Grand Junction is among the Colorado markets under consideration as part of an expanding franchise operation for a Texas-based information technology company. CMIT Solutions also is considering franchises in Colorado Springs and Fort Collins, according to a news release from the company. “We’re at a point in our company’s evolution where we are sailing past […]
Tracy Brinkman Tracy Brinkmann has launched Plan Ahead Events-Western Colorado, a full-service meeting and event management business based in Grand Junction. Brinkmann brings to her venture more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, including corporate positions in sales, marketing management and training. During that time, she planned regional incentive trips, sales meetings […]
Raymond Keating The latest news on the United States economy managed to get even worse than what we’ve experienced recently. Real growth in gross domestic product the fourth quarter of 2012 was expected to be pretty poor. But a negative 0.1 percent was even worse than those poor expectations. This was the first quarter of […]
Kelly Sloan Former U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel can, and should, be honored for his service in Vietnam. It’s not for his heroism in 1967 and 1968 the nominee for secretary of defense ought to be evaluated, however, but for his analysis of the national security situation facing the nation in 2013 and beyond. There would […]
Craig Hall, Publisher Any of you remember the television series “The West Wing?” Regardless of its left-leaning scripts and message, I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. Perhaps it was the way all of the liberal utopian ideas actually worked instead of how they fail in reality. Perhaps I just enjoy escaping into the romantic aura of […]
Studies that attempt to quantify economic effects tend to elicit the skeptical response the numbers are overblown. Using mistaken assumptions and unrealistic multipliers, studies invariably purport that a given industry sector or even an individual business contributes billions and billions of dollars to the economy. Fortunately, that’s not the case with studies detailing the economic […]
In a marketplace that includes the Internet and pits national chains against locally operated businesses, the competition remains fierce. How do you compete against the corporate pocketbook? I might be oversimplifying matters, but I really think the answer is simple: You have to “out serve” the competition. You must deliver memorable customer service. If you […]
The Grand Valley sits in the center of a region full of extremely valuable natural resources. Although exploration and production activity has slowed for now, these resources will be in demand again once commodity prices exceed the costs to extract the goods. These demand cycles have shaped our economy for more than 50 years. So, […]
Today, businesses throughout our community, across the nation and around the world conduct operations, serve customers, generate revenues and earn profits … or not. Tomorrow, these same companies, and their teams of professional and loyal workers, will do it all over again. There is, however, a real difference between simply going through the motions and […]
Editor’s note: The following is the first part of a two-part column exploring problems associated with workplace bullies and violence. One of your best supervisors, Mary, steps into your office, closes the door and struggles to tell you something. Obviously upset and fearful, she explains she’s just come from a meeting with one of her […]