Each January offers a chance to pause, reflect, and celebrate the collective effort driving Mesa forward. Looking back on 2025, one word stands out: momentum. It was a year filled with purposeful activity, business development wins, small business workshops and events, innovative marketing initiatives, and meaningful leadership transitions, all reinforcing our commitment to building a high-impact economic development program focused on quality growth and long-term capacity for the City of Mesa. 

Retail, Entertainment, and Placemaking Momentum

In 2025, the City of Mesa Office of Economic Development launched its first-ever consumer-focused retail advertising campaign, strategically complementing our long-standing business-to-business efforts. While we continued to attend trade shows, host developers and brokers for site tours, and collaborated closely with property owners, this expanded approach helped generate new energy and visibility around Mesa as a destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment.

That momentum translated into more than $400 million in capital investment announced from several high-profile projects that are redefining Mesa’s sense of place:

• Medina Station advanced as a thoughtfully planned mixed-use development, supporting walkability, new retail opportunities, and long-term community vibrancy.

• Cannon Beach and Revel Surf Park announced an immersive surf and entertainment destination featuring a 16-foot diving lagoon, white sand beach, cabana rentals, a two-acre surf wave pool, and a curated mix of retail and dining that will activate the site year-round.

• New entertainment venues such as Dink & Dine, Slick City Action Park, and Taroko Sports at Mesa Riverview expanded Mesa’s family-friendly and experiential offerings, reinforcing Riverview as a regional destination.

• Retail and restaurant investments continued to grow with projects such as the Mekong Plaza 30,000-square-foot expansion in west Mesa, plus The Vig, Hooligan’s Coffee House, Two Hands Corndogs, and Anado Aveda Salon in east Mesa.

• The announcement of Legacy Park is icing on the cake with a late fall announcement of a project slated to bring premier brands to east Mesa and a 600-room resort looking over a 10-acre lake that will be a recreation hub for East Valley residents to enjoy year-round.

Cannon Beach and Revel Surf Park

Mesa’s economic strength in 2025 was equally evident in the consistent flow of company announcements, expansions, and milestones. While not a comprehensive list, highlights include:

• Komatsu broke ground on a new Mesa facility, reinforcing the city’s role as a hub for advanced manufacturing and heavy equipment operations. The project represents a significant capital investment and is expected to support high-quality manufacturing and technical jobs in the region.

• Gulfstream Aerospace opened its new Customer Service Center, expanding its Mesa footprint and supporting the company’s global aviation operations. The facility strengthens Mesa’s aerospace ecosystem while creating skilled aviation, maintenance, and engineering roles.

• XNRGY Climate Systems opened its 275,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, bringing advanced HVAC manufacturing to Mesa. Almost immediately following the opening, the company began exploring additional space to accommodate continued growth, an early indicator of Mesa’s strong business environment.

• Strive Compounding Pharmacy expanded into a new 223,000-square-foot headquarters and production facility, significantly increasing its operational capacity and supporting the company’s continued growth in pharmaceutical compounding and healthcare services.

• APEX Power Conversion opened its $60 million, 206,000-square-foot facility, supporting the production of advanced power conversion systems. The project adds high-value manufacturing and engineering jobs while strengthening Mesa’s position in clean technology and energy innovation.

• Virgin Galactic began assembling its first spaceships at Mesa Gateway Airport, marking a major milestone for Mesa’s growing aerospace and space commercialization sector and placing the city at the forefront of next-generation spaceflight activity.

• Moses Lake Industries opened a new manufacturing and research facility in Mesa, supporting the development of specialized materials critical to next-generation technologies and further diversifying the city’s advanced manufacturing base.

• The Boeing Company in Mesa celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apache AH-64E attack helicopter program, a testament to decades of advanced aerospace manufacturing in the city. Just weeks later, Boeing announced a $4.7 billion newly awarded contract to build additional helicopters for Poland, Egypt, and Kuwait, reinforcing Mesa’s long-term role in global defense and aviation production.

XNRGY Grand Opening

As we step into January 2026, that momentum continues with ribbon cuttings for Hadrian (advanced manufacturing), Gifthealth (pharmaceuticals), and KoMiCo (advanced manufacturing, semiconductor supply chain), along with groundbreakings for DSV (logistics) and the Cambria Hotel. It is already a strong start to the year ahead.

Significant progress is also underway at the former Fiesta Mall site, now known as the Palo District. City of Mesa staff continue to collaborate closely with the development team to reimagine this site as a mixed-use destination, anchored by a planned Women’s Health Campus and the activation of the future theme park district.

Advancing Foreign Direct Investment

In 2025, Mesa strengthened its foreign direct investment (FDI) efforts by expanding its presence on the global stage. Our team attended SEMICON West, SEMICON Taiwan, and SEMICON Japan, the latter anchored by a Mayor-led mission to Japan.

Mayor Mark Freeman and City staff partnered with the Arizona Commerce Authority, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Arizona State University, Salt River Project, and Willmeng to meet with senior leadership at global firms including FUJIFilm, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, and Daicel, as well as key multipliers such as JETRO. The mission was tremendously successful and reinforced Mesa’s growing reputation as a city that is ready to compete and perform on a global scale.

To further prepare for future international investment and trade opportunities, Chris Molnar, our Foreign Trade Zone lead, earned her Certified Zone Specialist designation through the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones, strengthening our in-house expertise to support businesses navigating the FTZ process.

New Leadership, Inspired Initiatives 

2025 was a year of significant leadership transitions for the City of Mesa. In January, Mark Freeman was sworn in as Mesa’s new mayor after serving two terms as Councilmember for District 1. Shortly thereafter, City Manager Chris Brady announced his retirement after more than 19 years of service. In May, Mayor Freeman delivered an inspiring State of the City address outlining his bold vision to Elevate Mesa and accelerate our city’s rise as one of America’s most dynamic communities. In June, Scott Butler, formerly Mesa’s Assistant City Manager, was appointed City Manager, after a unanimous Council vote. His leadership focuses on advancing Council priorities while ensuring Mesa remains fiscally responsible and highly livable.

Within the Office of Economic Development, 2025 brought growth and new energy. We celebrated promotions for Frank Adams (Project Manager), Nick Juszczak (Senior Project Manager), and Chris Molnar (Economic Development Administrator). We also welcomed new team members Levi Leyba (Project Manager), Hayley Freestone (Project Specialist), and Jessica Dinka (Administrative Assistant).

Long-vacant leadership roles were filled by two exceptional additions: Amanda Elliott, Deputy Director of Small Business Services and Administration, and Ben Snow, Deputy Director of Business Development. They joined an already seasoned team, including long-tenured staff such as Kelley Keffer (13 years), Kim Lofgreen (12 years), Yvette Armendariz (10 years), and Maribeth Smith (8 years), among many others who contribute daily to Mesa’s success.

Looking Ahead

None of this progress happens without dedicated staff and strong partnerships within City departments and across our network of developers, brokers, employers, educators, workforce partners, and regional economic development organizations.

As January quickly moves along, the momentum continues. I am incredibly proud of what we accomplished together in 2025 and optimistic about what lies ahead. Here’s to continued collaboration, meaningful progress, and a productive 2026.

Cheers to a bright year ahead!

Asian District Mesa AZ® monument sign unveiling at Mekong Plaza.