Eric Jay Toll

My bucket list trip to experience winter in Québec was made even more memorable by the excursion to Saguenay.
A winter visit to Québec has long been on my bucket list. It seems pretty offbeat to leave Arizona in February and land not far from the Arctic Circle. The trip to Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean was an unexpected detour from Carnaval in Québec Citie. Bundling up meant I was never cold despite an air temperature that never cleared 12F (-11C). The Québecoise are exceptionally welcoming hosts. ...

With a roar, we’re diving down that impossible canyon with nothing but pink sand visible through the windscreen. In seconds, we’re roaring up the other side seeing blue sky and the treetops. We head back to the Valantine family’s RVs, circled into a family campsite.
Matt and son Cary are whipping up dinner for the families, their collective sons, daughters, in-laws and many grandchildren.
“We just don’t get opportunities like this to have everyone together at one time,” Valantine says while s...

Can you compress it more?”
Her face scrunches with effort. I exhort her, “Push! Really push it!”
“Oomph! It barely fits, but I got it.”
The ski parka needed 15 minutes ago is now far too hot. We’re down to sweatshirts as we crunch across the rising, flat sandstone surface on the trail. It’s winter at Arches National Park in Utah; the hike has us halfway there and already at 4,600 feet (1,402m). Siri said the temperature was 38° Fahrenheit (3 Centigrade) in the parking lot, but we’re toasty wa...

The Canada=Arizona Business Council promotes commerce and tourism between Greater Phoenix, Arizona and Canada. In a special section for the Phoenix Business Journal, articles about Canada and doing business in Phoenix were written from interviews, research and purpose.

Why do people squiggle their cars and manhandle SUVs to get to Chaco Culture National Historical Park? Read their words, learn their reasons, and see the pictures in "Hard To Reach, Filled With The Unexpected." Multiple visitor interviews and vivid images were compiled for this article.

Photography assignment for Roadtrippers and KOA Kampgrounds to photograph Shingletown-Mount Lassen KOA Holiday campground.

Photo assignment from Roadtrippers for KOA Kamgrounds of the Grants KOA Journey campground. Please note that some photos are posted by site visitors. Images by the photographer are credited with name.

Photo assignment for KOA Journey Holbrook - Petrified Forest. Please note, some images are reader uploads. Photographers images are credited.

By Eric Jay Toll. Special for the Phoenix Business Journal
“The number of manufacturing jobs in Arizona has passed the number of construction jobs.” Sandra Watson, president and CEO, Arizona Commerce Authority
“Phoenix is the only one of the top 25 construction markets to post an increase over 2019. The capital spending on construction is up 89 percent over 2019.” Christine Mackay, director, Phoenix Community and Economic Development
“We got ahead of the pandemic early, and I believe that the...

Federal policy severely damaged exporting opportunities before the coronavirus migrated into the United States. Despite the policy disruption, Arizona modestly stayed on course over the last several years, shipping exports valued around $19.5 billion per quarter, sometimes shipping more, sometimes shipping less. The impact of the pandemic on the state’s exports was marginal in total trade dollars, but individual commodities reacted differently.
“Our members in Arizona said that although expor...

By Eric Jay Toll, special to the Phoenix Business Journal
(Companies) now put Arizona on the shortlist, and we’re competing as a top tier market.” Christine Mackay, director, Phoenix Community and Economic Development
“Our pipeline (of new development projects) is the most robust I’ve seen in years.” Chris Camacho, president and CEO, Greater Phoenix Economic Council
“Notably, all of the (new businesses coming to Arizona) won in this year come from California.” Sandra Watson, president and CED...

Ten years ago, Phoenix and Arizona were nearly foreign concepts to global companies. Not today.
In a cluster of industry sectors, Greater Phoenix is center stage for global companies looking to once again invest in America.
“The numbers aren’t showing it yet,” said Doug Bruhnke, president and CEO of the Global Chamber based in Phoenix. “However, activity and interest in Greater Phoenix from all around the world are significantly up.”
Arizona is a key port of entry for North American trade. Th...

“We’re off to a good start in 2021, and I hear others are optimistic as well.”
At the other end of the videoconference, Steve Macias, president and CEO of Pivot Manufacturing in Phoenix and a board member of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, talked about the last 12 months. “We set records in 2020 and are seeing slight increases this year. I’ll tell you, though, most manufacturers are saying we’re coming into a strong economy.”
For the Valley today, the economic policy put into pl...