El Mirage

At the Gateway of Growth

Shaping the Future of Industry and Community through strategic investment

As the gateway to the Northwest Valley of the Greater Phoenix Metro Area, El Mirage, once a modest agricultural community, now stands at the center of one of the fastest growing economic regions in the United States. Though steeped in agricultural tradition, with a population of more than 36,000, it is far from a quiet small town. With new industrial investments, revitalization efforts, and a clear vision for the future, El Mirage is quickly gaining a reputation as a vibrant city where opportunity and community meet.

“The heart of our community is our people and the deep sense of belonging that comes from knowing your neighbors.  At the same time, we enjoy having access to world-class educational and entertainment options in the greater Phoenix area, as well as the stunning beauty of the nearby White Tank Mountains. Companies continue to choose El Mirage because their employees reap the benefits of our culturally diverse, vibrant community that appreciates its heritage and celebrates its future in a way that only a smaller, close-knit city can,” El Mirage Mayor Alexis Hermosillo, begins.

“El Mirage is a wonderful community, with small town charm, and all of the amenities of a big city, because we’re really just tucked away in the heart of this economic engine,” says Marketing and Communications Specialist, Kari Sliva. 

This ideal location gives residents and businesses the best of both worlds. To the east, NFL fans can catch the Arizona Cardinals at the Westgate Entertainment District. To the west, the White Tank Mountains offer majestic views, and natural adventures. “It’s a beautiful landscape and a beautiful horizon,” she adds.

The city’s diversity is celebrated in a series of signature community events, from Fiesta de la Gente, which honors Hispanic traditions, to the Fall Harvest Festival, Winterfest Parade, Public Safety Day, and the Spring Faire. “They are all supported by our local business community, and they really bring people together and draw out our cultural heritage,” she details. 

El Mirage has experienced steady growth since 2020, and Economic Development Manager Tom Doyle notes that limited land is still available in this ideal location for new projects that have still taken shape. “Most of our population is in the northern portion of the city, and we have seen some growth and development in multifamily housing,” he shares. 

“We didn’t have any type of multi-family growth for probably 10 years, and suddenly we had these two new developments. It compliments the fact that our industrial center is growing rapidly. We’ve created over 1000 new jobs since the pandemic.”

Stonemont- Industrial Investment on the Rise

Notably, El Mirage’s biggest transformation is happening in its industrial sector. The city has become a hub for advanced manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics, thanks to a business friendly climate and strong infrastructure. 

Cooper Fratt, Executive Vice President at CBRE, has represented both developers and corporate users in El Mirage. He highlights the city’s streamlined processes as a major advantage. “The number one thing that they all rave about is the ease at which they can get through the city of El Mirage to get their plans entitled, to get review checks done, and to get permits for their projects, which, in today’s world, is very, very important and also unusual. The personal touch that the city of El Mirage puts on all of these projects should not be understated.”

This welcoming and business friendly approach has helped attract a major joint venture between Stonemont Financial Group and Silver Creek Development to build a 216,000 square foot industrial spec building. “The building was designed as a flexible industrial building, and it really caters to both warehousing, distribution oriented uses as well as manufacturing and advanced manufacturing uses,” Fratt describes. 

“We’ve had strong interest from both distribution companies as well as manufacturers. The building has 3000 amps of power and conduit in place for another 3000 amps of power, which is becoming critical for all of these manufacturers that continue to be located within the west valley of metro Phoenix. It also has a metal roof deck, which is very rare, and a big insurance benefit, particularly for manufacturing uses,” Fratt adds.

Along with this, the West Valley Industrial Rail Center, a shovel ready site designed to serve manufacturers needing rail access is also in the works. Fratt expands, “As manufacturing continues to grow within the west valley of metro Phoenix, the rail has driven strong interest for many corporate users, both distribution and manufacturing, and to TSMC and LG suppliers as well.” 

El Mirage is also home to LogistiCenter at Copperwing, a nearly 1,000 acre business park with capacity for more than 10 million square feet of Class A industrial space. “One of the advantages that we have is the diversity in the types of businesses that operate out of there,” Doyle maintains. The park already hosts companies ranging from window manufacturer Avanti Windows, with more than 570 employees, to global mining equipment fabricators, cold storage facilities, and advanced data centers. 

The Right Choice for Industry

It is no surprise companies are choosing El Mirage, which Fratt characterizes as “in the center of a gigantic economic engine.”  Along with its efficient and welcoming service, the city itself offers a unique mix of location, affordability, and workforce advantages. Within a 30 minute drive, companies can draw from a labor pool of two million people, a factor which is highly attractive to potential industries. “The  diverse and deep labor base in which companies that locate in El Mirage can attract employees from is very wide and a very strong demographic,” he says.

The city also has significant cost advantages compared to other municipalities in metro Phoenix. Companies benefit from no business inventory tax, no sales tax on manufacturing equipment, no corporate franchise tax, no impact fees, and accelerated depreciation schedules. On top of that, El Mirage is classified as a rural municipality due to its size, opening the door to additional state level incentives. 

Regional Collaboration and Leadership

The city works closely with organizations such as the West Valley Regional Chamber, the Western Maricopa Coalition (WESTMARC), and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. “One of the great advantages of not only El Mirage, but the whole West Valley is the total embrace of regionalism, and this starts from the mayors and works down to the city managers and economic development people,” Doyle imparts. “We have great collaborative partnerships.”

He shares that El Mirage Mayor Alexis Hermosillo serves as chair of the Maricopa Association of Governments Regional Council. She also sits on the State Transportation Board and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council board of directors. Doyle believes the mayor’s advocacy has helped raise the city’s profile. 

“Ten years ago, I would go to different events and mention El Mirage, and the first question I would get is, where’s El Mirage? That focus has changed, a lot of people are aware of what’s going on here,” he relays. “That is not only because of Microsoft and some of the large industrial communities that have come in here, but also I give credit to our mayor for getting out there and advocating for El Mirage. We’re very fortunate to have her.”

Preparing the Workforce of Tomorrow

As the city continues to see opportunities grow, it is investing in workforce development. El Mirage works with education, industry, and regional partners to connect students with emerging industries. Microsoft, which has a significant presence in the West Valley, is supporting a Data Center Academy at Estrella Mountain College and has launched a scholarship program for local students. Technical education is also emphasized through West-MEC, which offers specialized training in trades and advanced manufacturing. 

“In El Mirage, we believe that every resident should have access to a wide range of educational opportunities to build a successful career. With over 20 post-secondary learning institutions nearby—including top community colleges, universities, and technical training centers—our community has the choices it needs to pursue careers in high-demand industries. Add to that the award-winning programs offered by Dysart Schools, which provide students with a solid foundation and early career exploration, and it’s clear that El Mirage offers pathways for learners of all ages to achieve their professional goals and contribute to a vibrant, growing workforce,” Mayor Hermosillo, relays.

The city is partnering directly with the Dysart School District to help inform students about the many opportunities in the region. “We are working on trying to create a pipeline so that the school could work with the students and bring in the business community as well, and create more awareness,” says Doyle. 

“The average wage at Microsoft is $148,000, according to a 2023 study that they did. So a lot of our initiative is to make the high school aware of what type of new job opportunities are coming, and hopefully entice, inspire the students to pursue avenues to get some of those jobs so we don’t lose our population.”

The Future is Bright

El Mirage has had a long term focus on infrastructure, exemplified by the decision to invest in road and utility improvements during the recession of 2007–2008. “Since then, our primary arterial roads, which are El Mirage Road and Dysart Road have been expanded and they’re operational now,” says Doyle. 

The Northern Parkway, a regional project, now connects El Mirage directly to Loop 303 and Interstate 10. “Literally from El Mirage, from either Dysart or El Mirage Road, you could get to California with as little as two traffic lights,” Doyle states. “I think part of the reason that our industrial development has increased over 2.2 million square feet since the pandemic is largely due to the Northern Parkway. It creates this incredible transportation route that could get trucks out to the California market.”

As El Mirage plans for its 75th anniversary in 2026, the focus is on downtown revitalization, small business development, and continued industry growth and attraction. The city is laying the groundwork for a more walkable, vibrant business district while supporting entrepreneurship programs in partnership with local entities. 

“We have a new logo, and an exciting lineup of events planned for next year,” says Sliva. “All of those things are  really important communal features that really strengthen the workforce for economic development and growth that you know these businesses are looking for.”

At a Glance

Who: El Mirage, Arizona

What: A small city, with big opportunities.

Where: Maricopa County, Arizona

Website: www.elmirageaz.gov