CHANDLER, AZ — Once an agricultural community, Chandler has evolved into a booming tech hub known as the "Silicon Desert," home to industry giants like Intel and Microchip Technology. The city’s transformation reflects its shift from farmland to a center of innovation.
"When I grew up, our clothing store was right here on the corner; it was called Serrano’s Department Store, right here in downtown Chandler," said Rick Serrano, part of one of Chandler’s oldest family-owned businesses.
Much has changed since the Serrano family first opened their doors in 1919.
This story is part of ABC15's Voice of the Voter series, where we're highlighting voter perspectives from communities all across Arizona. To see more Voice of the Voter coverage, click here.
"It used to be wide open, nothing but farmland and crops," Serrano recalled. “And the folks who worked the fields, and went to church with us, and owned businesses, those were our customers.”
For nearly 60 years, Serrano’s Department Store clothed the small agricultural community. As Chandler grew, so did the Serrano family business.
"When we left the clothing business, our name and logo stayed the same for our restaurants," Serrano said.
In 1979, the family opened Serrano’s Mexican Restaurants as the city began seeing rapid growth in small businesses and families.
"I think it really changed when Intel landed," Serrano said.
In 1980, Intel, the world’s second-largest semiconductor producer, opened what-would-become a 700-acre chip plant in Chandler’s Price Corridor, spurring the region’s reputation as the Silicon Desert. Other tech companies soon followed, establishing Chandler as a technology hub.
"When a company comes to town, you have to build that ecosystem around it—other advanced manufacturing—to support it long-term," said Chandler Chamber of Commerce CEO Terri Kimble.
That ecosystem now drives a significant portion of the city’s jobs and economic activity, Kimble noted.
"We're attracting that younger workforce, that talent pool that is so incredibly important," she said.
People are drawn by the job opportunities and staying for the top-rated schools, neighborhoods, and access to recreation and retail.
Kim Paschich, a business owner who moved to Chandler in 2015, said she chose the city because of its family-friendly environment.
"People are moving here for businesses on the Price Corridor, then settling into the community, which is helping me and other business owners," Paschich said.
From its beginnings as a desert outpost to its emergence as a thriving metropolis, Chandler continues to grow and adapt.
This summer, after much consideration, Serrano closed the original downtown location of Serrano’s Mexican Restaurants, citing the property’s rising value.
WATCH: A look inside the numbers of Chandler voters
While saying goodbye to the place where it all began, Serrano remains confident about Chandler’s future.
"It's set up to thrive, and more and more people are realizing what a gem it is," he said.
See more ABC15 coverage from spots across Arizona and the Valley with our Voice of the Voter series in the player below.
