Business
Business News from companies in Boulder, Colorado
JOB PROSPECTS LOOKING UP FOR SPRING GRADS, SAYS CU-BOULDER CAREER SERVICES DIRECTOR
Jan 26th
Job postings and career fair visits by recruiters seeking to hire University of Colorado Boulder graduates in the spring are coming in fast this year, suggesting an improving job market for spring graduates, according to Lisa Severy, director of CU-Boulder’s Career Services office.
“The fact that our career fair is completely sold out and our job postings are also way up tells me that the job market is picking up for this year’s graduates,” Severy said.
The most common major sought by companies looking to hire CU-Boulder graduates this spring is the “all majors” category.
“In other words, companies are looking for talented, educated and motivated leaders from any academic discipline or background,” Severy said. “The companies recruiting our graduates represent a variety of industries and range from small to large organizations.”
The spring career and internship fair for CU-Boulder students and alumni will be held Jan. 26-27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the University Memorial Center’s Glenn Miller Ballroom and room 235. The fair is open only to CU-Boulder students and alumni.
Some of the companies attending the fair include Facebook, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Apple Inc., the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Peace Corps, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps and Time Warner Cable.
Nationally, the job market for new graduates also shows signs of improving, according to the “Recruiting Trends 2010-2011” survey published by Michigan State University. The survey calls for hiring at the bachelor’s degree level to increase by 10 percent this year.
“The new college graduate market tends to bounce back first because these candidates come at a lower price point and they don’t have to be retrained like those who may be coming from a different company’s culture,” Severy said.
While the job market is showing some positive signs, Severy said students should not wait until the end of the school year to start their job searches.
“Students who will graduate this May should engage the job search process sooner rather than later,” she said. “A career fair is a good place to start, because you get a chance to talk to recruiters face to face and make an impression. At the very least it is good practice for the interviewing process.”
Companies often come to career fairs to find a pool of potential employees and screen them for campus interviews at a later date. Then, if they really like a candidate, they invite them out for an interview at the company location. While every conversation at a career fair does not lead to an interview, students who are job hunting should take advantage of the opportunity to get themselves in front of companies that are hiring.
“Meeting a company representative at a career fair, where they are there specifically to meet potential employees, is a good way to get a foot in the door,” Severy said. “I tell every student I can that they should really take advantage of these opportunities, because these companies have a real interest in CU students.”
For more information about the spring career and internship fair visit http://careerservices.colorado.edu/students/springFair.aspx.
COLORADO BUSINESS LEADERS OPTIMISTIC GOING INTO FIRST QUARTER, SAYS CU LEEDS SCHOOL INDEX
Jan 5th
Colorado business leaders’ confidence bounced back to pre-recession levels going into the first quarter of 2011, according to the most recent quarterly Leeds Business Confidence Index, or LBCI, released today by the University of Colorado at Boulder’s Leeds School of Business.
For the first quarter of 2011, the LBCI posted a reading of 54.8 — just shy of the 54.9 registered in the second quarter of 2007 — up from 48.6 last quarter. Business leaders are optimistic about industry sales, profits, employment, capital expenditures and state economic growth.
While the index overall is quite strong, certain components are much stronger than others, according to Leeds School economist and Business Research Division Director Richard Wobbekind, who conducts the quarterly survey. In particular, he said the expectations were extremely positive for sales and profits, but not as rosy for capital expenditures and hiring.
“I think the index suggests that business leaders are telling us that they think their business is back, but they are not telling us that they are planning on hiring,” Wobbekind said.
An index of 50 is neutral. An index greater than 50 indicates positive expectations, while an index lower than 50 indicates negative expectations, according to Leeds School researcher Brian Lewandowski, who compiles the survey results for the index.
Overall, business leaders in Colorado believe the state’s economy is in better shape than the national economy.
“Our business leaders think we are doing better than the rest of the nation, and I think that really comes down to the fact that they aren’t focused so much on employment growth as they are on sales growth and profitability, and they see their businesses doing well in those areas,” Wobbekind said.
The first quarter index measuring the prospects for the state economy rose to 56.4 from 49.0 in the fourth quarter, while the national economy index rose from 42.6 to 53.3.
Hiring and capital expenditures had indexes of 52.5 and 53.6 respectively, up from 48.7 and 49.0 last quarter, according to Lewandowski. Business leaders’ sales expectations for the first quarter increased to 58.3 from 52.8 in the fourth quarter, and their profit expectations increased from 49.8 last quarter to 54.9.
“I think the overall reading is a pleasant surprise in terms of the total number being as strong as it is,” Wobbekind said. “I see this as a sign that the survey respondents believe the economy is on track.”
To access the complete report visit .
city of Boulder actually does something to keep business's around
Dec 24th
City Manager Jane S. Brautigam has approved a flexible rebate application for Boulder-based Spectra Logic for up to $65,000 in rebates. The rebates were authorized for sales and use taxes, and development review and permit related fees.
The flexible rebate program is one of the city’s business incentives, first approved by City Council in September 2006. The rebate incentive covers a wide range of fees, equipment and construction use taxes
“The City of Boulder is pleased that Spectra Logic, a Boulder company for more than 30 years, was able to expand its business in Boulder,” said City Manager Jane S. Brautigam. “The city congratulates Spectra Logic on making sustainability a priority in its building renovation by reusing and recycling to divert almost 30 tons of material from the landfill.”
Spectra Logic is a global leader in innovative tape libraries and disk backup solutions. The company is expanding and recently renovated and moved into an 83,000 square foot building at 6285 Lookout Road in Gunbarrel, occupying a space that had been vacant for several years.
“Spectra Logic staff repurposed all of the existing copper, glass and more than 150 doors and frames when we purchased and redesigned the layout of the new property,” said Nathan Thompson, chief executive officer of Spectra Logic. “We are proud to earn the City of Boulder’s recognition for our sustainability efforts.”
The 2010 flexible rebate program uses social, community, and environmental sustainability guidelines. Companies may choose the guidelines that best fit their company, but they must meet minimum requirements in order to receive the rebate. Spectra Logic has exceeded the minimum community sustainability guidelines. Of note, Spectral Logic has focused on waste reduction by reusing and recycling materials including glass, tile, light fixtures, and hardware in its recent building retrofit. The company will participate in energy efficiency programs such as receiving an energy assessment for its new facility and participating in the 10 for Change Challenge.