New Habitat for Humanity director relishes role

Phil Castle, The Business Times After years spent volunteering for a variety of business and charitable organizations, Janet Brink has channeled her passion for community service into her new role as executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Mesa County. And Brink couldn’t be happier with the mission at hand: providing safe, decent and affordable […]

Property manager skeptical of apartment survey results

Phil Castle, The Business Times While apartment vacancies in Grand Junction rose as they usually do during the first quarter, Cindy Hoppe remains skeptical the increase was as dramatic as what was reported as the latest results of a statewide survey. “Things were not all rosy. But things were not all that bad, either,” said […]

Busier seasons expected to change downward lodging trend

Phil Castle, The Business Times While hotel and motel business in the Grand Valley slowed through the first four months of the year, busier summer and fall seasons are expected to reverse the trend. “Things do look better for May, June and beyond,” said Barb Bowman, division manager of the Grand Junction Visitor & Convention […]

Sales tax collections drop, but at a slower pace

Phil Castle, The Business Times Sales tax collections continue to decline in the Grand Valley, albeit at a slower pace that offers some encouragement the trend could change. “We’re hoping we’re moving in the right direction,” said Elizabeth Tice-Janda, revenue supervisor for the City of Grand Junction. For now, though, lower tax collections constitute a […]

Trends reflect stabilizing real estate market

Phil Castle, The Business Times Real estate activity continues to hold steady in Mesa County with slight year-over-year increases in transactions and dollar volumes. At the same time, property foreclosure activity has declined more dramatically with substantial drops in filings and sales. The trends point to a stabilizing market, said Annette Miller, senior vice president […]

Best places to work make employees feel special

Phil Castle, The Business Times How do businesses — not to mention individual managers — motivate employees and promote productivity?  “You make them feel special,” says Neil Westergaard, editor of a newspaper that annually compiles a list of the best places to work. Westergaard, editor of the Denver Business Journal, was one of two keynote […]

BREAKING NEWS: West Star Aviation plans expansion

Phil Castle, The Business Times An aviation company plans to substantially expand Grand Junction operations that already attract customers from around the world. The expansion includes construction of a 45,500 square foot hangar to accommodate even larger aircraft for the inspection, maintenance and painting services West Star Aviation provides at the Grand Junction Regional Airport. […]

Cheesecake venture expands with East Coast location

Cheesecake venture expands with East Coast location

Phil Castle, The Business Times An inventive entrepreneur who combined his passions for business and cooking to start a venture selling cheesecakes in jars expects to expand his operation with an East Coast location. By simultaneously tapping into larger markets and lowering shipping costs, Lee Mathis believes sales from a new facility in Virginia could […]

Magazine: Grand Junction firm among top land brokerages

Phil Castle, The Business Times A Grand Junction firm ranks among the top land brokerages in the United States in the latest listing compiled for a national magazine for land owners. United County-RealQuest Realty is included among the 2012 America’s Best Brokerages, the third annual listing of leading real estate firms specializing in land compiled […]