Una familia, un sueño y un negocio con propósito

Javier y María del Rocío Cervantes nacieron en Guadalajara, Jalisco, y, como muchos inmigrantes, llegaron a Estados Unidos en busca de mejores oportunidades. Javier, carpintero de oficio, y María del Rocío, secretaría empresarial, nunca imaginaron que años más tarde estarían liderando un negocio con un impacto significativo en su comunidad y ahora también en el medio ambiente.

A federal grant is helping Gila County protect rural towns like Superior, Globe and Miami from the growing risk of flash floods after a trio of wildfires caused damage to the landscape.

The county will map the likely routes of post-wildfire flooding and mudslides using $250,000 from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

A 40-year-old bridge in southern Arizona will soon receive a much-needed, multi-million-dollar overhaul to serve the community of Rio Rico, near the U.S.-Mexico border.

With support from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the new bridge will be the largest project in Santa Cruz County and improve 911 response times for a growing rural community.

Millions of dollars in federal funding are available for rural, tribal and agricultural business owners to install solar, purchase new energy-efficient equipment and save on utility bills. Local First Arizona is now offering free help to apply for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Demand for workers to fill clean energy jobs is growing twice as fast as for other careers. Now a community college serving rural southern Arizona is launching programs to train and develop this new workforce with millions in federal funding.

A $9 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Energy through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will equip the Hopi Tribe with a solar system to allow emergency services to operate 24/7. The tribe currently depends on unreliable, polluting diesel generators to power its government complex.

Volunteers with Local First Arizona’s Keep Arizona Beautiful campaign participated in the 2024 Great American Cleanup. They cleared 1,000 pounds of trash and 100 pounds of scrap metal from a river bed in Superior.

Click to find out how to join our next cleanup!

A rural Arizona inn found a way to install solar panels affordably and save $10,000 a year on energy bills with help from a federal grant and tax credits.

“One day, $32,000 appeared in our checking account, and we were like, ‘Whoa it’s time to celebrate!’” Pines Inn and Suites owner Anna May Cory said. “For us, that was quite impressive.”

The funding was made possibIe through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

In a region that grows as quickly as the Valley, construction has a considerable environmental impact.

But some architectural firms are focused on minimizing waste, lowering carbon emissions and making sustainability a selling point.

Meet two Local First Arizona members making architecture more sustainable.

Businesses are always looking to stand out from the crowd. Here’s 5 businesses that are doing just that by becoming Arizona Green Business Certified. Just how do they stand out? Setting an example with sustainable business practices.

Tempe businesses are saving money and reducing their environmental impact through Local First Arizona’s Green Business Boot Camp.

As the largest coalition of of locally-owned businesses in the nation, you are part of a movement that elevates the voices of Arizona’s independent, locally-owned businesses – connecting people, communities and resources for meaningful actions that build a diverse, inclusive and prosperous Arizona. Join us in celebrating new and renewing business coalition members.

A group of 6 businesses and community partners met on March 17th to present their sustainable projects and graduate from the first-ever Verde Valley Green Business Bootcamp Cohort!

A Tucson favorite that's been serving up homemade frozen yogurt for over 25 years has gone Green by becoming Arizona Green Business Certified. Frozen Delight owners Cleo & Jose Terrazas pride themselves on opening one of the first frozen yogurt shops in Tucson, and now they are one of the first to implement innovative solutions that make the business more sustainable.

More than 3,400 people in remote Arizona communities will receive access to safe, clean drinking water for the first time through a partnership between Local First Arizona and a cutting-edge company that makes solar-powered, off-grid water systems.

A group of 6 businesses and community partners met on March 17th to present their sustainable projects and graduate from the first-ever Verde Valley Green Business Bootcamp Cohort!

7 Businesses and nonprofits from Maricopa County and southern Arizona recently graduated from Local First Arizona’s Green Business Boot Camp, launching projects that will realize cost-savings and conservation of limited natural resources.

From May to July 2023, Local First Arizona will work with Tucson retailers to solve one environmental challenge ― moving beyond the plastic retail bag.

The Bring Your Own Bag pilot will debut in two American cities, Tucson and Denver, as part of a larger “Beyond the Bag” initiative.

The goal is simple ― to enable a broader cultural shift towards shoppers bringing their own bags from home.

Let’s celebrate entrepreneurs who are future-proofing their business while building their neighborhoods and communities’ resilience by participating in Cohort 10 of SCALE UP!! 6 business owners learned new strategies to realize significant cost savings by making their business operations more sustainable.