Contributors Opinion Bold predictions bored for 2015 Our apparently board A new yearpromote affords needs Business Briefs Incentives more like repeats to not-so-bold stick to education a new opportunity expansive efforts Business People Almanac to meet local needs THE he B BUSINESS usiness T T Times IMES
PPAGE age 26 22
There are those who question the effectiveness of incentives in promoting economic development — in particular in attracting businesses to an area. A receipient stays long enough to take advantage of the incentives, then moves on to another to obtain even moreanincentives, oneforargument goes.and A newlocation year almost always brings opportunity a fresh start It’s aambition specious to contention. renewed do thingsThere better.are exceptions. But most businesses don’t engage in the kindthat of activities that are more like children going door to door on In business, usually boils down to providing customers better products Halloween in the eager pursuit of bigger bags of candy. For one thing, incentives and services faster and at lower cost than competitors. Part of the process must constitute only onetofactor that goes into the calculation where need to locate business include listening customers to determine what they of actually andathen — and not theneed. mostAfter important For another relocating meeting that all, itfactor. does little good tothing, offer the the costs latestofand greatest if operations and employees present obstacles nobody actually wants what you’re selling. to frequent moves. What about incentives for an existing business Just like the businesses that belong to the group,expanding the Grandoperations? Junction Area They can be even more beneficial because existing account forof Chamber of Commerce invariably starts out the new yearbusinesses with a reassessment more of the job that’s one goaland of incentives. Thematch U.S. Small Business the services andgrowth resources it provides how well they with members Administration estimates existing businesses about percent of net needs. Jeff Franklin, the new chairman of the account chamberfor board of 60 directors, new jobs in this the private sector. personifies approach in describing what he considers his role for the coming Now, what about incentives fortheir an existing business withthose a large workIt’s force year: listen to members, determine needs and then meet needs. a that brings dollars into the economy? role with which Franklin is familiar as market president of Bank of Colorado. That’s the kind ideal Steve Jozefczyk talks in praising The process willoftake onsituation a more structured approach in about what the chamberthe package of state and local latest expansion at West Star plans as the resumption of incentives a program supporting aptly calledthe Listening to Business. Under the Aviation in Grand Junction. As deputy director of the Grand Junction Economic program, business owners participate in in-depth interviews to identify barriers to Partnership, Jozefczyk was they involved in efforts to secure the incentives. growth and other problems encounter. The Colorado Economic Development The new year offers a good time to joinCommission the proverbialapproved club. a total of $1.7 As million incentives the $16 Thatthe includes jobTimes? growth an advertiser or for reader, whatmillion do youproject. need from Business incentive credits journals that willtraditionally be paid out over eight West Star adds Whiletax business gather andyears reportasthe relevant newsstaff to as well additional incentives from the state strategic fund. GJEP and Industrial readers, communication isn’t necessarily a one-way street. That’s especially true as Developments Inc. inmake Grandthe Junction will payconvenient a total of $246,000 Web sites and e-mail dialogue more than ever.to match money fromGood the strategic fund.don’t exist in a vacuum. They respond to the needs of publications The combination incentives is what’s unusual, Jozefczyk said, but reflects the advertisers and readers.ofThey provide needed. role So of West in the Mesa County economy. With a staff of more than 500, the what Star do you need? company ranks among news the largest private the county. Along with Is there additional coverage thatemployers would helpinkeep you informed abouta 40,000-square-foot hangar and 32,000 square feet of additional shop and office local business developments? Are there features that would be interesting or space, Staradvice expects to would add 110 moreyour employees to itseasier? payroll. useful?West Is there that make jobs a little There are good reasons at With the Grand Junction It’s equally important to the askWest whatStar you operation don’t need. limited time to Regional Airport is already one of the largest for the company. But produce content and limited space in which to publish it, would timewith and space be operations in seven states, West better devoted to something else?Star could have expanded facilities elsewhere. The What’s incentives made an easy that much easier. good? What isn’t?decision What’s needed? What isn’t? The Grand Valley attractive location in which do business —Web not Let us know. Send offers us an an e-mail. Comment online on thetoBusiness Times the of which involves the scenic salubrious climate and outdoor site least at www.thebusinesstimes.com. Yousetting, could even write an old-fashioned letter to recreational opportunities. not toboth mention a growing educational institution the editor if you’d like. YourThat’s feedback, positive and negative, is valued and in Colorado Mesa University. Incentives add to the inducements — the tax credits will be carefully considered. offered through the Rural Start of program, Good publications areJump the result not onlyfor theexample. efforts of their staffs, but also But it’s altogether fitting and proper incentives also are available to help the collaborative efforts involving advertisers and readers. businesses thatother are already here to stay here,toexpand their Like any good business, we want listen to ouroperations customers,and findprovide out more jobs. what they need and then meet those needs. Without that’s when incentives It’s a newquestion, year. Please help us to do so. can be especially effective. F ✦
THE BUSINESS TIMES
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Publisher/Owner: Craig R. Hall
Editor: Phil Castle
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Subscribe or submit press releases online at www.thebusinesstimes.com The Grand Valley Business Times, a subsidiary of Hall Media Group LLC, is published twice monthly and distributed throughout Grand Junction, Fruita and Palisade. Advertising rates and deadlines are available upon request. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, editor, staff or advertisers. Copyright © 2015 — AllCopyright rights reserved. © 2022 — All rights reserved.
If our school board election taught It’s thatlast time of year when us one thingand — on either side of theabound. political resolutions prognostications spectrum — there are myriad problems My favorite saying applied to New Year’s within MesaisCounty School District 51. a resolutions in saying they’re basically While it’s bunch of promises to break the first week obvious each sidewhile has I won’t predict a of January. And its peculiar whole lot, I sets can of pretty much accurately concerns won’t nail a fewand things that without question agree how the things will make news. You will see these are should be done to pretty, well, predictable: alleviate and eliminate ■ Prediction one: (politically) There will bethose some problems, I hope sort of weather event, we can disaster all agreeorthe natural board doesn’t need heinous occurrence Craig Hall to go looking for, where someone will or creating more, be interviewed and say problems for the district. the following: “I’ve here we are. neverYet, seen anything It’s in nomy secret I supported the three like that candidates who lifetime.” It’s as were if thisrecently elected to the Craig Hall board of education. no secret board person is a requiredIt’s also members presented attendee atwere every news with myriad concerns in addressing the direction reporting just event. While I understand most promised in their campaigns — beginning people’s perspective can indeed be limited day one of their service. by, or contained within, And their it’s ownbecome personal public knowledge from meeting attendance experiences, it is too much to ask to there aresome thosehistorical who support the new before consult perspective direction of the boardYes, and this those who don’t saying such a thing? response can when to educational, operational apply ittocomes some events. But when it comes and personnel to weather anddecisions. natural disasters, I’m pretty This could be ahistory columnrepeating lamentingitself. or sure this is simply attacking those themillions new of Same as it has in foropposition millions to and board’s actions. It would be fish-in-a-barrel years. More important, theaplanet made it! type festivity, especially I’veHow’s railed Whatofdidn’t were certain since species. on these same folks in every walk of life that for perspective? outside of education. YetWhen today,itI comes find myself ■ Prediction two: to a on the or opposing side that of the boardbetween given a few crime something occurs recent announcements. humans, the other required attendee at all up is D51’s expansion newsFirst reporting eventscontinued is the person who into health care. Regardless of your says this: “They we’re just the nicest feelings on the successes about people, and in no way didorI concerns see something the Marillac Exactly. runs inside likeclinic this coming.” NoCentral one does High School, onewhen thing itmust come most of the time comes to to the forefront: decisions involving neighbors Medical and acquaintances. People should minors shouldatbe up to their period. be surprised what goes onparents, from time to Itime realize we have too many kids withand little in their neighborhoods, towns to nopeople parentalthey involvement and they need with know because people are agood. safety netfor forthe things thatthat happen their And times they in shouldn’t lives medically. You’d bepoliticians, surprised torepeat know be shocked — like with Ioffenders believe aand government-private solution terrorists — where’s the should be that desirable them. But with all interview says, for “This doesn’t surprise things government, me in the least.” it should be limited in government involvement. ■ Prediction three: Something good Let’s beeconomically, honest. Government will happen and thehas and always will continue makefor a disaster government will taketocredit it. The of most our health care system. There’swhere no reason to recent example is gas prices, people believe would fare credit much better in a school ask me itwhy I won’t the president for setting in spite ofanswer some successes low gas—prices. My is simple:noted in the last board meeting. I have believe Government never makes thetoprice of there are just as many, if not more, concerns something go down and simply takes about credit the at Central. no one’s running for clinic good news. Gas But pricing is subject to a public relations campaign more many global factors. Nowfor there areclinics by putting thoseanswers into the public realm. And when government to addressing some of kids are making decisions outside of parent’s them to keep prices stable for Americans, purview — medical or those but our government hasotherwise none of — them in problem areas place. The onlyalways thingsexist. it has in place in the
March 15-28, 10-23, 2015 2022 JANUARY
a great in the long We runhave always hurtorganization consumers. Another Marillac Clinic, one I support wholeheartedly. fact is that unemployment reaches a certain And applaud in clinics levelIbased onits theefforts economy. And designed while the to help those might most inbrag need. schools government theBut number is aren’t low, the place to dothe this. it’s proper more than likely government did It’s high remove non-profit something totime causetothat number being low and not-for-profit statuses the health — and not in a good way.across Conversely, when care industry. happythe folks, business picksFor up,you it’stax because people there’s TRILLIONS of dollars tax in who need to buy widgets whotowere not that arena. For you tax writeoff folks, it was buying widgets because the economy offers a better solution. Let (or anyunnatural, medical contracting due to natural professional entity reasons, write off decided every penny government or caused) we itbetter donates voluntary clinics and in its buytosome widgets. The— government facilities — that help those had nothing to do with this.in need or who the government requires they treat. Just ■ Prediction four: In keeping withthink of the tax for medical things thesavings government does, Iprofessionals predict the who volunteer once a month atthe a clinic. government will manipulate numbers to Think of the tax savings for a large entity if it make the claim the economy is getting could off everything better write because of how hardfrom it issurgeries working to to medications Band-Aids. Think youNow might help all of usto“working Americans.” see clinic say, or two pop up? these youamight “Craig, youThink always say folks this couldn’t find a way to basically have zero about President Obama because youadon’t tax through this system? ThinkIthis won’t likebill him.” You’re right in a sense. don’t get government out what of health care?of him and know the man, but I know Here’s another is looking into his thinking, I don’tarena like itD51 or him one iota. which has destroyed: real Beforethe yougovernment go off, however, I didn’t like estate. Yup.Bush As ifand renthis control, public housing, President bailouts, stimulus mortgages, property taxes andmarket just about and his abandoning the free to save everything that goes “owning” home the free market. Andinto I don’t know ahim doesn’t have athe long history of does, government either. What government and the screwing every 51 is only thingupitatcan do, level, is hurtDistrict the economy. looking at ways to benefit folks in education Unless it does nothing or put criminals in with specialof pricing for homes, limitednothing jail instead partnering with them, increases in homedoes values keepAlways them look the government willtohelp. affordable andwhatever other incentives and subsidies at it this way, the government says to attract thewhatever best teachers for our it is doing, the name ofkids. the law it I don’torknow aboutthe you, but or mygoal bestof is passing, whatever name customers aren’titthe ones looking for a the bureaucracy is presenting to the deal, butexpect ratherthe thepolar best value. Sometimes people, opposite to occur. that value is what in theI’m product, notis the I guess saying thatmoney spent. In it’s thistime case,toD51 is a of victim of both. perhaps get out our own Its product isn’t greatplenty and it of (admittedly) perspective. There’s history underpays staff —research unless you’re in a to books and its historical out there certain or have special position. begin tobuilding understand thataall of this has You don’t need a Harvard degree to happened before. And it will again, understand since time immemorial teachers whether the topic is people or government. haveThe beenbest underappreciated andisunderpaid. recommendation to find Isome say this as someone who grewGoogle up in a books or try that whole home twoateachers — one whoon served thing. with There’s lot of information the on a board of education. Like istheit warning Great Depression. The truth wasn’t on a pack of cigarettes saying they’re got even a good one until the government bad for you, salaryalso levels are aofknown involved. There’s plenty research warning for thosewarm who teach. on the medieval periodWouldn’t when thethe simple solution bewarmer finding than a waytoday to pay planet was much with them more? The people district (and couldwarmer begin bywell a whole lot less cutting the cost the new high school before man wasofhere at all). And yep, and eliminating — and other perhaps even a people haveclinics been killing surprised few administrative positions. people since history was first written. Like allsome too many we elect, making Maybe research will help stop one’s mark by taking one’s mission all of these trends. Otherwise, we’ll into be realms outsidenever its focus over.like Thus saying we’ve seentakes anything it in far, D51 board seems no exception. our the lives. And not in a good way. Craig Craig Hall Hall is is owner owner and and publisher publisher of of the the Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com. publisher@thebusinesstimes.com. F ✦
