The Greater Phoenix Economic Council has been a great boon to Surprise’s economy since joining the group at its beginnings in 1989 — when Surprise was still a town.
You must be a member to read this story.
Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.
Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here
Otherwise, follow the link below to join.
To Our Valued Readers –
Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.
For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.
Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.
Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.
The Greater Phoenix Economic Council has been a great boon to Surprise’s economy since joining the group at its beginnings in 1989 — when Surprise was still a town.
It has broughtabout 1,500 jobs to the Surprise region and brought a return-on-investment of 18-to-1 based on newly generated taxes and revenues created by jobs and capital investment of projects introduced in and around Surprise.
So, it’s no shocker that the Surprise City Council agreed Aug. 18 to another year aligned with the group.
“We’re at the table with regional leaders every month or more,” Surprise Economic Development Director Jeanine Jerkovic told the council. “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”
The Surprise City Council agreed to pay the $66,694 fee for fiscal year 2021. Considering the return, that fee has been a bargain for Surprise.
GPEC has helped Surprise rope in numerous local employers over the years, such as IRIS USA in 2014, Central Garden and Pet and Seattle Tacoma Box Company in 2017 and the Cobalt Rehabilitation Hospital seven years ago.
Other companies GPEC hooked up with Surprise include Janus International, RioGlass Solar, Brentwood Industries, Gestamp Solar Steel and Campcorp Structures.
City documents show that over the last five years, GPEC has assisted 188 direct jobs and $44.3 million in investment in the community.
“It’s great to be part of that regional conversation and be in the thick of it,” Ms. Jerkovic said. “It helps send a message that Surprise is poised and ready for those national projects.”
She said the group provide the city with “strategic support” when we’re looking to relocate a company.
“A lot of these companies they’re bringing us, we would have never known these deals existed without a partner like GPEC initiating that conversation.”
Ms. Jerkovic said the city estimates it has generated $5.3 million in direct city revenues from its association with GPEC.
Surprise was founding member of GPEC in 1989 when the city was still a town.
Surprise is one of 22 communities in the group, which also features 175 private companies.
“They’ve added so much to our base and there’s so much more in the pipeline, which is wonderful,” Ms. Jerkovic said.
Brad Smidt, the senior vice president for business development, told the Surprise City Council he is leading an effort to recruit companies in technology, manufacturing, aviation and high-tech manufacturing.
Mayor Skip Hall asked him specifically about California companies.
“We have a California initiative, and we’ll continue to hit that and other high-cost markets, like New York and Chicago and others,” Mr. Smidt said.
As for labor, because of the rampant unemployment created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Smidt said, “there’s certainly an availability.”
Editor’s Note: Jason Stone can be reached at jstone@newszap.com.
Former NAU Lumberjack who loves going to concerts (or I did), watching sports (or I did) and hanging out with friends (oh, never mind). I also enjoy backgammon, surfing and men who are not afraid to cry.
By 
