Anatomy of a downturn: Business owner details effects of building slump

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 […]

Mesa County commissioners select new administrator

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 […]

Chef, beverage manager to headline Winefest demonstrations

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 […]

Large solar array powers hardware outlet

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 […]

Federal government shutdown would impact Grand Valley tourism: Rafting companies told to stop rafting public rivers

“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 […]

National firm acquires family owned operation

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. […]

Index: Colorado business confidence on the rise

A quarterly measure of confidence among Colorado business leaders has climbed to its highest level in five years. The Leeds Business Confidence Index (LBCI) rose to 56.8 for the second quarter of 2011. That’s the highest level since the second quarter of 2006. While confidence in the state and national economies has leveled, expectations for […]

Address changes planned along Patterson Road

The City of Grand Junction and Mesa County have announced plans to change addresses along F Road and Patterson Road to consistently use the name Patterson Road. The changes, which will go into effect in a year, will involve about 450 properties along the F Road and Patterson Road corridor between Interstate Highway 70 Business […]