A major jobs announcement and a top business ranking in a national publication highlighted a week of positive economic news for Denver and the state.

On Tuesday, Gov. John Hickenlooper delivered outside the Capitol what he said was “the largest jobs announcement in the history of Colorado.”

The governor announced that San Francisco-based ZenPayroll – a Google-backed company that handles billions of dollars in payroll for thousands of small businesses across the country – will soon be cutting checks for its own workers in Denver.

The company is expanding its operations here, a move that will result in 100 new jobs this year and will ultimately lead to 1,750 new employment opportunities down the road.

The governor didn’t say what made this the largest jobs announcement in state history. But he did tout Colorado as a state that continues to attract companies bringing new jobs.

“As we know in Colorado, there is no better place to build a company and expand a company than in Colorado,” Hickenlooper said.

ZenPayroll offers cloud-based technology for small-business owners who would rather not deal with the logistics of handling their own payroll. The company touts that it “makes payday more meaningful,” by emailing employees a detailed and easy-to-understand paystub. It also allows employees to make charitable contributions directly from their paychecks.

“It does it much less expensively than if you have to hire consultants to figure it out,” Hickenlooper said.

The company recently secured significant financial backing through $60 million in funding from Google Capital and Google Ventures and other well-known backers.

Joshua Reeves, ZenPayroll CEO, said the company plans to base its customer service headquarters in Denver. But that won’t be the extent of its expansion to the Mile High City.

“We think of Denver really as becoming a core part of our future,” Reeves said. “And we’re going to have in the not-too-distant future, probably over half of our company here. So again, it’s not just one team, one department. We’re really looking to expand every function in Denver.”

ZenPayroll will have plenty of incentive to hire. That’s because the company will receive $17.5 million in tax incentives over the next eight years. And the City of Denver is granting the company a four-year tax exemption.

The tax credits, Hickenlooper said, are contingent on hiring. The governor said the incentives are worth it, considering the new income tax revenue the state will collect as a result of the new jobs.

The governor also noted the company’s presence will lead to “accessory jobs” through small business start-ups. And, Hickenlooper said, Google’s backing could open the door to a greater Colorado presence for the technology giant.

“Those folks are all going to have a reason to be coming to Colorado,” he said. “They’re all going to increase their exposure to Colorado. That’s very beneficial to us long term.”

Denver tops in business and careers

The ZenPayroll announcement came a day before Forbes placed Denver at the top of its annual ranking of Best Places for Business and Careers. Denver ranked fourth on the list last year.

Forbes studied hundreds of statistics from metropolitan areas across the country. Denver stood out because of its diverse economy and educated workforce.

Paul Washington, executive director of the Denver Office of Economic Development, said at the ZenPayroll announcement that those factors have contributed to the creation of 49,000 new jobs and 3,200 new businesses in Denver over the last four years.

“Firms are selecting Denver because of its quality of life, its predictability of its business climate, and most importantly, its workforce accessibility and talent,” Washington said.

Hickenlooper also noted those factors as key selling points for ZenPayroll’s decision to expand in the state.

“They looked at Colorado and said, ‘This is where there is a higher percentage of millennials. They are better educated. We’re going to get a much better workforce if we expand here.’ And that’s a nice feather in your cap, if you’re Denver.”

The ZenPayroll announcement came days after Hickenlooper was named to the National Governors Association Economic Development and Commerce Committee.

The committee handles an array of economic issues, including transportation infrastructure, affordable housing and science and technology development.

– Twitter: @VicVela1