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| | Located where east meets west…where the Rocky Mountains begin and the eastern plains end. The Denver metro region is strategically located midway between Europe and the Far East. The Mountain Time Zone allows easy communication with both coasts, as well as with Europe, South America and the Far East in the same business day. Denver is the largest city in the U.S. to offer a one-bounce real-time satellite uplink to 6 out of the  7 continents in one single business day. The region provides easy access to the finest skiing and summer mountain activities in the world… all less than 90 minutes away.
The international marketplace can be easily served from a Denver metro location. The metro area is on the 105th meridian, the exact midpoint between Tokyo and Munich. This location provides easy access by air and satellite communications to Europe, the Far East, and Latin and South America. The Denver area is also well positioned midway between Canada and Mexico to take full advantage of the opportunities created by NAFTA. Colorado is consistently a huge exporter of manufactured goods, minerals and agricultural/food products, regularly exporting more than the national average. Colorado’s top trading partners include Canada, Japan, Germany, China and the United Kingdom. | |
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| |  Denver has the third highest IT sector in the U.S. Unemployment in Denver is right around 3%.
Denver International Airport has 25 airlines offering non-stop flights to 110 US cities, as well as non-stops to London, Canada, and Mexico. DIA boasts the best on-time record of the 20 largest airports in the world. Centennial Airport, which is adjacent to Meridian International Business Center, is the second busiest general aviation airport in U.S.
Denver is the cultural capitol of the Rocky Mountains. The city hosts 5 major league sports franchises (Broncos football, Avalanche hockey, Rockies baseball, Nuggets basketball, and Rapids soccer). Throughout the metro area tens of thousand acres of open space make up one of the finest public park systems in the country. | |
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| |  The 90’s were a period of strong population growth in the Denver metropolitan area. Douglas County, where Meridian is located, was the fastest growing county in the country during the decade. It is estimated that migration will average about 20,000 per year between 2000 and 2010, then will continue to fall throughout the longer term. These forecasts are based on lower national population growth rates, the aging of the population and healthy economic conditions across the U.S. As a result, total population gains are expected to average 1.5% per year in the first decade of the 2000’s. Among the nation’s 25 largest cities, the Denver metro area has the highest percentage of population in the 35-to-54-year-old age group. This age group typically has high average incomes, in part explaining the states excellent economic performance. The Denver metro area continues to be a magnet for young, well-educated people looking for the opportunities and lifestyle that the area offers. The largest numbers of people come from California, Texas, Arizona, Florida and New Mexico.
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|  The median household effective buying income (income after taxes) in the Denver metro area is $39,739, which is about 12% higher than the national average. Among the 30 largest metro areas in the U.S., the Denver metro area ranks eighth in the projected growth in total income between 1998 and 2003. | |
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| |  One of the Denver area’s greatest assets as a business location is its highly educated population. This means that the area has a highly skilled and productive labor force. The K-12 education system in the metro area includes 19 public school districts, as well as a number of private and parochial school systems. Colorado students regularly score higher on average on both the ACT and SAT than the national average. There are 16 4-year colleges and universities with enrollments of at least 200 students operating in the metro area, as well as numerous satellite universities. Nearly 120,000 students attend college in the metro area. Many of the area’s colleges and universities also offer non-traditional or adult education programs, including evening and weekend part-time tracks for those seeking degrees. Nine 2-year and community colleges in the metro area provide programs and short courses for nearly 40.000 students. The community colleges are anxious to work with business to provide special training assistance and to tailor courses to meet the needs of area employers. Financial programs are available from state and federal sources to assist new and expanding employers with training costs. More than 90 vocational/technical schools are located in the metro area, offering courses in dozens of program areas.
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| |  Colorado leads the nation in economic strength and growth potential, according to the Corporation for Enterprise Development’s Development Report Card for the States. This study also showed Colorado as one of the most diverse economies in the country. This diversification means greater economic stability than areas with more specialized economies. The Denver area has experienced positive job growth every year since 1988 and employment growth has been exceptionally strong since 1993. The strongest job gains have been posted in the construction, transportation and communications, finance/insurance/real estate and business services categories. 4 major business sectors—services, trade (wholesale and retail), government and manufacturing—provide nearly 80% of the employment in the metro area. This balanced has traditionally helped minimize the impacts of a weak sector on the economy. The Denver metro area boasts a very diverse cross-section of industries including aerospace, telecommunications, biotechnology, financial services, airlines, consumer products, computers and energy. Major employers are located throughout the metro area, providing a good geographic balance in employment centers. The Denver metro area economy has evolved from one that was fueled by the high-wage jobs of the oil and gas industry to one that shows incredible strength in the high-tech sectors of the future.
Source for Info:
Denver Metro Economic Profile
Patricia Silverstein
Development Research Partners, Littleton, CO
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