Wyoming

Gun Maker Relocations Limited by Region

A few days ago, Fort Collins, Colorado-based HiViz Shooting Systems announced that it was relocating to Laramie, Wyoming. This is actually one of the first relocations announced in what is likely to be a major gun manufacturing industry realignment, but still provides a pretty clear picture of what’s going to happen.

HiViz Shooting Systems

HiViz Shooting Systems (photo – hivizsights.com)

Colorado is one of the few states that has passed new gun control legislation after the Newtown shootings, along with Maryland and Connecticut itself.

HiViz CEO Phil Howe said the company selected Laramie because of Wyoming’s strong support for gun manufacturers and Laramie’s close proximity to their current facility in Fort Collins, which is just across the state line in Colorado.

Howe added that the fine people at the Laramie Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) and the Wyoming Business Council had worked hard to accommodate their needs and made them feel welcome.

In Maryland, Beretta USA is a major employer with 400 employees and a factory in Accokeek. The company warned state legislators they would relocate if proposed gun control legislation was approved.

Beretta is now being actively wooed by many economic development agencies and state officials. Maine Gov. Paul LePage even wrote an op-ed exhorting Beretta to “Come to Maine.” But it’s Virginia that has the best chance to secure the Beretta relocation because of its proximity to their existing plant and favorable policies for gun makers, same as the CO to WY relocation of HiViz.

In fact, Jeffrey Reh, general counsel for Beretta, specifically mentioned Virginia when he warned MD lawmakers that the last time Maryland had passed tougher gun control laws, the company had moved its warehouse to Fredericksburg, VA, which is again only an hour away from Beretta’s plant in Accokeek, MD.

Texas has scored a couple of gun company relocations including California-based Shield Tactical and Oregon-based Colt Competition, a licensee of Colt which makes competition shooting rifles. But these relocations are more about Texas’ general ability to draw companies from other states, rather than a strategic move by a gun-maker due to adverse legislation.

The main relocation battle, so to speak, is raging in Connecticut where gun makers have a combined impact of $1.3 billion on the state economy and are being heavily courted by many states.

Bristol, CT-based PTR Industries has announced its intention to relocate outside the state, while Southport, CT-based Sturm Ruger has indicated that it will not be relocating.

Michael Fifer, president and CEO of Sturm Ruger, told stockholders the company had a good setup in the state and there was no reason to disrupt it. He even announced an expansion of their facilities to add 18 new jobs.

The Hartford, CT-based Colt Manufacturing Company has not issued any public statements or comments recently about relocating, although they did threaten to do so during a gun control legislation hearing last year before Newtown.

North Haven, CT-based Mossberg & Sons has likewise not made any public statements recently about moving out.

One of the possible reasons that the relocation buzz for gun-makers in Connecticut has been so muted so far is that unlike HiViz and Beretta, they have no easy option a short stroll away that will allow their business and supplier network to continue undisrupted.

Magpul Looking at TX, WY, NE for Relocation from Colorado

Erie, Colorado-based Magpul Industries, a manufacturer of firearms accessories, had last month threatened to relocate out of the state if Colorado passed House Bill 1224, a law banning standard capacity magazines which Magpul makes in Colorado.

Magpul relocation from Colorado

Magpul relocation from Colorado (photo – Magpul Industries)

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper made good on his commitment to gun control by signing three new gun laws last week, including one that bans magazines holding more than 15 rounds.

For its part, Magpul has now announced that it too will make good on its threat to relocate, and said in a Facebook posting that it will manufacture its first PMAGs (holding 30 rounds) outside Colorado within a month.

The company added that they are looking at setting up operations in multiple locations.

“We will likely become a multi-state operation as a result of this move, and not all locations have been selected. We have made some initial contacts and evaluated a list of new potential locations for additional manufacturing and the new company headquarters, and we will begin talks with various state representatives in earnest if the Governor indeed signs this legislation.”

The company’s COO Doug Smith is reportedly planning on meeting with economic development officials from Texas, Wyoming and Nebraska.

Magpul has 200 employees in Colorado, and claims that it contributes $85 million to the state economy. They also claim to support another 400 jobs in their supply chain.

“We could choose to stay in a state that wants our jobs and revenue, but not our products, and lose half the jobs we are fighting to save, or potentially the entire business, when our customers stop buying,” said COO Smith. “Or, we can take the company and those 600 jobs out of Colorado to continue our growth and the growth of American manufacturing in a state that shares our values. This is not really a choice.”

Some of these suppliers have indeed confirmed that they too will follow Magpul to its new location. One of them is Denver-based Lawrence Tool & Molding, which gets more than half of its business from Magpul, and has confirmed that it will also move out of Colorado if Magpul does. Lawrence Tool & Molding has 82 employees in the state.

“It is heartbreaking to me, my employees, and their families, to think that we will be forced to leave,” said Richard Fitzpatrick, founder, president, and CEO of Magpul Industries.

Microsoft Gets $1.5M Grant From Wyoming for Biogas Data Center Project

The Wyoming State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) approved a $1.5 million Community Readiness grant for setting up the infrastructure for a biogas-powered fuel cell that will supply power to a Microsoft data center.

Biogas fuel cell by FuelCell Energy

Biogas fuel cell by FuelCell Energy (photo – fuelcellenergy.com)

Energy company FuelCell Energy and Microsoft had announced late last month that they would be collaborating to generate and use clean biogas power for running servers, as a pilot project.

The biogas would come from the city of Cheyenne’s Dry Creek Water Reclamation Facility. This facility recycles common waste bi-products, creating a stream of biogas methane.

This biogas would be the source for a fuel cell, which converts the biogas into electricity to power the Microsoft IT server container.

The whole project, including the fuel cell and a trailer filled with Microsoft server racks, will be set up in an open field adjacent to the Dry Creek facility. Microsoft is spending $5.5 million of its own money on the pilot project.

Microsoft is separately investing $112 million for a full-fledged data center near Cheyenne, for which the state provided $11 million in incentives.

This latest $1.5 million grant for the biogas fuel cell project was approved by SLIB based on a request made by the city of Cheyenne. Wyoming Business Council CEO Bob Jensen added that Wyoming’s interest in projects such as this and the ability to move quickly makes all the difference.

“We knew they were looking at other states for this project, but we were able to pull our team together quickly, work with Microsoft and put a plan together that made sense for Wyoming and Microsoft,” said Jensen. “We’re excited about this project because it’s another way that Wyoming can show it’s on the cutting edge of technology.”

Brian Janous, Data Center Utility Architect, Datacenter Advanced Development for Microsoft, attended the SLIB meeting and spoke about the importance of partnerships in projects such as this.

“Since I’ve been at Microsoft for the last year or so I’ve really been focused on developing strategic partnerships across the industry to work with entities like the Western Research Institute and also find government agencies like Cheyenne LEADS and the Wyoming Business Council that can help bring these projects to fruition,” said Janous. “It’s been really refreshing, here in Wyoming, to find a group of people who are enthusiastic about these issues and are willing to develop a project that finds that particular alignment of interests that makes something like this work.”

Economic Development Needed in Laramie County, Wyoming

www.campusexplorer.com/

A candidate for the Commission in Laramie County whose name is Thomas Newman elaborates on how many local leaders have been unable to attract new companies to the area.

Thomas is a Republican who is looking for a 4 year seat and states that there is an “anti-growth bias” with many of the business leaders in Laramie County. The status quo is not enough according to Thomas Newman. Another important issue within the county is zoning. Newman proposed an idea in which industrial development can occur in a region where it would not interfere with the population and the residents. Newman does not want the county to be telling the residents what they should be doing with their own land.

The personal property of residents in Laramie County should be protected from any interference from the government and the county. Newman states that the local government participates in “kingdom building” as the government spends money and expands. Newman wants the government to be wiser on how the money is allocated in Laramie County. Newman pinpoints that the county wasted money on building a brand new morgue that was not needed as there was one already established. Utilizing $5 million dollars for an airport terminal was also considered to be a waste of money.

Newman wants the county to fight much harder and not to easily give in to the demands of the city. Lowering the commissioners pay was also a big issue as he is getting paid too much already. The road maintenance bill for Laramie County has also reached nearly $100 million dollars which another issue that has to be dealt with. Laramie County may also have to make some layoffs as there are far too many employees within the region.

Overall, more economic development is needed in Laramie County but that will come at a cost.

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Microsoft to Build $112 Million Data Center in Cheyenne, Wyoming

Wyoming’s Data Center cluster got a major boost with Microsoft’s decision to build a $112 million data center near Cheyenne, Wyoming to serve its Mountain West operations.

Wyoming

Photo - public domain

The announcement was made by Wyoming Governor Matt Mead, who said in a statement that, “Wyoming is a perfect fit for data centers. We have abundant, affordable energy. Our naturally cool climate decreases costs for data centers and we have redundant fiber optics.”

Christian Belady, general manager of Data Center Services in Microsoft’s Global Foundation Services’ group, said that, “We greatly appreciate the work that the Governor, the economic development team, and local officials in Cheyenne and Laramie County have done to make Wyoming a smart place for Microsoft to do business.”

Apart from the construction jobs created while the data center is being built, there will also be 40 permanent jobs at the facility. Even these 40 jobs will be created in phases, with 17 jobs in the first phase.

In his statement, Gov. Mead also thanked staff from Cheyenne LEADS and the Wyoming Business Council who worked with Microsoft and its location scouts.

The site selection process, codenamed Project Summit, ultimately came down to the Cheyenne site and another site in the Mountain West. Microsoft has already purchased the land, but its exact location has not yet been revealed. The site is likely the property owned by Cheyenne-LEADS west of Cheyenne, near the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) supercomputer.

Microsoft has been offered almost $11 million in incentives, including $5 million each from the Governor’s office and the county infrastructure fund, along with another $750,000 for workforce training.

That shouldn’t take long to make up, as the data center is expected to provide $25 million in tax revenues in five years after its opening in 2013. The jobs created will have wages that are 150 percent higher than average county wages.

“I believe that this announcement, once again, illustrates how important it is to have property available and ready for economic development,” said Randy Bruns, CEO of the Cheyenne LEADS.

That, and teamwork, as explained by Bob Jensen, CEO of the Wyoming Business Council, who said, “We appreciate the support of the communities and their local economic development officials from across the state that helped during this process, including the great work of Cheyenne LEADS, the Legislature and the Governor. This is a shining example of how economic development teamwork benefits our state.”

Microsoft’s data center joins others near Cheyenne, including the NCAR supercomputer, Green House Data and others for private companies like Echostar.

Best (Wyoming) and Worst (California) Run States in America

After the AD and Forbes lists of best states for business and careers, we now have a third similar list in less than a month. This time, it is the 247WallSt.com list of the best and worst run states in America, bookended by Wyoming at the top and California at the bottom.

Wyoming

Photo - public domain

This is more along the lines of a report card for state governments and their policies, focusing on factors like debt per capita, unemployment and crime rates, education levels, and the percentage of the population without health insurance and/or below the poverty line.

States that are able to balance budgets and show economic growth without cutting services or taking on more debt are ranked high. In other words, states like California and Texas, which are either left of center or to the extreme right in terms of economic policies, won’t rank high.

California is awash in a sea of red ink.Texas has left nearly a quarter of its population without health insurance, and almost one-fifth of adults above 25 years of age haven’t graduated from high school. As a consequence, California ranks dead last and Texas is stuck in the middle at No.25.

Wyoming tops the list as the best run state with 92.3% of state residents above 25 years of age have at least a high school diploma. The state has the smallest population among all 50 states, and the fourth lowest rate of violent crimes.

1. Wyoming debt per capita: $2,452 (18th lowest)

2. Wyoming percentage without health insurance: 14.9% (21st highest)

3. Wyoming percentage below poverty line: 10.3% (7th lowest)

4. Wyoming unemployment: 5.8% (6th lowest)

California, which is listed as the worst run state, has the second-lowest percentage of adults with a high school diploma in the country, the second-highest foreclosure rate and is tied for the second highest unemployment rate in the U.S.

1. California debt per capita: $3,660 (21st highest)

2. California percentage without health insurance: 18.5% (8th highest)

3. California percentage below poverty line: 14.5% (tied for 21st highest)

4. California unemployment: 11.9% (2nd highest)

Nebraska is ranked second on the list, followed by North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Utah.

To see the full list with details about how each of the 50 states score on these factors, visit 247wallst.com.

Green House Data Announces Brand New Data Center in Cheyenne, Wyoming

http://www.demogala.com/exhibitors

Green House Data has officially announced the construction of a brand new data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

The new data center will be located in close proximity to the headquarters and the total amount to construct the building is set at $35 million dollars. One of the main components of the building is that it will be powered from the wind as it will be near the business parkway in Cheyenne. Green House data is currently receiving a high demand for energy efficient infrastructure from various customers and the brand new office will help to expand the company.

The new data center will be 25,000 square feet and will nearly double the size of the entire company as well. The original headquarters of Green House Data is only 3,000 square feet so the expansion is a big step forward for the company. The total capacity for power will also increase to nearly 4.5 megawatts.

Green House Data is also known for renting space for a variety of servers and computers to a myriad of companies. A business man for Green House Data points out that the state of Wyoming and the agency of Economic Development has assisted immensely with supporting the company in the surrounding region.

Green House Data also points out that the partnership with Cheyenne LEAD and the WBC has also helped out with the success of the company and the current expansion of the brand new data center.

Green House Data has also pointed out that the location in Wyoming is ideal as the state provides high bandwidth, reduction in natural disasters and amazing renewable energy features. The new data center will also be energy efficient as there will be 100 percent renewable energy and a form of evaporative cooling will be utilized as well.

Overall, the construction of the data center will benefit the community of Cheyenne.

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