Phil Castle, The Business Times While the monthly unemployment rate in Mesa County edged up in December, local labor conditions were still better at the end of the year than they were at the beginning. The trend has Curtis Englehart more optimistic what’s typically a spike in the jobless rate in January won’t be as […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Tim Foster appreciates the numbers that quantify the growing economic affects of Colorado Mesa University. But he considers other measures important, too, including the growing number of students who attend and graduate from CMU. “It’s just really a boon having kids coming out of this institution,” said Foster, president of […]
Employment will continue to grow in Colorado in the first half of 2017, although at a slower pace, according to the latest analysis of business filings in the state. Disparities between rural and urban areas of Colorado persist, however. “Growth in business filings is consistent with overall population and employment growth that we are seeing […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times The outlook for the year ahead depends on who you ask. But if there’s a consensus among business leaders in the Grand Valley, it’s that they’re optimistic. Moreover, they’re ready to drop the cautiously part of their assessment. “I’m really optimistic,” says Dale Beede, a broker associate with Coldwell […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Tony Gagliardi expects a productive session at the Colorado Legislature in lobbying for measures that will benefit small businesses. But the state director of the National Federation of Independent Business also plans to play plenty of defense in coming months to oppose various measures. Many of the issues likely will […]
A Grand Junction state lawmaker has been picked to serve as chairman of a new committee on energy and the environment. State Sen. Ray Scott, a Republican, will chair the Select Committee on Energy and the Environment created by Senate President Kevin Grantham. Scott said the panel will conduct hearings on a range of energy […]
Grand Junction voters will consider in April a proposed city sales tax increase that, if approved, would fund the construction of a downtown events center as well as improvements to the convention center. “This is an exciting prospect for the city to be able to regain some of our regional presence as well as to […]
A pilot program offers grants to businesses that convert existing buildings in downtown Grand Junction into restaurants. The Grand Junction City Council voted to authorize the change in use incentive program. The program will cover 25 percent of the sewer service plant investment fee up to $10,000 per business. The sewer service plant investment fee […]
The Kmart store in Grand Junction is among a total of 150 Kmart and Sears stores scheduled to close nationwide as Sears Holdings takes steps to improve its financial flexibility and operational performance. The Kmart store at 2809 North Ave. in Grand Junction and a store in Denver are among 108 Kmart and 42 Sears […]
Communities with diverse economies and strong leaders that invest in education and health care and offer a high quality of life are more resilient, according to the results of a study of 13 rural communities in Colorado. The Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado joined with the Colorado Office of Economic […]