#15 Colorado
#27 in Taxation and Regulation
#24 in Workforce Quality
#2 in Living Environment
Right to Work? ✗
Regional Profile – West
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Key Industries
Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace, Agriculture, Bioscience, Food & Beverage, Health and Wellness, Homeland Defense, Logistics
Key Companies
Ball Corp.
Boston Market
Celestial Seasonings
Chipotle
Coors
Crocs
Dish Network
Einstein Bros. Bagels
Janus Capital Group
Advantages
Colorado’s startup community may be revving up. More businesses were launched in Colorado in 1Q16 than in the previous two quarters (individually), and business confidence held steady for the second month in a row, according to the Colorado University Index.
Challenges
Although flat against last month, confidence is down severely from a year ago, and businesses are very concerned about a talent shortage. In addition, new car/truck registrations dropped 23% in March, and used vehicle registration is down 14.9%, according to the Colorado Auto Dealers Association.
Key Contacts
Office of Economic Development and International Trade
Fiona Arnold, Executive Director
303-892-3840
1625 Broadway,
Suite 2700
Denver, CO 80202
fiona.arnold@state.co.us
http://www.advancecolorado.com/
CEO Comments
“Colorado used to be one of the best states to do business in, but the regulatory environment has continually gotten worse for employers. Also the cost of living has risen much faster than the national average for the last 5-7 years.”
“The Colorado Recreational Cannabis Law making the sale of recreational marijuana legal in Colorado has cause this state to BOOM! As tax revenues soar, $72 Million in taxes collected for cannabis vs. $40 million in alcohol tax revenue.”
Current Developments
2015 REGIONAL REPORT: The West
July 29, 2015
7 Best States for Startups
May 8, 2014
How 11 CEOs Unplug and Power Down
November 5, 2015
