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Arizona’s skilled talent pipeline, pro-business climate and high quality of life paired with SRP’s reliable sources of power and water made the state an ideal choice for Benchmark Electronics’ relocation in 2017.
Company background
Benchmark Electronics is a global engineering, design, and integrated electronics manufacturing company. The company works with customers to help take their product ideas and bring them to life, supporting the aerospace & defense, medical, industrial, communications and computing industries.
Benchmark ships around $6 million worth of product every single day, so sustainable and reliable power is imperative. This need was one of many factors the company considered when choosing to relocate its corporate headquarters from Angleton, Texas, to Tempe, Arizona, in 2017.
Relocating to Tempe, Arizona
Arizona’s skilled talent pipeline, pro-business climate, high quality of life, and reliable sources of power and water made it Benchmark’s location of choice. The state’s geographic position was also a key factor in the decision, allowing Benchmark to leverage greater access to customers worldwide.
Benchmark CEO Jeff Benck said the city of Tempe felt like a great fit because of the supportive business community and proximity to Arizona State University, ranked #1 in the U.S. for Innovation by U.S. News & World Report.
Choosing SRP service territory
Benck said that SRP’s commitment to sustainability aligned with Benchmark’s ideals.
We're not just looking for power for power's sake. We need efficient power that's available and that you can count on. Same thing about renewable water sources. It's super important that we can count on SRP to be there for us.
Jeff Benck
CEO, Benchmark Electronics
Most recently, SRP worked with Benchmark to expand their renewable energy use with rebates to support the installation of electric vehicle (EV) chargers in their Tempe and Mesa locations.
Impact
Benchmark’s move to Arizona created hundreds of jobs in the community. They also support the future workforce by fueling the state’s talent pipeline with highly qualified candidates.
In 2023, Benchmark sponsored 20 students in the Phoenix area to complete the computer numerical control (CNC) machinist program at Grand Canyon University (GCU). CNC is a high-demand trade that uses computers to precision-manufacture parts. Benchmark has committed to hiring students who complete the program each semester.
Summary
Arizona’s skilled talent pipeline, pro-business climate and high quality of life paired with SRP’s reliable sources of power and water made it Benchmark’s location of choice. SRP not only delivers power and water to the company, but also supports their sustainability goals and efforts.
Since the move, Benchmark has invested in the community, created skilled jobs and advanced Arizona's reputation for innovation.
The Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) Program recognizes the professional excellence of economic development organizations (EDOS) through the International Economic Development Council. The AEDO Program provides EDOs with independent feedback on their operations, structure and procedures. SRP is one of only three utilities to have earned AEDO status.