Wes Kremer

President
Raytheon

If you were to be asked by a site selector, what is the best part of doing business in Tucson, what are the areas you would highlight?

We have found Tucson to be a great place for our business thanks to strong partnerships across industry, academia and government.

Many of our programs rely on local businesses – we work with close to 200 suppliers in Tucson and 500 throughout Arizona – and these partners play a crucial role in our success. We’re helping them build their business and connections as well, so it’s a mutual partnership. 

We’re also connecting with academia to advance our technologies and grow the next generation of our global workforce. We are very fortunate to have the University of Arizona, one of the top research universities in the country, as well as Pima Community College and other outstanding educational institutions, like Pima JTED in our backyard. We collaborate with these institutions to support research, manufacturing, and the development and advancement of next-generation technologies. 

Another great part of doing business here is the strong support from local and state government. Our elected officials work to create an environment where all businesses can flourish, and that has helped promote economic development in the state. By investing in workforce development, education and infrastructure, the state enables companies like ours to grow. 

What are some of the emerging trends in your industry that could have an impact locally on site selectors looking at the Tucson region?

The aerospace and defense industry is experiencing tremendous growth. Consequently, there is a huge demand for entry- and mid-level engineering professionals.

At the same time, Tucson is becoming well-known as an attractive place for aerospace, as it has become home to the fifth-highest concentration of aerospace and defense employees in the country. The climate and proximity to several military installations make Tucson a natural fit for defense manufacturers. The competitive need for skilled labor, both advanced-degree and vocational, makes investment and partnerships in our educational system even more critical. 

Aside from the areas you would highlight to a site selector, what are you most optimistic about for the future economic development in the region?

The continued growth and investment in UArizona, along with our K-12 system, Pima Community College, and Pima JTED, is the cornerstone for Tucson’s future viability. As Raytheon and other companies continue to expand, we are only successful when we have a strong talent pool available. 

The Interstate10 expansion will also be very important to ensure a reliable supply chain, as well as employee and product movement. The interstate is a critical lifeline for both our staff as well as materials, so anything we can do to improve travel reliability is a win. 

Finally, Raytheon and large manufacturers throughout Arizona have gone to great lengths to reduce our overall carbon footprint. Our facilities team is continuously investing in our campus to reduce our water usage and increase our renewable energy mix.

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