvania technology services company
Scottsdale-based Encora software product engineering company announced on Thursday it acquired Excellarate, a global technology services company headquartered in Wayne, Pennsylvania. The acquisition will boost its capabilities in artificial intelligence, analytics and automation and triple its engineering workforce to more than 9,000 people worldwide. It will also increase Encora’s expertise in healthtech, fintech and insuretech, according to the company. Under the acquisition, Encora will continue to operate Excellarate’s Pennsylvania headquarters as a hub for sales activities. Read more >>
BestCompanies AZ guest blog: Top companies that support diversity through employee resource groups
Employee resource groups, also known as ERGs or affinity groups, are groups of employees who come together based on a shared characteristic or interest. They are often focused on promoting diversity and inclusion within a company. Having them can provide valuable insight into the employee experience and can help build a more inclusive workplace. This article will discuss the value of ERGs and highlight some of the best companies with commendable programs. Read more >>
Raytheon’s planned reorganization will affect company’s Arizona operations
Approximately three years since the blockbuster merger between Raytheon and UTC, the resulting Raytheon Technologies Corp. has decided to reorganize its four business units into three. The defense contractor (NYSE: RTX), one of the state’s defense contractors whose Missiles & Defense division is based in Tucson, is anticipating another year of big changes, after last year moving its headquarters from the Boston metro to Virginia to be closer to its biggest customer, the federal government. In its quarterly earnings release Tuesday, Raytheon said it plans to realign its business units around three segments, citing a need to better align with customer needs. Read more >>
Tucson tech: Longtime optics firm part of growing sensor business
When tech entrepreneur Matt Pobloske bought longtime Tucson optics firm Breault Research Organization about five years ago, the idea was to rejuvenate and grow the somewhat stagnant company. He has done that and more, hiring new engineers and key senior staff and expanding the company’s defense business. Most recently, Breault won a Navy small-business research contract to develop a next-generation missile warhead, and the company is also working on landing lights for a U.S. aircraft carrier. Read more >>
Executive Inc.: Vincit CEO Ville Houttu sees potential for tech firm to grow in Arizona
When Vincit CEO Ville Houttu moved from Finland to California to launch the company’s U.S. subsidiary in 2016, he had ambitions of tapping into a new market ripe with innovation and demand for high-end software services. The software and development company had an established presence in Finland, where it grew to more than 350 employees and went public on the Nasdaq First North marketplace. It was also named the Best Place to Work in Europe by the Great Place to Work Institute. Read more >>
DAS Technology unveils new CDXP technology features at NADA 2023
January 2023 TechCast | Mission Critical: Closing the cybersecurity workforce gap
The January 2023 episode of the Arizona Technology Council’s AZTechCast podcast featured experts including Dara Gibson, AZ president of WiCyS Phoenix and senior manager at Optiv; Susan Morris, co-owner of ABL Cyber Academy and Cogent Cyber Range; and Andrew Roberts, chief cybersecurity strategist at cStor, A MicroAge Company. These leaders joined Steve Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, and Bianca Buliga, the Council’s director of marketing and communications, in discussing how Arizona can more effectively close the gap and connect with skilled cybersecurity talent. Read more >>
Digital Air Strike strategically rebrands to DAS Technology and acquires 7th company
Digital Air Strike, the largest automotive Customer Data and Experience Platform (CDXP) company, has announced a strategic rebrand to DAS Technology. The new name reflects the company’s expanded CDXP technology solutions and unique capabilities across four divisions: Digital Air Strike, BestRide.com, LotVantage, and now AUTOVATE. Enhanced CDXP technology will be featured at the DAS Technology Booth #4059 at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Annual Convention from January 26th to 29th in Dallas, Texas. Read more >>