Ever wonder how much electricity that aging refrigerator consumes? What about the computer? And how much savings could be realized by replacing old appliances with new, more efficient models? A program offered through the Mesa County Libraries encourages people to literally check out a meter to find out the answers to those and other questions. […]
Naomi Shepherd-Smith recalls a time when the fledgling Colorado wine industry was something of a novelty and some tourists were more interested in taking home a bottle with a Colorado label than drinking what was inside. But like the fine wines its produces, the industry since has matured, says Shepherd-Smith, manager and co-owner of Grande […]
One measure of the growing wine industry in Colorado is the number of wineries featured at the Colorado Mountain Winefest. This year, 56 wineries plan to participant, the most ever in the 19-year history of the event. That makes the upcoming festival a bigger celebration by yet another standard, says Sarah Catlin, executive director of […]
David Porfirio compares the labor market in Mesa County to the typical weather forecast for Southern California: no change. While there are some variations among industry sectors, there’s been little difference in the overall market in terms of demand or the number of people looking for jobs. And Porfirio doesn’t expect conditions to substantially improve […]
A Grand Junction entrepreneur who launched a fast-growing venture selling women’s handbags with interchangeable covers now offers another versatile product: sandals with interchangeable bands. Marilyn Hall has become the Colorado distributor for Bandals International, a manufacturer and marketer of Bandals footwear. The company has created five styles of sandals with a total of nearly 70 […]
In working with business owners to help them develop more prosperous ventures, Marcus Straub sometimes discovers one reason owners don’t fare better: They don’t really like what they’re doing in the first place. “They’re not thriving on any level. They’re just surviving,” he said. Straub, a business and life coach who works out of Grand […]
Rosemary Litz steps into her meticulously landscaped backyard and bends over a rounded bush. Like a barber wielding scissors, she trims off a handful of long stalks with purple blooms. The fragrance of lavender fills the air. For a growing number of entrepreneurs like Litz, it’s the smell of money. Litz uses the lavender she […]
Jim Saad and Doug Simons have experienced economic downturns before. But the effects of the Great Recession are far different than the oil shale bust of the 1980s, the Grand Junction business executives say. The latest downturn has been global rather than local and the ramifications more far-reaching. As a result, business owners and managers […]
While Doug May doesn’t believe the U.S. economy has fully emerged from recession, he’s pleasantly surprised by some of the indicators that signal growth. “There are some things unfolding that are really positive,” said May, president and chief investment officer of May-Investments in Grand Junction. Corporate earnings have been especially impressive. Short- and long-term interest […]
Jason Rauen envisions a day when the plastic that once lined natural gas drilling and production pits in Western Colorado comes back to his company in a different form — perhaps as pallets or even new liners. An environmental specialist with Williams Production, Rauen oversees a program that recycles pit liners into other plastic products […]