WEBMASTERS: PEDERSEN DESIGN GROUP

· Arizona was the No. 1 state for economic growth in 2005, according to the  U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
· Tucson-area businesses can serve more than 34 million people within 500  miles and more than 55 million people within a 1,000 mile radius.
· Between the years 2000 and 2004, Arizona's population exploded at three  times the rate of growth for the United States as a whole.
· In late 2006 Pima County reached a major milestone when the population  exceeded one million residents.
· Arizona is the nation's fifth-youngest state. The median age in the City of Tucson is 32.4 and in Pima County is 36.3, according to the 2005 American Community Survey.
· Today it is estimated there are more than 1,200 high-tech businesses employing 50,000 people, and growth in the high-tech and "clean" manufacturing continues.
· In 2006 Arizona was named the fastest-growing state in the country, finally surpassing Nevada -- long the country's fastest-growing state -- according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
· Fast Company magazine ranked Tucson as a Top 10 "Fast City" in 2005.
A Fast City is one that offers dense concentrations of talented people, tolerance of differences, and a great quality of life.
· Tucson is ranked #14 best performing city out of 200 largest metros
· The civilian labor pool approaches 450,000 people representing several ethnicities.
· In 2006 the Arizona Department of Economic Security reported more than 17,000 new jobs in the Tucson region, the most in one single year of Tucson's history.
· Tucson is ranked #2 in mid-sized U.S. "Hot Cities" for rapid growth entrepreneurs (source: Entrepreneur Magazine, 2005)
· For 2006, The University of Arizona was the largest public sector employer with 10,354 employees.
· Tucson’s largest private employer is Raytheon Missile Systems - 11,184
· Tucson ranked #16 high-tech location quotient (from the Milken Institute's 2005 Best Performing Cities Index)
· The Tucson region is readily connected to the global marketplace with north-south and east-west rail and highway infrastructure
· Forbes magazine’s Best Places for Business and Career: Tucson ranked No. 22 out of the 200 largest U.S. cities, Forbes magazine, May 2005.
· Tucson ranked No. 25 (out of 90 cities) in “The Top U.S. Cities for Doing Business,” Best Places, Medium Cities, from Inc. magazine, 2005.