December 19, 2018 – Yesterday,  Richard Wobbekind, director of the Business Research Division and an associate dean at the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business, presented highlights from the 2018 Business Economic Outlook at the Grand Junction Chamber’s annual event.

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In an article titled “Economic outlook rosy for county, experts say,” The Daily Sentinel reporter Joe Vaccarelli summarizes the presentation:

“Mesa County’s economic outlook is generally pointed in an upward direction, rebounding nicely from the recession thanks to a diversification of the economy that should make recent prosperity more sustainable heading into 2018.

Meanwhile, the state’s economy as a whole has a strong outlook and the U.S. economy has posted two quarters in a row of strong gross domestic product growth, which could be a sign of a prosperous new year.

At least that is what Richard Wobbekind, the director of the Business Research Division and associate dean for MBA and Enterprise programs at the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business, told a room of about 200 Mesa County business leaders Monday during the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce’s final quarterly membership luncheon of 2017.

Wobbekind has presented at this luncheon for more than a decade to provide an economic outlook for the Grand Junction metro area, the state and the country and. although he’s known for his generally positive outlooks, this year provided an even rosier glow on the direction of the economy, particularly in Mesa County.

Wobbekind attributes the bounce back from the most recent recession to the growth of a variety of industries ranging from manufacturing to retail as Mesa County decreases its reliance on the energy industry.

‘You think about developing an economy that has much more diversity, a manufacturing base, more retail, more tourism. Frankly, it’s more balanced,’ Wobbekind said, noting the growth in those two industries as well as the education and health services workforce and government workers.”