by Erin Thorburn | AzBigMedia
If you reside in the West Valley, you likely know that some of the nation’s top pilots, crew chiefs and intelligence specialists — in addition to the F-35 training program — are all synonymous with Luke Air Force Base. What you may not be aware of is that Luke has a direct economic impact of $653 million, an indirect value calculated at $1.1 billion, and a total economic impact totaling $2.17 billion in Arizona. While Luke’s economic contributions are undoubtedly invaluable, the value added in perpetuating a healthy, skilled and impressive West Valley workforce is priceless.
“Luke has tremendous value as a workforce,” says WESTMARC President and CEO Sintra Hoffman. “As a result of Luke expanding the F-35 program, there is a is a tremendous opportunity to maximize capital investment. It also allows us to build and tap into our pool of defense contractors and talent that comes out of that base.”