Business Images Wyoming: 2009

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WYOMING BUSINESS IMAGES

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Winds of Change Clean fuels spark business opportunity

Feeling Right At Home Entrepreneurs like the laid-back lifestyle

Innovation Lives Here State attracts knowledge-based enterprises SPONSORED BY THE WYOMING BUSINESS COUNCIL | 2009

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Southwest

WYOMING

%VANSTON s "EAR 2IVER s &ORT "RIDGER s ,YMAN s -OUNTAIN 6IEW

“Your BOTTOM LINE Will Never Look Better.”

s %ASY ACCESS TO KEY MARKETS n ) 5NION 0ACIFIC 2AILROAD

)NTERNATIONAL !IRPORT s 2EADY INFRASTRUCTURE s .O CORPORATE OR STATE INCOME TAXES

Contact Us CITY OF EVANSTON www.evanstonwy.org (307) 783-6300

UINTA COUNTY www.uintacounty.com (307) 783-0301

contents

WYOMING BUSINESS IMAGES

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OVERVIEW

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BUSINESS ALMANAC ALMA

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BUSINESS CLIMAT CLIMATE

Opportunity As A Big As All Outdoo Outdoors

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Wyoming’s favorable tax, regulatory structure breed investment, expansion.

TR ANSPORTATION

Hub of Activity

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Roads, rail and air make Wyoming a natural for distribution. distribut

Wings Over Wyoming Wyo

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EDUCATION

Research Magnet Mag

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University of Wyomin Wyoming acts as educator, innovator for students, business, state.

Study Hard, Stay Home

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Workforce Ready

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HEALTH

Top Treatment

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Hospitals invest in technology, people to deliver the highest level of care.

Strong Network

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LIVABILITY

Wyoming Welcomes You

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It’s a state with an inviting atmosphere, plenty of open spaces and all the creature comforts.

Proudly Made in Wyoming

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Feeling Right at Home

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ENERGY

Winds of Change

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Wyoming embraces clean-energy technology, one gust at a time.

Eco-Luxury

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Cleaning Up Their Act

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On the Cover PHOTO BY JEFF ADKINS Wide-open spaces are a lifestyle draw in Wyoming.

WYO M I N G

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contents TECHNOLOGY

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Innovation Lives Here

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Wyoming’s quality of life, resources attract and nurture knowledge enterprises.

Plugged In

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Priming Tech Growth

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FOOD & AGRICULTURE

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Working the Land

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Beefed up by cattle business, b agriculture and identity. breeds a major industry indus

Herb-an Renewa Renewal

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A Sip of Wyoming Wyomin

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MANUFACTURING

Built for Success

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Favorable tax structure and a skilled workforce forge diversity in the manufacturing sector.

RECREATION

Room To Roam

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Modern explorers discover a world of outdoor adventure.

It’s Snow Issue

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ARTS & CULTURE

Extended Stay

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A coordinated tourism effort brings visitors to Wyoming and lengthens their stays.

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Work of Arts

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ECONOMIC PROFILE

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This magazine is printed entirely or in part on recycled paper containing 10% post-consumer waste.

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE

WYO M I N G

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WELCOME TO THERMOPOLIS, WYOMING Live t Work t Prosper s .ESTLED ALONG THE /WL #REEK "IG (ORN AND !BSAROKA -OUNTAINS s 0ROBABLY BEST CLIMATE IN 7YOMING AVERAGE DAYS OF SUNSHINE LITTLE OR NO WIND s #USTOMER SERVICE SECOND TO NONE WE WILL ASSEMBLE A h2APID 2ESPONSE 4EAMv OF PROFESSIONALS COMMITTED TO HELPING YOUR BUSINESS RELOCATE START UP OR EXPAND s ! LABOR FORCE OF MORE THAN WITHIN AN HOUR

RED ROCK COMMERCIAL CENTER THERMOPOLIS, WYOMING INFRASTRUCTURE SUMMARY "53).%33 ,/43 3):% 4/ !#2%3 Each lot has the FOLLOWING INFRASTRUCTURE

s 0UBLIC WATER and sewer s .ATURAL GAS SERVICE s &IBER OPTICS s +6 n THREE PHASE UNDERGROUND electric power s !CCESS FROM 53 (WY AND 79 (WY s Landscaping AND SIX FOOT HIGH PERIMETER FENCE

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contents LIFESTYLE | WORKSTYLE | DIGGING DEEPER | VIDEO | LINK TO US | ADVERTISE | CONTACT US | SITE MAP

WYOMING BUSINESS IMAGES

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CONNECTIONS

An online resource at IMAGESWYOMING.com

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Lifestyle A showcase for what drives Wyomingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high quality of life

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Read Wyoming Business Images on your computer, zoom in on the articles and link to advertiser Web sites.

NEWS AND NOTES >>

Get the Inside Scoop on the latest developments in Wyoming from our editors and business insiders

Workstyle A spotlight on innovative companies that call Wyoming home

SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS >>

Meet the people setting the pace for Wyoming business DIG DEEPER >>

Log into the community with links to local Web sites and resources to give you the big picture of Wyoming DATA CENTRAL >>

A by-the-numbers look at doing business and living in Wyoming GUIDE TO SERVICES >>

See the Video Our award-winning photographers give you a virtual peek inside Wyoming

Links to a cross section of goods and services in Wyoming

GO ONLINE

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WYOMING BUSINESS IMAGES

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2009 EDITION, VOLUME 1

Glenrock, Wyoming We Have What It Takes!

CU S TO M M AG A Z INE M ED I A

MANAGING EDITOR BILL McMEEKIN COPY EDITOR JOYCE CARUTHERS ASSOCIATE EDITORS LISA BATTLES, JESSY YANCEY ONLINE CONTENT MANAGER MATT BIGELOW STAFF WRITERS CAROL COWAN, KEVIN LITWIN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS PAMELA COYLE, RENEE ELDER. MICHAELA JACKSON, ROY MOORE, JOE MORRIS, AMY STUMPFL DATA MANAGER RANETTA SMITH

Progressive Business Climate Abundant Alternate Energy Potential

REGIONAL SALES MANAGER CHARLES FITZGIBBON SALES SUPPORT MANAGER SARA SARTIN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER BRIAN MCCORD STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS JEFF ADKINS, TODD BENNETT, ANTONY BOSHIER, IAN CURCIO, J. KYLE KEENER PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT ANNE WHITLOW

Development Land Available

CREATIVE DIRECTOR KEITH HARRIS

No Corporate Income Tax

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NATASHA LORENS

No Individual Income Tax

PRE-PRESS COORDINATOR HAZEL RISNER

No Intangibles Tax No Inventory Tax Low Sales/Use Tax

WEB DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR BRIAN SMITH ASSISTANT PRODUCTION DIRECTOR CHRISTINA CARDEN PRODUCTION PROJECT MANAGERS MELISSA BRACEWELL, KATIE MIDDENDORF, JILL WYATT SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS LAURA GALLAGHER, KRIS SEXTON, CANDICE SWEET, VIKKI WILLIAMS GRAPHIC DESIGN ERICA HINES, ALISON HUNTER, JESSICA MANNER, JANINE MARYLAND, AMY NELSON, MARCUS SNYDER WEB PROJECT MANAGERS ANDY HARTLEY, YAMEL RUIZ

Access to Interstate and Rail

WEB DESIGN LEAD FRANCO SCARAMUZZA WEB DESIGN RYAN DUNLAP, CARL SCHULZ

International Airport Availability Redundant Fiber Optic Population within 45 minutes is 75,000

WEB PRODUCTION JENNIFER GRAVES COLOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN TWILA ALLEN AD TRAFFIC MARCIA MILLAR, SARAH MILLER, PATRICIA MOISAN, RAVEN PETTY CHAIRMAN GREG THURMAN PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BOB SCHWARTZMAN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT RAY LANGEN SR. V.P./CLIENT DEVELOPMENT JEFF HEEFNER

Quality Education

SR. V.P./SALES CARLA H. THURMAN

Great Health Care

V.P./SALES HERB HARPER

SR. V.P./OPERATIONS CASEY E. HESTER V.P./SALES TODD POTTER V.P./VISUAL CONTENT MARK FORESTER V.P./TRAVEL PUBLISHING SYBIL STEWART

Community Highlights

V.P./EDITORIAL DIRECTOR TEREE CARUTHERS

Small-town "FRIENDLY" atmosphere, parks, paths, fishing, hunting, golf course, recreation center, historic and dinosaur museums, historic trails and mountains

MANAGING EDITOR/CUSTOM KIM NEWSOM

MANAGING EDITOR/BUSINESS MAURICE FLIESS MANAGING EDITOR/COMMUNITY KIM MADLOM MANAGING EDITOR/TRAVEL SUSAN CHAPPELL PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEFFREY S. OTTO CONTROLLER CHRIS DUDLEY ACCOUNTING MORIAH DOMBY, RICHIE FITZPATRICK, DIANA GUZMAN, MARIA MCFARLAND, LISA OWENS RECRUITING/TRAINING DIRECTOR SUZY WALDRIP COMMUNITY PROMOTION DIRECTOR CINDY COMPERRY DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR GARY SMITH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR YANCEY TURTURICE NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR JAMES SCOLLARD IT SERVICE TECHNICIAN RYAN SWEENEY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER PEGGY BLAKE

Glenrock Economic Development Corporation 10 #PY t (MFOSPDL 8:

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CUSTOM/TRAVEL SALES SUPPORT RACHAEL GOLDSBERRY SALES/MARKETING COORDINATOR RACHEL MATHEIS EXECUTIVE SECRETARY/SALES SUPPORT KRISTY DUNCAN OFFICE MANAGER SHELLY GRISSOM RECEPTIONIST LINDA BISHOP

Wyoming Business Images is published annually

by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through the Wyoming Business Council. For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by e-mail at info@jnlcom.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Wyoming Business Council 214 W. 15th St. â&#x20AC;¢ Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: (307) 777-2800 â&#x20AC;¢ Fax: (307) 777-2838 www.wyomingbusiness.org VISIT WYOMING BUSINESS IMAGES ONLINE AT IMAGESWYOMING.COM

Big Enough to Enjoy Small Enough to Care

©Copyright 2008 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.

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WYO M I N G

overview

WYOMING: A GOOD PLACE FOR BUSINESS AND AN EVEN BETTER PLACE TO LIVE

According to the Wyoming Taxpayers Association, Wyoming’s personal tax burden is the second lowest in the nation and its property taxes are among the lowest in the country.

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 fantastic national parks and a dozen state parks.

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The aesthetic scenery and numerous recreational opportunities make Wyoming the best place in the United States in which to live.

Powder R.

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The Western spirit thrives to this day in the Cowboy State.

From its broad high plains to its soaring mountains, from its storied past on the frontier to its role in the ancient histories of native peoples.

Wyoming’s quality of life allows you to be part of a crowd only when you want to be and its residents enjoy freedom from high crime, the pressures of big cities, traffic jams, and noise and

Among Wyoming’s key benefits is a highly advantageous tax structure. Wyoming does not have corporate, inventory or

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air pollution. The New West of Wyoming offers you the freedom to grow and thrive.

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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.

personal income taxes. Besides allowing business owners to enjoy higher earnings, the lack of an individual income tax contributes to the state’s lower cost of labor.

Wyoming has ranked No. 1 for business-friendly taxation on the Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index every year from 2003 to 2008.

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

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business almanac

WHAT THE DEVIL? The nation’s first national monument has a connection to Wyoming.

Devils Tower is a stump-shaped cluster of rock columns that was proclaimed a national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt on Sept. 24, 1906. It is 28 miles northwest of Sundance, near the Belle Fourche River.

Hiking and climbing are popular activities around the tower, which rises nearly 1,300 feet above the river. It’s made the silver screen, as well, as the site where the spaceship landed in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind and approximately a dozen cultural programs are scheduled at Devils Tower during the warm weather months of May through September. Go to www.nps.gov/deto for more on Devils Tower.

THIS PLACE IS ELECTRIC The Jim Bridger Power Plant outside Rock Springs is one of the largest coal-fired power plants in the United States.

The facility supplies energy to six Western states and more than 1 million PacifiCorp and Idaho Power customers. Near the plant is the Jim Bridger Coal Mine, and the close proximity of the mine and plant reduces coal production and transportation costs.

The power plant opened in 1974 and today has 350 employees. The mine employs another 325. The combined annual payroll for the plant and mine is approximately $40 million.

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HORSE SENSE For a flavor of the Old West, visit King’s Saddlery in Sheridan, a Western tack store that offers a large inventory of saddles, ropes, bridles, bits, headstalls, roping equipment, barrel racing equipment, saddle bags, saddle blankets and slickers.

The store offers gift items, including jewelry, dishes, frames, knickknacks, and horse-related instructional videos and books.

The Don King Western Museum on site includes extensive memorabilia and Native American art. The museum is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Saturday. Visit www.kingssaddlery.com for more.

WYO M I N G

CAM-PLEX SITUATION It can accommodate just about any occasion.

CAM-PLEX in Gillette is a collection of several buildings spread over 1,100 acres.

ROAD SCHOLARS Not bad for 50 states.

Wyoming’s highway systems have been rated fourth best in the nation, according to the Reason Foundation’s 17th annual report on the Performance of State Highway Systems. Wyoming moved up from seventh place in the foundation’s previous study.

The report calculates the effectiveness and performance of each state in 12 different categories, including traffic fatalities, congestion, pavement conditions, bridge conditions, highway maintenance costs and administrative costs. The best highway system in the study was in North Dakota and the worst was in New Jersey.

The center can host events such as conventions, sports exhibitions and performing arts productions. The spacious destination opened in 1985, and its facilities include the Heritage Center, Wyoming Center, Energy Hall, Central Pavilion, East Pavilion and Morningside Park.

Events staged at CAM-PLEX include the National High School Finals Rodeo and a weeklong international fireworks competition. Go to www.cam-plex.com for more.

ON TRACK EVERY HOUR Next stop: Sheridan County.

The Historic Downtown Trolley takes passengers on rides every hour during daylight to view the many attractions of Sheridan. There is a continuous historic narrative on every ride, and tickets cost only $1.

The trolley system has been a part of Sheridan since the early 1900s, and the current trolley was built in 2000. Besides hourly rides, the trolley can be chartered for class reunions, birthday parties or wedding parties.

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business almanac

WHERE THEY ROAM Had a buffalo burger lately? What about an elk sandwich?

The Jackson Hole Buffalo Meat Co. has specialized in buffalo and elk meat products for more than 60 years. It was established in 1947 as the Jackson Cold Storage Co. and has been on a growth binge ever since.

The company has a retail store in Jackson Hole and sells most of its products online.

The buffalo graze on open range grasslands until the last 60 days, when they are corn fed to increase tenderness and arrive at a sweet, rich flavor. For more on the company, go to www.jhbuffalomeat.com.

SALUTE TO THE MENTOR B&G Industries Aircraft Operations in Greybull is the first Wyoming company to enter into the Army’s Mentor-Protégé program.

The program involves the Army (mentor) pairing with small businesses (protégé) to establish a stable vendor base. This allows companies across the United States to compete for contracts that could not be performed entirely by the Army itself.

B&G Industries provides commercial and military aircraft repair as well as manufacturing and precision machine shop services.

Go to www.bgiaviation.com to learn more about B&G.

SPEAKENG IN KOREA A program that teaches English to children in foreign countries has a connection with Wyoming.

Eleutian Technologies in Ten Sleep has partnered with Incheon, a city in South Korea, to develop a SpeakENG program throughout that country. Some 1,000 teachers were projected to be involved with the program by the beginning of 2009.

SpeakENG students schedule convenient online video classes with certified native Englishspeaking teachers. Part of the program involves volunteer English-speaking people having conversations over the Internet with foreign students, to improve their fluency.

To learn more, go to www.eleutian.com.

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Opportunity As Big As All

Outdoors Wyomingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorable tax, regulatory structure breed investment, expansion

Scorecard WYOMING BY THE NUMBERS

288,100 Total public- and private-sector nonfarm employment, up 28.3 percent since 1997

$779 Average weekly wage in Wyoming

206,136 Total number of households in 2007, up 6.5 percent since 2000

$47,038 Wyoming per-capita personal income in 2007, No. 4 in the nation among states and up 100.9 percent since 1997

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WYO M I N G

JEFF ADKINS

business climate

F

rom physical space for expansion to a tax structure that’s the envy of other states, Wyoming is fast becoming a relocation destination for a range of industry sectors while simultaneously growing its existing business base at a brisk clip.

The state’s mineral extraction industry totes most of the tax freight, allowing for no personal income tax, no corporate income taxes and no taxes on inventories. Add to that educational assets such as the University of Wyoming and seven community colleges, high-quality health care, an integrated transportation network and spectacular natural beauty and it’s easy to see why Wyoming’s star is rising.

“With no corporate income tax, very competitive property taxes and a low overall state tax structure, this is a very good place to do business,” says Robert Jensen, chief executive officer of the Wyoming Business Council.

The state’s private-sector employment stood at more than 220,000 in 2007, up

“The climate in Wyoming is exceptional in that I have much more freedom to do what I need to do.” a stout 50 percent since 1990. Per-capita personal income rose to more than $43,000 in 2007, growing 84 percent in 10 years.

The mineral industry generates around $4.5 billion a year for the state, money plowed back into statewide infrastructure and for a variety of amenities that enhance quality of life in each of the state’s 23 counties.

In the last five years, more than $100 million has been invested in new business parks, expansion of existing parks and funding to communities to boost business growth, Jensen says.

“Communities also have received funds for everything from day-care centers to recreational amenities, so it’s not all going just for business concerns,” he says.

Research and development play a vital role in the state’s industry portfolio. BPI Labs, which formulates, manufactures and fills personal-care products for the health-and-beauty sector, was drawn by a more inviting atmosphere for business.

“We’re extremely busy these days,” says Kenneth Shirley, president of BPI Labs, who moved his outfit to Evanston in 1995 after finding the regulatory

Lawmakers at the capital in Cheyenne have created a business-friendly tax structure. P H OTO B Y B R I A N M C C O R D Above: The minerals industry contributes $4.5 billion to Wyoming each year, money that helps fund infrastructure and business enhancements.

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business climate

P H OTO S B Y B R I A N M C C O R D

climate in California too oppressive.

“The climate in Wyoming is exceptional in that I have much more freedom to do what I need to do, more access to community leaders and an ability to get things done.”

BPI is in discussions about building a new facility, having twice expanded its current 31,000-square-foot plant.

“We need a new facility that’s between 30,000 and 50,000 square feet, but much better organized than what we have here. And the city is working with us to find just the right location,” Shirley says.

The state’s efforts have not gone unnoticed, with Wyoming seeing investment and expansion from a cross-section of industries.

The active minerals and mining sector has fueled growth for companies such as L&H Industrial, an after-market supplier based in Gillette. Since its founding in 1964, L&H has grown to establish a worldwide distribution and service network.

Older companies have evolved and grown. WOTCO, founded in 1938 as a machining support center for its parent company in Laramie, has seen steady growth over the decades and now produces its custom-designed metal fabrications and wear materials for the construction and mining industries at a 165,000-square-foot facility.

Such growth is hardly surprising to Jensen, who says he hears similar stories from around Wyoming, all testament to state and local officials working together to retain and grow their business base.

“Existing businesses that want to grow, new businesses that want to locate in the state, we can help them all,” he says.

“We can take a look at what their needs are, how their business fits the asset base of the state, and then we can help them by bringing all the right people to the table to make it work.”

– Joe Morris

WYO M I N G

Wyoming’s pro-business government, unparalleled natural beauty and lifestyle options are drawing new residents and new enterprises.

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Hub of

Activity Roads, rail and air make Wyoming a distribution natural

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hen it comes to moving merchandise, Wyoming’s got the goods.

Interstate 25 is a north-south corridor that links Casper, Cheyenne, Denver and Albuquerque and provides perfect access to the Southwest.

Interstate 80 is straight shot to lucrative Midwest markets; to the east are Utah, Nevada and California. In the north, Interstate 90 takes care of the Northwest and upper Midwest.

The state has 10 commercial service airports, and the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe have lines that crisscross Wyoming.

According to state figures, the number of people employed in the transporta-

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tion-distribution sector skyrocketed almost 50 percent from 2000 to 2008.

Transportation and warehousing together are Wyoming’s fastest-growing industry.

Wal-Mart’s distribution facility in Cheyenne serves three states. Lowes anted up $70 million for its distribution center, also in Cheyenne, which supplies stores within 600 miles.

Granite Peak Development LLC has two rail parks in the works, including Cole Creek Industrial Park, 72 acres in Evansville that has direct access to the Burlington Northern Line, says Bob West, company real estate director.

Evansville received a nearly $1 million grant from the Wyoming Business Council for rail spurs, water, sewer and

roads as part of a recruitment package aimed at PolyPipe, one of the four largest makers of polyethylene pipe used in the oil and gas industries.

The Texas-based manufacturer built a 35,000-square-foot facility.

I-25 and the Old Yellowstone Highway are in close proximity and rail access is immediate, West says.

The 700-acre C-Tran Rail Park, another Granite Peak project, will handle 12,000 rail cars a year, offloading their contents for distribution by truck or accepting goods on trucks to be transported by train. A similar “transloading” industrial park in Upton was dedicated in January 2008.

The state has no inventory tax, a key

WYO M I N G

JEFF ADKINS

transportation

“We are not moving out of here. This is home.” factor for distribution operations.

Sierra Trading Post, a large catalog and online closeout retailer, has called Wyoming home since 1992 when it moved from Reno and became the first tenant in Cheyenne’s business park.

The costs of doing business in Nevada “were really going up,” says Robin Jahnke, the company’s director of fulfillment and corporate services.

Today, Sierra Trading Post ships more than 2 million orders annually – 8 million pieces of merchandise, from outdoor sporting gear to clothing and shoes and, its latest line, housewares and gift items.

So many customers now shop online and want their merchandise yesterday that Sierra Trading Post fine-tuned its delivery methods and now puts orders

bound for the East Coast on trucks for UPS delivery out of Chicago.

The company looked at the feasibility of an eastern distribution center nearer those markets, but inventory issues and other complications scuttled the idea, Jahnke says.

“We are not moving out of here,” Jahnke says. “This is home.”

– Pamela Coyle

Wyoming’s integrated system of interstates and major highways allows for efficient distribution for trucking.

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Come here to visit

1401 Sheridan Ave., Ste. 203 Cody, WY 82414

Come back to stay

(307) 587-3136 www.forwardcody.com

The Riverton Regional Airport is a yearround gateway to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in Northwest Wyoming, and serves Wind River County, Fremont County, the Wind River Indian Reservation and the communities of Dubois, Hudson, Lander, Riverton and Shoshoni.

816 N. Federal Riverton, WY 82501 www.flyriverton.com

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transportation

Wyoming

Wings Over

Airports cover the state, keep businesses connected

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More Insight WYOMING’S COMMERCIAL SERVICE AIRPORTS

Cheyenne Regional Airport www.cheyenneairport.com/

Riverton Regional Airport www.flyriverton.com/

Gillette/Campbell County Airport www.ccgov.net/departments/airport

Rock Springs - Sweetwater County Airport www.rockspringsairport.com

Jackson Hole Airport www.jacksonholeairport.com/

Sheridan County Airport www.sheridancountyairport.com

Laramie Regional Airport www.laramieairport.com/

Worland Municipal Airport www.cityofworland.org/airport

Natrona County International Airport www.iflycasper.com

Yellowstone Regional Airport www.flyyra.com

S TA F F P H OTO

T

alking about airports in Wyoming is like talking about rodeos in Texas: they’re all over the place.

More than three dozen airports cover the state, 10 of which offer commercial passenger service.

“That’s a large volume. When you consider there are only about 500,000 people in the state, to have 10 commercial airports is rather large,” says David Haring, manager of the Cheyenne Regional Airport and president of the Wyoming Airport Operators Association.

“We’ve got commercial airports in all corners and in the center of the state.”

That spells ease of travel and the ability to move products for business.

The state’s comprehensive air network makes Wyoming an ideal home base for distribution operations.

The state government has been generous in providing money to keep local airports in top form. Several years ago, the Air Service Enhancement Program was created to allocate $3 million to communities for air service system development.

“Wyoming is more supportive from a dollar perspective and a support perspective of aviation than almost any other state in the nation,” Haring says.

“When you have that kind of support, it’s easy to be progressive when it comes to trying to develop aviation systems.”

Cheyenne is home to Great Lakes Airlines, a national commercial service provider that is currently expanding.

“When you have a company like that, that is well established and is relied upon really by the nation to provide air service to communities that are smaller,” says Haring, “to have them headquartered in the state of Wyoming is a tremendous benefit to us.”

– Michaela Jackson

Wyoming is home to some three dozen airports, 10 that offer commercial service.

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education

Research

Magnet University of Wyoming is innovation asset

A

t the University of Wyoming, the emphasis is on research and development, with some groundbreaking results.

In 2007, a record-setting $78 million in outside money found its way to the university, a figure made all the more noteworthy by what types of research it doesn’t include: funding from the National Institutes of Health.

“We don’t have a medical school,” says Dr. William Gern, vice president of research and economic development.

“This is research that’s being done in the fundamental sciences, in education, engineering, technology and mathematics.

“Last year was the 22nd year in a row we set a funding record, and that’s not by accident,” Gern says. “We are focused as an institution on research, and we hire very high-quality faculty, people able to compete at the national level for these funds. That competition is stiff, and our faculty express their The University of Wyoming in Laramie provides assistance and resources to businesses across the state.

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TO D D B E N N E T T

competitiveness by winning awards.”

The university maintains a close working relationship with the state’s community college network, with some shared programs and funding for specific areas of study.

The university works with those schools to increase the state’s pipeline of students interested in biomedical research, science, engineering, technology and math, Gern says.

The university also has established cooperative extension offices in each of the state’s 23 counties, focusing on agricultural education as well as research that eventually can be transferred to the market. That bent toward commercial applications for research also has led the university to establish ties with organizations such as the Wyoming Business Council.

The university runs a series of outreach programs in tandem with a single entity in state government to bring services to business.

University undertakings include a small business development center, a manufacturing extension apprenticeship, and Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Initiative programs, the latter an investment of more than $2.1 million annually.

“For that, we partnered with the Wyoming Business Council to develop a program to help Wyoming entrepreneurs and innovators access funds within that program to bring their products to market,” Gern says.

The two entities created the Wyoming Research Products Center, which serves as the university’s tech-transfer hub.

The university-backed Wyoming Market Research Center works with the business council to provide data and other research often shared with companies making relocation or expansion decisions.

“Everyone at these centers is crosstrained, and so we work as a unique, single economic-development entity,” he says. “At the end of the day, we all have the same goal in mind – helping businesses succeed.”

– Joe Morris

A Wyoming scholarship program provides up to $1,600 per semester to students who enroll in a higher-education institution in the state.

Study Hard, Stay Home SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ASSISTS STATE’S COLLEGE-BOUND STUDENTS Since 2006, Wyoming’s Hathaway Merit Scholarship program has given up to $1,600 per semester to students who meet some specific requirements. The money has to be used at a highereducation institution within the state, and there are four levels of scholarships, each with its own eligibility requirements. (Go to www.k12.wy.us/Hathaway.asp for more on the program.)

“When oil prices went high, the state began to capture a lot of money from the oil and gas industry and put that aside into a trust account,” says Sean Moore, a Hathaway Scholarship consultant.

“They created the program from the interest from that account, which is around $13 million per year.”

Around 1,800 students took advantage of the funds during that first year, a number that rose during 2007. Although the program is new, it’s having the desired effect of keeping the state’s young talent at home, says Julie Magee, Hathaway Scholarship consultant.

To be eligible, students had to have graduated from high school, gotten their GED or been home-schooled in Wyoming. The scholarships have to be used at one of the state’s seven community colleges or the University of Wyoming. “Admissions are higher than ever for incoming freshmen,” Magee says.

Specific GPAs and ACT scores are required, and the stair-step levels of the program ensure that money is available for students at varying stages of academic development, a point that Magee and Moore bring home as they tour the state talking with parents, students and school district officials.

“The school districts are having some growing pains because they have to offer specific curricula that’s required to qualify for the scholarships,” Moore says. “It’s college-prep curricula, but this really is a great opportunity.”

– Joe Morris

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A full-service bank that is big enough to deliver yet small enough to care.

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education

Workforce Ready Community colleges fill skills-training role

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yoming’s community colleges and vocational training centers play a key role in providing the state with a skilled and work-ready labor pool.

Dr. Jim Rose, executive director of the Wyoming Community College Commission, says the colleges are tuned to the needs of their communities and have four distinct missions: 1. Provide academic degree programs that prepare students for entry into careers or transfer to baccalaureate programs 2. Workforce and occupational preparation 3. Remedial education for adults 4. Community-enrichment programs “Everything from square dancing to crafts,” Rose says.

The state has seven community colleges, but the system ties into other two-year institutions as well as the University of Wyoming, creating a seamless network that offers everything from workforce-development programs to two-year degrees transferable to four-year institutions.

The state also benefits from specialized institutions such as WyoTech, which offers diploma programs in the automotive, diesel, motorcycle, HVAC, watercraft and collision/ refinishing industries, and the Wyoming

Contractors Association’s McMurry Training Center, which offers training for the construction and energy industries, working with employers from around the state.

“We split our training between the energy industry and our contractors, but right now a lot is focused on the energy industry and the drilling rigs,” says Bruce Brown, general manager at the McMurry center. “We’re doing commercial driving and heavy equipment operator training, welding and apprenticeship programs for our contractor members.”

Off-season safety training is another big focus for the McMurry center, which can devise a program to meet a specialized need in a short window of time.

The state’s community-college system numbers some 24,000 students, more than half of whom are part time.

“The unique role of the community college is that we provide a bridge to either a career path or just an enrichment opportunity,” Rose says.

“We’re also the point of introduction to higher education for people who have, for a whole variety of reasons, not been able to pull up and move to a town with a four-year university.”

– Joe Morris

More Insight WYOMING’S COMMUNITY COLLEGES Casper College www.caspercollege. edu Central Wyoming College www.cwc.edu Eastern Wyoming College www.ewc.wy.edu Laramie County Community College www.lccc.wy.edu Northwest College www.community colleges.wy.edu/ northwest.asp Northern Wyoming Community College District www.sheridan.edu

JEFF ADKINS

Western Wyoming Community College www.wwcc.wy.edu

Central Wyoming College in Riverton is one of a network of community colleges that cover the state.

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health

Top

Hospitals invest in technology, people to deliver high-quality care

Treatment Scorecard HEALTHY INDUSTRY

26 Number of acute-care hospitals in Wyoming

8,800 Total employment of Wyoming hospitals

15,000 Jobs connected to hospitals in Wyoming

$1.45 billion Annual economic impact of Wyoming hospitals

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T

he inf lux of newcomers to Wyoming has made the state’s hospitals more nimble.

To handle higher admissions, Wyoming’s hospitals have upgraded their care and recruited specialists.

Lacking the market base hospitals in larger states draw on, care providers rely on greater efficiency and outside funding sources to stay in the black.

Through these efforts, Wyoming’s hospitals are an economic force, with 26 acute-care hospitals employing 8,800 workers. Another 15,000 jobs are related to the hospital industry, creating an annual economic impact of more than $1.45 billion.

More important, the hospitals offer programs and services that compare favorably to hospitals in larger locales.

Part of that success stems from having physicians and boards of directors fully supportive of quality initiatives, says Trudy Chittick, CEO of Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital in Thermopolis.

Chittick’s hospital, for example,

purchased a 64-slice CT scanner, fully digital mammography technology and a 3-D ultrasound unit that gives patients the same quality of care they’d receive in more urban facilities.

The investments allow Hot Springs to serve the needs of its region, which has Wyoming’s highest concentration of older residents. Patients in the past had to leave town to see a physician, forcing them to spend money on hotels and other services outside the area.

With studies showing that patients perform better in familiar settings, Hot Springs officials wanted to keep these patients close to home. The CT scanner means that patients won’t need a cardiac catherization, lessening risk. It also delivers faster results than other tests, helping to ease the hospital’s busy emergency department.

Chittick hopes to replace the existing hospital, which dates back 50 years and has undergone some small renovations.

Such a project has already occurred at Star Valley Medical Center in Afton.

CEO Steve Perry says when he arrived

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A Strong Network

BRIAN MCCORD

RURAL HOSPITALS MEET CARE NEED

Wyoming’s hospital systems have invested in technology and the recruitment of top-level specialists to provide high-level care throughout the state.

nearly a decade ago the existing facility was too small and inefficient. The next hospital is 55 miles away, meaning that patients must use Star Valley or travel across the state to another provider.

With strong community support, Star Valley opened a new hospital in July 2003. The new hospital was built adjacent to the old facility, which was transformed into physician offices. A long-term acute-care hospital was built next door, allowing people to move from building to building without going outside.

In addition to the bricks-and-mortar work, the hospital sought specialists to staff the hospital. The first recruit was an orthopedic surgeon, who was followed by a neurosurgeon, an ENT doctor and a pulmonologist.

Today, orthopedics has grown to include

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multiple surgeons performing five to 10 knee replacements each month. “It takes some work and some time, but we have two or three things going for us. We’re in a beautiful and growing community and we’ve got a new hospital, which makes all of the difference in the world,” Perry says.

– Roy Moore

The Wyoming Critical Access Hospital Network helps rural hospitals share resources and improve their services.

An affiliate of the Wyoming Hospital Association, the network provides peer support and helps with grant proposals and criticalaccess status.

Of Wyoming’s 26 acute-care hospitals, 14 – each with up to 25 beds – have been designated since 2001 as critical access by the federal government, which entitles them to higher reimbursements.

Peter Birkholz, CEO of North Big Horn Hospital in Lovell and president of the network, says the designation is important as a source of operating and capital funds.

North Big Horn, for example, is able to provide a range of health services under one roof, including CT, radiology, laboratory, occupational therapy and skilled nursing.

The Wyoming Health Resources Network works to address the recruitment needs of hospitals. Started in 1995, WHRN is a clearinghouse for recruiting MDs and other health-care professionals.

The network sources candidates, handling initial screenings and directing candidates to available opportunities, says Pennie Hunt, executive director.

The network has helped place more than 160 physicians.

“We have the pulse of the medical arena in Wyoming and are much like the Match.com for health professionals,” she says.

Go to www.whrn.org for more.

– Roy Moore

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livability

Wyoming Welcomes You An inviting atmosphere, open spaces and all the creature comforts are part of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s draw

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ith its stunning scenery, eye-popping natural assets and abundance of recreational opportunities, it’s easy to see why so many people are finding Wyoming an inviting place in which to make their home.

“People come to visit and want to move here,” says Penny Becker, executive director of Sheridan Travel & Tourism in the state’s Northeast region.

“That’s what happened to us. We moved here from Minnesota 10 years ago, and loved it. It’s a beautiful area – we’re always out exploring.”

Situated in the foothills of the Big Horn Mountains, Sheridan is widely known for its natural beauty and hospitality. True West magazine recently named Sheridan the No. 1 Western City in America, based on its well-preserved history and heritage. Outdoor Life also

ranked the community No. 3 among its “Top 200 Towns for Outdoorsmen.”

Bighorn National Forest includes more than 1 million acres, Becker says, and the area boasts fishing, golf, snowmobiling and a bevy of historical sites. “There’s always something going on – whatever the season,” she says.

The same could be said for the Northwest region, which includes Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton

The Rocky Mountains rise above the trees in the Teton Wilderness Area in western Wyoming. P H O T O B Y J E F F A D K I N S

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P H OTO S B Y J E F F A D K I N S

livability

Wyoming offers a bevy of spectacular natural resources that appeal to outdoor enthusiasts of all varieties. White-water rafting on the Snake River or catching a wave on the Lunch Counter Rapids near Jackson are just two of many activities residents and visitors enjoy.

National Park and the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. But along with its extraordinary landscape, this portion of the state offers an abundance of cultural activities, says Heather Falk, tourism manager for Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce.

“The Grand Teton Music Festival is a popular event, plus we have two film festivals, Old West Days and many others,” she says. “But what makes our quality of life so special is the eclectic mix of people and personalities. A lot of people have relocated here from other parts of the country, and everyone is really friendly. It’s easy to make yourself at home.”

With its rugged countryside and rich history, Wyoming’s Central region also has a reputation for charming visitors and residents.

Today, the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center honors those who traveled the Oregon, Mormon, California and Pony Express trails in the 1800s through interactive exhibits and a multimedia presentation. Other notable stops include Fort Laramie National Historic Site and Independence Rock Historic Site.

Of course, the Central region also is known for outdoor adventure – from rock-climbing at Fremont Canyon to skiing at the Casper Nordic Center and Hogadon Downhill Ski Area.

Anchored by the North Platte River and the state capital of Cheyenne,

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“This a great place to raise a family, with good-paying jobs, and without the high taxes and stressful commute you find in other areas.” the Southeast area balances frontier traditions with an eye toward innovation. Every summer, visitors f lock to Cheyenne’s Frontier Days – a 10-day western celebration featuring a worldclass rodeo, concerts and other activities.

A major cultural center, Cheyenne is a beacon for performing artists and touring productions and is home to the renowned Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra.

Nearby Carbon County offers the best in outdoor fun, including every thing from fishing and rafting to snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. Visitors also enjoy scenic drives and historic sites, such as the Grand Encampment Museum, which preserves the area’s unique timber, mining and agricultural roots.

The Southwest portion of Wyoming boasts a decidedly different landscape, marked by amazing rock formations, sand dunes and fossils.

“This area was once at the bottom of a lake, so fossils are everywhere,” says Jenissa Bartlett, executive director

of Sweetwater Travel & Tourism. “In fact, if you look at the base of White Mountain, you’ll see a layer of seashells.”

Covering roughly 10,000 square miles, Sweetwater County offers a wide range of year-round recreational activities – including Wild Horses Scenic Loop, Killpecker Sand Dunes and Flaming Gorge Country.

But Bartlett is quick to point out the region’s other assets. “There’s a lot to see and do, but we don’t have the hustle and bustle of bigger cities,” she says.

“This a great place to raise a family, with good-paying jobs, and without the high taxes and stressful commute you find in other areas.

“A lot of visitors still think of Wyoming as the Wild West, and there is still a lot to see in that regard. But we’re very civilized,” she says with a laugh. “You can enjoy wide-open spaces and still have Starbucks and Home Depot and everything you might need.”

– Amy Stumpfl

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Scorecard WIDE-OPEN WYOMING

522,830 State population in 2007

5.4 Population per square mile

37 Median age in 2007

$47,423 Median household income in 2006, up 75 percent from 1990

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Proudly Made in Wyoming

P H OTO S B Y A N TO N Y B O S H I E R

PROGRAM ASSISTS COMPANIES WITH MARKETING, STRATEGY

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Wyoming has long been known for its pioneering spirit. That ingenuity carries over into the business community as well, with a wide range of products produced in the state.

And thanks to Wyoming First – a program designed to showcase Wyoming products and services – entrepreneurial residents can blaze a new trail of business success.

Wyoming First is open to companies that manufacture or add significant value to products in Wyoming, says Annie Wood, senior marketing and attraction specialist for the Wyoming Business Council, which oversees the program.

“It’s very helpful in terms of marketing and branding – especially for someone who may need extra marketing assistance,” she says.

More than 300 businesses are members of the program, with products ranging from food and fashion to home décor and gift items.

Members pay just $35 for a two-year membership.

In exchange, they are allowed to use the “Bucking Horse and Rider” logo stickers and tags on their products. Members also receive advance notification of marketing opportunities, as well as space on the Wyoming First Web site at www.wyomingfirst.org.

“Many companies don’t have the money or the expertise to create a Web site, so this is a good option for them,” Wood says. “They also have the opportunity to exhibit at various trade shows at a reduced cost. That’s important for a small company that’s just getting started.”

Of course, Wyoming First is in no way limited to start-up firms.

“We have a number of well-established and successful businesses,” Wood says. “Companies such as Chugwater Chili and Gordon Signs have been around for years, but they take a lot of pride in being able to say their products are Wyoming made.”

– Amy Stumpfl

Wyoming First showcases products manufactured or that have significant value added to them in Wyoming.

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livability

Renowned animal-training expert Robin Wiltshire started the Turtle Ranch in Dubois after coming to Wyoming from Australia.

P H OTO B Y J E F F A D K I N S

Success Begins at Home F

or years, people based their living arrangements around their jobs, often relocating to major metropolitan areas in search of better opportunities.

But these days, many people are putting quality of life first, reclaiming their small-town roots and a more relaxed pace while creating big success.

Australia native Robin Wiltshire relocated to Wyoming in the 1980s, opening Turtle Ranch just outside of Dubois in the northwest corner of the state. A renowned animal trainer and film production professional, Wiltshire has worked with a host of big-name clients – including the Merrill Lynch bull and Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales.

Wiltshire works with all types of animals, from horses and mules to cattle and

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Wyoming offers a lifestyle that suits entrepreneurs

pigs. And thanks to his experience behind the camera, he also has built a reputation for scouting prime Wyoming locations for film production.

After working in Asia for more than 10 years, Kent Holiday decided it was time to return to the small-town lifestyle he enjoyed as a child. He also recognized the need for better and more efficient language and communication-skills training for those in non-English speaking countries. Holiday found that he could fulfill both dreams while visiting his in-laws in Ten Sleep, population 304.

Started in 2006, Eleutian Technology employs Wyoming-based certified teachers to teach conversational English to students living in Asia via high-speed videoconferencing technology.

From two teachers working in office

space donated by the local school, the company has grown to 250 teachers in nine Wyoming locations and one coming online in Utah, Holiday says.

“We’re able to recruit excellent teachers, and the fiber-optic network is world class,” he says. “Best of all, this is the kind of town where neighbors know each other, the kind of peaceful lifestyle people enjoyed in small towns 50 years ago.”

Holiday credits the company’s success with support of regional and state officials, such as Gov. Dave Freudenthal, the Wyoming Business Council and Wyoming Department of Workforce Services.

“I feel so fortunate to be able to do what I love,” he says. “I run a global business, live in one of the most beautiful places in the world and provide jobs in rural America.”

– Amy Stumpfl

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energy

Winds of

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Change Wyoming embraces clean-energy technology, one gust at a time

W

JEFF ADKINS

yoming is at the forefront of clean-energy technology, ha rnessi ng abu nda nt natural resources to provide power throughout the West.

“We have a pretty simple mission, and that’s to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy,” says Tom Fuller, manager of state energy programs for the Wyoming Business Council.

A state known for its rich oil and coal reserves, Wyoming is also well endowed with opportunities to generate low- or no-emission energy, as anyone who’s ever tried to fly a kite in the southeastern quadrant of the state can attest.

“Wind is renewable. And it’s highly renewable in Wyoming,” Fuller says.

The initiative to develop wind-power generation systems is rapidly maturing, as commercial wind farms sprout up across the state.

TransWest Express, with its parent company Anschutz Corp., plans to build a $3 billion, 900-mile-long high-voltage line that would allow 3,000 megawatts of wind energy generated in Wyoming to be shipped through the Southwest.

Another Anschutz affiliate, Power Company of Wyoming, plans a wind

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Wind turbines like these off Interstate 80 just east of Evanston are helping to meet the state’s energy needs.

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energy

EcoLuxury Who says “lavish” and “responsible” don’t belong in the same sentence?

The 72-room luxury Hotel Terra Jackson Hole in Wyoming artfully proves environmental stewardship can, and does, still feel like splurging.

As one of only six LEEDcertified hotels in the country, the Hotel Terra offsets 100 percent of its electric power use with the purchase of renewable resources, including solar, geothermal and wind power.

“It is an urgent need,” says Samantha Denney, corporate director of marketing for the Terra Resort Group.

The LEED Green Building Rating System was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council and is the national standard for environmentally friendly buildings.

The hotel has adopted a number of green-friendly practices in its construction and operations, everything from 100 percent recycled “eco shake” roof shingles to low-volatile-organic carpets and paint to state-of-the-art HVAC, high-efficiency windows, chemical-free cleaning and laundry products, and highperformance touch-screen telephones to reduce guest paper use.

“We hope to be a part of a larger movement toward sustainable travel and tourism, and ultimately help influence consumers’ buying decisions through education and firsthand experience with the possibilities of sustainable luxury.”

– Michaela Jackson

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JEFF ADKINS

HOTEL BLENDS THE GOOD LIFE WITH THE ‘GREEN LIFE’

facility in Carbon County that would generate 2,000 megawatts of electricity.

Rocky Mountain Power is aggressively working toward a wind-energy capability of 1,000-plus megawatts, with another 1,500 megawatts planned for the future. A typical home uses roughly 10 megawatt hours each year.

“While the cost of wind-energy resources has historically been higher than other more traditional forms of electric generation, pricing for wind resources has become more competitive in recent years and Rocky Mountain Power has been able to identify and pursue cost-effective wind resources we believe will benefit our customers,” says Jeff Hymas, spokesman for Rocky Mountain Power.

In mid-2008, the company’s only operating wind project in Wyoming was Foote Creek Rim I near Arlington.

The venture is co-owned with another company, and Rocky Mountain’s portion generates enough electricity to serve some 9,500 customers.

By the end of the year, five additional projects are expected to be online in Converse, Carbon and Albany counties.

The Wind Energy Research Center at the University of Wyoming is working to integrate the growing industry with educational initiatives, planting seeds

to grow the next generation of scientists and technicians.

“Equally important to our research mission is our work to train part of this workforce that’s going to help out, to make this industry go,” says Jonathan Naughton, center director. “We’re trying to go to the next level as the industry goes to the next level.”

Though wind is certainly a prominent face of Wyoming’s alternative energy drive, it is by no means the only avenue being pursued.

“Not just wind, but all alternative energies are looking more attractive,” Naughton says.

“Wind has made it to the point that it’s economically competitive, and that’s why it’s growing so rapidly. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be investing in these other technologies.”

In January 2008, Western Biomass Energy began producing cellulosic ethanol from the ponderosa pine of Eastern Wyoming. The $8 million facility in Upton produces about 1.5 million gallons of ethanol each year.

Continued efforts to commercialize geothermal, geosource, hydro and solar energy are also under way.

“We have every kind of energy you can imagine in Wyoming,” Fuller says.

– Michaela Jackson

Wind energy generated in Wyoming would be sent to the Southwest as part of a plan by TransWest Express to build a $3 billion, 900-mile-long high-voltage line capable of transmitting 3,000 megawatts of power.

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Cleaning Up Their Act Coal-technology research is on the front burner

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“It’s part of what we are going to need to utilize coal as part of the solution to our energy-security needs.” efficient use of the coal.

Both Wyoming and the nation are rich in low-grade, high-moisture coal that is currently unsuitable for the gasification process, and researchers would like to create technology that works beyond this limitation.

“It’s designed to benefit Wyoming, but it’s also a key component to utilizing coal as part of the solution to our energysecurity needs,” says Mark Northam, who is the director of the School of Energy Resources at the University of Wyoming. “It is the latest coal-based technology.”

DKRW Advanced Fuels is planning

a facility in Medicine Bow that will utilize gasification technology to produce syngas, as well as use coal-to-liquid technology to churn out 15,000 to 20,000 barrels of environmentally sensitive liquid coal each year.

The state also recently passed legislation creating regulations for the capture and underground storage of carbon dioxide and other emissions created by coal-fired power plants. This practice of carbon sequestration, which is garnering attention nationwide, is one of the state government’s efforts to become a leader in Wyoming’s clean coal movement.

– Michaela Jackson

S TA F F P H OTO

eefing up on planet-friendly energy doesn’t have to mean pulling the plug entirely on traditional resources such as coal.

In a state rich in renewable resources such as wind and less fashionable energy sources such as coal, the name of the game is keeping it clean.

Clean-coal technology is at the forefront of the nationwide efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the initiative is nowhere more front burner than in Wyoming. A multiple-pronged approach to the issue is taking shape across the state, bringing together players from the government, private industry and educational arenas.

One prominent clean coal partnership is the agreement between General Electric and the University of Wyoming to build a $100 million research facility to refine coal gasification technology, the process by which coal is converted to a product called synthesis gas. The synthesis gas can be burned in the same way as natural gas, and is a much more

Wyoming is at the forefront of research into clean-coal technology that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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J. KYLE KEENER

technology

Mobility Works Inc. President Cindy Johnson founded her Green River software company in 1999. The company develops scheduling and dispatching software that is used by transit systems around the world.

More Insight HELPING HAND FOR SHARP MINDS The Wyoming Research Products Center assists businesses and entrepreneurs with patents, trademarks, copyrights and licenses.

The center is a collaborative effort between the University of Wyoming Research Office and Wyoming Business Council.

The center’s Web site is www.uwadmnweb.uwyo. edu/RPC.

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Tech-Know Wyoming attracts, nurtures knowledge-based businesses

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nnovative and diverse technology companies are flourishing in Wyoming, where the cost of living is low and the quality of life is high.

Delicate sensors that can detect the start of an avalanche are in place at three test sites, two on Teton Pass and one in Cotton Canyon, Utah.

Inter-Mountain Labs in Sheridan makes them and the software that receives their signals.

Mobility Works Inc., a Green River company also known as Mobilitat, provides software and support so nearly 100 rural communities can more efficiently schedule and route buses that serve older residents and those with disabilities.

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Cheyenne is home to Green House Data, a wind-powered storage and hosting facility that is getting national and international attention.

Laramie is home to the Wyoming Technology Business Center, an incubator on the University of Wyoming campus.

Perhaps the roominess – Wyoming ranks 49th in population density, one notch above Alaska – helps creativity flow.

“It is a super cliché,” says Shawn Mills, Green House Data president. “We were sitting in a coffee shop talking about data centers and I said, ‘I don’t think there are any other green

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services are no good if you can’t get there.” data centers powered by renewable energy.’ ” Green House moved fast. Managed services came on line in December 2007. Companies involved in everything from training to software to health care and education grabbed space in the first building in 2008. With buildout costs at $1,000 per square foot, Green House builds 2,000 square-foot data storage modules as demand dictates.

Necessity is the mother of invention may be another cliché, but the adage was the foundation for Mobilitat. President Cindy Johnson saw a gap in services when her daughter, who is disabled, could not get to a local learning center.

“All the health and human services are no good if you can’t get there,” Johnson says.

Now, nearly 100 rural transit systems use Mobilitat software, from one with a few buses in Georgia to a Maine system with a fleet of 120 vehicles all driven by volunteers.

When Hurricane Gustav’s remnants flooded Springfield, Ohio, and cut power in September 2008, Mobilitat transferred Springfield’s database to a transit system in Missouri.

Dispatchers in Missouri directed Springfield’s f leet so customers didn’t miss important medical appointments.

A basic software starter kit costs $19,000, but Mobilitat in 2009 will launch a Web-based system for small paratransit agencies that will cost far less. The company also is working on allowing riders to book trips online and helping riders get across the state or the country using local transit systems.

Cotton Canyon has what is considered to be one of the country’s riskiest roads. It’s one of the spots where InterMountain Labs has set up a sensor array that can detect infrasound, or audio energy that is below the frequency of normal hearing. Federal grants paid for research and prototype development, says Kevin Chartier, vice president.

Inter-Mountain started in 1979 providing water and soil analyses for the coal mining industry. Next came highly calibrated equipment for air monitoring, and the venture into avalanche detection has its roots in some of that work.

“Within a minute we have something that shows up on the computer screen and shows the path,” Chartier says.

Early avalanche detection helps agencies decide whether to close roads or set off explosives to mitigate potential damage and respond more quickly.

“We have been at this thing for nine years and we have a product,” he says. “It has taken that long.”

– Pamela Coyle

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Bus wing blurb copy bus wing blurb copy bus wing BUS WING BLURB HIGHLIGHT blurb copy bus wing blurb copy.

IAN CURCIO

“All the health and human

BUS WING SUBHEAD

A city effort allows high-speed, fiber-optic cable to run to virtually every home and business in Powell.

Plugged In CITY OPENS HIGH-SPEED NETWORK TO COMMUNITY High-speed, fiber-optic cable runs to virtually every home and business in Powell, a Northwest Wyoming city of 5,500 people. Officials hope the network, financed privately and not by taxpayer dollars, becomes a model for rural communities.

Financing came from Global Leveraged Capital Management, a private banking firm. TCTWest provides the service. Residents don’t have to sign up, but if they do, the equipment is in place and they pay a monthly fee for access to extremely high-speed Internet, telephone and TV services.

“It makes sure Powell is not disadvantaged in any way and even has an advantage,” says Mayor Scott Mangold.

The Powell initiative also dovetails with Wyoming Equality Network, a $29 million effort to connect all Wyoming public schools to high-speed networks for better access to teaching resources, including video feeds.

The city of Powell will own its network, though the only public money involved was for erecting a small building to house the electronics. A $125,000 consulting fee was refunded to Powell as part of the arrangement.

Residents who opted out of the installation may regret it. Hooking up after the fact could cost $1,000, Mangold says.

– Pamela Coyle

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For more than  years, Cheyenne Regional Airport has provided passenger service to southwestern Wyoming and surrounding communities.

Our customers enjoy amenities such as free WIFI Internet access, rental cars, transportation to hotels and a first-class restaurant and lounge. Flying out of Cheyenne is still a convenient way to travel to the west and beyond.

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technology

IAN CURCIO

The Wyoming Technology Business Center is an incubator on the University of Wyoming campus.

Priming Tech Growth Incubator, products center nurture innovative ideas

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appy Jack Software does nifty things with Web-based calendars that can keep families, sports leagues, churches and social groups in the loop.

Firehole Technologies performs fault analyses of composite materials. Medicine Bow Technologies helps health-care facilities with integration of their clinical, financial and administrative information technology.

These enterprises are among the new technology firms under the same popular roof: the Wyoming Technology Business Center, an incubator on the University of Wyoming campus in Laramie that opened in October 2006.

“There are a lot of neat companies here,” says Jon Benson, the center’s chief executive officer. “We are trying to get the clients to grow and be successful.

We are full, which is a good thing, but you want to keep taking clients.”

A new tenant is Pronghorn Technologies LLC, which has sensors that take continual measurements of chlorine in

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water and has applications for nuclear submarines, commercial shipping and municipal water systems.

For companies such as Pronghorn that are close to taking a product to market, the center offers help in developing business models, identifying potential customers and working out pricing and delivery options.

For companies that “graduate” to their own facilities, the technology center staff helps build their organizations.

The center also reaches out to other companies with growing pains.

It’s got a good partner with the Wyoming Research Products Center, which is the university’s intellectual property arm but also, because of funding from the Wyoming Business

Council, provides free services such as trademark and patent research to independent inventors.

Director Davona Douglass says the list of private projects showcases Wyoming’s strength – outdoor recreation, natural products for pets and clothing, organic products, energy products, wind energy, tractor parts and new ways of plowing among them.

The products center also offers outreach services and acts as a feeder for the business incubator.

“We help people build companies,” Benson says. “I need neat technology and people with fire in their bellies.

(Douglass) helps steer us to those kind of folks.”

– Pamela Coyle

“I need neat technology and people with fire in their bellies.”

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food & agriculture

Land Working the

Beefed up by cattle business, agriculture breeds a major industry, identity

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JEFF ADKINS

or as long as he can remember, ranching has been Gordon Malm’s everyday reality.

He owns and operates Malm Ranch Co., a 600-head cattle ranch that has been in his family for five generations and counting.

“When I was old enough to know what was going on, they were just getting away from the horse era and they were still using wagons instead of tractors,” he says. “It’s been an important part of our lives, from my grandfather and my great-grandfather, on down to our children now.”

Malm’s family is one of many in Wyoming that has made its name – and living – in agriculture. The farming and ranching industry is vital to the state, both economically and culturally.

More than 9,200 farms and ranches operate across the state, occupying more than 34 million acres and generating more than $1 billion in receipts. Roughly three-fourths of that stems from the cattle and calf business. The industry is a stabilizing force in the economy, providing a steady source of employment and income, says Brett Moline, director of public and government affairs for the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation.

“On a per-dollar basis, agriculture will have the largest economic impact

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About three-quarters of the more than $1 billion in annual agriculture receipts in Wyoming come from the cattle and ranching sector.

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An irrigation system creates a rainbow on a Sheridan farm. Agriculture is a mainstay of Wyoming’s economy.

in the state,” he says.

Behind only minerals, agriculture is the second-largest industry in Wyoming, with a presence in each of the 23 counties of the state.

“In addition to the direct economic impact that agriculture has on Wyoming, farmers and ranchers spend those dollars locally, allowing their money to circulate throughout the state,” says Cindy Garretson-Weibel, agribusiness director for the Wyoming Business Council.

Beyond the weighty financial influence of the agriculture sector, farming and ranching holds a special place in the identity of Wyoming. Even the state’s first governor, Francis E. Warren, was a rancher.

“Wyoming is well known for its Western heritage,” Weibel says. “This culture is still alive and well in most Wyoming communities, from community brandings and barn dances to the bucking horse and rider that adorns the state’s license plate.”

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Numerous programs are available to aid Wyoming farmers, providing resources for everything from international marketing assistance and value-added product development to income diversification and leadership development. Agencies that offer assistance to farmers include the Wyoming Business Council, Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Services, Wyoming Department of Agriculture and Wyoming State Land Investment Board.

At the end of the day, though, much of the enormous agricultural machine that contributes so much to the state’s economy is made from dedicated families like the Malms, who enjoy working the land, raising livestock and taking pride in what they produce.

“It’s an enjoyable way of life: you’re in the outdoors, not with the clutter and bustle of city life,” Malm says.

“Ranching is the most important part of our daily lives and our economic situation, and the whole thing centers on agriculture.”

– Michaela Jackson

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Scorecard WYOMING’S AG BUSINESS

9,200 Number of farms and ranches in Wyoming

$1 billion Annual farm revenues

75 Percentage of revenues derived from livestock

34 million Acres in Wyoming dedicated to agriculture

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food & agriculture

Herb-an Renewal When you see nettles or dandelions or lavender growing in your yard, health probably isn’t your first thought. But maybe it should be.

Alternative medicines produced from plants have established quite a following over the last several thousand years or so, and Wyoming has access to some of the highest-quality herbs available.

“The nice thing about living in Wyoming is that a lot of these plants just grow wild here. Most people would consider them weeds,” says Curtis Haderlie, who owns Wind River Herbs and Haderlie Farms in Thayne.

Wind River Herbs offers tinctures, or liquid herbal extracts, along with salves and teas for ailments such as muscle soreness and respiratory difficulties.

Alternative medicines are gaining ground in the mainstream as people search for treatments that have less impact on their bodies.

Surveys indicate that more than 50 percent of the U.S. population uses some form of complementary and alternative medicine, and sales of herbal medicines now exceed $4 billion per year.

“More and more people are leaning toward herbs,” says Karin Guernsey, co-owner of Elk Mountain Herbs in Laramie. “People want them and doctors are listening now, too.”

So next time you have a backache, before you reach for the ibuprofen, consider the wealth of natural healers available straight from the hills of Wyoming.

– Michaela Jackson

A Sip of Wyoming WINE INDUSTRY IS TAKING ROOT Goshen County may be a long way from Napa Valley, but you wouldn’t know that to drive along some of the roads that criss-cross the farmland.

The agrarian community is brimming with juicy wine grapes, grown at nearly a dozen burgeoning vineyards. Across the state, more than 20 growers contribute to the fledgling industry.

Table Mountain Vineyards, the state’s largest winery, started with 300 vines in 2001. Patrick Zimmerer and his family were inspired after Patrick wrote his senior thesis at the University of Wyoming on the feasibility of growing grapes in Eastern Wyoming and Western Nebraska.

“No one in our family has a ‘green thumb,’ and honestly we had no idea how the vines would react or adapt to our tough growing conditions,” says Zimmerer, who is also president of the Wyoming

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P H OTO C O U R T E S Y O F DA N N Y F L A N AG A N /J OYC E L AV E N D E R R A N C H

WYOMING BLOSSOMS WITH PROVIDERS OF ALTERNATIVE REMEDIES

Lavender is among the many plants used in health remedies.

Grape and Wine Association.

Today, the Zimmerers have more than 11,000 plants and a winery on 11 acres. Table Mountain also uses grapes from other local vineyards to make its wine.

Rose Bebo and her husband planted their 5ive Star Vineyard, like many of their friends have done, on extra parcels of land on their farm. They supplement their harvest with the grapes they sell to Table Mountain Vineyards.

“In the last three or four years, there’ve been quite a few vineyards popping up,” she says. “These farmers have a little patch of ground here or there that they want to do something with.”

Smaller vineyards like 5ive Star are the legs of the local industry, Zimmerer says, supplying many of the grapes that wineries like his use to produce wine.

“While we don’t claim to be the ‘Napa Valley’ of Wyoming, we boast 100 percent Wyoming-made and produced wines,” he says. “You truly taste Wyoming’s growing conditions and enjoy a bit of ‘Wyoming character’ in every sip.”

– Michaela Jackson

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manufacturing

Built for Success Favorable tax structure, good workforce forge manufacturing-sector diversity

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hat Wyoming’s active manufacturing sector may lack in size, it more than makes up for in diversity.

A broad range of industries finds the state a great place to do business.

Wyoming is home to companies that make sport and utility aircraft, packaging material, hydraulic gate controls, aviation shields, heavy equipment, cabinetry and alternatives to wood fencing, among others.

Quality of life is a big draw. That was the reason behind Kennon Products’ move to Sheridan in 1989, five years after it started making the Kennon Sun Shield for planes in a small garage in California. Today, Kennon also makes tail covers, dust covers, wind spoilers and heat protection for the military.

John Boreczky, president of Byan Systems, set up shop in Lusk in 1990 because Lusk State Bank was the only lender willing to back his plan. Four years later, the Secret Service picked Byan Systems to install its hydraulic gate operators at the White House. The company has also worked at federal

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“The resources available to me in Wyoming I did not see in Kansas and Colorado. The state has an interest in diversifying its businesses.” banks and military installations.

About six years ago, the company built its own 9,000-square-foot facility with offices and assembly areas. “We had to. We had been growing,” Boreczky says. “We are still growing.”

Byan makes high-end gate controls for commercial and residential use. The company started with a few workers and now employs a dozen; most of them have stayed for at least five years.

Boreczky cites the absence of business and inventory taxes in Wyoming as a major advantage, and he’s not alone.

“We got rid of any taxes on new manufacturing equipment, and that

was the only roadblock remaining.

We’ve got the lowest taxes in the country.

It’s a lot easier to do business here than it was 20 years ago,” says Larry Stewart, director of Manufacturing Works, a not-for-profit organization that offers technical, marketing, engineering and financial consulting services.

According to figures from the state Department of Administration and Information, 3.5 percent of all Wyoming workers are in manufacturing, ranking the state 49th in percentage of workers in that sector. Energy and natural resources so dominate the economy – and the tax base – that Wyoming can be

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P H OTO S B Y J E F F A D K I N S

generous with its workforce development funds in efforts to diversify business.

Heartland BioComposites started research and development of sustainable wood alternatives in 1999 and began selling fencing, posts, decking and rails made from wheat straw and recycled plastic in 2006. Between 2007 and 2008, business doubled, says owner Heath Van Eaton.

He had looked at Kansas and Colorado, but Wyoming offered tax and energy advantages and a slew of willing partners. Heartland BioComposites received support from Torrington, the Goshen County Economic Development Corp., the Wyoming Business Council, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming Wheat Growers Association, among others.

“The resources available to me in Wyoming I did not see in Kansas and Colorado,” Van Eaton says. “The state has an interest in diversifying its businesses. The economic incentives the state could offer us were unmatchable.

As a startup you are looking for all the help you can get.”

– Pamela Coyle

Ron Kensey, president of Kennon Products Inc., stands in front of the company’s aircraft cover facility in Sheridan, where the company moved in 1989. Top: A worker sews together an aircraft cover at Kennon Products.

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P H OTO S B Y J E F F A D K I N S

recreation

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Room to

Roam

Modern explorers discover outdoor adventure

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wealth of wilderness, national forests and historic sites – but only 500,000 residents – means plenty of room for outdoor exploring in Wyoming.

The state’s environmental assets and low-density population make it possible to go fishing, rock climbing, horseback riding, hunting or sightseeing in splendid, unspoiled and sometimes very remote places.

“Our clientele comes from all over the United States,” says Michelle Sauerwein, who along with her husband, Carl, owns Boulder Basin Outfitters near Cody, which features excursions into the 2.4-million-acre Shoshone National Forest.

For more than a century, Wyoming has been a popular spot for guest, or “dude,” ranches, which continue to draw thousands of visitors each year.

But the roping and riding ranch experience is just one of many options for adults and families seeking a Wild West experience.

If archery, f ly-fishing, hunting or horseback riding are on your must-do list, Sauerwein suggests one of Boulder Basin Outfitters’ most popular trips, an eight-day summer horseback excursion from Cody to Jackson.

After a day spent trout fishing under the guidance of an expert angler, guests enjoy a catered dinner and a few songs around the campfire before crawling into a cozy canvas teepee for a good night’s sleep.

For those eager to join a hunting expedition, fall and early winter comprise the high season. Because of state permitting regulations, hunting trips must be planned well in advance for most types of game, says Shane Clark of

Fly fishing opportunities are plentiful in Wyoming, which offers a treasure-trove of choices for outdoor enthusiasts.

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Bugle Basin Outfitters in Afton, which specializes in big game hunts for elk, mule deer, bear or cougar in the Greys River area.

“You really need to plan it a year in advance,” Clark says. “You have to apply for a license by January of the seasonyear you want to hunt. Most of my clients start planning and preparing in November of the year prior.”

Visit the Wyoming Game and Fish Department online at http://gf.state. wy.us for more information.

Other popular hunts include buffalo, Merriam’s wild turkey, antelope and even coyote and prairie dog, which are called “varmints” by the folks at Trophy Ridge Outfitters.

“Probably the most popular thing now is archery antelope hunting,” says Trophy Ridge owner Ralph Dampman.

“But we do offer buffalo hunts and the Merriam’s turkey hunts that are attractive to a lot of the folks from the Midwest and East.”

At Trophy Ridge in Carlile, hunters will find amenities such as modern cabins and home-cooked meals, which appeal not only to sportsmen, but also

visitors interested in touring nearby sites, such as Devils Tower, Keyhole State Park and Mount Rushmore.

From its base in Jackson, Indian Creek Outfitters leads guests to a permanent campsite in the Targhee National Forest.

“We pack in to a camp that is all set up, and from there we take day rides out to fish or hunt or whatever the group wants to do,” says Angela Moyer, who runs the business along with her husband, Bruce.

Equestrians feel right at home at Allen’s Diamond Four Ranch, where trail riding, fly-fishing and wilderness pack trips are on the agenda.

The Lander spread is 9,200 feet above sea level, offering the chance to explore mountain lakes, glaciers and highaltitude forests. Wind River Indian Reservation, historic gold mining towns, Yellowstone Park and other attractions also are nearby.

“Everything we have is horseoriented,” says Mary Allen, who owns the camp with her husband, Jim. “Horses are our mode of transportation to get to the Wind River Mountains for fishing and camping.”

– Renee Elder

Kayakers will be at home in the many fast waters found throughout Wyoming, and landlubbers will find plenty to do along the state’s thousands of miles of trails.

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Jackson Hole Airport 1250 E. Airport Rd. Jackson, WY 83001 (307) 733-7682 www.jacksonholeairport.com

Established in the 1930s, the Jackson Hole Airport offered its first commercial flight in 1943. Since that time it has served as a transportation hub for Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park and the greater Jackson area. The Jackson Hole Airport is located nine miles north of the town of Jackson at the foot of the majestic Teton range in Grand Teton National Park. As a gateway for Northwest Wyoming, the Jackson Hole Airport is served by multiple commercial carriers including American, Delta, Northwest, Mesa, Skywest and United Airlines. In addition, private aircraft are served by Jackson Hole Aviation, a full-service FBO. The Jackson Hole Airport is a full-service airport offering passengers wireless Internet, on-site rental cars, a restaurant and two gift shops.

Look, a tall purple rectangle!

When you talk to your child you build vocabulary, so everyday moments become learning moments. For more tips, visit bornlearning.org.

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recreation

Cross-country skiing in Yellowstone National Park’s Geyser Basin is one of Wyoming’s many winter-recreation offerings.

It’s Snow Issue Winter doesn’t mean a cold shoulder to outdoors

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nowfalls and plummeting temperatures signal perfect conditions for winter sports fans as they head for the slopes, the trails and the ice.

With thousands of miles of snowmobile and cross-country skiing trails, it’s easy to make the most of Wyoming’s winter, says Gary Schoene of the Wyoming Department of State Parks & Cultural Resources.

“Our biggest activity is snowmobiling,” Schoene says. “We have about 6,000 miles of trails throughout the state that we maintain, mostly on state or U.S. Forest Service land.”

Another popular winter activity is ice fishing, he adds.

“It’s appealing because you can go fish any part of the lake without having a boat,” he says. “Some people even set up little structures on the ice to protect them from the elements while they fish.”

Downhill skiing, sleigh rides and dog sled tours are other options, especially in northwest communities such as Jackson Hole and Grand Teton, where snowfalls may total more than 400 inches per season.

Curt Gowdy State Park near Cheyenne sees only a fraction of that number – an average of 55 inches per season – which allows greater year-round access by hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians, Schoene says.

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“You’ll find snow throughout the season in the higher elevations, but the high plains tend to melt out between storms,” says Lori Hogan of Wyoming Travel & Tourism.

Yellowstone National Park is a favorite winter destination, especially for snowmobile lovers. A number of rental companies operate nearby to provide equipment.

“In Yellowstone, you can do something you can’t do anywhere else: see the geysers steaming up nearby as you go cross-country skiing, snowmobiling or snowshoeing,” Hogan says. “It’s really serene.”

Winter visitors can use cross-country skis, snowmobiles and even dogsleds to reach the 112-degree waters of Granite Hot Springs. Or they can visit Saratoga Springs along the North Platte River to enjoy a therapeutic soak so soothing that warring Native American tribes once shared the same waters without a bit of complaint.

In fact, a cold season visit to Wyoming offers plenty of memorable moments, even for those who prefer looking out a picture window to embarking on an outdoor adventure.

“When the land is blanketed with snow, it’s really quiet and the views are amazing,” Hogan says. “You won’t see these types of views anywhere else.”

– Renee Elder

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arts & culture

Extended Stay Tourism efforts bring visitors to Wyoming, lengthen their stays

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rom local festivals to renowned performing arts organizations to internationally recognized historical sites, Wyoming’s cultural scene is as vibrant and varied as anyone could want.

“Our job is to drive awareness and interest in Wyoming, so 99 percent of our $13 million budget is spent out of state,” says Alan Dubberley, deputy director of Wyoming Travel & Tourism.

“We do a completely integrated advertising and marketing campaign on a lot of different levels, which allows us to focus both domestically and internationally.”

The division went through a rebranding process in 2005, when the “Forever West” tagline was rolled out with all the state’s marketing collateral to positive results.

“The brand reminds us to concentrate on who and what we are, and it’s been very successful,” Dubberley says.

Once those visitors arrive, the effort

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“Our job is to drive awareness and interest in Wyoming, so 99 percent of our $13 million budget is spent out of state.” doesn’t let up to keep them busy.

“We cover everything from the state parks, historical sites and trails on one end, but also have the office of the state archeologist, the Wyoming Arts Council, historic preservation office, state archives and the state museum,” says Gary Schoene, public information supervisor for the Wyoming State Parks & Cultural Services Department.

“We’re pretty diverse, but we’re able to run the gamut from preservation to recreation,” he says.

The parks department defers to state and local tourism efforts in terms of getting visitors to the state, and then it

steps up with itinerary suggestions, Schoene says.

“Our job is to get them to our sites, whether it’s historic, a museum or an art gallery,” he says. “We market all different ways, making sure that we’re presenting not just the big attractions but also all the different things along the way to those destinations.

“We really work to help those secondary venues, because they don’t have a lot of marketing dollars. Our goal is to get that family who’s coming to Yellowstone to stay an extra day, and maybe go camping or visit a historic site.”

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J. KYLE KEENER

Those efforts bolster the work of the Wind River Visitors Council in Fremont County. Visitors come through the area to and from Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park and other major attractions, and often stop to see the Wind River Indian Reservation and other landmarks, says Paula McCormick, director of marketing.

“We attach ourselves to the parks, but we also market ourselves as a destination in and of itself,” McCormick says. “We have amazing opportunities for outdoor recreation, so if people are looking for a real back-country experience, they’ll stop here and stay.”

Another destination that benefits from regional and state marketing efforts is the Buffalo Bill Museum.

That venue is part of a complex in Cody that also features the Whitney

Gallery of Western Art, Plains Indian Museum, Cody Firearms Museum, Draper Museum of Natural History and Harold McCracken Research Library.

Combined, the museums draw around 200,000 visitors a year from the United States and abroad, with no less a personality than author James A. Michener referring to them as “the Smithsonian of the West,” says Bruce Eldredge, executive director and chief executive officer.

“We’re the largest museum of the American West in the United States, and so we get visitors from all over,” Eldredge says. “We also get people from all over the world to do research here, as well as people who come just to study the individual collections. We’ve got big things here.”

– Joe Morris

Dinosaurs that thundered across Wyoming tens of millions of years ago are long extinct, but five life-size replicas of the hulking creatures are on display at Western Wyoming Community College’s Natural History Museum in Rock Springs.

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By the Numbers BIG BUSINESS IN VISITORS

7.3 Overnight Wyoming visitor stays in millions in 2007

$2.7B Direct expenditures related to visitor trade in 2007

$108M Local and state tax revenue derived form visitor trade

30,350 Jobs connected to tourism

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arts & culture

Arts

Work of Council efforts shape culture

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rom its live theater in Jackson to the Cheyenne Symphony and the array of museums in Laramie, Wyoming certainly doesn’t lack for cultural outlets.

And the Wyoming Arts Council is dedicated to seeing that arts organizations throughout the state continue to grow and prosper.

“We try to be a resource for them,” says Rita Basom, manager. “We work with them not only for grant funding for the arts projects and programming they might be doing, but also serve as an information source through our Web site, our newsletter and various other publications and outlets we provide.”

Wyoming has a rich tradition of visual and performing arts, and all of its communities work to preserve and grow that, Basom says.

“The arts organizations do depend on us, so we get our folks out there,” Basom says. “We’ve got a great connection with the artists and arts organizations in our state.”

The council ties its efforts in with Wyoming Travel & Tourism officials, piggybacking cultural tourism information onto natural resource and other destination packets that go out to prospective visitors.

The organization also is working to restore general operating support to arts organizations, something it used to do and that is sorely needed across the state, Basom says.

“It’s pretty easy to approach businesses and foundations about a special project, because their name can be all over it,” she explains.

“But when you’re soliciting funds to pay the electricity bills and staff salaries, that’s difficult to get. We used to have that support category in our budget, but it was stopped when we had a drastic reduction in federal funds. But we’ve been building our program back up, and we’re hoping to restore that fund and be able to give grants that are large enough to really make a difference.”

– Joe Morris The Wyoming Arts Council is a resource for the state’s cultural outlets. P H OTO B Y J E F F R E Y S . OT TO

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ECONOMIC PROFILE BUSINESS CLIMATE

READY TO HELP Afton Economic Development Afton, WY (307) 248-0294 Big Horn County Economic Development Inc. Basin, WY (307) 568-3055 Casper Area Economic Development Alliance (307) 577-7011 www.casperworks.biz Cheyenne LEADS (307) 638-6000 www.cheyenneleads.org Chugwater Economic Development Chugwater, WY (307) 422-3493 Forward Cody (307) 587-3136 www.forwardcody.com South Lincoln County Economic Development Corp.

Diamondville, WY (307) 877-9781 www.kemmerer.org Converse Area New Development Organization Douglas, WY (307) 358-2000 www.candowyoming.com Dubois Volunteers Inc. Dubois, WY (307) 455-2041 City of Evanston (307) 783-6309 www.evanstonwy.org Uinta County Economic Development Commission Evanston, WY (307) 783-0378 www.uintacounty.com Wind River Development Fund Fort Washakie, WY (307) 335-7330 www.wrdf.org Campbell County Economic Development Corp.

Gillette, WY (307) 686-2603 www.ccedc.net North East Wyoming Economic Development Coalition Gillette, WY (307) 686-3673 www.newedc.com

WYO M I N G

Wyoming is home to a number of local and regional economic development groups that provide assistance to relocating or existing businesses. More complete contact information for the organizations below is available at www.imageswyoming.com .

Glenrock Economic Development Corp.

Glenrock, WY (307) 436-9294 x314 Green River Futures Green River, WY (307) 875-4509 www.greenriverfutures.com Guernsey Economic Development Guernsey, WY (307) 836-2689 Imagine Jackson Jackson, WY (307) 690-3047 Big Horn Mountain Country Coalition Kaycee, WY (307) 738-2269 www.bighornmountains.org Town of LaGrange (307) 834-2466 www.lagrangewyo.com City of Lander (307) 332-2870 www.landerwyoming.org LEADER Lander, WY (307) 332-5181 Laramie Economic Development Corp. www.laramiewy.org (307) 742-2212 Lovell Inc. Lovell, WY (307) 548-6707 Sublette County Economic Development Pinedale, WY (307) 367-4372 www.sublette.com Town of Pinedale (307) 367-4136 www.townofpinedale.com Pine Haven Economic Development Board Pine Haven, WY (307) 756-9807 Powell Valley Economic Development Alliance Powell, WY (307) 754-3494 www.powelled.org

Carbon County Economic Development Corp.

Rawlins, WY (307) 324-3836 www.ccwyed.net IDEA Inc. Riverton, WY (307) 856-0952 www.mamtc.com Sweetwater Economic Development Association Rock Springs, WY (307) 352-6874 www.sweda.net Forward Sheridan Sheridan, WY (307) 673-8004 x103 www.ForwardSheridan.com Thermopolis-Hot Springs County Economic Development Co. Thermopolis, WY (307) 864-2348 www.thermopedc.com Goshen County Economic Development Torrington, WY (307) 532-5162 www.goshenwyo.com Weston County Development Board Upton, WY (307) 468-2600 Platte County Economic Development Wheatland, WY (307) 322-4232 www.wheatlandecdev.com City of Worland Worland, WY (307) 347-2393 www.cityofworland.org Washakie Development Association Worland, WY (307) 347-8900 www.washakiedevelopment.com Town of Wright Wright, WY (307) 464-1666 clerk@vcn.com

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WYO M I N G

Ad Index 11 CAMPBELL CO U N T Y ECO N O M I C DEVELOPMENT CORPOR ATION # C A S P E R A R E A ECO N O M I C D E V E LO P M E N T A L LI A N C E 1 C A S P E R N AT RO N A CO U N T Y I N T E R N ATI O N A L A I R P O RT 2 C H E Y E N N E L E A DS 46 CHEYENNE R EG I O N A L A I R P O RT

1 8 H ITC H I N G P OS T I N N 5 8 JAC K S O N H O L E A I R P O RT 6 LARAMIE AREA C H A M B E R O F CO M M E RC E 64 LARAMIE R EG I O N A L A I R P O RT 1 4 LOV E L L I N C .

2 2 PAC I FI CO R P RO C K Y M O U N TA I N P OW E R

4 C IT Y O F E VA N S TO N 2 6 C IT Y O F R I V E RTO N 3 0 FI R S TI E R BA N K 2 6 FO RWA R D CO DY 30 GILLETTE CAMPBELL CO U N T Y A I R P O RT

4 6 ROCK SPRINGS SWEETWATER CO U N T Y A I R P O RT 2 2 S H E R I DA N CO U N T Y A I R P O RT C 3 S TAT E O F W YO M I N G CO M M U N IT Y CO L L EG E CO M M I S S I O N

Ad Index (cont.)

5 8 S TAT E O F W YO M I N G D E PA RT M E N T O F S TAT E PA R K S & C U LT U R A L R E S O U RC E S 1 0 TH ER M O P O LI S H OT S P R I N G S CO U N T Y ECO N O M I C D E V E LO P M E N T CO U N C I L 1 2 TOW N O F G L E N RO C K 8 U N I V E R S IT Y O F W YO M I N G C 4 W YO M I N G B U S I N E S S CO U N C I L C 2 W YO M I N G D E PA RT M E N T O F T R A N S P O RTATI O N A E R O N AU TI C S D I V I S I O N 5 6 W YO M I N G D E PA RT M E N T O F WO R K FO RC E S E RV I C E S 5 6 W YO M I N G H E A LT H R E S O U RC E S N E T WO R K I N C .

questions answers

©2002 American Cancer Society, Inc.

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