Featured
Sweetwater Energy Companies Mean Business
The energy industry has staying power in Sweetwater County, and is a key reason for the region's overall economic success. Here are some key players in the local energy sector:
Solvay Chemicals
The company's mine in Green River produces trona, a mineral with a wide range of uses. Green River has the world’s largest and purest deposits, and holds more than 50 billion tons of trona. Solvay Chemicals uses the substance to reduce acid gas emissions in industries ranging... Read More »
Despite Challenges, Cattle and Sheep Still Raised in Sweetwater County, WY
John Hay has ranching in his blood. He is a descendant of John W. Hay (1864-1907), who was one of Wyoming's most successful livestock men.
“Today, my family owns Blair & Hay Land and Livestock, plus Blair & Hay also has interest and ownership in Rock Springs Grazing Association,” Hay says. “RSGA has been around since 1907, when 200,000 to 300,000 sheep grazed the winter range in southwestern Wyoming. Now, there are about 50,000 to 70,000 sheep. A lot of ranchers have... Read More »
Sweetwater County is a Thriving Job Market
On the hunt for a job? Then Sweetwater County, Wyoming, should be your target. “Right now, we have about 600 jobs in the community that we are trying to fill,” says Dave Hanks, president of the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce. Many are in energy-related fields that offer annual salaries of $100,000. Mining, oil and gas, and similar segments have been the traditional job creators in a region rich in mineral assets. While that’s still true, there are also job openings in... Read More »
Sweetwater Visitors Find the Way Easy
With its dramatically beautiful landscapes and wealth of amenities and activities, Sweetwater County, Wyoming, has long been a mecca for tourists, as well as a great place to live. The only problem: how to find all those good things in the area’s sprawling communities.Now, thanks to smart planning and partnerships between business and government, Sweetwater County is becoming friendlier and more accessible to its thousands of tourists, and locals are benefitting, too.Green River Visitors... Read More »
Big Firms, Small Businesses Grow in Sweetwater County
Retail development is on the rise in Rock Springs and Sweetwater County. Wyoming. New projects have sprung up throughout the county, and a major heavy equipment firm is building its first new store in 20 years in Rock Springs. The retail projects, says Mike Yedinak, Rock Springs native and chief operating officer of Commerce Bank, are signs that the local economy is moving beyond its “boom and bust” days and entering into a time of sustained growth. “We’ve seen huge... Read More »
Power Plants and Coal Mines Keep Sweetwater County in Power
Together with other electric generating resources, the Jim Bridger Power Plant and Jim Bridger Coal Mine help provide power to more than a million customers in Wyoming and other western states. The power plant and mine are both jointly owned by PacifiCorp (which serves Wyoming customers as Rocky Mountain Power) and Idaho Power Corp.
Operating since the 1970s, the Jim Bridger Power Plant employs about 340 people, while the Jim Bridger Coal Mine employs more than 440. In recent years, Bridger... Read More »
