Commercial passenger traffic at the Grand Junction airport increased more than 7 percent during the first quarter of the year compared to the same span last year. According to the latest statistics from the Grand Junction Regional Airport Authority, 49,267 enplanements — passengers boarding regularly scheduled commercial flights — were reported during the first quarter […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times The unemployment rate in Mesa County has seesawed back up to its highest level of the year as layoffs mount in the energy industry and support businesses. While seasonal hiring in landscaping and construction could help in improving local labor conditions, big swings in the jobless rate aren’t anticipated in […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times It’s a busy time of year for Dustin McPhail. There are lawns to aerate, fertilize and mow. There are bushes to trim and yards to clean. And there are miles to go before McPhail can finally call it a day. But the owner of the Never McPhail aeration and lawn […]
Greg Caton, a government administrator who’s worked in Arizona and Western Colorado, soon will assume his latest duties as Grand Junction city manager. The Grand Junction City Council ratified an employment agreement with Caton, concluding a 10-month search for a new manager. His first day on the job hasn’t yet been determined. “I am incredibly […]
Lodging tax collections, a key indicator of hotel and motel stays, continue to trend upward. According to the Grand Junction Visitor & Convention Bureau, a total of $72,009 in lodging taxes were collected in March, a 6.9 percent increase over the same month last year. March collections represent hotel and motel stays in February. For […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Combined sales and use tax collections have declined for a third straight month in the Grand Valley. Mesa County reported a 1.8 percent decline in sales and use tax collections for March compared to the same month last year. The City of Grand Junction reported a 2.6 percent decline. “This […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Buoyed in part by commercial transactions, real estate activity continues to trend upward in Mesa County. After year-over-year increases in transactions and dollar volume during the first quarter, the outlook remains mostly upbeat for what are typically busier second and third quarters, said Annette Miller, senior vice president of Heritage […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Tamara Kleinberg had made it her business to promote innovation — founding an enterprise that tests new products while also speaking and writing about the subject. Innovative businesses are better at differentiating their operations and adapting to changing market conditions, she said. Moreover, customers who increasingly demand innovation in products […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce opposes a ballot measure that would implement a single-payer health insurance system in Colorado as a costly and risky plan that could hurt businesses and affect medical care. The chamber hosted a meeting to outline its position on Amendment 69 and invited a […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times It’s an ominous scenario. Imagine you’re hunting in the mountains with a group of friends when you’re caught in a fierce storm. You come across an empty cabin and seek shelter. But once you’re all inside, the door slams shut and locks. You find a note on the fireplace mantle […]