CATALYST CAMPUS, Colo. Springs – Almost 200 people from local government and the El Paso County business community joined the Colorado Procurement Technical Assistance Center and the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center on October 12th for a ribbon cutting to officially open PTAC’s and SBDC’s new offices at the Catalyst Campus in downtown Colorado Springs.
“El Paso County is proud to support the Small Business Development Center and continue a strong partnership with the Colorado Procurement Technical Assistance Center and the small business community,” said Board of El Paso County Commissioners President Darryl Glenn, who spoke at the event. “We work hand-in-hand with SBDC, PTAC and other organizations in the Pikes Peak Region to insure that County government is enhancing local businesses’ abilities to thrive and bolster the local economy while keeping the region and its leaders on the cutting edge of the business world.”
Along with Commissioner Glenn, Dennis Casey, the Executive Director of PTAC, and SBDC Executive Director Aikta Mercoulier, as well as Catalyst Campus founder Kevin O’Neil spoke at the ribbon cutting. Mercoulier asked the 150-plus supporters in attendance to raise their right hand and pledge to continue to support small business. The pledge said, “Whenever I can, wherever I go, when I support small business, I’m supporting a dream.”
Photo Courtesy of the SBDC
“This ribbon cutting was more than another great event,” said Mercoulier. “It was an event that celebrated the collaboration of partners, our staff, clients, friends and families in support of small business throughout the Pikes Peak Region”
PTAC’s goal is to generate employment and improve the general economic condition of the state by assisting companies including those eligible for preferential consideration in obtaining and performing under local, state and federal government contracts. The SBDC offers business consulting and training to maximize the economic potential of entrepreneurs within the region.
The vision of Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation is to create an economic development “cluster” to expand the aerospace and defense industrial base in Southern Colorado through a collaborative infrastructure platform that supports entrepreneurs and small businesses.
– Matt Steiner, Deputy Public Information Office, El Paso County
