It Must Be Boulder

If the nine companies to watch in 2009 include alternative energy, organic products, computer hardware and software and colorful, rubber footwear companies--it must be the county where I was born - Boulder (and Broomfield). The Daily Camera had an interesting article in its business section titled "Nine to Watch in 09" about the likely comings and goings at key local employers.

The nine companies profiled included: ConocoPhillips, Crocs Inc., DigitalGlobe Inc., Level 3 Communications Inc., Pangea Organics, Rally Software, Range Fuels Inc., Siemens Energy, and Sun Microsystems Inc.

For me the most interesting tidbit was that Siemens Energy is putting its wind turbine research center in Boulder - obviously a great boost to the local alternative energy cluster and an announcement I had missed this past summer.

"Siemens Energy in June announced plans to establish a couple-thousand-square-foot facility where employees will focus on atmospheric science research, aerodynamic blade design, structural dynamics and wind turbine dispatch prediction and reliability. The company since has started settling into a 5,300-square-foot space in downtown Boulder, at 1050 Walnut St.

Siemens expects to employ about 60 people here eventually, and officials from the local municipal and scientific communities say the arrival could further boost Boulder County's position in the growing renewable energy industry. In the coming months, locals could get a taste of what Siemens' presence means, both in terms of new jobs, but also potentially new partnerships with area labs."