JUMP-STARTON A PROSPEROUSFUTURE
BY KRISTEN LUMMIS
Three years after the Rural Jump-Start program was created, numerous relocated businesses now provide employment opportunities for CMU students and alumni, and a boost to the local economy
In 2016, Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) chose Mesa County as the first of three counties to participate in the Rural JumpStart Program. This program provides tax incentives to employers and employees at new or expanding businesses within designated regions in Colorado that meet specific wage and employment targets.
Not surprisingly, the generous incentives have made JumpStart the number one tool for business recruitment to Mesa
County, according to Steve Jozefczyk, Grand Junction Economic Partnership (GJEP) deputy director.
To date, 12 counties have formed Jump-Start zones and 14 businesses are participating in the Colorado program. Of this total, 13 are in Mesa County and one is in Montrose County. Anong them is Phoenix Haus, a manufacturing company that relocated from Michigan to Grand Junction in 2017.
Phoenix Haus produces energy-efficient, panelized homes. Operations Manager Kate McDonald stresses that Jump-Start was “a big factor in our decision to come to Grand Junction.” An important factor was the opportunity to work closely with CMU faculty and students. To participate in Jump-Start, businesses apply through a local college or university and must show how they will work with the university to create employment for students and new graduates.
