Grand Junction, Colorado: A Haven for Innovative Businesses

Grand Junction, Colorado, on the Western Slope, is attracting entrepreneurs with its Colorado lifestyle, cheaper labour and land (house prices 60% of state average), and 300 days of sunshine. The town has diversified from oil and gas after ExxonMobil pulled out in the 1980s and the 2008 financial crisis caused a loss of 14,000 workers. The Grand Junction Economic Partnership (GJEP) offers cash incentives and tax breaks through its Jump-Start initiative. Notable businesses include Canfield Bikes (moved from Washington State in 2020), Carboy Winery (expanded from Denver in 2021), The Ordinary Fellow winery (opened 2021), Phoenix Haus (prefabricated houses from Detroit), and Kaart (mapping company). New restaurants like Pêche (started by former Alinea chefs) and Bin 707 are capitalizing on the changing crowd. The area also hosts Leitner-Poma (ski lift manufacturer) and West Star Aviation. Developers like Gavin Brooke are backing co-work spaces like Farm in Fruita. The region is thriving amid urban uncertainty in larger US cities.