Growth and job creation is coming to Pueblo County.
Two companies from Nebraska and Michigan will open new facilities within the county, and a third Pueblo-based startup announced plans to expand its local operations and team.
The three companies — a wholesale distributor, furniture manufacturer and information technology startup — are expected to create nearly 60 new full-time jobs in Pueblo County over the next several years as part of Colorado’s Rural Jump-Start incentive program.
The RJS incentives program is intended to encourage businesses to launch or move to “economically distressed, rural counties of Colorado,” according to the state's Office of Economic Development & International Trade.
AMCON Distributing Co., a large wholesale distributor based in Nebraska, will expand its operations to Colorado City where the company purchased a facility, per a news release from OEDIT and Gov. Jared Polis. The company distributes convenience store products such as drinks, candy, cigarettes, health and beauty products and frozen or chilled goods.
AMCON is expected to employ 27 full-time employees over the next four years, with a primary focus on administrative personnel and people who will manage order operations in the warehouse.
Michigan-based foam furniture manufacturer Fomcore expanded production to Pueblo County last month. This expansion allows Fomcore to support the western region of the U.S.
Fomcore manufactures customizable foam furniture for government buildings, medical practices and K-12 schools. The company is expected to create 10 full-time positions in Pueblo County, with roles ranging from manufacturing and maintenance to administrative and material management, according to the release.
Pueblo-based Ask Oracle is also expanding operations. The information technology and data startup is developing a property maintenance tool that allows homeowners to store important documents about their property and receive notifications about necessary home maintenance.
Ask Oracle will employ 22 employees in Pueblo County over the next four years, per the release. These roles include marketing, finance, customer service representative and business administration.
“Pueblo is an important part of Colorado’s economy and we are thrilled to welcome these businesses to the area,” Polis said in a statement. “Colorado is the best place to live, work and do business, and through the Rural Jump-Start program these businesses will create 59 new good-paying jobs for Coloradans and continue driving our economy forward.”
Polis and OEDIT announced the company expansions on April 2, adding that the three businesses are the first to join the state’s Rural Jump-Start program in Pueblo County.
The statewide program aims to foster economic development in rural areas across Colorado, including Pueblo County. The program launched several years ago, according to previous Denver Business Journal reporting.
“The Rural Jump-Start program is an important tool to support new jobs across Colorado, and we are thrilled to see these three businesses recognize the many benefits of expanding in Pueblo County,” Eve Lieberman, OEDIT executive director, said in a statement. “Together, they are diversifying and strengthening the area economy.
Businesses that start in or move into RJS zones can qualify for RJS program relief, including from state business income tax, sales and use tax and county and municipal business person property taxes. Businesses are also eligible for a general operating grant of up to $20,000 and up to $2,500 per qualified new hire, an OEDIT spokesperson told the Denver Business Journal via email.
OEDIT’s Economic Development Commission approved AMCON, Ask Oracle and Fomcore to participate in Pueblo County’s RJS zone at its March meeting. The commission approved a $140,000 grant for AMCON for 27 new hires, a $60,000 grant for Fomcore’s 10 new hires and a $90,000 grant for Ask Oracle for its 22 new hires.
