gjep by the numbers
2021
Updated: 10.17.2021
Prospect Development
Since its launch in 2016, GJEP has now ushered 21 companies through the Rural Jump-Start tax credit program. Hayden Data, ACOM Unlimited and Valkyrie Recovery Systems joined Jump-Start this year. Together with cybertech startup Cloudrise and the return of Lada Cube, we marked several “wins” this year to date, all of which contribute to our growing entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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prospect level III
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jump start
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TOP SOURCES
- DIRECT INQUIRY 51%
- Local referral 25%
- OTHER 15%
- state referral 9%
TOP Industries
- OUTDOOR REC 32%
- manufacturing 15%
- Agribusiness 14%
- tech 13%
GJEP IN ACTION
Q3
- Supported the third annual West Slope Startup Week, which took place both virtually and in person in Grand Junction
- Welcomed new Business Development Manager, Matt Bell
- Held two events at the GJ Rockies: a GJEP Welcome Wagon behind-the-scenes tour and our annual investor appreciation event
- Helped coordinate the official Palisade Plunge opening party
- GJEP Board Rereat took place at the Maverick Innovation Center, facilitated by Shane Kinkennon
- Hosted our Q3 Welcome Wagon event at CMU, with a tour and happy hour
- Said goodbye to Robin Brown – and began the search for a new GJEP executive director
- Attended the Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado (AGNC) Economic Summit in Rifle
- Kicked off the GJ Career Passport Programat the GROWL Agency in partnership with CMU
WCES
- Hosted the fifth annual Western Colorado Economic Summit at the GJ Convention Center, with a VIP reception at Timberline Bank
- Nearly 500 tickets were sold for the event and 452 total people checked in at the venue – a record for the event
- Attendees rated the overall event 4.5/5
ONGOING
- Daily Sentinel monthly column and monthly show on KAFM Community Radio
EARNED MEDIA
452 placements
$3.9 million in ad equivalency
reach of 366 MILLION
Bureau of Land Management HQ to Move Back East
The Department of Interior has decided to restore the HQ for the Bureau of Land Management in Washington, D.C. However, BLM will retain a presence in Grand Junction as its "principal office in the West". While we are disappointed to lose the headquarters, we...
GJEP Wins ColoradoBiz Top Company 2021
We are excited to announce that GJEP has won the 2021 ColoradoBiz Top Company award in the nonprofit category! Top Company honors "Colorado companies that have drive, determination, a vision and a plan and are ultimately making the state a better place to live and...
Remote Workers Find Grand Junction Provides a Home Sweet Home
Colorado Public Radio recently toured through Western Colorado for "On the Road", stopping in Grand Junction to learn more about the growing remote workforce. CPR spoke with Mariko Wilcox, a recent transplant and one of the GJEP Welcome Wagon newbies. The segment also...
paid advertising
Reached over 9.1 million ytd
GJEP is embracing a slimmed-down advertising approach in 2021, focusing media placements on media outlets that provide significant value-add and support our role as an economic development leader on the Western Slope. Q1 ads have appeared in the Sentinel Chamber Business Update and Real Estate Guide, ColoradoBiz, Colorado Sun, Spoke+Blossom and Innovation & Tech Today. We also continue our ongoing behavioral targeting and retargeting digital campaigns with Multview.
website
GJEP.org had
total unique visitors
In large part due to WCES, website traffic in Q3 was up neary 24% from the previous quarter. Number of sessions, pageviews and session duration was also up. The same metrics are also up YOY. However, the bounce rate has gone up again YOY, a likely result of adding paid search to our digital campaigns. As we adjust keywords, this should go back down.
social media presence
followers
followers
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GJEP DIGITAL AMBASSADORS
In February, we launched a digital ambassador program, inviting a limited group of locals with a strong and positive social media presence to share GJEP news stories with their networks. The effort allows us to amplify our social media reach. To date we have 26 ambassadors who have combined shared posts 136 times with nearly 13,000 impressions.