Business Images Wyoming 2013

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Sparking Interest

Manufacturing opportunities flourish

Mother Lode State is rich in minerals opportunity Sponsored by the Wyoming Business Council | 2013

wyoming business images

28 Workstyle An Energized Economy

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Fuel, renewables power growth in Wyoming

Mother Lode

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State is rich in mineral resources

Cool Humming

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Mild weather, low-cost power, high-speed fiber make Wyoming a data destination

Small Companies, Big Resources

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Wyoming programs turn entrepreneurial ideas into successful realities

Sparking Interest

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Manufacturing opportunities flourish Table of Contents Continued on Page 5

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On the Cover Puma Steel in Cheyenne

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Insight Overview 8 Business Almanac

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Energy 32 Education & Research

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Transportation 38

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Health 42 Livability 44 Economic Profile

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Manufacturing opportunities flourish

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Lifestyle Find out what it’s like to live in Wyoming and what makes the state such a special place to be.

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Mother Lode State is rich in minerals opportunity SponSored by the WyoMIng buSIneSS CounCIL | 2013

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Workstyle We put a spotlight on innovative companies that call Wyoming home.

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Plug into the state with links to local websites and resources to give you a big

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Unparalleled Beauty, Unrivaled Opportunity Wyoming makes it easy to work where you want to live

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you want to be, and its residents enjoy freedom from high crime, the pressures of big cities, traffic jams, and noise and air pollution.

The New West of Wyoming offers you the space to grow and thrive.

Wyoming is often called the first state in Outdoor America.

From the thrill-seeker to the nature lover, Wyoming has something to please everyone, including two spectacular national parks and a dozen state parks.

From its broad high plains to its soaring mountains, from its storied frontier past to its role in the ancient histories of native peoples – the Western spirit thrives to this day. Discover why Wyoming is the ideal place to live and work.

enjoy higher earnings, the lack of an individual income tax contributes to the state’s lower cost of labor.

Wyoming ranked No. 1 for business-friendly taxation on the Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index in 2012. Wyoming ranked No. 3 on that list in 2010 and 2011.

The state ranked fourth on the 2011 Pollina Corporate Real Estate Top 10 Pro Business States list.

For 2010, The Atlantic named Wyoming the Best Performing State Economy, while 24/7 Wall St. named it the Best Run State in America in 2010 and 2011 based on a comprehensive analysis of state financial management data.

Wyoming’s quality of life allows you to be part of a crowd only when

Wyoming offers a bounty of advantages for business relocation and expansion, unparalleled natural beauty and a quality of life that gives you the freedom to work where you want to live.

Though it is a state of wide-open spaces, Wyoming boasts a superior transportation system, cutting-edge health providers, communities with the latest technological and communications infrastructure and renowned educational assets, including the University of Wyoming and a statewide network of community colleges.

Among Wyoming’s key benefits is a highly advantageous tax structure.

Wyoming does not have corporate, inventory or personal income taxes.

Besides allowing business owners to

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Wyoming Economic Development Contacts Wyoming Business Council Cheyenne, WY (307) 777-2800 www.wyomingbusiness.org Campbell County Economic Development Corp.

Gillette, WY (307) 686-2603 www.ccedc.net Carbon County Economic Development Commission Rawlins, WY (307) 324-3836 www.ccwyed.net Casper Area Economic Development Alliance Casper, WY (307) 577-7011 www.casperworks.biz Cheyenne LEADS Cheyenne, WY (307) 638-6000 www.cheyenneleads.org

IDEA Inc. Riverton, WY (307) 856-0952 www.rivertonidea.com Imagine Jackson Jackson, WY (307) 690-3047 mobringer@bresnan.net KBJ Economic Development Joint Powers Board Buffalo, WY (307) 684-5566, ext. 4 cityplanner@vcn.com City of Kemmerer Kemmerer, WY (307) 877-2350 rdavison@kemmerer.org Town of Kirby Kirby, WY (307) 864-4030 kirbywy@yahoo.com Town of LaGrange LaGrange, WY (307) 834-2466 www.lagrangewyo.com

Niobrara-Lusk Chamber of Commerce Lusk, WY (800) 223-5875 luskchamberofcommerce@yahoo. com Northeast Wyoming Economic Development Coalition Gillette, WY (307) 686-3672 www.newedc.com Town of Pine Bluffs Pine Bluffs, WY (307) 245-3746 www.pinebluffswy.org Platte County Economic Development Wheatland, WY (307) 322-4232 www.plattecountyedc.com Powell Economic Partnership Powell, WY (307) 754-6094 www.powellchamber.org South Lincoln County Economic Development Corp.

Diamondville, WY (307) 877-9781 www.southlincolnedc.org

Converse Area New Development Organization Douglas, WY (307) 358-2000 www.candowyoming.com

City of Lander Lander, WY (307) 332-2870 www.landerwyoming.org

City of Evanston Evanston, WY (307) 783-6309 www.evanstonwy.org

Laramie Economic Development Corp.

Laramie, WY (307) 742-2212 www.laramiewy.org

Forward Cody Cody, WY (307) 587-3136 www.forwardcody.com

LEADER Corp.

Lander, WY (307) 332-5181 www.leadercorporation.com

Thermopolis-Hot Springs County Economic Development Co. Thermopolis, WY (307) 864-2348 www.thermopolisedc.com

Forward Sheridan Sheridan, WY (307) 673-8004 www.forwardsheridan.com

Lincoln County Economic Development Program Kemmerer, WY (307) 887-7537 www.lcwy.org

Uinta County Economic Development Commission Evanston, WY (307) 783-0378 www.uintacounty.com

Town of Lingle Lingle, WY (307) 837-2422 lingletown@hotmail.com

Washakie Development Association Worland, WY (307) 347-8900 www.washakiedevelopment.com

Lovell Inc. Lovell, WY (307) 548-6707 www.lovellinc.org

Weston County Development Board Upton, WY (307) 468-2400 richarc@trib.com

Meeteetse EDA Meeteetse, WY (307) 868-2454 director@tctwest.net

Wind River Development Fund Fort Washakie, WY (307) 335-7330 www.wrdf.org

Newcastle Area Chamber Newcastle, WY (307) 746-2739 nacoc@rtcconnect.net

Town of Wright Wright, WY (307) 464-1666 www.wrightwyoming.com

Glenrock Economic Development Corp.

Glenrock, WY (307) 436-9432 www.gedcwyoming.com Goshen County Economic Development Torrington, WY (307) 532-5162 www.goshenwyo.com Greybull Area Chamber of Commerce Greybull, WY (307) 765-2100 chamber@greybull.com High Plains Economic Development District Wheatland, WY (307) 331-5761 www.highplainsedd.org

Sublette Economic Research Council Pinedale, WY (307) 231-4581 www.sercwyo.com

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Building Machines That Build

Innovation by the Barrel

Founded in 1969, Westech has supplied the mining and construction industries with equipment for nearly half a century.

On July 4, 2009, Wyoming Whiskey officially started producing bourbon in Kirby. With the start of its smallbatch operation, Wyoming Whiskey became the first legal distillery in the state.

Westech combines its engineering expertise with its close relationships to steel manufacturers to design a variety of truck bodies that achieve optimal structural strength and long-term durability.

After celebrating that historic first, Wyoming Whiskey celebrated a couple more memorable occasions including its grand opening to the public in October 2009 and the 1,000th barrel it produced in April 2010.

p h o t o c o u r t e s y o f W E S TECH

Westech’s facility in Casper has more than 165,000 square feet of production space, which enables it to accommodate truck bodies ranging from 25 tons to more than 400 tons. The materials the facility uses are inspected by Certified Quality Assurance Inspectors to ensure that customers’ specifications are met.

Learn more at www.wstch.com.

Today, Wyoming Whiskey has produced more than 3,000 barrels of its handcrafted bourbon using regional ingredients and a specially designed distillery process developed by master distiller Steve Nally.

Wyoming Whiskey offers regular public tours in which it showcases the distillery’s one-of-a-kind, 38-foot copper still. Go to www. wyomingwhiskey.com for more.

Home in a Hidden Valley It’s not Napa Valley, but the valleys of Riverton’s Wind River Mountains are turning out some very good wine.

Founded in 2008, the Irvin Cellar vineyard combines a wide array of native wild berries with grapes from its 300 homegrown grape plants to produce a variety of specialty and seasonal wines.

These wines include popular flavors like peach, honey and apricot as well as unusually flavored wines like jalapeno pepper, pumpkin and chokecherry rhubarb.

Irvin Cellar offers tours of the vineyard and wine tastings in the comfort of its log cabin sampling room. Go to www.irvincellarwinery.com for more.

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W y o mi n g

Always Coming in First

Almanac

Wyoming is home to several prominent attributes that make it a birthplace of innovation.

Yellowstone National Park was established by Congress in 1872, making it the country’s first national park. The Laramie County Public Library System became the first county public school system in the United States when it was organized in 1886.

President Theodore Roosevelt designated Devils Tower a national monument in 1906, which made it the first U.S. national monument. And in 1925, Nellie Tayloe Ross became the first female state governor in America when she was elected to fulfill the term of her husband, who had died in office. For more information, visit www.wyomingtourism.org.

Bringing West to the Rest Friends Jack Peterson and Dale Caldwell developed a simple idea for a hunting movie in 1998. Over the course of a few years, that idea grew into a video and television production company and a hit television show.

The friends’ production company, Bridger Trail Video, scored a big victory when both Dish Network and DirecTV picked up the company’s The Best of the West show.

Since its premiere in 2003, the show has produced more than 180 episodes and developed a viewership of 4.7 million households as of 2010.

Wheat for the World Located in Pine Bluffs, Jessen Wheat Co. became a certified organic farm in 2001. Since that time, Jessen has developed thriving distribution streams in the North American and European markets.

Jessen supplies Kellogg’s and Safeway with organic grain that the company grows on an 18,000-acre farm east of Cheyenne. Jessen has announced plans to become the first wheat producer in the United States to export organic proso millet and wheat to China.

The company hopes to tap rising middle class consumers in the country of 1.4 billion for its organic products and help showcase Wyoming agricultural products to that market.

The Best of the West’s programming focuses on the latest technologies and techniques used in hunting and longdistance precision shooting.

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Riverton Regional Airport Industrial Park is …

BUILDER READY

4800 Airport Rd. Riverton, WY 82501 (307) 856-1307

www.flyriverton.com

555 General Brees Rd. Laramie, WY 82070 (307) 742-4164 www.laramieairport.com

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W y o mi n g

“Shovel ready” building sites available in our Airport Business Park

Leading the Nation Casper is getting national notice for its economy.

Area Development magazine included Casper on its list of 10 Leading Locations for 2012. The magazine considered 365 metro areas and ranked them according to 23 economic and workforce growth indicators used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau.

With a population of more than 75,000 residents, Casper beat 357 other areas to claim its place as America’s eighth leading location.

Flying off the Shelves Although Backcountry Super Cubs was officially formed in 2009, it has roots dating to 1998.

Backcountry manufactures and sells kits for hobbyist pilots who want to build their own planes. Backcountry offers four airplane kit models: the Super Cub Replica, the Super Cruiser, the Mackey SQ2 and the Mackey SQ4.

Beefing Up Located in Cody, Wyoming Authentic Products draws on the state’s distinctly Western heritage to make and sell beef products through its Wyoming Gourmet Beef brand.

Wyoming Authentic stays true to its name by sourcing all the cattle for its products from ranches across Wyoming. These cattle must satisfy Wyoming Authentic’s standards, which require that the cattle be fed only grass and grains, be humanely treated and the resulting beef be aged for seven to 14 days to achieve proper tenderness and flavor.

Among the products Wyoming Authentic offers are hamburger patties, old-fashioned beef franks and steaks and prime cuts, to name a few.

Go to www.wyproducts.com for more.

In 2009, Backcountry opened a new facility and head office in Douglas to focus on research and development for its products. The company has more than 200 of its kits flying, and it is a leader in using technology to better engineer and manufacture the components that go into its kits. Go to www.supercub.com for more.

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Pertech Industries’ employees manufacture products in an assembly line. The company, which creates printers and scanners commonly used in banks, has benefitted from using the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services’ programs to enhance its employees’ skills.

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W y o mi n g

Business Climate

An Energized Economy Fuel, renewables power growth in Wyoming

Story by Stephanie Vozza Photography by Martin B. Cherry

W

yoming may have the smallest population of any state, but the energy in its people and its resources is abundant.

With a $38 billion economy and business-friendly atmosphere, the “Equality State” is boasting growth – the state exported more than $1.2 billion in products in 2011, up more than 23 percent from the previous year – and attracting a new breed of industry.

An Energy State “We are mainly an energy state,” says Robert Jensen, CEO of Wyoming Business Council. “We have lots of oil and natural gas, abundant coal and uranium, and we’re the nation’s best inland resource for wind energy. We have every form of BTU known to mankind in Wyoming. Energy is our biggest export commodity to the nation and to the world, and we’re proud of how we’ve managed that.”

Wyoming, Jensen says, puts considerable effort into finding higher

values and more efficient uses for those resources other than just shipping them out as a commodity.

“We are looking into converting our resources into products that are useful beyond their commodity energy value,” he says. “Turning natural gas to gas and diesel, for example. Or converting coal into chemical feed stocks.”

The state’s renewable energy industry is aided in no small way by its thriving agriculture industry, which is a leader in livestock and crop production.

Tourism is also a major industry, driven by Wyoming’s beauty, a place where the mountains and plains meet.

Thousands flock each year to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, and Devils Tower National Monument.

2012 Winner The Council of Development Finance Agencies named the Wyoming Business Council the winner of the 2012 CDFA Excellence in Access to Capital Finance Award for the council’s use of a wide range of innovative programs designed to promote economic development by enhancing access to capital for Wyoming businesses.

Wyoming Draws Technology “We’ve been working to help companies understand the advantages Wyoming offers for the past 10 years,” Jensen says. “We have land availability, low-cost power supply and abundant b u si n e ssclim a t e . c o m / w y o mi n g

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Left: Robert Jensen serves as CEO of the Wyoming Business Council. Right: Firehole Composites in Laramie is an example of the innovative companies that Wyoming has cultivated. Firehole develops software tools and engineering services to improve structural design and analysis with composite materials.

broadband capacity. In the last six years, we’ve made significant headway. Microsoft is building a $112 million data center here. And the National Center for Atmospheric Research opened one of the world’s most powerful supercomputing centers in Cheyenne.”

A number of other tech companies have also grown up or made the move to Wyoming, such as EchoStar Broadcasting Corp., which opened a data center in Cheyenne, Mountain West Technologies of Casper and Ptolemy Data Systems, which opened a data center in Sheridan.

“Technology is becoming a growing sector of our economy,” Jensen says. “It matches up with our resource base extremely well.”

Business-Friendly Advantages Wyoming promotes itself as a low-cost place to do business, with a highly favorable tax structure.

“We understand that business is the economic engine that drives everything,” Jensen says. “As a result, we don’t look for new ways to lay taxes on business to drive our tax collections. We’re focused on trying to manage our state in a business-like manner that understands revenues and expenditures.

We spend a lot of time managing our fiscal profile to avoid deficits.”

“We also understand our energy and mineral resources bless us by paying a lot of bills. We have good taxation on our mineral industry that allows them to operate at a good profit but recognizes the one-time nature of extraction, compensating the state fairly.”

Wyoming also has a AAA credit rating, reflects the good stewardship its governor, legislature and treasury have held with the state’s finances.

“We’re one of just a couple of states with a surplus of revenue,” he says. “It’s much easier for us to operate and keep ourselves attractive to businesses throughout the world since we do not need to figure out how to raise taxes on businesses.”

The state has seven community colleges as well as the University of Wyoming. High school graduates can qualify for the Hathaway Scholarship, which will pay for all or a significant portion of tuition to either a community college or UW for students who successfully pass the high school curriculum.

The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services offers workforce training programs to assist businesses in the cost of training employees and to increase their skill sets.

“We work closely with the Department of Workforce services and are both focused on helping the existing workforce find great jobs and helping businesses have a pipeline of students coming through the education system prepared to take those jobs as our economy continues to grow,” he says

Wyoming: By the numbers Population (2011): 568,158

Median Household Income (2010): $53,512

Median Age (2010): 36.8

Per Capita Gross Domestic Product (2009): $68,980

Percent of Population High-School Graduate or Higher (2010): 92.3% Percent of Population With Bachelor’s Degree or Higher (2010): 24.1%

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W y o mi n g

Individual Income Tax Rate: 0.0% Corporate Income Tax Rate: 0.0% State Sales Tax Rate: 4.0%

Wyoming Accolades

No. 1 • Best Run State for second consecutive year, by 24/7 Wall St. • Tax Foundation’s State Business Climate Index in 2012 • In nation for coal production • Highest per capita gross domestic product

No. 2 • Lowest gasoline tax in nation • Lowest state for bankruptcy filings

No. 3 • Pollina Top Pro Business state rankings for 2012 • Most Livable State, according to CQ Press

Casper, Wyoming is … … the state’s hub of air, rail and highway transportation … home to the Wyoming Medical Center, the state’s largest hospital … a center for educational opportunities 300 S. Wolcott • Ste. 300 • Casper, WY 82601 • 307.577.7011

… a smart choice for business!

Left: Rare Element Resources plans to begin mining in Wyoming. Right: Cameco Corp. is the largest uranium producer in the U.S.

Mother Lode Wyoming offers potential for secure source of rare earth elements Story by Pamela Coyle

A

geologic wonderland, Wyoming is tapping rare earth elements and upping production of uranium – developments that will further diversify an energy-based economy and improve U.S. energy independence.

Wyoming already is first in production of coal, bentonite and soda ash. And more than 40 percent of the nation’s coal supply comes from Wyoming. It has some of the largest uranium reserves in the country.

Rare earth elements are the new kids on the block, and the timing is ideal.

Used in a range of products from the batteries for hybrid autos to LED lighting to surgical lasers, cell phones and computers, rare earth elements are in high demand.

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W y o mi n g

Challenging China, Boosting Security Rare Element Resources, a Colorado-based mineral resources company, has identified a site in Northwest Wyoming that it projects will produce 10,600 tons of rare earth oxides (REOs) a year for at least 19 years, though both estimates have grown with more exploratory drilling and sample testing.

“We are growing more and more certain we can extend that considerably,” says George Byers, the company’s vice president of government affairs and community relations.

Rare Element Resources plans a $300 million to $400 million infrastructure investment in surface sites and a hydrometallurgy plant in Crook and Weston Counties, with permitting to start in the

near future and production to start in 2016. China has had a near-monopoly on rare earth mining, producing 95 percent of the 145,000 tons used worldwide in 2010.

Only one other U.S. mine exists. It resumed production in Mountain Pass, Calif., in 2012 after a decade of being idle.

Rare Elements, Welcome Jobs “For us to have the security that one of our strategic minerals will not be denied to us is a very positive development,” says Marion Loomis, director of the Wyoming Mining Association.

The economic impact on Northwest Wyoming will be significant, too, providing jobs and development in Sundance, Upton and surrounding communities.

The Bear Lodge project will create 325 construction jobs and about 159 permanent jobs at the mine and hydrometallurgy plant combined, Byer says. The Bear Lodge Project is recognized as one of the world’s three to four best non-Chinese deposits of this group of 17 chemical elements not commonly found in large deposits cluster at the right (heavy) side of the Periodic Table and that, in nature, cluster literally. They travel in packs, and extracting one at a time is not how it’s done. Global demand is expected to grow to 185,000 tons annually by 2014 and should top 200,000 tons by 2020.

“We will be able to make a pretty good dent in the world market,” Byers says.

Uranium Production Ramps Up Increased uranium production in Wyoming will affect that global market, too. Statewide production

may grow to 5 million to 7 million pounds in five years, up from about 2 million pounds in 2012 and 1.5 million pounds in 2011.

Uranez Energy Corp. in October 2012 received a deep-well disposal permit for its Nichols Ranch Uranium Project and is expected to begin production in 2013, starting with 600,000 to 800,000 pounds per year.

Cameco, the largest producer in the U.S., is expanding its adjacent Wyoming operations in Smith Ranch and Highland, which produced 1.4 million pounds in 2011.

UR Energy, a Canadian company headquartered in Colorado, will begin processing in 2013 at its Lost Creek project in the Great Divide Basin – one project in a collection of six adjacent projects spanning over 38,000 acres and 12 miles from the nearest neighbor.

It received final regulatory approval in October 2012.

UR is investing $30 million to $40 million between the plant, well fields and disposal wells, says CEO Wayne Heili.

The 100 permanent jobs – including 40 contract drillers – will not be seasonal like most oil and gas work and allow employees more regular hours.

UR’s new operation will produce about 1 million pounds of uranium annually. It’s a small portion of U.S. demand, which tops 50 million pounds a year, but an important step toward energy security, Heili says.

“We used to produce what we consumed here in the U.S.,” he says. “But uranium is still an important commodity that is used for generation of electricity.”

Underground Economy Growth in China, India creates demand for Wyoming minerals Middle class growth in populous countries such as India and China is good news for Wyoming’s trona mining industry.

Trona, a sodium carbonatebearing compound, is mined and then processed into soda ash or bicarbonate of soda. Soda ash is used widely – in glassmaking, chemical production, paper manufacturing and water treatment.

Wyoming holds the world’s largest deposits of trona, and mining companies are poised to meet expected increases in global demand for soda ash. A larger middle class means more homes with glass windows and other consumer goods.

“Per-capita consumption in India is

about four pounds per person, and it is about 44 pounds per person in the U.S.,” says Randy Pitts, plant manager at Tata Chemicals N.A. “China is about halfway up that curve.”

At its Green River facility, Tata produces about 2.6 million tons of soda ash per year, a figure that has increased slightly since the 1990s, though export balance has changed significantly.

“We export 50 percent of it outside North America,” Pitts says.

“We see our real growth potential in the export market.”

FMC Wyoming Corp., the largest U.S. soda ash producer, restarted its idled facility in Granger in 2011 to produce about 500,000 tons per

year. A planned expansion will bring annual capacity at Granger to 1.2 million tons by 2014, with the potential to scale larger.

Soda ash also is the source of all sodium bicarbonate, including Arm & Hammer baking soda, which is produced by Church & Dwight in Green River. The Green River plant has annual capacity of 200,000 tons.

A September 2012 report by Merchant Research & Consulting Ltd. projects demand for soda ash in the Asia-Pacific markets will grow by an average 4.8 percent annually through 2017. Wyoming also is exporting more soda ash to Mexico, Canada and South America.

– Pamela Coyle b u si n e ssclim a t e . c o m / w y o mi n g

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Cool Humming Mild weather, low-cost power, high-speed fiber make Wyoming a desirable data destination Story by Pamela Coyle Photography by Martin B. Cherry and Brian McCord

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nremarkable weather and remarkably low energy costs are among the factors luring large data centers to Wyoming, including a $112 million complex Microsoft is building in Cheyenne.

The technology giant’s announcement in April 2012 cemented the state’s status as a data destination. Among the draws: a highly educated workforce, abundant and reliable power sources, low-cost power costs, targeted incentives, abundant high-speed connectivity and a cool and dry climate.

The combination also helped attract the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center, which opened in Cheyenne in October 2012. Transmission-level power, broadband access and a site with room to expand paved the way for the facility and “Yellowstone,” a computer that operates at the equivalent of 7 billion people each simultaneously conducting 200,000 calculations a second.

“At every turn when we needed something done, there was always

a solution, and they’d follow through and do it,” says Jeff Reaves, associate vice president for business services with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, a nonprofit consortium of research universities that manages the NCAR. When the project wanted renewable power in the mix, Cheyenne Power & Light hooked up the facility to the nearby Happy Jack wind farm. When it needed a broadband extension along the railroad line, “Cheyenne LEADS got it done,” Reaves says.

The Right Climate Cool, dry air and a location away from hurricanes, high levels of earthquake activity and tornado hot spots make Wyoming attractive for energy-intense data centers. The average temperature is 69 degrees.

“We are a Wyoming-based company and each of the partners are from the Sheridan area. Living in Wyoming we know two things to be true; one that naturally cold temperatures make cooling a data

center far more efficient and two; our geography significantly limits exposure to natural disasters, making our location very attractive,” says Jesus Rios, Chief Operating Officer at Ptolemy Data Systems, which opened a data center in Sheridan in fall 2012.

“We use large air cooled chillers, but we have to use them far less than we would if our data center was located in Phoenix or even Southern California,” he says.

Microsoft Not Alone Wyoming is seeing investment from multiple companies in data center projects. Mountain West Telephone expanded its business model and infrastructure, opening its own data centers to co-location and private or virtual rack space.

It has data centers in Casper and Cheyenne, also offering storage and backup, security, custom monitoring solutions and consulting.

Colorado-based EchoStar has a new 77,000-square-foot data center in Cheyenne, where the

Clockwise from top left: On a tour through the interactive Visitor Center at the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center (NWSC) in Cheyenne, which opened in October 2012; The supercomputer dubbed “Yellowstone” at the NWSC; The exterior of the NWSC facility.

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Above: EchoStar recently opened a 77,000-square-foot facility in Cheyenne that includes satellite uplink and data center operations.

Below: Green House Data, headquartered in Cheyenne, is fully powered by wind energy and is adding a new facility in Cheyenne.

company had existing satellite uplink and data center facilities.

Denver-based T3Media (formerly Thought Equity Motion) has a 20-petabyte data center in Laramie and a newer one in Cheyenne.

Specialized state and regional incentives to encourage data center development are part of the attraction. Microsoft’s incentive package included up to $5 million from funds used at the sole discretion of the governor to entice data centers and $5 million from a Wyoming Business Council Business Ready Communities (BRC) Managed Data Center Cost Reduction grant through Laramie County.

Verizon initially picked Laramie for a $2 billion megacenter, a project that stopped when Verizon bought a smaller company and its data center holdings. But Wyoming had already upped the ante, creating a second tier of data center incentives that grants additional sales tax exemptions to projects of at least $50 million.

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Laramie is now developing a technology business park based on the site Verizon had targeted, says Brandon Marshall, manager of business recruitment and development at the Wyoming Business Council.

Sustainable Data Microsoft and a consortium of local and state entities are exploring whether biogas is a cost-effective way to power a data center. The proposed $7.6 million project, also in Cheyenne, would collect excess methane gas from the Dry Creek Water Reclamation Facility in a fuel cell that would then power the data center with 100 kilowatts to spare.

The private-public partnership includes Microsoft, the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities, FuelCell Energy Inc., Western Research Institute, the University of Wyoming, Cheyenne LEADS and

the Wyoming Business Council, which would contribute $1.5 million toward the project.

Green House Data is breaking ground on a second Cheyenne center, adding 25,000 square feet in a $35 million expansion that will more than double the company’s size and increase power capacity to 4.5 megawatts.

Green House is fully powered by wind energy and incorporates high-efficiency cooling, hot aisle heat containment and a modular layout into its facilities. The company estimates its energy use is 75 percent more efficient than the typical data center, allowing savings to pass to customers.

Marshall predicts more investment in wind-driven data centers.

“Wind energy and data centers are two industries that need each other and want each other,” he says.

“Yellowstone” operates at the equivalent of seven billion people simultaneously conducting 200,000 calculations per second.

Small Companies, Big Resources Wyoming programs turn entrepreneurial ideas into reality Story by Lee Polevoi • Photography by Martin B. Cherry

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ith its wide open spaces and spectacular natural assets, Wyoming is as bold as all outdoors.

And in that spirit, it has cultivated a culture of bold entrepreneurship, leveraging its highly developed telecommunications infrastructure, superior transportation grid and highly desirable quality of life to create innovative companies across a range of industries.

Entrepreneurs with a great startup idea or owners of businesses looking to expand would be hardpressed to find a more ideal place to set up shop than businessfriendly Wyoming.

This sentiment is heartily endorsed by Jill Kline, director of the Wyoming Small Business Development Center. SBDC is one of three programs forming the business network Wyoming Entrepreneur, based at the University of Wyoming in

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Laramie. These programs offer counseling, education and training opportunities in all areas of business, as well as advice on expanding and diversifying for future growth.

“We want people to have access to all the resources they need to be successful,” Kline says.

SDBC is joined by the Procurement Technical Assistance Center, assisting businesses in securing federal, state and local government contracting opportunities, and the Market Research Center, providing industry information and aid in developing marketing materials.

To date, Wyoming Entrepreneur’s programs have provided 35,000 counseling hours to more than 6,150 clients. More than 21,500 entrepreneurs and businesspeople have attended some 1,850 workshops and training events. Since 2007, these programs have created or

retained 3,478 jobs in Wyoming, assisting clients to obtain $61 million in operating capital through secured bank loans.

Yet another valuable resource is Enhanced Capital Wyoming Fund, LLC, a small business investment company under the Wyoming Business Council Business Investment Credit Program.

This program offers an alternative capital source to entrepreneurs and small businesses relocating from outside the state.

‘Black Spaghetti’ Untangled As a traveling consultant, John Thorn was on and off planes, in and out of hotel rooms, setting up a portable office six times a day.

The constant tangle of USB, power and earbud cables was, he says, “driving me nuts.”

He tried organizing this “black spaghetti” with twisty ties and Velcro snaps, but nothing worked.

Then he came up with the Coil Earbud cable organizer, a 2.75inch protective case that keeps cables and connector cords tanglefree. With the Coil organizer, users pull only as much cord as they need for their cell phones, MP3 players, digital recorders and other portable listening devices.

To open his company, Coil LLC, Thorn found help through the Wyoming Women’s Business Center, whose loan program provides access to funds for those who are unable to secure loans through traditional means. He also received valuable assistance from the MRC. “The plan was to launch the whole system at once, but I

couldn’t get all the investors I needed,” Thorn says. “WWBC helped me revise my business plan and successfully apply for an SBA loan. With additional funding from other sources, I was able to produce the first run of the Earbud Organizer. I wouldn’t have been able to start my business without the help of these programs.”

Resources Fuel Innovation Dean Dexter was looking to move Gizmojo, a graphic production, exhibit design and management firm, out of the Deep South. He found just what he was looking for in Wyoming.

In the early stages of his relocation, Dexter had valuable

assistance from Wyoming Entrepreneur and the Wyoming Business Council (which includes SBDC, PTAC and WWBC as part of its network). Since 2009, his small firm has grown by more than 50 percent per year.

“I came to believe in this enough to stake everything I had on bringing my company here,” Dexter says. “That was three years ago, and I haven’t looked back since.”

Above: Dean Dexter, president of Gizmojo, works on a display his company designed at the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center. Gizmojo, headquartered in Cheyenne, designs and manages eventrelated exhibits, graphics and equipment. b u si n e ssclim a t e . c o m / w y o mi n g

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Sparking Interest Manufacturers stake profitable claims in Wyoming’s low-tax environment Story by Nan Bauroth Photgraphy by Martin B. Cherry and Brian McCord

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o West, Horace Greeley advised in 1865. Today, manufacturers are discovering there are still plenty of prospects for profit in Wyoming.

Rex Lewis, president of Cheyenne-based Puma Steel, the largest structural steel fabricator in Wyoming, says that the state is among the most business-friendly at both the state and local level.

“There is no personal or corporate income tax, inventory tax, or tax on capital equipment.

Our workers’ comp rates are also very good. Since we compete regionally and nationally, all that is important for our cost of business,” he says. “The waiver of

sales tax on capital equipment is an asset to Puma Steel and others doing business in Wyoming. And regulations are not as strict. The attitude of regulators is to ensure we are in compliance, working with us rather than a confrontational manner.”

Wyoming’s development of mammoth coal and mineral industries, as well as a booming energy exploration sector, are creating a bonanza of opportunity for related manufacturers.

“Wyoming wants to promote business, so you don’t have to jump through as many legal hoops,” says Abby Moneyhun, chief financial officer of MESSCO, a Rock Springs

manufacturer of oil and gas production equipment that eliminates emissions from the gas dehydration process and production storage tanks.

Westward Expansion Larry Stewart, founder and center director of Manufacturing-Works™, the Wyoming Manufacturing Extension Partnership, says businessfriendly policies have enabled manufacturers there to eliminate concerns about efficiency and high costs. “Today, eight out of 10 manufacturers indicate their top priority is sustained growth,” he says.

L&H Industrial, a manufacturer of surface and hardrock mining

An employee works with a piece of steel at Puma Steel in Cheyenne. The company is the largest structural steel fabricator in Wyoming.

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some industrial companies.”

He also notes that the Wyoming Business Council and state have an aggressive program for businessready communities, making industrial sites more readily accessible and shovel-ready.

Transportation Made Easy Brad Pate, managing member of High County Fabrication in Casper, says transport of goods is easy in Wyoming. High Country is a custom manufacturer of shell and tube heat exchangers, pressure vessels, reactors, columns, reboilers, scrubbers and other process equipment.

“We have problems where shipments get to other state borders

and just sit,” he says. “But we don’t have that in Wyoming.”

Puma Steel’s location at the intersection of two Class I railroads and two interstate highways facilitates its ability to move products to market quickly. MESSCO sits next to I-80, which connects it directly with major U.S. markets.

“We also have a railroad spur in our yard,” Pate says. “This provides additional transportation options for our inventory and product delivery.”

Lifestyle is also a big draw for companies that relocate, as Wyoming is still the proverbial home where the buffalo roam.

“There are a lot of things to do and room to grow out here,” Pate says.

p h o t o c o u r t e s t y o f m e ss c o

equipment replacement and repair, is an example of the ability of Wyoming manufacturers to concentrate on growth.

“They continue to expand their foreign markets, with more than 50 percent of revenues coming from offshore,” Stewart says.

Wyoming’s stature as the nation’s largest coal provider means that energy rates are substantially lower than elsewhere in the country.

“Our arid low temperatures make this a prime place for data processing, injection molding and other industries that depend on cooling requirements,” Stewart says.

“Our cooler temperatures can even eliminate dependency on air conditioning and humidifiers for

Left: MESSCO manufactures oil and gas production equipment in Rock Springs. Right: Beams are stacked at Puma Steel in Cheyenne.

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New Home on the Range When Vacutech, a manufacturer of central and mobile vacuum systems for commercial, industrial, medical and auto industries, relocated to Sheridan, key drivers were lifestyle and tax benefits.

Lack of a state income tax and low taxes for corporations is why Vacutech looked at Wyoming, CEO John F. Tucker says. “But a year into it, we discovered that our suppliers in Wyoming have better pricing than their city counterparts elsewhere in the country due to the lower overhead here,” he says.

“Freight costs were also of no consequence. Since we moved, our business has experienced over 30 percent growth.”

The company’s greatest concern about relocation was personnel, but the incentives Wyoming offers through workforce development programs turned out to be another big advantage.

“Sheridan has a tremendous college (Northern Wyoming Community College) with vocational programs for welding, CAD design and CNC machining, all the disciplines we use,” Tucker says.

As a consequence, Vacutech hired seven people from the college who served as their initial startup manufacturing group at rented space in town before their new facility opened. “We had people trained when we moved in, and ready to go,” Tucker says.

Vacutech’s biggest surprise, though, has been Sheridan’s allout welcome.

“People with no vested interest in our company offered to help us in any way they could,” Tucker says.

“The business atmosphere of the community is very important, but what’s exceptional is how they have accepted our people and our company into the area.”

– Nan Bauroth

p h o t o c o u r t e s t o f va c u t ec h

Cost savings draw Vacutech to Sheridan

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Energy

A Powerhouse State Wyoming expands its already diverse energy portfolio

Story by Pamela Coyle

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yoming’s status as an energy leader includes more than mining, drilling and production, and spans renewable resources and cuttingedge research on everything from clean coal technology and carbon management to biofuels to wind power.

The state accounts for 40 percent of U.S. coal production, more than the next seven states combined.

It ranks third in production of natural gas and in the top 10 for oil production. Renewables are far from an afterthought – the state in June 2012 had more than 1,400 installed megawatts of wind energy capacity,

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and a 1,000-turbine wind farm, the largest in the nation, is planned in south-central Wyoming near Rawlins.

Adding Value to Raw Resources The University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources (SER) has emerged as a major research player that also brings academics and industry together. How to best transform the state’s raw energy resources into higher value products and improve markets for them is one new focus.

J e ff A d k i n s

A partnership of the school, the Wyoming Business Council and Idaho National Laboratory is looking at hybrid energy systems, which combine at least two complimentary resources, such as fossil, renewable or nuclear, to produce high-value energy products.

“Our number-one product is coal, natural gas is number two, yet we ship them basically unchanged,” says Mark Northam, director of the School of Energy Resources. “There is a strong desire to establish a value-added industry.”

Improving coal’s value and reducing its carbon footprint together have the attention of 50 research projects. Among them: using the carbon dioxide produced from burning coal to make enhanced oil recovery more efficient.

As part of the Wyoming Carbon Underground Storage Project (WY-CUSP), SER researchers in 2013 will inject water into a large test well to evaluate the technology’s potential to safely store captured carbon emissions. Converting coal into a synthesis gas as a foundation for gasoline and other liquid fuels and b u si n e ssclim a t e . c o m / w y o mi n g

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martin b. Cherry

Todd Bennet t

Martin B. Cherry

maximizing output from unconventional reservoirs also are under study.

“Our focus is on the fundamental physics, and we want to help industry design better schemes so more oil is mobilized,” Northam says. “Overall we think the research will be very valuable to industry and the state.”

Biomass Potential Biofuels are a rapidly growing segment in Wyoming.

A demonstration project in Upton uses bagasse, which is sugar cane crop residue, to produce ethanol.

The Blue Sugars Corporation (formerly KL Energy) plant handles as many as two dry tons per hour in a process that commercial plants can scale by factors of 10 to 15. A $50 million Petrobras plant in Brazil will use the technology to process 120,000 metric tons of bagasse into 10 million gallons of ethanol annually.

At least two other Brazilian ethanol plants also plan to start production in 2015, by which time the technology is expected to compete economically with ethanol produced from cane juice.

Blue Sugar’s development partners have access to remote live-stream data sharing.

“Bagasse is available in large quantities in Brazil, it’s of consistent quality, and you don’t need to transport it,” CEO Peter Gross says.

“We’re very much commercially focused on Brazil.”

In Wyoming, wind is another big opportunity, on both the energy generation and research fronts.

The Wind Energy Research Center at the University of Wyoming works with windrelated companies on projects from replacing gear boxes with direct drives to optimizing an entire wind farm rather than working turbine-by-turbine.

“Wind power is a fast-changing sector and even seemingly small changes can make a big impact,” says James Naughton, center director.

Access to the “Yellowstone” supercomputer at the NCARWyoming Supercomputing Center gives UW computational scientists a powerful tool in heavy-duty modeling of wind characteristics to improve both the understanding of wind at different atmospheric levels and the design of turbines as well as their components to boost efficiency.

“There aren’t many universities that have access to that amount of computer time and resources,” Naughton says.

Clockwise from top: A University of Wyoming graduate student observes a windmill blade under lasers and olive oil smoke as he conducts research; Jennifer Tanner, a professor at UW, tightens posttension rods at a windmill base in Laramie; Wyoming produces nearly 40 percent of the nation’s coal supply.

Haycreek Golf Course • High-paying mineral industry jobs • Quality education for your children • Located in the heart of Powder River Basin

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Wright Boulevard

Wright Town Hall • 201 Wright Blvd. • Wright, WY 82732 • (307) 464-1666 • www.wrightwyoming.com

Education & Research

Lab Leader Western Research Institute gives Wyoming innovation advantage Story by Kathie Stamps Photography by Martin B. Cherry and Brian McCord

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An employee researches and tests different coal mixtures to better understand combustion levels at the Western Research Institute in Laramie.

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ueled by its energy and renewables industry powered by emerging technologies in a range of industries, Wyoming is a state of innovation, where collaboration among business, academic and government entities is bringing new technologies and processes from the lab to the marketplace.

The 78 employees of the WRI – scientists, engineers, technicians and support staff – take on commissioned testing projects and demonstrations for client companies and government agencies. They also develop their own technologies that attract interested partners, particularly in the field of energy and the environmental aspects of energy.

“Our work enhances existing industries, contributes to the creation of new companies and aids business recruitment by economic development organizations across Wyoming,” says CEO Don Collins.

Incorporated as the University of Wyoming Research Corporation in 1983 and doing business as Western Research Institute since then, WRI’s history dates to 1924 as a government laboratory, when the Bureau of Mines set up a petroleum research facility in Laramie.

Left: The Western Research Institute has one of the top highway materials research groups in the world and also works with advanced energy systems and environmental technologies. Right: A WRI researcher pours a coal ash mixture during a coal plant simulation.

WRI’s headquarters is on the campus of the University of Wyoming, yet the institute is independent of the university.

Administrative offices and the Transportation Technology laboratories are at the campus location. One mile north of Laramie, in Albany County, is the 22-acre Advanced Technology Center, home to energy and environmental bench research and pilot-scale demonstrations.

WRI includes one of the foremost highway materials research groups in the world, exploring the chemistry and interactions between asphalt and other highway materials. For example, warm mix asphalt (known as WMA) is a recent advancement over the traditional hot mix asphalt (HMA) that has been used on U.S. roads since the 1870s.

WMA is produced at a lower temperature, with reduced fumes, making it safer for the environment

and for production workers.

Because it cools quicker, motorists are able to travel sooner after it is laid on a road. Researchers at WRI are studying recycled asphalt pavements (a process of melting down previously used asphalt) and roofing shingles to pave highways.

Research Projects WRI licenses many of its technologies and processes to companies wanting to meet specific challenges or enhance their product lines and offerings.

Commercial business has increased 47 percent over the last year for the institute. The areas of energy, environment and transportation materials have all seen growth.

Current WRI research projects involve hydrogen processes and other biofuels, coal gasification and coal upgrading.

“Wyoming is blessed with an abundance of energy resources,”

says Dr. Vijay Sethi, vice president of WRI’s energy production and generation. “By advancing energy technologies and processes, we’re helping maximize their value and raise the standard of living.”

Emery Energy Co. of Salt Lake City commissioned its 10-ton-perday FlexFeed coal gasification test facility at WRI in 2012, operating the gasifier with Wyoming coal and biomass feedstocks to assess the feasibility of constructing a commercial-scale facility to produce power, fuels and chemicals.

The gasifier facility at WRI was funded by Emery Energy Co., the Wyoming Clean Coal Technologies Research Program and U.S. Department of Energy.

“Laramie is located at 7,200 feet above sea level, making our site a perfect place to test and evaluate gasification processes at high altitude,” says Sethi. b u si n e ssclim a t e . c o m / w y o mi n g

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Transportation

Right on Track Rail, roads give Wyoming transportation advantage

Story by Kevin Litwin Photography by Martin B. Cherry and Brian McCord

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liff Root knows how to move the goods. Root is CEO of two Wyoming-based transportation companies: Bighorn Divide & Wyoming Railroad Inc. in Shoshoni, and Bonneville Transloaders Inc. trucking company in Riverton. He is also the former director of the Wyoming Business Council.

Root says Wyoming has the potential to become a national leader for moving freight by rail. Two of North America’s largest carriers – Union Pacific and BNSF – already have a major presence in the state.

BNSF and Union Pacific have more than 800 miles of track in Wyoming, and short-line carriers such as Bighorn Divide & Wyoming Railroad and Watco contribute to the state’s overall economy, Root says.

Short-line carriers serve mining-based and heavy materials producers at plants and industrial parks throughout Wyoming, interchanging their loaded railcars with Union Pacific, BNSF and Canadian Pacific Railroad tracks for transport to markets throughout America and beyond.

A push began about eight years ago to invest private and public-sector dollars to develop business parks accessible to Class I railroads in cities such as Casper, Cheyenne, Evanston, Laramie and Upton, Root says. “The rail system is an excellent way to ship and receive heavy bulk commodities such as Left: Cliff Root, CEO of Bighorn Divide & Wyoming Railroad Inc. in Shoshoni and Bonneville Transloaders Inc. in Riverton. Right: Railcars are loaded with molten sulfur and other materials in the rail yard at Bighorn Divide & Wyoming Railroad Inc.

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soda ash, sulfur, sulfuric acid, coal, lime, cement, fertilizer, wind turbine components and even crude oil,” he says. “These industrial and energy-related products can be shipped one rail car at a time or in 100 (called a unit train) for good logistic flexibility to shipping volumes.”

As a result, Wyoming today has a number of major industrial parks with rail service. Such facilities include the Casper Logistics Hub, Cheyenne Business Parkway, North Range Business Park in Cheyenne, Laramie River Business Park and Upton Regional Industrial Park.

“Wyoming doesn’t have a Mississippi River to haul commodities by barge, so further developing the railroad industry here is a wise move,” Root says.

Rolling Down the Highway While the railroad industry in Wyoming is becoming more robust, the state has other strong transportation assets that provide a distribution edge. Interstate 25 is a key north/south roadway along the Rocky Mountain Front Range, while I-80 crosses the state west to Salt Lake City and east to major Midwest metros. I-90 in northern Wyoming provides a link to the Northwest and Upper Midwest markets. In all, Wyoming has 913 miles of interstate.

Air to There Casper, Cheyenne, Cody and Jackson Hole have modern, convenient airports, and more than 30 other general aviation f light facilities are located throughout the state. A total of 10 airports offer commercial service.

Meanwhile, Denver International Airport is only 90 minutes to two hours from Wyoming’s major population centers.

Clockwise from bottom left: A Bighorn Divide & Wyoming Railroad engine used for education and training; Diesel trucks are lined up at Bonneville Transloaders Inc.; Employees at Bonneville Transloaders Inc. perform maintenance on an engine; Tankers being loaded at Bighorn Divide & Wyoming Railroad.

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Jackson Hole Airport (307) 733-7695 • www.jacksonholeairport.com

Nonstop service to: Atlanta Chicago Dallas Denver Houston Los Angeles Minneapolis Newark Salt Lake City San Franciso

Health

Wyoming Medical Center

Close to Home Strong hospital system gives Wyoming residents access to quality care Story by Melanie Kilgore-Hill Photography by Martin B. Cherry

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ast to west, Wyoming provides award-winning medical care. Sixteen of the state’s 26 hospitals are members of the Wyoming Critical Access Hospital Network, offering residents in rural communities timely access to the state’s best hospitals and specialists.

Wyoming hospitals are committed to exceeding national standards for care, says Neil Hilton, vice president of the Wyoming Hospital Association, a statewide organization providing leadership and advocacy for Wyoming hospitals.

More than half of Wyoming’s 26 acute-care hospitals are

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participating in the American Hospital Association’s Health Research and Educational Trust.

The voluntary two-year program collects hospital data in areas including infection control and readmissions, with the goal of identifying and eliminating common concerns.

“Our hospital leaders are focused on identifying best practices and outcomes at best hospitals nationwide, and replicating them locally,” Hilton says.

In Good Hands In Buffalo, Wyo., 25-bed Johnson County Healthcare Center has been named one of the

Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the Nation by the National Rural Health Association. The center, which recently completed a $12 million expansion, excelled in all 56 performance measures identified by the NRHA. “Johnson County offers a lot for growing families, and the medical community is very pleasant to work with,” says Marcy Schueler, marketing director at JCHC. “That turns into great medical care for our community.”

More than 180 people are employed at JCHC’s acute care hospital, medical clinic and 50-bed long-term-care facility. On-site services include 24-hour emergency

care, an intensive and cardiac care unit, a modern surgical unit and updated labor and delivery rooms.

Visiting specialists provide cardiology, orthopedics, nephrology, neurology and other care.

Investing in Technology Wyoming Medical Center (WMC) is the region’s premier health-care destination, serving thousands of people each year.

Services at the 191-bed Casper hospital include comprehensive cardiac care, vascular and general surgery, interventional radiology, obstetrics and gynecology, neurological services and neurosurgery. With more than 1,100 employees, WMC is the second-largest employer in Natrona County.

“Our breadth of services and number of subspecialties really sets us apart from other hospitals our size,” says Vickie Diamond, president and CEO of the hospital.

Innovations at WMC include a new electronic medical records system, updated angioplasty suites, the da Vinci surgical robot and 24/7 hospitalist and intensivist care. In early 2014, WMC will complete construction of a new west tower to include new private patient suites and expansion of obstetric, orthopedic and surgical units. WMC also is a Level II trauma center verified by the American College of Surgeons, providing both ground and air emergency transportation.

In a state known for being rural, WMC proves that comprehensive health care is available close to home.

“Our state representatives bring the frontier focus to the national scene to make sure local needs are being met,” says Diamond, 2011 chair of the Wyoming Hospital Association, founder of the Wyoming Integrated Care Network and incoming member of the American Hospital Association Board of Directors. “Our job is to try and anticipate what changes will occur, how they will impact us and how we can take the best possible care of patients.”

Wyoming acute care hospitals Star Valley Medical Center 901 Adams St. Afton, WY 83110

Ivinson Memorial Hospital 255 N. 30th St. Laramie, WY 82070

South Big Horn County Hospital District 388 S. US Hwy. 20 Basin, WY 82410

North Big Horn Hospital 1115 Lane 12 Lovell, WY 82431

Johnson County Memorial Hospital 497 W. Lott Buffalo, WY 82834 Wyoming Medical Center 1233 E. 2nd St. Casper, WY 82601 Wyoming Behavioral Institute 2521 E. 15th St. Casper, WY 82609 Elkhorn Valley Rehabilitation Hospital 5715 E. 2nd St. Casper, WY 82609 Cheyenne Regional Medical Center 214 E. 23rd St. Cheyenne, WY 82001 Veterans Affairs Medical Center 2360 E. Pershing Blvd.

Cheyenne, WY 82001 West Park Hospital 707 Sheridan Ave. Cody, WY 82414 Memorial Hospital of Converse County 111 S. 5th St. Douglas, WY 82633 Evanston Regional Hospital 190 Arrowhead Dr. Evanston, WY 82930 Campbell County Memorial Hospital 501 S. Burma Ave. Gillette, WY 82717

Niobrara Health and Life Center 921 S. Ballencee Ave. Lusk, WY 82225 Weston County Health Services 1124 Washington Blvd.

Newcastle, WY 82701 Powell Valley Healthcare 777 Ave. H Powell, WY 82435 Memorial Hospital of Carbon County 2221 W. Elm St. Rawlins, WY 82301 Riverton Memorial Hospital 2100 West Sunset Dr. Riverton, WY 82501 Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County 1200 College Dr. Rock Springs, WY 82901 Sheridan Memorial Hospital 1401 W. 5th St. Sheridan, WY 82801 Dept. of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 1898 Fort Rd. Sheridan, WY 82801 Crook County Hospital 713 Oak St. Sundance, WY 82729 Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital 150 E. Arapahoe St. Thermopolis, WY 82443

St. John’s Medical Center 625 E. Broadway Jackson, WY 83001

Banner Health Community Hospital 2000 Campbell Dr. Torrington, WY 82240

South Lincoln Medical Center 711 Onyx St. Kemmerer, WY 83101

Platte County Memorial Hospital 201 14th St. Wheatland, WY 82201

Lander Regional Hospital 1320 Bishop Randall Dr. Lander, WY 82520

Washakie Medical Center 400 S. 15th St. Worland, WY 82401

businessclimate.com/wyoming

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Livability

Spokes Persons Wyoming sets the course for two-wheeled adventure

Story by Kevin Litwin • Photography by Jeff Adkins and Brian McCord

W

yoming offers wide open spaces, natural beauty and a bounty of outdoor recreation options, from fishing and hunting to skiing, golf and river rafting on some of the nation’s most challenging rapids.

The state’s iconic national parks, forests and historic areas, including Yellowstone, Devil’s Tower, Grand Teton and the Shoshone National Forest, as well as nearly three dozen state parks, also offer countless riding

opportunities for cycling enthusiasts. Evan O’Toole says there are several good reasons why Wyoming is an ideal state for bicyclists.

“First of all, Wyoming doesn’t have a large population like most other states, so the back roads aren’t very busy,” he says. “And drivers on those roads seem pretty friendly toward cyclists.”

O’Toole, president of the Laramie Bicycling Network, points out that Wyoming is graced

A cyclist rides through Grand Teton National Park near Jackson.

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b u si n e ssclim a t e . c o m / w y o mi n g

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with open spaces that provide a wide variety of riding opportunities for cycling enthusiasts. In addition to road biking, the state is also ideal for mountain biking.

“There are a lot of big-time riding events scheduled in Wyoming each year, with the largest for my club being the annual Dead Dog Classic,” O’Toole says. “It attracts a lot of top racers from Wyoming and Colorado because there are three separate events over the last weekend in June, whereas most biking events stage only one event.”

The Dead Dog Classic begins with an 87-mile Saturday road race that starts in Albany, climbs to the Snowy Range, and back to Laramie.

“Then on Sunday morning, a criterium short road race occurs in downtown Laramie and is great for spectators, followed Sunday afternoon by a time trial on the Summit between Laramie and Cheyenne,” O’Toole says. “That Sunday evening, a barbecue ends all the festivities. It’s a great weekend for bicyclists who are really into the sport.”

More Pedaling Another major annual event is the Tour de Wyoming, a 360-mile bike ride through Wyoming and parts of Idaho. The six-day event (July 14-19 in 2013) takes riders from Jackson to Idaho and back to Jackson over the Teton Pass, and organizers have been forced to use a lottery system to fill the 350 spots because there is such overwhelming interest.

Curt Gowdy State Park, situated between Laramie and Cheyenne, has some of the area’s most popular trails for mountain bike enthusiasts, while the Greater Cheyenne Greenway is a system of paved paths that utilize bridges and tunnels in many areas to bypass busy roads and streets, says George Anadiotis, owner of the Rock on Wheels bicycle shop in Cheyenne.

“No motorized vehicles are allowed on the Cheyenne Greenway, so biking along that stretch of concrete roadway is like a dream. The ultimate goal for the greenway is to have a hub-and-spoke system that encircles the entire city of Cheyenne in one continuous loop,” he says.

From top: Wyoming offers countless opportunities for outdoor recreation, including the Greater Cheyenne Greenway system; A fisherman casts a line at Yellowstone National Park.

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Go Forth A bounty of other outdoor recreation options are available throughout the state. For hikers, Wyoming has seven national forests, two national parks and numerous state parks, plus more than 18 million acres of public land with hundreds of trails.

Hikers can scale a mountain or stroll across the prairie, or choose trails that will access world famous sites such as Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Teton Loop. Expert hikers and climbers can also ascend Cloud Peak in the Bighorn National Forest or tackle the Glacier Trail near Dubois.

An Active Past

photos by Brian McCord

Modern museums highlight Wyoming culture, history

From left: Exhibits at the Glenrock Paleontological Museum; A worker cleans an exhibit at the Glenrock Paleontological Museum.

Modern Dinosaurs

Art Smarts

Located in Thermopolis, the Wyoming Dinosaur Center & Dig Sites gives visitors an insight into the creatures that roamed the region millions of years ago. The center includes dinosaur exhibits, a modern preparation laboratory and hundreds of displays and dioramas. Displays in the Hall of Dinosaurs include two Velociraptor specimens, a 41-foot-tall T-Rex and The Thermopolis Specimen, which is the only Archaeopteryx in North America. Tours of the 60 dig sites in a 500-acre area are available.

Learn more at www.wyodino.org.

Exhibitions in six galleries are open to the public at the University of Wyoming Art Museum. The museum schedules special events and hosts classes in the Shelton Studio. Visitors can also take an outdoor walking or driving tour through “Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational and the Laramie Mural Project.” See www.uwyo.edu/ artmuseum for more information.

This Place Rocks Full-scale dinosaur skeletons are among the exhibits on display at Glenrock Paleontological Museum.

Artifacts showcase the fields of geology and paleontology, plus visitors can sign up for scheduled digs. The museum’s director of paleontology is Sean Smith, who has been at Glenrock for 15 years. More information is provided at www.paleon.org.

Buffalo William The Spirit of the American West is celebrated at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. The museum tour begins with the land and its first peoples, and extends to the present day. Recently, the center won the bronze award for “2012 Favorite Museum for Groups” by the National Tour Association. See www.bbhc.org to discover more.

Tracking Trains The Cheyenne Depot Museum is in a downtown building that was donated in 1993 by Union Pacific to the city of Cheyenne and Laramie County. Today,

it tells the story of Cheyenne’s beginnings during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. There is also a brew pub and restaurant on site.

Find out more about the facility at www.cheyennedepotmuseum.org.

Wild for Wildlife More than 5,000 items are on display at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson. The collection showcases the history of wildlife in art, focusing primarily on European and American painting and sculpture.

There is also an Art in Action program that gives visitors the chance to become involved with the artistic process. See www.wildlifeart.org.

Walk This Way Open since 2002, The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper describes the significant role of the area’s historic trails in the history of the United States. Several exhibits are open to the public. More information can be found at www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/NHTIC.html.

– Kevin Litwin b u si n e ssclim a t e . c o m / w y o mi n g

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economic profile Business snapshot With its absence of personal and corporate income taxes, low energy costs, low operating costs and educated workforce, Wyoming offers significant advantages for business investment and expansion. Easy commutes, open spaces, spectacular natural resources, low crime rates and a technologically advanced infrastructure give Wyoming a superior quality of life. Wyoming offers many incentives for businesses, including excellent taxes and resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Population

Major Industry Sectors (2010)

2011: 568,158 2000: 493,782 Change: 14.2 percent

Largest Cities Cheyenne: 60,096 Casper: 55,988 Laramie: 31,312

Median Household Income (2011)

$56,380

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per Capita Personal Income (2010)

$28,952

Government, 23.2% Leisure & Hospitality, 11.6% Financial Activities, 11% Retail Trade, 11% Natural Resources & Mining, 9.5% Construction, 9% Education & Health Services, 8% Professional & Business Services, 6.4% Manufacturing, 4% All Other, 6.3%

Economy Gross Domestic Product (2011), $37.6 billion Retail sales (2007), $9 billion Exports (2011), $1.22 billion

labor force Civilian labor force, 292,643 Average annual pay, $38,454

Transportation Highways Three interstate highways cross the state: I-25, I-80 and I-90, and there are five major interstate junctions.

Airports www.wyomingairports.org Wyoming has 36 public airports, including 10 commercial service airports, all of which connect to Denver International Airport and/ or Salt Lake International Airport.

Casper provides daily flights to Minneapolis. Casper also offers a Foreign Trade Zone at the Natrona County International Airport.

Rail Burlington Northern Santa Fe www.bnsf.com Union Pacific www.up.com Sources: www.bea.gov census.gov www.wyoming.gov www.whywyoming.org

What’s Online For more in-depth demographic, statistical and community information on Wyoming, go to businessclimate.com/wyoming.

visit our

advertisers Casper Area Economic Development Alliance Inc. www.casperworks.biz Cheyenne LEADS www.cheyenneleads.org City of Riverton – Riverton Regional Airport www.flyriverton.com Goshen County Economic Development Corp. www.goshenwyo.com

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Jackson Hole Airport www.jacksonholeairport.com Laramie Economic Development Corporation www.laramiewy.org Laramie Regional Airport www.laramieairport.com Rocky Mountain Power www.rockymountainpower.net Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce www.sheridanwyomingchamber.org

Spring Hill Suites – Cheyenne www.marriott.com/cyssh Town of Wright www.wrightwyoming.com University of Wyoming www.uwyo.edu Wyoming Business Council www.wyomingbusiness.org Wyoming Department of Workforce Services www.wyomingworkforce.org

Ad Index

17 Casper Area Economic Development Alliance Inc. 2 Cheyenne LEADS

12 City of Riverton – Riverton Regional Airport

23 Goshen County Economic Development Corp.

41 Jackson Hole Airport

1 Laramie Economic Development Corporation 12 Laramie Regional Airport C2 Rocky Mountain Power 4 Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce

31 Spring Hill Suites – Cheyenne

35 Town of Wright

C4 University of Wyoming

24 Wyoming Business Council

C3 Wyoming Department of Workforce Services

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