July 2010
NCT Technologies Group, Inc., an EDC-assisted company, recently announced the opening of an expansion facility in Colorado Springs that will employ 18 over the next five years. NCT, headquartered in New Carlisle, Ohio, is a provider of full service business and product solutions relating to metal fabrication, product development and partnered engineering services. Click here for more details. Affiliated Computer Services also announced in June plans to hire another 150 jobs at their Garden of the Gods service center in addition to the original 600 jobs previously announced. Despite a challenging year, due to the poor national economy, it seems as though companies may be positioning to begin moving forward with some outstanding projects. EDC-assisted jobs number 838, year to date.
EDC prospect activity is picking up. During the month of June, EDC hosted two company visits and anticipate several additional visits during the summer. We have initiated a direct e-mail campaign to 10,000 California companies within our target sectors and are planning a familiarization tour of the Pikes Peak region for 10 top national site selection consultants on September 23-26.
Visits by EDC’s Local Industry division to the region’s primary employers number 116, year to date. Thanks to our elected officials and business leaders for their participation.
The EDC needs your help in marketing our region. As a follow-up to our previous request for your help, the attached two page marketing piece includes ten advantages of doing business in the region and many of our national rankings. As you interact with others on a personal or professional basis, while traveling or just on the phone, please consider how you can help us get the message out that our region is a "great place in which to live and do business". Please distribute this information to all of your employees, co-workers, business contacts, family and friends and then ask them to do the same - Facebook, Twitter, My Space, e-mail or just hand it out on your next business trip. If you connect with a primary employer (defined as an employer that has the majority of their business with customers outside the region) that may be considering an expansion or relocation and would like to know more about our region, please contact the EDC and we will do the follow up. Help us find the quality jobs that almost 20,000 of our unemployed neighbors and friends need now.
Engage Colorado Springs/2010 Business Development and Relocation Guide, published by the Colorado Springs Business Journal in cooperation with the EDC, Chamber of Commerce and Experience Colorado Springs, provides a comprehensive set of data and general information about the Pikes Peak region. Access the new 2010 edition by clicking here.
El Paso County’s population boom ended in 2008 according to 2009 Census Bureau estimates. Colorado Springs eked out a 0.63 percent increase to reach an estimated 399,827 people. As a whole, the state grew by an estimated 1.8 percent. According to Fred Crowley, the slow growth probably reflects the sluggish economy and military deployments. (Source: The Gazette.)
Wage growth in El Paso County outpaced the rest of the State in 2009, rising nearly four times faster last year than in the rest of the state. The county's average weekly wage for 2009 rose 2.1 percent from a year earlier to $811. Dr. Fred Crowley attributes the positive growth to the buildup of troops at Fort Carson but cautioned that these gains, compared with the rest of the state, are unlikely to continue into this year and next. (Source: The Gazette.)
The United States Air Force Academy is an economic jewel for the region's economy. Military and civilian jobs number 10,350 with 3,553 indirect jobs. For fiscal year 2009, the economic impact of the USAFA on the local region was approximately 780 million dollars. There are approximately 75,000 retired military members and dependents in the region and nearly half use the Academy's facilities. (Source: U.S. Air Force Academy.)
Colorado Springs ranked 7th “Best Mid-Size City” by Portfolio.com. The study was ranked on healthy economies, moderate living costs, light traffic and strong educational systems. Portfolio.com compared 109 medium-sized markets with populations between 250,000 and 750,000. Click here for more details.
Jobs, Trade and Economic Recovery will be addressed by senatorial candidates at the Stargazers Theater on July 20, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Invited candidates are Andrew Romanoff, Ken Buck, Lieutenant Governor Jane Norton, and Senator Michael Bennett. Click here for more details.
USA Boxing National Championships return to Colorado Springs, July 12 – 17. Click here for full details.
The Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo would like to extend an invitation to Colorado Springs employers to participate in this year’s rodeo and chuckwagon cookoff on Saturday, July 17 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Click here for more information on the cookoff. The Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo runs July 14 through 17 at the Norris-Penrose Event Center. Plan to attend this terrific event that benefits our military families. For more information, click here.
“Building a Great City Through Sports” will be the topic of a luncheon co-hosted by EDC and The Sports Corporation on Tuesday, August 24 at The Broadmoor, International Center. Jim Morris, President of the NBA Indiana Pacers, and Scott Blackmun, CEO of the United States Olympic Committee will speak at the event. Reservations may be made by clicking here.
The 23rd EDC Tournament of Teams, sponsored by La Plata Communities, Inc. and The Boeing Company, will be held Monday, August 2, 2010 at Pine Creek Golf Club. Register by clicking here. Please contact Shawn Dahlberg at sdahlberg@csedc.org or 719-884-2832 if you wish to sponsor a hole or donate a door prize.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact Julie Boswell at jboswell@csedc.org or at 719-471-8183.