Wyoming has made substantial investments in education, workforce and infrastructure within the last year, and businesses are taking note. In August 2015, Tungsten Heavy Powder & Parts announced its China-based production operation planned to move to Laramie. The plant produces tungsten fragments and penetrators to be sold globally to military weapons and armament manufacturers. Former Colorado firearms accessories manufacturing companies HiViz Shooting Systems and Magpul Industries have relocated to Laramie and Cheyenne since 2013.
Wyoming has the lowest overall state and local tax burden in the country, with no corporate income tax and no personal income tax. Changes to education funding and broadband access are more recent business climate developments.
The Wyoming Legislature recently created the Hathaway Scholarship, providing an initial $400 million for high school graduates to attend the University of Wyoming or any of the state’s seven community colleges. And the Wyoming Unified Network, a $15.8-million, 100-gigabit statewide effort to meet the tech industry’s needs, is operational. The network is expected to enhance educational opportunities, improve telehealth services, promote business growth and bring connections to rural communities.