Editor's Note: This is part one of a two-part series on the Sept. 19 Gila Economic Development Alliance meeting.

By Mary Alice Murphy

Sean Ormand, Gila EDA Board member, moderated the Friday, Sept. 19, Gila Economic Development Alliance monthly Roundtable meeting.

He introduced Chris Schlabach, co-owner of Gila Hike & Bike, a downtown Silver City bicycle business.

"I'm from western New York and I never got into winter sports," Schlabach said. "I checked out the Southwest. I came out in late 2008 or early 2009. I'm into bicycling. I did the Tour of the Gila in the spring of 2009. I participated only in the first two days, because it was too hard, but I was hooked. I've done several Tour of the Gila races since. I looked at Tucson and Albuquerque, but for me, it was all about the outdoors. Silver City had great weather, great people and a great quality of life. When I was offered an opportunity to buy into Gila Hike & Bike, I went for it. The business has a great reputation and a great clientele. It doesn't seem like work at all."

He pointed out that there are challenges in retail. "Everything can be bought online, so we have to give them an experience," Schlabach said. "That was a big learning curve for me. Fortunately, the shop is a social hub, so we get to attract who we want. The Tour of the Gila, Mimbres Region Arts Council, the university, we all get to attract who we want. We can't compel folks to come in. We have to make it attractive."

He listed other small towns in the West that are still logging and mining towns and how they have reinvented themselves. "We can learn from them. In some ways, we are behind them, and in other ways, we are ahead. We have to adapt some things to our town."

"One of the best resources of small towns is the people," Schlabach said. "Give people what they want and they'll come."

Skip Thacker, Gila EDA member, asked: "Over the past few years have you seen growth business-wise since the recession?"

Schlabach said 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 were good years. "In 2011, the race became smaller, but since then it has grown substantially. A lot of people are biking on the Continental Divide Trail. I think things are definitely rebounding."

"What would you put at the top to focus on to help your business?" Ormand asked.

"The outdoor infrastructure," Schlabach said. "We need better trail signage, trail work, pathways for people to get into and out of town, and have trails scaled from easy to difficult. Moab (Utah) is the most biking-dependent town I know of. Maybe we need groomer trails for kids."

He also noted that road biking in Grant County is phenomenal, because people are respectful of bicycles and their riders.

Ormand pointed out that in the Sacramento Mountains, clubs from Texas would come in and build ATV trails.

"This applies to horseback riders and hikers, as well as mountain bikes and road bikes," Schlabach said. "The Back Country Horsemen do a great job. This is different from the Forest Service, as we can't build trails. Maybe a coalition of groups can advise on where to put trails."

Mary Stoecker, representing the Southwest Green Jobs and Energy Task Force, said: "We have done a lot of work on inclusive paths and walkability. We've had some successes, but not to the point we want it to be. Are you as a business involving yourselves in advocacy?"

Schlabach said Gila Hike and Bike knows about the Bicycling Advocacy Group, the Walkability Advocacy Group and the Continental Divide Trail Group. "I've been to CDT meetings, but the harder part is getting the infrastructure. It comes down to money. We can have plans, but it's a matter of making it happen. Lots of the plans are hard to implement. We have to show the Commission and the city manager that there are people behind these efforts. It takes people who are relentless."

Mike Trujillo, Gila EDA member, asked if the business has had any challenges with employees.

"We're fortunate," Schlabach said. "It's Jack (Brennan), me, two full-time employees and two weekend workers."

Scott Terry, Silver City-Grant County Chamber of Commerce president, asked Schlabach to toot his own horn.

"I did a cameo in the new season of Breaking Bad," Schlabach said. "New Mexico True TV came and did an episode on food, came into the shop, and we went riding. Go to the NM True website to get the schedule of when it will air, and we'll put it onto YouTube."

Kim Clark of the Grant County Realtors Association said she read an article that said boomers want to go East and millennials want to go West, with Prescott, Arizona, being No. 1. "People want an experience and want to build relationships."

"It's work, but it's about consistently giving people an experience," Schlabach said. "Too often, you become the showroom for people to buy it on Amazon. We want to give them a warm and fuzzy feeling and give them great service."

Paul Leetmae, Gila EDA member, asked three questions: "What is the likelihood of the Signal Peak Challenge continuing? What about the Gran Fondo? And I have Toyota representatives coming in, and we need to rent a bike."

Schlabach said Gila Hike & Bike has a range of sizes of bikes to rent. "The Signal Peak Challenge was impacted by the fire. We did a Signal Peak fat tire challenge, but it was not a race. We held two rides. The question is whether we can incorporate a race if the trail stabilizes and also have a non-competitive ride."

Leetmae asked whom to work with to make that happen and maybe promote it.

Schlabach said Leadville, Colorado, has had to cap the number of entrants at 3,000 to 4,000 for its 100-mile race. "It had 10,000 applicants. We want an experience at Signal Peak, and we're getting a little more involved."

"As for the Gran Fondo, it's a one-day, 35-, 65-, 75- or 105-mile ride. "It's a fundraiser for the Tour of the Gila. Jack and Michelle (Geels, the co-organizer of the TOG) put it on. There are no prizes. It is timed, but not a race. It brings in about 200 people."

Bruce Ashburn of PNM said: "Your business is a niche that applies to brick-and-mortar businesses. Have you broadened your shop to online?"

"We get queries online," Schlabach said, "but we do no online sales. We have resources, like information about trails, restaurants, hotels and such on Facebook and social media. We have to use those tools to make people aware of us."

Tom Vaughan of FeVa Fotos asked about the rest of the year, besides the Tour of the Gila.

"The Tour of the Gila is the largest event and in addition to Signal Peak and the Gran Fondo, we get about 20 percent to 30 percent of our revenue," Schlabach said. "The rest of the year, the 60 percent to 70 percent is from locals who ride bikes. Events make people aware of the place, even if they don't come in. I was aware of the Tour of the Gila before I came here. We want to give people an experience when they come here."

Thacker asked if the CDT were bike-friendly.

"Portions are," Schlabach replied.

Thacker asked if an event could be held on the trail, to which Schlabach said they had been talking about such an event. "The Great Divide Trail is out there, with people on bikes with packs. The CDT hikes are one of the triple-crown, with the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. Where the CDT is in wilderness, you can't ride a bike. There are sections where you can ride."

Community reports and announcements will be concluded in the next article.