Jon Rynn, author of the book Manufacturing Green Prosperity: The power to rebuild the American middle Class, wrote for the Roosevelt Institute 6 key reasons that explain why manufacturing is central to having a thriving local economy. Manufacturing has been the path to development. Many see the creation of a high-quality manufacturing sector as a…
Bob Dylan’s song, ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’, couldn’t more accurately describe how our local economy is handling the gradual path towards normal operations. The recent pandemic has forced everyone to reevaluate daily operations in hopes to find a balance between commerce and public safety, and business owners have been quick to learn they must…
Who would have thought a very small bug (aka COVID-19) could turn the world upside down in less than 90 days? I took a sneak peek back at my March Chairman’s column and saw a normal world where I was talking about the legislative session and how the Chamber was your advocate and your voice…
Grand Junction Business Stabilization and Recovery Fund Established by the City of Grand Junction On May 6, 2020, the City of Grand Junction established the Grand Junction Business Stabilization and Recovery Fund to support businesses impacted by COVID-19. Loans will be equal to the lesser of 50% of two-months of Approved Uses (see below) or $7,500 maximum. The fund…
Today we take a look back at an outstanding project that broke ground during Economic Development Week 2019 resulting in Rocky Mountain Rail & Storage becoming the first “transload” facility in the Grand Junction, CO area. Through the Grand Junction Area Chamber’s Business Retention & Expansion efforts, we identified a growing need in the business…
The Chamber, in close collaboration with the Mesa County Enterprise Zone, applied for and received approval for a new COVID-19 related small business grant program that will be funded through donations. Those donating will be eligible for State of Colorado tax credits through the Enterprise Zone. Under those rules, for all cash donations the tax…
The Chamber has been a strong advocate for beginning the process of reopening businesses that have been shuttered or severely limited due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19 in our community. We have confidence in our Mesa County Health Department and the plan they have established to go slow with and monitor the situation….
How it came about? The initial inspiration for the Caring for Our Home Community originated as a phone call between a local non-profit and a local business owner, just checking in. The “idea” however came out of a collaboration of businesses and non-profits involved in the evolution of this fund. Results of a highly…
Is anyone else besides me truly glad that April is behind us? That was a month that felt like a year! The good news is that as of this writing Mesa County has been largely spared from the pandemic known as COVID-19. The bad news is that our economy has suffered and will continue to…