Spoke + Blossom - Tech Boom in Western Colorado

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TECH INDUSTRY EXPANDS IN GRAND JUNCTION Words by Kimberly Nicoletti | Photos courtesy of ProStar

P

age Tucker is the first to admit that Grand

point where we can leverage resources that

Junction “probably was not the ideal place

can benefit tech companies. Now, it’s an ideal

to start a tech company” when he envisioned

environment for small tech companies.”

and launched ProStar, which maps above- and

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below-ground infrastructure, in 2014. Afterall,

THE FOUNDATION: EDUCATION

he started his first geographic information

Normally, rural areas like the Western Slope

system (GIS) company in Silicon Valley. But, he

present significant challenges for small tech

wanted to move close to his entrepreneurial dad,

upstarts due to the lack of skilled employees. But

who lived in Grand Junction, so Tucker took the

in the last several years, Colorado Mesa University

plunge and started ProStar.

(CMU) has made a concerted effort to meet the

“My goal was to help Grand Junction turn

demands of employers through its professional

into a technological hub,” Tucker says. “Everyone

certificates and minors in cybersecurity, as well

thought I was crazy. Once we got here, it was

as its bachelor’s degrees in computer science.

evident that there was not much technology

The cybersecurity program ramped up in

here. But over time, we have gotten to a critical

2019, with expanded course offerings and a

new lab with its own hardware, software and

companies who have chosen to move to Grand

network resources to help students engage in

Junction through the Rural Jump Start Program

hands-on cybersecurity research. The programs

have benefitted the most as they have had a direct

have helped connect businesses with students

tie to CMU through their internship programs,”

through internships, senior design projects and testing curriculum. “ E n ro l l m e n t

in

c om pu t e r

science

and cybersecurity has increased with the advancement of new class offerings,” says Tom Benton, director of CMU’s Maverick Innovation & Cyber Security Center. “As the number of programs at CMU have expanded, so have businesses who use these graduates. Recent employment growth at local businesses like Coorstek, West Star Aviation, ProStar Geocorp and the Kaart Group are all tied to advancements in technology. Moreover, the area has seen new arrivals such as Pax8 and Cloudrise, along with Rural Jump Start companies seeking to tie into the talent pool at CMU, as these are students who moved to Grand Junction for their education and

Benton says. “The benefits go both ways, as most

wish to remain when they graduate.”

of these companies offer a type of business that

ProStar was the first company to create a paid internship for CMU students. Upon graduation,

did not exist in Colorado before they moved into Mesa County.”

Tucker often hires them. “If you’re going to be a tech company, you have to continuously have

THE GLUE: LIFESTYLE

a pool of resources to tap into,” Tucker says.

As an avid mountain biker, Eggebrecht used to

“Otherwise, you have to recruit them, and that

blow by Grand Junction on his way to Moab from

can be expensive.”

Avon or the Front Range. Eventually, he took

And, “CMU interns have been world-class,”

time to explore areas like the Redlands, Palisade

says Rob Eggebrecht, co-founder and CEO of

and Colorado National Monument, and that’s

Cloudrise. The fact that tech companies pay a bit

when he decided to call it home. Now, he loves

more than the average Western Slope company

that his commute only takes 12 minutes, and 10

also helps attract and retain employees, Tucker

minutes later, he’s biking or on the river.

“There are a lot of hidden gems here,”

adds.

“We’re doing our part to turn Grand Junction

Eggebrecht says, referring to both the recreation

into a tech hub,” he says, adding that ProStar

and the residents. “One of the benefits is the

was the first company on the Western Slope to go

quality of people here, not just the students.

public on the Toronto Stock Exchange. “We were

There’s a lot of diversity here.”

one of the pioneers, but it takes a village.”

After eight years in Avon and even more on

ProStar was also the first to receive

the Front Range, Eggebrecht grew tired of I-70

Colorado’s Rural Jump-Start Program incentives,

traffic, housing costs and a degrading sense of

which provides grants and tax relief amounts up

community. “[The Western Slope] just doesn’t

to $40,000 for new businesses and up to $5,000

have the pressure that a lot of us got tired of,

per new hire, depending on location.

living and growing up on the Front Range,”

educational

Eggebrecht explains. “This is a breath of fresh air.

programs around technology has helped all

“CMU’s

investment

in

People are pouring out of the Front Range, Eagle

of our businesses locally, but perhaps the new

County and the Roaring Fork Valley, because it’s

SPOKE+BLOSSOM

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too expensive to raise kids, and there’s no sense

The Western Slope historically relied on

of community. People who live and work here

gas and oil economically, but with changing

really want to be here.”

policies, it’s essential for the area to diversify its

“Even though the cost of living is increasing,

business economy. “Because Western Colorado is

it’s still significantly lower, and the services to

a great place to live, we need to have jobs that use

support a business are not the same burden

advanced science to attract cutting-edge companies

of overhead costs [as in large cities],” Tucker

and sharp minds to keep our economy growing,”

continues.

Benton says. “Some of us remember the dark days

SNAPSHOT OF WESTERN SLOPE TECH COMPANIES ProStar Geocorp A world leader in developing Precision Mapping Solutions® to manage critical infrastructure, such as utility lines above and below the Earth’s surface. It is currently working with the city of Grand Junction to develop a Smart City, which uses technology to function more efficiently. prostarcorp.com Cloudrise Elevating data protection, privacy and cloud security programs. The company recently acquired CyberOrchard, an information security managed services company in the United Kingdom, allowing global expansion. Within a year of moving to Grand Junction, Cloudrise opened a space inside the Bonsai

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Building on the Riverfront at Las Colonias Park, and “we continue to scale to meet demand,” says Robert McLean, sales and marketing operations specialist. cloudrise.com Coorstek A “great place to work-certified company” in 2021 that manufactures technical ceramics for aerospace, automotive, electronics, medical, semiconductor and many other industries. coorstek.com West Star Aviation Provides business aircraft maintenance, modifications and more, as well as FlightSafety and SimuFlite trained technicians. weststaraviation.com Kaart Group Providing current global geographic data to power the world’s most advanced navigation devices. kaart.com

GROWL Specializes in inbound marketing to evolve brands and drive leads and revenue. “Outside of the office, we’re engaged with economic and community development. From leading Chamber of Commerce events to volunteering with local non-profits, our community is our home and our passion,” states the website. growlagency.com Pax 8 A cloud technology company with a remote work hub in Grand Junction. “(Pax8) has identified Grand Junction as a great place to live and do business and as a place with highly qualified talent,” states Mara Hardy, business development manager at the Grand Junction Economic Partnership, on builtincolorado.com. pax8.com

when a dominant industry for the region caught a cold, and we all became economically sick. With this type of diversity, the chances of experiencing another recession are much less likely, and that bodes well for our families and friends who call the Grand Valley home.”

THE PANDEMIC EFFECT The influx of CEOs and remote workers began before COVID-19 hit. Then, pandemic shutdowns opened up a Pandora’s Box of people moving where they always wanted to live — like Colorado — because the office no longer tied them down. The old corporate model of everyone working on a large campus disintegrated, and a whole new world of remote employees emerged.

“They thought productivity would decrease, but it didn’t,” Tucker shares. “A lightbulb went off. It opened up a pool to hire outside the geographic area and pay them as well as they do in big cities, which is sometimes a 40% to 50% increase … which allows people to buy bigger houses, get married, have kids and create an ecosystem of a technological hub.”

He encourages more tech companies to start on the Western Slope, stating that ProStar is proof that innovation can occur anywhere.

“I encourage it 100%, because the landscape becomes more competitive, which increases the average pay, which attracts more people from other areas … and gives us more resources to select from. It won’t take long before we go from a dozen tech companies to three dozen to 50 companies. Then, they’ll feed off each other. The reason it will happen here in Grand Junction is based on the cost of living and the lifestyle that we’re familiar with; it’s just familiarizing other people with it,” Tucker believes.

“We’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg of tech companies opening headquarters or opening up a satellite office. There’s just as much opportunity to start a tech company in Grand Junction than there is in any other region. In fact, it’s far greater because of the ecosystem the community has built and is continuing to build and expand.” :