Peoria, Arizona has snagged the title of Economic Development Organization of the Year in the large organization category, a nod from the Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED) that shines a spotlight on the city's hustle to amp up its local economy. The AAED's EDDE Awards are no small potatoes—they honor the crème de la crème of economic development work in the state, and this win marks a first for the city, as reported on April 29th by the City of Peoria.

A big player in Peoria's win was its savvy strategy to tempt and house a semiconductor ecosystem, resulting in a $2 billion investment and the creation of 2,000 jobs by Amkor Technology. Their forward-thinking didn't stop there. Peoria's been hard at work sewing up partnerships with educational institutions to bolster the workforce, launching initiatives like Grow Peoria and a Community Collaboration Kitchen to back local entrepreneurs, according to the city's news release.

Peoria's also cooking up new attractions with some swanky new eateries like Postino Wine Café and North Italia, soon to grace the P83 Entertainment District. Business gets a serious look-in too, with a sprawling HonorHealth campus rising along Loop 101, and a fresh one million square feet of commercial space for warehousing and manufacturing to boot, as per the same source.

"City Council has established Economic Development as one of our leading priorities for driving revenue and job growth," Mayor Jason Beck was quoted saying in Peoria's announcement. "I’m proud of our City’s Economic Development Staff that are helping to carry out Council’s vision with some amazing projects now underway across the city. This well-deserved reward is a great reflection on our city; and it is an honor to be recognized as the best in the State of Arizona."

For those looking to peek deeper into Peoria's economic checkmate, details of their endeavors and shrewd planning are available at the city's economic development site.