Local News by Blake Herzog
Pinal County’s industrial development continued its boom this fall as international consumer products corporation Procter & Gamble announced its plans to build a laundry products factory on a 427-acre property within Inland Port AZ at the southern end of Coolidge.
Construction is expected to begin in 2023, and after completion in 2025 the facility will employ about 500 people, according to the Arizona Commerce Authority.
P&G intends to invest $500 million into the Coolidge factory to meet growing demand for its fabric care line, specifically citing its Tide PODs, Downy Unstopables scent boosters and Bounce Dryer Sheets products.
“Pinal County is a prime location for serving our consumers and customers across the region,” said Martin Hettich, P&G senior vice president for Fabric Care, North America. “The Coolidge facility will be key to supporting P&G’s Fabric Care business, and we look forward to our partnership with the community for years to come.”
Coolidge City Manager Rick Miller said he and other residents of the area are thankful to have such a major employer coming to the area, adding, “I am confident that P&G will be an excellent community partner as they have already reached out to our local Chamber of Commerce and are asking great questions about how they can be involved as a company in Coolidge.”
Procter & Gamble’s property, immediately north of the Nikola truck factory in IPAZ, is zoned for general industrial use, Miller said, and the company is planning to submit a master site plan for the City’s Planning and Zoning commission early this year. Its approval will be followed by drainage and improvement plans, plans submitted for building permits and other required documentation.
It’s likely that the plant will require permitting from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, and “we are confident that P&G will be good stewards of the environment and will install the best available control technologies to address any potential environmental concern related to air, water, etc.,” Miller said.
Construction of the plant reportedly will create about 1,000 temporary jobs. Extensive infrastructure also will be needed to link the site on Shedd Road east of Highway 87 to utilities including Global Water Resources, APS, Southwest Gas and Alluvion.
Up to 4 miles of new roads, upgraded railroad crossings and expanded intersections along the highway could also be needed, Miller said, but a traffic analysis will be done to solidify the plans. Rail spurs connecting to the Union Pacific line on the property’s western border are planned.
According to an analysis by noted Phoenix economist Elliot D. Pollack’s firm, the City of Coolidge stands to gain $5.8 million in construction tax as the facility is built, while development and other fees should bring in another $6.5 million. The projected 10-year economic impact of construction and operation of the plant is $38.4 million.
The site is near the Eloy city limits, and P&G-generated revenue will benefit the entire county, which could receive another $17.8 million from construction, operation and employee impact.
“Pinal County enthusiastically welcomes P&G to our region, which is home to a number of other Fortune 500 companies and international business leaders,” said District 3 County Supervisor Steve Miller. “We appreciate the company’s trust in our business environment and look forward to supporting their long-term success.”
Miller said P&G expects to fill 86 jobs this year and anticipates adding another 138 over the next three years to reach its target employment of 500 in 2026.
Coolidge Mayor Jon Thompson said, “We are pleased to welcome a world class leader in consumer products to the Inland Port of Arizona in Coolidge. Procter & Gamble will help grow our local economy and provide excellent opportunities to our expanding workforce.”
