Pima County 8. City of Tucson 9. According to the Tucson Chamber of Commerce, there are currently 27,000 businesses located in Tucson. And Home Office Computing magazine named us the third best city in America in which to start a new business. The area has become one of the top five locations in the country for telemarketing operations, and is becoming known as Optics Valley, due to the more than 50 innovative optics businesses that have sprouted up in the area.
Environmental technology is another fast-growing segment of Tucson's employment scene.
Tucson's proximity to the Mexican border has always had an impact on the region's economy. In fact, Tucson was named one of the top ten cities in North America for international companies by World Trade Magazine. Since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement in January 1994, Tucson's status as a global gateway to Mexico and South America has only been enhanced, positioning the area to export its expertise in industrial equipment, telecommunications, electronics, and financial services. The base hires plenty of civilians, as well as pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy. The University of Arizona has been instrumental in Tucson's high-tech growth, establishing the Science and Technology Park on the southeast side of the metropolitan area just off Interstate 10 near Houghton Road.