COLORADO SPRINGS : Climbing to the heights of High-Tech

ColoradoBiz, June, 2001 by Jan Couch

PIKES PEAK ISN'T THE ONLY HIGH POINT IN COLORADO SPRINGS.

In fact, the once-serene and sedate resort town has given birth to a vibrant metropolis of more than a half million people, all the while racking up impressive marks in terms of quality of life, business climate, economic diversity and community leadership.

Check out recent accolades for Colorado Springs:

* Leads the nation in high tech growth and is the 2nd most "tech savvy" city in the nation, according to the American Electronics Association.

* Named the 10th "best place in America to do business," by Forbes magazine in 2000.

* Listed as the 17th fastest growing city in the United States, according to Census Bureau statistics released in October 2000

* Rated as the 13th "most physically fit" city in the United States, according to Men's Fitness magazine.

* Named 10th "hottest city for relocation and expansion," according to Expansion Management magazine. The publication also ranked Colorado Springs 5th among the Top 25 High Tech Cities in January 2001.

* Rated 6th in the nation for software workforce concentration, according to the Software and Information Industry Association.

* Ranked 2nd in the nation for home Internet access with 65 percent of the population going online and 75 percent owning computers.

* Ranked 2nd for the shortest commute among 60 technology oriented cities in the U.S., according to chamber of commerce data.

* Selected as 2nd in the world, among cities between 300,000 and 1 million residents, for environmental management of municipalities.

No wonder Gov. Bill Owens has selected Colorado Springs to host Tech Summit 2001, an annual event that touts Colorado as one of the high-tech hubs of the world. Last year, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates gave the keynote address at Denver's Buell Theater, drawing attention from media worldwide. This year's summit, to be held at the Pikes Peak Center in downtown Colorado Springs later this summer, will further the city's reputation as a cutting-edge technology center, according to Chamber of Commerce President Will Temby.

"The summit is a great idea, and quite candidly, we convinced the governor's staff that it would be good for Colorado to hold the annual summit throughout the state," said Temby, who added a division of technology and international trade to the chamber since becoming president in 2000.

Bob Balink holds that position, not only to spotlight high-tech activities but also to develop local companies and small business owners into savvy exporters, said Temby.

"We will be an educational resource to our members because international trade can seem like a daunting proposition to small businesses," said Temby. "By helping our customers in this area, we think international trade will be a real upside to our economy

In recent years, Colorado Springs has become more cosmopolitan than many outsiders might expect. Not only is the spectacular scenery responsible for attracting tourists from all over the world, but many CEOs and international executives visit the Center for Creative Leadership that sits on 66 acres of prime real estate a short drive from the renowned Broadmoor Resort and Conference Center.

The center's special training program, dubbed Leadership at the Peak, was rated as the best executive training program by the Wall Street Journal, according to Campus Director Bruce Byington.

"The 5-day program blends self-discovery, self-development and fitness activities, all set against a backdrop of real-world business themes," said Byington.

About 3,500 people attend programs at CCI's Colorado Springs' campus, mostly executives from Fortune 500 companies and company leaders from South America, Europe, Africa, Australia, Japan and the Middle East.

"Although our mission is training, we also feel we're helping the community by exposing top level executives to Colorado Springs," said Byington.

Another program that draws an impressive array of executives and scientists is the annual National Space Symposium, hosted by the United States Space Foundation, which is based in Colorado Springs. Hundreds of space and satellite technology experts convene at the prestigious conference to share information and cut deals. In 2000, more than $5 billion worth of contracts were signed. The $120 billion industry counts Colorado as a major player (behind California and Florida), with many space, aerospace and related firms located in Colorado Springs.

Without a doubt, Colorado Springs is racking up high marks all over the place. Some, quite frankly, are out of this world.

HITTING THE HIGH NOTES IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

MAJOR DEALS IN 2001

* Intel opens its 500,000 square foot campus, investing $1.5 billion to retrofit the never used Rockwell building located on Garden of the Gods Road. The chip and flash memory manufacturing facility will employ about 1,150 workers by summer and up to 2,000 within the next few years. Intel recently signed an option to buy 700 acres in southeast Colorado Springs, possibly for a second plant. The reason for Intel's commitment to Colorado Springs? Infrastructure, education, civic pride, community involvement and air and water quality.