Two Mesa County companies are among the recipients of grants intended to help outdoor recreation businesses and nonprofits hire and retain employees.

QuikrStuff in Grand Junction was awarded a $100,000 grant, while Jet Boat Colorado in De Beque received a $23,000 grant. 

Geyser Technologies in Montrose also received a $100,000 grant. Western Slope SUP in Hotchkiss received a $30,000 grant.

The Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office of the Colorado Office of Economic Development
and International Trade awarded 24 grants from the Outdoor Recreation Industry Impact Fund. The fund was created using state and local fiscal recovery funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.

“When the outdoor recreation industry thrives, Coloradans across the state benefit from quality jobs and an unparalleled quality of life,” said Eve Lieberman, executive director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. “These grants will help outdoor recreation employers retain and hire the talented staff that power this important sector of Colorado’s economy.” 

QuikrStuff manufactures bicycle racks. Jet Boat Colorado provides jet boat tours on the Colorado River. 

Geyser Technologies manufactures a hot portable shower that uses less than a gallon of water. Western Slope SUP provides stand up paddle board, kayaking, rafting and tubing rentals and trips.

Conor Hall, director of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, said the grants target what he said his staff heard during a statewide listening tour was the greatest needs of the industry — hiring and retaining staff in the face of the rising costs of living and housing. 

“We’re thrilled to assist employers as they continue their efforts to steward our natural resources while also creating career opportunities in the outdoors,” Hall said.

According to a U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis estimate for 2021, outdoor recreation accounted for 2.7 percent of the Colorado economy and 4.3 percent of employment in the state — 125,244 jobs. That represented a 13.4 percent increase in employment over 2020.