The public/private non-profit Morgan County Economic Development Corporation is deeply committed to handling the retention and expansion of business in Morgan County, Colorado. From diversifying the local economy’s access to goods and services, to maintaining and growing local employment and tax income, fundraising, investor relations, and business hiring, to attracting new enterprises to the community, MCEDC embraces innovation, determination, and resiliency. It aims to strengthen the organization, better understand the needs of the business community, and engage current and potential investors through improved communication initiatives.
Envisioning a region with a robust and sustainable economy that generates wealth, maintains quality of life, and raises the level of living for locals, the corporation’s goals are to facilitate and draw in investment, generate new employment opportunities, boost income growth, and increase the local community’s tax base.
“We were originally established in 1962, and in 1984, they changed the name to Morgan County Economic Development Corporation to include the county as a whole,” says Executive Director, Kristin Clifford-Basil. “The original goal, which we are continuing to work toward today, is promoting the quality of life, enhancing the business environment for residents and youth, as well as becoming more actively involved in land development for economic growth in-county,” she says.
MCEDC has also made investments in business growth in Morgan County over the last few years, receiving a series of grants for a revolving loan fund that it manages. With that, MCEDC has assisted in the refinancing of a high-interest loan for a local meat processor. “That will help them expand and create 25 jobs,” Clifford-Basil says, adding they were also able to create capital to develop other value-added products and create new kinds of businesses. “I would say that that revolving loan fund is probably one of our biggest underutilized assets.”
Further to the interest of the community, MCEDC is also developing a ‘business boot camp’ to help disseminate all the information needed to ensure businesses are successful in getting past that crucial two to three-year mark.
When it comes to attracting new businesses, MCEDC is targeting manufacturing businesses on the smaller, family-owned side, where longevity can be found, along with looking at its existing industries of agriculture and how it can support them in their expansion by recruiting businesses that can offer support, Clifford-Basil adds.
“We have 17 dairies in Morgan County, and that’s one of our major industries in the county, so we’re looking at what businesses we can recruit to support them further, to help them grow or expand, or create a stronger partnership within the county, create jobs, and leverage whatever opportunities we have.”
MCEDC’s next goal is circling back to the initial intent of the organization, she adds. The articles of incorporation specifically establish the purpose of acquiring, holding, leasing, and disposing of land and lots in Fort Morgan, Colorado, or the immediate area for planned, orderly, and attractive development of the community, and MCEDC is exploring how it can be more involved in that process to fulfill the initial intent of the organization.
“What does that look like?” asks Clifford-Basil. “Is it raising more funds to support private development, or is it being more active in acquiring land for business parks? Talking to manufacturing businesses early on in that planning process? That’s another goal we have for the community.”
When looking at supporting the business climate, the workforce is definitely a top priority, she stresses. Geographically located in close proximity to the Front Range—a mountain range of the Southern Rocky Mountains—Morgan County experiences a high rate of workforce and youth leaving on an annual basis. To combat that, MCEDC has developed a workforce readiness program to identify students who are not college-bound and try to prepare them for the future through integrating skills and job readiness training so that when they graduate, they can find a job in Morgan County. “A lot of them don’t know what they want to do, so they’ll leave the county thinking they’ll find something better, not realizing they can have that job here,” says Clifford-Basil.
“That is the challenge to fill,” she says. “It started with a trade skill training program called Route 76, with a program manager who goes to classrooms in schools a few times a week and provides preliminary entry-level trade skill training—electrical, plumbing, HVAC—offering some foundational knowledge and basic training so these kids going directly in the workforce have some of the soft skills they need.”
The program also offers mock interviewing and other soft skills support to not only get a job but to do the job well. “The interview process is a challenge for many people to get past,” Clifford-Basil says. “We’re trying to train them for the interview so they’re ready for it. We lose about 1,000 18-to-24-year-olds on an annual basis, and that’s where our workforce struggles, filling that entry-level position.”
Along with helping youth, MCEDC is also looking at upcoming strategic projects, partnerships, and future development opportunities, particularly the challenge of finding appropriate land available for business development. “We have a lot of land here, but we don’t have a lot ready for development. If I got a call for 100 acres for industrial, we don’t have that,” she says. “We’re trying to get ahead of that so that when I do get that call, we have a place, it’s ready to go, and we can be more attractive and competitive in that space.”
On the sustainability side, the area is currently transitioning away from its local coal power plant to a natural gas peaking facility—not completely shutting down coal like other communities. While there’s a big push for Colorado to go green, for now, the area is navigating the power plant transition with the goal of a January 2026 completion and will see what the future brings.
While there are many advantages to being a rural community, growth and capacity are always a challenge, as well as workforce availability and the ongoing housing challenge, whether that’s a shortage or navigating increasing cost. Smaller communities don’t have the population for a builder to come in and build 100 homes, and coupled with a growing demand and price increases—which are frequently caused by migration from larger cities—the difficulties these towns have in offering suitable housing options are also exacerbated by stringent zoning regulations and a lack of funding for affordable homes.
Despite these ongoing and very common challenges, Morgan County still has plenty to offer its residents and businesses, both established and new. With so many assets to highlight, it’s difficult to pick just a few that best reflect Morgan County’s attractiveness.
“Overall, we offer a slower pace,” says Clifford-Basil. “We’re about an hour away from Denver, so it’s easy to come out for a day. We have a winery and a brewery, and some great small businesses to visit. You can spend an afternoon just exploring.”
Morgan County was also featured in the second season of HGTV’s Home Town Takeover, which follows “a team of renovation pros as they take over and make over an entire small town. We’ve had a lot of foot traffic from that and some businesses that got upgrades, with local ice cream shops that have done exponentially well since being featured on there and some murals that came into place.”
Of course, there are plenty of local festivals and events to keep visitors entertained, from Halloween and Christmas activities, to a Chili & Soup Festival, Food Truck Fridays, several Farmers Markets, Oktoberfest, a Fourth of July Parade, the Bobstock Music Festival, and more. “Since 2020, we’re seeing in tourism a lot more road trips,” adds Clifford-Basil. “We’re seeing the day trip coming back,” a great way to spend a day or weekend with friends and family. “If you’re looking to get out of the city for a day or go out and have lunch and try something new, we’re a good destination for that,” says Clifford-Basil.
The pandemic definitely helped bring more tourists to the area, particularly those searching for a great destination closer to home, and it’s a trend that’s sure to continue when visitors see what Morgan County offers.
“We still have a lot of that small-town charm and that slower pace offered through a prime geographical location and our events and atmosphere,” says Clifford-Basil, adding that that’s exactly what people are specifically looking for now. “I think it’s a nice thing for new residents to seek out as a place that’s got the small-town charm but also is connected to a larger environment.”
