USA - Rocky Mountains

Three years after a $60-billion deficit threatened to sink the Golden State, state legislators are arguing over how to spend a surplus.

There may be fewer projects to aim for in the highly competitive environment of a recovering economy, but those who hope to succeed must find a way that distinguishes them from the rest of the field. Here are the organizations that have established a consistent standard of excellence and embraced the best practices to secure the projects that bring bundles of new jobs to their locations. From the March/April 2013 issue.

President Obama is scrambling to fix a 2011 law, intended to prevent broadly defined patent infringement claims, that appears to have backfired.

A new survey says 60 percent of Americans would welcome driverless cars on U.S. roads.

Responding to growing worldwide demand for its energy-saving and emissions reducing control systems, components and services, Woodward requires additional capacity. The new Colorado site will be acquired for the future construction of facilities to meet growing customer demand.

As the global financial system continues to mend, venture capital is beginning to flow back into the biotechnology sector. In Europe, the largest biomed players are thriving, while entrepreneurial biotech start-ups gain traction in the U.S. From the March/April 2013 issue.

As more states pass tough new gun control measures, weapons makers threaten to pack up and move to gun-friendly locations.

The average wage for jobs in the Utah life sciences industry is $59,480, or 53 percent above the private-sector average of $38,932. From the January/February 2013 issue

Baxter International's decision to make a $1.3-billion investment in an expansion of its bio/pharmaceutical manufacturing promises to propel the Peach State into the front ranks of national biotech powerhouses. From the January/February 2013 issue.

Capital investment in Boulder manufacturing plant more than doubles spacecraft production to accommodate business growth and new programs.

Four projects were cited for Honorable Mentions in Business Facilities' 2012 Economic Development Deal of the Year competition.

Boeing expects to refurbish the 850,000 square foot building to complement the company's current operations in Salt Lake County. Sitts & Hill will design the space inside the building's factory area. Design and construction are expected to take two years.

Visa will receive tax credits from Colorado's Job Growth Incentive Tax Credit for the creation of up to 406 new jobs over five years.

The heavy manufacturing company will help diversify the area’s economy. Heavy manufacturing jobs, in particular, are very good jobs and create a lot of spinoff economic activity.

GOED assists ENVE in adding to Utah’s outdoor products market; in return, the company will add 324 new jobs with the opening of the Ogden plant. Oct 23, 2012 @ 11:02 AM

The global financial contraction put a squeeze on seed money for biotech startups, forcing locations to build their biotech future the old-fashioned way: with long-term planning and a comprehensive strategy for growth. From the May/June 2012 issue.

Gov. Gary Herbert is well on the way to hitting his target of 100,000 jobs in 1,000 days, unveiling several new high-wage projects in growth sectors. From the May/June 2012 issue

From the snow-capped Rockies of Wyoming to the scenic vistas of the Tennessee Valley, new data centers are popping up across the landscape as a hot growth sector continues to expand. From the May/June 2012 issue

Millions of pixels are helping to create thousands of jobs in a new high-growth sector of the economy. From feature films to video games, digital media is spreading its computer-generated wings and flying, from traditional locations like California, Massachusetts and New York to up and coming industry leaders Utah, Louisiana and Rhode Island. From the March/April 2012 issue.

Every year, we showcase the economic development deals with the biggest impact and rank the top states and metros. Now, we turn our spotlight on the agencies with the best practices who have achieved overall excellence. From the March/April 2012 issue.