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Axiscades, an India-based engineering firm, has moved into leased space at the Transamerica building at 177 N. Church Ave., just a few blocks from Caterpillar’s surface-mining division building under construction on the west side of Interstate 10.

Axiscades has about 15 to 20 employees in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ so far and is looking to hire more than 300 over the next five years, CEO Mritunjay Singh said. The positions will primarily be in mechanical and electrical engineering, as well as finance, research and development, human resources, sales and project management.

Singh said Caterpillar is his company’s “primaryâ€� customer, and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s cadre of mining firms and the availability of graduates of the University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s mining school were also attractive to the company.

Based in Bangalore, India, Axiscades has 11 offices in eight countries, including one in Peoria, Illinois, and employs more than 2,300 workers overall. Besides the heavy-machinery business, it serves the defense, aerospace, automotive, industrial and medical-device industries.

“We strongly believe in a strategy of growing locally and expanding and setting up offices in multiple places,â€� said Singh. “ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ is definitely a great place to be both in terms of talent and the customer base here.â€�

Singh said after meeting with local officials he was also impressed with the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s area’s defense industry, adding that the company is now considering bringing elements of its own defense technology business here in the future.

In town for the announcement, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Gov. Doug Ducey said Axiscades’ arrival confirmed his earlier belief that Caterpillar’s decision to relocate a division to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ would create a “ripple effectâ€� of attracting other mining-tech businesses.

“Once again, we are sending a message to the nation and the world that Southern ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ is open for business,â€� Ducey said.

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mayor Jonathan Rothschild said the arrival of Caterpillar, Hexagon Mining and now Axiscades in downtown ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ is bringing high-paying jobs and playing to the Old Publeo’s strengths in international trade, noting the global nature of the mining business.

“Caterpillar exports to Mexico, to Central America, around the world,â€� he said, calling ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s proximity to the border one of the city’s most important strategic advantages.

Local government and business leaders and groups including Sun Corridor Inc. helped smooth Axiscades’ move to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.

David Hutchens, chairman of Sun Corridor and president and CEO of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Electric Power Co., said ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s quality of life, infrastructure and workforce are key to attracting new companies like Axiscades.

“We’ve known about it for years, now the whole world is finding out,� he said.

Axiscades has not applied for any state or local financial incentives to open its office in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, according to Sun Corridor.

Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson said mining is an integral part of Southern ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s legacy and current and future economy, and that “sustainable miningâ€� is part of the county’s strategic economic-development plans, citing the UA’s Center for Environmentally Sustainable Mining.

Axiscades’ arrival is the latest in a string of major job announcements for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥:

• In 2016, Caterpillar decided to relocate its Surface, Mining & Technology Division to downtown ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, along with up to 600 executive jobs over a five-year period, for an estimated economic impact of $600 million. Caterpillar’s 150,000-square-foot building is expected to be completed by March 2019.
• In 2017, Hexagon Mining, a division of Sweden-based Hexagon AB that provides information technology to the mining industry, announced it would expand and set up its North American headquarters in downtown’s City Park, 40 E. Congress, with plans to add 120 employees over five years.
• Earlier this month, Texas Instruments Inc. announced plans to build a new $29 million facility, adding at least 35 high-paying jobs to the 300 already in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.
• ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ also landed a new Amazon fulfillment center earlier this year, which will employ more than 1,500 full-time workers at a warehouse on the city’s southeast side.