Tucson, Arizona — Thursday, Sun Corridor Inc. released The Pivot Playbook, Tucson and Southern Arizona's new recovery plan to redefine our economy in a post-pandemic world.
The Pivot Playbook is a formal action plan assembled by Sun Corridor Inc.'s COVID-19 Recovery & Response Steering Committee. The Steering Committee, made up of the region's top business and community leaders, identified and developed specific strategies and actions in five focus areas in response to a series of national rankings that have suggested that Southern Arizona is poised for a strong recovery. The five focus areas are:
- Company Recruitment
- Talent Recruitment & Retention
- Workforce Development & Training
- Shovel Ready and Real Estate Offerings
- Tourism Recovery
Recent national rankings confirm that the economies that will be successful in the post-pandemic environment are those that offer a high-quality pool of talent, innovative and effective workforce training, and cost-effective/shovel-ready real estate offerings.
Site selectors and relocation consultants predict that the most dynamic recoveries may bypass traditional powerhouses and take place in areas – like Southern Arizona – that were poised for growth in 2020 before everything changed due to COVID-19. Southern Arizona’s size, population density, and proximity to major universities are the primary reasons we are considered well positioned for recovery.
Rather than standing solely on those rankings and to ensure that the region comes out of the pandemic well prepared, the Steering Committee examined those rankings, recognized gaps that still exist and developed this plan to address and enhance the many factors that put the region ahead of others in the post-COVID-19 economy.
“Our community came together in so many ways and on so many fronts – from a healthcare perspective, from a community perspective and from a business perspective – to put us in position to come out of this stronger economically than our peer communities,” said Judy Rich, president & CEO, TMC HealthCare and chair of the board, Sun Corridor Inc. "We’re in a great position to build a strong future after this very dark time in our lives, and The Pivot Playbook is going to help us do that."
"The Pivot Playbook is a feasible and focused plan with specific action items. We didn’t want to put together a document that was long on concept and low on action. We also knew we had to have the who’s who of regional leaders, both private and public, on the Steering Committee to ensure the right voices were driving these strategies," said Steve Eggen, chair of the COVID-19 Recovery & Response Committee and former CFO of Raytheon Missile Systems. "The response to be involved was tremendous."
“We had a solid foundation of success built prior to the pandemic. Now, the many rankings that suggest Tucson will be in a strong economic position post-COVID are really playing out on the ground. Interest is high. But we have to stay focused and vigilant," said Joe Snell, president & CEO, Sun Corridor Inc. "The future is very bright.”
Click here to watch the virtual launch and to download a copy of the plan.