A business “concierge” and acceleration program are among the top ideas for supporting the growth of Mesa County businesses, according to the latest results of an online survey. Those results and others will be used at an upcoming community brainstorming session as work continues on an economic development plan for the county. The Grand Junction […]
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has unveiled the results of a lengthy grassroots effort to develop plans to attract new businesses to the state as well as promote the growth of existing businesses. “Colorado has turned the typical economic development efforts on its head and created a plan with real benchmarks, measurable goals and concrete solutions […]
The installation of a security fence around Grand Junction Regional Airport has some businesses concerned about access to their operations. The project also has members of the Grand Junction Regional Airport Authority Board at odds over whether or not work should move forward as planned. At least one board member has raised concerns that fencing […]
The head of the Grand Junction office of the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority is the latest high-profile director to announce a resignation this year. Scott Aker will leave to become deputy director of the Mesa County Department of Human Services. Aker joins Tim Sarmo, Palisade town administrator; Ann Driggers, president and chief executive officer […]
A Grand Junction college professor has earned a second Fulbright Scholar Award, this time to teach entrepreneurship in Denmark. Tim Hatten, a business professor at what soon will become Colorado Mesa University, expects to teach at the Niels Brock Copenhagen Business College during the 2011-2012 academic year. Hatten plans to teach courses in entrepreneurship, counsel […]
A monthly measure of consumer confidence increased in July as more upbeat expectations for the near future outweighed less favorable assessments of current business and labor conditions. The Conference Board reported that its Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) rose nearly two points to 59.5. “Consumer confidence posted a modest gain in July, the result of an […]
When Chantal Unfug talks about building bridges in her new role as Mesa County administrator, she speaking both literally and metaphorically. One of the responsibilities of county government is to build and maintain roads and bridges to ensure safe and efficient transportation, Unfug said. At the same time, Unfug believes its her responsibility to build […]
While the unemployment rate moves higher in Mesa County, a combination of a shrinking work force and increasing labor demand has actually made it more difficult for some employers to fill job openings. According to the latest estimates from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate in Mesa County […]
A monthly forecast of future economic activity in the United States continues to signal growth, albeit at a slowing pace. The Conference Board reported that its Leading Economic Index (LEI) rose three-tenths of a percent to 115.3 in June. Measures of current and past economic performance also increased in June. The LEI rose eight-tenths of […]
Lodging tax collections in Grand Junction continue to seesaw with a slight increase in the June report following a year-over-year decline in May. June collections of $127,951 were a tenth of a percent higher than collections reported in June 2010. May collections were 1.5 percent lower than May of last year. Collections were up in […]