The Swan Ranch Industrial Park, located 4 miles North of the Colorado border, has just hit another major milestone. The first unit train consisting of 133 crude cars came in on the Union Pacific Railroad for loading. The rail expansion project now connects two main line railroads – the Union Pacific Railroad and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad into the industrial park. According to Scott Sutherland, Director of Real Estate at Granite Peak Development, the park is becoming one of the area’s major economic drivers. “This 4,000 acre development primarily serves the heavy industrial and energy segments. The property borders are impressive as well – Interstate 25, Interstate 80, the Union Pacific and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe.” According to Randy Bruns, the CEO of the local economic development group Cheyenne LEADS “Wyoming’s rating as the friendliest place to do business combined with our historically low tax rate and the capacity of the Swan Ranch are creating a perfect storm for economic development in the area.” He added “the rail component allows manufacturing and energy related companies to take advantage of Wyoming’s low tax rates, low union activity, low energy costs and low regulatory climate while still allowing for inexpensive shipping”. Wyoming is becoming home to several large industrial companies that have performed in depth site selections, such as Searing Industries.
The Swan Ranch is fast becoming the regions premier industrial park. The investment in infrastructure into the park exceeds $100 million at this point, according to Dan Guerttman, COO of Granite Peak Development. The Swan Ranch will have the capacity to serve almost any industrial user, ship crude to virtually any rail served refinery or distribution point, receive and distribute frac sand in all quantities and all without the traffic and rail congestion other areas must contend with. “Dual rail service creates better pricing and service for the tenants of the Swan”, said Dan Guerttman. The Swan Ranch has its own short line railroad operated by WATCO.
The proximity to the Colorado and Wyoming energy plays are also sparking growth within the park as these crude and gas reserves are becoming more clearly defined. Josh Jamison, CEO of Cripple Creek Energy Services and Thunder Ridge Transportation said “Aggressive oil and gas activity in the area has also resulted in hundreds of cars of frac sand being routed to our transload facility on the Swan Ranch. The Swan Ranch facility’s proximity to active developments in Southeastern Wyoming and Northern Colorado, along with convenient access to highways make it ideal for sand landing and delivery.” Randy Balhorn of Cogent Energy stated “The Swan Ranch allows us to access all of the infrastructure we could ever need, allows for unit train deliveries from both the BNSF and the UPRR and allows us access to world class employees. We truly couldn’t ask for a better setting.” The Swan Ranch Industrial Park is developed by Granite Peak Development in conjunction with property owners Doug and Susan Samuelson and Carol McMurry. Current tenants include Bell Supply, LEAM, AES, Brenntag, Midwestern Pipe, Jebro, Volvo Rents, Thunder Ridge Transportation, Cripple Creek Energy, Crominent, Magnablend, Bridger, Cogent Energy and Searing Industries Wyoming.
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