MESA ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY SUMMARY FINAL SEPTEMBER 2020 UPDATE.PDF

Maricopa County — Formal (2020-10-07)

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Summary of Estimated Impacts of a Proposed 
New Steel Mill in Mesa, Arizona 
June 2020
Economic Impacts During the 
Construction Period
Construction Assumptions
$434,000,000 total anticipated investment
$324,000,000 investment in personal property
$91,000,000 investment in real property
$19,000,000 investment in other project related costs
NAICS: 331110
242 existing mill employees
186 potential new mill employees
$70,000 expected average annual wage (excluding benefits)
Operati g Assumptions
NEW MILL
Substantial economic benefits would be experienced in 
the State of Arizona during the anticipated construction 
period of CMC’s new mill facility. The economic bene-
fits of construction will end with the completion of the 
facility.
Based on construction investment of $91 million, the 
anticipated economic impact of the construction activity 
is reflected in Table 1 on the following page. Direct 
construction jobs of 576 are projected to result in total 
creation of 1,039 jobs in the State of Arizona during the 
construction period.  Total Arizona labor income 
supported by construction activities is estimated to be 
$62.43 million.  Construction activities are expected to 
ultimately generate approximately $171.45 million in 
total economic output in the State of Arizona.
Study Overview
Commercial Metals Company (“CMC”) has directed 
Strategic Development Group, Inc. (“SDG”) to conduct an 
Economic Impact Analysis for the purposes of evaluating 
the positive economic impacts of the construction and 
operation of a possible new steel mill in Mesa, Arizona, 
that will produce merchant steel products. 
The following technical summary is based on assumptions 
provided by CMC. It should be noted that CMC currently 
operates a steel mill in Mesa, Arizona. The estimated 
economic impacts of a new mill, if constructed, would be 
above and beyond the impacts of the existing mill. Given 
the elevated economic multipliers inherent to the operation 
of steel mills, the anticipated economic impacts of the 
construction and ongoing operations of CMC's facility in 
Mesa are profoundly positive.
Economic Impact Analysis
This analysis utilizes 2020 models for Maricopa County 
and Arizona based on the IMPLAN1 modeling system. 
IMPLAN is a nationally recognized economic model 
specifically designed to estimate impacts of new indus-
trial locations, plant closures, and construction activity 
on local economies. The IMPLAN models incorporate 
the most recent data available; in this case 2020 data 
which was purchased specifically for this analysis. Note 
that data presented in this document illustrates estimat-
ed impacts in the State of Arizona; additional data, 
however, is available to show projected impacts specific 
to Maricopa County.
SDG retained Dr. Frank Hefner, a recognized econo-
mist from the College of Charleston who specializes in 
economic impact modelling, to run the IMPLAN model 
and generate raw data summaries.  Economic impact 
analysis estimates the direct, indirect, and induced 
effects of new spending or investment.  Definitions 
related to economic impact used in this summary are 
shown in Attachment A.
1 IMPLAN Group LLC, IMPLAN System (data and software),16905 Northcross Dr., Suite 120, Huntersville, NC 28078 www.IMPLAN.com

Impact Type
Employment
Output* 
(000's) 
 
Direct Effect
186
Indirect Effect
456
Induced Effect
309
Total Effect
951
$15,494
$30,254
$15,377
$61,125
$331,990
$104,037
$48,244
$484,271
Table 2 – Annual Operational Impacts 
of the New Mill for State of Arizona
*Output = the value of all sales of goods and services
Anticipated Economic Impacts of 
the Proposed Mill Operations
Table 2 shows new direct employment at the mill 
is expected to be 186. In addition to direct jobs 
created by CMC, 765 indirect and induced jobs 
will be created by the project; total job 
creation is expected to reach 951.  Regarding 
labor income impacts, approximately $15.49 
million in wages are expected to be paid annually 
to CMC’s employees, ultimately resulting in a total 
of $61.12 million paid annually in wages in the 
State of Arizona. Regarding economic output for 
the State of Arizona, it is estimated that the project 
along with indirect and induced effects with result 
in a total annual output of $484.27 million.  
Overall Projected Economic Impacts 
of Existing and New Mill Operations 
During a Ten-Year Period 
CMC’s proposed merchant mill in Mesa will generate 
significant positive economic impacts in Arizona and 
Maricopa County over the long-term.  As shown in 
Table 3, in addition to construction impacts, estimated 
economic impacts of the proposed new mill operations 
to the Arizona economy over 10 years will result in the 
creation of 951 total jobs. Over this same 10 years, 
$611 million in total labor income and $4.8 billion in 
total economic output are expected. 
State of Arizona
Total Output
$4.8 billion
Total Jobs
951
Total Labor Income
$611 million
Table 3 –  New Mill Economic Impacts in 
Arizona Over 10 Years
“
“
Construction activities are
expected to ultimately generate approximately $171.45 million 
in total economic output in the State of Arizona.
Impact Type
Employment
 
Direct Effect
576
Indirect Effect
173
Induced Effect
289
Total Effect
1,039
$36,803
$11,238
$14,387
$62,428
$91,000
$35,353
$45,099
$171,452
Table 1 – Impacts of Construction Activity
to the State of Arizona
*Output = the value of all sales of goods and services
 Labor Income
(000's) 
Output*
(000’s)
 Labor Income
(000's)

“
“
Estimated economic impacts of the existing mill plus potential
new mill operations to the Arizona economy over 10 years
include 2,188 jobs, labor income of $1.4 billion, and $9.6 
billion in economic output. 
Table 4 - Total Ongoing Economic Impacts of Existing and Potential New 
Mill Operations to the State of Arizona Over a 10 Year Period 
Existing Mill Operations 
Potential New Mill Operations 
 
Total Output 
$4,762,490,000
Total Jobs 
1,237
Total Labor Income 
$795,278,000
$4,842,709,000
951
$611,246,000
$9,605,199,000
2,188
$1,406,524,000
Total Impact of Existing and Potential New Mill Operations  
When the impacts of the proposed new mill operations are added to the economic impacts of the existing Mesa mill 
operations, economic impacts are especially profound as shown in Table 4. The estimated economic impacts of the 
existing mill plus potential new mill operations to the Arizona economy over 10 years include 2,188 jobs, labor 
income of $1.4 billion, and $9.6 billion in economic output.

Attachment A 
Definitions of Economic Impact Terms Used in this Analysis
Direct effects are production changes associated with the immediate effects of a change in expenditures. For 
example, CMC’s new construction spending leads to an increase in wages, jobs, profits, taxes, etc. in the Mesa 
region and in the State of Arizona. These direct effects are the results of construction workers’ salary and their 
income flowing around the economy.  CMC’s ongoing operations and wage payments to employees and suppli-ers 
also cause direct spending effects.
Indirect effects are the secondary production changes resulting from the various rounds of re-spending by 
businesses, in backward-linked sectors, affected by CMC’s direct expenditures. Architects and brick suppliers, for 
example, receive orders from the construction companies responsible for the construction of the new building. The 
resulting income for those suppliers to the construction or operations process becomes more capital that flows 
around the local economy.  Similarly, CMC’s ongoing operations generate re-spending by related businesses, 
resulting in increased economic impact. 
Induced effects are the effects resulting from the re-expenditures of households. Employees of companies 
earn wages that are spent on goods and services. For example, households purchase groceries, durable goods, and 
personal services in the local economy. This additional cash flow in the local economy results in creation of more 
ancillary jobs and additional consumers spending money in the local economy.
In this analysis, Output represents the value of industry production, meaning the total value to the local econo-my 
of the new income flowing around the economy.  Output  represents all of the economic transactions that take 
place: the sale of the product, the purchase of the materials to make the product, the salary and benefits paid to the 
workers, and the spending that takes place because the workers were paid.
General and Limiting Conditions 
Every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that the data contained in this report are accurate as of the date of 
this study; however, factors exist that are outside the control of SDG and that may affect the estimates and/or 
projections noted herein.  This study is based on estimates and assumptions provided by Commercial Metals 
Company, and other information developed by SDG and its sub-consultant, Dr. Frank Hefner, from its 
independent research effort, general knowledge of the industry, and information provided by, and consultations 
with, the client and the client’s representatives.