For clarification, USWNT stands for the United States Women’s National Team, which just won soccer’s World Cup over in France. Gee, another successful U.S. invasion claiming victory on French soil — and to boot, this one resulting from a tweet from President Donald Trump daring the women to win it all. But I digress. As […]
There’s seldom a time when all the indicators click into place like tumblers and reveal, if only for a moment, what’s really going on in the economy. More often, another metaphor applies: The signals remain mixed. That’s the situation in the Grand Valley halfway through 2019. The cover story in this very issue of the […]
At the risk of losing both my newspaper columnist certificate suitable for framing and secret decoder ring, it’s time to divulge yet another trick of the trade. Alert readers might recall my helpful column about dealing with writer’s block. When columnists believe they’re suffering from writer’s block and can’t think of anything to write about, […]
I was going to use one of my favorite cartoon lines of all time for a headline, but was afraid it would get lost in translation. It’s more about what kind of pet person I am. Hopefully, you can sound it out: I tawt I taw a puddy tat.” I did. And we’ll get to […]
Although it wasn’t initially planned that way, the latest Business Times coverage constitutes what could be billed as the new CEO edition. By all means, read all about it. Along with a story about the new chief executive officer at Dalby, Wendland & Co. — which was planned — a story broke about the new […]
What do you want to be when you grow up? Nearly everyone has been asked that question — usually starting in elementary school, if not sooner. Nearly everyone asks that question of themselves — sometimes regardless of age or the stage of their careers. The question takes on additional significance as educators ponder how young […]
There’s the potential for what might be called tech and rec to play increasingly important roles in the Grand Valley economy. One thing has everything to do with the other. Tech firms — including advanced manufacturing and software companies — have grown and earned recognition in the process. Wren Industries constitutes a notable example as […]
The news cycle this past weekend consisted of two of the most worthless, diverting and idiotic stories the media has ever tried to foist upon the American people: Donald Trump saying the word nasty and changing how his hair looked. And the acting related to them is off the charts. Think about that. This is […]
If nothing else, I’ve learned over the past 20 years successful entrepreneurs have a lot to teach business owners and managers. It’s why I remain hell-bent as editor of the Business Times to report stories about entrepreneurs, the needs they recognize in the marketplace and innovative ways they go about meeting those needs. For one […]
Like the song about the home on the range, the latest assessments of business and economic conditions in the Grand Valley grow increasingly upbeat. Seldom is heard a discouraging word. Alison Felix, an economist who serves as a vice president and Denver branch executive for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, said as much […]