Steamboat Springs-based startup Colter Backcountry has been approved to join Colorado’s Rural Jump-Start Zone Program, a state initiative providing tax breaks and incentives for new or relocating businesses that create jobs in rural communities, according to a statement released on Tuesday.
Founded by brothers Patrick and Daniel Bauman, Colter Backcountry designs ultralight fishing gear for backcountry anglers — a concept that grew out of their experience hiking the 3,100-mile Continental Divide Trail. After struggling to find lightweight, durable fishing gear, the pair set out to fill that niche themselves.
“Steamboat made sense given the existing concentration of gear companies and the strength of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Colter Backcountry Founder and CEO Patrick Bauman in the statement. “We’re grateful for the support we’ve received from fellow locals, gear brands, RCEDP and its partners, and many others in the community.”