Phil Castle, The Business Times While the pace of real estate sales in Mesa County so far this year continues to lag behind last year, industry observers say the latest numbers offer encouragement. “July felt good,” said Robert Bray, chief executive officer of Bray Real Estate in Grand Junction. While lower inventories and higher prices […]
Payrolls continue to grow in the United States even as the unemployment rate remains near a 50-year low. According to the latest Labor Department estimates, nonfarm payrolls increased 164,000 in July. The jobless rate held steady at 3.7 percent. The initial estimate for payroll gains in June was revised downward 31,000 to 193,000. The estimate […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Western Slope employers expect to increase wages 2.5 percent in 2020, according to the latest results of an annual compensation survey. The projected pay increase comes in at slightly less than what’s expected for 2019 as well as the wage increase paid in 2018, the Employers Council reported. The projected […]
A monthly measure of consumer confidence has rebounded on more upbeat assessments of business and labor conditions. The Conference Board reported its Consumer Confidence Index rose 11.4 points to 135.7 in July, the highest level this year. The gain more than offset a drop in June attributed to concerns about trade and tariffs. “Consumers are […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Stephen Smith has demonstrated for more than 30 years that while oil and water don’t mix, oil and wine definitely do. Even as Smith managed his energy development business, he grew his vineyards and winery into one of the largest operations in Colorado. Sitting in a second-floor office at Grande […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Jonathan Kamins looks around the vacant space inside a Grand Junction building and sees desks. He sees conference rooms and comfortable furnishings for people to relax and talk. More than anything, Kamins said he sees the potential for a coworking space to accommodate entrepreneurs and startups. “We have a great opportunity.” […]
Tax collections, an indicator of sales and economic performance, continue to increase in Grand Junction and Mesa County, according to the latest reports. Combined sales and use tax collections for the City of Grand Junction increased 4.4 percent in June. Mesa County reported a 5.6 percent gain. Lodging tax collections on hotel and motel stays […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser believes his office can play a role in helping businesses, promoting economic development and addressing problems. “I’m a big believer in what we can do in Colorado,” Weiser said during a wide-ranging discussion with local government officials and business leaders at the offices of the […]
Colorado continues to rank among the top 10 states for business in the latest results of an annual analysis that takes into account more than 60 measures of competitiveness. Colorado ranked ninth overall in the latest list of America’s Top States for Business complied for the CNBC cable television network. To determine the ranking, each […]
Colorado ranks 10th among the 50 states in the latest analysis of the best places to start and grow businesses. Colorado ranked sixth for its business environment, 18th for access to resources and 34th for business costs in an analysis conducted by WalletHub. The personal finance website used information from federal agencies, foundations and media […]