Advanced Business Services

Scottsdale and the surrounding Greater Phoenix area have benefited in the recent past from a national trend to diversify the financial industry base from its traditional hub on the Eastern Seaboard. Such efforts have provided companies with greater access to customers in the southwest and increased stability due to exceptionally low catastrophic occurrences due to weather. Companies moving into Scottsdale such as The Hartford, regional movements such as State Farm, as well as major Scottsdale expansions by such companies as Vanguard, Nautilus and Nationwide are all evidence of this trend.

The insurance and financial services sector has been established in Scottsdale since the 1970s when such major firms as Sentry Insurance and Scottsdale Insurance began their operations. In general, the sector offers higher value and higher paying activities than standard back office operations. Insurance and financial services industries have experienced strong growth in the region and the national projections for future growth in both employment and output are above average. In fact, Scottsdale has become known as the national center for the Excess & Surplus (E&S) insurance sector. Business Service companies are attracted to Scottsdale for a variety of reasons:

• An outstanding labor base with low relative cost of labor and a quality source of executive, administrative and managerial talent
• Strong dependability of energy supply with no major natural disasters
• Direct flight access for clients and corporate executives via the Scottsdale Airport, with seven day per week on-site U.S. Customs service
• Available corporate office space
• No corporate franchise tax
• Low workman’s comp & unemployment insurance costs