For much of its history, Buckeye's economy was built on agriculture. Generations of farmers cultivated cotton, hay, alfalfa and other crops across thousands of acres in the city's fertile western valleys, establishing a rural economy that helped shape the community's identity for more than a century.
Today, however, Buckeye is one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation, and its economic profile is changing along with its population. Large-scale residential development, major transportation corridors and a surge of industrial investment have transformed the city into a key logistics and distribution hub in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Now, economic development leaders are pursuing what they believe could be the next major chapter in Buckeye's evolution: advanced manufacturing.
The strategy reflects a growing recognition that while logistics and warehousing have brought substantial investment and jobs to the city, manufacturing industries often generate higher wages, attract a more specialized workforce and create broader economic benefits through supply-chain activity and secondary business growth.
"Advanced manufacturing" has become a frequently used term in economic development circles, but it encompasses a wide range of industries. Generally, the phrase refers to the production of sophisticated products using automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, precision engineering and highly specialized processes. Unlike traditional manufacturing, advanced manufacturing facilities rely heavily on technology and skilled labor to produce complex goods.
For Buckeye, the targeted industries include aerospace and defense manufacturing, energy technology, biotechnology, life sciences and advanced transportation technologies.
The city's economic development efforts come at a time when Arizona is emerging as a national player in several high-growth manufacturing sectors. The state has attracted billions of dollars in investment tied to semiconductor production, electric vehicle technology, energy storage systems and advanced technology manufacturing.
Buckeye leaders believe the city can capture a share of that growth.
From farms to fulfillment centers
The city's economic transformation has been dramatic.
As the Phoenix metropolitan area expanded westward, Buckeye became increasingly attractive to developers and industrial users seeking large tracts of affordable land with access to major transportation routes.
The presence of Interstate 10 and State Route 85 has made Buckeye particularly attractive for logistics and distribution operations. Over the past decade, national retailers and distribution companies have invested heavily in warehouse and fulfillment facilities throughout the city.
Today, logistics and distribution are widely viewed as among Buckeye's most significant economic drivers. The sector has helped diversify the city's economy while generating tax revenue and employment opportunities.
Yet economic development experts often point out that warehousing and distribution, while important, do not always produce the same long-term economic impact as manufacturing.
Manufacturing facilities typically require greater capital investment, employ workers across a wider range of skill levels and create supplier networks that generate additional business activity throughout a region.
Those factors help explain why Buckeye is increasingly emphasizing advanced manufacturing as part of its long-term strategy.
What advanced manufacturing could look like
While much of Buckeye's advanced manufacturing vision remains focused on future recruitment, the city already has examples of modern manufacturing operations taking root.
In 2024, Rehrig Pacific opened a 264,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Buckeye that produces reusable supply chains and environmental waste products. The company describes the plant as a state-of-the-art operation, providing a tangible example of the type of technology-driven manufacturing Buckeye hopes to attract more of in the years ahead.
“The investment in a new facility with plenty of room for growth supports Rehrig Pacific’s mission and values,” CEO Will Rehrig said. “It was essential that we chose a location that worked well for both our current and future customers and one that supported our team members.”
The city is also marketing itself to aerospace and defense manufacturers, particularly companies that produce aircraft components, precision-machined parts, avionics systems and emerging technologies such as drones.
Another area of focus is biotechnology and life sciences manufacturing. Such facilities can include medical device production, pharmaceutical manufacturing, laboratory equipment assembly and other specialized operations that require skilled workers and advanced production techniques.
The city's manufacturing ambitions extend beyond existing facilities.
Earlier this year, developers announced Grand View Arizona, a 2,500-acre industrial campus designed to accommodate large-scale advanced manufacturing projects.
Project marketers estimate the development could generate more than $1 billion in economic impact and attract employers in aerospace, energy, electric vehicles, biotechnology, artificial intelligence and other technology-focused industries.
Ken Galica, planning manager for the City of Buckeye said that in 2021 the designation of the property was changed to “Employment with the anticipation that this would be one of the city’s prime sites for what Economic Development would call a ‘mega-user’ if we are gonna attract, you know ... the next electric car manufacturer here to produce their vehicles from top to bottom; this would be a site for something like that.”
Grand View Arizona and the Next Generation of Industry
Perhaps the most ambitious example of Buckeye's manufacturing aspirations is the proposed Grand View Arizona industrial campus.
The large-scale development has been marketed as a future destination for companies involved in aerospace, energy, electric vehicles, biotechnology, artificial intelligence and autonomous transportation systems.
Project promoters have described Grand View as an opportunity to create a large employment center capable of attracting industries that traditionally have clustered in more established manufacturing regions.
For Buckeye, the project represents more than another industrial development. It reflects a broader effort to position the city as a destination for technology-driven industries that could reshape the local economy over the coming decades.
Supporters argue that such projects could help create higher-paying jobs while reducing the city's reliance on commuters who travel elsewhere in the Valley for work.
Data centers
In March, a small collection of signers added their names to an online petition to “halt approval of water-hungry data centers in Buckeye.”
The online petition was launched on change.org, an online site that helps gather signatures for special interest groups.
To date, fewer than 100 verified signatures have been collected.
The petition was sparked by news of a massive, 2,069-acre technology park south of Interstate 10 and west of Buckeye Municipal Airport.
In August 2024, Tract, a developer of master-planned data center parks, announced its acquisition of the land, touted as one of the largest data center parks in the United States, “anticipating up to 20 million square feet of data center space across as many as 40 individual data centers at full build-out,” according to a prepared statement from the company.
“Tract is currently working with the local utility on plans for long-term growth with new power infrastructure which could support up to 1.8 gigawatts,” the statement reads.
Challenges ahead
The vision is ambitious, but attracting advanced manufacturing is not without challenges.
Competition among cities and states for major manufacturing projects has intensified in recent years. Communities across the country are offering incentives, infrastructure investments and workforce development programs to attract the same industries Buckeye is targeting.
Workforce development will likely be a critical factor in determining whether Buckeye can successfully compete. Advanced manufacturing facilities often require engineers, technicians, skilled trades workers and other specialized employees.
Infrastructure also remains a key consideration. Manufacturing operations frequently require significant investments in transportation, utilities, power capacity and water resources.
Buckeye's rapid growth presents both opportunities and challenges in that regard. The city has abundant land available for development, but continued infrastructure expansion will be necessary to support large-scale industrial projects.
A new economic identity
The city's pursuit of advanced manufacturing does not signal the end of agriculture or logistics as important components of the local economy. Rather, economic development officials view manufacturing as a potential third pillar that could complement the sectors already driving growth.
Agriculture helped build Buckeye. Logistics helped fuel its modern expansion. City leaders hope advanced manufacturing can help define its future.
If those efforts succeed, the products emerging from Buckeye in the coming decades may look very different from the hay bales and cotton crops that once defined the region. Instead, the city could become known for batteries, aerospace components, medical technologies and other high-value products manufactured by a highly skilled workforce in one of Arizona's fastest-growing communities.
For Buckeye, the goal is not simply to grow, but to evolve — transforming itself from a historic farming community and logistics hub into a diversified economic center positioned to compete in the industries shaping the 21st-century economy.
Here are the top 10 job sectors for jobs located inside the city of Buckeye
(industry ranked by employment, with counts and share of total jobs):
Education, health care & social assistance — 5,781 jobs (20.0%)
Retail trade — 3,985 jobs (13.8%)
Professional, scientific & administrative services — 2,746 jobs (9.5%)
Transportation, warehousing & utilities — 2,666 jobs (9.2%)
Construction — 2,651 jobs (9.2%)
Arts, entertainment, food & recreation services — 2,495 jobs (8.6%)
Public administration — 1,893 jobs (6.6%)
Manufacturing — 1,829 jobs (6.3%)
Finance, insurance & real estate — 1,755 jobs (6.1%)
Other services (except public administration) — 1,252 jobs (4.3%)
Source: Arizona Commerce Authority, Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity.
InBuckeye Magazine July/August 2026
