Azpm's Arizona Business Report

Statistics show strong signs of economic growth in the state.

Also: Less regulation, expanded Arizona-Mexico trade, ballot initiative reform.

Dropping unemployment, new employers, and a growing downtown.

Retail shops see rush once it's too late for delivery of online shopping orders.

Tucson poised for growth behind increased federal spending, population growth.

Eller Economic Development Program teaches local small businesses the basics.

Kathleen Eriksen takes over leadership of public-private entity in midst of renaissance.

Greater Tucson Leadership focuses on ensuring they are up for the job.

Imports, exports and tourism flow across the border and build the local economy.

Will a proposition to raise Arizona’s minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2020 make it to the November ballot? If so, key arguments for and against it are already in place. Nancy Montoya explores them in this edition of the Friday Business Report.

A reality for many entrepreneurs is failure. Mistakes can cause major issues, or even the end of a company. Some members of Tucson’s business community are gathering to talk about those mistakes, and make sure they become a chance to learn.

Tucson’s commercial real estate market is a mixed bag. That’s according to a mid-year analysis from Tucson Realty and Trust. Zac Ziegler speaks with Tucson Realty President Hank Amos about market condition for the Friday Business Report.

Industry has shrunken in recent years; new companies want it to regain prominence.

More post-secondary education is key to improving a local economy, according to Milkin Institute Chief Research Officer Ross DeVol. DeVol said a solid economic plan for Tucson should include efforts to retain as many University of Arizona graduates as possible. Retention of college graduates could help attract employers and increase the number of startup businesses in the local economy. A Milkin Institute study found Tucson ranks 90th in the country among major metropolitan areas for percentage of workers with a bachelor's degree or higher. It ranked 62nd in 1990.

Tucson's economy has shown signs of improvement to start 2016. Over-the-year job growth is up 2.8 percent in the first three months of the year. George Hammond, director of the University of Arizona's Eller Economic and Business Research Center, says he thinks this could be the start of a steady, long-term improvement in Tucson's economy.

When it came time to break the news Tucson International Airport would again have a nonstop flight to New York City, the honor went to Bill Assenmacher. Assenmacher is a board member for the two organizations at the heart of the TIA to John F. Kennedy International Airport route, the Tucson Airport Authority and the Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce.The chamber and its members think service to and from the Big Apple could mean big business for Tucson. The industry that stands to be the biggest winner is tourism.

Tucson is growing as a transportation hub, and a part of that growth is a recent expansion at the Port of Tucson. The newly completed project is to rail what an off-ramp is for cars on a freeway, allowing deceleration space so trains can stop at the inland port. The expansion was part of a public/private partnership between the port, Pima County, and Union Pacific Railroad. Zac Ziegler spoke with Port of Tucson owner Alan Levine to find out what this expansion means for his business and for the Tucson economy.

The 52nd Arizona Legislature has wrapped up, and it contained good and bad news for the business community. It saw laws that will prevent local governments from banning property owners who want to rent via websites such as AirBNB and VRBO, and eased rules on how startups and other small businesses can use independent contractors. There was also $8 million in tax cuts for small businesses to further write off equipment depreciation. It wasn't all good news for the business community. Land developers in Cochise County will have a harder time with large projects that are still in the proposal stage, and give some in the state concerns about water supply.

The debate over what electric utilities should pay for energy generated by rooftop solar units continues unabated in Arizona. Solar installation businesses say it’s costing them clients. Their wait may soon be over though. The nation’s largest solar company is trying to work out a deal with the state’s largest utility.

Business and government leaders lament infrastructure issues hampering imports and exports.