Volume 1 Issue 6 April 2010
2010 Annual Dinner - 25 Years of Success!
We are celebrating 25 years of ensuring the economic health and vitality of the City of Laramie and Albany County. We are excited about this anniversary and would like to invite you to our Annual Dinner at the Hilton Garden Inn on Thursday, May 13th at 5:30 to share in the celebration of the past 25 years. Guests will take part in our annual business meeting and have a chance to honor the Annual Business Award winners.
We are honored to have Dr. William Gern, University of Wyoming's Vice President of Research and Economic Development, as this year's keynote speaker. Dr. Gern will be giving a presentation entitled "Economic Development: The Real Value & the Future of Laramie's Technology Sector".
Following Dr. Gern's presentation, we will be honoring the 2010 Annual Business Award Winners. If you know of a deserving business or business person, it is not too late! Nominations are still being accepted for the awards, which includes Small Business of the Year, Business Person of the Year, and Survival of the Fittest. Every business or individual in the City of Laramie and Albany County is eligible to be nominated for these awards. The deadline to submit a nomination is April 19th. To submit a nomination, please click here.
The public is welcome and reservations can be made by calling 307.742.2212 or by clicking here and filling out the form. Cost of the event is $50.00 per person, which includes a prime rib dinner. The reservation deadline is May 6th.
LEDC April Client Report
As always, we encourage you to contact us for more information about our activities.
Click Here for all of the "Hot" clients as of 4/19/10. In the meantime, please remember the best leads for Laramie come from existing businesses and residents.
Please note: all of LEDC's clients are kept confidential unless they specify otherwise.
Partner Recognition
Since its founding in Laramie in 1954, Groathouse Construction has steadily grown to become one of the leaders in construction management in Wyoming. During the last ten years, Groathouse has been focused on growing the company. Two new offices have been opened in Casper and Cody to provide Groathouse a better state-wide presence and easier access to clients. A company that traditionally completed about one or two projects a year, Groathouse is currently working on 12 different projects across the entire state.
Groathouse Construction not only provides traditional low-bid project delivery, it also offers Design-Build and Construction Management at Risk (CMAR). Using Design-Build, all of the development, design, and construction is handled by Groathouse. The client is responsible for providing the scope and all of the requirements of the project. Design-Build creates the possibility of having overlapping design and construction phases, which provides the shortest possible time frame for completion of the project.
CMAR is a delivery method that lets Groathouse work closely with the owner and the architect on the design process. During the design phase, costs are examined and estimates are provided at several milestones. Once a final design has been decided upon, Groathouse offers a Guaranteed Maximum Price for completion of the project. CMAR is a an effective project delivery method because it allows the owner, architect, and Groathouse to develop strong working relationships. In addition, CMAR ensures that everyone is aware of each individual requirement needed to complete the project in the most efficient manner. As Wyoming's first construction firm with a Certified CM, Groathouse Construction has the knowledge and experience to protect the interests of its clients throughout the CMAR process. All 12 of Groathouse Construction's current projects are utilizing CMAR.
The increased growth of the company has also brought an increased number of jobs. Groathouse Construction now supports about 45 full-time employees and the Laramie branch operates as the company's business office. Even with the growth experienced at Groathouse, the management team is still committed to providing an excellent work-life balance for their employees. On May 28th, 2009, Groathouse was recognized for the exceptional care of its employees at the third Governor's Summit on Workforce Solutions. The organization won the 2009 Innovation in the Workplace Award, which recognizes an employer that is committed to investing in the development and well-being of its employees.
Some of the recent projects that Groathouse Construction has worked on include the Health Science Building and Geology Building at UW, the Central Wyoming Hospice, C Y Junior High School in Casper, and the 96,000 square-foot Gillette College Technical Education Center. The largest project completed by Groathouse to-date is the 177,000 square-foot, $35 million Wyoming Center at CAM-PLEX.
Groathouse Construction is also focused on supporting the areas where they do business. The company is actively involved with LEDC, youth athletics, 4H, United Way, Red Cross, Inter-Faith, Ivinson Memorial Hospital, and Cowboy Joe. Groathouse likes to be involved with its communities and considers participation in organizations and activities an important aspect of the business.
For more information about Groathouse Construction, please visit www.groathouse.com
Laramie Area Annual Trends Now Available
For almost 10 years LEDC has commissioned the Wyoming Center for Business and Economic Analysis to provide a set of Annual Trends on the major economic indicators of this region. The goal of the Annual Trends is to provide users with an analysis of the long-term performance of both the Albany County economy and the City of Laramie's economic system.
The report presents the latest available, federal, state and local agency statistics dealing with economic and demographic growth patterns. Business and government planning requires a realistic assessment of past trends of the existing economy and realistic assumptions about the future. The indicators and statistics contained in this report can be used as a relative measure of future economic activity for both entities.
Click Here to view the latest edition of the Annual Trends
Census 2010 - It's Not Too Late!
Did you know that the State of Wyoming estimates Wyoming municipalities could lose an estimated $823 per person per year for each person not counted in the 2010 Census? Approximately 8600 Laramie Residents did not complete the Census form in 2000. If that same number do not complete the form this year that would be about $7 million lost each year for 10 years! In addition, counties could lose $100 - $500 in federal grant money each year for every person not counted.
Beginning May 1, census workers will start going door to door to households that failed to mail back their forms - a massive operation that costs taxpayers an average of $57 per household versus the 42 cents it takes to get a response back by mail.
If you have not filled out a census form, you can still visit either of Laramie's Questionnaire Assistance Centers (QAC). The QAC's have census forms available to be filled out and are staffed by individuals who can assist those unable to read or understand the form. Laramie's QAC's will be available until April 30th, so stop by today!
Laramie's Questionnaire Assistance Centers:
- Laramie Recreation Center
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
- University of Wyoming - Knight Hall, Room 118
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Tuesday, Thursday 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
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