Call Center Company in Pueblo, CO

The future looks bright in Pueblo, CO, and not just because the sun shines more than 300 days a year.

“We’re very optimistic about Pueblo’s future,” says Jeff Shaw, president and CEO of Pueblo Economic Development Corp (PEDCO). “We have infrastructure in place that can handle growth. We can triple our population with related industries and not run into water issues.”

Pueblo also offers a ready workforce, strong infrastructure and incentives that are helping to attract business.

Ready Workforce

In June 2023, workers at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant finished its mission of destroying the remaining mustard agent stockpile at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot. This brings over 1,000 workers back into Pueblo’s labor shed. Helping them find new jobs is a task for which Pueblo is uniquely qualified.

“When the steel industry crashed in the late ‘70s, we had to take roughly 5,000 steel workers and put them in different industries,” Shaw says. “And so, we have been reskilling our workforce for over 40 years. We have programs in place and a culture to support this.”

PuebloPlex, an organization responsible for redeveloping the former Pueblo Chemical Depot, is a partner in supporting those workers.

“The ultimate goal is to backfill the jobs that are going to be lost with new jobs here at the Depot, and then to get this property back on the tax rolls so it’s generating property taxes for Pueblo County,” says Russell DeSalvo, president and CEO of PuebloPlex.

Business Incentives

Within Pueblo’s tool belt, as Shaw says, is access to local, state and federal dollars. Pueblo is an enterprise zone, meaning businesses that want to locate and expand in the area have access to state income tax credits. It’s also a Rural Jump-Start community, which offers tax relief, plus grants for new and growing businesses.

But what truly separates Pueblo from the rest of the state is its Pueblo Capital Development Fund, known as the half-cent fund.

“Since 1984, our citizens have been taxing themselves a half cent of all nonexempt items to put into a fund to incentivize companies to relocate or expand in Pueblo for capital purposes,” Shaw says. “In our world, where incentives are an important part of the conversation, certain states are more aggressive than Colorado. This allows us to compete with them on incentives.”

Turnkey Sites

That fund allows Pueblo to build spec buildings that are ready to quickly personalize when a business comes in.

“The most recent one we did was for a company called Fomcore,” Shaw says. “Because we had space available, we were able to finish out their building and have them operational in six months. We move faster than anyone else.”

The development organization operates three major industrial parks in the region.

“We have the infrastructure in place, whether it’s water, sewer, electric, gas and roads,” Shaw says. “We have land square footage and buildings ready to go with incentive dollars to help a company move into the community.”

PuebloPlex recently took ownership of over 5,000 acres from the U.S. Army and is working to transfer an additional 11,000 acres for redevelopment. And as the Army works to surplus the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant, PuebloPlex will acquire that property as well.

They currently have 400+ individual tenants, anchored by MxV Rail. With the proximity to Highway 50 and Interstate 25, an airport undergoing improvements nearby and a single site ownership, the property will be attractive to businesses.

“We’ll eventually own the full 23,000 acres,” DeSalvo says. “We can provide certainty to industry that they can construct their facility on this site, and we can provide them utilities.”

With recent players like T-Mobile Fiber and Comcast RISE, the rural area offers fast internet as well.

“T-Mobile Fiber expanded to Pueblo to help meet the growing demand for fast, reliable broadband,” says a T-Mobile spokesperson. “With limited fiber options in the area, we saw an opportunity to provide additional choice and real value.”

Along with supporting businesses, Pueblo offers a place where workers want to be.

“It’s a great place to live, work and play,” Shaw says. “Our housing market has the ability to grow, and the price point is lower than the Denver-Colorado Springs market. We offer great outdoor recreation opportunities, with the best winter mountain biking. You can ski on Saturday and play golf on Sunday.”

PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — A new store is helping neighbors have better access to healthy food. Supermarket Gonzalez is opening its doors on the eastside of Pueblo. The store is inside a former Dollar Tree building.

The aisles are full of food, shelves are stuffed with cans, and containers are overflowing with rice, beans, potatoes and apples. Supermarket Gonzalez is now open and ready for customers.

“It's a one stop place for groceries,” said Evans Gonzalez, owner and founder of Supermarket Gonzalez.

He said the idea started as a candy store, but shifted when he saw a need for fresh produce, meat and dairy in his neighborhood.

“Living on the east side and not finding, you know, any greens, lettuce or anything like that, I was like, 'I need some healthy stuff,'” said Gonzalez.

Before he opened this store, Gonzalez said he would have to drive 15 minutes from his house to the closest King Soopers.

“I actually wanted produce where I could go and get something close by,” said Gonzalez.

His store, Supermarket Gonzalez, is located at the intersection of East 4th Street and Bradford Street, making his drive to the store a lot shorter.

“It's like three minutes away from home, it is amazing,” said Gonzalez.

He said the focus is to always have fresh fruits and vegetables available.

“We're reinvesting everything back to the store for our community to make it better for them, for us,” said Gonzalez. “Living on the east side, I just saw that it was needed.”

The store is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Gonzalez said the next step is adding the butcher shop. To learn more about Supermarket Gonzalez, visit their Facebook page.

___

Julie Hsieh is calling for justice and accountability after her dog Lumi was reportedly mauled to death by a larger dog while in the care of a sitter.

News Tips

What should KOAA5 cover? Is there a story, topic, or issue we should revisit? Have a story you believe should make the light of day? Let our newsroom know with the contact form below.

Body

____

Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.

Sometimes local flavor can be found on your plate, sometimes it can be found in your surroundings — and in Pueblo, it’s both. From one-of-a-kind restaurants to the Arkansas River carving a path through the heart of the city, Pueblo, Colorado, is chock-full of unique bites, neighborhoods and outdoor experiences that make the city unlike anywhere else. Keep reading for eight unique things to do in Pueblo, CO.

If there’s any food that defines Pueblo, it’s the Slopper: an open-faced burger blanketed in green chile and topped with a wide range of fixings from the utilitarian (onion, cheese) to the luxe (an entire chile relleno or a fried pork belly). The dish is so tied to the city, there’s even a Pueblo Slopper Tour, comprising locals’ votes for their 10 favorite Slopper spots. You won’t win a prize if you hit them all, but you will have a full heart and belly. You’ll want to sprinkle a stop on the Slopper Tour into your daily itinerary of things to do in Pueblo.

Pueblo’s Riverwalk, a dog-friendly, 32-acre waterfront park that hugs the banks of the Arkansas River, winds through the city center. Reserve a spot on a 25-minute history cruise or rent a pedal boat on Lake Elizabeth. The trail also provides easy access to bars and restaurants, shopping and lodging. Don’t overlook the 60 pieces of public art sprinkled across the park, its playgrounds and its fountains.

Driving, biking and walking aren’t the only ways to get from the west side of the city to the east. Thanks to the river, kayakers, rafters and tubers can put in at Pillars Park, then traverse eight drops in the half-mile long Whitewater Park. On the north bank, they’ll see the Levee Mural (right) overlooking the water. West of Whitewater Park, the quarter-mile-long Waterworks Park allows visitors to enjoy unimpeded river access from Pueblo Dam to downtown’s Lake Runyon.

Construction of the sprawling Rosemount Museum was completed in 1893, when a wealthy Pueblo merchant moved his family into the Gilded Age mansion. The 37-room abode remained a family home until the late 1960s, when it became a home museum. Astonishingly, almost all the furniture, decor, woodwork and art remaining in the 131-year-old building are original, making it a fascinating time capsule of the late 19th century with guided tours led by knowledgeable docents.

Book one of the seven suites at the Abriendo Inn, a boutique hotel in a century-old home that’s walking distance from the Riverwalk and historic Union Avenue shopping district. The interior has been immaculately restored with pristine woodwork, a sweeping grand staircase and charming historic rooms, while the grounds include a 12-person hot tub, fountain and fire pit. The Abriendo is an ideal home base for exploring all the fun things to do in Pueblo, CO.

Cheer on the Pueblo Bulls at downtown’s Ice Arena. The collegiate development hockey team season runs from September through March, and with single-game tickets ringing in at just $15, it’s an affordable night out for the whole family. Fans who miss a game can still snag team apparel, hockey gear and other merch at the club store on Fourth Street. And newly formed minor league football team Pueblo SteelHawks will start their first season in 2025.

The city’s Creative Corridor is much more than just a single street lined with art galleries. It comprises three distinct and unique central Pueblo neighborhoods, each packed with galleries and public art, music venues and museums, and cafes and coffee houses. First Friday Art Walks and street performers are regular occurrences, and the district includes Solar Roast (the world’s only commercial solar-powered coffee roaster); the 3-mile-long Pueblo Levee Mural Project (the world’s longest painting); and the Steel City Theatre Company, among many others.

In the early 1990s, Pueblo was the only city to have four living recipients of the Medal of Honor, the highest governmental award for U.S. military service. As a result, Pueblo’s City Council adopted the moniker “Home of Heroes,” and in 2000 unveiled statues of the four honorees at Heroes Plaza outside the city’s convention center, along with a memorial to all 3,500 recipients since the medal’s inception.

Update 4:25 p.m.: A thunderstorm in Pueblo County could bring baseball-sized hail to the area, according to a severe thunderstorm warning from the National Weather Service’s Pueblo office.

The warning, in effect until 5 p.m. for Pueblo, Pueblo West and Blende, describes the storm as a life-threatening situation and urges residents to seek shelter immediately.

The storm could also bring 70 mph winds and possibly a tornado.

Update 3:54 p.m.: A tornado warning was issued for Ellicott and Yoder in El Paso County after radar indicated a twister had formed, according to the National Weather Service’s Pueblo office.

The warning is in effect until 4:15 p.m.

The area also is under a severe thunderstorm warning in effect until 4:15 p.m. The storm could bring winds of up to 60 mph and half-dollar-sized hail, the alert stated.

Update 2 p.m.: A tornado watch is in effect for most Colorado counties south of Interstate 70 and east of the Interstate 25 corridor, according to the National Weather Service.

The severe weather watch lasts until 9 p.m. for Arapahoe, Douglas, El Paso, Pueblo, Baca, Bent, Cheyenne, Crowley, Elbert, Fremont, Huerfano, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Las Animas, Lincoln, Otero, Prowers, Teller and Washington counties.

Original story: Another wave of severe thunderstorms could bring apple-sized hail, wind gusts up to 80 mph and tornadoes to parts of the Front Range and Eastern Plains, forecasters said Friday.

Communities east of the Interstate 25 corridor and south of Interstate 70 are most likely to see the biggest impact from storms starting at around 2 p.m. and lasting into the evening, according to the National Weather Service.

“... All modes of severe weather will be possible,” including flash flooding in urban areas and burn scars if stronger storms linger over those areas, officials with the NWS Pueblo office wrote in a hazardous weather outlook.

Storms will start to dissipate along the I-25 corridor after 7 p.m. and on the Eastern Plains around 12 a.m.

Northeast and north central Colorado may see winds up to 70 mph and egg-sized hail, NWS Boulder forecasters said.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

Posted 5:31 AM, Jun 06, 2025

PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — Safeway and Albertsons workers in southern Colorado voted to authorize a strike on Thursday evening. Union members at Safeway stores in Pueblo, Fountain, and other areas of Colorado have voted to authorize a strike, according to the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 7.

The strike authorization vote began at the end of May, with results announced late last night. No specific date has been set for when the strikes will begin, but the union must provide a 72-hour notice before any work stoppage.

Local 7 representatives say the labor action aims to address several key issues workers have brought up, including chronic understaffing, wages, healthcare benefits, and pensions.

"Our members are part of the community that these grocers serve, and they're stakeholders in their jobs, and they want to see better stores for their customers," said Local 7 President Kim Cordova.

Prior to the final vote, a Safeway spokesperson provided a statement saying: "We are committed to productive discussions with Local 7. We respect the rights of workers to engage in collective bargaining and are negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement that is fair to our employees, good for our customers, and allows our company to remain competitive."

The strike authorization specifically affects Safeway and Albertsons locations in Pueblo and Fountain.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

___

Julie Hsieh is calling for justice and accountability after her dog Lumi was reportedly mauled to death by a larger dog while in the care of a sitter.

News Tips

What should KOAA5 cover? Is there a story, topic, or issue we should revisit? Have a story you believe should make the light of day? Let our newsroom know with the contact form below.

Body

____

Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.