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Copper Corridor Economic Development Coalition
The Copper Communities Supplier Source will offer new opportunities for businesses in the Copper Corridor region
A new website and business directory have been launched to support economic and business development in the Copper Corridor. The Copper Communities Supplier Source (http://ccsuppliersource.com/) is designed to promote and leverage local businesses in the Copper Communities region (including Superior, Miami, Globe, Claypool, Kearny, Hayden, Winkelman, San Carlos-Peridot, San Carlos-Bylas, Queen Valley, Mammoth, San Manuel, and Oracle). This website is intended to serve as a resource for local product and service providers within the Copper Communities of central Arizona, to connect contractors, vendors, and businesses in the region.
The website is the result of a collaboration between the Copper Corridor Economic Development Coalition, Southern Gila County Economic Development Corporation, Local First Arizona Foundation and Resolution Copper.
“The Copper Corridor EDC is committed to supporting small businesses and diversifying our local economies. The Supplier Portal will provide a much-needed opportunity for our local businesses to promote themselves as vendors to Resolution Copper and in the future other large businesses,” said Mila Besich-Lira, Executive Director of the Copper Corridor Economic Development Coalition. “Our board is pleased to have partnered with other organizations and industry to develop this tool for economic development in the Copper Corridor.”
Any Arizona Business that meets the criteria below is eligible for a free listing in the Copper Communities Supplier Source Directory. Businesses will receive a designation based on geographic criteria to help larger companies identify local businesses and services within the region first, then within Arizona and the United States. To be listed, businesses must be:
• Located within the Copper Communities Region to be a Tier 1 Company
• Located within the state of Arizona to be a Tier 2 Company
• Responsible for responding to solicitations and inquiries from other companies
• Responsible for meeting individual company requirements to do business with that company
Businesses in the Copper Corridor are invited to visit ccsuppliersource.com to add their business to the directory or to claim their listing. Businesses of all industries are encouraged to list themselves, from engineering and construction to hotels and grocery stores to waste removal and trucking, and much more.
“We are pleased to see economic development organizations and other industries working together to strengthen local business opportunity in the Copper Corridor,” said Karalea Cox with the Southern Gila County EDC. “Studies show that investing in our local business community is a sound economic development policy that results in job growth and wealth retention for that community. This type of economic development is especially effective in rural areas, where local businesses seek products and services from fellow local businesses, and dollars spent recirculate in the community many times over.”
With Resolution Copper’s new work in the Copper Corridor, they realized the tremendous opportunity they had to strengthen the local economy and build business capacity by investing in the area and requiring a certain amount of their spending on materials, goods (i.e. hardware), services (i.e. auto repair) as well as requiring their subcontractors to utilize local businesses within the area. A co-benefit of this approach will enable the Resolution Copper CSP team to identify strengths and gaps in workforce skills and enterprise which will, in turn, feed into strategic investments that will develop relevant capabilities to increase local content as the RCM Project advances.
For larger businesses and industries like Resolution Copper looking to spend their money with local businesses in the Copper Corridor, vendor requirements can be tailored to specific companies. Businesses interested in learning more about using the Copper Communities Supplier Source as a resource can contact the Southern Gila County Economic Development Corporation at sgcedc@cableone.net.
Visit the Copper Corridor Supplier Source at http://ccsuppliersource.com/.
Local First Arizona
About the Local First Arizona Foundation
Local First Arizona Foundation (LFAF) is an award-winning organization focused on community and economic development throughout the state in order to build self-sufficient, healthy and prosperous communities. More information is available at localfirstazfoundation.org and www.azrdc.org
Southern Gila County Economic Development Corporation
About the Southern Gila County Economic Development Corporation
The Southern Gila County Economic Development Corporation is committed to supporting and diversifying the local economy in southern Gila County. The SGCEDC does this by connecting business with unique opportunities in the region, collaborating on workforce development, educating the community on the importance of connection to place and loving where you live!
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
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