For 24 years, the Northwest Douglas County Chamber and Economic Development Corporation served only that side of the county.

That all changed on March 25.

On Tuesday, Douglas County officials and business leaders officially announced the merger of the Northwest Douglas County Chamber and Economic Development Corporation and the Douglas County Economic Development Collaborative, expanding the new entity’s ability to support business and economic growth throughout the county.

The newly-named Douglas County Economic Development Corp. intends to connect companies, create jobs and build more business infrastructure across the county, officials and business leaders said, adding they want to attract more aerospace, healthcare, finance, transportation, and clean technology firms.

“I look forward to having those successful interactions so we can have economic development,” U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert during the new entity’s official unveiling at the Arrowhead Golf Course. 

“Our name change, and strategic restructuring isn’t just about us,” Ellie Reynolds, president and CEO of the Douglas County Economic Development Corporation, also said in a news release. “It’s about propelling Douglas County to become the preferred site selection location for industries such as aerospace, healthcare, finance, transportation, and clean technology.”

Reynolds added: “We’re focused on building a brand that is reflective of our top county rankings in health, wealth, education, and safety. Economic development is done best with public and private partners sitting at the table.”

The Northwest Douglas County Chamber and Economic Development Corp. had served as a partner to Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Roxborough, Sterling Ranch and the Santa Fe Boulevard corridor. Its merger with the Douglas County Economic Development Collaborative allows the new organization to cover the whole county, officials said.

District 2 Commissioner George Teal told The Denver Gazette the expansion “gives us an opportunity to be almost an equal partner, if not to Denver itself, an equal partner in the region.”

“Big things are happening in Douglas County,” added the commissioner.

Teal, who sits on the 16-member DCEDC board, said the idea has been in the works for several years, adding the merged entity infuses new energy into the county’s goal of growing existing businesses and attracting new companies.   

In a news release, Raymond Gonzales, president of Metro Denver EDC, said the establishment of the new organization “fortifies our economic development ecosystem.”

“This development is a significant stride ahead and should enhance all business attraction and expansion efforts while increasing opportunities in the amazing communities that make up Douglas County,” Gonzales said. 

Douglas County District 1 Commissioner Abe Laydon told The Denver Gazette that economic development is “just a code for prosperity.”

“Being the healthiest county and the wealthiest county in the state means that we need to continue focusing on economic development,” he said.

Douglas County District 3 Commissioner Lora Thomas added: “My message here is that we support business and we support legal business and we are going to do what we can to keep our community safe and our businesses safe.”

Douglas and El Paso counties sue to overturn Colorado’s ‘sanctuary’ state laws

Located south of Denver, Douglas County encompasses 843 square miles with roughly 360,000 residents.