Last week our Leadership Colorado cohort took a tour around Northern Colorado visiting six businesses across a wide variety of sectors. In Loveland, the group visited Lightning eMotors. CEO Tim Reeser talked about their process for converting gas commercial vehicles to being powered by electric batteries, and the future forecast of the EV industry. Visit Fort Collins hosted our group for a historical walking tour of downtown Fort Collins, followed by a stop at Horse & Dragon Brewing Company where owner Carol Cochran talked about their sustainable
brewing practices and the partnerships between breweries in Fort Collins. The cohort sampled craft beers and heard from special guests Ann Hutchison (CEO) and Taylor Hayden from the Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce, Justin Laign from Congressman Neguse’s office, Marshall Floyd from Visit Fort Collins, and Lauren Schwartz from the Colorado Chamber of Commerce. Participants put on their finest western wear and finished the day with dinner and a history lesson of Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch from Susan Jessop, owner, and a wagon ride on a perfect evening around the beautiful landscape of the ranch.
Day two started in Greeley at Distortions Unlimited, the premier manufacturer of premium Halloween props and animatronics, where owners Ed and Marsha Edmunds talked about the humble beginnings of their company and how they’ve helped grow the industry enormously over the decades. The cohort toured their factory to see how the spooky creations were made and were invited to design a monster themselves! The group then traveled to Bellvue where they learned about the agriculture industry and got a behind-the-scenes tour of noosa yoghurt and Morning Fresh Dairy Farm from fifth-generation owner Amber Graves. Representative Mike Lynch joined to reflect on the legislative session and talk about owning a small business in Northern Colorado.
Leadership Colorado participants gained knowledge about business issues in Northern Colorado, learned about the strengths and challenges of running a public company, a small business, a family-owned business, businesses that distribute their products on a national and international scale, and got to further their relationships within the group.
Thank you to all the businesses and people who made this trip so special!
View more photos here.