West Slope legislators receive high marks from business group

Four state legislators representing Western Colorado received scores above 90 percent in the latest grading by a small business advocacy group. The National Federation of Independent Business based the scores on voting on 12 measures during the 2021-2022 session of the Colorado General Assembly. Tony Gagliardi, Colorado state director for the NFIB, said Gov. Jared […]

Mesa County tax collections trend upward

Tax collections, one measure of sales activity, continue to increase on a year-over-year basis in Mesa County. The county collected more than $4.2 million in sales taxes in June, a 10.1 percent increase over what was collected for the same month a year ago.  The county also collected more than $411,000 in use taxes in […]

Goal the same for regional SBA exec: Help small businesses

Phil Castle, The Business Times Aikta Marcoulier worked for more than 10 years running a Colorado Springs center providing a range of services to small businesses. It was a job Marcoulier said prepared her well for her latest efforts to help small businesses — but on a much larger scale.  President Joe Biden appointed Marcoulier […]

Developing dedication: Workforce center director takes on new role with GJEP

Developing dedication: Workforce center director takes on new role with GJEP

Phil Castle, The Business Times Curtis Englehart considers work force development and economic development inseparable — one can’t occur without the other. “They really go hand in hand.” After serving for more than five years as director of the Mesa County Workforce Center, Englehart is scheduled to begin on Aug. 3 his new job as […]

Colorado update: Payroll gain revised upward, but challenges remain

Phil Castle, The Business Times Colorado employment is expected to grow even more than initially forecast in 2022 even as rising inflation and interest rates present economic headwinds to businesses. Nonfarm payrolls are expected to grow 104,000 in 2022, according to a midyear update to the Colorado Business Economic Outlook. That’s 30,000 more than what […]

Mind Springs Health board names new executive

An executive with experience in behavioral health care providers in the Midwest and Florida is expected to begin his latest role in August as chief executive officer of Mind Springs Health in Western Colorado. John Sheehan was selected as CEO in concluding a six-month national search, the Mind Springs Health board of directors announced. Mind […]

Business optimism index drops along with expectations for improving economy

A measure of optimism among small business owners continues to decline on record-low expectations for an improving economy. The National Federation of Independent Business reported its Small Business Optimism Index dropped 3.6 points to 89.5 in June. The index has remained below its historical average of 98 for six consecutive months. “As inflation continues to […]

U.S. payrolls up, jobless rate steady

United States payrolls increased 372,000 in June and the national unemployment rate held steady at 3.6 percent for a fourth consecutive month, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates. Payroll gains for the previous two months were revised downward, however, a total of 74,000 to 384,000 for May and 368,000 in April. […]