Grand Junction Realtors install new board officers

Mike Moran Business Times Joe Tripoli firmly believes in the power of positive thinking, even in the midst of a downturn in real estate sales. “Your business is never really good or bad out there. It’s good or bad between your ears,” said Tripoli, a real estate agent with RE/MAX 4000 and the new chairman […]

Mesa County budget cuts continue

Declining tax revenues have forced Mesa County officials to extend budget cuts for another year. The proposed 2011 budget comes in at 10.3 percent below the adopted 2010 budget, which in turn was 8.4 percent less than the 2009 budget. The proposed 2011 budget includes staffing reductions, a salary freeze, the closure of some county […]

Message to voters on ballot measures: Just say no

Phil Castle Business Times The director of a regional group and the mayor of Grand Junction urge voters to just say no to three measures on the upcoming election ballot. Reeves Brown, executive director of Club 20, and Mayor Teresa Coons voiced their opposition to Amendment  60 and 61 as well as Proposition 101. Club […]

Medicare issue coming to a head

Mike Moran Business Times While medical offices and their patients continue to sort through the effects of national health care reform, the more immediate concern could be Medicare. When Congress reconvenes from recess next month, it will have a little more than two weeks before a Dec. 1 deadline to either allow another 23 percent […]

SBA-backed lendig activity rebounds

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, […]

Government payrolls down, private-sector payrolls up

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 […]

Solar projects the firsts of many

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 […]

As health care reforms begin, so do questions

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 […]

Contractors association deems scholarship program an investment in work force

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 […]

Workplace campaigns kickstart United Way fund-raising drive

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 […]