Fruita chamber names new director

A woman with experience in marketing, sales and event management has been hired as the new executive director of the Fruita Area Chamber of Commerce. Bobbie Orchard is scheduled to begin her new duties starting May 5 and expects to attend the Colorado Chamber of Commerce executive conference set for later that week. Orchard will […]

Tipton faces primary challenge in 3rd District race

Kelly Sloan, The Business Times U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton easily won the vote at the Republican assembly for the 3rd Congressional District, but faces a primary challenger in Palisade peach farmer David Cox. Tipton won 66.2 percent of the vote at the April 11 assembly at the Omni Interlocken Hotel in Broomfield. But with 33.8 percent […]

Ready to sell? Firm offers help to “finish line”

Phil Castle, The Business Times Trevor Taylor compares running a business to running a race. And owners sometimes need help to reach the finish line — realizing the full value of their operations when they’re ready to sell. Taylor and Bryan Wiman offer that assistance as part of their jobs as partners in the Redstone Group, […]

Helping businesses part of the job for new bank president

Phil Castle, The Business Times  Julie Hash considers it a big part of her job to help businesses solve problems. And Hash loves her job. “It’s fun to find the solutions for each customer’s problem or need,” said Hash, the new Grand Valley market president for Vectra Bank Colorado. Hash has worked in the industry for […]

Economist: Energetic resurgence under way

Phil Castle, The Business Times Colorado has not only fully recovered from the recession, but is also among a small group of states expected to continue to outpace the more modest growth forecast for the national economy. Increasing energy production that’s positioned the United States to become self-reliant for  natural gas and oil plays a major role […]

Leading index forecasts accelerating growth

An index forecasting economic performance in the United States has increased for a third straight month, signaling faster growth in the months ahead. The Conference Board reported that its Leading Economic Index climbed eight-tenths of a percent to 100.9 in March. Over the past six months, the index has increased 2.7 percent. Separate measures of current and past economic […]

Mesa County jobless rate retreats

Phil Castle, The Business Times The monthly jobless rate in Mesa County continues to retreat as payrolls increase and the ranks of the unemployment shrink. While the trend is expected to continue, many employers remain hesitant to make significant staffing additions that would speed the pace. “They’re still a little bit reluctant,” said Jessica Marler, administrator […]

Survey results show CEOs more optimistic

A measure of confidence among business executives in the United States continues to climb on more upbeat assessments of current economic conditions as well as more optimistic expectations for the near future. The Conference Board and PricewaterhouseCoopers reported that the Measure of CEO Confidence rose to 63 during the first quarter of 2014, up three points from the fourth […]

Lodging tax collections rise

One month after taking a dip, a measure of local hotel and motel businesses has resumed an upward trend. According to a Grand Junction Visitor & Convention Bureau report for March, $62,400 in lodging taxes were collected. That’s 7.4 percent more than the $58,124 collected for the same month last year. Because lodging tax reports lag a month behind, […]