Mike and Marilyn Gregg are decked out in leather at Grand Canyon Harley Davidson in Bellemont. The San Diego couple is returning from a trip to Zion National Park. Marilyn says it’s their third time visiting the Harley Davidson shop just west of Flagstaff, something they look forward to each time they’re in the area.

The shop was moved from Flagstaff to Bellemont 25 years ago. General Manger Jeff Troxell says they’re a full-service dealership selling, renting and servicing Harley Davidson motorcycles.

Troxell says he enjoys working at the Grand Canyon Harley Davidson because he gets to meet tourists from all over the world who come to see the diverse Northern Arizona scenery. He says many people enjoy riding on Old Route 66, next to the Bellemont dealership. Both Interstate 40 and the railroad also run through the town.

In the years since Grand Canyon Harley Davidson moved to Bellemont, the area has become a hub for businesses. A housing development has also cropped up, and the Bellemont Truck Stop has expanded.

The growth makes sense, says Stephanie McKinney former president of the now defunct Greater Flagstaff Economic Council. For 15 years, GFEC worked to attract industry to the region.

“There really weren’t a lot of similarly zoned industrial properties within the Flagstaff marketplace,” said McKinney. And employees can travel the short distance from Flagstaff, Williams, or the surrounding areas, she added.

Bellemont was attractive to the owner of Distinctive Woodworks. The 25-year-old company specializing in fine cabinets and wood interiors was located in Flagstaff city limits before moving approximately the 15 miles west. Manager Russ Ruggles says Distinctive Woodworks needed room to grow and moving to the county industrial area was a smart decision for the woodworking company.

SCA Tissue has a facility in Flagstaff and another in Bellemont. They employ 190 people. And 2 years ago, Schuff Steel Company began manufacturing in Bellemont; 74 people are employed there today.

Several other companies are in Bellemont, including a brand new store: Camping World. Billing themselves as the world’s largest retailer of RVs, RV accessories and services, Camping World opened a 30,000 square foot facility. Senior VP of Communications, Diana Ardelean, says the company did a market analysis before opening the store just west of Flagstaff. She said in addition to being the Gateway to the Grand Canyon, Camping World already had many northern Arizona customers in their database. Many RV enthusiasts visited the store in its first month of operations.

Bellemont is an unincorporated area. Coconino County Treasurer Bonny Lynn calls Bellemont an asset because property taxes and sales taxes are added to the county’s coffers.

And the area is expected to grow impressively in the future. An 800-acre industrial park is being planned just west of the Bellemont business park. The land is part of the Camp Navajo military installation and would be leased to Federal Development LLC. A representative of that company says plans are moving forward on the 50-year land lease and they hope to sign an agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers soon.

Camp Navajo’s Lt. Colonel Adrian Nagel says the final stage of the environmental study could be completed later this year. He estimates it will take many years before the 800 acre business area is completed.