Public, private sectors should align to aid state's economy
BYLINE: Joe Blake
The competition for economic growth has never been more intense. Our state regularly goes head to head with Arizona and Texas, and even other countries, as businesses seek to expand or relocate.
Growing enterprises are searching for dynamic business environments. They require skilled workers, healthy communities and reliable infrastructure. These are the factors that define competition for jobs in the 21st century.
And these are the factors that have become so important for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce as we collaborate to spread economic opportunity in our communities and throughout Colorado.
The margin of error is incredibly tight in these competitive times. Potential employers will bypass a state that falls behind on these factors. Companies will not wait for education systems to produce a trained work force at some point in the future. They cannot afford substandard roads and bridges.
Colorado succeeds when competitive factors consistently function at peak performance. That reality led the business community and Coloradans to reinvest in our state's economy last November. The Centennial State is again on the path to economic vitality. Yet, there remain many challenges ahead.
These challenges are the primary focus of "Business for a Competitive Colorado," a report from the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. It focuses on economic development for the entire state.
"Business for a Competitive Colorado" highlights the importance of creating a vibrant economy and identifies 11 statewide industry clusters - agriculture, tourism, aerospace, bioscience, energy, financial services, information technology and software, air transportation, beverage production, broadcasting and telecommunications, and computer storage and peripherals - that are essential to strengthening the state's economy.
The report advocates how to develop the business environments necessary to attract and expand each industry cluster and how to bring opportunity to the Western Slope, San Luis Valley and eastern plains, as well as the Front Range.
The business community has focused on competitive factors for many years. However, we cannot build a strong economy alone. There must be alignment between the private and public sectors to address Colorado's competitive challenges. Those seeking to lead Colorado's public sector must commit to alignment and take the steps necessary to ensure that we are ready to attract primary jobs.
This alignment will open the valves of Colorado's economy and allow opportunity to flow across our state. This depends on effective collaboration between the public and private sectors. It requires actions, not words.
Imagine the potential if the public and private sectors aligned themselves to address the issues that inhibit Colorado's key industries. Colorado would have a road map to economic vitality that would surpass its competition. More importantly, we would have actionable steps to enhance key industries and ultimately bring more jobs to Colorado.
To move forward, the public and private sectors must transcend what divides us and focus on what brings us together: strengthening Colorado's economy. Recent history provides strong examples of Coloradans' will to better our state. Such actions took courage and leadership from our elected officials, and the investment and support of the business community.
The DMCC is prepared to collaborate with elected officials. We are ready to align our goals, compete for jobs and together strengthen Colorado's economy.