Business in Colorado - May 2021
Small Businesses Drive Big Change in Rural Communities
Meaghan Carabello 2021-06-02 03:41:54
Small businesses are the lifeblood of the community according to Kari McDowell Schroeder, president and owner of McDowell Engineering in the rural mountain community of Eagle, Colorado.
She should know. As a womanowned small business owner and working parent to two young children, Schroeder represents a demographic that is often underrepresented in local government and committees for many of our local mountain communities—or anywhere.
Schroeder has more than 23 years of engineering experience, specializing in multimodal transportation for mountain communities. She was recently named Transportation Professional of the Year by the Colorado/Wyoming Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). This award honors outstanding achievements in transportation, but that is only the start of her importance to business in Eagle.
“Kari has stepped up for many years and has demonstrated her interest in the town, as she could be seen regularly at the Town’s Planning Commission or the Board of Trustees meetings; only interested parties attend these meetings,” said Mary Ann Morrison, Eagle Chamber of Commerce Administrator. “Kari has further shown her commitment to the Town’s business community having recently purchased an office in the historic downtown Eagle.”
Business owners, like Schroeder, know that small businesses play a crucial role in our state, especially to sustain the economic health of rural communities.
According to the latest Paychex | IHS Markit Employment Watch, small businesses represent 95% of all U.S. employers, underscoring their importance as job creators and local economy drivers.
Especially in rural communities, small businesses drive economic growth. Eagle has seen a 3% job market increase over the past year and future growth is predicted to increase by 50% over the next 10 years, according to a BestPlaces.net* report from 2019. Of course, the economic fallout that is happening now as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has not been fully realized yet.
Recent growth and what will be paramount to its future recovery is thanks to the collaborative culture of its economic support groups. The Eagle Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Eagle’s Economic Vitality Council, the Downtown Business Alliance, and the newly formed Downtown Development Authority continually work to support growth initiatives and small business sustainability. The Town of Eagle, for example, was able to respond quickly with COVID-19 mitigation efforts for small businesses, including allowing restaurants to expand into public spaces.
Kari and her husband, Greg, are taking economic recovery in Eagle very seriously. Greg is active in the Downtown Business Alliance and the newly formed Downtown Development Authority.
To identify the needs of Eagle businesses and assist in recovery, Schroeder has been leading the implementation of a survey that will inform a web-based economic dashboard. The goal is to ascertain key economic metrics in order to direct time, energy and funding focus in the future. This will be an essential guide to help the community recover from the expected economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We want to be a part of helping Eagle’s newly formed Downtown Development Authority identify the needs and plan for a more vibrant downtown core,” said Schroeder. “We would like to see the Economic Vitality Committee, Downtown Development Authority and the Chamber coordinate efforts in making Eagle the best mountain community to live and work.”
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