Wyoming recognized as leader in data center recruiting

Wyoming Recognized as Leader in Data Center Recruiting

For the second year in a row, a national site selection magazine has recognized Wyoming as a leader in data center recruiting and retention. Attracting data centers, growing the technology sector, and building the best technology infrastructure for businesses, schools and citizens are priorities of Governor Matt Mead.

The magazine Expansion Solutions gave Wyoming a Top 5 Award of Excellence for work in recruiting data centers. The award recognizes the incentives Wyoming has put in place through a partnership of Governor Mead, the Legislature and the Wyoming Business Council, which is the state’s economic development agency.

“This award is indicative of the reputation and success we are achieving in developing our technology sector,” Governor Mead said. “This announcement comes while much is happening in the tech arena around our state. Construction is underway at the Microsoft data center, Green House Data is breaking ground on its expansion, and Ptolemy Data Systems is thriving. All of this growth represents jobs – high paying jobs that offer new opportunities here in Wyoming.”

Governor Mead also said, “We need to keep up the effort and I thank the Legislature and the Business Council for aggressively pursuing data center opportunities. These efforts are paying off handsomely.”

Expansion Solutions Chief Executive Officer Jeff Cornett said, “Expansion Solutions was pleased to announce that the Wyoming Business Council has received a Top Five Award of Excellence in the Data Center category for 2013. This makes it the second year in a row Wyoming has received this award.” Cornett added that “Wyoming’s abundant energy supply and its cool, dry climate make Wyoming a perfect fit for technology companies seeking expansion opportunities.”

Winners of this award were singled out for the support system offered to businesses, as well as recent activity and potential growth. Strategic locations, pro-business climates, investments made improving infrastructure and the availability of buildings and sites were among the top deciding factors in choosing the winning locations, according to Cornett. The awards will be listed in the magazine’s January 2014 issue.

“The incentives we’ve created are built by careful design with critical input from leaders in this industry,” said Bob Jensen, Chief Executive Officer of the Wyoming Business Council. “These successes are only possible because of the close working partnerships developed during the past several years with Governor Mead, the State Legislature, and local economic development organizations, as well as our relationship building efforts with technology companies and site selectors.”

However, it is not just incentives that are raising Wyoming’s flag within the digital, technology and data center industries – it is also our state’s assets including favorable climate, robust fiber, low-cost and redundant electricity, and access to available, construction-ready sites that lower the total cost of operation for digital business. These assets and others, for example the great quality of life that exists here, set Wyoming apart in this highly competitive market.

“It is wonderful to see that we are being recognized by a well-respected national site selection magazine for our work to bring data centers to Wyoming,” Governor Mead said. “We appreciate this honor and are proud of our progress, but we will not rest on our laurels. We have more work to do, have much more to offer, and will continue our efforts to further develop our growing tech sector.”