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COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
— April 20-May 3, 2016
Economic Development News
Global IT support company Tek
Experts opened its international
site in Colorado Springs, one of
two companies to recently open in
the Southern Colorado city.
The first U.S. operation for Tek
Experts opened with dozens of
employees, the majority of which
are U.S. veterans and graduates
from local colleges and universi-
ties, and the company has plans
to double itsU.S. workforce by the
end of 2016.
The company, which already
employs thousands of people
across Europe, the Americas and
Asia, had been looking to build a
U.S. base for some time and after
significant research chose Colo-
rado Springs due to its high skill
levels, its desirability as a place
to live and work, and because
the area is an attractive business
proposition for large global com-
panies like theirs, according to the
Colorado Springs Regional Busi-
ness Alliance.
The Tek Experts team worked
closely with the Colorado Springs
Regional Business Alliance and
several other key agencies in the
community to establish this oper-
ation in Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs’ military
influence also played a major
part in its decision-making, with
Fort Carson, Peterson, Schriever,
NORAD and the U.S. Air Force
Academy offering great potential
to recruit veterans – a feature that
was key to Tek Experts’ develop-
ment of the business within the
U.S.
“Veterans provide a great
resource for companies like ours,
as well as a great partner for our
clients. They bring excellent lead-
ership, exceptional teamwork and
integrity, and are extremely effi-
cient and motivated to succeed.
What's more, they are dedicated,
boast a strong work ethic and are
capable, independent and hard-
working. That's why for us they
are a great resource and a great
talent pool to tap into,” saidDebra
Herzog, site manager of the new
Colorado Springs operation.
The company also has commit-
ted to offering international career
opportunities for graduates of the
University of Colorado at Colo-
rado Springs and students from
Colorado Springs' local colleges.
Additionally, HomeAdvisor
announced the opening of its new
location for the Colorado Springs
professional sales office. The office
occupies 21,000 square feet at 9910
Federal Drive in the InterQuest
business park. With 140 current
employees, the office has room to
employ over 250 sales profession-
als and is the third HomeAdvi-
sor office in Colorado, along with
the headquarters in Golden and a
professional sales office in down-
town Denver.
“I am excited about the
announcement of HomeAdvisor's
decision to locate their profession-
al sales office in Colorado Springs.
We are committed to the success
of business growth in our city and
look forward to hearing similar
positive news as the business cli-
mate in Colorado Springs contin-
ues to strengthen,” said Colorado
Springs Mayor John Suthers.
“We welcome HomeAdvisor
as the newest great company to
locate in Colorado Springs,” said
DirkDraper, CEOof the Colorado
Springs Regional Business Alli-
ance. “It is a Colorado-based com-
pany, led by a Colorado Springs
native – and a real success story.
Their selection of the InterQuest
business park is testament to the
strength of our local business
climate.”
s
Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance
The annual benchmark revision
of the current employment statis-
tics showed significant upward
adjustments to annual employ-
ment for 2015 in metro Denver,
according to data released by the
Metro Denver Economic Devel-
opment Corp.
The revision resulted in a con-
siderable employment increase
in 2015. Whereas preliminary
data released throughout 2015
indicated a 2.7 percent employ-
ment growth rate, revised data
revealed that employment
increased at a much higher pace
of 3.5 percent. This means that
employment in 2015 increased
by 53,100 jobs, as opposed to the
increase of 41,100 jobs suggested
by the preliminary data.
“We’ve had upward adjust-
ments to our annual employment
each of the past three years,” said
Patty Silverstein, chief economist
for the Metro Denver EDC. “This
robust growth certainly shows
the strength and momentum of
the regional economy.”
The revised employment data
revealed that all 11 supersectors
added jobs from 2014 to 2015.
The strongest rate of growth
was in the natural resources and
Metro Denver Economic Development Corp.
L.E. Workout is the first Thorn-
ton business to receive a new
STAR (South Thornton Attraction
and Revitalization) grant from the
city of Thornton.
“L.E. Workout provides fitness
training with instruction in both
Spanish and English,” said Thorn-
ton Small Business Administra-
tor Robin Martinez. “The $15,000
grant will help the owners open a
new location in Thornton.”
The STAR grant is available to
new or expanding businesses that
are located within the boundar-
ies of the South Thornton Urban
Renewal Area. “Award amounts
can reach up to $15,000,” added
Martinez. “They don’t require
repayment, so it’s a wonderful
opportunity for startups to get the
extra help they need to make their
business-ownership dream come
true.”
Thornton City Council allocated
$100,000 per year in grant funds
to support business attraction and
revitalization in the South Thorn-
ton Urban Renewal Area. In addi-
tion to STAR, the city also offers
a Business Improvement Grant,
which allows licensed business
owners that have been in business
in Thornton for one year or longer
to take advantage of funds up to
$30,000.
s
The city of Thornton
Upstate Colorado Economic
Development recently released its
2015 annual report to a group of
approximately 80 investors and
community representatives at its
annual meeting. Upstate’s report
summarized its activity, recap-
ping 15 announcements in the
previous year resulting in 1,156
new jobs with a collective invest-
ment of over $250 million. Some
of the companies recognized for
their growth at the event included
PDC Energy in LaSalle, Rocky
MountainWaterjet inGreeley and
Mountain States Lamb Co-Op in
Greeley.
Upstate also provided commu-
nities with a variety of resources
on both new and expansion proj-
ects that supported these invest-
ments. One of the key resources is
themarketing and administration
of the Greeley/Weld Enterprise
Zone, according to Upstate.
In 2015, Upstate certified 157
Weld EZ-located companies that
collectively created 420 new jobs,
retained 12,017 jobs, invested
$486.7 million and earned $17.5
million in state income tax credits.
Upstate also certified 1,938 contri-
butions to 13 approved EZ con-
tribution organizations/projects
with a collective value of $1.77
million and contributors earned
a total of $440,196 in state income
tax credits.
Along with its economic devel-
opmentprospect services,Upstate
Colorado provides regional sup-
port toWeld and Larimer County
small businesses. In 2015, Upstate
provided $1 million in loans from
the program, creating 95 new
jobs. Also announced at the meet-
ing were the cumulative efforts
of the CDBG-Disaster Recovery
grant program, which to date has
awarded $3.9 million to 135 busi-
ness collectively. In addition, 14
tourism agencies were supported
by this program.
Upstateofficialsalsoannounced
a new initiative with Weld Coun-
ty workforce services and Aims
Community College and contin-
ued activities with the Leader-
shipAdvisory Council to provide
support for municipalities with
industrial site identification initia-
tives.
“As we look to not just next
year but five and 10 years down
the line, we will continue our
efforts in facilitating site selec-
tion and the economic develop-
ment process as we collectively
address the needs of our Upstate
communities and the region as
a whole,” said Richard Werner,
Upstate president.
s
Upstate Colorado Economic Development
For complete contact information, links and
Key Facts, visit our Web site,
Adams County Economic Development
Arvada Economic Development Association
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Town of Berthoud
Brighton Economic Development Corporation
City and County of Broomfield
Castle Rock Economic Development Council
City of Centennial
Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance
City of Commerce City
Denver Office of Economic Development
Denver South Economic Development Partnership
Downtown Denver Partnership Inc.
City of Englewood Community Development Dept.
Town of Erie
Federal Heights Redevelopment Agency
Grand Junction Economic Partnership
City of Greenwood Village
Jefferson County Economic Development Corp.
Lakewood Economic Development
City of Lone Tree
Longmont Economic Development Partnership
City of Louisville
Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation
Northern Colorado Economic Development Corp.
City of Northglenn
Northwest Douglas County EDC
Town of Parker
Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority
City of Thornton Office of Economic Development
Town of Superior
Westminster Economic Development
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Wheat Ridge 2020
Town of Windsor
For information regarding appearing in the EDC Profile
Section, please contact Jon Stern at 303.623.1148
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