Financing under loan programs backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration rebounded in the 2010 fiscal year under provisions of federal stimulus legislation that increased guarantee levels and waived fees. The SBA reported that a total of 54,833 loans worth a collective $22 billion were backed through its two primary lending programs during FY 2010, […]
U.S. payrolls shrank again in September as government layoffs more than offset private-sector hiring. According to the latest Labor Department estimates, nonfarm payrolls declined 95,000 as the U.S. unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.6 percent. Initial estimates for job losses in July and August were revised upward to 66,000 and 57,000 respectively. After a surge […]
Phil Castle Business Times Justin Pentelute has been involved in a number of firsts for the solar energy industry in Colorado. His Grand Junction company installed the photovoltaic arrays on the first solar-powered billboard in the state and first solar-powered stand-alone pharmacy in the region. Given the growth of the company, the increasing popularity of […]
Mike Moran Business Times The day came and went without a lot of fanfare, but the long-term effects could be great. Meanwhile, business people in the Grand Valley continue to sift through the long-term implications of the first health care reform measures that kicked in Sept. 23. The changes include the allowance of dependent coverage […]
Phil Castle Business Times Regardless of the economic cycle and whether business is booming or slow, Chris Sorensen says construction contractors remain on constant lookout for quality employees. And Sorensen should know: He manages the structural division at Mays Concrete in Grand Junction. To that end, a group of contractors awards scholarships to students studying […]
United Way of Mesa County is well on its way toward its latest goal with more than $466,000 raised through workplace campaigns. During a kickoff event for its 2010-11 drive, United Way announced that a total of 34 Pacesetter businesses and organizations raised a combined $466,122 in workplace campaigns conducted in August and September. That […]
Mike Moran Business Times The Grand Junction Economic Partnership (GJEP) expects to soon announce publicly that it’s won an international award recognizing its website at www.gjep.org. GJEP confirmed the International Economic Development Council was scheduled to issue a news release Sept. 29 The IEDC is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping economic developers, according to the […]
Mike Moran Business Times Sales, use and lodging tax collections in Grand Junction all increased in August for a second straight month of year-over-year gains. The City of Fruita reported stronger increases, with a double-digit percentage increase in its July report. Mesa County reported another drop in year-to-year comparisons, although the percentage decline was the […]
Phil Castle Business Times Eleni and Jerry Sica took advantage of government-backed small business financing to construct a new liquor and specialty foods store in Grand Junction. The financing allowed the couple to purchase property rather than continue to lease space as well as expand the operation in what the Sicas consider a better location. […]
Phil Castle Business Times While the unemployment rate edges downward in Mesa County, David Porfirio remains more interested in other statistics that reflect increasing labor demand. “We’ve had some positive developments in the last month in our local database,” said Porfirio, manager of business services at the Mesa County Workforce Center in Grand Junction. The […]