Monthly Rankings: Colorado’s Top Five for July

Just as fireworks lit up the skies during last month's Independence Day celebrations, Colorado was busy lighting up the July rankings lists. The summer has treated our state well, with national rankings for Colorado's high quality of life, encouraging workplaces, tasty food, growing manufacturing industry, leading hospitals, beautiful bike paths, business investment opportunities, business atmosphere, and solar power generation. Let's just say it was difficult to choose only five favorites this time! Highlighting Colorado's impressive business climate, here are five rankings that especially dazzled us this month:

1. Outside magazine named 26 Colorado companies in its annual "100 Best Places to Work" rankings, which means almost one-third of the nation's best workplaces are located in Colorado! Nineteen Metro Denver companies made it on the list, including four in the top 10: GroundFloor Media, Zen Planner, ReadyTalk, and Gnip.
2. The University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) ranked as the top hospital in Colorado by U.S. News and World Report, with five of its specialties ranking in the top 50 national programs in their respective areas. The highest ranked program at UCH is the hospital's affiliated pulmonology program at National Jewish Health. Other nationally ranked programs at UCH included cancer, orthopedics, kidney disorders, and neurology and neurosurgery. With our famously healthy and active lifestyles, it's reassuring to know we have the resources to maintain our well-being right in our own backyard.
3. Colorado ranked third nationwide for private-equity and growth-capital investment value in 2012, according to a recent Private Equity Growth Capital report. Last year, sixty-seven companies in Colorado received $26.8 billion, just behind Texas and California.
4. Colorado ranked seventh in CNBC's annual "Top States for Business" ranking, moving up one spot from last year. Colorado excelled with the strength of its economy, as the seventh-fastest job growth in the nation since the recession ended. Colorado also received high marks for technology and innovation, as Denver and Boulder combined are in the top 10 cities for tech startups and more than 28 small businesses per 1,000 people are located in Metro Denver. Resources like the Colorado Innovation Network (COIN), launched by Governor Hickenlooper, support Colorado's innovation ecosystem, helping to grow companies and jobs.
5. Colorado ranked eighth for solar power generated per capita, in a report issued by the Colorado Solar Energy Industries and Environment Colorado Research and Policy Center. According to the report, solar capacity grew by nearly 15 percent in the state during 2012. Solar power systems in Colorado can now generate 52 watts per person or 270 megawatts of electricity. We may have a competitive edge with our 300 days of sunshine, but this electrifying ranking also shows that our state has emerged as a solar energy leader.

The Metro Denver region has once again made us proud of our healthy business climate. Stay tuned next month for a look at the August rankings for Metro Denver and Colorado. Hopefully, some of our impressive educational institutions will find their way to the top yet again, just in time to get us ready for "back to school."

Comments