Longmont, CO (August 4, 2020) – Longmont, Colorado – a city 30 miles north of Denver with a population of nearly 100,000 – has launched a national campaign to attract top talent and job seekers to the area.
Funded by business investors and local partners and spearheaded by Longmont Economic Development Partnership (Longmont EDP), the campaign takes a novel approach to attracting and retaining top talent for Longmont’s existing and future employers.
“We are focusing on talent and people looking for jobs and wanting to relocate because we know that the quality of a workforce – their skills and talents, as well as their emotional well-being – is vitally important to executives in making location and expansion decisions,” said Jessica Erickson, president and CEO of the Longmont EDP.
The campaign will focus on key geographic areas, including Boston, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Portland, and Minneapolis. These areas were chosen, Erickson said, because they have a similar and high Industry Location Quotient (meaning high concentration in Longmont’s target industries) and a high Occupation Location Quotient (meaning high concentration in the talent pool that’s relevant to the city’s target industries).
“Longmont brings together innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurial grit with an unparalleled quality of life,” Erickson added. “People live here because of the beautiful mountains, the access to outdoor activities, the brewpubs and nationally known restaurants, the weather…and they work here because of the strong work/life balance, advancement opportunities, and the innovative companies in Longmont.”
The campaign takes a multi-pronged and integrated marketing approach that will include paid and organic social campaigns, public relations and media relations outreach, and a website refresh.
Longmont is perfectly positioned for this push, Erickson added, noting that the city has had a 1.2 percent average annual economic growth since 2013. It is home to a number of advanced technology companies that are engaged in cutting-edge R&D, and the translation of ideas into products. Names like Intel, Seagate, Xilinx, Western Digital, Micron, Sticker Giant, AveXis, J.M. Smucker Company, Left Hand Brewing, Oskar Blues, and others populate Longmont’s industry landscape. In Longmont alone, more than 200 global companies have a presence and employ more than 11,000.
In 2019 Longmont was named the #1 Boomtown in the U.S. by smartasset.com
“We are Colorado’s best-kept secret, but it’s one that we want everyone to know about,” Erickson said.
Longmont’s key industries clusters include:
SMART MANUFACTURING: Longmont is a national center for the manufacturing of tomorrow, where leading companies are designing and building the next frontier of advanced manufacturing technology. Companies here are creating everything from optical devices to smart city technology, storage batteries to surgical tools. These are the companies that are building the devices that redefine the ways today’s industries operate and that make the reality of whole new industries happen.
JOBS: 2,154
PROJECTED 5-YEAR GROWTH: 1.8%
AVERAGE EARNINGS: $96,480
FOOD & BEVERAGE: Food and beverage companies are a well-established cornerstone of Longmont’s industrial diversity. We are not only home to national breweries, craft distilleries and artisan eateries, we are also a hub for national and international food companies and their manufacturing. This is a place where you can build a reputation and a career in the food & beverage industry while you tantalize taste buds and influence tastemakers across the globe.
JOBS: 699
PROJECTED 5-YEAR GROWTH: 15.7%
AVERAGE EARNINGS: $51,820
KNOWLEDGE CREATION & DEPLOYMENT: Longmont is a center for new knowledge and breakthroughs. We are a national hub for cutting-edge R&D and deployment in engineering, physical and life sciences. You will find numerous private research labs in our community, as well as medical, pharma, and bioengineering and biotechnology companies looking to hire innovative thinkers who can help them push the boundaries of our scientific knowledge.
JOBS: 1,857
PROJECTED 5-YEAR GROWTH: 5%
AVERAGE EARNINGS: $127,430
The second pillar of the national efforts will include outreach to site selectors and corporate relocation and expansion decision-makers.
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ABOUT Longmont EDP: A 501(c)6 non-profit organization founded in 1981, Longmont EDP is funded with both public and private dollars. More than 120 private sector businesses join the City of Longmont, Boulder County, and Platte River Power Authority as our economic partners. Longmont Economic Development Partnership leads a comprehensive approach to building an economic ecosystem that not only supports but champions businesses and their owners. From world-famous brewers to smart manufacturing plants, specialized business catalysts to world-class research facilities, our businesses in Longmont build an economy that champions growth, prosperity, and inclusion. Longmont’s newly launched economic development strategy, Advance Longmont 2.0, focuses on quality job creation and business investment. We activate a powerful civic infrastructure that identifies problems, creates innovative solutions, and implements these programs across partner organizations. For us, Advance Longmont means doing it together. Learn more at www.longmont.org.
