Sales reflect steady growth in real estate market

Phil Castle, The Business Times While the Mesa County real estate market hasn’t yet fully recovered, at least by prerecession standards, year-over-year increases in sales reflect what observers consider steady growth. “There’s a feeling of stability in the marketplace,” said Robert Bray, chief executive officer of Bray Real Estate in Grand Junction. Annette Miller, senior […]

Google helps put Grand Valley trails on the map

People around the world can now enjoy some of the most popular trails in the Grand Valley without ever having to lace up their hiking boots or peddle their bicycles. Through the Trekker Loan Program, the Grand Junction Visitor & Convention Bureau has made the trails accessible online on Street View in Google Maps. “We […]

West Star retains top repair facility ranking

West Star retains top repair facility ranking

Phil Castle, The Business Times West Star Aviation continues to rank as the top maintenance, repair and overhaul  facility in the latest results of an annual survey conducted for a prominent trade publication. The recognition comes as the company opens a new paint hangar in Grand Junction to handle larger corporate aircraft and promotes its […]

Mesa County jobless rate retreats

Phil Castle, The Business Times The unemployment rate has retreated in Mesa County despite a slowdown in the energy sector related to low prices. “We have to look at this as something positive considering what we were anticipating,” said Suzie Miller, business services manager at the Mesa County Workforce Center in grand Junction. According to […]

Solar garden draws national attention

A project to develop a community solar garden for low-income consumers has attracted national attention from policy makers and industry experts. Grand Valley Power has joined with GRID Alternatives on the construction of 25-killowatt array that will provide electricity to six to 10 families in the Grand Junction area, offsetting up to 90 percent of […]

Records management seminar planned

A day-long seminar planned for Grand Junction will offer information about records management procedures and policies in a rapidly changing environment that includes electronic records, the Internet and social media. The Western Colorado Chapter of ARMA International has scheduled the seminar for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 12 in the training room of the […]

Light makes right: Firm makes trailers even small cars can tow

Phil Castle, The Business Times Jeff Hoffman offers what he considers the solution to the problems many people face in hauling luggage, camping equipment and sports gear from their homes to the places where they want to use all that stuff. Hoffman operates a Grand Junction company that manufactures trailers that can transport everything from […]

Property values rising, but doesn’t mean higher tax bills will follow

Phil Castle, The Business Times While commercial property values generally have increased in Mesa County, that doesn’t necessarily mean property tax bills will follow suit. “Just because your value goes up, it doesn’t mean your taxes go up,” said Mesa County Assessor Ken Brownlee. More goes into the calculation than just the valuation, Brownlee said. […]

How sweet it is: Baker develops recipe for success

How sweet it is: Baker develops recipe for success

Phil Castle, The Business Times        Crystal Umberger believes desserts and other sweet treats should justify the indulgence. “If you’re going to eat the calories, it should be worth it.” That’s why Umberger goes to great lengths to bake cakes, cookies and other pastries that taste every bit as good as they look. […]

Index signals growth, but not significant strengthening

A monthly index forecasting economic conditions in the United States has increased sharply, but doesn’t yet signal significant growth. The Conference Board Leading Economic Index jumped seven-tenths of a percent to 122.3 in April. Separate measures of current and past economic conditions also increased. “April’s sharp increase in the LEI seems to have helped stabilize […]