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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.” :