Amazon is looking for a new second headquarters and thanks to U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, Colorado is on the minds of the decision makers who will make the final call as to where the 50,000 jobs will be located.
The CEO of Amazon Worldwide Consumer, Jeffrey Wilke, was already getting a pitch from Gardner on the strengths of Colorado for economic development the day before the announcement was even made, the Denver Post reports.
“We spent a lot of time talking about efforts to boost STEM programs. They talked about how excited they were to be in Colorado, the work they are doing here,” said Gardner.
When the announcement of a second headquarters with a $5 billion investment was made, Gardner reached out to Wilke again, lobbying him more strongly on all that we have to offer, including the transportation infrastructure and a highly educated workforce to fill those high-paying jobs.
“The quality of the workforce we have, you can’t match,” Gardner said.
Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet’s office says the Democrat is “glad” in a general sort of way that Denver is “being recognized” for “its vibrant startup scene” and Bennet “has been in touch” with Amazon.
If we’re going to bring those caliber of jobs and investment to our state, we’re going to need to see a little more than bland enthusiasm and work from our other senator.
Headquartering Amazon would be a huge win for Colorado, but we’re going to need Bennet to get in the game with Gardner to make it happen.