Virtually the same: Startup week returns with online sessions

Virtually the same: Startup week returns with online sessions

Phil Castle, The Business Times While there’s nothing quite like being in the same room, the organizers of an event promoting entrepreneurial endeavors in Western Colorado believe they’ve come up with virtually the same thing. What’s more, there are advantages in offering a month of free online programming. There’s no time or expense involved with […]

Mesa County jobless rate retreats

Phil Castle, The Business Times The monthly unemployment rate has seesawed back down in Mesa County as businesses reopen and bring back employees furloughed by the coronavirus pandemic. “We’re starting to see people get back to work, and we’re excited to see what,” said Curtis Englehart, director of the Mesa County Workforce Center in Grand […]

Leading index rebounds, but still reflects recession

A monthly index forecasting economic conditions in the United States has increased, but still suggests a recession will continue. The Conference Board reported its Leading Economic Index (LEI) rose 2.8 percent to 99.8 in May. The increase follows a total decrease of 13.6 percent in April and March. A separate measure of current performance increased […]

Fiber optic network operator expands with voice services

Phil Castle, The Business Times A company that operates a fiber optic network across Colorado and 20 other states has added voice communications to the services available to businesses and other customers. Unite Private Networks (UPN) provides what’s branded as FiberVoice to the communities the firm serves, including the Grand Valley. Like other services UPN […]

Chamber survey results reflect optimism and concern over pandemic

Phil Castle, The Business Times Grand Valley business owners and managers responding to a survey remain optimistic conditions will improve over the next six months. But the coronavirus pandemic and related restrictions continue to affect their operations. And some of those who laid off employees have made staffing reductions permanent. “They’re focused on recovery, and […]

Grand Valley tax collections continue to decline

A key indicator of sales activity continues to drop in the Grand Valley as a pandemic and related restrictions affect business operations. The City of Grand Junction reported a 22.5 percent decline in sales and use tax collections in May compared to the same month last year. Mesa County reported an 11.8 percent decrease. Grand […]

West Slope medical center expands operations

Pioneers Medical Center in Meeker will soon open a facility offering orthopedic services and serving patients from not only Western Colorado, but also other areas. The orthopedic and specialty center is scheduled to open July 8. The 11,000-square-foot facility includes two operating rooms, three recovery rooms, six inpatient hospital rooms and a clinical space. “This […]

Monumental spending: Analysis totals local economic effects

Visitors to the Colorado National Monument spent an estimated $25.2 million in Grand Junction and other nearby communities in 2019, in turn contributing nearly $31 million to the area economy, according to the latest results of an annual analysis conducted by the National Park Service. The economic effects of visits to national parks, monuments and […]

Mesa County reopening moves into second phase

More businesses have reopened and expanded operations in Mesa County under a second variance from state coronavirus pandemic restrictions. Mesa County Public Health received approval to proceed with the second phase of guidelines that allow most businesses to reopen and expand operations to up to half capacity. The next step in the reopening process occurs […]