A busy couple of weeks for business news also included a welcome announcement about improvements planned for Powderhorn Mountain Resort. The $5 million project will include the installation of a high-speed quad chairlift at the resort on the Grand Mesa. The project is doubly beneficial in that the chairlift will be manufactured at Leitner-Poma right […]
Universities aren’t usually considered in the same fashion as such major industry sectors as energy production or tourism in quantifying economic effects. And that’s too bad, because universities exert a variety of direct and indirect effects on the economy in the money educational institutes spend as well as the money students and faculty spend. Fortunately, […]
Important indicators continue to reflect improving economic conditions in the Grand Valley, bolstering prospects 2015 really will be a better year for business. But, will indicators tracking the local labor market follow suit? Sales tax collections, a key indicator of retail activity, increased 2.5 percent for Mesa County in 2014 over 2013. At 3.4 percent, […]
A new year almost always brings an opportunity for a fresh start and renewed ambition to do things better. In business, that usually boils down to providing customers better products and services faster and at lower cost than competitors. Part of the process must include listening to customers to determine what they actually need and […]
The holiday season brings tidings of at least comfort and perhaps even joy to business owners who’ve struggled through the slow economic recovery in the Grand Valley. The prospects for a prosperous new year appear promising. While past performance offers no guarantee of future results, several economic indicators point to improving conditions. An outlook of […]
Another issue brings another opportunity to publicize the efforts of creative entrepreneurs in the Grand Valley. This issues features stories about Lee Mathis and how he’s literally worked with relish to expand the product line of his company. Grand Valley Magazine has expanded in a different way in its foray into the sales of locally […]
Grand Valley business owners and managers have a lot to be thankful for as Thanksgiving nears. Let’s count some of the blessings: A number of economic indicators reflect generally improving conditions. The monthly unemployment rate in Mesa County dropped a full point to 4.5 percent in September, the latest month for which estimates are available. […]
Bob Kretschman summarized nicely the goal of renewed efforts at the Mesa County Libraries to assist businesses. While there are many reasons a venture might struggle or even fail, a lack of information shouldn’t be one, says Kretschman, public information manager at the libraries. We’d add to that statement, though: Given the availability of so […]
Mark and Nicole Crain have nearly made academic careers out of studying the costs of federal regulations. So the economists from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania offer a valuable perspective on the accumulative effects of the thousands of regulations promulgated by our government. The Crains discussed their research and latest findings with the Business Times in […]
Businesses are rightfully grateful for the events that bring visitors and their money to Mesa County. A recent analysis conducted by an economics professor at Colorado Mesa University estimated the economic benefits of the annual Country Jam music festival at $11 million. That total includes not only money directly spent on staging Country Jam, but […]