BUSINESS AREAS
Energy
Red Willow Production Company is the Tribe’s oil and
natural gas production company with operations predominately in the western United
States and the Gulf of Mexico. Since the Reservation is located within the San
Juan Basin, one of the most productive coal-bed methane gas fields in the U.S.,
the company is regarded as one of the leading experts in the extraction of methane
gas from coal-bed deposits. Red Willow is also actively engaged in conventional oil
and gas exploration and production, and uses state-of-the-art technologies to find
and develop economic oil and gas reserves.
Panther Energy Company was formed in 2005 when the Tribe purchased all of the
shares of Cannon Energy Company. The company has grown significantly because of
its ability to discover oil and gas reserves off of the Reservation that it develops
in close cooperation with its sister company, Red Willow. Panther Energy is on
the cutting edge of drilling and completion technology and is a leader in the
industry in exploiting oil and gas reserves.
Red Cedar Gathering Company is a natural gas gathering and treating company
headquartered in Durango, Colorado. The vast majority of its operations are
located within the exterior boundaries of the Southern Ute Indian Reservation.
The company gathers and treats gas from all of the geological formations and coal seams
within the San Juan Basin and delivers high quality, treated gas to Intrastate and Interstate
pipelines. Red Cedar is a joint venture between the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Kinder
Morgan Energy Partners.
Aka Energy Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary
of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe formed in 2002, is very similar to Red Cedar
except that the company’s operations are all located off of the Reservation.
Aka gathers and compresses natural gas from producing wells, treats the gas to
remove impurities, and separates and markets the natural gas liquids from the gas
stream. Following treating and processing, the remaining gas is sold into gas
utility or transmission pipelines. Aka currently operates in six states.
Southern Ute Alternative Energy is the Tribe’s newest enterprise. It was formed
in 2008 to manage the Tribe’s investments in alternative and renewable energy.
The company’s objective is to focus on opportunities in areas that will produce
positive environmental impacts, and that have sound technologies and solid economics.
Alternative Energy is currently involved with ventures in wind energy, electrical
transmission and biofuels.
Real Estate
GF Properties Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe
that acquires and manages investment properties including office, industrial and
retail buildings, and multi-family properties. The company’s holdings are
diversified both geographically and by investment type. GF Properties is continually
researching properties that are good investment candidates and routinely monitors
approximately 20 metropolitan market areas. Through GF Properties, the Tribe owns
and manages commercial buildings and apartments in five western states.
GF Development Group is another Tribal company that is engaged in real estate
investment, planning, development, and management activities mostly outside of
the Reservation. The Development Group acquires land for development, ranging
from infill locations to master-planned communities that involve the full range
of development activities from entitlements to physical development, vertical
construction, marketing and sales. The company is planning additional development
projects with a focus on the western and southwestern United States. It works
closely with the GF Properties Group and the Tierra Group.
Tierra Group is the commercial construction and home building company of the
Growth Fund’s Real Estate Group. Tierra and its subsidiaries build custom and
semi-custom homes, and commercial office buildings. Tierra is heavily involved
in residential and commercial construction projects in and around Ignacio and
Durango. Its largest current project is the construction of houses at Three
Springs, a master planned community that was recently annexed by the City of
Durango.
Innovative Homes is a wholly-owned, construction company that specializes
in system-built home construction in the Four Corners region. The company sells
high quality homes with a proven history and an outstanding reputation for reliability,
superior quality and customer satisfaction. It is committed to providing the most
innovative design, cutting edge technology, superior construction quality and the
best housing value available.
Building Materials
Sky Ute Sand & Gravel was established in 2001 and began producing ready mix concrete
in 2002. The company has ready mix concrete operations in Durango, Cortez and
Montrose, Colorado and in Farmington and Gallup, New Mexico. Sky Ute Sand & Gravel
supplies materials in and around the Four Corners region that meet customer and project
specifications, and that satisfy project schedules. The company also processes and
supplies a variety of aggregates, asphalts and pre-cast concrete products.
Private Equity
GF Private Equity Group is a diversified investment and business management
organization. Private Equity functions as the merchant banking arm of the Growth
Fund. The company explores new areas of investment opportunities, starts new
businesses and acquires direct ownership interests in companies operating in a
variety of industrial sectors. Since its inception in 2003, the Private Equity
Group has consummated numerous investment transactions ranging from early-stage
venture capital to leveraged buyouts, special situations and investments in private
equity funds.
Other Operations
Department of Energy ensures that the Southern Ute Indian Tribe receives the maximum
benefit from the energy and mineral resources located on the Reservation, and minimizes
the impacts of the extraction of these resources on the natural and cultural environments.
DOE manages Tribal oil and gas leases and surface use agreements, and provides technical,
environmental and regulatory oversight on all energy related matters both on and off the
Reservation. The Department also administers the Tribe’s severance tax ordinance and
conducts royalty audits in cooperation with the Minerals Management Service.
Sky Ute Fairgrounds provides a venue for regular events such as the annual Southern
Ute Fair and Powwow, rodeos, equestrian events and various other group activities.
The facility is undergoing a major renovation.
After the completion of this project, the Fairgrounds will have two indoor arenas, four boarding barns, 65 full hook-up RV spaces and ancillary facilities.
The RV Park is open to a variety of clientele: tourists, event participants, and local and transient workers.
Southern Ute Utilities Division is the Tribe’s utility company. It operates the water
and the wastewater treatment plants, natural gas and water distribution systems,
coin-operated and commercial truck water sales stations, the solid waste transfer
station and the wastewater collection system. The Division hauls treated water to
Tribal Members, and contracts for residential and commercial solid waste removal
services. It provides selected services to Tribal Members, Tribal Entities and
Departments, and to non-Tribal customers such as the Town of Ignacio and other
residential communities.
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