Thrive! Employer Recognition Program

Living wages benefit workers, their families, businesses, our community, and our economy. The Thrive! Employer Recognition Program seeks to connect consumers to businesses that are committed to creating a just and sustainable local economy where everyone can thrive!

Thrive! modeled the Employer Recognition Program after Just Economics of Western North Carolina who has the largest living wage recognition program in the nation! Since launching the Employer Recognition Program in November 2014, 100 employers have been recognized! Why not celebrate by stopping by to congratulate these business who are helping make our community a place where everyone can thrive! This project is funded in part by the Unitarian Universalist Fund for a Just Society.

Recognized Living Wage Employers

81301 Coffee Roasters
A coffee house and roasting company on the north side of town. We work hard to provide fresh and delicious coffee to the people of Durango. We offer a full espresso bar, pour-over bar, nitro coffee, and house-made pastries. Fresh. Local. Awesome.
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Adaptive Sports Association
Adaptive Sports Association’s (ASA) programs help to enrich and transform the lives of people with disabilities through sports and recreation in a supportive environment.
Advanced Concrete Solutions, Inc. specializes in decorative concrete, residential 
foundations/flatwork and commercial buildings/site-work. 
Animas Surgical Hospital
is very, very good at surgeries, 24/7 short-wait emergency care, diagnostic imaging, occupational medicine, and internal medicine.
Animas Surgical Hospital routinely tops the charts in local, state and national awards for patient healthcare.
AREM Property Management, Inc. represents owners in the management of their investment property for long term leasing. We also represent 60 HOA's in the management of their Associations. AREM retains a brokers license as well as CAM license to manage HOA's.
Artesanos Design Collection
What is Artesanos? Quality. Creativity. Responsibility. And a unique, artistic style. Artesanos is, we think you’ll agree, a store unlike any other.
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  ASAP Accounting & Payroll, Inc.
  We are payroll and
  accounting experts who love
  working with small businesses.  
  Serving Durango, Telluride, and
  Denver for over 27 years!
Atlas Specific
Our mission at Atlas Specific is to renew people's inspiration and passion for life and find freedom from the chains of fear. We want to help you have the health you envision and live the life you have imagined.
Bank of Colorado La Plata County Branches
Good people in good towns who bring you banking The Way Banking Should Be. 
Basin Printing and Imaging
As the eldest established printing service, we have the most experienced staff to help you with all your needs for printing, copying, bulk mailing, graphic design, and outdoor & indoor banners.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Colorado provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever!
Coldwell Banker Heritage House Realtors
More motivated Durango Colorado home sellers and buyers turn to Coldwell Banker Heritage House Realtors.
Crazy Dog Window Washing offers exceptional customer service to the residents and business owners of southwest Colorado. We specialize in window and gutter cleaning. Our experienced staff can tackle any job!
Desert Sun Coffee Roasters, LLC
Organic and fair trade coffee roasted fresh in the beautiful Southwest.
Down to Earth Gardening & Landscaping ​is a design/build landscape company serving residential and commercial clients in Durango. We offer a wide range of installation and maintenance services, with an emphasis on xeriscape principles.
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Durango Dental offers comprehensive dental services for the whole family! We do everything we can to make our services convenient and our patients comfortable. 
Durango Adult Education Center, a caring learning community, fills educational gaps by providing the skills and knowledge necessary for livable wage careers, post-secondary education, and social and economic mobility.
Durango Early Learning Center offers quality hands-on early year experiences, recognizing that children are natural explorers capable of constructing learning and knowledge.
Durango Magazine
For people who love Durango. 
Durango Telegraph
Independent weekly paper providing entertainment, dining and news information about the Four Corners region.
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Durango Urgent Care supports our community by providing our patients accessible, affordable, quality healthcare in Durango; offering prompt attention and expert care, delivering unsurpassed customer service in a welcoming environment. 
Durango Wood Company
Rooted on the edge of the wild and rugged San Juan Wilderness since 1958, Durango Wood Company’s millworks and lumber products stand the test of time.
Ecosphere Environmental Services
Balancing progress with environmental protections requires not only expertise in the environmental sciences, but also a deep understanding of the federal, state, and local regulatory landscape. Ecosphere possesses both, having successfully provided integrated environmental consulting services for nearly three decades to extraction industries, public and private utilities, private industries, tribal organizations, and government agencies.
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Eolus Bar & Dining
James Allred
General Manager
Evenings Porch Assisted Living
Evenings Porch is more than just an assisted living community… it is a place you can call home.
First Southwest Bank
A strong and growing community bank that has been dedicated to serving the people and businesses in our communities for over 10 years.
Flatrock Solar
Flatrock Solar specializes in solar electric systems for your home or business.  Turn Colorado sunshine into clean renewable electricity.  We make solar easy!
Four Corners OB/GYN
Four Corners OB/GYN specializes in normal and high risk obstetrics as well as gynecology care.
 4CORE serves Southwest Colorado by promoting resource conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy through education and programs that reduce costs, strengthen the local economy, and foster a healthy, sustainable environment. 
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FredrickZink & Associates is one of the largest CPA firms in the Four Corners and has been in operation for over 40 years serving individual, business, tax,                                             accounting and audit needs.
Freenotes Harmony Park
Manufactures the finest quality outdoor musical instruments for any outdoor space.  Since there are no wrong notes anyone can play – any age – any ability.

Grassburger is a fast-casual, family-owned restaurant featuring 100% grass-fed beef burgers.  We believe that the iconic experience of a burger and fries should be healthy, sustainable and delicious!
Great Old Broads for Wilderness
Great Old Broads for Wilderness is a national grassroots organization led by elders, that engages and inspires activism to preserve and protect wilderness and wild lands. We bring voice, knowledge, commitment, and humor to the movement to protect our last wild places on earth.  
Jaynes Corporation of Colorado
Jaynes is an employee owned, award winning commercial general contractor serving the Southwest. Construction is our craft. Jaynes celebrates 70 years in 2016 and has been building in Colorado since 1988 and across the Four Corners since 1974. 
Karyn Gabaldon Fine Arts
Contemporary paintings and landscapes of the area. Contemporary jewelry,
glass, metal and wood by the finest artists in the USA...Since 1980
Know Your Dough
Our mission is to deliver high-quality, life-changing personal financial knowledge to youth and young adults. And to defeat financial illiteracy, and empower financial security and independence for strong financial futures.
KSUT Public Radio
Connecting people, creating Community. Four Corners Public Radio and Southern Ute Tribal Radio
La Plata County
It is the mission of La Plata County to foster a safe, healthy, viable and self-sustaining community through wise stewardship of public and natural resources, efficient and effective delivery of mandated and discretionary services, local and regional collaboration, open transparent government and active citizen engagement.
La Plata Family Medicine Associates
Physician owned and operated for over 30 years. Your appointment will always be with one of our eight Board Certified Family Physicians.
La Plata Youth Services, Inc.
It is the mission of La Plata Youth Services to prevent youth from entering and further penetrating the juvenile justice system. While holding paramount the safety of the public, we build on the unique strengths of each adolescent and focus on positive youth development.
Local First
The mission of Local First is to provide locally owned, independent businesses and organizations with opportunities to thrive as we work together to build an economy that values people, the planet, and prosperity for everyone.
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Manna - The Durango Soup Kitchen's mission is to provide, in the spirit of faith and love, nourishing meals and supportive services in an atmosphere of acceptance and caring for those in need.
Matlock Furniture & Mattresses
A family owned furniture and mattress store located in Durango.  We provide the largest selection of furniture and mattresses in the 4 corners area.  With friendly service, in home design services, and the most professional delivery crew around we have everything you need for your home.
​Mercy Regional Medical Center ​is an 82-bed, acute-care hospital. We are Southwest Colorado's largest and most technologically advanced medical facility. Our areas of specialty include breast diagnostics, cancer care, emergency medicine, a level III trauma unit and radiology.
 
Mile High Plumbing, Inc.
Since 1994, Mile High Plumbing has been serving the residents and businesses in the Durango area with quality service for all their plumbing and water treatment system needs.
Mountain Bike Specialists
Mountain Bike Specialists is the premier bike shop in the four corners area. MBS has created a historical in-house cycling museum to celebrate Durango as the home and inspiration to many great cyclists.  MBS was named one of the best bike shops in America for the third consecutive year in 2015. The retail store which started out as a general sporting goods store in 1968, is celebrating 48 years of doing business in Durango, Colorado.
Mountain View Family HealthCare
​Mountain View TLC is a unique model of care offering comprehensive primary healthcare, behavioral health counseling, nutrition coaching, and personal training for individuals and businesses at one convenient location.
Oak Family Dentistry
Gentle, friendly, professional dental care. Durango's premier family dental care office.
Occasions Bridal & Events Boutique
A reputation for outstanding service, unique designs, and extraordinary style. Once you have experienced Occasions, you will know what it is to be truly pampered for your special day.  
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Ore House
 One of Durango's oldest and finest restaurants, with an atmosphere that truly reflects the essence and history of Southwestern Colorado. Specialties are steak, seafood and spirits. The Ore House’s food and beverages are created by a team of chefs that are passionate about sourcing fresh, wild, seasonal, regional, and responsibly harvested ingredients.​
Padilla Law
Offering legal counsel in business transactions, criminal defense, civil litigation, family & domestic, immigration & nationality, juvenile law, mediation, and wills & trusts.
The Payroll Department, Inc.
Since 1993 our mission has been to provide you with personal, professional, confidential and accurate payroll and timekeeping services - a mission we continue to stay on one client at a time.
Performance Sports
The oldest independent ski shop on the mountain. Ski and snowboard rentals, serving Purgatory and the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.
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PHD Advanced Nutrition LLC               The PHD philosophy is to improve the health of our community and transform lives. We treat each person as a unique individual helping them achieve their health goals, be it fat loss and optimal wellness or sports performance.
Rivergate Physical Therapy
Dedicated to giving you the best care for your outpatient orthopedic rehabilitation.
Riverhouse Children's Center
Building the foundation for a lifetime of success through quality early childhood education
Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses
We are a design/build company hand crafting quality, custom tiny houses for the Rockies and beyond. ​ 
San Juan Basin Public Health
San Juan Basin Health is a local public health agency serving all residents of Archuleta and La Plata counties. For over 60 years, San Juan Basin Health has improved the health and environment of the Southwest Colorado community.
San Juan Citizens Alliance advocates for clean air, pure water, and healthy lands--the foundations of resilient communities, ecosystems and economies in the San Juan Basin.
San Juan Hand Therapy
Since 1996 San Juan Hand Therapy has been providing upper extremity rehabilitation services to the 4 corners area.  We work in an energetic clinic in a vibrant town and we believe in the expectation of a living wage.
San Juan Resource Conservation & Development Council
Promoting sustainable communities and improving the quality of life through economic development and the conservation of resources.
Scapegoat Landscaping LLC
Scapegoat Landscaping & Tree Service is a local-owned, full-service landscaping company offering top-quality design, installation and maintenance of landscaping in La Plata County since 2006.
SCW Art Consulting
Creating environments that visually communicate your mission, your brand, your personality with innovative, custom solutions.
Serious Delights Bakery
​Serious Delights is a local, family owned bakery. We bake delicious breads, pastries and desserts from scratch everyday, using local and organic ingredients whenever possible.
Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters teaches participants to shop smarter, use nutrition information to make healthier choices and cook delicious, affordable meals.
Shaw Solar
We are a full-service solar contracting company based in Durango, Colorado, specializing in grid-tied solar electric and solar thermal design and installation.
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Shanta Foundation ​works in poor rural villages in Myanmar, reaching more than 10,000 people each year.  Through our holistic six-year partnership program we build thriving communities with programs in health, education, leadership, livelihood, and infrastructure.
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Silver SPRUCE Academy's mission is to provide educational enrichment programs and courses to students and families throughout the Four Corners Area, in collaboration with other organizations.
Ska Brewing Company
It takes characters to brew beer with character, and we at Ska Brewing have been doing that since 1995.  Our award-winning craft brewing roots are firmly planted in Durango, Colorado, where our community-minded organization does all we can to give back.
Skywalker Construction
Southwest Colorado’s leading custom home builder offering services that include innovative new home designs, commercial & retail buildings, renovations, remodel, additions and custom home building.
Smiley Building 
(building management)
Smiley Cafe is Durango's Hidden Gem coffee shop located in the Smiley Building. We feature fresh made sandwiches, salads, soups, gluten free baked goods and locally roasted 81301 coffees.
Sorrel Sky Gallery’s visionary approach to Western art allows both new and experienced art enthusiasts the opportunity to select from a distinctive collection of contemporary and traditional fine art and jewelry.
The Southwest Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) offers confidential, objective services to help your business succeed no matter what stage you’re in.  Serving Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma and San Juan Counties, as well as the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Tribes.
Southwest Midwives
We provide women's health care in the Four Corner's Area. This includes pregnancy care, the birth of the baby at MRMC, well woman visits, contraception, and basic primary care.
Southwest Women's Health Associates
High quality, patient-centered primary and gynecological care throughout each stage of a woman’s life.  Addressing the needs of body, mind and spirit, meeting women where they are and partnering with them along the road to health and well-being.
StoneAge
StoneAge, Inc. is the world’s leading manufacturer of waterblast tools. StoneAge has over 150 dealers in 47 countries offering products for industrial, sewer, and coiled tube cleaning as well as custom engineered equipment.
Surya Health & Wellness
Your local source for healthy products, services, and classes to help you on your way to total health and wellness.
Target Rental/Bobcat of Durango
The get it done guys.
The Garden Project of Southwest Colorado
Growing a healthier community through the support and development of school and community garden programs that promote health and wellness, environmental stewardship and a sustainable local food system.
The Living Tree live foods salad bar opened in December of 2016 with a mission to bring healthy, organic, cultured foods to the community.  We live on the principle "let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." -Hippocrates
The Wells Group of Durango, Inc. is the largest independent real estate brokerage in Southwest Colorado with offices in the Durango, Bayfield, North County areas and Tamarron Resort.
Think Network Technologies, LLC is a provider of information technology solutions to both private and public sector accounts including governments, schools and small / medium / enterprise businesses offering customers a totally integrated network including; wireless, video, security, storage, and voice solutions.
Tile & Light Art of Durango
Tile & Light Art of Durango has been your Premier Lighting, Tile and Granite Countertop Store for over 20 years. We’ve built our business with ensuring we have 100% satisfied customers, and earned your business by providing exceptional customer service and quality products. Come see us at 2180 Main Ave or at the Four Corner’s Largest Slab Countertop Yard at 182 Girard St in Bodo.
Ultrasteam Professional Cleaning and Restoration Services, Inc.
When you call ULTRASTEAM, you'll get Exceptional Service and Exquisite Attention to Detail from courteous, highly trained specialists who love making your home shine! You can count on a job done right, using "Green" Cleaning Products for a Healthier Home.
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango
An open-minded and tolerant group that uses reason, compassion and spirituality as our tools for personal and communal growth. 

Upper Pine River Fire Protection District
Providing exceptional service through response and mitigation of all risks/hazards in the Upper Pine River Valley and Four Corners Region
Velorution Cycles
A strong local, full-service bike shop with a focus on adventure via bicycle. They provide bikes, gear, and parts and accessories for riders across the spectrum.
Women's Resource Center in Durango, Colorado, advocates for the personal empowerment and economic self-sufficiency of women and girls in La Plata County. WRC does this through educational programming from resources and referral to educational scholarships and professional development.   
Yogadurango (bio coming soon!)
Zia Taqueria
Fast-service, fresh-mex food. We believe in simple, tasteful, authentic food with an atmosphere and price that feels good, warms the soul, and reminds you that some of the better things in life are quite simple.

Aspiring Living Wage Employers

Employers can be certified as "Aspiring" if they are working towards paying all their employees a living wage.
Christ the King Lutheran Church
Our mission is “to love and serve God by proclaiming Christ’s Gospel, strengthening worship, deepening discipleship, and serving our congregation, community and world
If you would like to receive information on becoming a Certified Living Wage Employer  or would like to recommend a business who may be interested in being recognized please contact thrivelaplata@gmail.com or call 970-903-0957.