$1 BOOK OF LISTS ENERGY Dozens of rankings, Big oil “concerned” about hundreds of names. newly proposed methane Delivered to subscribers. emission rules. INSIDE 7 Special Report Mall Interrupted Volume 19 Issue 6 | Dec. 13-19, 2013 Foothills still faces mountain of delays Special Report BY MOLLY ARMBRISTER On Dec. 17, the project again will the city has undertaken. round of reviews by the city – and still [email protected] Interruptedgo before Fort Collins City Council, Although the redevelopment was no groundbreaking. In the meantime, where most expect given the “green the city has racked up more than FORT COLLINS – Delays con- it to be approved. SPECIAL REPORT light” in May, there $220,000 in additional costs for out- tinue to plague redevelopment of Foot- However, major have been months side consulting work, money paid by hills Mall and costs continue to mount, hurdles remain in Mall Interrupted of negotiations, new the developers but which continues to six months after missingSpecial the deadline Report one of the most designs, new tenant drive up costs of a project that devel- for a summer groundbreaking.Mall Interruptedcomplicated, sought-after projects plans, new cost estimates and another ➤ See Mall, 16 Northern Colorado Business Report Northern Colorado Business Report Industry has beef with new labeling rule BY STEVE LYNN [email protected] GREELEY – New rules requiring beef producers to display country of origin on meat labels will raise beef prices as the industry struggles to rebuild a herd thinned by last year’s drought, industry representatives say. A rule that went into effect in November requires beef JONATHAN CASTNER processors Perky Pepper vodka, anyone? Colorado is No. 5 in the nation for the number of craft distilleries, including Syntax Spirits, such as Gree- pictured above, in Greeley. ley-based JBS USA (Boves- pa: JBSS3) to list on pack- Craft distilleries toast surge in sipping aging where BY MELISSA SCHAAF It’s still Northern Colorado, but its from honey vodka to blue-corn cattle were [email protected] instead of a highly lauded micro- and rye bourbon. And more are on born, raised FILE PHOTO brewery, the setting is that of a craft the way. and slaugh- New labels will allow The drinks are flowing, but distillery. In a microbrewery-saturated tered. T he consumers to know there’s not a pint glass to be found. Eighty years after the repeal of state, Colorado’s craft distilleries move will more about the beef Highballs, snifters and shot glasses Prohibition, Colorado is home to trail craft breweries by about 20 raise costs for they consume than hold a variety of potent, clear, honey- 46 craft distilleries, five of which years and wine by about 40, accord- beef proces- ever before. and amber-colored liquids. Carbon- are situated along the Front Range. ing to the American Craft Distillers sors and pos- ation and foam are nonexistent. They produce a wide variety of spir- ➤ See Distilleries, 10 sibly elevate prices for consumers, ➤ See Beef, 22 CONTENTS Serving Northern Colorado Visit ncbr.com for breaking news Software startup Briefcase ........................13 Marketing .......................11 Bulb allows students to Business News Digest .....6 On The Job ....................12 share their smarts ......2 Calendar .........................12 Online Poll ......................30 Editorial ..........................30 Small Business Adviser ..11 Anheuser-Busch For The Record ..............21 The Eye ............................3 Plant celebrates 25 years in Fort Collins ....3 Gluten-free baker Lists signs national deal Web-design companies ..................................................... 15 Loveland-based Commercial printers ...........................................................19 Canyon Bakehouse . 11 Advertising, marketing and public relations firms ..............20 2 | Dec. 13-19, 2013 Northern Colorado Business Report | www.ncbr.com Bulb shines light on students’ best work BY STEVE LYNN [email protected] FORT COLLINS – For art teacher Dan Ibanez and his students, using online publishing software from Fort Collins startup Bulb is easier than cooking a frozen pizza. User friendliness is important to Ibanez, who teaches digital art design at Rocky Mountain High School. Ibanez, along with video production teacher Ron Clark, started using the software in August. Without having to build their own websites, students can use the system to upload their videos and artwork online as they create a web portfolio that gives them the ability to showcase their work to a broad audience. “There’s no other platform that allows us to so simply integrate text, image and video in a free and effort- less way,” Ibanez said. Software startup Bulb is a tool for teaching and learning online that students can use to publish their JONATHAN CASTNER online portfolios. Bulb is offering its From left, Natalia Wright, Connor Renn and Rachel Holland work on their yearbook cover at Rocky Mountain High School in publishing software free, although it Fort Collins. They are using Bulb software to tie together their digital productivity programs. plans to charge for additional content that it introduces in the future. It has Bulb makes educational software for website, hellobulb.com. gained traction in the early 2000s yet to start developing those add-ons. schools, teachers and students. The Bulb employs 15 people, including with offerings from companies such Founded in December 2011 by company, funded by angel investors, former Hewlett Packard Co. (NYSE: as Blackboard Inc. More recently, brothers and Colorado State Univer- is growing quickly, recently reaching HPQ) developers, and operates out of massive online open courses through sity alumni John and David Runkles its 10,000th user. Anyone can sign up a downtown office. outfits such as Coursera, Udacity and along with Bob Bush and Erik Petrik, to use the software on the company’s Educational software development ➤ See Bulb, 26 Clinton Baker, Partner, Adam Sweetman, Kennedy and Coe Sweetman Investments GET THE BUSINESS OUT OF THE OFFICE. At Kennedy and Coe, we have the courage to do something GL΍HUHQWWRJHWWRQHZSODFHV Even if it means rolling up our sleeves, and our trousers. www.kcoe.com | 800.303.3241 Consultants Northern Colorado Business Report | www.ncbr.com Dec. 13-19, 2013 | 3 HOAs to see greater regulation in 2014 BY MOLLY ARMBRISTER Manager and Management Company munity managers without licenses managers have plagued the industry [email protected] Executive Licensure requirement, will have until July 2015 to complete in recent years, including two 2010 according to John Hammersmith, various licensure processes, accord- embezzlement cases totaling more Four new laws governing home- chief executive of Denver-based ing to Ann Williams, vice president than $1 million. In another case, a owner associations will require licen- Hammersmith Management Inc., at Hammersmith. There are several community manager approved the sure of HOA managers, detailed which provides services to HOAs levels of certification for community installation of $750,000 worth of roof fee-payment policies, water-wise statewide. management, the first of which is a replacements without checking to see landscaping practices and more over- The licensure requirement requires certified manager of community asso- if the HOA could afford it. sight of homeowner associations by that everyone who wants to become a ciations. An exam will be required “Before, anyone could call them- the Division of Regulatory Agencies. community manager or begin a com- for those who want to obtain their selves a ‘community manager,’ ” Wil- Among the new laws, designed pri- munity management company would license, Hammersmith said. liams said. “This will help prevent less marily to reduce fraud and unethical have to obtain a license. Tales of theft, inaccurate account- experienced, less ethical people from behavior, the most important is the Those currently operating as com- ing and incompetence by community ➤ See HOA, 25 At 25, A-B reflects on shifts in suds Take this storm and shovel it omes, businesses and govern- ments regularly receive kudos Hfor their increased use of solar energy for power generation and heat- ing. But for snow and ice removal? Not so much, Waiting for the sun to melt win- ter’s worst from roadways usually isn’t an option, especially when tempera- tures hover on either side of zero for up to a week after a storm, as they did this week – so cities, counties and the JONATHAN CASTNER state bring out the plows. Cases of Budweiser roll through the packing system at the Anheuser-Busch InBev facility in Fort Collins. Sidewalks are another matter. When a public sidewalk abuts a home or business, it’s that property own- BY MOLLY ARMBRISTER er’s responsibility to get it cleared [email protected] promptly after a snowstorm. It’s too often not being done, however – as the FORT COLLINS – Twenty-five Business Report’s copy editor discov- years after Anheuser-Busch InBev ered during an arduous two-mile trek opened its Fort Collins brewery, the along East Harmony Road from Col- face of brewing, both inside the behe- lege Avenue to the newspaper’s office moth facility and out, is vastly dif- at McMurry. Where there should ferent. have been sidewalks, he inched across At the end of this month, the Bud- skating rinks worthy of the Avs or weiser plant closes the door on its Eagles, pockets of epic powder and silver anniversary year, with three icebergs that would worry a sea cap- expansions and the addition of 22 tain. He saw too many fellow pedes- brands under its belt. In those 25 trians – including some disturbingly years, microbreweries have sprung young ones – courting disaster by up around the region, giving beer- JONATHAN CASTNER choosing instead to walk in the busy drinkers more choices than ever and Above, Patrick Fagan peers into the tanks known as “chip torpedoes.” The tanks hold thoroughfare’s bike and turn lanes. causing Budweiser to diversify its beechwood chips inserted into lagering tanks. Below, quality samples await staff attention.