| We have been spending many hours surveying the | | | | of the data we searched out from Fort Lewis |
| market for a potential business location in the South | | | | College matched our findings and observations. |
| Western Region (region # 9) of Colorado. Pouring | | | | population increase of Denver is matched in South |
| through data, seeing the tourist sites, and | | | | Western Colorado with about 8% in the last decade |
| understanding the market there. Meeting with | | | | increase. From 2001-2002 up 1.78%, strong growth. |
| officials, business people and visiting businesses we | | | | Statewide Colorado saw about 1.5 - 1.6% over all. |
| learned quite a bit about the region and the future | | | | And you can see that growth in Montrose, Grand |
| prospects there for someone opening a business.One | | | | Junction, Boulder, Parker, Colorado Springs, pueblo, |
| of the main cities we took data from and drove | | | | Greeley, Fort Collins, Aurora, Denver Highland Ranch, |
| around talking to real people there was the City of | | | | Loveland, etc.Many of those moving in area doing so |
| Cortez. Which is just North of Four Corners and is a | | | | with second homes for Summer to get out of heat |
| big trade partner with Farmington, NM and sees a lot | | | | in places like Vegas, Arizona and lower NM. It is |
| of tourist traffic traveling to the state parks and | | | | Country Type living and the family values and |
| federal parks there, namely Mesa Verde Cliff | | | | community is strong and very nice. Safe place. Only |
| Dwellings. It also receives traffic traveling to and | | | | San Juan County declined and drastically at 2.13 %, |
| from Durango and Telluride.First off the numbers and | | | | which is a small-populated area and therefore the |
| population stats look good to us in that 35% of the | | | | numbers are skewed. Demand for labor is up and |
| population is 25-54 and that is both our age range to | | | | unemployment is down. Increased demand for labor |
| hire from and our biggest marketing sector for car | | | | exceeded 16% since 1999 and job labor rates |
| washes and detailing services. Up the hill and around | | | | climbed and the demand was mostly in retail and in |
| the corner in Durango that stats were a little higher | | | | services for the wealthy older people moving in. Also |
| as retirees with money have moved in there. Higher | | | | in tourism as increased after 9-11 since most of the |
| age and higher economic socio status. Good money | | | | area is traveled to by automobile and tour bus. They |
| flow from that group. Also it has driven up housing | | | | expect another 4% increase in the next five years |
| costs. Durango imports most of its labor from Cortez | | | | for labor, meaning labor rates are improving and |
| and about 5000 people come into work in the city | | | | therefore quality of life is improving. 17% of the area |
| every day and only 800 leave to work each | | | | is owned by Native legitimate Indians and nearby the |
| day.Cortez has a huge Navajo population and they | | | | Ute Tribe has a casino, which is one of the largest |
| have mingled with others and provided a good strong | | | | area employers.It appears it would be a great place |
| and very reliable base of labor for many non-techy | | | | to run a business especially if you exported out of |
| type jobs. One-third of the population rents and does | | | | the area and needed a hard working and reliable labor |
| not own homes and that number is growing as | | | | supply. We liked what we say in South Western CO |
| retirees move in and drive up property values making | | | | and feel it might just be what you are looking for, so |
| it difficult for local young couples to buy homes. Much | | | | think about it. |