Powering The Comeback Tour: Governor Polis Visits Eastern Plains, Greeley, Loveland & Boulder

FORT MORGAN - Governor Polis continued his Powering the Comeback Tour, visiting businesses in the agriculture, food, hemp, and electric vehicle industries, as well as meeting with local leaders and Coloradans to hear about how Colorado can continue to build back better.

“Throughout this challenging time, we’ve seen the best of Coloradans as people embrace new solutions and innovation to address the needs of our communities,” said Governor Jared Polis. “It was terrific to see Colorado’s innovative spirit on full display in Morgan County, Greeley, Loveland, and Boulder and to see first hand how Coloradans are revitalizing their communities and powering our economic comeback.” 

Governor Polis kicked off the day with a visit to “The Block” in Morgan County. There, he met with representatives from the Morgan County Economic Development Corp. (MDEC), dedicated to supporting the economic growth of Morgan County through job creation, business expansion, and retention. The Block is a new kitchen commissary designed to help small businesses save on costs, built at the location of Country Steak Out, a beloved Ft. Morgan restaurant that recently closed when the owner retired after 37 years. 

Then it was on to Wiggins where Gov. Polis met with Wiggins city leaders and team members at StageCoach Meat Processing, a family-owned Colorado-based meat processing plant. With funds received from Colorado’s Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) grant program, Stagecoach has improved its coolers, expanded production capacity, and is planning on opening a storefront location.

Governor Polis then visited the new town hall in Kersey which was completed in 2020 and was partially funded through the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance grant. The new Town Hall constructed in Kersey is an important improvement to Main Street and an initial step in revitalizing Downtown Kersey, which also received a $150,000 CDOT Revitalizing Main Street Grant to provide a multimodal pathway to serve one-third of Kersey's currently underserved residents. 

This afternoon, the Governor and State Rep. Mary Young then toured small businesses in Downtown Greeley’s Creative District and highlighted the Colorado Creative Corps ARP Grant. Governor Polis was joined by members of Greeley’s arts community on a tour through Greeley’s Creative District. As part of the visit, the Governor shared details of two Colorado Creative Industries grants available to artists and arts organizations. 

In Loveland, the Governor joined Colorado Energy Office Executive Director Will Toor to meet with team members at Lightning eMotors, the largest manufacturer of zero-emission medium-duty vehicles in the Americas. Together with Colorado legislators, the Polis Administration has targeted a total of $783 million in investments for Colorado’s infrastructure, including broadband, water, housing, and transportation. Zero-emissions vehicles, like those manufactured at Lightning eMotors, are a key part of not only battling climate change but cleaner and healthier air, which is why the administration is taking a bold stance on ZEV and EV adoption.  

Governor Polis and State Rep. Tracey Bernett stopped by Boulder Pharm, a  first-generation family-owned hemp farm in North Boulder and highlighted opportunities for hemp farmers in Colorado. Earlier this year, Colorado announced USDA approval of its revised Hemp Plan and the state is proud of the strides it has made with legislators, farmers, and advocates to cut the red tape and empower the industrial hemp market. 

(Governor Polis and State Representative Mary Young in Greeley)