We typically eschew big chain stores in favor of small local shops, but occasionally a company is a national success and a local legend. These hometown heroes frequently surprise Valley dwellers with their localist cred.
U-Haul
The name “U-Haul” has become synonymous with “moving trucks” in the same way “Kleenex” became synonymous with “tissues.” Though it was founded 75 years ago in Washington, it is now headquartered in Phoenix.
Massage Envy
Scottsdale’s accessible spa and skin care chain was founded in 2002 and has ballooned to approximately 1,200 locations nationwide. It is now the largest employer of spa professionals in the United States.
Best Western
The affordable hotel chain was founded in 1946 and now has more than 4,000 locations worldwide, including in Myanmar, Hong Kong, Austria and New Zealand.
Sprouts Farmers Market
Providing budget-friendly natural groceries since 2002, Phoenix-based Sprouts made Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies list in 2018 and 2019.
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
Beloved by rock ’n’ roll royalty including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison and Buddy Holly, Fender guitars were birthed in Fullerton, California, but the company’s HQ is now in Scottsdale.
ZipRecruiter
If you’ve listened to a podcast in the last year, you’ve heard countless ads for this employment marketplace. Founded in Santa Monica, California, it now has headquarters in tech-rich Tempe.
Make-A-Wish Foundation
It’s a nonprofit, not a corporation, but its reach is vast: The Phoenix-based organization has granted last wishes to terminally ill children through 60 United States chapters and in 45 other countries.
