Larimer County marks Economic Development Week as Anheuser-Busch expansion, workforce partnerships highlighted

Larimer County on Tuesday proclaimed May 2025 Economic Development Week and heard local employers and city partners describe recent investments, training grants and workforce programs aimed at retaining jobs and connecting residents to careers.

Janine Ledingham, associate director for economic and workforce development, introduced speakers from Anheuser-Busch, the City of Fort Collins economic health office and local manufacturer FiberLock Industries to illustrate public-private collaboration.

Tim Sites, general manager of Anheuser-Busch Fort Collins, described a $15 million project to modernize a 40-year-old glass-bottle production line at the brewery. "We had the opportunity to work together with the 3 entities, to bring a $15,000,000 project to the brewery," Sites said. The upgrade reduced three bottle lines to two and was pursued in competition with other company facilities. Sites said the brewery received "over $45,000 for training" through a state skill-advance grant to support worker training and young leaders.

Tyler Gonzalez of the City of Fort Collins said the project will make the Fort Collins facility the company's second carbon-neutral brewery in the United States and praised the brewery's apprenticeship partnership with the Colorado Community College System. "This expansion ... advances both economic opportunity and environmental sustainability," Gonzalez said.

Jody Stager of FiberLock Industries described county workforce partnerships that have helped the company meet seasonal hiring needs and develop a structured internship program. FiberLock uses the manufacturing sector partnership to recruit interns, participated in a WBLIP grant to build an enriched internship model with Poudre School District, and worked with Lutheran Family Services to hire five new Americans, including Rohingya speakers. "We were also connected with the WBLIP grant program ... to develop an ongoing more enriched internship program," Stager said, noting several interns have returned and one now works summers at the company.

Commissioners and county staff stressed that economic development includes retaining and growing local businesses as much as attracting new ones. Commissioner John Kefalas read and moved to approve a proclamation recognizing Economic Development Week; the board approved the proclamation 2 to 0.

County leaders said the projects and partnerships show how training, public incentives and collaboration across city, county and education partners can support well-paying jobs and local economic resilience.