Fast 5: No. 3 - Rocky Mountain Way

Colorado, our third Fast 5 Design/Build State, is blessed with several communities that have experienced significant growth in recent years.

Denver built a downtown light rail system and expanded highways to alleviate one of its biggest challenges – traffic, which was just one of the reasons it earned the No. 7 spot on CNN Money and Fortune’s “Best Places to Live & Launch” list. The Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation works hard to bring business to the area.

Other communities such as Louisville, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs also are growing at substantial rates, bringing increased business to both commercial and residential landscape contractors. Fort Collins, home to Colorado State University – the area’s largest employer and a reason why 40 percent of residents have a college degree, the sixth highest rate in the country – is No. 3 on Forbes’ “Best Places for Business & Careers” list.

The state overall boasts a highly educated workforce made up of well-paying positions in aerospace, IT, bioscience and energy fields. In fact, Colorado has the highest median household income of the Fast 5 states and ranks third overall in terms of income growth, which means there is discretionary income available to spend on home and office landscapes.
 
Denver-based CoCal Landscape is expecting 10 percent growth in 2009 while commercial contractors in other states are talking flat or declining sales. “Colorado has not seen the same magnitude of decline as other parts of the country,” says Tom Fochtman, the company’s co-owner. “Vacancies in the majority of commercial sectors that we operate in are still in the single digits.”

On the residential side, Steve Coughran, owner of Superior Landscape Design in Englewood, has seen an increase in outdoor living. With 300 days of sunshine a year and impressive mountain views, Coloradoans prefer to spend time outdoors. As a result, Coughran says there is a big increase in the number of people who want to expand their living spaces with outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and living areas. Hardscapes also add value to homes and enhance their appearance.

Several of the large distributors who buy products from Pavestone have seen increases of 20 percent in sales, according to Glenn Van Horn, who is in commercial distributor contractor sales for the Fountain, Colo.-based paving stone manufacturer. Van Horn says many new homes are designed with retaining walls and outdoor living areas, including patios with outdoor grills and fireplaces. “Rather than going out to restaurants, people increasingly want to entertain in their own backyards,” he explains.

“We have seen a trend in the growth of hardscapes as integral parts of our residential and light commercial projects over the past few years,” concurs Jeromy Montano, a landscape designer for Columbine Design in Englewood, Colo. The majority of the company’s work consists of dry-laid stone or interlocking pavers used for driveways, walkways, patios and retaining walls.

Another factor that boosts hardscape sales is the fact that Colorado suffers periodic droughts. Many homeowners choose to replace water-thirsty sod with hardscapes. Efficient designs allow them to enjoy their yards while saving water.

Whether the project is commercial or residential, Colorado landscape contractors continue to provide innovative designs to meet the needs of their customers.