Douglas County is seeing job increase improvements by the hundreds, according to Douglas County Commission Chairman Tom Worthan in his State of the County address this month.
This total of five highlighted businesses will bring 835 jobs and at least $647 million in investments.
Among the highlights:
• Last year Google announced a $300 million expansion to its data center on Riverside Parkway, one of only 13 Google data centers in the world. This new expansion will create at least 25 new full-time jobs in addition to the more than 350 employees who already work there.
• Keurig Green Mountain will build a $337 million facility for a job increase of about 550. The new manufacturing center will support the production of pods for the company's new cold brewing system.
• Industrial materials giant McMaster-Carr Supply Company is moving its regional headquarters and building an e- commerce center in Douglas County. It will bring 600 current employees and create at least 200 new jobs in the next several years, with an eventual goal of 1,000 employees on this campus. The company carries more than 500,000 building products, and order fulfillment will be the primary function of the new project.
• Southwire expanded its Douglas County facility and added 60 jobs with a $10 million investment.
• King of Pops Handcrafted Popsicles purchased the Daniell Nursey property in Fairplay and will use the land to grow fresh ingredients, as well as hosting farm-to-table events.
Since 2005, the county has created 4,769 jobs through a tax abatement program for industries. In 2005, industries paid 1.4 percent of the total county budget compared to 5.3 percent now. Also in 2005, industries comprised 5.4 percent of the county property tax digest compared to 10.6 percent now.
Douglas County also offers:
• Confidential site selection assistance.
• Tax credit for the creation of 15 full-time jobs in a calendar year to each company.
• State tax credits to businesses in the county's opportunity zones.
• Help with temporary office space, expedited permitting and taxable and tax-exempt bond financing on projects that often result in below-market rates.
• Local tax incentives and abatements for new or expanding businesses and industries, requiring higher wages and higher investment by the industry. "We receive less taxes from them over the short term; but we get the jobs, the investment, the sales tax, the utility usage and many other positive benefits that make it worthwhile for our residents," Worthan added.
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