Northwest Douglas County EDC

Transcription

www.metrodenver.org
2012 - 2013
Foresight Aerial Photography
table of
contents<<
3 About the Metro Denver Economic
30
20
Development Corporation
4 Economic Development Partners
6 Corporate Investors
8 Major Relocations and Expansions
14 Results that are Moving the
Economy Forward
16 Metro Denver:
Energetic Bodies. Energetic Minds.
18 Quick Facts
>>
METRO DENVER
20 Demographics and Employment
30 Business Climate
43 Lifestyle
82
16
52 Counties
>>
53
56
60
63
66
69
72
Adams County
Arapahoe County
Boulder County
City and County of Broomfield
City and County of Denver
Douglas County
Jefferson County
NORTHERN COLORADO
76 Demographics and Employment
80 Business Climate
82 Lifestyle
43
2
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
86 Counties
87 Larimer County
90 Weld County
93 Contacts Directory
About the Metro Denver Economic
{
}
WE’RE HERE TO HELP
I
f your business wants to learn more
about Metro Denver, you’ve tapped the
right resource. As a public-private, not-forprofit economic development organization,
the Metro Denver Economic Development
Corporation (Metro Denver EDC), an
affiliate of the Denver Metro Chamber of
Commerce, brings you comprehensive
information and a seamless connection to
influential business people throughout the
seven-county Metro Denver region and the
two-county Northern Colorado area.
This guide contains the most current economic
development data for site selectors, facilities
managers, and others interested in expanding
or locating to the Metro Denver region. Our
website, www.metrodenver.org, supplies links
to more than 70 other economic development
agencies and city development departments.
And, the Metro Denver EDC’s experienced
staff can quickly assemble in-depth reports on
nearly any relevant topic, such as key
legislation, public policy issues, business
news, labor market studies, and more.
Let us help you make an informed decision
for your company. Contact one of our
knowledgeable business specialists at:
Metro Denver Economic
1445 Market St.
Denver, CO 80202-1790
303.620.8092 main
303.534.3200 fax
[email protected]
www.metrodenver.org
www.metrodenverGIS.org
Our goal is to provide comprehensive data
and resources that will allow companies
and site selectors to conduct a complete
site search of the Metro Denver region,
online, from anywhere in the world.
Our websites are designed the way you
need them to work. The sites contain all of
the information you need, including state-ofthe-art GIS mapping ability with
demographics and real estate information,
industry details, local business news, a
unique data cart functionality, and an
economic development blog.
Follow our up-to-the-minute news at
www.twitter.com/MetroDenverEDC and
find out even more about us at
www.facebook.com/MetroDenverEDC.
W W W. M E T R O D E N V E R . O R G
3
Economic
Development
Partners
}
{
THE ENTIRE REGION IS
WITHIN YOUR REACH
T
he Metro Denver Economic Development
Corporation (Metro Denver EDC) is the nation’s
first regional economic development program.
The Metro Denver EDC is comprised of more than 70
counties, cities, and economic development agencies
from throughout the seven-county Metro Denver area
and the two-county Northern Colorado area.
Member organizations serve as account representatives for
the entire region. They tell clients and companies the benefits of
Metro Denver first and individual communities second. No
matter whom you contact, the entire region is within your
reach.
On the next page is a list of the Metro Denver EDC’s partner
organizations. A complete directory is included on page 93.
4
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
partners >>>
Adams County Economic Development, Inc.
Arvada Economic Development Association
Aurora Economic Development Council
I-70 Corridor Regional Economic
Advancement Partnership
Jefferson County Economic
Boulder Economic Council
Brighton Economic Development Corporation
City of Lafayette
Broomfield Economic Development Corporation
City of Lakewood Economic Development
City & County of Broomfield
City of Littleton Economic Development
Castle Rock Economic Development Council
City of Lone Tree
City of Centennial
Longmont Area Economic Council
Colorado Office of Economic Development
City of Louisville
Town of Mead
And International Trade
City of Commerce City
Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation
Denver Office of Economic Development
Northern Colorado Economic
Denver South Economic Development Partnership
Douglas County, Economic Development Division
City of Northglenn
Downtown Denver Partnership
Northwest Douglas County Economic
City of Englewood, Community
Town of Parker
Development Department
Town of Erie
City of Sheridan
City of Federal Heights
South Metro Denver Economic Development Group
Town of Firestone
Town of Superior
City of Glendale
City of Thornton Business Development
City of Golden
Upstate Colorado Economic Development
Greater Colorado Springs Chamber
City of Westminster Economic Development
and EDC
City of Wheat Ridge Community Development
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
CO-LABS
Colorado Association for Manufacturing
and Technology (CAMT)
Colorado Association of Commerce and
Industry (CACI)
Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA)
Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce
Colorado Clean Energy Cluster
Colorado Cleantech Industry Association (CCIA)
Colorado Community College System
Colorado Competitive Council (C3)
Colorado Energy Coalition (CEC)
Colorado Photonics Industry Association
Colorado Ski Country USA
Colorado Space Coalition (CSC)
Colorado Technology Association (CTA)
Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG)
Metro Denver Aviation Coalition (MDAC)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
VISIT DENVER
World Trade Center Denver
Xcel Energy
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Commerce City has been one of my best experiences,” said Tom Ford,
facilities manager of Rocky Mountain Cummins.
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5
{
}
Corporate Investors
B U S I N E S S S U P P O R T T O A D VA N C E
METRO DENVER’S ECONOMY
T
Our business leaders and communities are on the same team. That’s why Metro Denver has a rich histor y of regionalism in economic development.
he Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation’s investors
represent the “best” of Colorado’s dynamic business community. They
typify the values of the Mountain West, and are willing to work
together when times get challenging and use their passion to better
the community.
The Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation receives
funding through commitments from our investor companies in three
levels of leadership and investment opportunities including the
Executive Committee, Board of Governors, and Supporting Investors.
Metro Denver is fortunate to have their level of commitment to the region’s
economic viability. We are grateful for their generous financial commitments to
our future. To get involved in our aggressive agenda to create jobs, enhance
wealth, and revitalize our community, please contact Julie Sprigg, director of
investor relations, at 303.620.8074, or [email protected].
ActionCOACH
BP America
City of Lakewood Economic Development
Brown Palace Comfort Inn Complex
City of Lone Tree
Adolfson & Peterson Construction
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP
Citywide Banks-Downtown
AECOM
Bryan Cave HRO
CliftonLarsenAllen LLP
Alliance for Sustainable Energy
Burkett Design, Inc.
CNA Insurance
American Family Insurance
Callahan Capital Partners
Colorado Association of Mechanical &
Amgen, Inc.
CAP Logistics
Anadarko Petroleum
Cassidy Turley Fuller Real Estate
Colorado Business Bank
Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield
CB Richard Ellis, Inc.
Apartment Association of Metro Denver
Centura Health
Colorado National Bancorp
Associated General Contractors of Colorado
CenturyLink
Colorado Real Estate Journal
AT&T
CH2M HILL
Colorado State Bank & Trust
Ball Corporation
Chase
Colorado State University
Bank of the West
Cherry Creek Shopping Center
Colorado State University Global Campus
BBVA Compass Corporate Office
Children’s Hospital Colorado
comCables
BELLCO Credit Union - Corporate Office
CIGNA HealthCare of Colorado
Comcast Cable Communications, Inc.
Bentek Energy, LLC
Cimarex Energy Co
Community College of Denver
BKD CPAs & Advisors
COPIC
6
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
Plumbing Contractors
Corporex Colorado, LLC
Husch Blackwell Sanders, LLP
PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers)
Coventry Development Corporation
Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado
Quanta Power Generation
Cresa Denver
Convention Center
Raytheon
DaVita Corporate
Hyder Construction
Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc.
Deloitte
IHS, Inc.
RK Mechanical, Inc.
Delta Dental of Colorado
IMA Financial Group, Inc.
RNL
Denver Board of Water Commissioners
Intermountain Electric
Ross Aviation, LLC
Denver Broncos Football Club
ITT Exelis
Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons LLP
Denver Business Journal
Janus
Sage Hospitality
Denver International Airport
SAIC
Denver Metro Association of REALTORS
Saunders Construction, Inc.
Jeppesen Sanderson
Shaw Construction Company
Denver Post
Johnson & Wales University
Sheraton Denver Hotel
Denver South Economic Development
Jviation, Inc.
Sherman & Howard, LLC
Kaiser Permanente
Sierra Nevada Space Systems
Development Counselors International
Kenney Group, Inc., The
SMA America, LLC
Development Research Partners
KeyBank
Snell & Wilmer
Douglas County Economic Development Division
Kiewit Building Group Inc.
SOS Employment Group
dovetail solutions
KPMG, LLP
Southwest Airlines
Dynalectric Company of Colorado
L.C. Fulenwider, Inc.
Spectrum Audio Visual
Ehrhardt Keefe Steiner & Hottman PC
Land Title Guarantee Company
Suncor Energy USA, Inc.
Eide Bailly, LLP
Level 3 Communications, Inc.
TIAA-CREF
Elkus Sisson & Rosenstein, P.C.
LNR Property Corporation
Town of Erie
Encanca Corporation
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association
Encore Electric, Inc.
Lockton Companies, LLC.
Turner Construction
Enserca, LLC
M.A. Mortenson Company
U.S. Bank
Enterprise Holdings
Manpower
UMB Bank Colorado
Ernst & Young
MapQuest, Inc.
United Airlines, Inc.
Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital
Marsh
United HealthCare of Colorado, Inc.
Fairfield and Woods, P.C.
McKenna Long & Aldridge, LLP
United Launch Alliance
FirstBank - Denver
McWhinney
University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz
Flood and Peterson
Merrick & Company
Forest City Development
MillerCoors
University of Colorado Hospital
Frontier Airlines
Moreton & Company
University of Denver | Daniels College
Gart Companies
Moye/White LLP
Gary-Williams Company
Mutual of Omaha Bank
URS
GE Johnson Construction Company
NAIOP
VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare
Gensler
National Jewish Health
GHP Horwath, P.C.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Vail Resorts
Goodwill Industries of Denver
Newfield Exploration Company
Van Gilder Insurance Corporation
Grant Thornton, LLP
Newmark Knight Frank Frederick Ross
Vectra Bank Colorado, NA
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Noble Energy, Inc
Venoco, Inc.
Griffis Group
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Venture Architecture
Partnership
Guaranty Bank & Trust Company
Information Systems
Medical Campus
of Business
System/VISN 19
Vestas Americas
Haselden Construction, Inc.
NV5
Wagner Equipment Co.
Hatch Mott MacDonald
Oakwood Homes, LLC
Webb PR
HealthONE, LLC
OfficeScapes
Weitz Company, Inc.
HealthTrans
The Opus Group
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A
Hein & Associates, LLP
Otten Johnson Robinson Neff & Ragonetti PC
Western Dairy Association
Hensel Phelps Construction Co.
PCL Construction Services, Inc.
Western Union
Heska
Pepsi Bottling Group
Westfield Development Co.
HNTB
PhRMA
WhiteWave Foods Company
Hogan Lovells US LLP
Pinnacol Assurance
Woodward
HOK
Polsinelli Shughart
Workplace Resource/Herman Miller
Holland & Hart, LLP
ProBuild
Xcel Energy
Howell Construction
Pure Brand Communications
*Investors as of May 4, 2012
7
Major Relocations
and Expansions
2011–2012
The TriZetto Group, a healthcare technology company, broke ground April 2012 for its new 186,000-square-foot, world headquarters building in
Douglas County. TriZetto expects to add up to 750 new jobs at the facility within five years. PHOTO CREDIT: The TriZetto Group
As of July 1, 2012. Listed by date of announcement, most recent first.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
announced in July 2012 that it has selected
Denver as a site for one of four new satellite
patent offices to be located across the
country. The expansion is expected to bring
hundreds of patent examiner jobs as well as
a considerable number of related positions,
and an anticipated economic impact of
$440 million in the first five years of
operation.
J. Schneider Elektrotechnik GmbH, a leading
manufacturer of industrial power supplies
based in Germany, celebrated the grand
opening of its new 23,000-square-foot
manufacturing center in Denver in June 2012.
Sundyne Corporation, a subsidiary of
Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation, broke
ground on a new manufacturing facility in
June 2012 at its Arvada-headquartered
facility. Sundyne officials credit heightened
demand and orders for its innovative fluidhandling technologies for its growth.
8
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
Connextions, a leading technology and
business services partner to the healthcare
industry and part of UnitedHealth Group's
Optum(R) health services business, will create
550 jobs in Centennial with the opening of its
new solutions center in June 2012.
Coleman Company, an international leader
in the innovation and marketing of outdoor
products, hosted the grand opening of its new
global headquarters in Denver West in
Unincorporated Jefferson County in June
2012. Coleman relocated its headquarters
back to Colorado from Wichita, Kan.
Xerox announced in May 2012 the opening
of a new customer call center in Greeley that
will create 700 permanent and project-based
new jobs by the end of the year.
Raytheon’s Information and Intelligence
Systems (IIS) division, based in Aurora,
announced in April 2012 that it expects to
add 100 new employees by the end of
PROFILE
2012 as a result of its work on two
government satellite contracts totaling $2
billion.
United Natural Foods announced in April
2012 that it will build a $45 million
distribution center in Aurora by mid-2013,
expecting to add 500 positions at the new
facility.
Blockbuster announced in April 2012 that it
will relocate its worldwide headquarters to
Douglas County, bringing more than 150
management positions to the Metro Denver
area over the next five years.
Cooper Lighting, a division of Ireland-based
Cooper Industries and a manufacturer of
incandescent fluorescent and LED lighting for
business and consumers, announced in April
2012 that it will invest $1.2 million to
improve a 190,000-square-foot facility in
Aurora, where it expects to create 650 new
jobs over the next 10 years.
IMA Financial Group broke ground in
April 2012 on its $32 million, five-story
building next to Denver Union Station,
where it expects to grow from 200 Denver
employees to 300 to 400 over the next 10
to15 years. Construction is to be
completed in the fourth quarter of 2013.
We’re on a
MISSION.
The TriZetto Group, a healthcare
technology company, accommodated its
rapid growth by breaking ground in April
2012 on its 186,000-square-foot world
headquarters building in Douglas County.
TriZetto expects to add up to 750 new jobs
at the new facility within five years.
SCL Health System announced in March
2012 the relocation of its corporate
headquarters from Kansas to Metro Denver,
creating 750 new jobs over the next four
years in Denver and Broomfield.
Niagara Bottling of California announced
in March 2012 that it will build a new
177,000-square-foot bottling plant in
Aurora, creating 36 new jobs and
investing $30 million in the new location.
Micron Technology, a global manufacturer
of advanced solid state semiconductor
solutions located in Longmont, announced
expansion plans in March 2012 for a new
engineering and design center where it
expects to add 70 new employees.
Covidien PLC, a leading manufacturer of
medical devices, opened a new 63,000square-foot research and development
Innovation Center (one of 24 worldwide) in
March 2012 in Boulder, with 160
employees and 18 laboratories.
UE Compression, a designer and
fabricator of custom gas compression
systems, announced expansion plans in
March 2012 to build a new 100,000square-foot manufacturing and business
operations building in Commerce City,
where it will add 65 new employees.
Cummins Rocky Mountain LLC announced
plans in March 2012 to expand its
campus in Commerce City by constructing
a new 35,000-square-foot facility housing
Like you, we have a vision for the future.
Ours includes providing you and your family
with the safest and highest quality care possible.
Each and every day, Exempla instills core values
in each of our caregivers, including:
• Excellence
• Integrity
• Good Humor
• Caring Spirit
• Stewardship
women caring for neighbors, friends and families
for health and wellness, go to www.exempla.org
We’ll be waiting for you.
©2012 Exempla Healthcare
9
<<<
IMA Financial Group
is just one of the
companies building
new office space in
Metro Denver and
investing in the region.
PHOTO CREDIT: IMA Financial Group
a training center, services center, and a
potential manufacturing facility. Cummins
plans to add 73 new employees.
ReadyTalk, a leading provider of audio
and web conferencing and webinar
services, announced plans in March 2012
to relocate its downtown Denver
headquarters to new space at the LEEDcertified 1900 Sixteenth Street, where it
will occupy two floors. The company has
experienced significant growth and plans to
expand its staff from 140 people to 200
by the end of the year.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems
Company, located in Jefferson County,
opened its new GPS III Processing Facility
in February 2012, partnering with the U.S.
Air Force to invest $80 million in the
50,000-square-foot manufacturing plant to
build up to 32 new GPS III satellites in the
next two decades and employ up to 100
people at peak production.
The Southwest Regional Council of
Carpenters announced in February
2012 that it will build a new office and
training facility at Stapleton’s Enterprise Park
in Denver, having purchased 13 acres of
land for its access to freeways and Denver
International Airport.
Southwest Airlines announced in February
2012 that it will open a new pilot crew
base in October 2012 and a new flight
10
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
attendant crew base in the fourth quarter of
2012 at Denver International Airport. To be
located on Concourse C, the new crew
domicile will be home to at least 250
pilots and 400 flight attendants.
Trimble, a leading provider of advanced
positioning solutions and GPS technology,
announced plans in February 2012 to
build a 125,000-square-foot building in
Westminster. The company employs 370
people; the new building can
accommodate 550 employees.
Northwestern Mutual - Denver and The
Cunningham Financial Group announced
in February 2012 plans to add nearly 200
new positions, including 75 financial
representatives and 108 financial
representative intern jobs, throughout
2012.
Frontier Airlines announced in January
2012 that it would move its corporate
headquarters from Indianapolis back to
Denver, placing its president and CEO and
new senior management team in Denver.
HealthSouth Corporation announced in
January 2012 plans to construct a new 40room, 49,000-square-foot inpatient
rehabilitation hospital in Littleton to employ
as many as 90 people by the third year of
operation. Officials estimate the
construction process will create 300 to
400 jobs.
PROFILE
DaVita, a Fortune 500 provider of kidney
dialysis services that relocated its
headquarters to Denver from California in
2009, announced in January 2012 that it
would open its new research center at the
St. Anthony Central Hospital campus in
Lakewood. Set to open in the third quarter
of 2012, the facility will be used for
developing drugs and testing new products
and therapies, employing 58 executive and
medical professionals.
Merrill Lynch announced in January 2012
that it would locate its Heartland Market
headquarters in Denver, to serve Colorado
as well as Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas,
Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North
Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota,
Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Teletech announced in January 2012 plans
to hire more than 500 people at a new
50,000-square-foot customer-support call
center in Greeley.
NeoMedia Technologies, Inc., a global
leader in mobile barcode scanning solutions,
announced in January 2012, that it would
move its corporate headquarters from Atlanta
to Boulder. NeoMedia officials said Boulder’s
reputation as a center for high-tech and
mobile will allow the company to grow its
business locally and internationally.
Head USA, a marketer of skis, snowboards,
and other sports equipment and clothing,
headquartered in Melville, N.Y., with a
significant presence in Englewood since
2000, Arrow brings technology solutions to
telecommunications, information systems,
transportation, medical, industrial and
consumer electronics, and more, and is the
highest ranked Fortune 500 company
headquartered in Colorado.
announced in January 2012 that it will
relocate its Winter Division to Boulder from
Norwalk, Conn., moving 12 employees in
spring 2012. The company says Colorado
was a natural choice because it enjoys 20
percent of all U.S. skier visits and serves as
the location for major resorts and retailers.
Oil States International, Inc. announced in
December 2011 that it has acquired a
manufacturing facility in Johnstown, Colo., to
provide additional construction capacity for
both the U.S. and Canadian remote site
accommodation markets. The company plans
to create 249 new jobs over the next five
years, expecting the manufacturing facility to
be operational in the first quarter of 2012
with production starting by mid-year.
Global Healthcare Exchange (GHX), a
Louisville-based software company that
automates supply ordering for hospitals and
healthcare industry suppliers, announced in
November 2011 plans to add 100 staff
members over the next 12 months, bringing
employment at its headquarters to more
than 400.
Latisys, a leading national provider of
collocation, managed hosting, managed
services, disaster recovery, and private cloud
solutions, announced in November 2011 the
addition of a second regional facility in the
Denver market, with a new 82,000-squarefoot high-density data center.
DaVita, a leading provider of kidney care
services, announced in November 2011 that
it would expand DaVita Clinical Research in
the region by adding medical, technical, and
scientific jobs at a facility to attract leading
healthcare innovators including
pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device
companies. DaVita will also create an
inbound call center in the area, focused on
helping patients locate dialysis services.
Arrow Electronics, a Fortune 133
company with 12,700 employees
worldwide serving 52 countries,
announced in October 2011 that its
Englewood operations would become the
company’s global headquarters. Previously
12
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
Intrawest ULC, a leader in developing and
managing experiential destination resorts
including Steamboat and Winter Park,
announced in June 2011 plans to move its
corporate headquarters from Vancouver,
British Columbia, to downtown Denver. The
company will eventually add 115 people at
its new building, announcing an expansion
of 50 new jobs in October 2011.
OtterBox, a leader in the production of
protective solutions for global handheld
manufacturers, wireless carriers, and
distributors, opened a new 53,000square-foot headquarters building in Fort
Collins in October 2011.
Tendril Inc., a smart-grid technology
company, announced in October 2011
plans to add 100 workers in 2012 to meet
increased demand for its software that
helps utilities and consumers manage
energy consumption more efficiently.
Magellan Petroleum Co. announced in
September 2011 plans to move its
corporate headquarters from Portland,
Maine, to Denver because of Colorado’s
reputation as a center of the U.S. oil and
gas industry.
Comcast Corp. announced in September
2011 a 35,000-square-foot expansion of
mixed-use space in the Inverness Business
Park to create a new operations center with
110 employees, replacing three operations
in Comcast’s western U.S. region.
Regulus Pharmaceutical Consulting Inc., a
Boulder-based biotech consulting firm,
announced in September 2011 that it will
double its workforce over the next year as
a result of a recent capital infusion into its
parent company.
PROFILE
Convergys Corp., an Ohio-based call
center outsourcing company, announced in
September 2011 that it will hire 150
customer service agents in Metro Denver to
staff its expanding business lines.
Lincoln College of Technology opened a new
212,000-square-foot, $23 million campus in
Denver in September 2011 to enable the
college to add instruction areas and double
the number of students it can serve.
Kaiser Permanente announced in
September 2011 plans to open a new
state-of-the-art member services call center
in Denver, expecting to hire 140 staff for
the new facility.
Bridgepoint Education Inc., a San Diegobased provider of postsecondary
education services that opened operations
in downtown Denver at 151,331 square
feet in April 2011, announced in August
2011 that it has leased 80,000 square
feet in downtown’s Tabor Center, planning
to hire 500 staff at its two Denver
locations.
AdamWorks, LLC, a global provider of
advanced engineering and manufacturing
solutions in the key market areas of
unmanned vehicles, commercial space and
transportation, aerospace and defense,
and renewable energy, announced
expansion plans in August 2011 at its
manufacturing facility in Centennial, leasing
an additional 18,455 square feet.
PENTAX Imaging Company, a leader in the
worldwide photographic industry, announced
in August 2011 the location of its national
headquarters in downtown Denver, where it
will locate 40 employees in its leased space
in the Colorado Plaza Towers.
Avago Technologies, a leading supplier of
analog interface components for
communications, industrial, and consumer
applications, announced plans in July
2011 to expand its existing facility in Fort
Collins to accommodate $57.5 million in
wafer manufacturing equipment and 92
new positions.
Leprino Foods, headquartered in
Denver, announced in August 2011 that it
will open the first phase of its 500,000square-foot, $270 million plant near
Greeley in November 2011, expecting to
create 500 new jobs in Weld County.
Westmoreland Coal Company announced
in June 2011 that it would relocate its
headquarters from Colorado Springs to
Englewood, noting that the move puts it
closer to other mining and energy
companies.
Cummins Rocky Mountain opened its largest
diesel engine remanufacturing plant in North
America in the summer of 2011, a new
$13.5 million, 88,000-square-foot Rocky
Mountain Master Rebuild Center in Commerce
City that will add more than 70 new jobs.
DaVita, a Fortune 500 provider of kidney
care services, leased 20,000 square feet
in lower downtown Denver in June 2011 to
accommodate 100 employees until its new
$90 million, 270,000-square-foot
headquarters is complete.
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
opened its $14.6 million expansion of the
Aerospace Manufacturing Center in
Westminster in July 2011, adding 28,000
square feet to its existing 160,000 square
feet for high-volume antenna manufacturing
of the F-35 Lightning II military aircraft. Ball
will add 200 employees at the site by full
production of its $677.2 million contract
from Lockheed Martin to manufacture
48,000 F-35 antennas.
Gordon Holdings, Inc., parent company
of Polystrand, Inc. and Gordon
Composites, Inc., announced plans in June
2011 to move its corporate headquarters
and expand its Montrose-based Polystrand
business to Douglas County to
accommodate growth and access Denver
International Airport and rail. The company
purchased 15.6 acres in the HighField
Business Park for its new 120,000-squarefoot headquarters and manufacturing
facility, where it will create as many as
240 new jobs.
CNA, one of the country’s largest
commercial insurance providers, hosted a
grand opening for its new 50,000-squarefoot Western Service Center in Lone Tree in
June 2011. CNA will employ 300 workers
at the center, selecting the region for the
workforce quality.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) expanded
in the region in May 2011 with a new
40,752-square-foot office location in
Denver, where it added 65 staff members.
Alpine Access, a Denver-headquartered
customer service outsourcing firm,
announced in May 2011 that it opened a
22,000-square-foot technology and
operations lab in the Denver Tech Center.
The company will hire 50 new employees
for the lab to provide IT services and
operations support for home-based
customer care professionals.
13
Results that are Moving the
Economy Forward
{
THE METRO DENVER ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION’S 2011-2012
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
W
orked with a record 163 new
prospect companies in 2011. There were
28 companies that announced expansion or
relocation to Metro Denver in 2011 for a
total of 3,600 new jobs expected with more
than $700 million in capital investment in the
region. (Results as of Dec. 15, 2011)
Continued to work with companies wanting
to relocate or expand in Metro Denver.
Major announcements in 2011 included: GE
Energy, Arrow Electronics, the Coleman
Company, Southwest Windpower, DaVita
Clinical (new research center and new call
center), Avago Technologies, MicroDATA,
RingCentral, the ACE Park, Intrawest, SMA
Solar Technology, Mitomics, Bridgepoint, and
Trulia.com.
Partnered with the Intellectual Properties
section of the Colorado Bar Association to
manage Metro Denver’s submittal to the
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for one of
four new satellite offices. The announcement
14
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
}
for the location of a satellite office in Metro
Denver was made in July 2012.
for job growth in Metro Denver and Northern
Colorado.
Hosted the Eighth Annual Meeting and
Awards Luncheon in May 2012 highlighting
investors support and work to make Metro
Denver a competitive place for business. The
Metro Denver EDC named Arrow Electronics
the Deal of the Year award winner.
The Colorado Energy Coalition (CEC), an
affiliate of the Metro Denver EDC, published
the third edition of the Resource Rich
Colorado study in December 2011
measuring Colorado’s competitive position in
the wind, solar, coal, natural gas, and oil
industries.
Hosted an Executive Welcome Reception in
April 2012 for company executives whose
businesses expanded or relocated to Metro
Denver in recent months. Gov. John
Hickenlooper served as the keynote speaker.
Hosted the State of DIA 2012 event in
March 2012 to highlight growth at Denver
International Airport (DIA), future expansion
plans, and the overall health of Metro
Denver’s aviation industry.
Published an annual Industry Cluster Study in
January 2012 detailing eight major industries
PROFILE
Partnered with the Colorado Governor’s office
and the Denver Mayor’s office on an
economic development mission to
California. The Colorado delegation met with
venture capitalists and business, academic,
and community members to discuss job
creation, innovation, and economic
development.
Expanded social media tools by adding a
new Facebook page. Also reached a major
milestone in July 2012 with 6,000 Twitter
followers.
In December 2011, the Colorado Space
Coalition (CSC), an affiliate of the Metro
Denver EDC, along with the Colorado
Space Business Roundtable hosted the
Colorado Space Roundup, an eventpacked forum on new developments in the
state’s aerospace industry.
Hosted new monthly Investor Roundtable
Luncheons offering Metro Denver EDC
investors the opportunity to connect with the
organization’s staff and fellow investors and
to collaborate and brainstorm on mutual
challenges and new projects with industryrelated peers.
Traveled with DIA staff to Japan in
November 2011 to promote the
development of a new nonstop international
flight to Asia. United announced in May
2012 a direct flight to Tokyo, with service
beginning March 2013.
Released the seventh edition of the Toward
a More Competitive Colorado report in
October 2011, an extensive study of
Colorado’s competitive position nationally
for economic growth and job creation.
Hosted the Metro Denver Site Selection
Conference in September 2011, bringing
10 of the nation’s top site selectors to
Denver for three days of company meetings
and tours of the region. The consultants that
attended recognized Metro Denver for its
superb talent, infrastructure, and central
North American business location.
130 million consumers for a $274,000
advertising impact.
Throughout 2011, Metro Denver EDC’s
CEO Tom Clark and Vice President Pam
Reichert spoke at conferences hosted by the
Brookings Institution as well as to inbound
leadership groups from other states
regarding Metro Denver’s nationally
recognized regional economic
development model.
The CSC hosted a Congressional Briefing
Breakfast in August 2011 on the
importance of aerospace to the state’s
economy.
Coordinated a cleantech prospect mission to
Munich, Germany, where economic
developers from the region attended Intersolar
Europe and met with clean energy companies
interested in locating facilities in Colorado.
Continued international and national
public relations initiatives throughout the
year to position Metro Denver for
company location and expansion.
Placements in national media outlets such
as Reuters, The Today Show, The Wall
Street Journal, and CNBC, reached nearly
Attended or exhibited at several national/
international trade shows, including the
WINDPOWER 2011 and 2012
Conference and Exhibition, the 27th and
28th Annual National Space Symposium,
and the Solar Power International 2011
Trade Show and Exhibition.
15
{
}
A B U S I N E S S C L I M AT E A S U P L I F T I N G A S
O U R 3 0 0 D AY S O F S U N S H I N E
C
Denver's Confluence Park and the Platte River provides an active landscape in the middle of the city. PHOTO CREDIT: VISIT DENVER
onsistently ranked among the top 10
places to live in the United States, Metro Denver
also has all the things businesses need to
flourish, including our young, healthy, educated
workforce, an affordable cost of doing
business, and a multimodal transportation
system that will take us years into the future. Find
out why Metro Denver is simply one of the best
places in the country to live and work.
AN ENERGETIC BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT: METRO DENVER IS A PLACE THAT
STIMULATES BUSINESS.
Nestled between the towering Rocky
Mountains to the west and the vast high
16
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
plains to the east, Metro Denver sits almost
in the center of the United States—a
strategic location that makes the area a
natural crossroads for both domestic and
international commerce.
Our growing multimodal transportation
network encourages global interconnectivity,
starting with Denver International Airport,
the fifth-busiest airport in the nation and
one of the most modern in the world.
Metro Denver is also constructing
FasTracks, the largest one-time build out of
a metro area mass transit system in U.S.
history.
PROFILE
Data moves efficiently in Metro Denver,
too. As a national center for
telecommunications, the area is home to
giants in the satellite, subscription TV, and
telephone industries—not to mention one
satellite bounce away from virtually
anywhere on earth.
Many factors make the cost of doing
business in the region affordable. Colorado
ranked fifth in Forbes magazine’s “Best
States for Business” in 2011, ranking No. 1
for labor supply, No. 8 for growth
prospects, and No. 10 for economic
climate and quality of life.
Metro Denver’s utility rates are consistently
among the lowest of any major U.S. city.
From modern office parks wired with Internet
capabilities for the needs of high-tech
industries, to warehouse and distribution
space, Metro Denver’s large inventory of
commercial and industrial real estate gives
companies room to grow and expand. A
competitive commercial real estate market
has allowed existing businesses to
renegotiate leases, move up to higher quality
space, and shift from lease to ownership.
Now is the time to rent or buy prime
industrial and retail spaces in Metro Denver.
Colorado’s extremely low state corporate
tax, fair regulatory environment, low
business costs, and incentives at both the
state and local levels also make Metro
Denver one of the nation’s most competitive
business venues.
AN ENERGETIC, HIGHLY EDUCATED
WORKFORCE.
With all the amenities that both attract and
retain a highly educated workforce, Metro
Denver is a magnet for young, smart, and
diverse workers. In fact, the region of 2.9
million people is one of the fastest growing
in the country and is the top location for
relocating adults ages 25 to 34.
Colorado has the nation’s second-highest
percentage of college graduates. Our
robust statewide educational system
includes a network of world-class research
institutions, graduate and professional
schools, and a wide spectrum of
undergraduate programs.
People gravitate here from other areas of the
country for Colorado’s high-tech economic
base and quality environment. The region’s
population growth, which has long
surpassed the U.S. growth rate, averaged
1.4 percent per year between 2002 and
2012. Net migration represented one-thrid
of the region’s total population change
between 2002 and 2012.
everything from skiing to hiking, mountain
biking to river rafting. Perhaps that’s why
Colorado is the nation’s thinnest state with
the nation’s lowest obesity rate and high
percentages of physical activity and health
club memberships.
Thousands of acres of open space dot the
area, allowing citizens to hike, bike, and
snowshoe right outside their backyards. The
spectacular Rocky Mountains, with their
world-class ski resorts and scenery, are only
minutes away.
All this is good news for employers, who can
recruit and hire from a vigorous and diverse
pool of workers with the skill sets needed for
corporate growth over the long term. Today,
Metro Denver’s employer base represents a
cross section of industries including
aerospace, aviation, bioscience,
broadcasting and telecommunications,
energy, financial services, healthcare and
wellness, and information technology software.
When they’re not energizing their bodies
outside, residents energize their minds by
cheering on seven professional sports teams
and taking in events at the Denver
Performing Arts Complex—the largest such
facility in the country under one roof.
THE QUALITIES THAT MAKE METRO
DENVER A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE ALSO
MAKE IT PERFECT FOR BUSINESS.
An inspiring natural setting. You need only
look out your office window to feel
energized in Metro Denver. But if you’re
looking for more activity, you’ll find it here
in abundance. Stunning landscapes, a mild
climate, and plentiful outdoor activities
make this a year-round recreational haven.
Even the most discriminating consumers will
be delighted with the 15 major shopping
centers and districts that dot the area.
Metro Denver has all the attractions you
expect in a metropolitan hub—from
museums and a world-class convention
center to amusement parks and a zoo.
As if that weren’t enough, the cost of living
is easier on the wallet than in many major
cities. An area of distinctive
neighborhoods, Metro Denver offers
residents a broad range of housing options
and advanced medical facilities.
With its balanced lifestyle and natural
appeal, recruitment has never been a
problem in Metro Denver.
your
>> invigorate
business
The City of Denver has one of the largest
public parks system of any U.S. city.
With a vibrant, highly educated workforce and one of the best business economies
in the country, Metro Denver offers relocating and expanding companies everything they need to grow and thrive.
• The nation’s second-most highly educated workforce
• Young, active workers who are more productive due to their balanced lifestyles
• A well-connected, diverse business environment
• A growing multimodal transportation network
• Technology and research resources
• Robust Internet, satellite, and cable communications
With nearly 300 annual days of sunshine,
Metro Denver residents dabble in
• World-class cultural amenities, sports teams, and recreational opportunities
17
{
Quick Facts
The 4,532-square-mile Metro Denver area
is located in the Mountain time zone and
consists of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder,
Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson
Counties. Because Metro Denver is economically and demographically linked to
Northern Colorado, profiles for Larimer and
Weld Counties are included at the end of
this publication.
>> workforce
Unemployment Rates
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2.6%
3.8%
5.9%
6.4%
5.8%
5.2%
4.3%
3.7%
4.8%
8.3%
8.8%
8.1%
THINGS TO KNOW
ABOUT METRO DENVER
}
>> income
Per Capita Personal Income, 2010
Median Household Income, 2010
Denver-Aurora-Broomfield MSA
Boulder MSA
$47,295
Students
Students
Students
Students
486,718
116,150
29,070
62,090
>> education
in
in
in
in
19 K-12 Public School Districts (Fall 2011)
six Public Four-Year Colleges (Fall 2011)
five Largest Private Four-Year Colleges (Fall 2011)
five Public Two-Year Community Colleges (Fall 2011)
Educational Attainment, 2010
Percent of population 25 years and older:
High School Graduates
College Graduates
$58,732
$61,859
89.3%
40.2%
>> major industry clusters
Aerospace | Aviation | Bioscience | Broadcasting and Telecommunications |
Energy | Financial Services | Healthcare and Wellness |
Information Technology - Software
>> transportation
Interstate Highways
North-South Interstates: I-25, I-225, I-270
East-West Interstates: I-70, I-76
• Passengers can fly nonstop from DIA on United, Frontier,
Air Canada, British Airways, Icelandair, Lufthansa,
and Aeromexico to international destinations in the
United Kingdom, Germany, Iceland, Canada, Costa
Rica, and Mexico.
Metro Highways: C-470, E-470, Northwest Parkway,
U.S. 36, U.S. 285, U.S. 6
Rail
Freight Service: BNSF Railway, Union Pacific Railroad
Passenger Service: Amtrak
Light Rail: Regional Transportation District (RTD)
Passenger Carriers: 16
Nonstop, Domestic, and International Locations: 170
18
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
• Fifth-busiest airport in the United States in terms
of passenger traffic, 10th-busiest in the world.
Reliever Airports
Centennial Airport | Front Range Airport |
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport
General Aviation Airports
Boulder Municipal Airport | Erie Municipal Airport |
Longmont Municipal Airport
>>commercial real estate
>>population
Office Space
Direct Average Lease Rate (full-service)
Direct Vacancy Rate
$19.78/sf
12.7%
Industrial Space
Direct Average Lease Rate (triple-net)
Direct Vacancy Rate
$4.56/sf
6.4%
Retail Space
Direct Vacancy Rate
$14.58/sf
7.3%
State Corporate and Personal Income Tax
Tax years beginning on/after:
January 1, 2000
January 1, 1999
Prior to January 1, 1999
4.63%
4.75%
5.00%
Sales Tax
Total State, Local, and Special Districts
3.15%–8.75%
>> taxes
>> lifestyle
Climate | Metro Denver has a semi-arid, four-season climate with mild temperatures
and abundant sunshine.
Cost of Living (National average = 100)
C2ER Cost of Living Index, Annual Average 2011
105.0
Housing
Median Home Price, 2011
Average Monthly Apartment Rent, 4Q 2011
$231,400
$932
Healthcare | Metro Denver is home to hospitals with a reputation for excellence in
patient care. The region’s thriving bioscience research community is continually stretching the boundaries of clinical discovery.
Cultural Attractions | Metro Denver is the cultural capital of the Rocky Mountain region
and has been called “the Paris of the West.” The Denver Performing Arts Complex gives
visitors access to the symphony, ballet, opera, and theater, and Metro Denver is also home
to cultural attractions including the Denver Zoo and the Denver Art Museum.
Recreational Opportunities | Coloradans embrace the state’s sunny, temperate climate
and enjoy year-round recreation. With 41 state parks and four national parks throughout the state, recreation opportunities abound.
Shopping | There are 15 shopping and lifestyle centers with 750,000 square feet or
more and numerous smaller shopping districts located throughout Metro Denver.
Professional Sports Teams | NHL - Colorado Avalanche | NLL - Colorado Mammoth |
MLS - Colorado Rapids | MLB - Colorado Rockies | NFL - Denver Broncos |
NBA - Denver Nuggets | MLL - Denver Outlaws
Population by County, 2012
Adams
460,846
Arapahoe
590,675
Boulder
300,823
Broomfield
58,999
Denver
622,148
Douglas
297,485
Jefferson
539,973
Metro Denver
2,870,948
Population by Age, 2012
0-14 years
20.5%
15-29 years
20.4%
30-44 years
22.2%
45-59 years
20.6%
60-74 years
11.8%
75-89 years
4.1%
90 years & over 0.4%
Median Age
36.4
>>employment
Nonfarm Employment
2000
1,374,900
2001
1,375,200
2002
1,332,800
2003
1,314,000
2004
1,324,700
2005
1,349,900
2006
1,377,200
2007
1,406,800
2008
1,420,400
2009
1,359,100
2010
1,352,500
2011
1,374,000
>>int’l trade
Colorado Exports (in millions)
2000
$6,593.0
2001
$6,125.5
2002
$5,525.1
2003
$6,086.9
2004
$6,659.8
2005
$6,773.3
2006
$7,954.7
2007
$7,352.2
2008
$7,712.6
2009
$5,867.3
2010
$6,726.7
2011
$7,334.0
19
>>metro denver:
DEMOGRAPHICS
and EMPLOYMENT
Aerospace is one of the region’s major industr y clusters targeted for continued growth and expansion.
PHOTO CREDIT: Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company
location<<
Metro Denver is centrally located where the
Rocky Mountains meet the eastern plains.
This accessible and naturally beautiful
location makes an ideal home for
businesses and individuals.
Throughout this publication, Metro Denver
generally refers to the region comprised of
Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield,
Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties.
Data for the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield
metropolitan statistical area (MSA) or the
combined Denver-Aurora-Broomfield and
Boulder MSAs may be used when countylevel figures are not available.
20
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
Central Location – Metro Denver is only
346 miles west of the geographic center of
the continental United States. Its central
location makes the region an excellent spot
for businesses serving other U.S. markets.
Mountain Time Zone – Metro Denver’s
location in the Mountain time zone allows
same-day communication with both coasts
and with Europe, South America, and Asia.
International Access – Metro Denver is
located midway between key trading partners
Canada and Mexico. The region is also at the
exact midpoint between Tokyo and Frankfurt,
so Metro Denver businesses can easily serve
growing international markets.
PROFILE
Easy Satellite Communications – Metro
Denver’s location on the 105th meridian
allows “one bounce” uplinks to world
networks, so real-time connections to six of
the seven continents are available in one
business day. Metro Denver businesses enjoy
higher quality global communications at
lower prices.
Moderate Climate – Metro Denver is
located on the high plains just east of the
Rocky Mountains, and the region’s
temperatures and snowfall are more
moderate than they are at higher elevations.
Outdoor Recreation – Visitors and residents
can access world-class skiing and summer
mountain activities within 90 minutes. Metro
Denver also offers an extensive network of
trails, parks, and open spaces.
population<<
Metro Denver’s population approached 2.9
million in 2012. The region’s population
growth has long surpassed the U.S. growth
rate. Even in 2011—a slow year for
population growth in general—Metro
Denver’s population increased at twice the
rate of population growth nationwide.
Growth – Metro Denver population growth
averaged 1.4 percent per year between
2002 and 2012. Annual average growth
rates in the seven metro counties ranged
from 0.2 percent in Jefferson County to 3.6
percent in Douglas County.
An analysis by the Brookings Institution
showed Metro Denver ranked first among
large U.S. metros for total population gain in
the 25- to 34-year age group between
2008 and 2010. Brookings researchers say
stable economies, “cool” cities, and hightech centers are drawing young adults to
Metro Denver.
In-Migration – Metro Denver attracts a
steady stream of new residents from other
areas. Net migration represented one-third
of the region’s total population change
between 2002 and 2012.
Estimates suggest the region could add
nearly 15,400 new residents from inmigration in 2012. Colorado tends to
attract large portions of its in-migrants from
California, Texas, Florida, and Arizona.
Age – Metro Denver is a relatively young
region with a median age of 36.4 years,
>> the data
compared to the nationwide median age
of 37.3. About 11 percent of Metro
Denver’s population is 65 or older, while
persons in that age group account for more
than 13 percent of population nationwide.
Diversity – A diverse population in Metro
Denver fosters a culture of creativity,
openness, and energy, all key assets in a
global economy. Ethnic and minority
groups combined represent one-third of
Metro Denver’s total population, and the
Square Miles:
4,532
Employment:
1,338,034
Population:
2,870,948
Average Wage:
$54,587
Labor Force:
1,544,448
Median Age:
36.4
METRO DENVER HISTORIC
AND PROJECTED POPULATION
Year
Population
1950
615,635
1960
934,199
1970
1,238,273
1980
1,618,461
1990
1,848,319
2000
2,400,570
2010
2,784,228
2020 projected
3,252,481
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (1950-2010);
Colorado Division of Local Government,
Demography Office (2020).
21
largest single minority group—the Hispanic
ethnicity—accounts for 22 percent of the
region’s population. The region’s ethnic and
minority population is growing rapidly; in
fact, population in ethnic and minority
groups grew at twice the annual average
rate of growth reported for the total
population between 2000 and 2011.
Intelligent – Metro Denver is well known
for its highly educated population:
• Denver ranked fourth among the nation’s
“Top 10 Best Cities for Recent College
Graduates” in 2011, according to
researchers with Apartments.com and
CareerRookie.com.
POPULATION BY COUNTY, 2012
County
Population
Percent of Metro
Adams
460,846
16.1%
Arapahoe
590,675
20.6%
Boulder
300,823
10.5%
Broomfield
58,999
2.1%
Denver
622,148
21.7%
Douglas
297,485
10.4%
Jefferson
539,973
18.8%
Metro Denver
2,870,948
100%
Colorado
5,196,177
POPULATION BY LARGEST CITIES BY COUNTY, 2010
County/City
Population
Avg. Annual Growth, 2000-2010
Adams Thornton
119,436
3.7%
Arapahoe Aurora*
327,020
1.6%
Boulder Boulder
97,948
-0.1%
Broomfield Broomfield
56,135
3.8%
Denver Denver
605,722
0.8%
Douglas Castle Rock
48,692
8.3%
Jefferson Lakewood
143,208
-0.1%
METRO DENVER POPULATION BY AGE AND GENDER, 2012
Age
Males
Females
Total
Percent of Total
0 to 14
301,492
288,423
589,914
20.5%
15 to 29
299,128
286,561
585,688
20.4%
30 to 44
323,332
313,944
637,276
22.2%
45 to 59
292,039
298,636
590,675
20.6%
60 to 74
160,791
177,374
338,165
11.8%
75 to 89
47,755
68,670
116,426
4.1%
Over 90
3,858
8,946
12,804
0.4%
Total
1,428,395
1,442,554
2,870,948
100%
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
Entrepreneurism – Coloradans are more
likely to be entrepreneurs than residents of
many other states. A 2011 report by the
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation shows
Colorado had the nation’s fifth-highest
number of entrepreneurs per 100,000
adults in 2010.
income<<
Median Income – Median household
income in Metro Denver was $58,732 in
2010. The region’s median income was
17 percent higher than the national median
of $50,046.
Personal Income – Per capita personal
income in Metro Denver increased to
$47,295 in 2010, up two percent from
$46,379 in 2009.
*A majority of the population in the city of Aurora is located in Arapahoe County, but some population is
also located in Adams County. Population listed is the total for both counties.
Source: Colorado Division of Local Government, Demography Office.
22
• …among the Brookings Institution’s nine
“Next Frontiers,” or metro areas with the
highly educated and diverse population
needed to support future growth in a
technology and diversity-driven economy.
The high degree of educational attainment
and prevalence of two-earner households in
Metro Denver make for higher-than-average
household income.
Note: Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.
• …the nation’s eighth-biggest “Brain
Magnet,” according to a 2011 ranking
by Forbes columnists.
education<<
Metro Denver’s K-12 schools, community
colleges, and universities aim to prepare
students for the ever-changing work
environment. Of Metro Denver’s adult
population age 25 and older, 40.2
percent have a bachelor’s or higher-level
degree and 89.3 percent have graduated
from high school. Colorado ranks second
among the 50 states for the percentage of
adult population with a bachelor’s or more
advanced degree.
K-12 EDUCATION
The flexibility of Metro Denver’s primary
school system helps parents and educators
meet each student’s unique needs.
Choice – The K-12 education system in
Metro Denver includes 19 public school
districts and a number of private and
parochial school systems. Students can also
attend charter and magnet schools,
international baccalaureate programs, and
Montessori and English Primary schools.
Metro Denver public schools all offer open
enrollment, which allows students to attend
school in the district of their choice.
Private Schools – Metro Denver has
excellent private schools, although the
region’s high-quality public school system
makes for lower private school attendance
than is common in other large cities. About
6.6 percent of Metro Denver’s total student
population attended private schools in the
2011 school year.
special needs within established school
districts. These charter schools are
approved by local school districts and
receive funding from the local district and
the state of Colorado.
Graduation Rates – Metro Denver’s “ontime” high school graduation rate—which
counts students who graduate in four
years—exceeded 72 percent in 2011. The
region’s completer rate was 75 percent.
Colorado Student Assessment Program
(CSAP) – Colorado requires annual student
testing to ensure that students meet grade-level
standards in mathematics, science, reading,
and writing. CSAP results are reported for
each school, and schools must meet minimum
CSAP standards to maintain accreditation.
American College Test (ACT) – Colorado
is among a handful of states that require all
eleventh-grade students to take the ACT. In
2011, Colorado students’ average ACT
score of 20.7 fell slightly below the
national average of 21.1. Part of the
disparity, however, relates to Colorado’s
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME, 2010
Academic Standards – The Colorado
Department of Education has implemented
rigorous standards to help identify and
close achievement gaps. The department’s
SchoolView website (www.schoolview.org)
allows parents, policymakers, and the
general public to see how students,
individual schools, and school districts are
progressing toward state standards.
Charter Schools – Individuals and
organizations in Colorado can establish
their own schools and curricula to meet
Selected Metropolitan Area
Median Income
Washington, D.C.
$84,523
San Jose
$83,944
Boston
$68,020
Seattle
$63,088
New York
$61,927
Metro Denver
$58,732
Chicago
$57,104
Los Angeles
$56,691
Atlanta
$54,449
Dallas
$53,182
Phoenix
$50,385
U.S. Median
$50,046
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey.
METRO DENVER MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME, 2010
County/
Region
Median Household
Income
Number of
Households
(2010 Dollars)
(Thousands)
Percent of Households By Income Bracket
Under $25k
$25k - $49,999
$50k - $74,999
$75k & over
Adams
$52,711
150.9
20.2%
26.4%
20.6%
32.8%
Arapahoe
$57,724
225.3
19.2%
24.4%
18.8%
37.6%
Boulder MSA
$61,859
119.8
20.9%
21.6%
15.7%
41.8%
Broomfield*
$73,616
21.2
12.8%
20.5%
17.6%
49.1%
Denver
$45,074
262.1
29.2%
24.8%
16%
30%
Douglas
$94,909
101.5
6.3%
14.4%
14.8%
64.5%
Jefferson
$63,826
216.6
18.1%
21.3%
19.3%
41.4%
Metro Denver
$58,732
1,001.3
20.1%
22.9%
18.1%
38.9%
United States
$50,046
114,567.4
25.0%
25.0%
18.3%
31.8%
*Estimate for the period between 2008-2010. This three-year estimate is not directly comparable to the one-year estimates provided for the other geographies in the table.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
23
<<<
BusinessWeek ranked
the University of
Colorado Boulder
Leeds School of
Business among the
top 100 undergraduate
business programs in
the nation.
PHOTO CREDIT: Casey A. Cass/
University of Colorado
universal testing requirement. Average
scores tend to be higher in states where
only college-bound students take the test.
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) – In 2011,
nearly 9,700 Colorado high school students
took the SAT and received an average
composite score of 1699. The highest
possible SAT score is 2400, and the
nationwide average was 1500 in 2011.
concentration of students in Metro Denver.
The University of Colorado Denver,
Metropolitan State University of Denver, and
the Community College of Denver share the
127-acre campus and serve more than
54,600 students.
• $359.1 million for the University of
Colorado Boulder.
Research Grants – Metro Denver
universities are recognized leaders in
academic research. Sponsored research
awards in fiscal year 2011 totaled:
• $46.7 million for the Colorado School ‘
of Mines.
• $419.3 million for the University of
Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical
Campus.
• $21.4 million for the University of Denver.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Metro Denver students have access to a
wide range of higher education options
including world-class research institutions,
graduate and professional schools, and a
broad spectrum of undergraduate programs.
Four-Year Colleges and Universities –
Eleven, four-year public and private colleges
and universities offering comprehensive
curricula serve Metro Denver. In addition, a
number of smaller colleges and schools
offering specialized programs provide a
variety of educational opportunities.
Approximately 145,220 Metro Denver
students are enrolled in four-year educational
programs throughout the region.
Auraria Higher Education Center – The
Auraria Higher Education Center, adjacent
to downtown Denver, has the largest
24
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
LARGE FOUR-YEAR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, FALL 2011
Institution
Enrollment
University of Colorado Boulder (CU) - Boulder
30,790
Colorado State University (CSU) - Fort Collins, Denver
27,060
Metropolitan State College of Denver (Metro) - Denver*
23,340
University of Colorado Denver (UCD) - Denver, Aurora
18,290
University of Denver (DU) - Denver
11,480
University of Northern Colorado (UNC) - Greeley
11,330
Regis University - Denver
11,070
Colorado School of Mines (Mines) - Golden
5,350
Colorado Christian University - Lakewood
2,600
University of Phoenix - Metro Denver
2,260
Johnson & Wales - Denver
1,670
*Metropolitan State University of Denver effective Fall 2012.
Source: Colorado Commission on Higher Education; Individual Schools.
PROFILE
Industry Collaboration – The University of
Colorado Boulder, Colorado School of
Mines, Colorado State University, and the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
(NREL) formed the Colorado Renewable
Energy Collaboratory in 2007. The
Collaboratory works with public entities
and industry partners to research and
commercialize renewable energy and
energy efficiency technologies.
The Collaboratory has successfully
launched several Metro Denver research
centers including the Colorado Center for
Biorefining and Biofuels, the Center for
Revolutionary Solar Photoconversion, and
the Center for Research and Education in
Wind. Members of the Collaboratory also
partner with private investors to provide
research support at the Solar Technology
Acceleration Center in Aurora. The center
is the nation’s largest solar technology
testing facility.
Community Colleges – There are five
community colleges in Metro Denver, and
they serve more than 62,000 students. The
community colleges work with businesses to
design training programs and access
training grants.
Lowry Campus – Several schools—the
Community College of Denver, the
Community College of Aurora, and the
University of Northern Colorado—offer
academic programs at the 156-acre
Lowry Campus in Aurora. More than
5,900 students are enrolled in classes at
the campus, and programs include health
sciences, film and video studies, and
computer science. Distance learning is an
integral part of higher education at Lowry
Campus.
Adult Programs – Many of the area’s
colleges and universities offer nontraditional and adult education programs
with evening, weekend, and distance
learning options.
Vocational/Tech Schools – More than
300 private occupational and technical
schools in Metro Denver offer courses in
dozens of program areas.
higher education
rankings
<<
Several Metro Denver colleges received a coveted spot on the list of the top 100
national universities, which is part of U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 “Best
Colleges” ranking. Colorado School of Mines shared the 75th-place ranking with six
other schools, the University of Denver tied for 82nd with five other universities, and
the University of Colorado Boulder ranked 94th with two other universities.
Colorado School of Mines (Mines) also ranked highly on the U.S. News “Short List,”
a separate ranking focused on a specific criterion—in this case, college-level
internships—used in the larger “Best Colleges” ranking. Mines ranked second on the
short list of 10 national universities with the highest percentages of graduates that
completed undergraduate internships.
Several Metro Denver colleges were named to Forbes’ 2011 list of “America’s Top
Colleges,” which ranks colleges and universities on outcome-based measures
including graduation rates, students’ satisfaction, and debt loads. The Colorado
School of Mines ranked 122nd, followed by the University of Denver (187th), the
University of Colorado Boulder (217th), the University of Colorado Denver (495th),
and Metropolitan State College of Denver (607th).
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine named three Colorado colleges among the
100 “Best Values in Public Colleges” in 2012. To assemble the ranking, editors
considered in-state and out-of-state student expenses, student debt load, and academic
performance. Viewed from an in-state student perspective, the Colorado School of
Mines ranked 69th, the University of Colorado Boulder ranked 73rd, and Colorado
State University ranked 86th.
Bloomberg Businessweek ranked three Metro Denver universities among the nation’s
“Best Undergraduate Business Schools” in 2012. To compile the ranking, researchers
rated 124 business programs on nine criteria designed to address academic quality
and the satisfaction and post-graduate experience of business students. The University
of Denver Daniels College of Business ranked 57th, the University of Colorado
Boulder Leeds School of Business ranked 92nd, and the Colorado State University
College of Business ranked 94th.
The “America’s Best Graduate Schools 2013” ranking by U.S. News & World Report
named several Metro Denver schools among the nation’s best.
• The University of Colorado Boulder ranked among the top 50 graduate schools in
16 programs ranging from engineering, physics, and earth sciences to psychology
and English.
• The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus ranked fifth amongprimary
care medical schools and 35th among research-oriented programs. The university a
also ranked among the top 35 for health programs ranging from nursing and
pharmacology to physical therapy.
• The University of Colorado Denver ranked among the top 50 for its public
affairs program.
• The University of Denver ranked among the top 50 for its social work program.
• The Colorado School of Mines ranked among the top 50 for earth sciences.
The London-based Financial Times ranked the University of Denver (DU) Daniels
College of Business among the world’s top 100 executive MBA programs in 2011.
The DU program was the only Colorado program included in the ranking, which
reflects criteria including diversity, faculty quality, and students’ post-graduate salaries.
25
<<<
employment<<
The Metro Denver
region is No. 1 in the
United states for private
sector employment in the
aerospace industry.
While Metro Denver job growth in 2011
dropped below the long-term average, the
region’s employers added jobs at a much
faster pace than employers nationwide.Total
Metro Denver nonfarm employment grew 1.6
percent in 2011, while employment
nationwide grew just 1.1 percent. Metro
Denver job growth continued to outpace
growth nationwide in early 2012.
PHOTO CREDIT: United Launch Alliance
More than 500 Metro Denver businesses
are considered “large,” meaning they
employ at least 250 workers. The region’s
largest employers represent a diverse cross
section of industries including aerospace,
aviation, bioscience, financial services,
and telecommunications. Because major
employers are located throughout Metro
Denver, the region has a good geographic
balance of employment centers.
High-Tech Jobs – Colorado has the nation’s
third-highest concentration of high-tech
workers and has one of the highest-paid
technology workforces, according to the
TechAmerica Foundation’s Cyberstates 2011
report. Colorado ranks behind only
Massachusetts and Virginia for high-tech
worker concentration, which researchers
define as the number of high-tech workers per
1,000 private-sector employees. The report
also shows high-tech workers in Colorado
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, 2010 (PERSONS 25 YEARS & OLDER)
Metropolitan
Areas
Percent Completing
College
Percent Completing
High School
San Jose
45.3%
86.2%
San Francisco
43.4%
87.2%
Boston
43%
90.6%
Metro Denver
40.2%
89.3%
Seattle
37%
91.2%
New York
36%
84.7%
Atlanta
34.1%
87.5%
San Diego
34%
86.4%
Chicago
33.7%
85.1%
Philadelphia
33.1%
88.4%
Kansas City
32.5%
90.1%
Salt Lake City
31.1%
83.6%
Dallas
29%
88.4%
U.S. Average
28.2%
85.6%
Phoenix
27.2%
86%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey.
26
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
earn 96 percent more than the average
private-sector worker, and that wage
differential ranks ninth highest in the nation.
• IT staffing company Modis Inc. ranked
Denver 11th among North America’s
“Top 12 Cities [in which] to Find an IT
Job in 2012.”
• Compensation data provider PayScale
Inc. ranked Metro Denver fifth among the
nation’s top 10 “Hotspots for Startup IT
Jobs” in 2012.
Green Jobs – A Brookings Institution
report—Sizing the Clean Economy: A
National and Regional Green Jobs
Assessment—shows Colorado ranked 13th
for its concentration of “clean or green”
jobs in 2010. Brookings researchers
defined clean or green jobs as those that
produce goods or services with
environmental benefits, and they calculated
concentrations of these jobs as a share of
all jobs in each state and in the 100
largest metro areas. Metro Denver ranked
26th among the metros for its concentration
of clean or green jobs.
• The nonprofit Solar Foundation’s
National Solar Jobs Census 2011 report
shows Colorado ranks first in the nation
for the number of solar jobs per capita
and second for the aggregate size of its
solar workforce.
FORTUNE 500 HEADQUARTERS
Rank
Company
Industry
Employees*
133
Arrow Electronics
Electronics Wholesaler
15,700
191
DISH Network
Telecommunications
34,000
Support for Science and Technology –
Colorado ranked third in the Milken
Institute’s 2010 State Technology and
Science Index, which measured how well
states capture their technology assets and
use them to generate high-paying jobs.
Colorado ranked behind only
Massachusetts and Maryland and
received its highest individual scores in
technology concentration (second) and
human capital (third).
230
Liberty Interactive
Internet Services & Retailing
20,100
257
Newmont Mining
Mining, Crude Oil Production
17,100
261
Liberty Global
Telecommunications
22,000
297
Ball Corporation
Packaging, Containers
15,000
359
DaVita Inc.
Healthcare: Medical Facilities
41,000
440
CH2M HILL
Engineering, Construction
30,000
445
Western Union
Financial Data Services
8,000
Tech Startups – In 2010, Colorado
ranked seventh in the nation for research
money obtained from the Small Business
Innovation Research (SBIR) program. That
year, Colorado recipients secured 284
awards totaling $95.5 million in SBIR
funds. Colorado ranked 14th in the nation
for Small Business Technology Transfer
Program (STTR) funds with 28 awards
totaling $6.8 million.
ANNUAL AVERAGE NON-FARM EMPLOYMENT (BY NAICS SECTOR), 2011
Most Admired Companies – Fortune
named four Metro Denver-based
companies—Arrow Electronics, Ball
Corporation, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and
DaVita Inc.—to its 2012 list of the
“World’s Most Admired Companies.”
Criteria for the ranking included innovation,
social responsibility, competitiveness, and
product quality. Two other Metro Denverbased companies—Western Union and
Liberty Interactive—ranked as “contenders”
to the most admired list.
Venture Capital – Colorado ranked sixth
for total venture capital investment in 2011.
Nearly 100 Colorado deals valued at a
combined $618.7 million closed
throughout the year.
Competitive Colorado – The seventh
edition of Toward a More Competitive
Colorado benchmarks Colorado’s
economic strengths, challenges, and
opportunities. The state’s greatest economic
assets include its innovation-driven economy
and its prowess in tech-centered industries
*Total employees, not all located in Metro Denver
Source: Fortune, May 2012.
Sector
Employment
Share of Total
Professional & Business Services
239,800
17.5%
Government
209,500
15.2%
Wholesale & Retail Trade
205,600
15.0%
Education & Health Services
168,000
12.2%
Leisure & Hospitality
148,100
10.8%
Financial Activities
97,600
7.1%
Manufacturing
77,500
5.6%
Natural Resources & Construction
73,700
5.4%
Other Services
54,100
3.9%
Information
53,200
3.9%
Transportation & Utilities
46,900
3.4%
Total
1,374,000
100%
Note: Employment and percentage shares for sectors may not add to totals due to rounding.
Source: Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Labor Market Information, Current Employment Statistics.
LARGEST EMPLOYERS
Company
Products/Services
Employment
HealthONE Corporation
Healthcare
10,280
Exempla Healthcare
Healthcare
7,260
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Aerospace & Defense-Related Systems
7,030
Centura Health
Healthcare
6,920
CenturyLink
Telecommunications
6,850
Kaiser Permanente
Healthcare
6,170
Comcast Corporation
Telecommunications
5,000
United Airlines
Airline
4,600
DISH Network
Satellite TV & Equipment
4,420
Healthcare
4,400
Source: Development Research Partners, April 2012.
27
Airport continues to report record passenger
traffic. Metro Denver ranked 13th among the
50 largest metro areas for aviation
employment concentration in 2011.
including energy, aerospace, and
bioscience. The state’s challenges include
school funding, its decentralized tax
structure, and disparities between urban
and rural economies.
industry clusters<<
There are eight key industry clusters
targeted for growth and expansion in
Metro Denver. These industries are critical
to the economic base of the nine-county
Metro Denver and Northern Colorado
region and are primary targets for
economic development efforts.
Aerospace – Colorado is a national leader
in the aerospace industry with the support
of four military commands, eight major
space contractors, and leading academic
space research programs. Metro Denver
ranked second among the nation’s 50
largest metros for private aerospace
Aviation – Metro Denver’s central location
makes the region a natural hub for air travel
and cargo operations. Denver International
Bioscience – Metro Denver is home to
numerous medical device, diagnostics, and
pharmaceuticals businesses as well as
nationally renowned research institutions
and biotech incubators. The region ranked
eighth among the 50 largest metros for
medical device and diagnostics
employment concentration and 21st for
pharmaceuticals and biotechnology
Broadcasting & Telecommunications –
Metro Denver is the largest region in the
nation to offer one-bounce satellite uplinks.
The region is also home to major cable
television and satellite communications
companies. Metro Denver ranked fourth
among the 50 largest metros for 2011
employment concentration in broadcasting
and telecommunications.
Energy – Metro Denver’s unique combination
of fossil energy and cleantech assets gives
>>>
The Fitzsimons Life
Science District and
adjacent Anschutz
Medical Campus
bring together
academic, research,
and corporate
biotechnology
institutions in one
578-acre healthcare
and research park.
PHOTO CREDIT: Metro Denver EDC
28
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
the region’s energy cluster strategic
advantages. The region continues to be a
leader in the nation’s growing clean energy
economy and is home to the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory, the
Department of Energy’s premier national
laboratory for renewable energy and energy
efficiency research and development. Metro
Denver ranked sixth among the 50 largest
metro areas for fossil fuels employment
concentration and sixth for cleantech
Financial Services – Metro Denver is the
major financial center between Los Angeles
and Chicago. Downtown Denver’s financial
district along 17th Street is known as the
“Wall Street of the West.” Metro Denver
ranked fourth among the 50 largest metros
for 2011 banking and finance employment
concentration, eighth for investments
employment concentration, and 26th for
insurance employment concentration.
Healthcare & Wellness – The convergence
of healthcare education, research, and
application as well as a robust culture of
health and wellness attracts companies to
VALUE OF COLORADO EXPORTS
(IN MILLIONS)
Year
Total
Exports
Percent
Change
2001
$6,125.5
-7.1%
2002
$5,525.1
-9.8%
2003
$6,086.9
10.2%
2004
$6,659.8
9.4%
2005
$6,773.3
1.7%
2006
$7,954.7
17.4%
2007
$7,352.2
-7.6%
2008
$7,712.6
4.9%
2009
$5,867.3
-23.9%
2010
$6,726.7
14.6%
2011
$7,334.0
9.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division.
Metro Denver. Metro Denver ranked 25th
among the 50 largest metros for healthcare
and wellness employment concentration in
2011.
Information Technology - Software – A
strong entrepreneurial spirit fuels this small
business-dominated industry. Metro Denver
ranked ninth among the 50 largest metros for
software employment concentration in 2011.
international trade<<
Metro Denver’s central location on the
105th meridian—the exact midpoint
between Tokyo and Frankfurt—makes it an
attractive location for multinational
companies. The region’s businesses can
easily access international flights and
satellite communications.
Metro Denver is also strategically located
between Canada and Mexico, which are
partners in the tri-lateral North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Exports to NAFTA
partners represented nearly one-third of
Colorado’s total export value in 2011.
Total Exports – Colorado exports have
rebounded since the recession. Exports
increased in both 2010 and 2011, and
2011 exports were within 10 percent of
the 2006 peak.
Trading Partners – Colorado’s five largest
trading partners in 2011 were Canada
($2 billion), Mexico ($755 million),
mainland China ($635 million), Japan
($393 million), and The Netherlands
($317 million).
Exported Products – Colorado’s top exports
in 2011 were computers and electronic
products ($2 billion), foods ($1 billion), and
non-electrical machinery ($845 million).
EXPORT RESOURCES
International Networks – The Colorado
Consular Corps consists of 40 foreign
consulates, including representatives from
nations in South America, Europe, Africa,
and Asia. The consulates keep Colorado
residents abreast of international issues,
laws, and travel standards. The city and
county of Denver also has 10 sister cities in
as many countries, and Colorado keeps
trade representatives in countries including
Mexico and Japan.
Colorado International Trade Office –
The state’s trade office offers export
development grants to small- and mediumsized companies seeking international
markets. The office also offers trade
education and counseling, promotes
Colorado exporters at trade shows, and
interacts with foreign buyers hoping to
source goods and services from
Colorado.
World Trade Center – The World Trade
Center Denver is part of a global network of
more than 300 Trade Centers in nearly 100
countries. The Denver center helps companies
explore international markets and navigate
trade protocol.
Foreign Trade Zones – Two general
purpose Foreign Trade Zones in Metro
Denver allow manufacturers to expedite
customs and reduce or eliminate fees
and tariffs on imported materials. One
zone is located near the old Stapleton
Airport, and the other is located near
Denver International Airport. Highvolume, high-tariff manufacturers can also
apply for subzone status at their places
of business.
29
>>metro denver:
BUSINESS
CLIMATE
Metro Denver is a prime area for business and industr y growth. PHOTO CREDIT: Colorado Tourism
workforce<<
With its diverse industry base and
highly educated workforce, Metro
Denver is an ideal home for growing
businesses. The region ranks fourth
among the 25 largest metro areas for
the percentage of residents 25 years
and older with a bachelor’s or higherlevel degree.
• Forbes ranked Metro Denver fifth
among the 25 “Best Places for Business
and Careers” in 2012. Criteria for the
ranking included costs of doing
business, educational attainment, and
projected economic growth.
30
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
Colorado ranks second among the
50 states for college-level educational
attainment, and the state also
ranked:
• …eighth on CNBC’s 2012 list of the
“Best States for Business.” The list
reflected states’ scores on 43 different
metrics in categories including
workforce and education, quality of
life, and cost of doing business.
• …fifth on Forbes’ 2011 list of the “Best
States for Business and Careers,” which
honored states with good quality of life,
solid labor supply, and favorable
business cost and regulatory
PROFILE
environment. Notably, Colorado ranked
first for labor supply.
• …third in the Beacon Hill Institute’s 2011
State Competitiveness Report. Criteria for
the ranking included human resources,
infrastructure, government and fiscal policy,
business incubation, and other factors.
• …11th on Chief Executive magazine’s
2012 “Best/Worst States for Business List,”
which highlighted states where CEOs have
positive perceptions of workforce quality,
taxes, and other factors.
Metro Denver’s unemployment rate
averaged 8.1 percent in 2011 while the
WAGES FOR SELECTED OCCUPATIONS IN THE DENVER-AURORA-BROOMFIELD MSA, 2011
Average
Hourly Wage
25th Percentile
Hourly
75th Percentile
Hourly
Administrative services managers
$47.09
$33.32
$55.58
Financial managers
$63.95
$45.60
$75.35
Construction managers
$45.81
$36.80
$55.84
Insurance appraisers, auto damage
$27.08
$21.46
$32.06
Accountants and auditors
$36.14
$24.84
$42.59
Financial analysts
$39.22
$26.76
$46.36
Loan officers
$37.10
$20.66
$44.10
Computer programmers
$38.39
$27.27
$46.40
Computer support specialists
$28.18
$21.03
$34.04
Computer systems analysts
$42.31
$31.50
$50.72
Landscape architects
$38.43
$29.40
$50.63
Aerospace engineers
$49.58
$33.93
$55.99
Petroleum engineers
$61.93
$50.64
$71.10
Biochemists and biophysicists
$44.80
$28.57
$56.20
Medical scientists
$41.82
$26.34
$59.61
Market research analysts
$34.98
$22.93
$43.40
Pharmacists
$53.84
$49.63
$63.10
Physician assistants
$41.05
$34.29
$48.98
Registered nurses
$34.46
$27.99
$40.36
Bill and account collectors
$17.88
$14.67
$20.93
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
$17.90
$13.64
$21.88
Cargo and freight agents
$20.95
$15.28
$29.39
Executive secretaries
$24.76
$19.27
$28.95
Carpenters
$19.07
$14.02
$23.27
Construction laborers
$14.64
$11.50
$17.22
Electricians
$23.49
$17.75
$28.84
Automotive service technicians
$19.46
$13.91
$24.51
Telecommunications line installers and repairers
$24.81
$18.06
$32.24
Medical equipment repairers
$21.49
$16.54
$26.37
Electrical equipment assemblers
$14.99
$11.00
$17.27
Machinists
$19.61
$14.64
$23.51
Dental laboratory technicians
$20.37
$14.65
$25.19
Occupation Title
Management Occupations
Business & Financial Operations
Computer & Mathematical
Architecture & Engineering
Life, Physical & Social Science
Healthcare Practitioner & Technical
Office & Administrative Support
Construction & Extraction
Installation, Maintenance & Repair
Production
Note: For a complete list of occupational wages, please see www.bls.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates.
31
where employers can post job openings
and find qualified workers.
nationwide rate averaged 8.9 percent.
While the region’s economy is closely
linked to the national economy, Metro
Denver’s unemployment rate often falls
below the national average.
One-Stop Centers – More than 10
Colorado Workforce Centers serve the
Metro Denver area with free job search,
placement, and training assistance. These
one-stop centers also provide applicant
screening, skills testing, and other
recruitment services.
A variety of workforce resources are
available to Metro Denver businesses:
Customized Training – Colorado FIRST
and Existing Industry Customized Training
Grants help offset job training costs for
companies relocating or expanding in
Colorado.
Job Listings – The Colorado Department of
Labor & Employment offers a variety of
online resources for businesses including a
website (www.connectingcolorado.com)
METRO DENVER LABOR FORCE
Total
1,544,448
Employed*
1,419,108
Unemployed
125,340
Unemployment Rate
8.1%
*Total employment includes nonfarm wage
and salary employment, self-employment,
unpaid family workers, and several other
categories of laborers.
Source: Colorado Department of Labor and
Employment, Local Area Unemployment
Statistics, annual average 2011.
Help for Commuters – The Denver Regional
Council of Government’s RideArrangers
program offers free consulting services for
employers hoping to maximize workers’
productivity and quality of life through
telework, carpools, vanpools, and other
alternative transportation arrangements.
commercial
real estate<<
Metro Denver’s commercial real estate
markets largely improved in 2011, although
lease rates remain below pre-recession levels.
Because lease rates are low, few markets
have active speculative projects and build-tosuit developments are driving construction
activity. Still, the region’s combination of
affordable occupancy costs and healthy
infrastructure are attracting companies with
long-term plans for real estate growth.
OFFICE SPACE
Construction – In 2011, developers
completed about 500,000 square feet of
new office space in 14 Metro Denver
buildings.
Vacancy Rate – The direct vacancy rate
for office properties throughout Metro
Denver fell to 12.7 percent at the end of
2011 from 13.2 percent at the end of
2010.
Full-Service Lease Rates – The direct
average office lease rate declined from
$19.89 per square foot at the end of
2010 to $19.78 per square foot at the
end of 2011.
INDUSTRIAL SPACE
Construction – Roughly 320,000 square
feet of new industrial space was built in
Metro Denver in 2011.
Vacancy Rate – The direct vacancy rate for
Metro Denver industrial property rose from
six percent in late 2010 to 6.4 percent in
late 2011.
Triple-Net Lease Rates – Direct industrial
lease rates fell from $4.69 per square foot
at the end of 2010 to $4.56 at the end of
2011.
RETAIL SPACE
QUOTED LEASE RATES BY CITY AND PROPERTY TYPE, YEAR-END 2011
Office (class A)
Warehouse
Retail (shopping center)
Atlanta
$21.59
$3.47
$12.92
Boston
$26.96
$5.15
$15.19
Chicago
$25.91
$4.61
$16.45
Dallas
$22.21
$3.68
$12.96
Metro Denver
$24.68
$4.53
$14.58
Los Angeles
$30.99
$6.57
$25.88
New York
$55.35
$9.58*
$27.64*
Phoenix
$23.36
$5.43
$14.02
San Francisco
$37.30
$9.76
$29.42
Seattle
$30.03
$5.93
$15.95
Washington, DC
$38.20
$7.56
$23.72
*Rate reported for Long Island, New York. Note: Figures listed are asking rates; actual rates paid may
differ depending on lease terms. Source: CoStar Group, Inc.
32
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
Construction – Developers completed
about one million square feet of new Metro
Denver retail space in 2011.
Vacancy Rates – Direct vacancy rates fell
from 7.8 percent at the end of 2010 to
7.3 percent at the end of 2011.
Triple-Net Lease Rates – Direct average
rates fell from $14.87 per square foot at
the end of 2010 to $14.58 at the end of
2011.
transportation<<
Metro Denver’s central location and
dynamic economy make the area one of
the country’s most important transportation
hubs. All modes of transportation except
water converge in Metro Denver and
provide easy access to the rest of the
United States and the world.
AIR
Metro Denver’s central location gives
business travelers convenient access to
other states and countries. Air travelers can
reach two-thirds of the nation within two
hours, and Metro Denver is within four
hours flying time of every North American
city with a population of one million or
more.
Denver International Airport (DIA)
celebrated 16 years of operation in 2011
and welcomed a record 52.8 million
passengers. DIA is the 10th-busiest airport
in the world and the fifth-busiest in the
United States.
Size and Location – The City and County of
Denver owns and operates DIA. Located 24
miles northeast of downtown Denver, DIA
covers 53 square miles of land and includes
six runways, three concourses, and 95 gates
plus 62 regional aircraft positions. DIA is the
only major U.S. airport constructed in the
past 25 years and is one of the few that still
have room to expand and accommodate
growth.
Expansion Plans – Construction is
underway on the $500 million South
Terminal redevelopment project, which
includes a public plaza, a station for the
commuter rail line that will run between
DIA and Denver Union Station, and a
500-room hotel. The project also includes
upgrades to the airport’s existing train and
baggage systems. The train station should
be ready for preliminary testing in 2014,
and the hotel will open in 2015.
Development Driver – Officials with DIA
and the City and County of Denver
unveiled plans for Airport City Denver, a
large, mixed-use development consisting of
six individual districts that could occupy land
the airport does not need for expansion. The
first district, Airport City Center, would
include a cluster of hotels, stores, and office
buildings near DIA. Another district, Airport
City Gateway, would include parking
structures, an automobile and RV mall, and
several transit-oriented developments. Airport
City Tech would house companies focused
on renewable energy, aerospace, and
bioscience, while Airport City Agro would
support food and biofuels manufacturing.
Airport City Logistics would offer
warehousing and distribution space, and
Airport City Aero would focus on military
and aviation uses.
denver international <<
airport ranked...
• …first (tied with Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport) in
Executive Travel magazine’s 2011 “Leading Edge Awards.”
The airports both ranked first on the “Top Domestic Airport”
list, which reflects results of an annual survey of Executive
Travel readers.
• …as Business Traveler magazine’s “Best Airport in North
America” for the sixth consecutive year in 2011.
• …second highest for customer satisfaction among the
nation’s 30 largest airports, according to J.D. Power and
Associates’ 2010 North America Airport Satisfaction Study.
INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS
SERVED BY NONSTOP SERVICE
FROM DIA
City
Code
Calgary, Canada
YYC
Cancun, Mexico
CUN
Cozumel, Mexico
CZM
Edmonton, Canada
YEG
Frankfurt, Germany
FRA
Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Mexico
ZIH
Liberia, Costa Rica
LIR
London/Heathrow,
United Kingdom
LHR
Los Cabos, Mexico
SJD
Mazatlan, Mexico
MZT
Mexico City, Mexico
MEX
Montreal, Canada
YUL
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
PVR
Regina, Canada
YQR
Reykjavik, Iceland
RKV
San Jose, Costa Rica
SJO
Saskatoon, Canada
YXE
Toronto, Canada
YYZ
Vancouver, Canada
YVR
Winnipeg, Canada
YWG
Source: Denver International Airport.
DIA received J.D. Power’s “among the best” ranking for its
accessibility and terminal facilities.
• …sixth among the world’s 25 most “social airports” in a
2012 ranking by Facebook Inc. Contributors based the
ranking on the count of airport passengers using Facebook
to check in between August 2010 and November 2011.
• …ninth on Travel + Leisure magazine’s 2012 “America’s
Best Airports” list. DIA earned top 10 grades for
cleanliness, security and check-in, baggage handling, and
WiFi coverage.
33
>>>
Denver International
Airport (DIA) is the only
major airport to be built
in the United States in
the last 25 years.
PHOTO CREDIT:
Sustainability – The airport’s environmental
management system is certified to the ISO
14001 international standard, and DIA is
also a Gold Member of the Colorado
Department of Public Health and
Environment’s Environmental Leadership
Program. Output from DIA’s three solar
arrays make the airport the state’s largest
distributed generation photovoltaic energy
producer, and airport officials aim to make
DIA a zero-waste facility by 2020.
Airlines – Sixteen commercial carriers—
including all major domestic airlines—offer
nearly 170 nonstop flights from DIA to
domestic and international destinations.
Total passenger traffic increased 1.7
percent between 2010 and 2011, while
passenger traffic nationwide rose 1.3
percent.
Airport Advocacy – Members of the Metro
Denver Aviation Coalition work to expand
and retain routes, increase employment,
and support infrastructure development at
DIA and Metro Denver’s reliever and
general aviation airports.
International – Passengers can fly nonstop
from DIA on United, Frontier, Air Canada,
British Airways, Icelandair, Lufthansa, and
Aeromexico to international destinations in the
United Kingdom, Germany, Iceland, Canada,
Costa Rica, and Mexico. In addition, United
Airlines plans to begin a daily nonstop
between Denver and Tokyo in 2013.
34
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
The airport’s sixth runway—the longest
commercial runway in North America—gives
fully loaded jumbo jets added length to take
off and provides unrestricted access and
growth potential for international flights.
Volume – DIA and airline staff managed
nearly 1,740 flight operations and more
than 144,790 passengers every 24 hours
in 2011.
On-Time Performance – In 2011, DIA
reported the ninth-highest percentage of ontime arrivals among major U.S. airports (82
percent). Seventy-nine percent of flights from
DIA left on time in 2011.
Affordable – DIA ranked among the 20
major U.S. airports with the lowest airfares
in the third quarter of 2011. The airport
reported the third largest decline in
average fares (-28 percent) between the
third quarters of 2000 and 2011.
Cargo – Nine cargo airlines and 14 major
and national carriers currently provide cargo
service at DIA. The airport’s cargo volume in
PROFILE
2011 totaled 547.2 million pounds, or 35.4
million pounds of airmail and 511.8 million
pounds of freight and express.
Other Airports
Three reliever airports serve business and
leisure travelers throughout Metro Denver.
Centennial Airport serves the southeast
metro area; Front Range Airport is located
six miles southeast of DIA and serves
northeast Metro Denver; and Rocky
Mountain Metropolitan Airport serves
Jefferson, Broomfield, and Boulder
Counties. Three general aviation airports—
Boulder Municipal Airport, Erie Municipal
Airport, and Longmont Municipal Airport—
also serve Metro Denver.
HIGHWAYS
Metro Denver’s transportation network is
continually growing and changing to better
accommodate motorists and freight traffic.
The Denver Regional Council of
Governments (DRCOG)—in cooperation
with the Regional Transportation District
(RTD) and the Colorado Department of
Transportation—oversees transportation
planning and funding throughout Metro
Denver. To that end, DRCOG drafts fiveyear Transportation Improvement Plans that
emphasize sustainability and connectivity.
Projects included in the most recent plan
will improve both vehicle and pedestrian
facilities throughout the region.
Interstates – Metro Denver is at the
crossroads of three major interstate
highways. I-25 is the north-south route,
while I-70 and I-76 provide east-west
access. In addition, I-225 serves the
southeast quadrant of Metro Denver.
Beltway – About three-quarters of the
beltway around Metro Denver has been
completed to date. The beltway consists
of C-470 (26 miles, completed 1990), E470 (toll road, 47 miles, completed
2003), and the Northwest Parkway (toll
road, 11 miles, completed 2003). In
2008, Jefferson County, the City and
County of Broomfield, and the City of
Arvada formed the Jefferson Parkway
Public Highway Authority to complete the
remaining portion of the beltway.
MASS TRANSIT
The Regional Transportation District (RTD),
funded by a one percent sales tax, operates
the public transportation system in Metro
Denver. RTD operates nearly 1,000 buses
on 148 fixed routes and 172 light rail
vehicles on 35 miles of track. The District
operates 74 Park-n-Rides, 36 light rail
stations, and nearly 9,700 bus stops. RTD
also operates 36 hybrid-electric buses along
the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver
and transports visitors from one end of the
mile-long pedestrian mall to the other free of
charge. System-wide ridership for 2011
resulted in more than 98 million boardings.
Light Rail – Light rail in Metro Denver
currently consists of the Central Corridor,
Central Platte Valley, Southwest Corridor,
and Southeast Corridor light rail lines.
FasTracks – FasTracks is RTD’s $7.4 billion
plan for the design and construction of
high-quality transit facilities in Metro Denver.
When completed, FasTracks will add 122
miles of new light rail and commuter rail,
18 miles of bus rapid transit service, and
more than 21,000 new parking spaces at
rail and bus stations. FasTracks will also
redirect bus service to better connect Metro
Denver communities and will add 57 new
transit stations throughout the region.
• West Corridor Light Rail – The West
Corridor—which will run between
Denver Union Station and the Jefferson
County Government Center—was the first
FasTracks corridor to begin full
construction. Crews have begun final
testing on the corridor, and the project is
on track for completion in 2013.
• Eagle P3 – The Eagle P3 Project
includes the East Corridor commuter rail line
from Denver Union Station to DIA, the Gold
Line light rail from Union Station to Wheat
Ridge, and a portion of the Northwest Rail
Corridor. The Eagle P3 corridors will be
funded, built, and managed by a landmark
public-private partnership—the first of its
kind in the United States. Crews broke
ground on the project in 2010, and
construction on the Eagle P3 corridors
should be complete in 2016.
35
• Union Station Redevelopment – Work
continues on a major redevelopment of
Denver’s historic Union Station (DUS). The
completed project will integrate facilities
for light rail, commuter rail, regional rail,
and bus service and will include several
public plazas and a privately operated
boutique hotel. In 2012, construction
work continued on the regional bus
facility, the light rail plaza, and support
systems for the commuter rail line to
Denver International Airport.
RAIL
Freight Service – BNSF Railway and
Union Pacific—both Class I railroads—
provide freight service in Metro Denver.
Passenger Service – Passenger service
from Denver is available on Amtrak’s
California Zephyr route. This route connects
Chicago to San Francisco and follows a
scenic path through the plains and the
Rocky Mountains.
telecommunications<<
Metro Denver is a hub for cable, satellite,
and wireless services companies and ranks
fourth among the 50 largest metro areas for
employment concentration in broadcasting
and telecommunications.
Satellite – Metro Denver’s unique
geographic location in the Mountain time
zone makes it the largest city in the United
States to offer one-bounce satellite uplinks.
This provides companies with real-time
connections to six of seven continents in
one business day.
Subscription TV – Metro Denver is the
birthplace of the cable television industry.
The industry evolved from pioneering
companies such as Tele-Communications,
Inc. (TCI) and Jones Intercable and now
includes Time Warner Cable, Comcast,
Douglas County-based DISH Network, and
others. The nonprofit Cable Center,
located on the University of Denver
campus, provides education, training, and
research in all aspects of cable
telecommunications.
Voice and Data Services – Numerous
providers offer phone and high-speed
Internet service in Metro Denver, and the
region’s extensive fiber optic network allows
the flow of voice and data traffic at lower
prices. Nearly 100 percent of households
in Metro Denver have access to broadband
services that meet the National Broadband
Availability Target, and 95 percent of
households have at least eight options for
broadband service providers.
Data Centers – Thanks to its thriving
economy and low risk of natural disasters,
Metro Denver is an attractive location for
high-tech data centers. Businesses including
Latisys, IBM, and General Dynamics have
opened centers here.
telecommunications
rankings
<<
• Denver ranked fifth among “America’s Most Wired Cities,” according to a
CNBC report released in 2011. Contributors based the ranking on data from
the Federal Communications Commission that tracked average broadband
speeds over a 30-day period.
• In 2011, e.Republic’s Center for Digital Government honored several Metro
Denver municipalities that use technology to meet the needs of the community.
Aurora, Arvada, Thornton, and Westminster each ranked among the top ten
municipalities in their respective size classes.
36
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
WiFi – Numerous public facilities
throughout Metro Denver offer access to
wireless Internet. Business users and
individuals can enjoy WiFi along the 16th
St. Mall in downtown Denver, throughout
the Denver Public Library Network, at DIA,
and at the Colorado Convention Center.
Access is free in many cases.
utilities<<
Xcel Energy, United Power, and
Intermountain Rural Electric Association
supply most natural gas and electric
services in Metro Denver. Many smaller
natural gas providers also offer local
service. Xcel Energy, Tri-State Generation
and Transmission, and other utility providers
are actively working to expand Colorado’s
energy grid with more transmission lines
and renewable energy generation.
A network of Rocky Mountain reservoirs, fed
by runoff from spring snowmelt, supply water
to most of Metro Denver. Denver Water is the
largest water provider and serves the City
and County of Denver and many suburban
communities. Several municipal water systems
and special district associations serve the
remainder of the metro area.
Colorado’s utility rates tend to fall below
the national average.
Fossil Energy Supply – Colorado is one of
the nation’s most important fossil energy
suppliers. The state has the nation’s thirdlargest dry natural gas reserve and the fifthlargest reserve of natural gas liquids. The
state also ranked sixth for total natural gas
withdrawals in 2010 and had the sixthlowest wellhead price among 25 states
with published price data.
Colorado’s energy portfolio extends beyond
natural gas, however. The state ranked
11th for total coal production in 2010 and
ranked among the top 10 crude oil
producers in 2011. Colorado is also
known for its deposits of unconventional
fossil fuels. The state’s coalbed methane
reserves are the largest in the nation, and
its northeastern corner lies in the critical
Niobrara shale formation.
<<<
Colorado has
enacted the nation’s
second-highest Renewable
Energy Standard,
requiring that 30 percent
of electricity be provided
by renewable sources
by 2020.
PHOTO CREDIT: National Renewable
Energy Laboratory
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Coloradans have embraced clean energy,
and the state has the nation’s secondhighest renewable energy standards.
Investor-owned utilities must generate 30
percent of their power from renewable
sources by 2020.
A large and growing group of renewable
energy producers and equipment
manufacturers stand ready to help utilities
achieve that standard. Multinational
corporations including Vestas Wind Systems
and SMA Solar Technology have major
hubs in Metro Denver, as do their suppliers.
Metro Denver is also home to Ascent Solar
Technologies, juwi Wind, juwi Solar,
SkyFuel Inc., UQM Technologies, Evergreen
Energy, and numerous others. With such a
portfolio of companies, Metro Denver is a
research and development center for
everything from parabolic solar collectors
and integrated photovoltaic cells to electric
motors and clean coal technology.
Metro Denver also has a global reputation
for cutting-edge clean energy research and
public support for clean energy programs:
• The National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL) in Golden is the U.S.
Department of Energy’s premier
national laboratory for renewable
energy and energy efficiency research
and development. NREL completed a
360,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art
Research Support Facility on its campus
in 2011.
• The Education Corporation of America’s
Ecotech Institute is located in Aurora. The
institute is the only one in the United
States to focus exclusively on renewable
energy education and training, and it
offers several degree programs at its
campus.
• Denver and Boulder both have B-cycle
bike-sharing programs. One membership
allows users to access rentals in both
cities.
AVERAGE PRICE OF NATURAL GAS BY END USER AND STATE, 2011
(DOLLARS PER THOUSAND CUBIC FEET)
State
Residential
Commercial
Industrial
Arizona
$15.05
$9.99
$6.88
California
$9.90
$8.23
$7.04
Colorado
$8.03
$7.66
N/A
Georgia
N/A
$10.35
$6.29
Illinois
$8.60
$8.12
$6.69
Minnesota
$8.60
$7.37
$5.62
New York
$13.64
$9.37
N/A
Oregon
N/A
$9.57
$7.51
Texas
N/A
$7.24
$4.19
Washington, D.C.
$8.44
$7.06
$5.49
U.S.
$10.80
$8.86
$5.02
NA = data not available.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration. March 2012.
37
taxes<<
AVERAGE RETAIL PRICE OF ELECTRICITY BY END USER AND STATE, 2011
(CENTS PER KWH)
Colorado’s low corporate income tax
helps give the state the eighth-best
economic outlook in the nation,
according to the 2012 ALEC-Laffer State
Economic Competitiveness Index. The
index—released by the American
Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)—
examines each state’s tax structure and
spending to demonstrate how public
policy shapes economic growth.
Colorado has the nation’s tenth-best tax
climate for small businesses and
entrepreneurs, according to the Small
Business & Entrepreneurship Council’s
“Business Tax Index 2012.” The index
considers state taxes on income, property,
capital gains, and other factors to
determine each tax system’s overall cost to
small business.
Colorado ranked ninth on the Small Business
& Entrepreneurship Council’s 2011 “Small
Business Survival Index.” Contributors based
the index on 44 measures including
State
Residential
Commercial
Industrial
Arizona
$11.07
$9.50
$6.58
California
$15.24
$13.81
$11.01
Colorado
$11.26
$9.42
$7.12
Georgia
$11.07
$9.92
$6.64
Illinois
$11.81
$8.64
$6.46
Minnesota
$10.97
$8.58
$6.51
New York
$18.30
$15.83
$7.80
Oregon
$9.60
$8.19
$5.50
Texas
$11.27
$8.96
$6.34
Washington, D.C.
$13.40
$12.92
$6.86
U.S.
$11.80
$10.32
$6.89
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration. March 2012.
individual and corporate income taxes,
healthcare and renewable energy mandates,
and other public policies.
Corporate Income Tax – Every domestic
and foreign corporation located in or doing
business in Colorado is subject to
cleantech rankings
<<
• Colorado ranked fifth on Clean Edge, Inc.’s 2012 “U.S. Clean Energy Leadership
Index,” which identified states that are pioneers in the cleantech economy. The index
is based on more than 70 market and economic indicators covering technology,
policy, and capital activities and developments.
• A report released by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2012 showed Colorado
ranked first among the 50 states for per capita square footage of non-residential
property certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) program in 2011.
• Colorado ranked fourth for total megawatts of installed solar power systems in
2011, according to SNL Financial.
• The American Wind Energy Association’s 2011 "Annual Market Report" shows
Colorado ranked sixth among the states for total amount of electricity generated from
wind. Roughly nine percent of Colorado’s total electricity came from wind in 2011.
• Colorado ranked as the nation’s fifth-most sustainable state in Site Selection
magazine’s “Green Guide 2011.” Contributors based the ranking on criteria
including number of green energy-related and LEED certified building projects,
availability of sustainability incentives, and renewable energy generation.
38
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
corporate income tax. For income tax years
beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2000, the tax
rate is 4.63 percent of Colorado taxable
income.
• Effective in tax years beginning Jan. 1,
2009, multistate corporations with
operations in Colorado are taxed using
single-factor apportionment. This
approach allows companies to pay taxes
based solely on their sales in the state.
Individual Income Tax – Colorado has a
flat individual income tax structure. The
income tax rate for all residents is 4.63
percent of Colorado taxable income.
Retail Sales Tax – The Colorado state sales
tax rate has been 2.9 percent since
January 2001. Certain jurisdictions may
add up to 4.15 percent additional local
sales tax by public referendum. Most Metro
Denver communities also add a one
percent Regional Transportation District
sales tax and a 0.1 percent Scientific and
Cultural Facilities District tax. Combined
state and local sales tax rates in sevencounty Metro Denver range from 3.15
percent to 8.75 percent.
Property Tax – The assessment rate for
commercial and industrial property is set at
29 percent of market value. The residential
rate is adjusted every odd-numbered year
to balance the tax burden on residential
and all other properties. The residential
assessment rate for the 2011 and 2012
tax years is 7.96 percent. The average mill
levy in Metro Denver, which is the dollars
of tax per $1,000 of assessed valuation,
was 92.40 in 2011.
Business Personal Property – Legislation
passed in 2008 increases Colorado’s
business personal property tax exemption to
$7,000 over five years. In the 2015 tax
year and beyond, the exemption will
increase biennially to account for inflation.
Legislation adopted in 2012 allows
Colorado cities, counties, and special
districts to fully waive their portions of the
business personal property tax for
qualifying companies.
Unemployment Insurance Premium –
Colorado unemployment insurance
premiums for established employers vary
depending on the history of premiums
paid, benefits charges, and the overall
Unemployment Insurance Fund balance.
The premium rate is a combination of two
factors—the base rate and a solvency
premium surcharge. Legislation enacted in
2012 established the minimum premium
due for new employers as 1.7 percent on
the first $11,000 of each employee’s
annual earnings.
Occupational Tax – Five cities in Metro
Denver assess an occupational tax when
employee pay surpasses a minimum
threshold. The employer and the employee
share the occupational tax as indicated
below. (Cities not on the list do not assess
an occupational tax.)
growth. The following highlight some of the
major state incentive and business finance
programs available. For a complete listing,
visit the Colorado Office of Economic
Development and International Trade website:
www.advancecolorado.com
credit must also complete a precertification process before they make
any investments.
The EZ program incentives are as follows:
• Three percent investment tax credit
Enterprise Zones
The Enterprise Zone (EZ) program
provides nine different incentives for
businesses to locate and expand in areas
officially designated as economically
distressed.
Legislation passed in 2010 requires
businesses that claim more than
$500,000 in EZ credit in 2011, 2012,
or 2013 to defer the credit until Jan. 1,
2014. Thereafter, businesses can carry
the deferred credit forward for 12 income
tax years beginning the year after the
credit was awarded plus one year for
each year of deferment. Effective Jan. 1,
2012, businesses that hope to earn EZ
• Three percent research and development
tax credit
• 25 percent tax credit to rehabilitate
vacant buildings
• 25 percent tax credit for cash
contributions to EZ projects (12.5
percent for in-kind contributions)
• 10 percent tax credit for job training
• State sales and use tax exemption of
manufacturing and mining equipment
• Jobs tax credit ($500 per new job)
OCCUPATIONAL TAX
City
If Monthly Salary
Greater Than
Monthly Amount Paid Per Worker By
Employer
Employee
Aurora
$250
$2.00
$2.00
Denver
$500
$4.00
$5.75
Glendale
$750
$5.00
$5.00
Greenwood Village
$250
$2.00
$2.00
Sheridan
$500
$3.00
$3.00
HIGHEST AND LOWEST STATE AND LOCAL TAX BURDENS, 2009
Alaska
Tax Burden
(% of per capita income)
6.3%
Rank
(1=lowest burden)
1
Nevada
7.5%
2
incentives<<
South Dakota
7.6%
3
Tennessee
7.6%
4
Wyoming
7.8%
5
Low regulatory and cost burdens are
among Metro Denver’s most businessfriendly features. Additional incentives can
make the cost of doing business even more
manageable.
Colorado
8.6%
12
Rhode Island
10.7%
46
Wisconsin
11%
47
Connecticut
12%
48
New York
12.1%
49
STATE INCENTIVES
New Jersey
12.2%
50
The state of Colorado offers a variety of
incentives and business assistance programs
to encourage company expansion and job
U.S. Average
9.8%
-
State
*Total tax burden includes state, local, and federal taxes.
Source: Tax Foundation, “State and Local Tax Burdens.” February 2011.
39
• Agricultural processing jobs tax credit
(jobs tax credit plus an additional $500
per job)
• Two-year, $200 per-job tax credit for
employer-sponsored health insurance
• 1.5 percent Commercial Vehicle
Investment Tax Credit for purchases of
certain trucks and semi-trailers made on
or after July 1, 2011
Local governments may also offer various
incentives for job creation and investment in
Enterprise Zones.
Job Training
Colorado FIRST and Existing Industry
Training Assistance – The Colorado Office
of Economic Development and International
Trade and the Colorado Community College
System offer grants that companies may use
to offset training costs. Colorado FIRST
grants are for companies moving to the state
or existing companies planning to expand.
Existing Industry grants are for Colorado
companies working to implement a new
technology, and grant funds go toward
employee re-training. Both programs allow a
maximum grant award of $800 per employee.
Job Creation
Colorado lawmakers established the Job
Growth Incentive Tax Credit in 2009 to
promote new job creation. Qualifying
businesses can receive an income tax
credit equivalent to as much as 50 percent
of the employer FICA obligation on their
net new job growth. Employers must create
20 or more new jobs with an average
wage at least 110 percent of the relevant
county average. Employers must also
maintain the jobs for at least one year.
The Strategic Fund provides performancebased incentive payments to qualifying
companies that create net new full-time jobs
in Colorado. The jobs must be maintained
for at least one year, and businesses must
materially meet the following requirements:
• Potential for economic spinoff benefits
such as high prestige, increased tourist
activity, attraction of suppliers, or a large
expansion initiative;
• Capital investment, measured relative to
the number of jobs (significant capital
investment is at least $100,000 per
employee);
LARGEST COMPANIES IN METRO DENVER - INCLUDING RETAIL
Rank
Company
Product/Service
Employment
1
King Soopers Inc.
Grocery
12,540
2
WalMart
General Merchandise
10,550
3
Healthcare
10,280
4
Exempla Healthcare
Healthcare
7,260
5
Safeway Inc.
Grocery
7,150
6
Aerospace & Defense Related Systems
7,030
7
Centura Health
Healthcare
6,920
8
CenturyLink
Telecommunications
6,850
9
Kaiser Permanente
Healthcare
6,170
10
Target Corporation
General Merchandise
5,350
11
Comcast Corporation
Telecommunications
5,000
12
United Airlines
Airline
4,600
13
DISH Network
4,420
14
Healthcare
4,400
15
Healthcare, Research
4,400
16
Wells Fargo Bank
Financial Services
4,400
17
University of Denver
University
4,310
18
IBM Corporation
Computer Systems & Service
4,200
19
United Parcel Service
Parcel Delivery
3,430
20
Frontier Airlines
Airline
3,360
21
Ball Corporation
Aerospace, Containers
3,300
22
Oracle
Software & Network Computer Systems
2,850
23
MillerCoors Brewing Company
Beverages
2,700
24
Xcel Energy
Utilities
2,660
25
Level 3 Communications
Communication & Internet Systems
2,310
Source: Development Research Partners.
40
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
• Response to a special local economic
event, such as replacing recent layoffs;
• Inter-state competitive factors;
• Colorado headquarters; and
• A strong local matching commitment.
Project Assistance
Feasibility Study Grants – Companies
can receive grant funding to help them
determine a project’s feasibility and plan
for implementation. Projects must meet
economic development objectives, and
the Colorado Office of Economic
Development and International Trade can
fund a total of $75,000 in feasibility
grant awards each year.
Infrastructure Assistance – The
infrastructure assistance program utilizes
funds from the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development to help
businesses construct or improve
infrastructure. Grant recipients must
demonstrate that a project will create or
retain low- and moderate-income jobs,
and grant awards are typically limited to
a maximum of $500,000.
refundable. Property must be used in
Colorado.
proceeds from previous investments or
other sources of funding.
Manufacturing – Tax-exempt Private
Activity Bond Financing may be available
for qualified manufacturing projects. Funds
can be used to finance real estate and
equipment purchases.
Aircraft Exemption – The sale of a new
or used aircraft to a person who is not a
resident of Colorado for registration and
primary use outside of the state is exempt
from state sales tax.
Bioscience Discovery Evaluation Grant
Program – The program aims to expand
bioscience research and accelerate the
development of new products and
services. Program funding is disbursed
through Proof-of-Concept grants, EarlyStage Bioscience Company grants, and
research institution grants for infrastructure
development. Program funding is
authorized by state statute through 2013.
ADDITIONAL TAX CREDITS
Colorado Venture Capital Authority (VCA)
– The Colorado General Assembly passed
legislation that established a Colorado
Venture Capital Authority in 2004. In 2005,
the VCA established Colorado Fund 1, a
$25 million pool for seed and early-stage
capital investments in Colorado businesses.
The VCA established a second $25 million
fund in 2010, and both funds are managed
by High Country Venture, LLC. As of
December 2011, investments from both funds
had reached a combined $26 million and
had supported more than 550 new
Colorado jobs.
Sales Tax Refund/Waiver
Biotechnology Sales and Use Tax Refund
– State sales and use taxes paid on the
sale, storage, use, or consumption of
tangible personal property related to
bioscience research and development are
Colorado Aircraft Manufacturer –
Aircraft manufacturers located in a
Colorado aviation development zone may
qualify for a state income tax credit of
$1,200 per new employee.
Venture Capital
Certified Capital Companies (CAPCO) –
The Colorado State Legislature created the
CAPCO program to provide venture
funding to new and expanding small
businesses throughout the state. Six
companies received a total of $100
million in investment funds when the
program began. Five companies are still
making investments when they receive
LOCAL INCENTIVES
Incentives available to relocating or
expanding companies vary throughout
municipalities in Metro Denver. Examples
of local incentives include:
• Mass Transit – The Regional
Transportation District (RTD) has a
41
discounted and tax-deductible transit
pass program called EcoPass. The
program aims to reduce traffic
congestion, encourage transit usage, and
reduce parking costs.
• Low Interest Loans – Cities may offer
low-interest loans or interest rate
reductions on loans for tenant finish
costs, equipment, and working capital.
• Employee Relocation Assistance – Local
economic development organizations
may offer packages of discounted
products and services to assist
employees relocating to the metro area.
• Personal Property Tax Credits – Cities,
counties, and special districts may fully
waive their portions of business
personal property tax as part of an
economic development incentive
package.
• Local Tax Abatement – Cities may consider
waivers or rebates of local sales and use
taxes on construction materials, personal
property, and manufacturing equipment.
• Small Business Development Centers –
Community-based Small Business
Development Centers provide free
counseling, training, and information
related to management, regulatory and
financial issues, and marketing.
• Training Assistance – Cities may offer
additional training assistance for
qualified projects.
• Waiver of Permit Fees – Cities may
expedite the building permit process and
waive all or part of various permit fees.
Please contact the economic development
organization (see directory on page 93)
representing the relevant region of Metro
Denver for further information on
incentives.
LARGEST COMPANIES IN METRO DENVER - PRIVATE NON-RETAIL
Rank
Company
Product/Service
Employment
1
Healthcare
10,280
2
Exempla Healthcare
Healthcare
7,260
3
7,030
4
Centura Health
Healthcare
6,920
5
CenturyLink
Telecommunications
6,850
6
Kaiser Permanente
Healthcare
6,170
7
Comcast Corporation
Telecommunications
5,000
8
United Airlines
Airline
4,600
9
DISH Network
4,420
10
Healthcare
4,400
11
4,400
12
Wells Fargo Bank
Financial Services
4,400
13
University
4,310
14
IBM Corporation
Computer Systems & Services
4,200
15
Parcel Delivery
3,430
16
Frontier Airlines
Airline
3,360
17
Ball Corporation
3,300
18
Oracle
2,850
19
Beverages
2,700
20
Xcel Energy
Utilities
2,660
21
2,310
22
Boulder Community Hospital
Healthcare
2,300
23
Raytheon Company
Aerospace Systems & Software
2,230
24
U.S. Bank
Financial Services
2,190
25
Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company
Insurance
2,180
Source: Development Research Partners.
42
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
>>metro denver:
LIFESTYLE
Metro Denver’s mild climate and wealth of recreational activities make it the perfect environment for energetic bodies.
PHOTO CREDIT: Colorado Tourism
With a mild climate and an active population,
Metro Denver is the perfect home for
“energetic bodies.” The region’s educational
and cultural facilities feed “energetic minds.”
Metro Denver is also a magnet for a young,
diverse, and highly educated workforce.
The nearby mountains and ski resorts,
however, receive significant winter snowfall.
climate<<
cost of living<<
Four Seasons – Metro Denver is situated
on the high plains at the base of the Rocky
Mountains. Moderate temperatures, low
humidity, and abundant sunshine create an
ideal climate for year-round recreation.
Cost of Living – According to the C2ER
Cost of Living Index, the cost of living in
Metro Denver was roughly five percent
above the U.S. average in 2011. Still, the
region’s cost of living is significantly lower
than costs in many other major cities.
Winter – Winter storms in Metro Denver are
typically short-lived, and snow melts rapidly.
Semi-Arid – Metro Denver has a semi-arid
climate with average annual precipitation
of less than 16 inches.
Inflation – The Denver-Boulder-Greeley
Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 3.7
percent in 2011, while the nationwide CPI
rose 3.2 percent. The gap between the two
rates partly reflects Metro Denver’s stronger-thanaverage rental and for-sale housing markets.
housing<<
Metro Denver offers housing options for
every taste and budget. Stable and
affordable home prices make Metro Denver
stand out among other major markets,
particularly those on the coasts.
Price – Metro Denver ranked third among
116 metro areas for smallest decline in
median home price between 2010 and
43
2011. The region’s median price of
$231,400 was down 0.4 percent overthe-year, while the median price nationwide
fell four percent.
Metro Denver home prices generally
retain value much better than in other
Apartments – Metro Denver’s apartment
market is booming as the region’s growing
economy attracts new residents. The
region’s average monthly apartment rent
was $932 in the fourth quarter of 2011,
and the region-wide apartment vacancy
rate averaged 5.2 percent through all 12
months of the year.
major metro areas, particularly metros
with historically high housing costs.
Median home prices for 2011 in
Boston, Seattle, San Diego, and San
Francisco, for example, fell below
2010 medians by three percent or
more.
MEDIAN SALES PRICE
EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY
HOMES, 2011
COST OF LIVING INDEX
ANNUAL AVERAGE, 2011
Metropolitan Area
All Items
Metropolitan Area
Median Price
New York (Manhattan)
218.8
New York
$378,500
Washington, DC
143.3
Boston
$346,200
Boston
137.3
Washington, DC
$325,400
Los Angeles
132.8
Seattle
$285,000
Seattle
117.1
Metro Denver
$231,400
Portland
113.6
Portland
$219,500
Metro Denver
105.0
Austin
$193,100
U.S. Average
100.0
Salt Lake City
$182,200
Atlanta
97.3
Chicago
$176,500
Phoenix
96.5
U.S. Median
$166,200
Dallas
96.2
Minneapolis
$154,700
Raleigh
93.8
Dallas
$148,900
Austin
92.7
Phoenix
$115,500
Tampa
91.8
Atlanta
$98,600
Houston
89.8
healthcare<<
Metro Denver has a thriving healthcare
community consistently recognized for topnotch patient care. New hospitals in Metro
Denver include:
• St. Anthony Central Hospital opened at
the Federal Center in Lakewood in mid2011. OrthoColorado Hospital—a
facility focused on advanced
orthopedic and spine care—opened at
the St. Anthony Central Campus in mid2010.
• Phase One of Centura Health’s Castle
Rock Adventist Health Campus opened
in fall 2011. The first phase includes a
full-service emergency room and imaging
center, and a 50-bed hospital will open
in a second phase slated for completion
in 2013.
Source: C2ER Cost of Living Index:
2011 Annual Average Data.
Source: National Association of Realtors®.
METRO DENVER CLIMATE
Average Temp. (F)
Max
Min
Month
Average Relative
P.M. Humidity
Precipitation (inches)
Total
Snow
January
43
15
50%
0.5
7.9
71%
February
47
19
45%
0.5
7.4
69%
March
54
25
39%
1.3
12.1
69%
April
61
34
36%
1.9
8.4
67%
May
71
44
38%
2.3
1.6
64%
June
82
53
35%
1.6
0.0
70%
July
88
59
34%
2.2
T*
71%
August
86
57
36%
1.8
T*
71%
September
77
47
34%
1.1
1.6
74%
October
66
36
37%
1.0
4.1
72%
November
52
24
48%
1.0
8.6
64%
December
44
16
52%
0.6
7.9
67%
Annual
64
36
41%
15.8
59.7
69%
Note: T = trace amount. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
44
% Possible
Sunshine
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
Numerous other healthcare projects
throughout Metro Denver—including the
revitalization of Exempla St. Joseph
Hospital in Denver, an expansion of Sky
Ridge Medical Center in Douglas County,
and Kaiser Permanente’s new MultiSpecialty Center in Douglas County—have
or will soon break ground.
Another active healthcare development in
Metro Denver is the Fitzsimons Life Science
District, which includes the Colorado
Science + Technology Park and the
Anschutz Medical Campus.
The Colorado Science + Technology Park
already includes six million square feet of
research and incubator space for life
science entities, and an $8 million business
accelerator facility opened in summer
2012.
The Anschutz Medical Campus includes
three zones: the education zone is home to
the University of Colorado School of
Medicine; the research zone includes labs
and other advanced health science
facilities; and the clinical zone is home to
numerous medical offices and care centers.
The University of Colorado Hospital is
located nearby, as is the Children's
Hospital Colorado. A 180-bed full-service
Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital is
under construction near the Anschutz
Medical Campus and is scheduled to open
in 2015. In addition, the Colorado Center
for Health and Wellness at the University of
Colorado opened in early 2012.
• University of Colorado Anschutz
Medical Campus – According to the
2013 edition of “America’s Best
Graduate Schools” by U.S. News &
World Report, the Anschutz Medical
Campus has one of the nation’s top five
primary care programs and one of the
top 40 research programs.
• University of Colorado Hospital – The
University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) is
a nationally recognized teaching hospital
that partners with the University of
Colorado School of Medicine. UCH
ranked first among 10 hospitals selected
healthcare rankings<<
HealthGrades ranked Exempla Lutheran Medical Center and Exempla St. Joseph
hospital among the nation’s 263 best hospitals for emergency medical care in 2012.
Researchers based the rankings on patient outcomes in 12 different diagnoses and
honored the top five percent of hospitals—the group of 263—with the Emergency
Medicine Excellence Award.
Denver Health ranked sixth among 10 hospitals selected to receive the University
HealthSystem Consortium’s 2011 Quality Leadership Award, which goes to hospitals
that demonstrate excellence in patient safety, efficiency, and overall quality of care.
U.S. News & World Report’s 2012-2013 “Best Hospitals” named 11 Metro Denver
hospitals to its top-ranked healthcare facilities list. The University of Colorado Hospital
(UCH) ranked as the top facility in Metro Denver and ranked nationally in
pulmonology (first), rheumatology (17th), cancer care (33rd), nephrology (42nd), and
diabetes and endocrinology (48th). For the second year in a row, National Jewish
Health and Craig Hospital tied as the second-best facilities in Metro Denver. Craig
ranked seventh nationally for rehabilitation, and National Jewish Health also shared
the first-place national ranking for pulmonology with UCH. The Medical Center of
Aurora ranked fourth and Exempla St. Joseph Hospital and Porter Adventist tied as
the fifth-best hospitals in Metro Denver.
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus ranked among the top 25 U.S.
medical schools for fiscal year 2011 funding from the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). National Jewish Health ranked among the top 15 independent hospitals for
NIH funding.
The 2011 edition of F as in Fat—a report produced annually by the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America’s Health—shows Colorado’s adult
obesity rate (19.8) percent is the lowest in the nation.
Colorado is the nation’s ninth-healthiest state, according to the 2011 edition of the
United Health Foundation’s “America’s Health Rankings.” The foundation partners
with the American Public Health Association and the Partnership for Prevention to
produce the annual rankings, which reflect numerous health determinant- and
outcome-based criteria. Colorado achieved its best ranks for low rates of obesity (first
overall) and diabetes (second).
Healthy lifestyles website RealAge.com ranked Denver fifth among the “25 Best Cities
for Staying Young” in 2012. Contributors based the ranking on 12 factors—including
rates of smoking and exercise habits—that support a healthy, low-stress lifestyle.
Metro Denver is the nation’s ninth-fittest metro area, according to the American
College of Sports Medicine’s 2012 American Fitness Index. The index evaluates the
nation’s 50 largest metro areas on factors including disease rates, healthcare access,
and access to fitness and recreation facilities.
Metro Denver ranked 12th among large metro areas on the 2011 “GallupHealthways Well-Being Index.” To compile the index, contributors used survey results
to rate each metro’s residents on physical and mental health, disease rates, healthy
behaviors, and other factors central to well-being.
45
TEN LARGEST METRO DENVER FULL-SERVICE HOSPITALS
Hospital Name
Licensed Beds
Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center (Denver)
680
Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital (Denver)
565
Denver Health (Denver)
477
Rose Medical Center – HealthONE (Denver)
422
University of Colorado Hospital (Aurora)
407
Exempla Lutheran Medical Center (Wheat Ridge)
380
Porter Adventist Hospital (Denver)
368
Swedish Medical Center – HealthONE (Englewood)
368
The Medical Center of Aurora/Centennial Medical Plaza (Aurora)
346
Boulder Community Hospital (Boulder)
265
Source: Denver Business Journal, Book of Lists 2011/2012.
to receive the University HealthSystem
Consortium’s 2011 Quality Leadership
Award, which goes to hospitals that
demonstrate excellence in patient safety,
efficiency, and overall quality of care.
• Children’s Hospital Colorado – The $458
million state-of-the-art hospital opened adjacent to the Anschutz Medical Campus in
2007. Children’s Hospital Colorado
ranked among the nation’s top 10 pediatric
>>>
Since its founding in
1893, the Denver Art
Museum has amassed
more than 68,000 works
of art, making it one of
the largest and
most comprehensive
collections of world art
between Chicago and
the West Coast.
46
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
hospitals in the 2012-2013 edition of U.S.
News & World Report’s “Best Children’s
Hospitals.” Children’s Colorado was the
only one of 80 facilities ranked in all 10
specialty categories, and the hospital
received its highest rankings for diabetes
and endocrinology (fourth), pulmonology
(sixth), and cancer (eighth). Children’s
Hospital Colorado tied with Nationwide
Children’s Hospital in Ohio as the nation’s
eighth-best pediatric hospitals overall.
cultural attractions<<
Metro Denver offers a diverse group of
museums, theatres, concert venues, wildlife
exhibits, and gardens, many of which are
part of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities
District (SCFD). The district levies a 0.1
percent sales tax and distributes millions of
dollars each year to support organizations
focused on arts, culture, and science. In
2010, total SCFD distributions to arts and
culture organizations exceeded $39
million.
Metro Denver’s wide variety of arts and
cultural institutions includes:
• Denver Performing Arts Complex
(DPAC) – The DPAC, the nation’s
largest arts complex under one roof,
features 10 performance spaces
ranging from 210 to 2,900 seats. The
complex is home to the Colorado
Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado
Ballet, Opera Colorado, and the
Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
• Denver Art Museum – The museum—
which opened a major expansion in 2006—
has extensive collections that include African,
American Indian, European, and Western
American pieces. The museum also hosts
temporary exhibitions that give visitors a fresh
look at the arts.
• History Colorado Center – This $110
million, 200,000-square-foot
replacement for the Colorado History
Museum opened in early 2012.
Interactive exhibits that feature touch
screens, simulators, and other multimedia
features draw visitors into Colorado’s
unique story. The center is also home to
the Stephen H. Hart Library and
Research Center, a publicly accessible
collection of Colorado maps,
newspapers, and other historical
documents.
• The Denver Zoo – The $50 million
Toyota Elephant Passage opened at
the Denver Zoo in mid-2012. The 10acre exhibit features habitats for
rhinos, tapirs, and other species plus
one of the nation’s largest elephant
habitats. The new exhibit could
achieve LEED Platinum certification
and will allow the Denver Zoo to
support an Asian elephant breeding
program.
• The Museum of Contemporary Art
Denver – The LEED Gold-certified
museum in Lower Downtown hosts
contemporary exhibits in five rotating
galleries. The museum also has
education space and offers special
programs including hands-on weekend
arts workshops and a cocktail lecture
series.
• Clyfford Still Museum – This privately
funded facility houses most of the
works of Clyfford Still, a highly
regarded 20th century abstract
expressionist. The museum opened in
late 2011 and displays many works
not seen since the artist passed away
in 1980.
• Colorado Convention Center – With
584,000 square feet of exhibit space,
100,000 square feet of meeting space,
two ballrooms, and a 5,000-seat
multipurpose theater, the Colorado
Convention Center is one of the largest
public meeting facilities in the West.
Building staff specialize in sustainable
meetings, and the center is also known
for its extensive collections of indoor and
outdoor public art.
• Attractions – Denver’s Central Platte
is home to numerous attractions,
including the Elitch Gardens Theme Park,
the Children’s Museum, the Pepsi Center,
Coors Field, and the Downtown
Aquarium.
recreational<<
opportunities
Colorado’s sunny, temperate climate is a
favorite of year-round recreation enthusiasts,
and its 41 state parks and four national parks
provide abundant opportunities for biking,
hiking, camping, fishing, and skiing.
Golf – More than 100 public and private
golf courses are located in Metro Denver.
Skiing – 11 world-class ski resorts are
within 100 miles of Metro Denver.
Parks and Open Space – The City and
County of Denver maintains more than
200 city and mountain parks, and eight
state parks are located in or immediately
outside of the seven-county Metro Denver
area. State, federal, and local
government entities in the Denver
Regional Council of Government’s
metropolitan planning area—which
includes most of the seven-county
region—have preserved more than
374,000 acres of open space for future
generations to enjoy.
Great Outdoors Colorado –
Conservation and sustainability are
ATTENDANCE FOR SELECTED
CULTURAL & TOURIST ATTRACTIONS, 2011
Attraction
Attendance
Denver Zoological Gardens
1,883,167
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
1,275,240
Elitch Gardens Theme and Water Park
995,850
Denver Botanic Gardens
819,000
Denver Center for the Performing Arts
640,392
Denver Art Museum
616,417
Downtown Aquarium
600,000
Water World
545,000
The Children’s Museum of Denver
282,003
Butterfly Pavilion
260,692
Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
241,688
Colorado Renaissance Festival
216,000
Wildlife Experience Museum
163,467
Colorado Symphony Association
123,592
Colorado Railroad Museum
90,000
Colorado Ballet
70,790
Sources: Denver Business Journal Book of Lists, 2011/2012;
Themed Entertainment Association; individual attractions.
47
<<
recreation and lifestyle
rankings
Denver received several top scores in Travel + Leisure magazine’s 2011
“America’s Favorite Cities” rankings. The rankings—which editors compile
based on surveys of residents and visitors—show Denver outscores all
other cities as a destination for microbrew beer (first), active vacations
(first), and pet-friendly travel (first). Denver also received high ranks for its
outdoors space (second) and its convenience as a base for regional day
trips (fourth).
Colorado resorts dominated Ski magazine’s “2011-2012 Resort Rankings”
and claimed 11 of the 20 top honors. Vail, Snowmass, Beaver Creek,
Steamboat, Breckenridge, and Telluride all ranked in the top 10, while
Aspen Mountain, Winter Park, Crested Butte, Copper Mountain, and
Aspen Highlands rounded out the top 20.
Denver is the nation’s seventh-best travel value, according to the 2012
“Travel Value Index” by Hotwire.com. Denver received its highest score in
the “affordable entertainment” category.
Forbes named Denver among the “10 Best Weekend Vacation Cities” in
2011. Cities on the list are easy to navigate and offer several key
attractions and good food, editors say. They specifically recognized
Denver for its recent “renaissance,” which has brought numerous new
hotels, restaurants, and attractions downtown.
hallmarks of the Colorado lifestyle. The
1992 Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO)
Amendment to the state constitution gives a
portion of state lottery proceeds to projects
that protect and enhance Colorado’s parks,
rivers, trails, and open spaces. In fiscal
year 2011, the GOCO program awarded
$52.9 million for 189 projects in 51
counties.
Trails – Many multipurpose trails exist
throughout Metro Denver. One of the
longest, the High Line Canal Trail, covers
more than 60 miles and connects Douglas,
Arapahoe, and Denver Counties. Colorado
State Parks is also working with local
communities to create a continuous, 900mile trail running along the Front Range
from New Mexico to Wyoming.
spectator sports<<
Metro Denver caters to the professional
sports enthusiast with winning teams.
Notably, Denver is one of only five U.S.
cities with seven professional sports
franchises. Denver is also home to some
of the newest sports venues in the nation,
the majority of which were built within
the past 17 years.
Colorado ranked fifth in a 2011 Harris Poll that asked adults where—
excluding their current home state—they would most like to live. Denver
ranked as the 10th-most favored residence in a separate, city-level survey.
Louisville topped MONEY Magazine’s 2011 list of the “Best Places to
Live,” which highlights small cities with a reputation for job opportunities,
affordable housing, and high overall quality of life. Castle Rock ranked
19th, Superior ranked 20th, and Parker ranked 29th.
Denver ranked third among the “2011 Top U.S. Growth Cities,” according
to U-Haul International, Inc. To assemble the ranking, U-Haul researchers
compared inbound and outbound moves for cities where at least 5,000
families arrived or departed. Denver ranked 10th on a separate U-Haul
list, the “2011 Top 50 U.S. Destination Cities,” which reflects inbound
moves only.
Denver ranked seventh on Penske Truck Rental’s list of the 10 most popular
U.S. moving destinations in 2011. The company assembled its list based
on call center and online reservations made for one-way moves throughout
the year.
48
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
• Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
(opened 2007, $131 million,
18,000 seats) – Home to the 2010
Major League Soccer champion
Colorado Rapids and is considered the
largest and most state-of-the-art
professional soccer stadium in the world.
The stadium is surrounded by a fully lit,
24-field soccer complex.
• Sports Authority Field at Mile High
(opened 2001, $364 million, 76,125
seats) – Home to the two-time world
champion Denver Broncos (football) and
the Denver Outlaws (lacrosse).
• Pepsi Center (opened 1999, $180
million, 21,000 seats) – Home to the
Denver Nuggets (basketball), two-time
Stanley Cup champion Colorado
Avalanche (hockey), and the Colorado
Mammoth (lacrosse).
<<<
The Pepsi Center,
built in 1999, is home to
the Denver Nuggets,
the Colorado Avalanche,
and the Colorado
Mammoth, and hosts
more than 200 sporting
and entertainment
events each year.
PHOTO CREDIT: VISIT DENVER
• Coors Field (opened 1995, $215
million, 50,445 seats) – Home to the
2007 National League Champion
Colorado Rockies (baseball) and site of
the 2007 World Series.
Championships Final Four took place at the
Pepsi Center in 2012. The Federation of
International Lacrosse will host the 2014
Men’s Lacrosse World Championships at
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
Metro Denver Sports Commission – The
Metro Denver Sports Commission (Denver
Sports) is a nonprofit organization that attracts
and promotes major sporting events
throughout the region. The commission’s
efforts show in many major sporting events
held or scheduled to occur in Metro Denver.
The 2012 NCAA Women’s Basketball
College Sports – Teams with the University
of Colorado Boulder, the University of
Denver, Metropolitan State University, and
Regis University represent almost all college
sports. Colorado State University in Fort
Collins and the Air Force Academy in
Colorado Springs also offer exciting
college sports events.
shopping<<
Shopping opportunities abound in Metro
Denver, and the region has two core
pedestrian malls. Downtown Denver’s
16th Street Mall—a 16-block pedestrian
and transit facility—has served thousands
of visitors with shops and restaurants for
30 years. Local stakeholders are
implementing the 16th Street Mall Plan to
help revitalize this key landmark—and
parts of the plan are already complete. A
rehabilitation project for the mall’s signature
granite pavers was completed in 2012.
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAMS AND VENUES
Team
Sport
League
Venue
Colorado Avalanche
Hockey
NHL
Pepsi Center
Colorado Mammoth
Lacrosse
NLL
Pepsi Center
Colorado Rapids
Soccer
MLS
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
Colorado Rockies
Baseball
MLB
Coors Field
Denver Broncos
Football
NFL
Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Denver Nuggets
Basketball
NBA
Pepsi Center
Denver Outlaws
Lacrosse
MLL
Source: Team Websites.
49
<<<
The Cherry Creek
Shopping Center
is one of the state’s
most popular
travel destinations.
PHOTO CREDIT: Cherry Creek
Shopping Center
With 15 shopping and lifestyle centers that
are 750,000 square feet or larger and
numerous smaller shopping districts, Metro
Denver offers retail options for all tastes.
The region’s mild climate makes open-air
shopping options particularly appealing.
In Boulder, visitors frequent the Pearl
Street Mall to enjoy shopping, dining,
live entertainment, and special events.
The mall has been open for 35 years
and is a perennial attraction for people
watchers.
Several major retail projects were completed
in recent years, including a 415,000-squarefoot IKEA store in Centennial, the Lincoln
Commons Development in Lone Tree, the
Streets at SouthGlenn in Centennial, and
Cornerstar in Arapahoe County.
FIFTEEN LARGEST RETAIL CENTERS
Center Name
Location
Approximate
Square Footage
Year Built/
Renovated
Park Meadows Shopping Center +
The Vistas at Park Meadows
I-25 & C-470, Lone Tree
1,780,000
1996/2008
Southlands
E-470 & Smoky Hill Rd, Aurora
1,700,000
2006
FlatIron Crossing
US 36 & West FlatIron Cir, Broomfield
1,467,600
2000
Southwest Plaza
Wadsworth Blvd & Bowles Ave, Littleton
1,300,000
1983/2001
The Shops at Northfield Stapleton
I-70 and I-270, Denver
1,200,000
2005
Colorado Mills
I-70 & Colfax Ave, Lakewood
1,100,000
2002
Cherry Creek Shopping Center
First Ave & University Blvd, Denver
1,100,000
1990/1998
Town Center at Aurora
1-225 & Alameda Ave, Aurora
1,090,000
1975/2005
Streets at SouthGlenn
S University Blvd & E Arapahoe Rd, Centennial
965,200
2009
Belmar
S Wadsworth Blvd & W Alameda Ave, Lakewood
913,600
2007
Twenty Ninth Street
Arapahoe Ave & 28th St, Boulder
830,200
2006
Larkridge
I-25 & SH 7, Thornton
800,000
2005
Prairie Center
I-76 and E-470, Brighton
785,000
2008
River Point at Sheridan
W Hampden Ave & S Santa Fe Dr, Sheridan
776,200
2008
Quebec Square
E 35th Ave & Quebec St, Denver
770,600
2001
Sources: Denver Business Journal Book of Lists 2011/2012 and individual shopping centers.
50
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
An interesting thing happens when one of the country’s most highly educated workforces emerges from an active place like Metro Denver. Innovative
thinking translates quickly into action. After rallying support from across the region, Metro Denver was selected as the site for one of four new
satellite offices of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Further, Denver International Airport is one of the world’s most modern and efficient
airports and the FasTracks project to build out our entire mass transit system is well underway. Suffice to say, sitting still is not in our nature. If
you’re looking to invigorate your company, pay us a visit at metrodenver.org and metrodenverGIS.org.
>>metro denver:
COUNTIES
B
eing active is a state of mind in
Metro Denver. With a thriving business
economy, as well as top-ranked educational
institutions, vibrant cultural and recreational
opportunities, and championship sports
team, the region is full of energy and
enthusiasm.
such as aerospace, bioscience, broadcast
and telecommunications, energy, financial
services, healthcare and wellness, and
information technology - software. With
access to one of the nation's most highly
educated workforces, these “knowledgebased" industries prosper in Metro Denver.
The seven counties—Adams, Arapahoe,
Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and
Jefferson—comprising Metro Denver provide
a diverse and expanding business base that
attracts the most viable growth industries,
Our growing multimodal transportation
network encourages global connectivity,
starting with Denver International Airport, the
fifth-busiest in the nation and one of the most
modern airports in the world. Additionally, the
52
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
region is constructing FasTracks, the largest
one-time build out of a metro area mass transit
system in U.S. history. The result is the nation’s
leading model for smart growth.
It’s no wonder expansive thinking comes
naturally here. In the foothills of the Rocky
Mountains, Metro Denver is home to an
impressive system of public parks and
thousands of acres of open space. Citizens
enjoy activities such as hiking, biking,
walking, and snowshoeing—literally in their
backyards.
>>adams county
Adams County, located in the northeastern
quadrant of the Metro Denver region, offers
a rich diversity of communities, lifestyle,
employment, and business opportunities.
The county includes, wholly or partially, the
cities of Arvada, Aurora, Bennett, Brighton,
Commerce City, Federal Heights, Lochbuie,
Northglenn, Thornton, and Westminster.
Major employment sectors include
healthcare and life science, bioscience,
construction, logistics, aviation, energy,
software, technology, and manufacturing.
Adams County benefits directly from four
projects with more than $1 billion in
capital investment each—the Fitzsimons Life
Science District and Anschutz Medical
Campus, the E-470 toll way, FasTracks,
and Denver International Airport (DIA). The
county is served by multiple highways, two
railroads, and two airports.
Adams County has an abundance of
available, affordable land ready for
development in urban, suburban, and rural
settings. Adams County is home to Dick’s
Sporting Goods Park, the world’s largest soccer
complex, and Water World, ranked one of
the top 10 water parks in the United States.
BUSINESS GROWTH
Adams County has experienced
tremendous growth and development. The
following companies created and retained
up to 1,000 jobs and made nearly $100
million in capital investments in 2010.
• Cummins Rocky Mountain, the world’s
largest independent designer and
manufacturer of diesel engines, will
expand at its existing Commerce City
location by building three new facilities:
a training center, back office support,
and a manufacturing facility. The
company will add 76 new employees
and invest more than $10 million in the
project.
• The proposed Gaylord Colorado
Resort and Conference Center is an
$825 million complex that will feature
1,500 hotel rooms, multiple restaurants,
and 400,000 square feet of conference
space at High Point in Aurora. The
development could produce 1,550
direct, full-time jobs and more than
10,000 construction jobs.
• GE PrimeStar Solar will add up to 355
new employees and invest $300 million
in a new thin film photovoltaic
manufacturing facility in Aurora.
• Colorado launched its bid for Spaceport
designation with Front Range Airport
identified as the site for such a facility.
Front Range Airport, one of the largest
general aviation airports in the
country, has 4,000 acres of airport
property and is surrounded by 6,000
acres of privately owned industrial
property, all in an aviation-influence
zone.
the data <<
Square Miles:
1,182
Population:
480,846
Labor Force:
231,640
Employment:
154,810
Average Wage:
$43,467
Median Age:
33.0
Households:
161,242
REAL ESTATE
Adams County has 34 major business
parks ranging from 100 to 5,400 acres
to accommodate current and future
business expansions and relocations.
Among these are:
• Adams Crossing is a 780-acre, mixeduse development in south Brighton at I-76
and E-470. The new 450,000-squarefoot Adams County Government Center
anchors the project and consolidates
county operations with more than 1,200
employees on site.
• Bromley Interstate Business Park offers
rail service and three miles of interstate
frontage on 300 acres in Brighton.
• DIA Tech Center is a 200-acre industrial
and commercial development located in
Commerce City and within minutes from
Denver International Airport.
• Park Centre is a 160-acre mixed-use
development that features office, flex,
and light industrial uses. Current
tenants in the park include Alliance
Data Systems, Polycom Inc., Western
Electronics, and DeVry University.
• Porteos is a 1,287-acre, mixed-use
development by A & C Properties that
has several commercial, industrial, retail,
and hotel businesses. Porteos is located
in Aurora.
• Victory Crossing, a 917-acre, mixed-use
development in Commerce City, is
anchored by Dick’s Sporting Goods
Park.
53
<<<
Dick’s Sporting
Goods Park
in Commerce City
is home to the
Colorado Rapids (MLS)
and is the
world’s largest
soccer complex.
PHOTO CREDIT: City of Commerce City
RETAIL DEVELOPMENT
Several retail centers are completed or
planned in Adams County, including:
BUSINESS PARKS IN
ADAMS COUNTY
Park
Acres
TransPort
5,400
Prairie Center
2,000
High Point
1,870
Gateway Park
1,341
Porteos
1,287
Majestic Commercenter
1,000
International Airport
Commercial Center
880
Adams Crossing
730
Bromley Interstate
Business Park
300
Reunion Business Park
300
Internorth Business Park
250
Washington Square
Business Park
220
DIA Tech Center
200
Colorado Science +
Technology Park at Fitzsimons
184
ProLogis Park 70
182
Victory Crossings
177
Park Centre
160
Bennett Commerce
140
NorthRidge at Park Centre
105
Northglenn Industrial Park
100
54
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
• Larkridge is a 2 million-square-foot,
regional retail center located on 240
acres near the intersection of E-470
and I-25. The center employs more
than 800 people at Home Depot, Bed
Bath & Beyond, Costco, Sears Grand,
and other retail and restaurant
establishments.
• The Orchard Town Center is a 1.1
million-square-foot regional lifestyle center
located at the northwest corner of 144th
Avenue and I-25. Tenants include
Macy’s, REI, AMC Theatres, SuperTarget,
and JCPenney.
• The Shops at Webster Lake is a 17acre, mixed-use town center development
in the City of Northglenn. This high-visibility
project located near I-25 and 120th
Avenue will include retail, restaurants,
accommodations, entertainment, and a
community plaza connecting to E.B. Rains
Jr. Memorial Park.
EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
Flagship educational institutions in Adams
County include the Anschutz Medical
Campus, DeVry University, and Front
Range Community College. The business
and education communities of Adams County
created the Adams County Education
Consortium (ACEC) to enhance academic
skills development, career knowledge and
exploration, and relevant work-ready skills
for all students in Adams County. ACEC’s
PROFILE
innovative programs are being
benchmarked and replicated by other
communities nationwide.
Regis University located its new Dual
Language Campus in the North Valley Tech
Center in Thornton. The campus will offer
accelerated studies programs designed for
adults who want to return to college to
complete a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
The campus includes more than 28,000
square feet of classroom and office space.
Aurora is home to the Solar Technology
Acceleration Center (SolarTAC). SolarTAC
provides an exciting venue for researching,
demonstrating, testing, and validating a
broad range of solar technologies at the
early commercial or near-commercial stage
of development.
HEALTHCARE HUB
Adams County is home to the new $5 billion
life sciences city emerging at the 578-acre
combined Fitzsimons Life Science District
and Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.
At build out, the site will consist of 18.5
million square feet and employ 44,500
people. The Anschutz Medical Campus
includes the University of Colorado
Hospital, Children’s Hospital Colorado,
and a dozen other leading healthcare centers
of excellence. The new Veterans
Administration Hospital is currently under
construction. North of the Anschutz Medical
Campus, the Colorado Science +
Technology Park at Fitzsimons, a 184acre research park offering incubator office
and laboratory space for bioscience
companies, is under development.
Major healthcare related expansion
projects in Adams County:
• The Children’s Hospital Colorado
expansion project is a new $228
million, 10-story, 350,000-square-foot
facility with an anticipated operational
date of late 2012 that will create 500
new jobs.
• HealthONE is building a 10,000square-foot free-standing emergency
department in Thornton at the intersection
of Holly Street and 128th Avenue. The
facility will employ 47 full-time
employees at full capacity.
• Kaiser Permanente invested nearly $4
million in a 24,000-square-foot medical
office building in Brighton and is now
building a new medical office building
for outpatient services at Larkridge in
Thornton. The new 66,000-square-foot
building is estimated to have 150
employees at capacity.
• St. Anthony North Hospital in
Westminster is constructing a new
47,728-square-foot medical pavillion to
open in fall 2012. The initial phase is
six acres. At build out, the 35-acre
project will include a full service hospital.
TRANSPORTATION HUB
Adams County offers true intermodal
transportation advantages. The county
surrounds DIA on three sides, and is
home to Front Range Airport, a general
aviation airport just six miles from DIA.
Union Pacific and the BNSF Railway
provide rail service in the county. Adams
County is the convergence point for
Interstates 25, 225, 270, 70, and 76
and Highways 2, 7, and 85, and E470, the metro area’s major beltway.
FasTracks will serve Adams County
residents on the future East, Gold, I-225,
North Metro, and Northwest commuter and
light rail lines, and with the U.S. Highway
36 bus rapid transit corridor.
ADAMS COUNTY LARGEST EMPLOYERS - PRIVATE NON-RETAIL
Rank
Company
Product/Service
Employment
1
Healthcare
4,400
2
4,400
3
Parcel Delivery
2,330
4
Avaya
Telecommunications Systems & Software
1,000
5
Staples
Office Supply & Furniture Distribution
800
6
Centura: St. Anthony’s North Hospital
Healthcare
770
7
DISH Network
730
8
HealthONE: North Suburban Medical Center
Healthcare
660
9
Shamrock Foods
Food Distribution
650
10
Surgeon Electric
Electrical Services
650
Source: Development Research Partners, April 2012
55
>>arapahoe county
Arapahoe County, Colorado’s first county,
recently celebrated its 150th anniversary. It
is the state’s third-largest county with a
population of more than 590,000 people.
Arapahoe County covers 804 square miles
and is a land of contrasts. The western part
of the county is mostly urban with residential,
retail, office, and industrial areas. The eastern
portion is relatively rural. Littleton, the county
seat, along with Aurora, Bennett, Bow Mar,
Centennial, Cherry Hills Village, Foxfield,
and Sheridan make up the 13 incorporated
communities in Arapahoe County.
Thriving industry clusters in Arapahoe
County include aviation, aerospace,
banking and professional services, energy
and clean technology, film and digital
media, healthcare/biotech, and
informational technology/communications.
Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora is the
nation’s fastest growing Air Force base.
Fortune 500 companies Arrow Electronics
and Newmont Mining are headquartered
in Arapahoe County.
grafts. The company completed a 70,000square-foot expansion in 2011.
Arrow Electronics, a Fortune 133
company that provides technology
products and services for industrial and
commercial users of electronic
components and enterprise computing
systems, moved its corporate
headquarters to the Inverness Business
Park in Arapahoe County in November
2011. The company announced they
would add 1,250 new jobs to its
Colorado workforce.
Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora
contributed more than $1 billion in 2011
to the local economy for the eighth straight
year. A new 200,000-square-foot facility,
BUSINESS GROWTH
Allosource is the nation’s largest nonprofit
provider of skin, bone, and soft tissue
the data <<
Square Miles:
804
Population:
590,675
Labor Force:
319,084
Employment:
277,701
Average Wage:
$56,498
Median Age:
36.2
Households:
232,777
that will be named the Montainview
Operations Center, will house an
intelligence gathering agency at the base.
Although the new development isn’t
expected to create any new direct jobs, the
project will require approximately 300
construction jobs.
ARAPAHOE COUNTY LARGEST EMPLOYERS - PRIVATE NON-RETAIL
Rank
Company
Product/Service
Employment
1
CenturyLink
Telecommunications
3,810
2
Comcast Corporation
Telecommunications
3,800
3
Raytheon Company
Aerospace Systems & Software
2,230
4
Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company
Insurance
2,180
5
Kaiser Permanente
Healthcare
2,030
6
United Launch Alliance (ULA)
Space Launch Systems
1,700
7
HealthONE: Swedish Medical Center
Healthcare
1,990
8
ADT Security Systems
Security Systems
1,600
9
HealthONE: Medical Center of Aurora
Healthcare
1,550
10
DISH Network
1,510
56
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
Catholic Health Initiatives, the country’s
second-largest faith-based health system,
completed its relocation to 250,000
square feet in the Inverness Business Park.
Education Corporation of America
launched Ecotech Institute, the first and
only college focused entirely on careers
in renewable energy and sustainable
design, in Aurora. Ecotech Institute moved
to their new flagship Colorado campus in
2011 with 76 new employees.
Innovation Pavilion, a new business
incubator for business startups and
entrepreneurs as well as established
businesses focused on technology,
opened in late 2011 and will be fully
built out in 2012.
Raytheon was awarded two contracts by
the U.S. Air Force for the development of a
Global Positioning System Operation Control
Segment (GPS OCX). Raytheon employs
more than 2,050 people in Aurora.
space to accommodate its awardwinning nursing programs. Platt
College chose to remain in Arapahoe
County after a site search throughout
the metro area, keeping 50 people
employed.
Colorado Technical University chose to
relocate and expand operations and
classrooms to Arapahoe County, bringing
50 jobs.
REAL ESTATE
Fitzsimons Village in Aurora is a 32acre, mixed-use development bringing
amenities to the Anschutz Medical
Campus. Phase One, completed in
2011, includes a 168,000-square-foot
office building. The new building,
Fitzsimons 200, will provide 196,000
square feet of Class A office space and
12,000 square feet of retail space. The
development has an additional 20 acres
Feel the attraction
of a great business
community.
Ring Central, an IT software company
opened a new office in Greenwood
Village and will employ 100.
Trulia, a residential search engine and
marketing firm based in San Francisco
opened their office in Centennial in
March 2011 and has 160 employees.
United Launch Alliance, an aerospace
company providing launch services to
gevernment and commercial customers,
completed its consolidation of 1,700
employees to a single headquarter
campus in Centennial. The company
leased 453,000 square feet in three
buildings.
The University of Phoenix opened a new
nursing school campus at the Streets of
SouthGlenn.
24/7 In Touch, a contact center, opened
an office in Greenwood Village and is
anticipated to grow to 300 new jobs.
Platt College has been expanding over
the past few years, adding classroom
www.CentennialColorado.com
303-325-8000
57
RETAIL DEVELOPMENT
BUSINESS PARKS IN ARAPAHOE COUNTY
Park
Acres
Inverness Business Park
980
Dove Valley Business Park
975
Denver Tech Center
884
Greenwood Plaza
600
Centennial Airport Center
580
Southfield Park
365
Lincoln Executive C enter
323
South Park Business Park
267
Aurora Crossroads
239
Centennial InterPort
200
Horizon Uptown
200
Centennial East Corporate Center
189
Southgate Corporate Center
175
Panorama Corporate Center
172
Bristol Pointe
160
Aurora One
157
CentreTech Business Park
156
Cherry Creek Business Center
152
Rampart Business Center
142
Highland Park
115
Dry Creek Corporate Center
76
Metro Center
70
available for future, high-density mixed-use
development.
Horizon Uptown is a 503-acre, mixeduse, sustainable community located at the
intersection of I-70 and E-470 in Aurora.
At completion it will include 3,800
homes, four million square feet of office
space, and 1.3 million square feet of
retail space.
The South I-25 Corridor, from Belleview
Avenue to County Line Road, is home to
Arapahoe County’s major business parks
including the Denver Tech Center,
Greenwood Plaza, Panorama Park, and
Inverness Business Park.
58
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
Vallagio at Inverness is an award-winning
transit-oriented development located at I-25
and Dry Creek Road. Vallagio offers a
selection of housing options including lofts,
flats, row houses, and golf villas.
Restaurants and shops are located on
Vallagio’s main street.
Village Center Station Transit Plaza,
located at I-25 and Arapahoe Road, is one
of the premier transit-oriented developments
on the Southeast Corridor light rail line.
Located in Greenwood Village this 45-acre
mixed-use project is designed to provide
quality access to light rail. Additional office
towers are planned, as well as a new luxury
hotel, retail, and entertainment facilities.
PROFILE
Aspen Grove in Littleton is a premier openair retail village with more than 50 stores
and restaurants.
Centennial Center opened in 2011. The
23-acre development is anchored by a
50,000-square-foot Celebrity Lanes and is
located on the northwest corner of
Arapahoe Road and Parker Road.
Gardens on Havana in Aurora is a
pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use outdoor retail
center known for its summer rose garden
concert series.
IKEA Centennial opened in fall 2011 at
I-25 and Dry Creek Road. The 415,000square-foot store employs 400 people and
is the first IKEA store in the country to
incorporate a geothermal heating and
cooling system. IKEA Centennial is the
second-largest store in the United States.
Southlands Lifestyle Center in Aurora is an
outdoor center with a main street that
covers four blocks, and a community plaza
surrounded by additional retailers and
restaurants.
The Streets of SouthGlen is a 78-acre
center featuring a mix of upscale retail,
restaurants, and entertainment, as well as a
public library and 200 apartment homes.
Town Center at Aurora features more than
125 specialty stores, entertainment venues,
and eateries.
TRANSPORTATION
Centennial Airport is the nation’s thirdbusiest general aviation airport. The airport
serves Fortune 500 companies and
corporate flyers. The economic impact of
Centennial Airport is nearly $1 billion
annually.
The E-470 toll road runs along the eastern
perimeter of the Metro Denver area and
provides quick access to Denver
International Airport.
The South I-25 Corridor provides major
access to business parks in Arapahoe
<<<
The Government Services Administration
building at Centennial Station is situated
near the entrance to Centennial Airport.
PHOTO CREDIT: Denver South Economic Development Partnership
County. Major expansion and the addition
of light rail was completed in 2006 and has
been hailed as a model for other cities by
federal transportation and transit authorities.
The funding was secured to widen the final
1.5 miles of I-225 in Aurora (Mississippi
Avenue to Iliff Avenue) from two lanes to
three lanes in each direction. Additionally,
$90 million has been dedicated for light
rail for Segment 1 of the I-225 project.
parks, greenways, and trail development
since 2004. Funds are invested
throughout the county in areas such as the
South Platte River Corridor, the High Line
Canal, and more than 18,000 acres of
open space including agricultural and
native prairie preservation in eastern
Arapahoe County.
EDUCATION
Arapahoe County has some of Colorado’s
top school districts and provides many
educational opportunities for children and
adults. There are nine K-12 school districts
in the county, as well as two community
colleges and numerous private, parochial,
and preparatory schools.
COMMUNITY AMENITIES
Arapahoe County offers a variety of
residential options and an abundance of
recreational, cultural, and entertainment
opportunities. Highlights include the South
Suburban Parks and Recreation District,
which is the second-largest recreational
district in the nation, the Littleton Historical
Museum, the Museum of Outdoor Arts,
Madden Museum of Art, Four Mile Historic
Park, Hudson Gardens, Comfort Dental
Amphitheater, and Cherry Creek State Park.
The Aurora Sports Park features 23 fullsized soccer fields and 12 baseball/
softball fields. The 220-acre park is a
destination for sports enthusiasts.
Infinity Park in Glendale is a mixed-use
municipal project and is one of the premier
rugby venues in the United States.
Arapahoe County has invested $96
million in open space conservation,
Crossroads of
Commerce...
since 1903
City of Englewood
1000 Englewood Parkway
Englewood, Colorado 80110
303.762.2342
Englewood is a fullservice city centrally
located within the
Denver metropolitan
area–a premier spot for
residents, businesses,
and visitors. Boasting a
strong employee base
and business-friendly
government, Englewood
has long been a location
of choice for successful
business. Englewood
offers prime locations
along South Broadway’s
eclectic commercial
corridor, a thriving medical
district, and a strong
industrial sector. Add in
light rail transit and easy
access to downtown
Denver and it’s easy to
picture your business
in Englewood at the
crossroads of commerce.
www.englewoodgov.org
59
>>boulder county
Boulder County includes urban, suburban,
and rural settings, and is home to eight
municipalities: Boulder, Erie, Lafayette,
Longmont, Louisville, Lyons, Nederland, and
Superior. The county has one of the most
highly educated workforces in the nation, a
high concentration of businesses in advanced
technology and emerging industries, and
world-class research facilities.
Colorado’s flagship university, the University
of Colorado Boulder, is located in the county.
CU-Boulder is one of the nation’s premier
public research universities. The university
offers 3,400 courses in 150 fields of study,
is home to four Nobel laureates, and is a
leader in moving new technologies into the
marketplace.
Many of the state’s federally funded research
laboratories are located in Boulder County,
including the National Center for
Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), and the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST).
REAL ESTATE
Goff Capital Partners acquired 19
properties in Flatiron Park in December
2011. The $67.8 million investment gives
the company ownership of more than
740,000 square feet of leasable office,
flex, and warehouse space in the Boulder
business park.
The Daily Camera Building, a landmark
and prime site on downtown Boulder’s
Pearl Street Mall, is being redeveloped by
Karlin Real Estate, a Los Angeles-based real
estate development and investment firm.
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
The 238-unit Residences at Twenty Ninth
Street apartment complex in Boulder was
completed in fall 2011.
Steel Ranch, a new residential subdivision
in Louisville, started construction on the first
of 151 single family homes to be built in
the development.
Four major new projects were recently
completed on the University of Colorado
Boulder campus: the Center for
Community, the Institute of Behavioral
Science, and the Visual Arts Complex. The
new 330,000-square-foot biotechnology
building that houses the university’s
BioFrontiers Institute opened in early 2012.
Square Miles:
740
Population:
300,823
Labor Force:
175,874
Employment:
156,134
Average Wage:
$55,358
Median Age:
36.5
Households:
122,938
Boulder in 2012 to accommodate
additional production of satellites and other
spacecraft.
Boulder Community Hospital broke
ground on the 46,000-square-foot
Anderson Medical Center outpatient
services facility, part of the $125 million
expansion of the hospital’s Foothills
campus.
BUSINESS GROWTH
Planning for the 1st & Main
Redevelopment Project in downtown
Longmont is underway. The project will
include 27 acres of the former Butterball
property, the terminus for RTD’s commuter
rail project, and the recently relocated
Cheese Importers site.
60
the data <<
Array BioPharma raised $56.1 million in a
public stock offering to support additional
research and clinical trials of new drugs to
treat cancer and inflammatory diseases. The
company also announced an agreement with
Genetech worth up to $685 million to
develop and commercialize innovative new
cancer therapy.
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. will
open a $25 million, 70,000-square-foot
expansion of its Fisher Integration Facility in
PROFILE
Boulder Electric Vehicles moved its
corporate headquarters and manufacturing
facility to Lafayette.
Covidien, one of Boulder County’s largest
private employers, opened an $18 million,
63,000-square-foot research and
development facility on its 26-acre Boulder
campus in March 2012.
Clovis Oncology completed a $129.4
million initial public offering that will
support new product development for the
anti-cancer biopharmaceutical company.
Google completed an expansion of its
Boulder office, renovating a 34,000square-foot building that formerly occupied
by an electronics retailer.
juwi Wind, the wind energy development
subsidiary of the German-based juwi
Group, expanded and relocated its North
American headquarters in Boulder.
LogRhythm, a market leader in cyber threat
defense, expanded into a new 39,000square-foot office in Boulder.
Micron Technology is opening a new
engineering and design center in Longmont,
adding up to 100 new employees to their
existing base of 130 in Longmont.
the National Science Foundation for the
$434 million construction of the lab’s
nationwide network of observatories.
Boulder was selected to be the new home
for the National Solar Observatory, which
is expected to employ 70 scientists and
other staff and have an annual payroll of
$20 million.
NewMark Merrill Mountain States
purchased Longmont’s Twin Peaks Mall and
is in the process of developing plans for its
redevelopment. NewMark Merrill is a
specialty developer that has projects in
California, Colorado, and Chicago.
OnCore Manufacturing finished a new
58,800-square-foot facility in Longmont.
OPX Bio, a Boulder-based company that
manufactures renewable, bio-based
chemicals and fuels, announced that it raised
$36.5 million in private equity funding.
Select Energy Services, an oil and gas services
company opened an office in Longmont.
SolidFire, a cloud computing company,
relocated its headquarters to Boulder from
Atlanta, and has raised more than $35
million in venture capital funding.
SpectraLogic, a manufacturer of data storage
devices, purchased a 55,000-square-foot
building next to its headquarters in Boulder.
Sundrop Fuels, an advanced biofuels company,
moved its corporate headquarters to Longmont.
BUSINESS PARKS IN BOULDER COUNTY
Miragen Therapeutics signed a deal
potentially worth up to $1 billion with Les
Laboratoires Servier to continue
collaboration on the research,
development, and commercialization of
treatments for cardiovascular and muscle
diseases.
Park
Acres
IBM Business Park
825
The Campus at Longmont
620
Colorado Technology Center
588
Centennial Valley
227
Flatiron Park
200
Mountainside Medical opened a second
manufacturing site in Louisville.
Gunbarrel Business Park
175
Clover Basin Business Park
166
Boulder County Business Center
150
Etkin Johnson Corporate Campus
97
National Ecological Observatory
Network (NEON) received funding from
BOULDER COUNTY LARGEST EMPLOYERS - PRIVATE NON-RETAIL
Rank
Company
Product/Service
Employment
1
IBM Corporation
Computer Systems & Services
2,800
2
Boulder Community Hospital
Healthcare
2,300
3
Covidien
Medical Devices & Products
1,880
4
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation
Satellite Products & Equipment
1,470
5
Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center
Healthcare
1,400
6
Longmont United Hospital
Healthcare
1,220
7
Seagate Technology
Computer Hard Drives
1,160
8
Intrado
911 Database Service
800
9
Amgen Inc.
Human Therapeutics Manufacturer
750
10
DigitalGlobe
Imagery Provider
660
61
>>>
The Pearl Street Mall
in downtown
Boulder sits in
the foothills of the
Rocky Mountains.
PHOTO CREDIT: Downtown Boulder, Inc.
Symplified, a Boulder company that
develops a cloud-based computer security
platform, raised $38.8 million from venture
capitalists.
TechStars Boulder, a mentorship-driven
seed stage investment program, was
named top startup accelerator/incubator
in the United States. TechStars cofounder David Cohen formed a new
$28 million venture capital fund, Bullet
Time Ventures II, to invest in Internet
software startups.
Tendril Networks, a rapidly growing
company developing smart grid
technology, leased nearly 52,000 square
feet for its new headquarters in Boulder.
Trader Joe’s announced plans to open its
first Colorado retail store in the Twenty
Ninth Street Shopping District in Boulder.
Whole Foods completed the expansion
and remodel of its store in Boulder,
increasing its size to 79,000 square feet
and making it the company’s largest store
in Colorado.
COMMUNITY AMENITIES
Boulder County’s proximity to the
mountains, progressive open space
62
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
program, and many cultural amenities
contribute to an outstanding quality of life.
Lafayette earned a 2012 Governor’s Arts
Award.
The county owns or oversees nearly
94,000 acres of open space, including
more than 35,000 acres in mountain
parks, for preservation and recreation.
There are hundreds of miles of hiking and
biking trails in Boulder County, including
more than 300 miles of dedicated
bikeways in Boulder.
The Boulder area frequently receives
national recognition for its outstanding
business climate and quality of life. Recent
accolades include:
The area hosts a number of high-profile
sporting events including the prestigious
Bolder Boulder 10K Race and Superior
Morgul Classic professional bike race. In
2012, Boulder will host a stage of the USA
Pro Cycling Challenge.
• Louisville was named the “Best Place to
Live” by MONEY Magazine
Boulder is frequently named as one of the
best cities for art in the nation. The
Longmont Arts & Entertainment District was
recently chosen as a prospective Creative
District under the new Colorado Creative
Industries Legislation, and the City of
• TIME Magazine named Boulder
“America’s Most Active City”
PROFILE
• Boulder ranked fifth for well-being and
the top “Skinniest City in America” in the
2012 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index
• Boulder was named “America’s Best
Town for Startups” by Bloomberg
Businessweek in 2010
• U.S. News & World Report named Boulder
one of the nation’s “10 Great College
Towns”
>>city and county of
broomfield
the data <<
The City and County of Broomfield is at the
heart of Metro Denver’s high-tech growth
area. Broomfield is located between Denver
and Boulder on the U.S. 36 Boulder
Turnpike, offering a prime business location.
The city is 20 minutes from downtown
Denver on U.S. Highway 36 and 30 minutes
from Denver International Airport (DIA) via the
Northwest Parkway and E-470.
The northwest quadrant of Metro Denver
has served as a hub for high-tech
employment for the past 50 years. This
growth can be attributed to the area’s close
proximity to the University of Colorado
Boulder campus. The campus is 15 minutes
from Broomfield and has more than
30,000 students, providing a strong
employment base for growing companies.
Companies in Broomfield benefit from a
superior ground and air transportation
network and have access to a plentiful and
skilled workforce, comprehensive
educational resources, many established
business parks, and thousands of acres
available for development.
Broomfield. These investments helped retain
and create nearly 10,000 jobs and
promoted construction or leasing of more
than seven million square feet of office,
retail, and industrial space.
BUSINESS GROWTH
Webroot is a software company that
provides Internet security solutions for
consumers, enterprises, and small- to mediumsized businesses worldwide. The company
relocated its corporate headquarters in
2011, moving into 105,000 square feet in
Central Park Tower with 220 employees.
REAL ESTATE
In the past five years, nearly $1 billion in
new capital investment was generated in
Broomfield has five business parks ranging
in size from 75 to 963 acres.
Square Miles:
34
Population:
58,999
Labor Force:
30,912
Employment:
30,427
Average Wage:
$65,673
Median Age:
36.9
Households:
22,791
Interpark is ready for development with
plans for six mixed-use commercial
buildings totaling 1.2 million square
feet.
Broomfield Business Center is a 117acre, mixed-use business park. The park
has infrastructure in place, and is zoned
and ready for development.
Great Western Business Park is an
approved and entitled 270-acre business
park located at 108th and Simms. The
park is currently home to the research
and development operations of Brocade
Communications. Future plans include 10
buildings in a multistory office campus
environment.
CITY AND COUNTY OF BROOMFIELD LARGEST EMPLOYERS - PRIVATE NON-RETAIL
Rank
Company
Product/Service
Employment
1
2,260
2
Oracle
1,950
3
Hunter Douglas Window Fashions
Window Coverings Manufacturing
830
4
Staples
Office Supply & Furniture Distribution
700
5
Sandoz, Inc.
Pharmaceuticals
640
6
Ball Corporation
630
7
Vail Resorts
International Ski Area Operations
590
8
TransFirst
Transaction Processing Services
570
9
WhiteWave Foods
Food Products
560
10
Urban Lending Solutions
Mortgage Services
500
63
Park
Acres
Interlocken Advanced Technology Environment
963
residential development that includes
The Children’s Hospital North Campus
and SunDrop Fuel’s research and
development facility.
North Park Interpark
75
TRANSPORTATION
Broomfield Business Center
117
Interlocken Advanced Technology Environment
963
North Park
915
Great Western Business Park
270
Broomfield is well-served by three of the
major transportation arterials, including
I-25, the Northwest Parkway, and U.S.
Highway 36. Broomfield will have
major mass transit improvements in the
coming years as part of the metro area’s
FasTracks mass transit project, including
individual bus rapid transit lanes along
U.S. 36 and commuter rail line service
between downtown Denver and
Longmont.
BUSINESS PARKS IN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF BROOMFIELD
North Park is a 915-acre, master-planned,
mixed-use development at I-25 and
Colorado Highway 7. North Park can
accommodate up to 17 million square feet
of development and is the future home to
the Colorado Applied Research and
Science Park.
Interlocken Advanced Technology
Environment, a master-planned park on
963 acres, is home to Oracle, Level (3)
Communications, Staples/Corporate
Express, MWH Global, Vail Resorts, ESRI,
McKesson, and VMware.
RETAIL DEVELOPMENT
Arista is a 200-acre, mixed-use
development. Construction has been
completed on the first 90,000-square-foot
Class A office building, a 358-unit luxury
apartment complex, a 140-room Aloft
Hotel, 22,000 square feet of retail space,
and an RTD transit facility on U.S. Highway
36. The Arista development is anchored by
the 7,200-seat FirstBank Center, a
regional event center that hosts concerts,
sporting events, and trade shows
throughout the year.
FlatIron Crossing, with 1.5 million square
feet, is anchored by Nordstrom, Dillard’s,
Macy’s, and Dick’s Sporting Goods. This
regional shopping center includes the
Village at FlatIron Crossing: a 50,000square-foot outdoor pedestrian village with
a variety of restaurants, unique shops, and
a multiscreen movie theater complex.
Parkway Circle is a master-planned urban
development featuring office, hospitality,
retail, and residential uses with structured
parking. More than 1,000 multifamily
housing units have been completed. Future
plans include two additional hotels, two
180,000-square-foot, Class A office
buildings, and additional retail.
Palisade Park in northeast Broomfield is
a 155-acre retail, office, and
>>>
Broomfield is
home to the corporate
headquarters of
WhiteWave Foods
Company.
PHOTO CREDIT: Broomfield EDC
64
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
COMMUNITY AMENITIES
As part of its overall master plan,
Broomfield has made a commitment to
preserve 40 percent of its land for open
space. This commitment to open space
provides residents and businesses access to
an array of trails, parks, recreation centers,
a water park, a skate park, a major
seniors’ complex, an expanded county
library, and the 240-acre Broomfield
Commons soccer and football complex.
Residents can also participate in nature
programs, and take advantage of a broad
trail system linking Broomfield
neighborhoods to a larger trail system
serving Boulder, Jefferson, Adams, and
Weld Counties.
>>city and county of denver
At the heart of the Rocky Mountain region,
the City and County of Denver is a highly
active center of economic, cultural, and
entertainment activity. With downtown
Denver, the I-70 industrial corridor, the
Denver Tech Center, business districts such
as Cherry Creek, 78 unique and vibrant
neighborhoods including Lower Downtown
and the Central Platte Valley, and a wealth
of exciting new mixed-use infill projects,
Denver is a city where a diverse economy
supports a growing population.
the data <<
BUSINESS GROWTH
REAL ESTATE
The City and County of Denver is a center
of growth for several emerging and
established industries, including aviation,
conventional and renewable energy,
healthcare, financial services, information
technology-software, and
telecommunications.
Downtown Denver has the area’s largest
concentration of office space, totaling more
than 26 million square feet. Downtown has
access to the best technological
infrastructure in the Metro Denver area.
Approximately 110,000 people work in
downtown.
Firms in these industries benefit from Denver’s
highly educated workforce, proactive
infrastructure investments, and available
capital. With the nation’s fifth-busiest airport
and a consistent top five ranking nationwide
for venture capital activity, Denver offers
companies a wealth of assets:
Denver is the number one city where people
most want to live (Pew Research, 2010) and
it is the nation’s top in-migration destination
for the future workforce, those aged 25- to
34-years-old (Brookings Institution, 2011).
Residential development remained strong in
2011 with the announcement of several
projects that will add 2,500 units to the
housing market through 2015. New
commercial real estate projects in downtown
Denver include:
Downtown Denver is home to many
headquarters offices, including Molson
Coors, Johns Manville, Lycos Energy
(Enerplus), Gary-Williams Energy
Corporation, Gates Corporation, Van
Gilder Insurance Corporation, EnCana Oil
& Gas USA, DaVita Inc., REpower USA,
Spectraseis, Pentax Imaging, Intrawest, and
Suncor Energy. The regional offices of
Teacher’s Insurance and Annuity Association
(TIAA-CREF), DCP Midstream LLC, EF
Educational Tours, Sprint, Wells Fargo,
AT&T Wireless, HealthGrades, Bridgepoint
Education, and Xcel Energy are also
located in downtown Denver.
Cherry Creek North business district is a
key economic fixture and financial center
for the Rocky Mountain region.
66
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
2000 16th Street is a 15-story, LEEDcertified office building comprising
270,000 square feet, which will be
completed in late 2012. This building will
be the headquarters for DaVita Inc.
The Metro State College Hotel Learning
Center, Hampton Inn, and Marriott
Renaissance, that when combined will add
810 hotel rooms to downtown’s total.
IMA Financial Group Headquarters is a
five-story, 102,000-square-foot, LEEDcertified office building that broke ground
in April 2012.
PROFILE
Square Miles:
156
Population:
622,148
Labor Force:
322,076
Employment:
422,764
Average Wage:
$59,403
Median Age:
34.2
Households:
272,087
Denver’s growing industrial market spans
the I-25 and I-70 corridors. The core
Denver market (central and east I-70) has
more than 75 million square feet of
inventory. Vacancy rates range from 2.8 to
8.6 percent, with average lease rates
ranging from $3.92 to $5.46 per square
foot. Controlled construction activity has
aided the industrial market, with new
development centered around infill sites
such as the former Samsonite campus and
the Stapleton redevelopment.
A number of prominent mixed-use
developments are reshaping Denver’s
landscape:
The redevelopment of the former Stapleton
Airport site is the largest urban infill project
in the country. Over the next 10 years,
more than 12,000 homes, three million
square feet of retail, and 10 million square
feet of office/industrial space will be
developed.
Redevelopment of Denver Union Station in
downtown Denver is underway with all
transportation infrastructure scheduled for
completion in 2014. The historic station
will be restored to become the region’s
>>>
Nearly one million
visitors attend
meetings or events at the
Colorado Convention
Center every year.
multimodal transit hub. The 19.5 acres
surrounding the station will be transformed
with nearly one million square feet of
mixed-use development.
RETAIL DEVELOPMENT
Cherry Creek Mall and Cherry Creek
North, renowned shopping and dining
destinations, offer many prominent national
retailers and the city’s largest concentration
of unique independently owned stores.
More than 35 merchants opened new
locations in Cherry Creek North in 2010.
The district has also completed an $18.5
million capital improvement project called
“The New North.”
23,000-square-foot flagship store in
Colorado at the Denver Pavilions.
Downtown Denver is home to more than
300 restaurants and bars that offer one-ofa-kind dining and entertainment options.
Other shopping destinations include Tabor
Center, Writer Square, and Larimer
Square.
Denver’s newest major retail center is The
Shops at Northfield Stapleton, a 1.2
million-square-foot open-air shopping district
anchored by Macy’s, Bass Pro Shops
Outdoor World, SuperTarget, and
Harkins Theatres 18.
TRANSPORTATION
In downtown Denver, international fastfashion retailer H&M opened its first
Metro Denver is at the forefront of transit
development and was rated the top
DENVER LARGEST EMPLOYERS - PRIVATE NON-RETAIL
transportation city in America (U.S. News
& World Report, 2011). Downtown Denver
is the hub of the region’s transportation
system with 62 bus routes and 10 light rail
stations. Businesses and residents view
transit as an amenity and want to be
located in proximity to it, as evidenced by
the development around Denver Union
Station. Voter-approved FasTracks, a 122mile system of commuter rail and light rail
lines and 18 miles of bus rapid transit, is
currently under construction.
Denver commuters embrace alternative
transportation, with 46 percent of
downtown commuters regularly choosing
alternative modes such as mass transit,
biking, or walking (compared to just eight
percent nationally). There are options for
bicycle sharing (Denver B-cycle) and car
sharing throughout the city.
Rank
Company
Product/Service
Employment
EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
1
United Airlines
Airline
4,600
2
University
4,310
3
Frontier Airlines
Airline Holding Company
3,360
Denver is a hub for higher education, with
five four-year public and private universities
located within the city limits.
4
CenturyLink
Telecommunications
3,040
5
Exempla St. Joseph Hospital
Healthcare
2,500
6
Kaiser Permanente
Healthcare
2,450
7
Wells Fargo Bank
Financial Services
2,100
8
TIAA-CREF
Financial Services
2,000
9
HealthONE:Presbyterian/
St. Luke’s Medical Center
Healthcare
1,870
10
Xcel Energy
Utilities
1,830
There are numerous opportunities for higher,
continuing, and customized education at
the Auraria Higher Education Center, home
to the University of Colorado Denver (CUDenver), Metropolitan State University of
Denver, and the Community College of
Denver. Denver is also home to the
University of Denver, Regis University,
Johnson & Wales University, and the
67
>>>
The Denver Center for
the Performing Arts is
the largest arts complex
in the United States
under one roof.
Colorado State University Denver Learning
Center.
Denver’s excellent research facilities and
organizations include National Jewish
Health, consistently ranked the number one
respiratory hospital in the country by U.S.
News & World Report since 1998.
Denver Public Schools offer a growing list
of exceptional school choices focused on
preparing students for success in college
and the 21st century. The Denver School of
Science and Technology (DSST) is a
growing network of public charter schools,
grades six to 12, with a focus on science,
technology, engineering and math. To
date, 100 percent of DSST graduates have
been accepted to four-year colleges.
COMMUNITY AMENITIES
BUSINESS PARKS IN THE CITY
AND COUNTY OF DENVER
68
Park
Acres
Stapleton Business Park
1,450
Gateway Park
1,000
Denver Tech Center
875
Montbello Industrial Park
600
High Point
500
Denver International
Business Center
400
Denver Connection
400
Parkfield
190
Denver Commerce Center
100
Stapleton Business Center
95
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
Denver is the region’s hub for cultural and
entertainment amenities:
The 2,268-seat Ellie Caulkins Opera
House is home to Opera Colorado and
the Colorado Ballet. It is the cornerstone of
the Denver Performing Arts Complex, the
largest performing arts complex under one
roof in the country.
The Denver Art Museum (DAM),
comprising 356,000 square feet, is one of
the largest art museums between Chicago
and the West Coast. The DAM
complements the more than 300 large and
small arts and cultural facilities in the city,
including the Museum of Contemporary
Art Denver, the Denver Museum of
Nature & Science, the Denver Zoo, the
PROFILE
Downtown Aquarium, the Children’s
Museum of Denver, the Denver
Firefighters Museum, History Colorado
Center, and the Clyfford Still Museum,
which opened in late 2011.
Sports fans can cheer on six professional
sports teams at downtown Denver’s three
major sports arenas: Sports Authority Field
at Mile High (Denver Broncos/NFL and
Denver Outlaws/MLL), Coors Field
(Colorado Rockies/MLB), and the Pepsi
Center (Colorado Avalanche/NHL, Denver
Nuggets/NBA, and Colorado
Mammoth/NLL).
Metro Denver averages about 12 million
visitors per year, and nearly one million
attend meetings or events at the Colorado
Convention Center. Denver was rated the
world’s best city for conventions in January
2011 by Toronto’s The Globe and Mail.
Nearly 600 meetings are booked annually
for Denver.
>>douglas county
Douglas County has 842 square miles of
natural beauty including mountains,
foothills, and plains. County elevations
range from 5,400 feet to 9,836 feet at
Thunder Butte in the Pike National Forest.
Most Douglas County residents live in the
urban areas of the county. Incorporated
communities in the county include Castle
Rock, Castle Pines, Parker, Lone Tree, and
Larkspur.
The E-470 corridor in Douglas County is
a corridor for healthcare as well as
medical device research and
development. Healthcare facilities include
Parker Adventist Hospital, Rocky Vista
University of Osteopathic Medicine, Sky
Ridge Medical Center, and Kaiser
Permanente.
The Lone Tree Arts Center opened in
August 2011 and features a 500-seat
proscenium theater presenting dramatic,
musical, and dance performances. The
Center hosts a 225-seat flexible space for
performances, business meetings, and
special events.
The Parker Arts, Culture and Events
(PACE) Center, located on Mainstreet and
Pikes Peak Drive in downtown Parker,
opened in October 2011. The PACE
Center hosts a wide variety of familyfriendly programming that supports local
the data <<
Square Miles:
842
Population:
297,485
Labor Force:
160,069
Employment:
91,200
Average Wage:
$52,971
Median Age:
37.4
Households:
106,883
BUSINESS PARKS IN DOUGLAS COUNTY
Park
Acres
Meridian International Business Center
1,692
Inverness Business Park
980
Highlands Ranch Business Park
505
Compark Business Campus
490
Crown Point Business Park
220
Citadel Business Center
210
RidgeGate Business Center
200
StoneGate Business Park
150
Meadows Business Park
130
Concord Business Center
100
artists, while featuring nationally and
internationally known talent. To
complement the performance season,
PACE offers a fantastic selection of
cultural arts, scientific and educational
classes and programming.
Fortune 500 companies CH2M HILL,
DISH Network, Liberty Global, Liberty
Media, and Western Union are
headquartered in Douglas County.
BUSINESS GROWTH
The Castle Rock Adventist Health Care
Campus opened the emergency
department in 2010 and currently has a
150-bed hospital under construction and
set to open in summer 2013. A medical
office building is expected to open on the
campus in spring 2013.
Companies in Castle Rock’s technology
sector that have recently added
employees include Mywedding.com,
SmarterChaos.com, and Innovation
Business Solutions.
Charles Schwab Corporation continues
its expansion in the Inverness Business
Park. To date, the expansion has resulted
in the creation of 460 jobs.
CH2M HILL, a global leader in
consulting, design, design-build,
operation, and program management,
managed the $4 billion design and
construction project for the 2012 London
Olympic Games.
Gordon Composites/Polystrand is building
a high-tech manufacturing facility and
moving its corporate headquarters to
northern Douglas County. Manufacturing will
begin in summer 2012 and is anticipated
to create 240 jobs over three years.
IHS, a leading source of information in
the areas of energy, economic,
geopolitical risk, sustainability, and supply
69
>>>
The 50,000-square-foot
Parker Arts, Culture and
Events Center hosts a
variety of family-oriented
programing that
supports local artists.
PHOTO CREDIT: Denver South Economic
Development Partnership
chain management completed three
strategic acquisitions for a combined
$45 million in early 2012. The
company is headquartered in Douglas
County and has offices in 30 countries
worldwide.
Kaiser Permanente is building a medical
campus on a 25-acre site in the City of
Lone Tree. The first building, a 265,900square-foot structure will comprise
clinical, laboratory, surgical, and
therapy spaces.
Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree
announced a major expansion in 2012
resulting in more than 100 new patient
beds and 250 new jobs.
million corporate headquarters in
Meridian. The 186,000-square-foot
building is expected to be completed in
spring 2013.
TIC (The Industrial Company), a division
of Kiewit, consolidated all Metro Denver
offices in the Median International
Business Center in 2012, adding 225
jobs to the county.
REAL ESTATE
TriZetto, a health care technology and
services company is building a $40
Highlands Ranch is a 22,000-acre,
master-planned community. More
than 60 percent of the land is
devoted to non-urban uses including
open space, trails, and recreation.
The Highlands Ranch Business Park
is 505 acres.
DOUGLAS COUNTY LARGEST EMPLOYERS - PRIVATE NON-RETAIL
Rank
Company
Product/Service
Employment
1
DISH Network
1,950
2
CH2M HILL
Engineering & Architectural Services
1,630
3
HealthONE: Sky Ridge Medical Center
Healthcare
1,110
4
Western Union
Financial Services
1,090
5
Centura: Parker Adventist Hospital
Healthcare
930
6
IHS, Inc.
Indexed Technical Data
730
7
Avaya
Telecommunications Software
650
8
Liberty Media
Telecommunications Holding Company
620
9
Aurora Bank FSB
Residential Home Loan Services
620
10
Sprint Nextel Corp.
Cellular & Wireless Phones
570
70
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
The South I-25 Corridor is home to
Douglas County’s major business parks
including the Inverness Business Park,
Meridian International Business Center,
and RidgeGate. These business parks are
served by light rail.
The Meadows is a master-planned community
in historic Castle Rock. The Meadows is home
to the Grange Cultural Arts Center and
Centura Health Medical Campus.
RidgeGate, a 3,500-acre, mixed-use,
master-planned community in Lone Tree is
home of the new Lone Tree Arts Center
and Sky Ridge Medical Center.
RidgeGate is also home to a large
number of residential and commercial
projects currently underway.
Sterling Ranch a 3,400-acre planned
community located in the Chatfield Basin of
Northwest Douglas County obtained
approval in May 2011. Groundbreaking
for the first village will occur in 2012. The
expected build out of the area will be an
investment of $4.3 billion. The area will
feature 37 percent open space along with
a state-of-the-art sports park and 30 miles
of hiking, biking, and horseback trails.
RETAIL
Park Meadows Shopping Resort located
at C-470 and County Line Road offers
more than 135 restaurants and retailers.
New openings in 2012 include the
Disney Store and The Yard House. The
Vistas at Park Meadows provides a wide
selection of dining options.
The Outlets at Castle Rock is Colorado’s
largest outlet center and the third-most
popular destination in the Metro Denver
area. The Outlets feature stores, eateries,
and family events.
central business district. Recently completed
transportation projects include the RidgeGate
extension, a major east/west transportation
corridor, the Parker-Hess Road connection,
and the Santa Fe flyover to C-470.
Centennial Airport, on the Douglas
County border with Arapahoe County, is
the nation’s third-busiest general aviation
airport and among the top 30 busiest of
all types of airports in the country.
Centennial serves Fortune 500
companies and corporate travelers.
COMMUNITY AMENITIES
Lincoln Commons, a retail district within
RidgeGate at Lone Tree, continues to add
tenants at the new 100,000-square-foot
retail project that includes Sprouts Farmers
Market and several national chain stores.
TRANSPORTATION AND
INFRASTRUCTURE
Douglas County continues to make major
investments in transportation projects to serve
its businesses and residents. The Southeast
Corridor light rail runs along I-25 and
provides access to the major employment
centers, linking Douglas County to Denver’s
Douglas County is known for its awardwinning schools. There are numerous
master-planned communities and mixeduse developments offering a wide range
of housing options. The southern portion
of the county is relatively rural with many
ranches and horse properties. Popular
amenities in the County include The
Wildlife Experience and the Cherokee
Ranch and Castle. Roxborough State
Park, Chatfield State Park, Castlewood
Canyon State Park, and the Pike National
Forest provide outdoor recreational
opportunities in the county.
>>>
The new Lone Tree Arts
Center in the Lincoln
Commons area of
RidgeGate opened in
fall 2011. The 43,000square-foot venue is
equipped with a theater,
performance, meeting
and gallery space.
PHOTO CREDIT: Lone Tree Arts Center
71
the data <<
>>jefferson county
Jefferson County, located just west of Denver,
offers a diversified geographic setting that
includes urban and rural lifestyles, as well as
thriving Rocky Mountain communities. Just
minutes away from downtown Denver,
Jefferson County enjoys easy access to all
major arterial highways.
Jefferson County’s municipalities include the
cities and towns of Edgewater, Golden,
Lakeside, Lakewood, Mountain View, and
Wheat Ridge, as well as portions of the
cities of Arvada, Bow Mar, Superior, and
Westminster. The county also reaches into
the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where
the communities of Conifer, Evergreen,
Genesee, and Morrison are located.
Jefferson County provides businesses with a
highly educated workforce. Jefferson
County’s K-12 schools are nationally
recognized for excellence. Residents and
businesses also have access to higher
education institutions such as the Colorado
School of Mines, Colorado Christian
University, and the Rocky Mountain College
of Art and Design, as well as community
colleges including Arapahoe, Front Range,
and Red Rocks. Companies in Jefferson
County enjoy a pro-business tax climate that
is one of the lowest in the United States.
With a friendly business environment and an
unmatched quality of life, Jefferson County is
a premier business location.
Square Miles:
773
Population:
539,973
BUSINESS GROWTH
Labor Force:
304,791
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
completed a $14.6 million expansion of
its Aerospace Manufacturing Center in
Westminster for increased antenna
manufacturing for the F-35 Lightning II
military aircraft. The production workforce
will increase to 200 employees.
Employment:
204,998
Average Wage:
$48,952
Median Age:
41.2
Households:
222,434
The Coleman Company, a leading
manufacturer of outdoor equipment,
opened a new headquarters office in
Denver West. The move to the 36,000square-foot facility brings 70 jobs to
Jefferson County.
EMP, a component manufacturer for hightech companies, is expanding and
moving to a 43,000-square-foot building
in the Lakewood Industrial Park. The move
brings $6.1 million in new investment
and 100 employees to the area.
Environmental Resource Associates
expanded into a new 66,000-square-foot
facility in the Coors Technology Center in
Golden. The company plans to grow to
85 employees and spend more than $8
million in capital investment.
HeliQwest, an international helicopter
charter company, located its U.S.
headquarters to the Rocky Mountain
Metropolitan Airport.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems
Company built a $70 million processing
facility as part of its $238 million Global
Positioning System (GPS) III contract with
the U.S. Air Force.
JEFFERSON COUNTY LARGEST EMPLOYERS - PRIVATE NON-RETAIL
Rank
Company
Product/Service
Employment
1
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company
5,240
3
Beverages
2,230
2
Exempla Lutheran Medical Center
Healthcare
2,130
4
Terumo BCT Inc.
Medical Devices & Technology
1,930
5
Centura: St. Anthony’s Central Hospital
Healthcare
1,460
7
Ball Corporation
1,210
6
CoorsTek
Ceramic Components
1,050
9
FirstBank Holding Co. of Colorado
Financial Services
930
8
ServiceMagic
Home Improvement & Repair
900
10
Kaiser Permanente
Healthcare
670
72
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
The National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL) is building a state-of-theart laboratory with environmentally friendly
research buildings. NREL finished
construction on its $64 million 218,000square-foot Research Support Facility.
Currently under construction is the new
$135 million Energy Systems Integration
Facility (ESIF). This 182,000-square-foot
facility will house 200 scientists and
engineers. In addition, the lab is building a
high-tech garage to showcase strategies for
reducing energy.
SourceGas LLC relocated its corporate
headquarters to a 53,000-square-foot
facility in Golden. The natural gas
distributor will have approximately 200
employees working by the end of 2012.
Total Renal Research, a division of DaVita
Inc., announced it is opening a 35,000square-foot clinical research facility at the
St. Anthony Hospital campus in Lakewood.
The 80-bed facility is expected to create
more than 50 specialized research jobs.
Trimble Navigation is constructing a
125,000-square-foot building in Westmoor
Technology Park in Westminster. Best
known for its GPS technology, the company
plans to add 125 new employees over the
next five years.
“If everyone is moving forward together,
then success takes care of itself.”
The U.S. Department of State finished
construction on a 110,000-square-foot,
$65 million data center, located at the
Denver Federal Center in Lakewood.
– Henry Ford
REAL ESTATE
Candelas, located along Highway 93 and
Highway 72 in Arvada, is a 1,451-acre,
master-planned community. At full build out,
the project will produce more than 4,500
housing units and 7.1 million square feet of
commercial, industrial, and office space.
The Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport
(RMMA), located on the north end of the
county, is owned and operated by Jefferson
County. The airport recently celebrated the
opening of a new $23.7 million air traffic
control tower. RMMA has 573 acres on
the southwest side available for
Building Business Together
www.aeda.biz U 720 . 898.7010
facebook.com/ Invest InArvada
twitter.com/Invest InArvada
73
BUSINESS PARKS IN JEFFERSON COUNTY
Park
Acres
Candelas
1,451
Rooney Valley
1,276
Keller Farms
1,200
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport
683
Denver Federal Center
670
Fehringer Ranch
493
Denver West Office Park
450
Coors Technology Center
375
Lakewood Technology Center
320
Ken Caryl Business Center
300
Union Boulevard Corridor
200
Ten West at Westmoor Technology Park
190
Mountain Plains Industrial Center
138
Church Ranch Corporate Center
135
Genesee Business Park
110
Belmar
104
Canyon View Business Park
100
Jefferson Corporate Center
98
Circle Point Corporate Center
82
Corporate Center
79
Jefferson I Research Center
79
Jefferson II Research Center
54
44th Industrial Park
51
development. The site, strategically located
between downtown Denver and Boulder, is
zoned for commercial, office, light
industrial, and aviation.
Rooney Valley is a 1,300-acre area along
C-470 that includes property in Jefferson
County, the City of Lakewood, and the
Town of Morrison. A joint master plan
includes plans for office, commercial,
residential, mixed-use commercial, and
open space.
Cities in Jefferson County are poised for
transit-oriented projects along FasTracks’
West Corridor and Gold Line. The Gold
Line, opening in 2016, is an 11.2-mile line
that will connect Denver Union Station to
Wheat Ridge, passing through portions of
Arvada. The West Corridor will open in the
summer of 2013 and will be a 12.1-mile
line that will connect Denver Union Station
to the Jefferson County Government Center.
Lakewood has implemented dense, mixeduse land zoning along the West Corridor to
facilitate pedestrian-friendly transit-oriented
developments.
The City of Westminster is in the early
stages of the 100-acre redevelopment of
the former Westminster Mall. The urban,
mixed-use project will be a high-density,
transit-oriented development, and is
anticipated to provide more than three
million square feet of office, retail, and
residential development.
<<<
RTD broke ground on
the Gold Line in August
2011. The light rail line
will connect Denver
Union Station to
Wheat Ridge.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jefferson County
Economic Development Corporation
74
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
>>>
Jefferson County offers
a diverse setting that
fosters a strong business
base and an active,
outdoors lifestyle.
INDUSTRIES
Aerospace – Lockheed Martin Space
Systems Company and Ball Aerospace &
Technology Corp. are located in Jefferson
County. Lockheed Martin employs 5,200
people, and Ball employs 1,200 people.
The Center for Space Resources (CSR), an
R&D development center is housed at the
Colorado School of Mines, located in
Golden.
Aviation – The Rocky Mountain
Metropolitan Airport is one of the busiest
reliever airports in Colorado. Located along
U.S. Highway 36, it is the closest airport to
Denver’s central business district and to
Boulder. The airport has development
opportunities for aviation-related interests.
Airport tenants include the North American
headquarters for Pilatus Business Aircraft
and HeliQwest.
Bioscience – Terumo BCT, formerly
CaridianBCT, is a global medical
technology company that was acquired
by Terumo Corporation. Headquartered
in Lakewood, Terumo BCT has nearly
2,000 employees. Other bioscience
companies include Allos Therapeutics,
PharmaJet, and Sorin Group USA.
Jefferson County has Colorado’s only
ethylene oxide medical device
sterilization facility, located in
Lakewood.
Renewable Energy – The National
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the
only federal laboratory dedicated to the
R&D, commercialization, and deployment
of renewable energy and energy efficiency
technologies, employs 1,600 people. The
Colorado School of Mines is a research
partner with NREL and home to the
Colorado Energy Research Institution
(CERI) and the Colorado Fuel Cell Center.
The growing industry base includes
Abengoa Solar, Infinite Power Solutions,
SkyFuel, and ZeaChem.
COMMUNITY AMENITIES
Jefferson County’s open space program is
one of the most renowned and ambitious
programs in the nation. The program has
secured more than 52,000 acres to preserve
and enhance the county’s physical beauty.
State-of-the-art medical care is available
throughout Jefferson County. Exempla
Lutheran Medical Center, located in
Wheat Ridge, has been rated among the
top hospitals in the nation. The $500
million St. Anthony Medical Campus
moved to the Denver Federal Center in
the summer of 2011. The campus has
more than 2,000 employees in
Lakewood.
Performing and visual arts flourish in
Jefferson County. Red Rocks Park and
Amphitheatre, an open-air performing
arts venue, is world renowned. Other
world-class art centers include the
Arvada Center for the Arts and
Humanities, the Foothills Art Center in
Golden, and the Lakewood Cultural
Center.
75
>>northern colorado:
DEMOGRAPHICS
and EMPLOYMENT
Colorado State University’s Lor y Student Center sits at the center of campus in Fort Collins. PHOTO CREDIT: Colorado State University
Northern Colorado is comprised of Larimer
and Weld Counties. The 6,646-square-mile
region includes all or parts of 36
municipalities, the largest being Fort
Collins, Greeley, and Loveland.
location<<
Northern Colorado is located directly north of
Metro Denver with the Rocky Mountains to the
west and Wyoming to the north. In this setting,
Northern Colorado residents have access to a
variety of recreational activities and abundant
open space. Most of the region is located on
the high plains, where temperatures and
snowfall are more moderate than they are in
the neighboring Rocky Mountains.
76
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
population<<
About 54 percent of Northern Colorado’s
population live in Larimer County and 46
percent live in Weld County. The region’s
average annual population growth
between 2002 and 2012
(2.1 percent) was significantly faster than
growth reported statewide (1.4 percent).
Growth – Northern Colorado’s population
grew an average of 2.1 percent per year
between 2002 and 2012. Larimer County’s
average annual population growth during that
period (1.5 percent) was slightly higher than
the statewide average, and average annual
growth in Weld County was even higher (2.9
percent). In fact, Weld County ranked among
PROFILE
NORTHERN COLORADO
HISTORIC AND PROJECTED
POPULATION
Year
Population
1950
111,058
1960
125,687
1970
179,197
1980
272,620
1990
317,957
2000
432,430
2010
552,455
2020
691,615
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (1950-2010);
Colorado Division of Local Government,
Demography Section (2020 estimate).
the data <<
Square Miles:
6,646
Population:
572,967
Labor Force:
300,919
Employment:
210,920
Average Wage:
$41,532
Median Age:
34.8
Households:
219,363
the top three fastest growing Metro Denver
counties over the 10-year period.
In-Migration – Northern Colorado consistently
attracts new residents from other areas. Net
migration accounted for more than half of the
region’s total population growth between
2002 and 2012. Demographers expect net
migration to Northern Colorado will increase
22 percent in 2012 and 28 percent in
2013 and will amount to a combined total of
12,600 new residents.
Age – Northern Colorado is a young region
with a median age of 34.8 years. The
nationwide median age is somewhat older at
37.3. About 12 percent of Northern Colorado’s
population is age 65 or older, compared to the
national average of more than 13 percent.
Diversity – Northern Colorado’s ethnic and
minority population grew an average of
4.1 percent per year between 2000 and
2011, while the overall population
increased 2.4 percent each year. Northern
Colorado residents who identify with ethnic
or minority groups account for almost 24
percent of the region’s total population, and
the Hispanic ethnicity is the largest group
(19 percent of the total population).
income<<
Median Income – Median household
income in Larimer and Weld Counties is
$55,676 and $54,710, respectively.
Income in both counties exceeds the
national median of $50,221.
Personal Income – Per capita personal
income in Northern Colorado rose to
$34,088 in 2010 from $33,274 in 2009.
NORTHERN COLORADO POPULATION BY COUNTY, 2012
County
Population
Percent of Region
Larimer
308,439
53.8%
Weld
264,528
46.2%
Colorado
5,196,177
POPULATION OF LARGEST CITIES BY COUNTY, 2010
County/City
Average Annual Growth,
2000-2010
Population
Larimer
Fort Collins
144,417
1.8%
Loveland
67,083
2.6%
Estes Park
6,311
8.9%
Greeley
93,287
1.7%
Windsor*
18,799
6.2%
Evans
18,634
6.0%
Weld
*A majority of the population in the town of Windsor is located in Weld County, but some population is
also located in Larimer County. Population listed is the total for both counties.
Source: Colorado Division of Local Government, Demography Section
POPULATION BY AGE AND GENDER, 2010
Age
Males
Females
Total
Percent of Total
0 to 14
59,065
56,632
115,697
20.2%
15 to 29
67,261
65,675
132,936
23.2%
30 to 44
58,358
56,004
114,362
20.0%
45 to 59
55,219
56,715
111,934
19.5%
60 to 74
34,195
36,353
70,548
12.3%
75+
11,411
16,079
27,490
4.8%
Total*
285,509
287,458
572,967
100%
77
education<<
Northern Colorado has an excellent
network of elementary schools, community
colleges, and universities that prepare
students for the workforce. Of Northern
Colorado’s adult population 25 years and
older, 36.6 percent have a bachelor’s or
higher-level degree and 90.7 percent have
graduated from high school. By
comparison, 28.2 percent of adults
nationwide have a bachelor’s or higherlevel degree and 85.6 percent have
graduated from high school.
K-12 EDUCATION
Choice – The K-12 education system in
Northern Colorado includes 15 public
school districts and a number of private
and parochial school systems, charter
schools, and magnet schools. Northern
Colorado public schools offer open
enrollment, which allows students to attend
school in the district of their choice.
Graduation Rates – Northern Colorado’s
“on-time” high school graduation rate—
which counts students who graduate in
four years—exceeded 80 percent in
2011. The region’s completer rate was
82.9 percent.
American College Test (ACT) – Colorado
is among a handful of states that require all
eleventh-grade students to take the ACT. In
2011, Colorado students’ average ACT
score of 20.7 fell slightly below the
national average of 21.1. Part of the
disparity, however, relates to Colorado’s
universal testing requirement. Average
scores tend to be higher in states where
only college-bound students take the test.
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) – In 2011,
almost 9,700 Colorado high school students
took the SAT and received an average
composite score of 1699. The highest
possible SAT score is 2400, and the
nationwide average was 1500 in 2011.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Research Grants – Northern Colorado’s two
four-year universities conduct world-class
research. Colorado State University in Fort
Collins received $253.8 million in sponsored
research awards in fiscal year 2011, and
the University of Northern Colorado in
Greeley received $11.5 million.
Community Colleges – Northern Colorado
is home to Aims Community College in
Greeley and Front Range Community
College in Fort Collins. The community
higher education rankings
colleges work with businesses to design
training programs and access training grants.
employment<<
Northern Colorado employment increased
1.9 percent between 2010 and 2011.
Employment nationwide rose a smaller
1.1 percent.
Largest Employers – More than 45 Northern
Colorado businesses have 250 or more
workers. The region’s largest employers
represent a diverse cross-section of industries
including healthcare, food products, computers
and electronics, energy, and insurance.
High-Tech Jobs – Colorado has the nation’s
third-highest concentration of high-tech
workers and has one of the highest-paid
technology workforces, according to the
TechAmerica Foundation’s Cyberstates 2011
report. Colorado ranks behind only
Massachusetts and Virginia for high-tech
worker concentration, which researchers
define as the number of high-tech workers per
1,000 private sector employees. The report
also shows high technology workers in
Colorado earn 96 percent more than the
average private sector worker, and that wage
differential ranks ninth highest in the nation.
<<
Colorado State University ranked among the top 130 national
universities in the “America’s Best Colleges 2012” guide by
U.S. News & World Report.
also achieved top 100 rankings in social work, sociology,
psychology, engineering, biology, chemistry, computer
science, geoscience, math, physics, and statistics.
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine ranked Colorado State
University 86th on its 2012 list of the 100 “Best Values in
Public Colleges.”
• The University of Northern Colorado ranked among the top
50 for rehabilitation counseling and audiology and ranked
among the top 100 schools for nursing and speech
language pathology.
U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Graduate
Schools 2013” guide gave numerous top honors to
Colorado State University and the University of Northern
Colorado.
• Colorado State University ranked third in veterinary
medicine and sixth in occupational therapy. The university
78
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
Northern Colorado’s two major universities were both named
on Forbes’ 2011 list of “America’s Top Colleges,” which
ranked 650 undergraduate schools on outcome-based
measures including graduation rates, students’ satisfaction,
and debt loads. Colorado State University ranked 329th and
the University of Northern Colorado ranked 522nd.
Best Places for Business – The Fort Collins
MSA ranked third on Forbes’ 2012 list of the
“Best Places for Business and Careers,” which
measures quality of life, costs of doing
business, and overall economic outlook in the
nation’s 200 largest metropolitan statistical
areas (MSAs). Fort Collins was the highestranked Colorado MSA on the list.
industry clusters<<
A variety of incubation resources and other
support services are available to businesses
in all Northern Colorado industries. In
particular, several industry clusters are
spurring employment growth and business
expansion throughout the region.
Agribusiness – Northern Colorado businesses
and research entities have married the region’s
agricultural roots with cutting-edge technology.
Weld County is one of the nation’s top
agriculture-producing counties, and businesses
and research institutions in Larimer County
have made key advancements in agricultural
technology.
workforce and entrepreneurial spirit. The
Rocky Mountain Innosphere, two economic
development organizations, and Small
Business Development Centers in Fort
Collins, Loveland, and Greeley are
excellent resources for startup entities.
Several major business support and call
centers are located in Northern Colorado.
Information Technology – Northern
Colorado is home to numerous software
and hardware development companies
and businesses that specialize in
geospatial data handling. A number of
Internet service and computer
programming companies are also
located throughout the region.
Clean Energy – The Northern Colorado
Clean Energy Cluster has become the
Colorado Clean Energy Cluster, a nonprofit
economic development organization that aims
to generate $325 million in Northern
Colorado economic activity from clean energy
by 2015. The cluster’s leadership and its
business partners—which include Woodward,
Advanced Energy Industries Inc., and Spirae,
Inc.—plan to replicate their Northern
Colorado success with initiatives statewide.
Manufacturing – Northern Colorado’s
manufacturers produce everything from
food and dairy products to renewable
energy equipment, nanotech goods, and
other durables.
Water Innovation – The Colorado Water
Innovation Cluster combines business and
government entities focused on agricultural
water rights, conservation, and water
infrastructure management.
ANNUAL AVERAGE NON-FARM EMPLOYMENT (BY NAICS SECTOR), 2011
Bioscience – The Northern Colorado
Bioscience Cluster (NoCoBio) is home to
leading pharmaceutical and medical
device manufacturing companies, and
nationally recognized healthcare facilities
are located throughout the region. The
region’s federal labs and Colorado State
University are known for pioneering
biological research.
Business Services – Northern Colorado is
a business-friendly region with an educated
Sector
Employment
Share of Total
Government
44,700
20.7%
Wholesale & Retail Trade
31,100
14.4%
Education & Health Services
26,600
12.3%
Professional & Business Services
25,200
11.7%
Leisure & Hospitality
23,200
10.7%
Manufacturing
22,100
10.2%
Natural Resources & Construction
17,700
8.2%
Financial Activities
9,600
4.4%
Other Services
7,700
3.6%
Transportation & Utilities
5,200
2.4%
Information
3,300
1.5%
Total
216,300
100.0%
Note: Employment and percentage shares for sectors may not add to totals due to rounding.
Source: Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Labor Market Information, Current Employment Statistics.
NORTHERN COLORADO MEDIAN INCOME
County/
City
Median Household
Income
Number of
Households
(2010 Dollars)
(Thousands)
Percent of Households By Income Bracket
Under $25k
$25k - $49,999
$50k - $74,999
$75k & over
Larimer
$54,154
117.8
21.6%
24.7%
18.6%
35.2%
Fort Collins
$47,752
55.0
24.6%
27.2%
18.3%
29.9%
Loveland
$54,062
27.1
21.0%
25.7%
22.1%
31.3%
Weld
$51,956
89.1
24.7%
23.8%
19.0%
32.5%
Greeley
$42,404
33.5
32.2%
24.0%
20.0%
23.8%
United States
$50,046
114,567.4
25.0%
25.0%
18.3%
31.8%
Note: Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey.
79
BUSINESS CLIMATE
JBS Swift’s headquarters in Weld County’s Promontory Park is the county’s largest employer. PHOTO CREDIT: Upstate Colorado Economic Development
workforce<<
costs. Colorado FIRST grants are for
companies moving to the state or existing
companies planning to expand. Existing
Industry grants are for Colorado
companies working to implement a new
technology, and grant funds go toward
employee re-training. Both programs
allow a maximum grant award of $800
per employee.
A well-educated workforce and diverse
industry base make Northern Colorado
an ideal location for growing
businesses.
Northern Colorado offers many
workforce resources for businesses and
employees:
• Colorado FIRST and Existing Industry
Training Assistance – The Colorado
Office of Economic Development and
International Trade and the Colorado
Community College System offer grants
that companies may use to offset training
80
METRO
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ECONOMIC
• Job Listings – The Colorado Department
of Labor & Employment offers a
variety of online resources for
businesses including a website
(www.connectingcolorado.com)
where employers can post job
openings and find qualified workers.
PROFILE
• One-Stop Centers – Four Colorado
Workforce Centers serve Larimer and
Weld Counties with job search,
placement, and training assistance.
These one-stop centers also provide
applicant screening, skills testing, and
other recruitment services.
commercial
real estate<<
OFFICE SPACE
Construction – Developers completed
about 103,000 square feet of Northern
Colorado office space in 2011,
according to CoStar Realty Information
(CoStar).
NORTHERN COLORADO LABOR FORCE
Total
300,919
Employed*
277,434
Unemployed
23,485
Unemployment Rate
7.8%
*Total employment includes nonfarm wage and salary employment, self-employment, unpaid family
workers, and several other categories of workers.
Source: Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Labor Market Information, annual average 2011.
Vacancy Rate – The direct vacancy rate for
office properties in Northern Colorado
decreased to 8.3 percent in the fourth
quarter of 2011 from 9.2 percent in the
fourth quarter of 2010.
Full-Service Lease Rates – The average
office lease rate in Northern Colorado
declined to $17.91 per square foot in
the fourth quarter of 2011 from $18.59
per square foot in the fourth quarter of
2010.
INDUSTRIAL SPACE
Construction – Nearly 31,000 square feet
of industrial space came online in Northern
Colorado in 2011, according to CoStar.
Vacancy Rate – The industrial vacancy rate
in Northern Colorado fell from 10.7
percent at the end of 2010 to 10.3
percent at the end of 2011.
Triple-Net Lease Rates – Lease rates for
industrial space rose from $5.82 per
square foot at the end of 2010 to $5.91
at the end of 2011.
RETAIL SPACE
Construction – Data from CoStar show
developers completed about 476,000
square feet of Northern Colorado retail
space in 2011.
Vacancy Rate – Direct retail vacancy rates
in Northern Colorado fell from 8.1 percent
at the end of 2010 to 7.4 percent at the
end of 2011.
Triple-Net Lease Rates – Rental rates rose
to $12.37 per square foot at the end of
2011 from $12.21 at the end of 2010.
taxes<<
Colorado has one of the nation’s most
favorable business tax climates. The state
ranked 16th on the Tax Foundation’s 2012
State Business Tax Climate Index, which
measured the extent to which state tax
policies promote corporate growth and
investment.
Corporate Income Tax – Every domestic
and foreign corporation located in or doing
business in Colorado is subject to
corporate income tax. For income tax years
beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2000, the tax
rate is 4.63 percent of Colorado taxable
income.
• Effective in tax years beginning Jan.1,
2009, multistate corporations with
operations in Colorado are taxed using
single-factor apportionment. This
approach allows companies to pay taxes
based solely on their sales in the state.
Individual Income Tax – Colorado has
a flat individual income tax structure.
The income tax rate for all residents is
4.63 percent of Colorado taxable
income.
Retail Sales Tax – The Colorado state
sales tax rate has been 2.9 percent since
January 2001. Certain jurisdictions may
add up to 4.15 percent additional local
sales tax by public referendum. Combined
state and local sales tax rates in Northern
Colorado range from 2.9 percent to 6.9
percent.
Property Tax – The assessment rate for
commercial and industrial property is set at
29 percent of market value. The residential
rate is adjusted every odd-numbered year
to balance the tax burden on residential
and all other properties. The residential
assessment rate for the 2011 and 2012
tax years is 7.96 percent. The average mill
levy, which is the dollars of tax per
$1,000 of assessed valuation, was
87.962 in Larimer County and 70.701 in
Weld County in 2011.
Business Personal Property – Legislation
passed in 2008 increases Colorado’s
business personal property tax exemption to
$7,000 over five years. In the 2015 tax
year and beyond, the exemption will
increase biennially to account for inflation.
Legislation adopted in 2012 allows
Colorado cities, counties, and special
districts to fully waive their portions of the
business personal property tax for
qualifying companies.
COMMERICAL REAL ESTATE
Office Space
Direct Average Lease Rate (full-service)
$17.91/sf
Direct Vacancy Rate
8.3%
Industrial Space
$5.91/sf
Direct Vacancy Rate
10.3%
Retail
$12.37/sf
Direct Vacancy Rate
7.4%
81
LIFESTYLE
Rocky Mountain National Park and Roosevelt National Forest provide plenty of opportunities for spectacular mountain recreation in Northern Colorado.
climate<<
Northern Colorado has four seasons with
moderate temperatures, low humidity, and
an average 69 percent of days with
sunshine. The region also averages about
60 inches of snow annually, although
winter storms are normally short-lived.
cost of living<<
Cost of Living – According to the C2ER
Cost of Living Index, the cost of living in
Metro Denver, which is the closest region to
Northern Colorado for which data is
available, was roughly five percent above
the U.S. average in 2011.
82
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
• Inflation – The Denver-Boulder-Greeley
Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased
3.7 percent in 2011, while the
nationwide CPI rose 3.2 percent. The
gap between the two rates partly reflects
Metro Denver’s stronger-than-average
rental and for-sale housing markets.
housing<<
Northern Colorado’s housing market is
stable and affordable with options for every
budget.
Price – The 2011 median single-family
home price in Fort Collins was $240,527,
and the median in Greeley was
PROFILE
$172,763. The median prices rose four
percent and declined one percent over-theyear, respectively.
Rent – The monthly rent for apartments in
Fort Collins averaged $967 in the fourth
quarter of 2011, and the average in
Greeley was $678. Apartment demand is
healthy in both communities; the apartment
vacancy rate in Fort Collins reached three
percent as 2011 ended, and vacancy in
Greeley was 6.4 percent.
Housing Assistance Programs – The Fort
Collins Housing Authority and the GreeleyWeld Housing Authorities can help
Northern Colorado residents find
affordable housing and access low-cost
loans for home repairs.
healthcare<<
Northern Colorado hospitals and clinics
offer excellent primary and specialty care.
Poudre Valley Health System (PVHS,
Fort Collins) – Poudre Valley Health
System offers primary and specialty care
for patients from Northern Colorado,
Wyoming, and Nebraska. PVHS
encompasses the 281-bed Poudre Valley
Hospital, the 136-bed Medical Center of
the Rockies, and several other clinics and
care centers. In addition to full-service
healthcare, PVHS focuses on cardiac
care through the Heart Center of the
Rockies, bariatric surgery, robotic surgery,
and various other medical specialties.
PVHS and the University of Colorado
Hospital recently formed University of
Colorado Health, a joint system that will
provide advanced medical care across
Metro Denver and the northern Front
Range.
North Colorado Medical Center
(NCMC, Greeley) – The North Colorado
Medical Center is the primary full-service
hospital for northern and eastern
Colorado and neighboring portions of
Wyoming, Kansas, and Nebraska. The
hospital has nearly 400 beds and
specializes in burn and trauma care,
cardiac care, and cancer treatment.
NCMC is also the base for North
Colorado Med Evac, a regional air
ambulance provider.
McKee Medical Center (Loveland) –
McKee Medical Center is a 132-bed,
fully accredited acute care hospital that
specializes in emergency care, cardiac
and cancer care, women’s health, and
orthopedics.
Northern Colorado Rehabilitation
Hospital (NCRH, Johnstown) – Northern
Colorado Rehabilitation Hospital is the
region’s only freestanding acute
rehabilitation facility. The Uniform Data
System for Medical Rehabilitation has
ranked NCRH among the top ten percent
of inpatient rehabilitation facilities
nationwide for five years running.
cultural<<
attractions
Northern Colorado is increasingly
recognized for its vibrant arts scene, which
offers theatre, dance, music, and creative
displays for every taste.
Lincoln Center – Lincoln Center in Fort
Collins—one of the state’s largest
performing arts facilities—offers a 1,180seat auditorium, a 220-seat theater,
conference rooms, and outdoor
performance space. A recent renovation
project expanded and upgraded the
existing facility and added a rooftop deck,
a climate-controlled art gallery, and
numerous other amenities. The project
achieved the LEED Gold standard.
Midtown Arts Center – The Midtown Arts
Center—which includes a dinner theater, a
ballroom, a commercial kitchen, and several
additional rehearsal and performance
spaces—opened in 2010 in a new and
larger location. The center’s 200-seat Theatre
One is the designated future home of The
Children’s Theatre at Midtown.
Beet Street – In 2007, the Fort Collins
Downtown Development Authority launched
“Beet Street” as a cultural and economic
development entity. Beet Street sponsors
Streetmosphere—an outdoor performance
festival that runs during the summer—and
partners with several other organizations in
the Arts Incubator of the Rockies, which
provides education and support for artists
and arts organizations.
Loveland High Plains Arts Council – The
volunteer council promotes sculptural arts
through the annual Sculpture in the Park
show, which brings more than 2,000
pieces to the Benson Sculpture Garden in
Loveland. The garden is home to more than
130 pieces on permanent display.
Jazz Festival – The University of
Northern Colorado (UNC)/Greeley Jazz
healthcare rankings
<<
HealthGrades Inc. ranked North Colorado Medical Center among “America’s
100 Best Hospitals” in 2012. Hospitals on the list ranked among the top five
percent of facilities nationwide for clinical quality in each of the past four years.
North Colorado Medical Center received HealthGrades’ 2012 “Emergency
Medicine Excellence Award.” Recipients ranked in the top five percent of
facilities nationwide for quality of emergency room care and care during a postemergency hospital admission.
North Colorado Medical Center and McKee Medical Center each received
HealthGrades’ 2012 “Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence Award.”
The award goes to hospitals that outrank their peers for lowest rates of patient
complications and mortality.
Poudre Valley Hospital was among Thomson Reuters’ “Top 100 Hospitals” in
2012. Winning hospitals have demonstrated excellence in clinical care,
financial stability, and organizational efficiency.
83
Festival celebrated its 42nd year in
2012. The festival—which is the largest
such event in the nation—attracts more
than 7,500 performers each year for an
array of on-stage performances and
workshops.
The Greeley Stampede – The Stampede
has evolved from a pie-eating contest and
horse race launched in the 1920s to a
western extravaganza with professional
and children’s rodeo, parades, concerts,
and a demolition derby.
recreational<<
opportunities
Colorado’s sunny, temperate climate is
ideal for year-round recreation enthusiasts.
With several state and local parks in
Northern Colorado, opportunities for
biking, hiking, camping, fishing, climbing,
and boating abound.
Skiing – Eleven world-class ski resorts are
within 150 miles of Northern Colorado.
Parks and Open Space – Northern
Colorado is home to Rocky Mountain
National Park; Lory, St. Vrain, and Boyd
State Parks; the 6.5-mile Horsetooth
Reservoir; hundreds of miles of trails; and
an abundance of local parks and open
spaces. Northern Colorado’s open space
continues to grow through the Larimer
County Open Lands Program, which
applies a quarter-cent sales and use tax
toward open space and habitat protection.
Open Lands has preserved thousands of
acres since it launched in 1995 and
sponsors the Small Grants for Community
Partnering Program, which awards up to
$2,000 per year for each project that
allows school groups, civic associations,
and other entities to improve and connect
to open space.
Great Outdoors Colorado – Conservation
and sustainability are hallmarks of the
Colorado lifestyle. The 1992 Great
Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Amendment
to the state constitution gives a portion of
state lottery proceeds to projects that
protect and enhance Colorado’s parks,
rivers, trails, and open spaces. In fiscal
year 2011, the GOCO program awarded
$52.9 million for 189 projects in 51
counties.
Trails – Northern Colorado’s unique
geography gives trail users access to a
variety of terrains. Trails run along the
>>>
Biking is a popular
pastime for the
region's energetic
bodies.
PHOTO CREDIT: Metro Denver EDC
84
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
Poudre River, through the foothills, and into
the plains. Colorado State Parks is also
working with local communities to create a
continuous, 900-mile trail running along the
Front Range from New Mexico to
Wyoming.
spectator sports<<
The Colorado Eagles are part of the
Central Hockey League (CHL) and play at
the Budweiser Events Center in Larimer
County. The Budweiser Events Center is
also home to the Colorado Ice, a member
of Indoor Football League (IFL). A short
drive south to Metro Denver gives Northern
Colorado fans even more access to
professional sports.
shopping<<
Northern Colorado residents have access
to several shopping destinations.
Centerra – This 3,000-acre, masterplanned community offers some of the
most expansive shopping in Northern
Colorado. Numerous upscale stores and
restaurants are located in the
development’s lifestyle center, the
<<<
The University for
the Arts in Fort Collins
houses the Edna Rizley
Griffin Concert Hall,
the Bohemian Complex,
and the William E.
Runyan Music Hall.
PHOTO CREDIT: Northern Colorado EDC
Promenade Shops at Centerra. The High
Plains Neighborhood Center offers
banking, dining, and other conveniences,
and the Marketplace at Centerra is a
retail power center with large-format
stores, shops, and restaurants. The
Motorplex at Centerra is Northern
Colorado’s largest grouping of full-service
auto dealers.
Foothills Fashion Mall – The 600,000square-foot Fort Collins facility has long
served Northern Colorado residents with
a variety of shops, restaurants, and
department stores.
Greeley Mall – The Greeley Mall houses
more than 60 stores in a recently renovated
building. The mall also offers a movie
theatre and hosts special events.
Old Town Shopping District – The pedestrian
mall in Fort Collins’ historic district is the
unique result of collaboration between city
officials and local businesses. The district’s
boutiques and specialty shops attract residents
and visitors year-round. The Downtown
Business Association also sponsors numerous
concerts, festivals, and events.
Front Range Village – This hybrid center
offers shops, dining, and 80,000 square
feet of office space and is also home to
Council Tree Public Library.
Outlets at Loveland – The Outlets at
Loveland include more than 30 name brand
and specialty stores. The facility also offers
“shopping tours” and hosts special events.
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAMS AND VENUES
NORTHERN COLORADO
Team
Sport
League
Venue
Colorado Eagles
Hockey
CHL
Budweiser Events Center
Colorado Ice
Football
IFL
Budweiser Events Center
Colorado Avalanche
Hockey
NHL
Pepsi Center
Colorado Mammoth
Lacrosse
NLL
Pepsi Center
Colorado Rapids
Soccer
MLS
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
Colorado Rockies
Baseball
MLB
Coors Field
Denver Broncos
Football
NFL
Denver Nuggets
Basketball
NBA
Pepsi Center
Denver Outlaws
Lacrosse
MLL
METRO DENVER
Source: Team websites.
85
COUNTIES
N
orthern Colorado is located
directly north of Metro Denver with the
Rocky Mountains to the west and Wyoming
to the north. Larimer and Weld Counties
make up this region. With affordable
housing costs, low taxes, and a favorable
business climate, the area is one of the
fastest growing regions in the country.
The area places an emphasis on maintaining
its diverse and highly educated populace
86
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
through an excellent educational system,
which includes Colorado State University in
Fort Collins and the University of Northern
Colorado in Greeley.
The well-educated workforce and diverse
employment base make Northern Colorado
a prime area for business and industry
growth. Northern Colorado's top industry
clusters include agriculture, bio/life sciences,
business services, energy, and manufacturing.
PROFILE
Northern Colorado is also rich with cultural
opportunities, from the nationally
recognized College of Visual and
Performing Arts at the University of Northern
Colorado to Lincoln Center in Fort Collins.
A sunny, temperate climate makes yearround outdoor recreation possible. With
several state and local parks in Northern
Colorado, plentiful recreational
opportunities exist.
>>larimer county
Larimer County has a nationally
recognized quality of life, a highly
educated workforce, and a diverse
regional economy. With close proximity
to Rocky Mountain National Park, Larimer
County has an active, healthy lifestyle.
Home to Colorado State University (CSU)
and a thriving college system, the
community is among the most educated in
the nation. Industries including wind
power manufacturing, healthcare,
semiconductors, agriculture, as well as
arts and entertainment are located
throughout the county.
Located in north central Colorado in the
shadow of the Rockies, municipalities
include Berthoud, Estes Park, Fort Collins,
Johnstown, Loveland, Timnath,
Wellington, and Windsor. As a
destination for business, art, and culture,
the county has an excellent transportation
infrastructure that connects Larimer County
to Denver and Denver International
Airport, making it a prime location for
international companies.
Airport, served by Allegiant Air, is easily
accessible. I-25 connects the region to
Denver. Highway 34 provides a direct
route to Estes Park, while connections to I80 and I-70 are less than an hour away
to the north and south, respectively.
Larimer County is also served by the
Union Pacific and Great Western
Railroads, positioning the Larimer County
communities at the nexus of transportation
infrastructure.
HOUSING
Larimer County’s affordable housing
market is composed of a wide variety of
single family, multifamily, and patio home
options. With an average cost of housing
very near the national median and a
number of new subdivisions opening,
there is no shortage of excellent
opportunities.
REAL ESTATE
The Centerra development in Loveland is
a 3,000-acre commercial, residential,
and office development, with 160 acres
in planned commercial sites. It is in the
the data <<
Square Miles:
2,632
Population:
308,439
Labor Force:
178,042
Employment:
128,806
Average Wage:
$42,101
Median Age:
35.8
Households:
124,888
heart of Northern Colorado’s commercial
and retail development area.
Mountain Vista Drive is an 860-acre
business park situated adjacent to I-25 in
Fort Collins. The development includes
office, industrial, flex/research, and
development.
2534 is a 500-acre, master-planned,
mixed-use community at I-25 and
Highway 34 in Johnstown. The
development includes office, industrial,
flex/research and development,
commercial, and residential uses.
The Centre for Advanced Technology is
a 235-acre, mixed-use project directly
The region has cultivated three high-tech
incubators for clean energy,
biotechnology, and software/hardware
technology. With a patenting rate four
times the national average, Fort Collins
has been called an innovation hotspot by
the Smithsonian. Other accolades for the
community include:
• Loveland-Fort Collins ranked as the thirdbest performing city by the 2011 Milken
Institute report.
• Fort Collins is among the top ten cities
adopting smart grid technology by U.S.
News & World Report.
TRANSPORTATION
Ideally located near major air, motor, and
rail arterials, all transportation needs are
well met in Larimer County. Denver
International Airport is less than one hour
away, and the Fort Collins-Loveland
87
>>>
Heska Corporation,
a veterinary
pharmaceutical R&D
company, partnered
with real estate
company McWhinney
on its new facility
in Loveland.
PHOTO CREDIT: Northern Colorado
south of CSU’s main campus in Fort
Collins. The park provides an
environment for private companies in
the high-tech industry to interface and
interact with the university to their
mutual benefit.
acre, mixed-use development offering a
variety of amenities and sites and
beautiful vistas of the Rocky Mountains.
The Crossroads Business Park in
Loveland has sites available for a variety
of commercial and industrial uses. The
Park is adjacent to I-25 and within two
miles of the Budweiser Events Center,
Larimer County Fairgrounds, and the Fort
Collins-Loveland Airport.
Ludlow Business Park, located in
Berthoud on Highway 287, is a 300-
Rocky Mountain Center for Innovation
and Technology in Loveland is a premier
technology park with an 810,000-squarefoot facility situated on 177 acres. The
campus-like development is strategically
located within an hour drive of 11 major
technology related labs and universities.
The space is suited for office, industrial,
research, distribution, and/or
manufacturing for single or multi-tenant.
BUSINESS GROWTH
In 2011, Larimer County had $50 million
in new investments, with more than 400
jobs created in the bioscience, software,
and manufacturing industries. In addition,
Hewlett-Packard opened its new 50,000square-foot state-of-the-art data center,
creating 100 new jobs in the Fort Collins
area and investing an additional $60
million in the community. In recent years,
Larimer County has had more than $1
billion in new capital construction
projects, collectively totaling more than
five million square feet.
LARIMER COUNTY LARGEST EMPLOYERS - PRIVATE NON-RETAIL
Rank
Company
Product/Service
Employment
1
Poudre Valley Health System
Healthcare
5,320
2
Hewlett Packard
Technology Product Design
2,000
4
Center Partners
Customer Care Center
1,300
5
Woodward
Speed Controls
1,200
3
Banner Health: McKee Medical Center
Healthcare
1,130
6
Hach Company
Analytical Instruments
800
7
Avago Technologies
Semiconductor Components
690
7
Anheuser-Busch
Brewery
680
9
Advanced Energy
Semiconductor Components
580
10
Agrium
Fertilizer & Micronutrient Products
430
88
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
A premier location for companies in
innovative, high-tech companies, Larimer is
home to Woodward, Hewlett-Packard,
Agrium, Intel, Heska Corporation, Constant
Contact, Kroll Factual Data, and Avago.
COMMUNITY AMENITIES
Enjoying nearly 300 days of sunshine
and four distinct seasons, Larimer County
residents savor the richness of the climate
through a number of physical activities
throughout the year, including hiking,
biking, climbing, river rafting, skiing, and
snowshoeing. With a thriving art, music,
theater, and dance scene, the
communities also enjoy a rich cultural
experience. Larimer County is home to a
high quality healthcare system, as well.
The McKee Medical Center in Loveland,
owned by Banner Health, received the
2011 Emergency Medical Award, as
well as the 2011 Distinguished Hospital
Award for Clinical Excellence from
HealthGrades, demonstrating that McKee
performs in the top five percent of
hospitals nationwide.
satisfaction, in addition to the Beacon
Award for exemplary performance in
their cardiac intensive care unit.
Poudre School District in Fort Collins
features many educational choices,
including a bilingual immersion program,
advanced placement curriculum, and a
proven science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics (STEM) system.
Thompson School District, serving
Loveland and Berthoud, continually
scores above the state and national
averages on the ACT college entrance
exam.
The National Science Foundation ranked
Colorado State University as first in the
nation for federally funded research-anddevelopment among all public institutions
per-faculty and second in the nation for
research expenditures among public
research universities. In 2011, CSU
attracted over $330 million in research
funding and awarded over 5,800
degrees.
Rocky Mountain National Park
encompasses more than 250,000 acres
of breathtaking, high-altitude wilderness.
Featuring hundreds of hiking, biking,
snowshoeing, and cross country skiing
trails, as well as some of the world’s best
river rafting routes, there is ample
opportunity to explore this incredible
national treasure.
The 7,200-seat Budweiser Events Center
was named the No. 10 venue in the
world for facilities with 5,001 to 10,000
seats in its first year of operation. This
multipurpose facility hosts Cirque du
Soleil, Disney on Ice, the Blue Collar
Comedy Tour, and the Colorado Eagles
hockey games.
BUSINESS PARKS IN LARIMER COUNTY
Park
Acres
Poudre Valley Health System (PVHS)
was recognized by President Obama
through the Malcolm Baldridge National
Quality Award as a leader in the
healthcare industry for both innovation
and performance. In 2012, PVHS will
form a partnership with the nationally
acclaimed University of Colorado
Hospital, creating University of Colorado
Health, which will bring together the best
elements of a state-of-the-art private
hospital system with a renowned
healthcare research center.
Centerra
1,183
Mountain Vista Business Park
850
2534
450
Ludlow Business Park
340
Centre for Advanced Technology
235
Rocky Mountain Center for Innovation and Technology
177
Longview Commercial Park
160
Crossroads Business Park
160
Airpark of the Rockies
135
• Poudre Valley Hospital, a vital part of
PVHS, has been awarded the Five-Star
Inpatient Care Award from Avatar, and
is now partnering with the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation in an
initiative to revolutionize the delivery of
bedside care to patients.
Oakridge Business Park
138
Harmony Technology Park
105
Loveland East Site
100
Prospect East Business Park
97
Highlands Industrial Park
80
Centre Point Business Airpark, LLC
70
Wellington Industrial Land
60
Interchange Business Park
55
• Medical Center of the Rockies, also
integral to the success of PVHS,
received Avatar’s prestigious Overall
Best Performer Award in patient
89
>>weld county
Spanning 4,000 square miles from the
Wyoming state line on the north to the
suburbs of Denver on the south, Weld
County encompasses vibrant energy,
manufacturing, business services,
agricultural/food processing, and
transportation industry sectors. Weld
County is an attractive business location,
logging job creation and investment
numbers that are attracting national and
international attention. New and existing
primary employers have announced the
creation of more than 9,000 new jobs
and more than $3.1 billion in new
capital investment since 2006.
Weld County was second in the nation
and first in Colorado for employment
growth from September 2010 to
September 2011. The Bureau of Labor
Statistics reported Weld County’s total
employment increased 4.8 percent yearover-year during September. Weld County
has a population of 254,000 and
projections indicate that number is likely
to double by 2030. This new population
growth brings with it the opportunity to
shape Weld County’s future.
Weld County has an excellent
transportation infrastructure, with I-25 and
Highway 85 serving north/south demand,
and Highway 34 and I-76 providing
east/west access. The County is served by
two major railroads, Union Pacific and
BNSF Railway, as well as short line Great
Western.
Weld County is the only county in
Colorado that is debt-free, with no longterm debt or county-wide sales tax. With
reasonable housing costs, low taxes and
mill levy, and a favorable business climate,
Weld County will likely continue to exceed
national job growth rates for years to
come.
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
Square Miles:
Population:
Labor Force:
Employment:
Average Wage:
Median Age:
Households:
4,014
264,528
122,877
82,114
$40,639
33.6
94,475
• Halliburton’s $20 million construction of
its 150,000-square-foot Fort Lupton
facility is underway with completion
expected in summer 2012. Hiring has
started for the anticipated 300 positions.
BUSINESS GROWTH
• Leprino Foods, the world’s largest
mozzarella cheese producer, opened its
new production facility in Greeley in
2011. Within two years, the $270
million facility will employ about 500
people and process more than 800,000
gallons of milk per day.
In 2011, these key business projects will
create more than 1,400 primary jobs and
capital investment of $1 billion:
• PTI Group, one of North America’s
largest suppliers of modular workforce
With 3,000 farms producing $1 billion
in yield, Weld County ranks eighth in the
country for agricultural production, the
only such county outside California. This
agricultural wealth has made Weld a
leader in food processing with the North
American headquarters of beef processor
JBS and one of the largest cheese
processors, Leprino Foods, among others
located in the area. The 17,000+ oil
and gas wells operated by Anadarko,
Chesapeake Energy, Encana, Noble
Energy, and others in the DenverJulesburg Basin and Niobrara formations
produce 26 million barrels of oil and
234,489,905 mcf of natural gas
annually, a significant contribution to the
local economy. A growing cleantech
sector and expanding manufacturing base
have chosen Weld County because of its
access to a qualified labor force.
90
the data <<
PROFILE
accommodations and services, invested
$4.5 million in equipment in the
103,000-square-foot facility it purchased
in Johnstown, creating 250 jobs.
BUSINESS PARKS IN WELD COUNTY
Park
Acres
Niobrara Energy Park
644
• Select Energy Services delivers end-toend water solutions and wellsite services
to oilfield operators. Its $13 million
expansion into Greeley and Brighton will
create 285 new jobs.
Great Western Industrial Park
500
Promontory Business Park
200
Del Camino Center I & II
160
Raspberry Hill Business Park
160
• TeleTech leased a 50,000-square-foot
financial services support center in
Greeley, creating 530 jobs.
Two Charlies – Frederick West Business Park
160
Dacono Gateway Center
148
I-25 Gateway Center
146
REAL ESTATE
Vista Commercial Center
145
Weld County has 23 business and
industrial parks in various stages of
development including:
Crossroads Business Park
140
Highpointe Business Park
136
Eagle Business Park
133
• Eagle Business Park is located in
Frederick two miles east of I-25. The
133-acre park offers great views of the
Rocky Mountain Front Range with fully
developed industrial sites along the
northern I-25 corridor.
Glacier Business Park
120
Sekich Business Park
115
Foster Ridge Business Park
113
Diamond Valley Industrial Park
91
Greeley Commerce Center
84
Silver Peaks Business Park
84
Bear Industrial Park
77
I-25 Business Park
77
Windsor Tech Center I & II
63
Indian Peaks Industrial Park
60
Centennial Crossing Corporate Center
50
Hudson Industrial & Business Park
50
Platte Industrial Center
50
• Fort Lupton Energy Corridor
encompasses 1,500 acres between Fort
Lupton and Brighton along Highway 85
with Union Pacific rail access. The
corridor is home to energy giants Vestas
Wind Systems and Halliburton.
• Great Western Industrial Park, a 500acre industrial park in Windsor, is
anchored by bottle manufacturer OwensIllinois, ethanol producer Front Range
Energy, Vestas Wind Systems, and
Hexcel. The park is served by Great
Western Railway of Colorado and is
designated as a Foreign Trade Zone.
• Highpointe Business Park, at Highway
34 bypass and Highway 257, is a fully
developed, 136-acre industrial park. The
park is anchored by a 57,000-squarefoot Pepsi distribution facility and Noble
Energy’s 66,000-square-foot field
operations office.
• Niobrara Energy Park is a 644-acre
parcel of land in northern Weld between
I-25 and Highway 85. The park is an
open square mile of highly flexible
commercial planned unit development
allowing a broad range of uses. Prezoned and approved for data center,
power generation, and multiple high
technology uses, it offers abundant space
for expansion and is at a nexus of
significant telecommunications, power,
and gas infrastructure.
• Promontory Business Park is a 200acre, master-planned development and
corporate center in west Greeley. Home
to State Farm Insurance regional offices
and JBS corporate headquarters,
Promontory has space available for light
industrial and office users.
COMMUNITY AMENITIES
The Monfort College of Business at the
University of Northern Colorado is the
only business college to win the
Malcolm Baldrige Award for
Performance Excellence.
Aims Community College is one of the
largest and most progressive two-year
colleges in Colorado with nearly 160 degree
and certificate programs. Aims has four
campuses serving 5,000 full- and part-time
91
>>>
The University of
Northern Colorado is
located in Greeley and
has more than 100
undergraduate and
graduate programs in a
broad range of
academic offerings.
PHOTO CREDIT: Upstate Colorado
Economic Development
students and offers evening and weekend
courses. Aims’ new 45,000-square-foot
Automotive and Technology Center, located
near I-25 and Highway 34, was designated
as a LEED-Certified building in 2010.
North Colorado Medical Center
(NCMC), licensed for 398 beds, is
rated nationally in the top 20 percent of
hospitals for patient satisfaction and in
the top one percent for heart attack
care. Its Cardio Vascular Institute has
the only 64-slice CT scan in northern
Colorado. NCMC spent $130 million
on a facility expansion.
The Greeley Stampede is the world’s
largest Fourth of July rodeo and Western
celebration. Each year, the Stampede
attracts more than 400,000 fans to a
professional rodeo, concerts by topname country singers, a Fourth of July
parade, and fireworks display.
The Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra is
the longest continuously performing
symphony orchestra between St. Louis
and San Francisco, celebrating 100
years in 2011. The Orchestra performs
six season concerts and three pops
concerts.
The Greeley Blues Jam brings together
local and legendary national blues
artists for an all-day outdoor celebration
every year in June.
The UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival
brings together internationally
recognized artists, jazz lovers,
award-winning musicians, and more
than 300 college, high school, and
middle school big bands, combos,
and jazz vocal groups. Each year,
more than 7,000 participants enjoy
concerts and many educational
workshops.
WELD COUNTY LARGEST EMPLOYERS - PRIVATE NON-RETAIL
Rank
Company
Product/Service
Employment
1
JBS Swift & Company
Beef Processing
4,500
2
Banner Health: North Colorado Medical Center
Healthcare
3,000
3
Vestas
Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing
1,600
4
State Farm Insurance Companies
Insurance
1,460
5
Carestream Health, Inc.
Medical & Dental Imaging
520
6
TeleTech
Financial Services Support
500
7
Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
Oil & Gas Development
430
8
McLane Western
Grocery Warehouse/Distribution
390
9
StarTek Inc.
Outsourcing Service Provider
370
10
Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society
Retirement & Long-Term Care Services
330
92
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
METRO DENVER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Contacts Directory
In Metro Denver, we’ve found that, in business development as in
business itself, collaboration and teamwork pays off.
The Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (Metro
Denver EDC), an affiliate of the Denver Metro Chamber of
Commerce, is the nation’s first and only truly regional economic
development entity in which many area economic
development groups have joined together to represent, and further,
the interests of an entire region. Our partners include 70 cities,
counties, and economic development organizations in the sevencounty Metro Denver and two-county Northern Colorado region.
Metro Denver EDC member organizations operate under a Code of
Ethics and serve as account representatives for the entire region.
They tell clients and companies the benefits of the region first and
individual communities second. No matter whom you contact, the
entire region is within your reach.
Our partners provide valuable services to businesses considering
locating or expanding in the region. Services include site
selection assistance, demographics and workforce data, project
development assistance, incentives information, and small
business assistance.
Barry Gore, President & CEO
12200 N. Pecos St., Suite 100
Westminster, CO 80234
303.453.8510
www.adamscountyed.com
Counties served: Adams
Structure: Not-for-profit, public-private partnership
Brighton Economic Development Corporation
Robert Smith, President & CEO
1850 Egbert St., Suite 140
Brighton, CO 80601
303.655.2155
www.brightonedc.org
Counties served: Adams and Weld
Structure: Public-private partnership
City of Centennial
Corri Spiegel, Economic Development Manager
13133 E. Arapahoe Road
Centennial, CO 80112
303.325.8000
www.centennialcolorado.com
Counties served: Arapahoe
Structure: Public agency
Arvada Economic Development Association
Hazel Hartbarger, Director
8101 Ralston Road
Arvada, CO 80002
720.898.7010
www.aeda.biz
Counties served: Adams, Jefferson
Broomfield Economic Development Corporation
Stephanie Salazar, President & CEO
2095 W. 6th Ave., Suite 108
Broomfield, CO 80021
303.469.7645
www.broomfieldedc.com
Counties served: Broomfield
Colorado Office of Economic Development
and International Trade
Ken Lund, Executive Director
1625 Broadway, Suite 2700
Denver, CO 80202
303.892.3840
www.advancecolorado.com
Counties served: Statewide
Aurora Economic Development Council
Wendy Mitchell, President & CEO
14001 E. Iliff Ave., Suite 211
Aurora, CO 80014
303.755.2223
www.auroraedc.com
Counties served: Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas
City and County of Broomfield
Bo Martinez, Director of Economic Development
1 Descombes Drive
Broomfield, CO 80020
303.464.5579
www.broomfield.org/econdev/
Counties served: Broomfield
Jim Hayes, Interim Economic Development Director
7887 E. 60th Ave.
Commerce City, CO 80022
303.289.3620
www.commercecityed.com
Boulder Economic Council
Clif Harald, Executive Director
2440 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO 80302
303.442.1044
www.bouldereconomiccouncil.org
Counties served: Boulder
Castle Rock Economic Development Council
Frank Gray, President & CEO
18 S. Wilcox St., Suite 202
Castle Rock, CO 80104
303.688.7488
www.credco.org
Counties served: Douglas
Paul Washington, Executive Director
201 W. Colfax Ave., 2nd Floor
Denver, CO 80202
720.913.1999
www.denvergov.org/oed
Counties served: Denver
93
Denver South Economic
Development Partnership
Mike Fitzgerald, President & CEO
304 Inverness Way South, Suite 315
Englewood, Co 80112
303.792.9447
www.denversouthedp.org
Counties served: Arapahoe, Douglas
Town of Firestone
Wesley LaVanchy, Town Manager
151 Grant Ave.
Firestone, CO 80520
303.833.3291
www.ci.firestone.co.us
Counties served: Weld
Douglas County, Economic Development Division
Becky Nelson, Economic
Development Manager
100 Third St.
Castle Rock, CO 80104
303.660.7426
www.douglas.co.us
Downtown Denver Partnership
Tamara Door, President & CEO
511 16th St., Suite 200
Denver, CO 80202
303.534.6161
www.downtowndenver.com
Structure: Nonprofit business organization
City of Englewood Community
Development Department
Darren Hollingsworth, Economic Development
Coordinator
1000 Englewood Parkway
Englewood, CO 80110
303.762.2599
www.englewoodgov.org
Town of Erie
Fred Diehl, Assistant to the Town Administrator
645 Holbrook St.
Erie, CO 80516
303.926.2764
www.erieco.gov
Counties served: Boulder, Weld
Structure: Public Agency
City of Federal Heights
David Blanchard, City Manager
2380 W. 90th Ave.
Federal Heights, CO 80260
303.412.3526
www.ci.federal-heights.co.us
94
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
City of Glendale
Chuck Line, Deputy City Manager
950 S. Birch St.
Glendale, CO 80246
303.639.4601
www.glendale.co.us
City of Lafayette
Phillip Patterson, Community Development Director
1290 S. Public Road
Lafayette, CO 80026
303.665.2153
www.cityoflafayette.com
City of Lakewood Economic
Development
Nanette Neelan, Deputy City Manager &
Director of Economic Development
480 S. Allison Parkway
Lakewood, CO 80226
303.987.7050
www.lakewood.org/economicdeveopment
City of Golden
Steve Glueck, Planning & Development Director
1445 10th St.
Golden, CO 80401
303.384.8097
www.cityofgolden.net
Counties served: Jefferson
The Greater Colorado Springs
Chamber and EDC
Tammy J. Fields, VP, Business Attraction
102 S. Tejon St., Suite 430
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
719.884.2836
www.coloradosprings.org
Counties served: El Paso
Structure: Privately funded
City of Littleton Economic
Development
2255 W. Berry Ave.
Littleton, CO 80120
303.795.3758
www.littletongov.org
City of Lone Tree
Seth Hoffman, Assistant City Manager
9220 Kimmer Drive, Suite 100
Lone Tree, CO 80124
303.708.1818
www.cityoflonetree.com
I-70 Corridor Regional Economic
Advancement Partnership
Jack Keever, Executive Director
401 S. First St.
Bennett, CO 80102
303.644.4607
www.i-70reap.com
Counties served: Adams, Arapahoe
Structure: Public agency funded by the Eastern
Colorado towns of Watkins, Bennett, Strasburg,
Byers, and Deer Trail
Kevin McCasky, President & CEO
1667 Cole Blvd., Suite 400
Golden, CO 80401
303.202.2965
www.jeffcoedc.org
PROFILE
Longmont Area Economic Council
John Cody, CED, President & CEO
528 Main St.
Longmont, CO 80501
303.651.0128
www.longmont.org
City of Louisville
Aaron DeJong, Economic Development Director
749 Main St.
Louisville, CO 80027
303.335.4531
www.louisvillecolorado.biz
Town of Mead
Linda Martin, Economic Development Specialist
441 Third St.
Mead, CO 80542
303.476.8160
www.townofmead.org
City of Sheridan
Devin Granbery, City Manager
4101 S. Federal Blvd.
Sheridan, CO 80110
303.762.2200
www.ci.sheridan.co.us
City of Wheat Ridge Community Development
Steve Art, Economic Development & Urban
Renewal Manager
7500 W. 29th Ave., 1st Floor
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
303.235.2806
www.ci.wheatridge.co.us
Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation
Tom Clark, CEO
1445 Market St.
Denver, CO 80202
303.620.8092
www.metrodenver.org
www.metrodenverGIS.org
Counties served: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder,
Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer, Weld
Structure: Public-private partnership, an affiliate
of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
South Metro Denver Economic
Development Group
Jeff Holwell, Director of Economic Development
6840 S. University Blvd.
Centennial, Co 80122
303.795.0142
www.bestchamber.com
Counties served: Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas
Structure: Public-private partnership, an affiliate
of the South Metro Denver Chamber.
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
Northern Colorado Economic
Walt Elish, President & CEO
3553 Clydesdale Parkway, Suite 230
Loveland, CO 80538
970.667.0905
www.ncedc.com
Counties served: Larimer
Structure: Not-for-profit regional economic development organization
City of Northglenn
Debbie Tuttle, Economic Development Manager
11701 Community Center Drive
Northglenn, CO 80233
303.451.8326
www.northglenn.org
Northwest Douglas County
Amy Sherman, President
8351 Rampart Range Road, Ste. 111
Littleton, CO 80125
720.981.2952
www.nwdouglascounty.org
Town of Parker
John Hall, Economic Development Director
20120 E. Mainstreet
Parker, CO 80138
303.841.0353
www.parkeronline.org
Town of Superior
Beth Moyski, Assistant Town Manager
124 E. Coal Creek Drive
Superior, CO 80027
303.499.3675
www.townofsuperior.com
City of Thornton Business Development
Mike Masciola, Economic Development Director
9500 Civic Center Drive
Thornton, CO 80229
303.538.7448
www.cityofthornton.net/business
Upstate Colorado Economic Development
Eric Berglund, President & CEO
822 7th St., Suite 550
Greeley, CO 80631
970.356.4565
www.upstatecolorado.org
City of Westminster Economic
Development
Susan Grafton, CED, Economic
Development Manager
4800 W. 92nd Ave.
Westminster, CO 80031
303.658.2108
www.ci.westminster.co.us
Counties served: Adams, Jefferson
CO-LABS
William H. Farland, Ph.D., Chair
2440 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO 80302
303.442.1044
www.co-labs.org
Colorado Association for Manufacturing
and Technology (CAMT)
Jo Ann Miabella Galvan, CFO
216 16th Street, Suite 850
Denver, CO 80202
303.592.4087
www.camt.com
Colorado Association of Commerce
and Industry (CACI)
Chuck Berry, President
Denver, CO 80202
303.831.7411
www.cochamber.com
Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA)
April Giles, Executive Vice President
215 16th St., Suite 850
Denver, CO 80202
303.592.4071
www.cobioscience.com
Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce
Dr. Eric Lee, President & CEO
410 17th St., Suite 1110
Denver, CO 80202
303.831.0720
www.coloradoblackchamber.org
Colorado Clean Energy Cluster
Drew Bolin, CEO
14062 Denver West Parkway, 3rd Floor
Golden, CO 80401
303.717.4511
www.coloradocleanenergy.com
Colorado Cleantech Industry Association (CCIA)
Christine Shapard, Executive Director
1445 Market St.
Denver, CO 80202
303.623.2690
www.coloradocleantech.com
95
Dr. Nancy J. McCallin, President
9101 E. Lowry Blvd.
Denver, CO 80230
303.620.4000
www.cccs.edu
Colorado Competitive Council (C3)
Sara Cassidy, Director
1445 Market St.
To reserve your
advertising space in
the next issue, call
303-241-7452
don’t miss
out <<
Denver, CO 80202
303.620.8054
www.coloradocompetes.org
Colorado Energy Coalition (CEC)
Co-chaired by Tim Heaton, Vice President of
Coolerado and Lee Boughey, Senior Manager of
Communications and Public Affairs with Tri-State
Generation and Transmission
1445 Market St.
Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Guillermo (Bill) Vidal, President & CEO
924 W. Colfax Ave., Suite 201
Denver, CO 80204
303.534.7783
www.hispanicchamberdenver.org
Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
Kelly Brough, President & CEO
1445 Market St.
Denver, CO 80202
303.534.8500
www.denverchamber.org
Denver Regional Council of
Governments (DRCOG)
Jennifer Schaufele, Executive Director
Denver, CO 80203
303.455.1000
www.drcog.org
Denver, CO 80202
303.620.8067
www.metrodenver.org/cec
Colorado Photonics Industry
Association
Tom Mahony, President
5733 Central Ave.
Boulder, CO 80301
Metro Denver Aviation Coalition (MDAC)
Chair, Travis Vallin, President, Jviation, Inc.,
Vice-Chair, Bob Deibel, President and Co-owner,
OfficeScapes Group
1445 Market St.
Denver, CO 80202
303.620.8083
www.metrodenver.org/MDAC
303.834.1022
www.coloradophotonics.org
Colorado Ski Country USA
Melanie Mills, President & CEO
1444 Wazee St., Suite 320
Denver, CO 80202
303.837.0793
www.coloradoski.com
Colorado Space Coalition (CSC)
Co-chaired by Colorado Lieutenant Governor
Joseph Garcia, Major General Andy Love, USAF
(Retired), and G. Thomas (Tom) Marsh, retired
executive vice president of Lockheed Martin
Space Systems
1445 Market St.
Denver, CO 80202
303.620.8133
www.spacecolorado.org
Colorado Technology Association (CTA)
Steve Foster, President & CEO
216 16th St., Suite 850
Denver, CO 80202
303.592.4070
www.csiaonline.com
96
METRO
DENVER
ECONOMIC
PROFILE
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Janice B. Rooney, Manager, Corporate Relations
1617 Cole Blvd.
Golden, CO 80401
303.275.3859
www.nrel.gov
VISIT DENVER
Richard W. Scharf, President & CEO
1555 California St., Suite 300
Denver, CO 80202
303.892.1112
www.denver.org
World Trade Center Denver
Karen Gerwitz, Executive Director
Denver, CO 80202
303.592.5760
www.wtcdenver.org
Xcel Energy
Robert J. Osborn, Director-Community Relations
1800 Larimer St., 14th Floor
Denver, CO 80202
303.294.2873
www.xcelenergy.com

Northwest Douglas County EDC

Transcription

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