Phil Castle The Business Times Colorado and other western states offer an abundant supply of oil and natural gas could reduce dependence on foreign sources as well as create jobs and generate tax revenue. But government regulations and policies hinder development, according to a Denver-based trade association of more than 400 companies involved in energy […]
Phil Castle The Business Times While the National Federation of Independent Business challenges the constitutionality of federal health care legislation, the small business advocacy group also supports the development of a health benefits exchange in Colorado. Tony Gagliardi, state director of the NFIB in Colorado, said the exchange could offer lower insurance premiums to small […]
2011 has turned out far differently than what Doug May anticipated back in January. Forecasts for economic growth, albeit modest, have given way in the aftermath of extreme volatility in the financial markets to concerns about stock market declines and a return to recession. “The economy is much, much, much slower than I expected,” says […]
Commercial real estate avoided the fate many economists predicted in the wake of the Great Recession. With bond payments coming due for shopping malls and other major commercial properties — along with tighter lending regulations —owners of commercial properties were expected to file for foreclosure in massive numbers. So went the hypothesis. While it’s true […]
In the midst of dire predictions for large-scale commercial construction projects, the Grand Valley has been home to several landmark efforts. Some were recently completed. Others are scheduled for completion within the next 12 months. Beyond that, though, few are willing to predict how much activity will occur. “We are a long way from much […]
As large commercial construction projects wind down in the Grand Valley, people working on the front lines nervously join real estate agents, bankers and mortgage brokers in hoping that more large projects come on line beyond the middle of next year. Employment remains a concern across all industries, but the construction sector has been hit […]
If the marketplace hates the uncertainty of an up-and-down stock market, the marketplace might love an announcement from the Federal Reserve that short-term interest rates will remain low for at least another two years. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke announced earlier in August the Federal Open Market Committee expects to keep the benchmark federal funds rate […]
Debbie Kovalik increasingly hears what she considers encouraging words about retail development in the Grand Valley. As the department director over economic, convention and visitor services for the City of Grand Junction, Kovalik serves as a point of contact for businesses interested in expanding or opening retail ventures in the area. She said she’s talking […]
As the sun shines intensely through a clear summer sky, Derek Elder walks behind a long row of photovoltaic solar panels to a check a digital readout monitoring how well the panels convert all that sunshine into electricity. Over the course of the next year, Elder expects the 88 panels to generate a total of […]
Ernie Goss offers something of a mixed message in his second-half forecast for the Colorado economy. “Our numbers say it’s going to be good, but not as good as we’d like.” Goss, director of the Denver-based economic research institute that bears his name, tracks the Colorado economy for a monthly business index. And like other […]