Fremont Economic Development Corp. looks to build off 2017 success

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Dr. William Humphreys speaks during the annual FEDC meeting Friday at the Abbey Events Complex.

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Endeavors intended to have major, long-term impacts on the local economy are heading toward overdrive this year with the Fremont Economic Development Corp.

During Friday's annual FEDC meeting at the Abbey Events Complex, Executive Director Rob Brown said FEDC had a great year in 2017, and the organization looks forward to many milestones this year.

He said a $15 million project that would employ 150 people is one step closer to completion.

"I got word Thursday from the professional services organization that has been producing this feasibility study that they have made the final recommendation that they are moving ahead and made the decision to locate their project in Fremont County," he said. "There is a lot of distance between that decision and putting a shovel in the earth, but the reality is we are making the moves in the right direction."

He said a separate manufacturing company will start work in February at the Fremont County Airport manufacturing individual chicken coop kits.

"They will employ a dozen people — they are good, quality jobs," Brown said. "They are the kind of jobs that should be coveted by the community, and they need to fill a bunch of those jobs."

He said despite unemployment challenges, they are having trouble filling such jobs.

Brown also talked about FEDC TechSTART, which has opened as a functional tech workspace on Main Street since its inception was announced at the 2017 annual dinner.

Fourteen businesses, organizations and individuals are housed in the Apex building located at 425 Main St.

"The way that I know it's a successful project is that before we took that on, we weren't relevant in the tech space," he said. "We competed for projects, and we lost projects in that space."

Since FEDC started putting momentum behind TechSTART, people have been reaching out and looking for opportunities in that space.

"We are now relevant, and we are now able to compete in that space," Brown said.

TechSTART also is working with Pueblo Community College and the local high schools to create an intern program for students to learn particular components of their future careers.

"This would be an opportunity possibly to create an atmosphere where these people might want to stay in town and build their careers in their backyard," Brown said.

A new initiative, FEDC WellSTART, is a new job creation opportunity that already has had a positive impact on local wellness, behavioral health, fitness and traditional health-care industries. Brown said a steering committee is working on an organizational structure and funding because of the benefits started by the success of TechSTART.

"We hope next year that they are where TechSTART is now," he said.

Brown also has noticed the large volume of people who are exiting the military in Southern Colorado, so FEDC is looking at ways to accommodate those individuals.

"These are highly trained, highly skilled, highly motivated, mission-oriented people that are exiting the military and looking for something to do," he said. "It could be an entrepreneurial start of a business, it could be a very high-quality employee for an existing business, it could be somebody that works for a national concern that happens to want to live in Fremont County and enjoy the transformative lifestyle that we've all come to appreciate."

Dr. William Humphreys, a retired Air Force colonel and an adjunct research staff member for the Institute for Defense Analyses in Alexandria, Va., spoke on the possibility of a "military" version of TechSTART during Friday's event.

Humphreys helps to plan and observe the operational testing of satellite communications systems and provides technical analysis and assessment for Director, Operational Test and Evaluation, a presidentially-appointed Assistant Secretary of Defense.

Humphreys and his wife moved to Cañon City more than 12 years ago.

He said military personnel who are retiring have two important assets: experience and security clearance.

He said transitioning from a military career to choosing where to live and finding a job can be intimidating.

"I think what TechSTART has to offer is the sort of thing that would help somebody jump off and do something on their own," he said.

Technology makes it possible for Humphreys to test satellites from Cañon City and stay in contact with colleagues from across the country and his office in Washington, D.C.

One enabler for other such jobs would be if Cañon City could be rated to have classified information.

"I believe there is plenty of space for us to do technology work here in Cañon City," he said.

For more information on FEDC, visit www.fedc.co, call 719-275-8601 or email info@fedc.co.

Carie Canterbury: 719-276-7643, canterburyc@canoncitydailyrecord.com