Glenn Plagens

Glenn Plagens comes to Manufacturer’s Edge from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) where he served as the Business Support and Rural Prosperity Director. During his time with OEDIT, Plagens worked closely with rural communities across Colorado and established the Rural Opportunity Office employing the state’s first three location-neutral employees. This critical role in the state has given him an unparalleled perspective that allows him to support all four corners of the state and bridge the rural/urban divide.

Plagens has a broad background in business and government support and, prior to OEDIT, served as the Senior Director at the Front Range Community College (FRCC) North Metro Denver SBDC and the Larimer SBDC, where he managed their strategic direction, budget, and performance. During his time with FRCC, Plagens increased the overall operational metrics for the center by 600% and funding of the FRCC SBDC by 400%. Plagens also launched the Small Manufacturer’s AdvantEdge (SMA), a first-of-its-kind statewide small manufacturing program alongside Manufacturer’s Edge. The program has been hailed as a national best practice by the national Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Network.

Prior to leading the FRCC SBDC, Plagens was a successful small business owner for over 23 years, offering valuable insight to go on to work with the small business owner community. Hailing from Michigan and working in rural communities, Plagens also understands the unique needs and challenges among the rural community. This perspective plays a vital role in Plagens’ leadership and serves as an asset for the Manufacturer’s Edge team.