After enduring several years of revenue declines, construction firms finally saw an increase in work during 2011, reflected in the $10.4-billion project value among the 25 projects ranked on ENR Southwest's Top Starts list. It was more than triple the total of 2010's top 25 starts, when only $2.9 billion of new work was generated for contractors and design firms in Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.
The biggest single project start in 2011 was the $5-billion Intel Fab 42 Semiconductor Manufacturing Facility, located at Intel's existing campus in Chandler, Ariz. The plant design is nearly identical to Intel's new Hillsboro, Ore., plant, allowing for efficiencies of scale and standardization of components.