After another difficult year, Grand Valley leaders believe the coming Holiday season will be a make, not a break, for local businesses. Holiday shopping really comes down to one thing.” says Diane Schwenke, President and CEO of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce, “And that is consumer confidence.” Schwenke points to several factors in […]
The search for a silver lining in dark economic clouds goes on, particularly at a time of year when retailers gear up for the holiday shopping season and what they desperately hope really will be the most wonderful time of the year. Fortunately, the news isn’t all bad. For some trends, in fact, the news […]
A monthly index tracking optimism among small business owners has increased for a second consecutive month, but not yet enough to reflect a significant change in outlook. The National Federation of Independent Business reported its Small Business Optimism Index rose 1.3 points in October to 90.2. Even with gains over the past two months, the […]
An Idaho-based company will oversee continued cleanup efforts at a former uranium ore processing mill near Moab, Utah, under a federal contract worth more than $121 million over the next five years. The Department of Energy announced it had awarded a competitive small business contract worth $121.2 million to Portage, an engineering and environmental remediation […]
Payrolls continue to grow, but not yet enough to substantially reduce unemployment in the United States. According to the latest Labor Department estimates, nonfarm payrolls rose 80,000 in October while the jobless rate dipped a tenth to an even 9 percent. The private sector added 104,000 jobs, while government employment continued to trend downward with […]
Education and training key to developing the right workforce “It’s important that students have the skills and knowledge that an industry requires,” says Dana Nunn of Colorado Mesa University, “and the growth and development in our programs at CMU and WCCC will continue to reflect our commitment to the energy industry and enhance those relationships.” […]
When you say the word “shale” to someone on the western slope, you’ll get a reaction,” says David Ludlam, Director of the Western Slope Colorado Oil and Gas Association, “And because of the western slope’s past history with oil shale, which is headed toward a more promising future today, the reaction is more of a […]
Newly formed district announces available grants. By using the newly formed Federal Mineral Lease District (FML) to receive federal lease funding, a new competitive grant process has been created to provide opportunities for eligible organizations to strengthen and enhance the communities of Mesa County. The grant approach was selected because of the business-driven, community-wide economic […]
An index tracking business conditions in Colorado rebounded in October to end a four-month slide as prospects improved for computer and electronic component manufacturers as well as the energy industry. The Business Conditions Index rose 1.4 points to 53.3. The gain was the first since May and pulled the index off its lowest level in […]
A lawyer who’s worked for a Texas electrical cooperative for more than a decade is expected to take over next year as the new general manager of Grand Valley Power. Thomas Walch has been hired as executive vice president and general manager of the Grand Junction-based not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative. Walch succeeds Jack Broughton, who […]