ICELab opens new co-warehousing space, The Hub

Addressing critical needs for export businesses in the valley

By Kendra Walker

The ICELab has opened a new location – a co-warehousing and office space designed to support exporting businesses in Gunnison County. With a certificate of occupancy obtained and businesses already moving in and getting settled, the community will have the opportunity to see the new space at a grand opening on March 10.

The Hub is a new co-working space operated by the ICELab, the Tourism and Prosperity Partnership’s (TAPP) entrepreneurial support organization. The Hub provides flexible warehousing and loading dock access for businesses that ship products and services out of the Gunnison Valley.

According to ICELab director TJ Taylor, access to appropriate warehousing space in the valley has been a challenging barrier for local exporters. “We’ve been trying to identify the needs of our local entrepreneurs, what are the barriers getting in the way and how can we help reduce that friction of growth. One of the big things we’ve found is the lack of commercial space in the valley as a whole, especially for companies trying to export out of the valley,” he said. “Few options exist for businesses that require storage, logistics functionality and a loading dock, but are not large enough to lease or operate a facility on their own.”

“Not one of these companies can take on something this big by themselves,” said Taylor.

The ICELab has answered with The Hub. Businesses in need of space to serve their exporting needs can sublease in The Hub, which includes office space, common area co-working space, along with a warehouse for storage and light assembly. A garage door and loading bay allows for easy shipping and logistics processes.

Located next to Natural Grocers in Gunnison, the 9,000-square-foot building has been vacant for several years. “It’s just been sitting waiting for the right opportunity,” said Taylor. TAPP received a three-year $150,000 grant from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), and also utilized Local Marketing District (LMD) funds to help support this project.

Construction inside the building began last summer, and the ICELab just recently received the certificate of occupancy. A grand opening event is scheduled for March 10 from 1-5 p.m., complete with ribbon cutting and open house for the community to check out the space.

“The Hub is about removing barriers to growth,” said Taylor. “By sharing infrastructure, our exporting businesses can focus on what they do best—building great products and services—while strengthening a more resilient, diversified local economy.”

Several companies are already moving into The Hub, including Pact Outdoors, Nordjork, Campfire Ranch, Beacon Guidebooks and Proffitt’s Resurrection Landcruisers. Taylor said additional space is still available for other businesses exporting a product or service from Gunnison County.

“All of these entrepreneurs have started in a bedroom or garage, and now we’re building this cohort of garage graduates that have outgrown their current setup and are trying to build their company and create something impactful,” said Taylor.

He notes Pact Outdoors, which makes backcountry bathroom kits, as the perfect example of The Hub’s functionality. “They had an office and were doing assembly in our original ICELab location at Western. They were warehousing inventory in one of the founder’s garages, a 25-minute drive from campus, and they were often shipping and receiving product from the other founder’s house. They were moving product between three locations based on where it could be assembled and shipped and received. They had nowhere to do everything out of one space,” he said. “But now they can do everything out of The Hub. It has been a pretty cool success and a big win for them. It’s given them their time back, which can go back into planning and forward-thinking time to growing the business.”

Taylor also notes The Hub has been a great opportunity for the ICELab to connect with new businesses they haven’t worked with before, like ski gear and apparel company Nordjork. “They’ve been an awesome addition. They got to the point where their inventory shipments weren’t going to fit in their garage. They’ve been so excited to find a home here and we’re excited to have them. As new resources become available for the ICELab to be able to offer, we’ve been introduced to these new companies doing really fun and innovative things in the valley.”

Taylor said another rewarding element of The Hub is the camaraderie and community he’s already seeing between the different businesses. “There are challenges to having a small business here in the Gunnison Valley, it takes a village. This space allows these businesses to find that community of like-minded entrepreneurs, all shipping products next to each other. Having a place for that community to exist and build is so important. In these first few days of being in the new space, we’re seeing that camaraderie and collaboration in action.”

Taylor said the original ICELab location on the Western Colorado University campus will remain open and continue to offer office and coworking space, particularly for businesses and individuals that are not export-focused and do not require warehousing. The addition of The Hub has relieved some of the space at the Western location, which will now allow the ICELab to collaborate with Western’s School of Business to reimagine the downstairs area for student entrepreneurs. TAPP and ICELab staff will continue to mentor students, connect them with local businesses and support hands-on learning opportunities through jobs and internships.

“We’ve always had a relationship with the School of Business and this will allow for a more formalized structure of how we can work together to support students and businesses simultaneously,” said Taylor. “Over the next several months we’ll partner with the school to figure out the needs of the students and bring some life back in there. We have such a cool business community and they’re so supportive of the Western students. That back and forth is one of the best connections and bridges the ICELab has been able to support.”

In the meantime, The Hub is a milestone for the ICELab’s reach in the community. “It’s a really cool opportunity for the companies we work with or have worked with in the past, but also for the rest of the ones that have yet to launch,” concludes Taylor. “This new space is a new chapter for the ICELab and a growth opportunity for us to get more engaged in the community. We’re here to support entrepreneurs and businesses and the entire community.”