We learned in mid-January that the Denver metro area is one of 20 sites that Amazon is considering – down from 238 proposals – for its second North American corporate headquarters and soon after hosted the 10-person Amazon HQ2 team in Colorado.
Leading Colorado’s sole response to the initial request for proposal for Amazon HQ2, the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (Metro Denver EDC) – an affiliate of the Chamber – is continuing its work to attract this substantial project to the region.
How’d We Get Here?
Within hours of the RFP being publicly released in September, the Metro Denver EDC was in contact with the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) and developed a communications strategy and action plan that guided completion of the response ahead of Amazon’s deadline. The action plan included a comprehensive site search and information curation on talent, global accessibility and business ethos.
As states, cities and economic developers frenzied over the prospect of being home to 50,000 new jobs in the next 10 to 15 years and $5 billion in investment, we were already at work. The criteria for HQ2 includes proximity to a major international airport, a metropolitan population with a highly educated workforce and real estate to support the major investment – criteria we know our region more than meets. Our advancement in this process shows we do stand out.
The Metro Denver EDC, which represents nine counties and 70 communities, has led the coalition of community partners and the state of Colorado to compete for this transformational project.
What’s Next?
This process has laid the groundwork for future Amazon opportunities as well as the current pipeline of more than 40 prospects in diverse industries. And, the metro Denver region is on the map for employers and top talent. In March, the Metro Denver EDC noted at its 14th Annual Meeting that in the last year it added or expanded 20 companies, leading to 6,800 primary jobs and $400 million in capital investment.
Dani Barger is the senior digital marketing specialist for the Metro Denver EDC.
This article was originally published on Business Altitude. Click here to view the issue.