Sales tax collections, one measure of retail activity, declined in 2020 in Grand Junction, the city reported. Lodging tax collections, a measure of hotel and motel sales, also dropped. The city collected a total of more than $57 million in sales and use taxes in 2020. That’s a decrease of about $1.1 million and 1.9 […]
A measure of consumer confidence has increased on more upbeat expectations for business and labor conditions. The Conference Board reported its Consumer Confidence Index rose 2.1 points to 89.3 in January. An increase in a component of the index tracking the short-term outlook more than offset a decrease in a component of the index tracking […]
A monthly measure of the rural economy in Colorado has declined in part on decreasing employment. The Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index for Colorado retreated 1.3 points to 41.6 for January. The overall Rural Mainstreet Index for a 10-state region that includes Colorado rose four-tenths of a point to 52, the second-highest reading since January […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times While other businesses struggled in the middle of a pandemic to keep their doors open, Brad Stieg and his daughters struggled to keep up with orders. At one point last year, the backlog of orders for reusable plastic canning lids had grown to 2,000. “August was just off the charts. […]
Colorado Mesa University has updated its plans for responding to the coronavirus pandemic while continuing to offer in-person instruction on its Grand Junction campus. The update — titled “The Future is Now” — builds on the “Safe Together, Strong Together” pandemic plan. “The Future is Now is a metaphor for the idea that taking assertive […]
A 22-year employee who’s worked in a series of positions at Osburn Cabinets & Design has yet another as owner and president of the Grand Junction business. Chad Brandon purchased the business from Marty Kolonel, who in turn acquired the firm from founder Bill Osburn Sr. in 1994. “I’ve spent the last two decades in […]
Grand Junction Federal Credit Union has expanded its charter to offer services to more customers. “We are excited about this opportunity to serve more of our Western Colorado neighbors,” said Gabriella Stockton, operations manager at Grand Junction Federal Credit Union. Membership in the Grand Junction Federal Credit Union previously required affiliations with particular employer groups […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Heather Benjamin wants to match businesses and organizations that offer services to military veterans with office space in a facility she describes as one-stop shop for veterans and their families. “Just being in the facility opens you up to a lot of folks,” said Benjamin, property administrator for the Western […]
Applications will be accepted through 5 p.m. Feb. 4 for grants intended to help small businesses endure the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and related restrictions. “Our small businesses are the backbone of our community, and this is a way Mesa County can offer financial assistance in the form of a one-time relief grant,” said […]
A year that brought big swings in unemployment in Mesa County ended with an increase as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and seasonal layoffs combined to push the jobless rate higher. The year ahead could be different, though, if vaccines and proactive business measures prove effective, said Curtis Englehart, director of the Mesa County […]