Losing Qwest’s corporate headquarters is a regrettable development that will leave a hole in Denver’s philanthropic and economic landscape. There’s no getting around that.
However, we hope CenturyTel, the company that is absorbing Qwest, will make an effort to remain a civic player in Colorado since it still will have a sizeable number of employees in the state.
And we hope policy makers keep in mind the importance of coaxing such enterprises to Colorado, and supporting them once they are here.
Examining the ripple effects from the loss of Qwest, which is set to be merged with Louisiana-based CenturyTel, is a painful lesson in why a strong business base is so critical.
Qwest has been a go-to source of corporate support, with the company’s philanthropic arm and its employees making a $1.6 million donation to Mile High United Way this year. That is a significant contribution in a very rough year for charitable giving.
It’s impossible to know what those employees, whose ranks surely will be thinned by the merger, and CenturyTel will contribute in future years. But we hope causes such as the United Way will remain on the radar screen for CenturyTel executives.
United Way is but one example. Qwest has been involved in supporting the arts, education and sports. Those areas probably will feel the pinch when Qwest is no longer a free-standing company based here in Denver.
The other big area of loss that the Denver metro area will see with the merger will be felt in terms of the economy and leadership.
The most likely jobs to disappear are in the upper echelon of Qwest. These are folks who buy property, pay taxes and serve on boards.
These will be tough losses to take just as the Colorado economy is showing signs of rebounding.
To be sure, other companies are coming to the state, something that Don Marostica, Colorado’s economic development director, points out. They include encouraging new clusters of companies specializing in renewable energy.
Though it’s not a corporate headquarters relocation, energy giant ConocoPhillips is moving forward with plans to build a learning and global technology center on 432 acres in Louisville. That also will be a boost to the state economy.
We’re sorry to see the loss of Qwest, which has been an important employer and good corporate citizen, and we hope policy makers make every effort to deter any other such departures.
