There’s a lot that goes into building a great economy and putting Coloradans to work in great jobs. It’s that reason that the Chamber has so many affiliates – all with a laser focus on their part of that broader mission. We want to reintroduce you to each affiliate so you can get to know them, learning about their impact and maybe even see new areas where we can support you and your organization. We have six affiliates and this week we focus on the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation.
You’ve probably heard about them and the economic development work they do in the news recently because of a little company called Amazon. What you may not realize is that the Metro Denver EDC works with about 100 companies each year both in our backyard and from all over the world who are looking to expand or move to Colorado. This process is exactly the same, whether you are a Fortune 500 company like Amazon or an entrepreneur running a small business. Our goal is to attract primary jobs that help drive our economic success.
How do they do it? The Metro Denver EDC is the nation’s first regional economic development authority, bringing together 250 of Colorado’s private sector companies with more than 70 cities, counties and economic development agencies from the region. But being first isn’t what makes us good – it’s our ongoing commitment to:
- Work as a region and a state in attracting companies and retaining the great companies already here.
- Be thoughtful about when our industries should work together to gain competitive advantage and when we compete.
- Attract and develop the smartest and healthiest workforce in the country (and maybe the galaxy).
- Be willing to make investments in our infrastructure that allows us to maintain our quality of life and position us more effectively to compete.
- Know our assets and market Colorado to the world.
- And, support good public policy that allows our organizations and their employees to thrive.
What’s that mean to you? We recently had a member who was starting a new company and was considering doing so here or in Kansas. As he was talking about that and his plans, a colleague suggested he reach out to the Metro Denver EDC. Our team shared economic data, workforce information, incentives available to any company that grows jobs in Colorado and then helped him navigate that process. The effort paid off for everybody – it ensured great jobs in biotech stayed here in Colorado.
How can you get involved? Our investors are what allow us to deliver on this mission. If you and your organization want to help guide the region and the state’s economic development strategy, join us.
Kelly Brough is the president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber.