The city Grand Junction in western Colorado is attracting a windfall in investments thanks to a combination of easy accessibility, an abundance of skilled workers, and the effective efforts of its main economic development agency.
Under the leadership of Executive Director Curtis Englehart, the Grand Junction Economic Partnership (GJEP), reported a banner year in 2022, which was very evident in its annual growth report. Every $1 invested in the GJEP that year generated $20 in economic impact.
The year-end report also highlighted the $15.7 million in total economic impact last year as a result of its business promotion efforts, which created new jobs valued at around $8.9 million and drove around $6.8 million in capital expenditures.
“The unique thing about Grand Junction is we are centrally located between Salt Lake City and Denver. We are the major western hub between those two big cities. And we have ease of access to I-70 interstate. Transportation is very efficient for importing and exporting needs. We have a great regional airport too. We have the logistics box checked as well. I would also add that being on the west side of the Rocky Mountains allows for much easier transportation to serve that whole West Coast market,” Englehart explained.
Another factor tipping the business development scales in favor of Grand Junction Economic Partnership’s is the community of highly skilled individuals.
“Another very strong asset we have is our workforce. When we talk about economic development, you can't get too far in the conversation without discussing workforce. Our workforce is very robust. These things make us extremely attractive when it comes to a business looking to relocate or expand to the area,” Englehart said.
