Phil Castle, The Business Times The monthly unemployment rate in Mesa County has crept up, but still remains near record-low levels. A year-over-year decrease in the jobless rate combined with an increase in the labor force bodes well, said Curtis Englehart, director of the Mesa County Workforce Center in Grand Junction. “2019 has been a […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Dennis Hill and Dan Komlo were looking for someone to work with their staff, care for their customers and sustain what’s long been a growing operation in every sense of the word. Hill and Komlo found what they wanted and sold Bookcliff Gardens Nursery and Landscape to Rick and Stephanie […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Kevin Barclay knows from decades spent working in the automobile industry the most successful salespeople make connections and listen. Retired from the car business, Barclay now leads the local affiliate of a national organization to help people affected by mental illness. But making connections and listening remain just as important, […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Although low inventories continue to slow residential sales, Lynn Thompson remains encouraged by what he sees in the Mesa County real estate market. Higher prices offer more money for sellers even as lower interest rates offer more purchasing power for buyers. Meanwhile, commercial activity continues to bolster the market, said […]
What, do you suppose, will be the most popular gifts this holiday season? Reviewing what’s hot and what’s not has become something of a journalistic tradition — as much a part of the holidays as fruitcake and, I contend, about as necessary. Should herd mentality play a role in what ought to be a thoughtful […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Once upon a time, Ron Johnson would go on camping trips with his children, Taylor and Kobe, that were anything but organized. They’d pack their gear into totes. The clutter on the top of the picnic table left little room to prepare meals. Worse still, essentials were invariably forgotten and […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times The dollar volume of loans issued in Mesa County under a federal small business financing program nearly tripled during the 2019 fiscal year. According to the Colorado District Office of the U.S Small Business Administration, 28 loans worth a combined $16,564,700 were issued under the SBA 7(a) guarantee program. Another […]
I’ve written it before and undoubtedly will write it again. The most rewarding aspect of my job as editor of a business journal is meeting entrepreneurs. If I’m fortunate, I learn a bit about entrepreneurs and their efforts and write stories about their ventures. If I’m really fortunate, I follow the growth of their companies […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times The monthly unemployment rate in Mesa County has dropped to its lowest level on record — an indication of improving economic conditions, but also a tight labor market that makes it difficult for employers to fill job openings. “Employers are having a hard time trying to find people. It’s pretty […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times A tour of the new manufacturing operation at Capco takes visitors through a process that involves robotic welders, computerized testing stations and a powder coating facility. The end result: bomb fin assemblies stacked just so on pallets and ready for shipment. From his perspective as chief executive officer of Capco, […]