Local chapters of international service organizations offer opportunities to both long-time members of the Grand Valley and newcomers to the area. Whether the motivation is a desire for business contacts, community service or friendship, membership can produce fruit in all three areas over time. “The main purpose should be to give back to the community,” […]
Don’t expect much to change in the form of events and services at the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce. It’s not that the organization is stagnant. Rather, the group has added so much in recent years it plans on sitting tight to see how everything pans out in 2011. From energy briefings to social […]
For people looking to join an organization that offers interesting programs, there’s one group that does so without asking members to join activities that cut into their spare time. While board members recruit guest speakers, everyone else in the Bookcliff Knife and Fork Club is required only to pay annual dues and for dinners they […]
As an entrepreneur, Ray Scott knows businesses must adapt to changing market conditions. Scott has substantially changed the operations of his own Grand Junction companies over the years. A firm that initially provided equipment to the energy industry now sells natural gas fireplaces for hotels and high-end homes. When business for his warehousing company fell […]
The budget and redistricting likely will take up a lot of time during the legislative session in Colorado. But two Mesa County lawmakers also hope to reduce fees and taxes that affect businesses. Laura Bradford, a Republican from Collbran serving her second term in House District 55, said she hopes the Legislature will reverse course […]
Ernie Goss surprises even himself with his optimistic forecast for the Colorado economy in 2011. Goss expects conditions to improve and job growth to accelerate, especially during the second half of the year. “I’m much more upbeat today than I was six months ago,” says Goss, the eponymous director of the Goss Institute for Economic […]
The annual Marine Corps Toys for Tots drive didn’t go on as scheduled in Mesa County this year, but several Grand Valley businesses have pitched in to try to fill the gap. Led in part by KREX-TV, the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local No. 145 and the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, the collaborative […]
Chris Blackburn finds himself in a familiar territory of checkered tablecloths, terry cloth napkins and red glass candle holders. Framed black and white photographs cover the walls. And from somewhere in the background comes the unmistakable crooning of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. It’s no coincidence Blackburn has recreated the comfortable ambiance of a venerable […]
Nonprofit organizations in the Grand Valley face challenging times in the wake of the Great Recession. With unemployment above 9 percent in Mesa County, demand for services has increased. Meanwhile, businesses and families facing tighter budgets can be less likely to give as much as during better economic times. “It is down,” says Dan Wilson, […]
Matt Mayer foresees huge markets potentially worth billions of dollars for a unique medical device he’s helped develop. But he’s equally excited about another opportunity: reducing the risk of blood clots that kill hundreds of thousands of people in the United States each year. “When you can save lives, that’s pretty cool,” says Mayer, president […]