Phil Castle, The Business Times Janie VanWinkle helps organize an annual parade of sorts through the Grand Valley that serves as a celebration of the contributions of farmers, ranchers and the agricultural industry. “It’s really just about awareness and celebration,” said VanWinkle, who works with her husband, Howard, and family on a cow-calf operation based […]
Like most members of my nearly geriatric generation, I’ve watched on TV and in movies the evolution of artificial intelligence. The robot that warned Will Robinson about impending danger on “Lost in Space.” The HAL 9000 computer that refused to open the pod bay doors in “2001: A Space Odyssey.” And, of course, the T-800 […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times The June jump and what’s usually an increase in the monthly unemployment rate in Mesa County continues. The seasonally unadjusted jobless rate rose eight-tenths of a point between May and June to 3.7 percent, according to the latest estimates from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. The increase pushed […]
Did customer service die during the COVID-19 pandemic? Or is service just really sick? Or, does good service survive like some species mistakenly believed to have gone extinct? If that is, you’re fortunate to happen upon the right place at the right time. Like so many aspects of business and culture, I suspect it depends. […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Nathan Perry quantifies the Mesa County economy with a variety of indicators and statistics. And a few encouraging words. “I think Mesa County is doing really well,” says Perry, an economics professor at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction who compiles quarterly and twice-yearly economic updates for Mesa County and […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Real estate sales continue to lag in Mesa County on a year-over-year basis. But the gap is expected to close because of slowing that began during the second half of 2022 and makes numbers more comparable. “It’s going to be a truer comparison,” said Annette Young, administrative coordinator at Heritage […]
Yet another benefit of working as editor of a business journal is the opportunities the job affords to explore developments, issues and trends on both an individual and collective basis. I interview sources and collect information for stories, then assemble those stories for print and online editions. It’s sort of like viewing pointillism painting. Lean […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times While the commercial real estate market in the Grand Valley faces challenges from higher interest rates and inflation, Brian Bray remains optimistic. Demand persists, especially for investment properties. Businesses are growing and moving into bigger quarters. And more inventory is becoming available, said Bray, managing broker of Bray Commercial based […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times While national and state policies affect businesses, so do local policies. “Local communities have a lot of say in their ability to stay competitive,” said Chris Brown, vice president of policy and research with the Common Sense Institute. Speaking at a Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce quarterly membership meeting, […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times In astronomical terms, summer officially started in the Northern Hemisphere with the solstice on June 21. But the summer tourism season started in the Grand Valley well before that. Before the Memorial Day holiday weekend in May even. Elizabeth Fogarty, director of Visit Grand Junction and the city’s destination marketing […]