Union campaigns against grocery store merger

Phil Castle, The Business Times Kim Cordova fears what an acquisition that would combine Kroger and Albertsons might mean for the employees of the grocery store chains. But Cordova said she’s also worried about the implications of further grocery store consolidations for consumers and communities in Colorado. “It’s bad for the consumer. It’s bad for […]

Business sentiment also an economic indicator

It’s not exactly rocket science. If you want to know what business leaders and owners think about the economy, just ask them. Based on what they’re seeing in running their operations, their opinions could contradict some of the other indicators tracking business conditions. To a degree, that’s the situation with the latest results of the […]

Mesa County jobless rate seesaws up

Phil Castle, The Business Times After two months of declines, the unemployment rate seesawed back up in Mesa County as payrolls decreased and the number of people unsuccessfully looking for work increased. The market reflects in part a gap between the skills employers want in new hires and those applicants offer, said Tabi Britt, employment […]

Mesa County real estate sales slow in face of uncertainty

Phil Castle, The Business Times Real estate activity decreased on a year-over-year basis in Mesa County even as uncertainty over interest rates, inflation and an impending presidential election increased. “There’s all this uncertainty in everything,” said Darah Galvin, director of operations for Bray & Co. Real Estate based in Grand Junction. The accumulative effects of […]

Selling lifestyle: Real estate firm expands operation

Selling lifestyle: Real estate firm expands operation

Phil Castle, The Business Times United Country Real Colorado Properties handles a variety of listings — everything from farms and ranches to luxury homes and hunting acreages. But in many cases, the Grand Junction-based firm is involved in something else, says broker and owner Omar Richardson. “We sell lifestyle,” Richardson says. “We live the lifestyle […]

Advisor touts benefits of grocer merger

Phil Castle, The Business Times A proposed acquisition that would combine Kroger and Albertsons constitutes a response to an increasingly competitive marketplace that also would result in lower prices for consumers and higher wages for employees, according to an industry consultant hired to advise on the deal. What’s more, C&S Wholesale Grocers offers a strong […]

Malas and yoga: Entrepreneurs team up to offer unique workshops

Phil Castle, The Business Times Two Grand Valley entrepreneurs operating different ventures will collaborate to offer a series of monthly workshops combining their skills Lynnea Tai, owner of DarcMoon, and Natalia Cavaliere, owner of Your Journey Yoga, will lead workshops in which participants will make mala bracelets and then join in a yoga and guided […]

Mesa County real estate road still bumpy

Phil Castle, The Business Times Even as overall real estate sales continued to trend upward on a year-over-year basis in Mesa County, residential transactions dipped in May. A healthy economy sustains strong demand, but higher interest rates on mortgages and lower housing inventories continue to hamper activity, said Robert Bray, chief executive officer of Bray […]