A monthly measure of economic conditions for small businesses in Colorado continues to rise, adding to the evidence a recovery is gaining traction. “Colorado’s painful recession during much of the past three years will give way to more solid performance over the balance of 2011 and especially in 2012. It’s about time,” said Jeff Thredgold, […]
Rising sales tax collections continue to reflect increased spending in Mesa County. According to a Mesa County report for March, sales tax collections totalled $2.58 million, a nearly 9 percent increase over the report for March 2010. Reports covering the first quarter of the year show the county collected a total of $13.72 million, almost […]
Gordon Harbert has faced a series of difficult decisions in the aftermath of a dramatic downturn in the construction industry. Harbert laid off employees, closed a store and ultimately sold the building materials business his family started in Grand Junction more than 70 years ago. While the housing market eventually will recover, the effects of […]
A woman with a broad range of experience in city and state government positions is expected to begin work in July as the new Mesa County administrator. The county commissioners announced they’ve selected Chantal Unfug as administrator and she’s verbally accepted their offer. The announcement concludes the second of two job searches for a successor […]
An executive chef and beverage manager from a popular Boulder restaurant are among the people who’ll present demonstrations at the upcoming Colorado Mountain Winefest in Palisade. Kevin Kidd, executive chef at SALT, and Evan Faber, beverage manager, will headline the chef demonstrations at the Winefest. SALT, a bistro-style neighborhood restaurant, opened in 2009. “Two of […]
A Grand Junction-based company has installed what it describes as the largest solar array in the region to power a retail operation. Syndicated Solar installed the array at Peach Tree True Value Hardware, 2963 North Ave. in Grand Junction. The 97-kilowatt photovoltaic array includes 396 panels and nine inverters. According to Syndicated Solar, the array […]
A monthly measure of optimism among small business owners has retreated despite some improving prospects for hiring. The National Federation of Independent Business reported that its Index of Small Business Optimism fell 2.6 points in March to 91.9. The lower reading remains more in line with recession than recovery. The index is based on the […]
When Congress approved a measure to keep the federal government operating beyond Friday, the owner of a Grand Valley river rafting company probably breathed a sigh of relief. As of midday Friday, April 8, the feds had informed companies that they would be barred from rafting public rivers if a federal closure happened Saturday morning. […]
“It’s scary how things can happen, but it’s here,” said Tom Kleinschnitz, owner of Adventure Bound River Expeditions in the Grand Valley. If a resolution isn’t reached by early Saturday morning (April 9), Kleinschnitz has orders to dock the boats. Already faced with high-dollar investments in high tech rafts designed to navigate the Class 5 […]
A national building materials supplier has acquired a 74-year-old Grand Junction business previously operated by three generations of the same family. ProBuild Holdings announced that it had acquired the assets of Harbert Lumber Co., including its operations along North Avenue in Grand Junction as well as its outlets in Aspen, Glenwood Springs and Steamboat Springs. […]