Recent News

When you see utilities in the news, it’s usually because their operations personnel are fanning out across their territories because of a weather calamity or traveling a long way to help other utilities in their own times of need. Their economic development counterparts are there to help businesses steer aroun...Continue Reading

The race is on to lead the auto industry’s electric vehicle (EV) transformation. Today, Tesla holds a sizable lead in production capability, technology, and market share, but legacy manufacturers like Ford, Volkswagen, and General Motors are gaining ground with aggressive efforts to prepare for mass production of new EV models. Accordin...Continue Reading

Life sciences has become much more than a niche sector on the outskirts of commercial real estate — and, like other accelerating sectors in real estate, it is experiencing growing pains. Demand for space is being driven by promising new technologies and medical advancements moving from research to everyday miracles...Continue Reading

Competing on a national and global scale for large economic development projects — and winning — is a sure sign of a community’s vitality. A community’s ability to position large-scale, shovel-ready land tracts for investment consideration exponentially increases its ability to secure desired jobs and capital investment at the loca...Continue Reading

As more and more baby-boomers take early retirement during the pandemic and the opioid crisis contributes to national skills gap problems, a Virginia community college is coming up with innovative ways to speed up the training of badly needed workers. An hour south of the nation’s capital, Germanna Community College (GCC...Continue Reading

It’s no secret companies are finding it more difficult to locate big-box distribution centers at desired strategic areas and sites. Elongated planning and zoning permitting review timelines, political pressure from elected officials and citizens criticizing the quality of jobs and increased traffic, and restrictive ordinances and technical standards targeting distributio...Continue Reading

In rural Wyoming, a sprawling field will soon be filled with dozens of shipping container-sized boxes that can pull CO2 from the atmosphere to help combat climate change. The captured CO2, compressed into a liquid, will travel through pipelines into nearby wells that are drilled thousands of feet underground, storin...Continue Reading

SHERIDAN — Voters heading to the polls this fall will consider the approval of a 2% countywide lodging tax — which supports the efforts of Sheridan County Travel and Tourism. Sheridan voters initially approved the lodging tax as a citywide tax in 1992, and it has been approved every four year...Continue Reading

SHERIDAN — The Museum at the Bighorns will offer its "Living History Cemetery Tour: Notable Names in Sheridan County" on Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Attendees should meet at the front gate of Sheridan Municipal Cemetery. Actors will portray various people from Sheridan County as if they are that person. Th...Continue Reading

On Sept. 6, the University of Wyoming Sheridan Research and Extension Center will host an open panel discussion on invasive grass management led by the Institute for Managing Annual Grasses Invading Natural Ecosystems (IMAGINE). A collaborative statewide effort that brings together a diverse group of partner organizations, IMAGINE’s purpose is t...Continue Reading

Lack of summer rain forced Nebraska farmer Kevin Fulton to go underground to find water for his crops. Not a perfect solution: the Ogallala Aquifer, where Fulton tapped in, has pumping restrictions in some areas, just not where Fulton is located. That’s because the aquifer is running dry. As drought extend...Continue Reading

For many rural families, shuttling young children to preschool simply isn’t an option. The remote location of many ranches and homes in eastern Sheridan County means a long drive to or from Sheridan, Buffalo or Gillette. For that reason, many children in such areas miss out on preschool experiences their mor...Continue Reading

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts take more of a front seat in economic development strategy and growth. We see communities benefit from these efforts, and funders start to expect them when reviewing future plans. Convergent Nonprofit Solutions has managed capital campaigns for EDOs and Chambers of different sizes an...Continue Reading

A federal program is giving about $30,000 to individual rural communities to help them develop outdoor recreation economies and revitalize main streets. The program, aptly called Recreation Economy for Rural Communities, is overseen by the EPA, Forest Service and others. This year, it’s helping 25 communities, including two in the Mountai...Continue Reading

Wyoming is one of 22 states to receive federal money to restore abandoned mine sites, of which there are likely hundreds in the state. Historically, Wyoming is a mining state, including mining for energy resources like coal and uranium, and 25 years ago, companies did not have to clean up thei...Continue Reading

A company hoping to capture the attention of Gen Z and millennial consumers today can't ignore its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program — that synthesis of tenets like accountability, sustainability and philanthropy, which build up a brand's reputation and, ideally, make the planet a better place. And it's not jus...Continue Reading

When starting or running a business, most people will tell you that a high-quality pitch to investors or potential partners will sell your venture itself. The investors, partners and potential clients will line up if you're skilled with language and can tell a unique, captivating story and explain financial returns...Continue Reading

A polished elevator pitch is essential in our fast-paced world. Not only will it allow you to quickly and effectively communicate your value proposition, but it can also help you win more business. In the luxury real estate industry, it is essential to demonstrate the ability to communicate who yo...Continue Reading

Yellowstone National Park rebounded quickly after historic flooding in June, reopening all of its gates except two just a couple of weeks after. Now the park has opening dates for the Gardiner and Cooke City entrances. The main road to Gardiner has been severely damaged so the park is making th...Continue Reading

Companies receiving economic development incentives often have a great story to tell. The projects championed by those companies bring much needed jobs and investment to a local community. In exchange, the companies may receive various forms of economic development incentives, such as grants, tax credits, or loans. However, these incentive...Continue Reading

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon has announced an addition to his Administration’s Natural Resources policy team. Jennifer Thomson will serve as the Governor’s Major Project Development Manager. The position, developed and funded through a joint collaboration between Governor Gordon’s Office and the Wyoming Legislature, is intended to keep Wyomin...Continue Reading

As a zoning and land use attorney over the last 15 years, I have witnessed a lot of change. That change has been brought about by a host of factors including traditional — but increasingly less predictable — business economic cycles, the Great Recession, the affordable housing crisis, and th...Continue Reading

In a tough hiring environment, and on the heels of the Great Resignation, employers have to work hard to hire and retain their staff and keep their workplaces attractive. Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic began, employees are demanding more at the office and want a work-life balance, and savvy employers ar...Continue Reading

Just a few short years ago, Wyoming Legacy Meats in Cody became the first U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified meat processor in the state in more than 40 years. Today, there are a dozen USDA-inspected meat processors in Wyoming, from Hawk Springs to Hudson and from Sheridan to Laramie. State inspected slaughte...Continue Reading