Arizona marked Manufacturing Month 2025 with a series of events and announcements that highlighted the state’s growth in advanced manufacturing. According to recent data, Arizona has seen a 10% increase in manufacturing employment from 2019 to 2024, which is more than ten times the national average. The state’s manufacturing GDP reached $39.2 billion in 2024, up from $28.5 billion in 2018—a nearly 38% increase and almost five times the U.S. growth rate.
Of the current projects managed by the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), about 70% are related to manufacturing, representing over 96,000 potential new jobs.
This October, Arizona hosted SEMICON West for the first time, drawing thousands of technology leaders worldwide and achieving record attendance with a 60% rise in registrations and nearly half as many more exhibitors compared to previous years. The event included several key announcements: Amkor broke ground on its $7 billion advanced packaging and test campus in Peoria; Busch Vacuum Solutions opened a new service center in Tempe; ASU partnered with Applied Materials and ACA to launch the Materials-to-Fab Center; Brewer Science opened an innovation center in Chandler; and SEMIquest debuted as an interactive semiconductor exhibit at the Arizona Science Center.
The Arizona Manufacturers Council and Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry recognized leading companies during their annual awards ceremony. Honorees included Swift Coat for renewable energy technology, Pure Wafer for semiconductor innovation, Axon for public safety technology, Copper State Bolt & Nut Co., Associated Materials Innovation for excellence in innovation, Four Peaks Brewing Company for sustainability efforts, Honeywell as winner of “Hottest Thing Made In Arizona,” and Kevin Thompson as Manufacturing Champion of the Year.
Arizona’s educational institutions also expanded their role within this sector. Arizona State University opened its Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 12 in Mesa—home to labs supporting research and workforce development in areas like robotics and AI. Pima Community College launched Tucson’s Regional Security Operations Center focused on cyber threat monitoring training. Maricopa Community Colleges’ Advanced Manufacturing Institute continues offering hands-on programs through industry partnerships.
Workforce training initiatives have grown through Future48 Workforce Accelerators across six locations statewide since launching in 2021, with another planned for Tucson.
The ACA’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) supported over 100 local manufacturers during Fiscal Year 2025 by completing nearly 200 client-specific projects resulting in more than 1,130 jobs created or retained and saving clients over $14 million.
For further information about how ACA supports manufacturers or its ongoing economic development work—which set records again in Fiscal Year 2022 by working with companies to create over 24,000 projected new jobs—visit azcommerce.com.
“The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is the state’s leading economic development organization with a streamlined mission to grow and strengthen Arizona’s economy. The ACA uses a three-pronged approach to advance the overall economy: attract, expand, create – attract out-of-state companies to establish operations in Arizona; work with existing companies to expand their business in Arizona and beyond; and help entrepreneurs create new Arizona businesses in targeted industries.”
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