Rosemary Litz steps into her meticulously landscaped backyard and bends over a rounded bush. Like a barber wielding scissors, she trims off a handful of long stalks with purple blooms. The fragrance of lavender fills the air. For a growing number of entrepreneurs like Litz, it’s the smell of money. Litz uses the lavender she […]
Jim Saad and Doug Simons have experienced economic downturns before. But the effects of the Great Recession are far different than the oil shale bust of the 1980s, the Grand Junction business executives say. The latest downturn has been global rather than local and the ramifications more far-reaching. As a result, business owners and managers […]
It looks like our elected officials in the nation’s capital might finally get around in September to debating the issue of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts that are due to expire at the end of December. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. Over several years — from a Republican White House and a […]
While Doug May doesn’t believe the U.S. economy has fully emerged from recession, he’s pleasantly surprised by some of the indicators that signal growth. “There are some things unfolding that are really positive,” said May, president and chief investment officer of May-Investments in Grand Junction. Corporate earnings have been especially impressive. Short- and long-term interest […]
A monthly index tracking economic conditions for small businesses in Colorado continues to rise as prospects for recovery in the state improve. Weaker economic growth nationally ultimately could affect small firms in Colorado, however. For now, Jeff Thredgold said he’s cautiously optimistic. “Colorado continues its transition from painful recession to modest growth, a shift that […]
Jason Rauen envisions a day when the plastic that once lined natural gas drilling and production pits in Western Colorado comes back to his company in a different form — perhaps as pallets or even new liners. An environmental specialist with Williams Production, Rauen oversees a program that recycles pit liners into other plastic products […]
An energy company and two Western Colorado mountain resorts are among the more than dozen Colorado firms that have enrolled in a program promoting reduced energy use at manufacturing facilities. “These companies are strong partners in our work to make Colorado a world leader in energy efficiency and clean-tech innovations,” said Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter […]
Construction is under way on a nearly $9.4 million project to revamp a three-quarter mile stretch of U.S. Highway 6 & 50 near the Mesa Mall in Grand Junction. The comprehensive project will include two additional driving lanes as well as a new storm water system, updated signals and curbs, gutters, sidewalks and landscaping. The […]
Property foreclosure filings dropped slightly in Mesa County during the second quarter of 2010 even as the increase in foreclosure sales was the smallest in a year. Nonetheless, foreclosure activity has continued to accelerate over the past year to one of the fastest paces among the most populous counties in Colorado. According to figures compiled […]
Mike Stahl had a long time to prepare to take over as chief executive officer of Hilltop Community Resources in Grand Junction. By the time Stahl finally succeeded Sally Schaefer last summer, the transition had been in the works for six years. “And we’d worked together for 25 years,” Stahl said. “We methodically staged it […]