< Previous36 C O L O R A D O: B U S I N E S S C O M E S T O L I F E RURAL JUMP-START RELIEF PROGRAM ZONE BENEFICIARIES Jointly administered by the Colorado Of ce of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), the Colorado Economic Development Commission (EDC), and the Colorado Department of Revenue, the Rural Jump-Start Zone program is a tax relief program for new businesses and new hires who locate into certain designated areas called Jump-Start Zones. The program sunsets on December 31, 2020, but supporters are advocating now with state legislators for its renewal. The program offers the following bene ts: • Relief from state income taxes for the new business • Relief from the state sales & use tax for the new business • Relief from county and municipal business personal property tax for the new business • Relief from state income taxes for the employee Eligible Counties: Alamosa, Archuleta, Baca, Bent, Chaffee, Cheyenne, Clear Creek, Conejos, Costilla, Crowley, Custer, Delta, Dolores, Fremont, Gar eld, Grand, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Jackson, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral, Montezuma, Morgan, Otero, Ouray, Park, Phillips, Prowers, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Routt (Steamboat Springs not eligible for inclusion), Saguache, San Juan, San Miguel, Sedgwick, Washington, Yuma Eligible Counties That Have Formed Rural Jump-Start Zones: Las Animas, Logan, Mesa, Moffat, MontroseSeptember , and plans to hire employees. Dude Solutions, approved on the same day, is a software-as- a-service (SaaS) provider of operations management solutions based in Cary, North Carolina. It began hiring employees right away, and leaders plan to ramp up to during its fi rst year in business. Other companies in the program in the area include: • Phoenix Haus, a Detroit-based manufacturer of premium ultra-energy-effi cient, carbon-free homes • Rocky Mountain Manufacturing, a maker of specialized prosthetics • Bio-Comp USA, a maker of high-end building materials • Pierce Corporation, a maker of agricultural and irrigation equipment • Kaart Group, a data mapping fi rm that employs • Qmast, a manufacturer of high-powered microwave systems to enhance production from oil shale • TSW Analytics, a provider of analytical lab services • Adaptive Towers, a maker of small-scale telecom towers. All have some connection to CMU, where offi cials recently opening the Colorado Mesa University Innovation and Cyber Security Center noted that entrepreneurs locating there can take advantage of not only the Rural Jump-Start Zone, but also Hub Zone, Opportunity Zone and Enterprise Zone programs. Ken Jensen, deputy director of Economic Development Commission programs for OEDIT, says the Jump- Start program was modeled on New York’s successful STARTUP NY program, requiring active partnership between companies and higher education institutions. (Other colleges connected to the program include Colorado College in Routt County.) He says sometimes counties are not quite ready to waive their business personal property taxes. e competition clause also is sometimes a sticking point, and there is discussion of modifying that requirement if the program is renewed. In New York, the requirement only extends to a company’s direct census tracts, while Colorado’s clause extends statewide — though existing Colorado fi rms currently can create a new corporate entity in another Colorado town and still qualify. He says the fi rms taking advantage in Montrose and Mesa counties are now part of strong ecosystems in software and small manufacturing. Jump-Start Zones catching on in Colorado’s other rural counties fi gure to cultivate their own unique networks and connections, contributing to a statewide root system supporting a diversifi ed crop of new companies. 38 C O L O R A D O: B U S I N E S S C O M E S T O L I F E ailwind Nutrition and Lightning Eliminators & Consultants Inc. are the two Colorado companies named in May as the winners of the 2019 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Exporting for their contributions to the Colorado economy through international trade. They’ll receive consulting services (see sidebar) through the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) Global Consultant Network. The award was established in 1970 to recognize economic growth through international business. Tailwind Nutrition, based in Durango, manufactures and sells endurance sports and recovery drinks for athletes training and competing in two-plus-hour sports, such as trail and ultra- running, road and mountain biking, hiking and others. The company exports to 23 foreign markets through distribution channels, employing 20 people and growing their Colorado manufacturing footprint in Durango, Colorado. Lightning Eliminators and Consultants Inc., in Boulder, incorporates physics and state-of-the-art engineering principles to implement patented lightning protection systems (LPS), solutions and services across multiple industries. It provides Lightning Protection for more than 80 countries and continues to grow. The two contributed to the $8.3 billion in Colorado goods exported in 2018, $7.7 billion of which was manufactured products. Computer and electronic products is the state’s largest manufacturing export category, accounting for $1.9 billion of Colorado’s total goods exports in 2018. That’s followed by food and kindred products ($1.7 billion), machinery other than electrical ($887 million), chemicals ($724 million) and (miscellaneous manufactured commodities ($473 million). Nearly 5,600 companies exported from Colorado locations in 2016, 87% of which were small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 500 employees, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. They generated 28.1% of Colorado’s exports in 2016 — remember Tailwind Nutrition and Lightening Eliminators? TOP MARKETS FOR COLORADO EXPORTS The Centennial State exported $1.4 billion in goods to Canada in 2018, which is 17% of the state’s total exports. The second largest recipient was Mexico ($1.3 billion), followed by China ($578 Agricultural exports, electronics are key components in Colorado’s cross-border trade strategy. by M AR K AR E N D T F D I , E X P O R T S & T R A D E Wher e’s the Bee f? On Its Way to Glob al Mar ketsHow Colorado Exporters Get Started Among Colorado’s resources for companies doing business in global markets is the Global Consultant Network of international consultants who connect Colorado companies to global opportunities. Colorado companies have access to international consultants in major markets including Canada, Mexico, Brazil, UK, France, Germany, Japan, UAE and China that provide valuable in- country market research. They can help Colorado companies: • Understand the opportunity for a product or service in their international market • Navigate the local regulatory and business environment • Identify potential in-market partners • Set meetings with potential partners and attend meetings upon request Colorado companies pay $500 for services provided by the Global Consultant Network and OEDIT covers the remaining amount of the services. The Colorado Of ce of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) supports small and medium- sized business through funds to offset international business development and marketing costs. The grant is funded by the Colorado Advanced Industries Acceleration Program, which was created in 2013 to promote growth and sustainability in Colorado’s advanced industries by helping drive innovation, accelerating commercialization, encouraging public-private partnerships, increasing access to early stage capital and creating a strong ecosystem that increases the state’s global competitiveness. million), South Korea ($ million) and Japan ($ million). What are these and other markets importing from Colorado? Lots of meat, among other goods. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Colorado exported $. billion in domestic agriculture goods in , including $ million in beef and veal, $ million in wheat and $ million in feeds and feed grains. Colorado’s top exports are boneless beef cuts (fresh/chilled), integrated circuits (excluding processors/controllers), medical/ dental/veterinarian instruments, beef cuts (boneless/frozen), aircraft parts, whole hides and skins, integrated circuits (processors/controllers), orthopedic appliances, pork cuts and hams. INVESTING IN COLORADO e Organization for International Investment (OFII), which tracks foreign direct investment into the United States on the national and state levels, reports that , jobs in Colorado are due to foreign-owned companies with operations in the state. At .% of the total employment base, Colorado has one of the highest percentages of FDI-based workers in the Rocky Mountain region. Employers from the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany support the most such jobs. OFII members active in Colorado include Bombardier (Canada), Ericsson (Sweden), Nissan (Japan), Siemens (Germany) and e Tata Group (India), among many others. C O L O R A D O: B U S I N E S S C O M E S T O L I F E 39 On Its Way to Glob al Mar kets40 C O L O R A D O: B U S I N E S S C O M E S T O L I F E olorado consistently ranks among the most educated states in the country, with good reason. The Centennial State is home to 31 two- and four-year public institutions, 19 of which are four- year colleges and universities, and 470 public, private, technical and occupational higher-education institutions. The state also boasts 24 statewide federal research and development laboratories. Colorado was named by Forbes as the No. 3 Most Educated State and No. 2 State for Educational Attainment by WalletHub in 2017. In fact, 39% of Coloradans have at least a bachelor’s degree, the second highest college attainment rate in the country, and 14% hold a graduate or professional degree. The University of Colorado (CU) system is comprised of four campuses in Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver and Aurora. In fall 2018, the total student enrollment among CU’s four campuses was 67,002. CU Boulder enrolled 34,870; UCCS enrolled 12,574; CU Denver enrolled 15,232 and the CU Anschutz Medical Campus enrolled 4,326. Several CU Boulder graduate programs ranked highly in U.S. News & World Report in 2019. The university was ranked No. 1 in the world for geosciences and No. 2 in the nation in atomic, molecular and optical physics. It’s also been ranked among the top 50 universities for National Science Foundation research funding. Boulder was named the No. 1 Best College Town by the American Institute for Economic Research in 2017. CU Boulder has had a lot of success helping new ideas come to market through its newest entrepreneurial programs like Ventures Partners, Commercialization Academy and Destination Startup. Innovative resources like these and the university’s boot camp programs connect students with industry experts and funding for research. Venture Partners at CU Boulder accounted for more than $48 million in commercialization-specific grants and $593.6 million in capital funding raised by startup companies commercializing CU Boulder technologies. by S AVA N N A H K I N G C Taking Colorado to New Heights UN I V E RS I T IE SC O L O R A D O: B U S I N E S S C O M E S T O L I F E 41 e CU Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora is home to six professional schools that off er more than health-care degree programs. e medical campus, which is one of the largest and most advanced academic medical campuses in the country, broke ground on its new Anschutz Health Sciences Building, which is expected to open mid-. e ,-sq.-ft. building will provide additional space for education, research and clinical programs. e CU School of Medicine is planning to establish a medical school branch in Fort Collins in partnership with Colorado State University. e partnership aims to create training programs that build on the strengths of CU’s leading medical education and CSU’s expertise in human, animal and public health. e new school is expected to enroll its fi rst students in . “We are pleased to forge this partnership with CSU to expand the opportunities for medical education in the state of Colorado,” said Donald Elliman Jr., chancellor for the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. “Together, we are able to off er an education based on outstanding programs at both campuses and to improve the quality of health care for all in Colorado.” e CU School of Medicine, based on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, already has a branch campus in Colorado Springs, where about students per year participate in their third- and fourth-year rotations and education. Each year, the School of Medicine matriculates students into its MD program. Colorado State University System has two physical campuses in Fort Collins and Pueblo, as well as its digital Global Campus — the nation’s fi rst, independent, % online accredited public university. CSU enrolls nearly , students annually. In Golden, Colorado School of Mines has the highest admissions standards of any public university in the state and has been ranked No. in various publications for its value, engineering programs and student success. Mines is a public research university with a focus on applied science and engineering, earth resources science and computational sciences. While these fi elds are typically dominated by men, Mines has seen an uptick in the number of women enrolling in its programs in recent years. e university boasts the largest collegiate section of the Society of Women Engineers in the U.S. Over the last decade, the university has quintupled the number of women majoring in computer science. e university was recently recognized by the National Center for Women & Information Technology for its work to increase computing education among women. In the U.S., women earn percent of all undergraduate degrees, but less than one-fi fth of computer and information science undergraduate degrees go to women. Mines has a longstanding reputation for the study of space resources and its work with space scientists, engineers, government and aerospace companies. e university received more NASA funding than any other public university and has trained several astronauts. e university’s new Space Resources Program is the fi rst in the world to off er a post-baccalaureate certifi cate and master of science and Ph.D. degrees in the emerging fi eld of space resources. e fi rst students began taking classes in spring . “ is is the very fi rst program in the world in space resources. ere’s been interest from space agencies, aerospace and mining companies and entrepreneurs around the globe,” said Angel Abbud- Madrid, director of the Center for Space Resources at Mines and research associate professor in mechanical engineering. “People in diff erent stages of their careers are excited about this next phase of space exploration and how we can take what we’ve learned on earth and apply it in space.” Whether students are interested in science, business or even outer space, Colorado’s universities are well-equipped to take students to new heights. Photo courtesy of Colorado State University, Flickr42 C O L O R A D O: B U S I N E S S C O M E S T O L I F E ngineering and applied R&D company EWI was so content with its fi rst Colorado lab facility that it opened a second. And then a third. e latest is a new innovation center dedicated to establishing best-in-class technical capabilities in advanced quality measurement technologies. It’s located at the Rocky Mountain Center for Innovation & Technology in Loveland, and its mission is to help manufacturers gain a competitive advantage through the application of advanced process monitoring and inspection control technology. Organizations like EWI bring their R&D work to Colorado to take advantage of the state’s Research and Development Tax Credit — a % income tax credit on research and experimental expenditures within an enterprise zone. More than federal labs have R&D facilities in the state, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases) and the National Ocea nic and Atmospheric Administration at Colorado State University in Fort Collins and the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder. Clusters of R&D are quickly noticed by manufacturers, and at EWI Colorado, manufacturers will fi nd expertise in advanced quality measurement. Focus areas for applied R&D include real-time manufacturing process monitoring and analysis, advanced nondestructive (NDE) evaluation, computer vision inspection, non-contact metrology and structural health monitoring. e center also works to enable manufacturers to transition proven, high-value, technologies to the factory fl oor. is technology focus was chosen for its E by M AR K AR E N D ClusterThe Rockies’ Colorado has what manufacturers want proximity to. R E S EA RC H & DE V E L O P M E N TC O L O R A D O: B U S I N E S S C O M E S T O L I F E 43 broad industrial relevance to Colorado industries following extensive regional and national focus groups, advisory group meetings, and customer input. ALL SECTORS NEED R&D “Manufacturers in Colorado and throughout the country agree that there is a need for more reliable NDE, as well as accurate real-time monitoring,” says Tom McGaughy, EWI’s Director of Technology. “ e activities at EWI Colorado will support development and implementation of those technologies across all manufacturing sectors.” Adds Chris Conrardy, EWI Vice President and Chief Technology Offi cer: “We are tremendously excited about opening EWI’s third lab facility in Colorado. With high-tech manufacturing growing rapidly in the state and outstanding regional partners, we have already established a strong foundation for the new center of excellence.” In , DataDirect Networks (DDN) opened a new facility in Colorado Springs, allowing signifi cant expansion of lab, testing and benchmarking facilities. It enables the big-data storage supplier to accelerate development eff orts and increase in-house capabilities to mimic customer applications and workfl ows. DDN says its new facility will help its engineers and technologists enhance their research, development and innovation capabilities in high-growth fi elds such as Analytics, AI and Machine Learning. On August , , Hach opened a state- of-the-art facility at its headquarters campus in Loveland to house research and development workspace. Hach is a leading supplier of water testing and analysis instruments and other systems. e new R&D facility allows off -site employees to join the approximately full- time employees on the campus. “We are excited about the opportunity this new facility gives us to invest in the success of our associates, provide an innovative place to work for residents of Northern Colorado, and enable us to continue to bring breakthrough innovations to help our customers be confi dent in their results globally,” noted Kevin Klau, President of Hach. e new building, named Pikes Peak, joins the existing Longs Peak and Torreys Peak buildings, all of which are named for Colorado’s Front Range mountain peaks measuring more than , feet tall. e expansion is part of a $ million investment, including updates to the existing facilities. With Pikes Peak, the campus now has more than , square feet of production, offi ce and meeting spaces, and state-of-the-art laboratories. “We are excited about the opportunity this new facility gives us to invest in the success of our associates, provide an innovative place to work for residents of Northern Colorado, and enable us to continue to bring breakthrough innovations to help our customers be confident in their results globally. ” — Kevin Klau, President of Hach Photo courtesy of The Colorado Tourism Office44 C O L O R A D O: B U S I N E S S C O M E S T O L I F E hen higher education and industries partner together, amazing things happen. Students find work, businesses find talent, and communities find growth and opportunity across the board. With 13 campuses across the state, Colorado’s community colleges are working with more than 300 business and community partners to train more than 169,000 workers. Every year, Colorado’s job training programs provide $4.5 million in grants to companies that are locating or expanding in the state. Reimbursing companies with the costs associated with job training allow companies to be more competitive, enhance employees’ skills, and encourage long-term employment and loyalty. Community colleges across Colorado partner with industry to prepare for the future. W ALL TOGETHER NOW C O MMU N I T Y C O L L E G E S & W OR K F OR C E D E V E L OP ME N T by S AVA N N A H K I N G Photos courtesy of Community College of Denver e Colorado First program works with companies relocating or expanding in the state by providing funding for training new employees. Another key program is the Existing Industries program which provides funding to established Colorado companies in order to remain competitive and adapt to new technologies. Both programs are administered by the Colorado Community College System (CCCS) and the Colorado Offi ce of Economic Development and International Trade and managed by participating colleges. Colorado has several prime examples of what can happen when companies lean into the workforce training programs off ered at its community colleges. For example, in the Colorado Community College System jumped into action when it learned of a critical shortage of skilled nurses. Estimates show the state will be short , nurses with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing (BSN) by . Such a shortage means local health care providers will have to import nurses from other states to fi ll vacant positions. In response, CCCS worked with state lawmakers to develop legislation that would encourage more nursing students to enroll, graduate and work in the state. e bill was met with robust support across the health care industry, economic development organizations and local offi cials. “ is legislation is about creating opportunities for Coloradans to succeed,” explained the bill’s sponsor Senator Tim Neville. “ ere are hundreds of job openings for skilled nurses every year in Colorado that are going unfi lled. And there are hundreds of nurses who would love to have those jobs, if they just had an aff ordable, accessible way to get the additional training and education they need. is bill will go a long way toward striking down the barriers that stand in their way.” Another example of successful workforce development partnership can be found at the Community College of Denver (CCD). With more than , students, it is the third-largest community college in the state and has recently become an entry point for international businesses seeking to tap into Colorado’s high-quality workforce. Earlier this year, German manufacturing company HEIDENHAIN partnered with CCD’s Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC) to train current and future manufacturing professionals on simulators donated by the company, as well as using HEIDENHAIN controllers for advanced machining equipment. e Advanced Manufacturing Center is a state-of-the-art, ,-square-foot facility that provides aff ordable, industry- recognized degree and certifi cate programs in machining and welding, as well as a wide range of opportunities for working professionals to develop new skills to stay ahead in an ever-changing technology landscape. CCD has established strong ties with many local and regional industry partners to provide comprehensive workforce development and training opportunities. For instance, CCD is one of only three nationwide training providers for BNSF Railways. In addition, customized training programs have been developed for CoorsTek, Lazy Days RV, Xcel Energy, the U.S. Mint, and other industry-leading companies. In addition to customized trainings for businesses, CCD continues to off er associate of applied science degree programs in fabrication welding, machining, and engineering graphics and mechanical design, as well as a variety of stackable basic and advanced certifi cate programs. “For HEIDENHAIN, this is an opportunity to increase market share in the region,” said AMC Director Matthew Sweeney. “ is also allows CCD to attract more local manufacturers into our programs so that their incumbent employees can earn new industry certifi cations and stay up to date on the latest technologies. Even the most experienced machinist can benefi t from the advanced machining equipment.” Next >