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DENVER (KDVR) – It’s a good problem to have. Businesses are expecting a somewhat normal summer this year which means grand re-openings and lots of travel.

Employers are now tasked with bringing on staff and hiring dozens, even hundreds of employees in a short period of time.

“I don’t think we have ever seen such a recovery,” said Robin Craigen, owner of Moving Mountains. “It was very hard to anticipate where things were going, we thought things were going in a very dark and downward trend as the mountain was forced to close early, but we saw things pick up much better than we expected.”

Craigen needs to increase his staff by 25% over the next 12 months, which has proved to be a difficult task. In smaller, mountain communities, recruiting qualified workers is extremely competitive. Hiring employees from the city can also be challenging, as the cost of living in the mountains can be significantly higher. Craigen told FOX31’s Aimee Lewis he hopes to hire staff for a variety of jobs, ranging from management positions to maintenance staff for his rental properties.

“Suddenly the signs seemed very positive and encouraging, as vaccines become more available,” said Craigen. “People are very excited to come back into the mountains this summer, some are even making plans for next winter.”

In Denver, Elitch Gardens theme park is looking to fill 1,500 open seasonal positions from food service to security. The theme park will open May 1 to the public at 18% capacity.

“We have positions in our ride operations, food service, aquatics, retails, games, security, first aid and even internships,” said Jolie DuBois, spokesperson for Elitch Gardens. “Whatever you are looking for we probably have it.”

Elitch Gardens will hold a job fair this weekend on April 2 and April 3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. You need to register online before you attend.

“It didn’t feel like summer last year without the park being open, and now to be able to welcome in the families and the kids, just to see people smiling is great and we are very excited,” said Dubois.