Investment manager: 2014 forecast mostly upbeat

Phil Castle, The Business Times Economic growth should continue through 2014 in the United States as consumer spending holds steady, unemployment rates decline and federal monetary intervention tapers off. While a bull run that’s carried the stock market to record heights is expected to continue, it’s less likely investors will enjoy another year of double-digit […]

Sales tax collections on the rise

Phil Castle, The Business Times Sales tax collections for Mesa County have increased on a year-over-year basis for three straight months to not only keep pace with 2012, but also offer some encouragement of increased business to local retailers in 2014. Sales and use tax collections also increased for the City of Grand Junction, although year-end […]

Project tests combined use of natural gas generator and solar system

Phil Castle, The Business Times Lou Villaire believes natural gas and solar power could constitute a powerful combination in providing a clean, inexpensive and reliable source of electricity. That’s why the co-owner of the Atlasta Solar Center is experimenting with the use of both a natural gas generator and photovoltaic system to produce electricity at the […]

Alliance promotes regional manufacturing

Phil Castle, The Business Times When Eric Goertz envisions the future of manufacturing in the region, he likes what he sees. “I think we have an opportunity right now in Western Colorado to take part in a manufacturing renaissance.” A number of factors play into his expectations, among them educational and economic development programs that promote […]

Mesa County real estate rebounds to five-year high

Phil Castle, The Business Times While real estate activity continued to slow in Mesa County during December, year-end totals for transactions and dollar volume climbed to their highest levels in five years. “Overall, I’m pretty encouraged about this last year and where we’re going to go,” said Robert Bray, chief executive officer of Bray Real Estate […]

Mesa County labor outlook improves

Phil Castle, The Business Times Time will tell whether or not labor conditions will continue to improve in Mesa County in 2014. But the outlook at the onset of the new year is better now than it has been in a long time, according to Sue Tuffin, director of the Mesa County Workforce Center in Grand […]

Inventive woman out to bring ideas to market

Phil Castle, The Business Times LaVern  Williams has lots of ideas — ideas about how to store rainwater, install solar panels in decorative artificial trees and even prevent birds from hitting airliners. “I’ve got it from the ground to the air. I’ve got it covered,” Williams said. Now the inventive Grand Junction woman hopes to enlist […]

Fruita medical practice focuses on pain relief

Phil Castle, The Business Times Dr. K.C. Lewis has a wide variety of tools and techniques at his disposal to relieve pain in his patients. “If there’s anything that can be done with interventional pain, we do it,” said Lewis, an anesthesiologist who runs Western Rockies Interventional Pain Specialists in Fruita. It’s not just the diversity […]