Phil Castle, The Business Times The monthly unemployment rate has spiked to one its highest levels ever in Mesa County as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and related restrictions play out in the labor market. The low number of positive coronavirus cases and efforts to reopen businesses in the county offer encouragement, though, the […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Dale Reece says he’s long relied on an underlying philosophy to guide his business decisions. It’s been no different in reopening his Grand Junction health clubs in the midst of a pandemic. “We always try to do the right thing,” says Reece, who owns Crossroads Fitness Centers with his wife, […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Chris Burns remains committed to ensuring the safety of the guests at his Grand Junction fun park. But he’s also frustrated over what he considers the unfair application of rules intended to slow the spread of coronavirus. While Burns closed the arcade at Bananas Fun Park to follow state guidelines, […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times While Ron Harrison uses various metrics to track the performance of his financial services firm, he considers one metric more significant than the others. “We’ve been able to help more people. That’s the most important thing,” said Harrison, executive vice president of Five Rings Financial. In fact, Harrison said his […]
I once worked for a weekly agricultural journal in Oregon. Along with cows and plows, I occasionally covered the State Legislature. I used to joke — and, to be honest, also complain — the boredom of covering long committee hearings was interrupted only by the tedium. The exception was covering a House committee chaired by […]
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of the C word. If I had my way, I wouldn’t have to write another story about it or ever again utter the 11-letter word that’s become a four-letter word. Unfortunately, coronavirus isn’t likely to disappear from our lives or vocabularies anytime soon. In the meantime, I’ll […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Mesa County businesses have begun to reopen under local guidelines intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus, but also allow for additional operations. Jeff Kuhr, the executive director of Mesa County Public Health, encouraged business owners and managers to familiarize themselves and their staffs with the guidelines as they […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Vicky Thurlow runs a cleaning business of sorts, a specialized one that handles everything from the cluttered messes of hoarders to the tragic aftermath of crimes and suicides. Add to the list of services disinfection in the midst of a pandemic. As offices, stores and other businesses reopen following a […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Real estate sales have slowed in Mesa County as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and associated restrictions begin to show up in monthly statistics. While some restrictions have lifted, it could be months before sales rebound. “I don’t think we’ve seen the end of the decline,” said Robert Bray, […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times A downturn in new business filings in Colorado during the first quarter heralds a downturn in the state economy caused the coronavirus, officials say. The extent and length of downturn will depend on the spread of the virus; how quickly businesses reopen and whether or not people will feel comfortable […]