Industrial Development In La Paz County

Industrial development is increasing every year. Here are a new of the industrial developmentprojects in La Paz County.
XL Renewable of Phoenix is planning the development of a $270 million biorefinery at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Vicksburg Road, just 15 miles southeast of Bella La Paz. The bio-refinery will produce ethanol and biodiesel for the Arizona and California markets. It is projected that 400 jobs will be created during the construction period and that permanent employment will be approximately 170.

Corn for the bio-refinery will be delivered to a major rail terminal which will be developed on more than 300 acres located just 6 miles southeast of Bella La Paz at the intersection of Arizona State Highway 72 and Vicksburg Road. The rail terminal will also be used to deliver grain for three major dairies which have recently been built near the bio-refinery. It will also stand ready to serve additional industrial development in the area.

70 acre site in the same area has recently been purchased by a company which is planning a facility for the collection and processing of various commodities for shipment to Asia.
Major developments in Mexico and along the US – Mexico border will also lead to industrial and job growth in La Paz County. The Mexican Government, in connection with major international companies, including Hutchison Ports of Hong Kong, is enlarging its west coast ports at Lazaro Cardenas and Manzanillo. In addition, the Mexican Minister of Transport has announced that during 2008, his government will auction off the rights to develop a new mega-port at Punta Colonet which is located on the west coast of Baja California, about 160 miles south of the US – Mexico border. The auction will also include the right to construct a railroad which will link the port to the US. There are indications that the railroad will tie into the rail line which runs through Yuma, Arizona, near the border.

This activity is being driven by the fact that the US ports at Los Angeles and Long Beach, California are virtually at full capacity and do not have the space to expand in order to meet the rapidly growing flow of commerce from Asia. This flow is projected to grow by more than 200% during the next 12 years.

Another major factor in this flow of products from Asia into the western US is the construction of a new $70 million border crossing for trucks at Yuma which has been fully funded by the US Government. The crossing is projected to open during 2009 and will open up the vital flow of commerce from Mexico to Arizona, California and the western US which has been severely limited by small and outdated border crossings.

As a result of all of this activity, Highway 95, the major north – south highway through La Paz County, is projected to be the major artery for the flow of this commerce to California, Nevada, Utah and points north.
At least one very large US based industrial developer is working to acquire sites of more than 300 acres in order to build industrial parks in both La Paz and Yuma Counties.