Growth on the Horizon: What GPEC’s Julie Ries Told Biltmore Business Leaders About Greater Phoenix’s Economic Future

GPEC Greater Phoenix economic future projections took center stage at BAP’s April luncheon, where Julie Ries laid out the data — and the opportunity — shaping the market where Biltmore businesses operate.

Event Date and Location:
📅 April 28, 2026
📍 Embassy Suites Biltmore · 2630 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix

The Biltmore corridor may feel like a self-contained world of resorts, offices, and high-end retail — but it sits squarely at the center of one of the most dynamic economic stories in the United States. At the April 28, 2026 BAP Luncheon, members got a front-row seat to that story, delivered by the person who helps write it.

Julie Ries, Manager of Business Development at the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), joined more than 60 Biltmore-area professionals at Embassy Suites Biltmore for an hour of data, insight, and candid conversation about where Greater Phoenix is headed — and why it matters to the businesses operating here right now.

What Is GPEC — and Why Should Biltmore Businesses Care?

GPEC is Greater Phoenix’s regional economic development organization, working across 22 cities and towns in Maricopa and Pinal counties to attract and retain companies from around the world. Unlike a chamber of commerce, GPEC focuses specifically on corporate site selection, business relocation, and expansion — the kind of decisions that reshape labor markets, real estate demand, and local consumer spending.

Ries works within GPEC’s Business Development division, which engages directly with companies evaluating Greater Phoenix as a home for new or expanded operations. The services GPEC provides — market comparisons, site selection analysis, workforce connections, infrastructure coordination — are offered at no cost to prospective businesses, funded through partnerships with municipalities and private-sector investors.

For Biltmore businesses, what happens in a GPEC boardroom eventually shows up on Camelback Road: new companies mean new employees, new clients, new demand for professional services, dining, hospitality, and real estate.

The Numbers Behind the Momentum

Ries grounded her presentation in data, walking attendees through a regional economic picture that has continued to outperform national trends. Key figures from the presentation and current GPEC data reinforced a consistent theme: Greater Phoenix is not just growing — it is growing with intention.

Greater Phoenix’s GDP grew 4.8% from Q4 2024 to Q4 2025 — more than double the national rate of 2.0% and well ahead of the statewide figure of 1.4% — driven by a diversified employment base that has proven far more resilient than the single-industry economies of previous decades. The region added 11,700 jobs between January and February 2026 alone, a strong month-over-month gain that underscores sustained hiring momentum. Inflation in Greater Phoenix has also tracked more favorably than the national average, with local consumer prices rising 1.7% compared to 3.3% nationally.

GPEC’s active pipeline at the time of the luncheon included roughly 26 corporate relocation prospects, with projections for 40 to 50 new company relocations in the current fiscal year.

Key Takeaways from Julie Ries

• Greater Phoenix’s economic growth is deliberate, not accidental — GPEC strategically targets industries that create quality, high-wage jobs rather than simply chasing job quantity.
• European and Asia-Pacific foreign direct investment is accelerating, with semiconductor, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing firms actively evaluating Greater Phoenix for expansion.
• Professional and business services represent the largest industry sector in Greater Phoenix at approximately 16% of employment — a direct tailwind for Biltmore-area service firms.
• Healthcare remains a top growth driver, with Mayo Clinic’s $1.9 billion expansion underway and continued demand for medical office and healthcare-related real estate.
• Population in-migration — especially from higher-income households — is sustaining consumer spending and supporting the service economy across the Biltmore corridor.
• Infrastructure investment in energy, transit, and housing is being planned at scale to support the next decade of growth, not just current demand.
• GPEC’s services are free to companies considering relocation — Biltmore businesses with connections to prospective regional employers can facilitate direct introductions.

What This Growth Means for Biltmore-Area Businesses

The Biltmore area’s position along the Camelback corridor places it at the center of Greater Phoenix’s professional services ecosystem. As corporate relocations and expansions bring new firms and their workforces to the Valley, demand for the amenities and services concentrated in the Biltmore district — office space, hospitality, dining, financial services, legal and consulting services, and retail — is positioned to grow with it.

Ries noted that approximately 80% of GPEC’s current deal activity involves industrial users, but the ripple effects reach far beyond warehouses. Each industrial or corporate headquarters relocation brings with it senior leadership, professional teams, and spending power that flows directly into premium commercial districts like the Biltmore.

For property owners and investors, the data reinforces strong fundamentals. For service businesses — law firms, financial advisors, marketing agencies, hospitality operators — it signals a sustained expansion of the local client base. And for BAP members across every sector, it underscores why engagement with regional economic development partners like GPEC is not just civic participation — it is good business strategy.

Voices from the Room

“Greater Phoenix’s growth story is the result of intentional collaboration — positioning the region to compete globally through industry diversification, talent development and next-generation industries.”

— Julie Ries, Manager of Business Development, Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC)

About the April Luncheon

The April 28 BAP Luncheon brought together Biltmore-area business owners, property professionals, community partners, and organizational leaders for a midday program at Embassy Suites Biltmore on East Camelback Road. Doors opened at 11:30 a.m. for networking and check-in, with the formal program beginning at noon and running through 1:00 p.m.

The event format — a seated luncheon with a featured speaker and Q&A — reflects BAP’s commitment to delivering substantive, actionable programming at every monthly gathering. The April session drew strong pre-registration numbers and generated active discussion during the question-and-answer portion, with members pressing Ries on topics ranging from workforce housing to the competitive landscape for business attraction.