A one-stop shop of sorts for businesses and entrepreneurs played a role in the creation of 745 jobs and nearly $17.8 million in sales, according to annual report for 2023.

“I am proud of our organization, our results and the work that my colleagues and I do to serve our community. The annual report shares key highlights from 2023
that exemplify this,” said Dalida Sassoon Bollig, chief executive officer of the Business Incubator Center in Grand Junction.

The Business Incubator Center offers a range of services and programs in a single location.

The incubator program and commercial kitchen offer low-cost space and shared services for businesses. The Small Business Development Center operating there offers free and low-cost counseling and classes. The GJmakerspace  offers space, equipment and resources to entrepreneurs, inventors and others for product development, prototyping and manufacturing. The center also operates FWorks, a coworking space located on the second floor of the Fruita Civic Center.

In addition, the center manages a revolving loan fund offering access to capital to small businesses, a program offering tax credits for capital projects and training for nonprofit organizations.

According to the annual report for 2023, the Business Incubator Center assisted with the launch of 43 startups, and 18 companies graduated  from the incubator program. The center supported 446 entrepreneurs.

Businesses and entrepreneurs receiving services from the center created 745 jobs and accounted for $5.3 million in capital formation and nearly $17.8 million in client sales.

The center joined with other local economic development partners and State Rep. Matt Soper in hosting an international trade and export summit billed as “The World Comes to Grand Junction.”

The center collaborated with Mesa County Behavioral Health to launch a training program to assist agencies and nonprofit organizations.

The center also brought back a small business holiday expo to showcase more than 30 startups and their goods.

In August, U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert came to the center for a congressional recognition event honoring efforts serving startups and small businesses.

This year, the Business Incubator opened a satellite office of the Circular Economy Development Center to provide assistance to businesses, recyclers and communities to reuse materials and foster a circular economy. Created by state legislation in 2022, the Circular Economy Development Center creates and grows markets for recycled commodities and promotes an economy in which materials are recycled and used repeatedly, in turn reducing waste.

The Business Incubator Center also launched what’s billed as the AgriWest initiative with a federal grant from the Economic Recovery Corps. An effort is under way to identify and address issues affecting the agricultural industry in Western Colorado. Janie VanWinkle, a Grand Valley rancher and beef producer, serves as a fellow and provides planning and technical assistance.

In addition, the center was named runnerup for the Entrepreneurship Center of the Year Award presented as part of an international conference on business incubation in San Antonio.

Bollig said the center and its staff rely on the support of other economic development partners in the Grand Valley as well as community stakeholders. “We are grateful for the partnerships that make our success possible. Your trust is critical as we continue to build a diverse, sustainable and resilient entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

The Business Incubator Center operates facilities at 2591 Legacy Way in Grand Junction. For more information about services and programs offered there, visit https://gjincubator.org or call (970) 243-5242.