The Two Futures of the
Black Hills
A Multi-City Economic Forecast
12 Communities
Zero subsidies. One mission.
Combined Impact
10-Year Economic Impact
$0.0M
to $732.3M
Jobs Created
0
to 439
New Residents
+0
projected by 2036
Tax Revenue
$0.0M
to $6.5M
No subsidies. No tax incentives. No public funding requested.
AI can reverse
rural decline.
The technology industry's next frontier isn't another Silicon Valley — it's the communities that built America.
Luke Alvarez — a permanent Custer resident and founder of a 13-company consortium — is investing alongside his friends and partners in the AI industry. Together, they're proving that technology companies don't need to cluster in coastal cities. The future of rural America starts here.
Comparable Communities
The pattern is consistent. An anchor transforms a trajectory.
10,420 jobs supported — 31% of all net new jobs in Hamilton County. City-wide gigabit fiber catalyzed decades of growth. Downtown vacancy dropped from 40% to under 10%.
+175% in 20 years. Anchor employer (Walmart) staying local attracted 600+ firms. Now has world-class amenities, growing 36 people per day.
Remote worker migration transformed a seasonal recreation town. 30.3% of workers are remote. Median age: 38.2 vs. Custer’s 54.9.
Former railroad town became a creative + tech hub through proximity to Bozeman’s tech scene. Thriving arts economy, year-round restaurants.
“ BHC is independently funded. Our campus is owned debt-free. We are breaking ground March 2026 with our own capital.
We request no tax incentives, no subsidies, no public funding.
We are not here to ask for support.
We are here to offer it. ”