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Business Climate

Business Climate

FOUNTAIN BUSINESS CLIMATE

As the second-largest city in El Paso county, Colorado, Fountain is focused on both its available land asset tracks for business attraction and the nurturing of its small business entrepreneurial spirit.


The City’s main business clusters include the following industries for its economic engine: 


Manufacturing* - Transportation & Logistics - Homeland Security ** - Entrepreneurialism - 
Renewable Energy - Motorsports Economy*** 
*specialized "niche" advanced, food/AG ; **military, law enforcement ; *** tourism & entertainment

2024/2025 State of Business Report - inaugural report findings and recommendations were presented to City Council on January 14, 2025. 

ACCESSIBILITY

AccessibilityThe City of Fountain has hearty transit accessibility with I-25, Mesa Ridge Parkway/Powers Blvd, and US 85/87 Hwy. With the state’s largest employer at our west front door, Fort Carson, our focus on resiliency, national defense and renewable energy are pivotal. 

Pair this with our mission of community sustainability and our railways and highways prime accessibility for trade, transportation and specialized manufacturing; Fountain is an ideal location for business placement and growth.

Because of Fort Carson's deployment readiness needs and the growth of the city and region, CDOT was awarded federal funding under a 2020 BUILD Grant for its Military Access, Mobility and Safety Improvement Project. Fort Carson's Gate 19 is one of the focus project improvement areas of the project.  Gate 19 resides within the City's Gateway district at X-128 of I-25 and ties into Fountain Creek and the historic Olde Town district of the community. 

S. Powers Blvd Extension transportation study (2022/2023 CDOT)

To learn more about the city's Infrastructure  capacities, please visit our site page. 






WORKFORCE TALENT

The City of Fountain is able to maximize it labor pool draw due to its optimal location along the front range in Southern Colorado; known as the Pikes Peak region.
 
Fountain’s regional location, which includes Colorado Springs, has a talent pool of 285,000; the nearest city to the South, Pueblo has a talent pool of 61,000.

The State of Colorado largest employer, Fort Carson Army Installation, is the city’s direct neighbor to the West with a sustained active duty enlistment with ~500 veterans a month emerging to civilian life.workforce.

To learn more about resources, please visit:

 

FORT CARSON ARMY INSTALLATION

US ArmyFort Carson is one of four active military installations located in El Paso County, Colorado Springs. The base and its support staff make up a large portion of the region's population (enlisted, veterans, retires, civilians and families).

Fort Carson is affectionately known as the "Mountain Post"and ranked #1 "Best Hometown in the Army” as the most requested post in the Army due to Quality of Life and Center of Excellence Adolescent Unit for families.

Click here to read the Military Snapshot report (Q1 2023 CoF)

Fort Carson two road projects slated for completion to improve commuters' travel (2023 KRDO article)
 
Army Community Partnerships Award, City of Fountain/Fort Carson 2022


Visit Fort Carson Army Installation online at: https://www.carson.army.mil/

With active duty military count hovering around 30,000, the Army installation represents the largest employer in the State of CO. As such, Fort Carson works closely with local municipalities, transportation agencies, and the State on behalf of shared services, inter-governmental agreements, public health, and federal resource allocations. 




FRONT RANGE DUAL-SERVICE RAIL PARK

RailwayCurrently, Fountain is working within a Public-Private Partnership towards the establishment of a 3,000 acre industrial rail park that abuts Fort Carson's boundary to derive redundancy/ resiliency to the Installation and to cultivate business development to serve the greater Southern Colorado market.

A little known community fact, Fountain is the second only location along the front range of CO in an ideal position to offer dual rail access service by the Class I railways.

To learn more about the Front Range Dual Service Rail Park initiative, please visit the Charter Oak URA site page housed with FURA. 

SUPPORT SERVICES

Fountain supports all tiers of business with FastTrack and Quick Response teams to assists businesses through the layers of agencies and departmental processes quickly and efficiently.

The entrepreneurial spirit of small businesses can find access to creative support service through the Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce, and the Pike’s Peak Small Business Development Center.

Please visit these site pages for more resource information,