For growing companies, one question reigns supreme: “What location is best for long-term success?”To answer that, a great many are choosing Arizona.In 2016, when California-based Lucid needed a destination to build its fleet of high-end electric vehicles, it considered more than 60 sites in 13 states across the U.S. It chose Casa Grande, Arizona, a rapidly growing community less than 60 miles south of Phoenix. Success quickly followed.Lucid’s AMP-1 factory began construction in December 2019 and was operational within 12 months. A few years later, Motor Trend Magazine named the Lucid Air its 2022 Car of the Year.Most recently, Lucid cut the ribbon on a roughly 3 million square feet expansion, paving the way for production of the company’s new fully electric SUV, the Lucid Gravity.“We are proud to call Casa Grande home, to continue in our role pioneering advanced technology in Arizona, and to be an American electric vehicle company,” said CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson following the announcement.Lucid’s 2,500 employees in Arizona contribute to the state’s rapidly growing advanced manufacturing industry. Arizona’s 17.8% manufacturing job growth since 2017 is the second-fastest in the nation, nearly six times faster than the U.S., according to Lightcast.Arizona’s fast industrial growth is driven by a number of factors, including a highly-skilled workforce, modern transportation infrastructure, a low-cost business environment, innovation ecosystem, and outdoor-oriented quality of life.But the state’s secret sauce may lie in its team-centric approach.“Ar …
