Phil Castle, The Business Times An entrepreneur who founded a chain of restaurants and now serves as the state’s chief marketing officer is expected to discuss the role of branding in economic development during an upcoming event in Grand Junction. Aaron Kennedy is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the Grand Junction Economic Partnership […]
Phil Castle,The Business Times Sales tax collections continue to rise in Mesa County, buoyed in part by increased spending for building materials, automobiles and restaurant meals. It remains to be seen whether collections will rebound enough in 2013 to match those in 2012, but the trend is headed upward. “We seem to be moving in […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times A total of $500,000 in grant funding has substantially increased the amount of financing available through a business loan fund in Mesa County. “It’s a big deal to us,” said Dean DiDario, who for 17 years has served as director of the Business Loan Fund of Mesa County. Mesa County […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Heather McGregor can enumerate a lengthy list of benefits to fueling fleets with compressed natural gas. But she knows the single benefit likely to most interest fleet managers: lower costs. At $1 to $1.50 less than the equivalent of a gallon of gasoline or diesel, the savings associated with CNG […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Tony Prinster recalls how he quickly developed a deeper respect for the way two previous generations of his family had managed a supermarket chain when he took over himself as president of City Market in 1990. “I really gained a lot of respect for what my ancestors had done […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Although the latest sales numbers edged down, year-to-date totals continue to reflect increasing real estate activity in Mesa County. Still, such external factors as rising interest rates on mortgages and escalating international tensions over the Middle East could affect the market in the months ahead. “I think we’ll be cautiously […]
Phil Castle The Business Times Jim Jeffryes expected at first to make beer mostly for the customers of the brewpub and restaurant he helped open in Grand Junction nearly eight years ago. But as demand grew, plans changed and the operation at Kannah Creek Brewing Co. evolved from brew pub to brewery. After opening a […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Farmers do it. Retail salespeople do it. Even educated professionals do it. The latest statistics confirm workers in a wide variety of occupations continue to earn less in Mesa County than the national averages. What’s less clear is exactly why. Comparatively high unemployment rates and an economy comprised mostly of […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Downtown Grand Junction will serve as both a venue and model for a conference focusing on revitalization efforts. With a downtown development authority as well as a business improvement district, a long history of renovation projects and a popular sculpture installation program, Grand Junction demonstrates the range of what can […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Kevin and Valerie Brooks long coveted a building they could see from their fourth-floor offices in downtown Grand Junction. The couple believed the location would work well for an addition to the string of Big O Tires stores they own in Western Colorado. When they finally had a chance to […]