Did customer service die during the COVID-19 pandemic? Or is service just really sick? Or, does good service survive like some species mistakenly believed to have gone extinct? If that is, you’re fortunate to happen upon the right place at the right time. Like so many aspects of business and culture, I suspect it depends. […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Nathan Perry quantifies the Mesa County economy with a variety of indicators and statistics. And a few encouraging words. “I think Mesa County is doing really well,” says Perry, an economics professor at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction who compiles quarterly and twice-yearly economic updates for Mesa County and […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Real estate sales continue to lag in Mesa County on a year-over-year basis. But the gap is expected to close because of slowing that began during the second half of 2022 and makes numbers more comparable. “It’s going to be a truer comparison,” said Annette Young, administrative coordinator at Heritage […]
Yet another benefit of working as editor of a business journal is the opportunities the job affords to explore developments, issues and trends on both an individual and collective basis. I interview sources and collect information for stories, then assemble those stories for print and online editions. It’s sort of like viewing pointillism painting. Lean […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times While the commercial real estate market in the Grand Valley faces challenges from higher interest rates and inflation, Brian Bray remains optimistic. Demand persists, especially for investment properties. Businesses are growing and moving into bigger quarters. And more inventory is becoming available, said Bray, managing broker of Bray Commercial based […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times While national and state policies affect businesses, so do local policies. “Local communities have a lot of say in their ability to stay competitive,” said Chris Brown, vice president of policy and research with the Common Sense Institute. Speaking at a Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce quarterly membership meeting, […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times In astronomical terms, summer officially started in the Northern Hemisphere with the solstice on June 21. But the summer tourism season started in the Grand Valley well before that. Before the Memorial Day holiday weekend in May even. Elizabeth Fogarty, director of Visit Grand Junction and the city’s destination marketing […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Tabi Britt hopes to change any perceptions of the Mesa County Workforce Center as a last stop for employers looking to fill vacancies or, for that matter, people looking for jobs. “I’d love to have them see us as their first stop,” says Britt, the new employment services supervisor at […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Comprehensive planning and significant investments in infrastructure will pay off in promoting economic development in the Grand Valley, local government officials say. Challenges persist, though, among them the availability of affordable housing. And imposing a heavier state regulatory burden to usurp local controls won’t help. “That one size fits all […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times If Tony Gagliardi were to assign a letter grade to the latest session of the Colorado Legislature, it would be a D. His marks would be even lower for the partisanship he said has replaced statesmanship. “There’s no respect left,” said Gagliardi, state director of the National Federation of Independent […]