Phil Castle, The Business Times A Mesa County real estate market described as a roller coaster ride with the ups of increased sales and downs of pandemic restrictions ultimately climbed in 2020 to new heights. At more than $1.75 billion, the total dollar volume of real estate transactions in the county last year topped the […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Katie Powell foresees a challenging year ahead for Grand Valley businesses in recovering from the effects of a pandemic. But Powell believes the world can be changed by those who show up and care enough to act. And the incoming chairwoman of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce board […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times People remain no less resolved at the beginning of a new year to lose weight, get fit and make other changes in their lives. What will be different, Jim Ettenger and Nikki Wilke expect, is the ways people will keep their resolutions in the midst of a pandemic. “We’re here […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times While a pandemic derailed what was forecast as a good year for the Mesa County economy in 2020, there are opportunities to get back on track in 2021. The unemployment rate has retreated nearly seven points since peaking in April even as the labor force has grown and wages have […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Diane Schwenke preaches what she believes to be two equally important holiday messages: shop local to support Grand Valley businesses and stay safe in the midst of a pandemic. Schwenke hopes the messages remain more complementary than contrary because the outcome of the holiday shopping season — and for some […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Tim Haggerty considers wages paid to employees not so much an expense, but an investment. The success of a business depends, he believes, on the return on that investment. Employees who don’t enjoy their jobs — or, for that matter, like their bosses — could end up costing businesses in […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times A federal agency backed nearly $82 million in lending in Mesa County during the 2020 fiscal year under the provisions of a program intended to offer businesses support in the midst of a pandemic. According to the Colorado District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, 2,751 loans worth a […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Bryan Wachs went looking for a good bicycle rack. He founded what he expects will be a good bicycle rack business. Wachs joined J.T. Westcott in starting QuikRStuff. The Grand Junction company manufactures bicycle racks based on the designs of Cal Phillips, an inventor and entrepreneur who created the popular […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times There are few places Peter Icenogle can travel in Grand Junction without seeing the buildings his architectural firm designed. There’s the Primary Care Partners building on 12th Street and Bookcliff Country Club. Closer to Icenogle’s downtown office, there’s the public safety complex and closer still Grand Junction City Hall. Those […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Shane Haas says a lot of what he really needs to know about running a construction company he learned from Ed Forsman. “He’s been a great mentor,” Haas says, one who taught him the importance of honesty, listening and cultivating a culture of teamwork. The admiration is mutual. Forsman praises […]