Phoenix Wins Tech Site Selection Battle. Here's Why.

Daikin Applied will continue to design and manufacture advanced HVAC tech in the Valley, but it wasn't a sure thing. The Phoenix company spent eight months in site selection looking around the country, but in the end decided Phoenix was the place to be.

"The search for the most strategic facility for Daikin took us from Arizona to the East Coast and back,” JLL managing director Jim Sadler tells us. Ultimately, he adds, Daikin selected Phoenix based on a building that met its precise needs, but also the characteristics of the market—business friendly, low cost of doing business, quality of life and skilled employees. Jim, along with colleague Bill Honsaker, led the multi-market site selection process for the company.

Daikin's new home is the building at 4940 W Lower Buckeye Rd in Phoenix, which will support the company’s regional offices, operations and manufacturing of Modular Central Plants, a pre-engineered and assembled HVAC system. The 57k SF 4940 building, which is still under construction, can also accommodate additional structural modifications, including increased clear height in key areas, to meet Daikin’s long-term needs. CBRE's Mark Krison repped the building owner, SunCap Property Group.

Local cooperation was also key to the decision, Jim notes. JLL reviewed competing sites from various municipalities during the site selection process, including the City of Phoenix, which came through in an important way, in offering expedited plan review and workforce development services to Daikin. The company plans to move from its location near I-10 and 35th Avenue to the new building upon completion in Q1 '16.