Tucson’s employment opportunities have been predominantly service based, with many jobs tied to tourism, retail, and public service. Tucson has recognized that diversification of employment opportunities is important because a strong and diverse economy results in an increased number of quality, high-paying jobs and a higher standard of living for area residents. One way to encourage economic expansion is through implementation of an economic cluster strategy. Tucson has become a leader and a model in this area. An economic cluster is a geographic concentration of interdependent competitive firms in related industries that do business with each other. They create large, diverse pools of experienced workers; attract suppliers who tend to congregate in their vicinity for increased efficiency; and foster a competitive spirit that stimulates growth and innovative strategic alliances.
The clusters in Tucson include: Aerospace, Advanced Composite Materials, Environmental Technology Industry, Information Technology, Life Sciences, and Optics. Some of the employers who have recently relocated to the Tucson area include: American Communications Services, Inc., GW Plastics-Tucson, King Energy Services, Leoni Cable Assemblies, Polymer Chemistry Innovations, EDS Call Center, Hickory Travel Systems Reservation Center, Krebs Engineers, SATCON Technology Corp., Containers Southwest, Intuit, America Online, Cross Country Group, Opinion Research Corp.
Credit: Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
