SandBoxBlogs: Vail Daily "Why small business owners are hesitant to hire"

Good article. 

Joyce M. Rosenberg:
"NEW YORK (AP) — Ken Levien has no plans to hire more people for his real estate project management company in New York. He says his business has only about 85 percent of the amount of work it can handle because the building industry is still hurting from the recession.

"Things are looking down in the construction business in New York City," he says.

Levien has a lot of company. Many small business owners aren't hiring or expanding because the outlook for the economy, or their own companies, is uncertain.

That raises the question of whether small businesses will give the economy the boost that it needs. Economists say that in past recoveries, small companies were the first to hire. When the economy was improving, they were more nimble than large companies because they didn't have the bureaucracy that can slow the hiring process. Their hiring helped propel the economy forward.

The economy is growing, but that growth has slowed — and so has the pace of hiring among business with less than 500 employees. The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of just 2.2 percent from January through March, according to government figures. That's down from the moderate 3 percent growth during the last three months of 2011. Making things worse, the pace of hiring by small businesses is slowing, according to the payroll company ADP, which issues a monthly report on employment at companies in the private sector. ADP says that employment at small and medium-sized businesses rose by 181,000 in March. Employment rose by just 116,000 in April......"  (Read more?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBoxBlogs: Summit Daily News "Summit's building scene could be on the mend"

Kathryn Corazzelli:
"“The general consensus is that building is up this year, but I think if you look at the nature of the business, a lot of it is production homes (like the Valley Brook development),” said Craig Campbell, general contractor at J&E Development in Breckenridge.

The custom home market still seems to be lagging a little, he said.

“From my perspective, the availability of financing is an issue,” Campbell said. “Over the last three years, I have not had one bank-loan customer.”

The shift is a dramatic one considering that before, nearly all of his clients had a bank loan. Now, it's all people who pay in cash.

“I've sensed a dramatic shift in the marketplace,” Campbell said....." (Read more? Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBoxBlogs: Vail Daily "Avon firm is selected for Walgreens project"

Congratulations to Evans Chaffee!!  Believe it or not, local contractors never get as fair of a shake in bidding local government contracts as outside the area contractors do.

Breaking that glass ceiling is almost under of.  This is terrific news and we're so glad to see a local firm land the new Walgreens over in Avon.

Randy Wyrick:
"AVON, Colorado — Developers of Eagle's proposed Eagle River Station chose a local company to build their Walgreens project in Avon.

Avon's new Walgreens will be built by Evans Chaffee.

The lender wanted a Front Range firm, said Trinity RED's Vince Riggio.

But Riggio said his firm felt strongly that the job should go to the local company.

“Trinity RED will do everything possible to give work to local companies,” Riggio said. “We chose Evans Chaffee because they're local and we know how many local people need work.”

They broke ground this week on their Walgreens project, Riggio said. It will replace Denny's in Avon.

It's scheduled for completion in October....."
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"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBox Comments: Vail Daily "Cordillera Club slaps boards with $96.5 million lawsuit"

No surprise here.

The real troubles, the rifts, hard feelings and massive debt; up in Cordillera started during construction phases.

Who's really to blame in all this brouhaha?

Owner/Developers who were not only greedy but lax in operations?

Or is it the greed of the clients and homeowners who cut corners and pushed construction workers into such low-ball bids some actually went under? 

Or maybe it's the bank that funded it all with wild abandon.  The same bank trying to bail on it now.

How about all sides?

Maybe they deserve living up there together now.  This will be an interesting lawsuit to watch unfold.

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