New ventures propel Weld’s largest city
GREELEY — At a BizWest CEO Roundtable in spring 2024, Darin Atteberry, market manager for Elevations Credit Union, issued a jaw-dropping prediction: “Greeley is going to be 400,000 to 500,000 people.”
A half-million people living in Greeley? The trend lines show it’s possible. The Weld County seat retains a steady growth and an economic health that continues to draw national recognition. Propelled by agriculture, energy, education and health care, Greeley’s population has surpassed that of Boulder, and Atteberry’s prediction has it passing Fort Collins as well.
Addressing the resulting need for more housing will be companies such as Alquist LLC,a startup company that moved from Iowa to Greeley and will produce 3D-printed homes.
The Weld County seat retains a steady growth and an economic health that continues to draw national recognition. “
One in three jobs in Greeley are still related to agriculture, contributing more than $1 billion to the local economy through companies such as JBS, Leprino Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. Energy also remains a strong component, with Chevron retaining a crucial servicing hub for the Niobrara-DJ Basin.
Increasingly, however, the health-care sector has become a key driver to Greeley’s growth. Banner Health’s North Colorado Medical Center and UCHealth’s Greeley Medical Center serve area patients. The University of Northern Colorado is renowned for its programs to train nurses and will add an osteopathic medical school beginning in fall 2025, thanks to millions in grant money from the state and the Weld Trust. Aims Community College is adding an acute-care nurses’ aide certificate program as well as one for doulas. The Institute of Business & Medical Careers offers accelerated career training in business and medicine.
UNC’s Monfort College of Business continues to produce a new annual crop of young entrepreneurs, and Aims has been expanding its partnerships with data-analytics, automotive and energy companies. Aims also is building a $25.5 million Workforce Innovation Center and a $21.8 million aviation-technology center.
Mixed-use development continues to sprout along several downtown blocks, and the city and its Downtown Development Authority are working on tax-increment financing to attract even more.
Organizations including the DDA, Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Development Center and regional economic-development ventures all play a role in the health of Greeley’s business sector. The city this fall will amp up entrepreneurial and business support to help small startups accelerate to the next level through a partnership with global venture firm gener8tor.
Greeley works hard, but it plays hard as well.
The Greeley Independence Stampede routinely draws more than a quarter million people, while downtown is building a vibrant live-music scene. Union Colony Civic Center regularly brings Broadway musicals, concerts, dance and comedy shows.
A multi-course Rodeo Dunes golf complex is being developed nearby, and a nearly $750,000 grant will help propel restoration efforts at Dearfield, a former Black townsite east of Greeley that’s under consideration for inclusion in the national park system. Meanwhile, the city granted a request from Richmark Real Estate Partners LLC to annex 120 acres for a regional park the company hopes will eventually spur more commercial development on the east side of the city.
