It’s safe to say the secret is out: Colorado is a great place to do business. Just last week, I joined Gov. John Hickenlooper, the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (Metro Denver EDC) and members of the Chamber and Metro Denver EDC in welcoming executives from a dozen new companies that have recently relocated or expanded operations in the Metro area. Check out the event on video here.
The Metro Denver EDC executive welcome reception is all about making those key connections that result in collaboration, innovation and ultimately greater success for our entire region. It’s an opportunity for new executives to expand their networks and ask us questions to make their moves and expansions more seamless. It’s also an incredible opportunity for us to pick their brains on why they chose the Metro area for their growing companies. Here’s what we learned about what makes us a destination:
- Our workforce is a top attraction. We say this on repeat, but it’s absolutely true that companies are drawn here for our education and active workforce.
- The environment doesn’t hurt either. A working lunch in Colorado is just as likely to take place on Cherry Creek Bike Path as it is in a downtown steakhouse. With access to the Rocky Mountains and an incredible park system, outdoor enthusiasts feel right at home here.
- The way we do business matters. Many of us moved here from another state, so we’ve been in these executives’ shoes. We’re welcoming and always willing to cross an aisle in the name of finding the right solution.
- We have it all. Our economy is more diverse than ever. And, the companies we celebrated last week hammer that message home. From tech to agriculture to finance and business services, we’re building a more diverse economy every day.
Here’s a little about who we welcomed:
- Ardent Mills, Ardent Mills, the nation’s largest flour-miller, opened its headquarters in Denver May 29, 2014. The $4 billion dollar venture could bring 250 high-paying jobs to the area.
- Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Bank of America opened its first full-service Colorado banking center in Cherry Creek in December 2014. More branch locations will follow in Denver and Boulder in 2015.
- Gogo Business Aviation, Gogo announced in February 2014 that its business aviation division will relocate its headquarters to Interlocken in Broomfield. Gogo Business Aviation is a leading provider of in-flight connectivity and entertainment services to the business aviation market.
- Google, Google announced plans in December 2014 to build a 330,000-square-foot campus in Boulder. The campus will accommodate 1,500 employees, five times its current Boulder employee base.
- Granicus, Granicus manages the world’s largest legislative content network—containing more than 5 million government media files and public records. Granicus relocated its headquarters from San Francisco to downtown Denver and anticipates hiring more than 70 employees in 2015.
- Kinross Gold, in February 2015, Denver was selected as the new headquarters for Kinross’ newly consolidated Americas region, which contains five operating mines spanning the U.S., Chile and Brazil.
- Layer3 TV, Layer3 TV, a fast-growing tech startup launching a “next generation cable company,” selected Denver for its new headquarters in May of 2014. The company was founded by cable veterans and seasoned entrepreneurs.
- McKinsey & Company, McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm that serves leading businesses, governments, non-governmental organizations, and not-for-profits. McKinsey opened their Denver office in July 2014. This is the first U.S. office that McKinsey has opened in 10 years.
- Reed Group, Reed Group, a leading provider of innovative employee absence (disability or family leave) and health solutions, announced in October plans to expand their headquarters in Westminster to a new space to serve new and existing customers and accommodate hundreds of new employees.
- Trulia.com, Trulia.com, a top site for homebuyers, sellers and renters, opened their Centennial office in February 2011. With a team of 25 employees, Trulia has now grown to over 300 employees. Acquired by The Zillow Group in February, 2015, Trulia is still operating in Denver as Trulia.
- WorldRemit Corp, WorldRemit, a London-based financial services firm, announced in December the opening of its new North American headquarters and operations center in Denver. The company makes online money transfers. WorldRemit projects its Denver staff to grow to more than 200 employees within five years.
- Zayo Group, an international provider of bandwidth infrastructure, announced in June that it will open a new office in downtown Denver. The new office is Boulder-based Zayo’s fourth office along the Front Range.
That’s a lot of growth, good news and jobs for Colorado. Keep up the good work.
[photo: Israel Sundseth]