It’s always tempting to boil down the presentations at the annual Energy Forum & Expo in Grand Junction into two terse statements: energy good, regulation bad. Reality is far more complicated and nuanced, of course. Energy production is good — great, in fact — in meeting the increasing demands of a world that runs on […]
Western Colorado manufacturers produce an amazing diversity of products sold around the world. Some manufacturers, including Reynolds Polymer and Leitner-Poma in Grand Junction, have gained well-deserved recognition for the high-profile projects in which they’re frequently involved. But many other manufacturers are far less well known even though their products are just as impressive and in […]
Much has been made of what’s described as a widening income gap in the United States between the poor and rich and what the federal government can — or should — do to narrow that gap. The results of a recent study confirm the federal government is already doing a lot in redistributing money from […]
While it’s only natural the dreadful drubbing of the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl and continued wintry weather here in the Grand Valley might sour spirits, there also are some positive developments that fill the proverbial glass at least half full. In fact, this very issue of the Business Times serves up an ample […]
Come hell or high water. It’s an expression that dates back more than a century to vividly describe an outcome that’s likely to occur regardless of the destructive obstacles in the way. The phrase remains just as relevant today in portraying what’s happened in Colorado. Gov. John Hickenlooper didn’t chose those particular words for his […]
If there’s a common denominator to recent business stories, its the growing realization it’s could take a more concerted effort to yank Western Colorado out of its economic doldrums. Years after the official end to the Great Recession, the region continues to lag behind other areas of the state and country in recovering. It’s not […]
The end of one year naturally prompts a look ahead to the next year. Unfortunately for some business owners and managers who’ve struggled through a slow economic recovery in the Grand Valley, it’s something like a welcome gasp of relief sucked through teeth clinched tight in terror. OK, we survived that. Now what? As usual, […]
To pose a question from the lyrics of a popular 1980s movie theme song: “Who you gonna call?” When it comes to enlisting assistance in keeping their operations running in Mesa County, small business owners and managers actually have a lot of choices among members of a coalition of organizations and entities promoting economic development. […]
There’s a not-so-subtle theme in many of the stories published in this issue of the Business Times. While the result was unintentional, it’s no less clear or surprising: For better or worse, the federal government exerts tremendous influence over business. Even as Western Slope officials and business leaders worry about the economic effects of proposed […]
There are any number of good reasons to vote against Amendment 66, the ballot initiative that would increase Colorado income taxes to generate additional revenue for public education. The fact the ballot measure would amend the Colorado Constitution rather than state statutes and therefore make it difficult to address unintended consequences constitutes by itself a […]