Decline in SBA-backed loan activity in Mesa County bucks trends

The dollar volume of loans backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration continues to decline in Mesa County even as lending levels elsewhere in Colorado and the United States climb to record heights. While SBA officials and lenders were unable to pinpoint a specific reason or reasons for the diverging trends, they say many small […]

Irrigation districts receive salinity reduction grants

A Grand Valley irrigation district has been awarded $2.8 million in federal funding to line canals and convert ditches into pipelines as part of ongoing efforts to reduce salinity in the Colorado River. Four irrigation districts in Western Colorado will receive a total of $20.1 million in cost-share awards, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced. “Salinity […]

Business coach out to bridge generation gaps

Tinker Barnett foresees problems for businesses unwilling to bridge generational gaps in the workplace. Aging baby boomers, many of them in management and ownership positions, must not only understand their differences with younger employees, but also adapt business practices to those differences to avoid costly turnover and lost productivity. While the issue isn’t as pressing […]

Tax collections remain ahead of 2010 pace

Sales and use tax collections, a key indicator of retail activity, remain well ahead of last year in Mesa County, according to the latest government reports. The City of Grand Junction reported collecting a total of more than $4.4 million in sales and use taxes in September, an increase of nearly 5.4 percent over the […]

Consumer Confidence Index retreats

A monthly measure of consumer confidence has retreated to recession-level readings on growing concerns about current and future business and labor conditions. The Conference Board reported that its Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) fell nearly seven points to 39.8 for October. “Consumer confidence is now back to levels last seen during the 2008-2009 recession,” said Lynn […]

Mesa County jobless rate retreats to a two-year low

Phil Castle, The Business Times:  The monthly unemployment rate in Mesa County has retreated to its lowest level in nearly two years even as labor demand continues to increase, particularly for energy and transportation jobs. “We definitely have seen more activity in the job market,” said Suzie Miller, an employment specialist with the Mesa County Workforce […]

The Coleman Fellows Selected for Entrepreneurial Coursework

Special to The Business Times The Coleman Foundation has awarded Colorado Mesa University a grant to fund three Faculty Entrepreneurship Fellowships. A faculty entrepreneurship fellow is someone who understands the importance of developing entrepreneurial skills in their students and developing lines of communication between business, sciences, arts, and career and technical education programs. The Fellows […]