Tim Harty The Business Times
Daycare Drama C
hildcare provider Kid City USA began October with three Grand Junction locations, but it may end November with none.
Kid City USA closed its childcare center at 2880 Elm Ave., and its association with childcare centers at 493 28 1/4 Road and 3170 D 1/2 Road is ending, but both remain open while ownership and franchise changes are in the works.
Coreen Edwards, who sold her childcare center at 493 28 1/4 Road to Kid City USA in July, then remained there as an employee, spoke about what is happening at that location. Plus, she knows details about the 2880 Elm Ave. location.
Meanwhile, Stormy Killpack spoke about the 3170 D 1/2 Road childcare center, which is owned by her corporation, 3170 D Grand Junction CO Inc. Her center is a franchisee of Kid City USA.
The Business Times tried to call Kid City USA CEO Audrey Bruner for comment and left a voicemail with the Kid City USA corporate office. No reply was received before The Business Times’ print deadline. 2880 Elm Avenue
Kid City USA closed its childcare center at 2880 Elm Ave. on Oct. 16, according to Edwards.
A note on the door from Ben Veltien of building owner Par 4 Properties LLC, dated Oct. 31 and addressed to Kid City USA CEO Andrey Bruner and CFO Tracey Watson, detailed nonpayment of $12,075 that was due Oct. 5. See story Page 6
Caitlin Loncarich, owner of Pinon Kitchen Co., a home-based microbakery in De
is
of sourdough bread that she makes one day per week. She recently lined up several area
and pastries, and she planned to start teaching baking classes this month in her
Beque,
shown in her kitchen with loaves
coffee shops to sell her breads
kitchen. Photo courtesy of Pinon Kitchen.
Baking up business in coffee shops
Pinon Kitchen needed to move its sourdough bread and pastry sales indoors and found several coffee shops happy to oblige
Tim Harty
The Business Times
The late-summer end of the farmers market season brought some uncertainty as Caitlin Loncarich looked ahead to the first autumn for her De Bequebased microbakery, Pinon Kitchen.
She needed to take her sourdough breads and assorted baked goods inside, and she’s found a few takers that will keep the ovens in her kitchen busy.
In late September, Kiln Coffee Bar, 326 Main St. in downtown Grand Junction, decided to get its pastries from Pinon Kitchen.
In mid-October, Colorado Legacy Coffee started stocking a shelving unit next to its counter with a variety of Pinon Kitchen offerings.
And Loncarich also got The Coffee Shack in Parachute on board to sell her baked goods.
Landing the account with Kiln Coffee Bar was “perfect timing, exiting out of the markets,” she said. “And when those slowed down, I was able to just kind of keep going. And so it’s been enough where I have to be very good on prep and planning ahead, because it is just me (doing the baking).
“So, I have a couple wholesale accounts, which is just perfect for what I’m doing. … I don’t really want to get too much more, because I always want great quality goods that I do. And I’m not sure if I’m quite ready yet to hire somebody else as well.”
Getting Colorado Legacy to carry her baked goods made sense, as Loncarich worked for Colorado Legacy owner Roni Welsh when she owned Aspen Street Coffee in Fruita. Loncarich was a junior at Fruita Monument High School when she started there, but even then Welsh saw Loncarich’s passion for baking.
Welsh said she tried some of Pinon Kitchen’s baked goods this summer at a farmers market, “and it was amazing. … She’s a fabulous, fabulous baker.”
Welsh has been stocking a variety of items, such as sourdough sandwich bread, classic sourdough bread, sourdough blueberry English muffins, sourdough chocolate croissants and apple butter cruffins.
“It’s been awesome,” Welsh said, adding, “Every week we had to bump the order up.”
By the third order, Colorado Legacy’s item count had doubled. Welsh said she gets the baked goods on Friday, and the first two weeks they sold out before Monday. Keep in mind Colorado Legacy isn’t open on Sunday.
Loncarich is thankful for Welsh’s business, saying, “After markets season,
ABOVE: In addition to baked goods, Pinon Kitchen Co. owner Caitlin Loncarich hosts occasional farm-to-table dinners at her home. Here, she shows off slow-roasted shredded beef on top of a creamy pumpkin sage risotto. Photo courtesy of Pinon Kitchen Co.
BOTTOM LEFT: Colorado Legacy Coffee displays Pinon Kitchen baked goods on this shelving unit next to the counter in its store. Loncarich worked for Colorado Legacy owner Roni Welsh for several years, beginning when Loncarich was a junior in high school. Photo by Tim Harty.
BOTTOM RIGHT: Loncarich baked this white chocolate and raspberry cake for a local wedding this past July 4. She took cake-decorating classes at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. Photo courtesy of Pinon Kitchen Co.
it’s like, ‘Well, where do I go?’ And Roni reached out to me and just thought that that would be a perfect combination, and I’m so glad, because it works out very well.”
She’s also thankful for Welsh’s example.
“She is just a phenomenal businesswoman in general,” Loncarich said. “I’ve always just thought that she is just very straightforward, which is how I run my business. And yeah, I did learn a lot when I was younger, which was great.”
The appetite for cooking arrived early for Loncarich. She said her family ran Ocotillo Outfitters, and her mom cooked for camp, so Loncarich grew up cooking.
After high school she went into the twoyear culinary program at Western Colorado Community College. From there, Loncarich did a lot of learning through experience and taking classes that interest her.
“Wherever I travel, I just love immersing myself in their culture, really learning just foundational things in that culture,” she said. “I would go on retreats, baking retreats, cooking retreats, and any kind of classes that I can pick up. A really great organization – it’s a magazine, Bake From Scratch – they do retreats all around the world. I’ve gone on three of theirs.”
Loncarich also took cake-decorating classes at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City.
She said of her piecemeal approach, “They are like little, great snippets where I can really hone in on my craft and pick up little things that I’m missing or will help my process in general. And I really love just learning other ways of doing it, because there’s many different ways of doing something, and whatever works best for that person is just fascinating to me.”
While Loncarich’s education is neverending, she’s at a point where the student has become the master, or at least enough of an expert that she wants to teach baking classes.
After a major renovation of her De Beque home in May, she has an open, wellequipped, 550-square-foot kitchen to do it.
First came a commitment. After owning and/or operating other non-baking businesses for years, Loncarich thought about how she had “always dabbled in the baking and doing weddings and cakes.”
She realized baking was what she wanted to do, and it was time to go beyond
“I said, ‘If I’m going to start my own business, I’m going to get serious about it.’ So, we finished the kitchen here. ... and then this is where I will have classes.”
She said during a Nov. 5 interview she had just set up her sourdough workshop classes, which would be her first, to teach this month and in December.
See BAKING on page 12
And Roni that that and I’m so well.”
Welsh’s phenomenal Loncarich that she is is how I did learn a was great.” arrived early family ran mom cooked cooking. into the twoColorado Loncarich experience and just love culture, really things in that retreats, and any A really magazine, Bake all around theirs.” cake-decorating Culinary approach, snippets where and pick missing or will And I really doing it, ways of works best to me.” is neverstudent has enough of an baking classes. of her De open, wellkitchen to do it. commitment. After non-baking thought dabbled in the cakes.” what she go beyond my own serious about here. ... and classes.” interview she workshop to teach page 12
Being handy comes naturally
Skilled with tools and armed with practical experience, Jared Madden starts handyman business
Tim Harty The Business Times
If he had his druthers, Jared Madden would paint cars.
He already does, and he’s exceptional at it – his smart phone has plenty of photos that support the claim – but it’s a part-time, off-hours thing. He can’t quit his day job and pay the mortgage solely painting cars.
One day. Not yet.
In the meantime, the 24-year-old Grand Junction High School alum does other things, lots of other things, which is what a handyman does. And that’s what he is, what he officially has been since mid-September, when he started his home-based handyman business, Madden Paintworks LLC.
Don’t let the name fool you. Painting houses, interior and exterior, is a big part of what he does, but Madden has an aptitude for tools and mastering them, even when the teacher is the untrained man he sees in the mirror. Making a tool do what it’s supposed to do comes natural to him, and he can’t explain it. It’s just what happens.
As a result, he’s as serious as a heart attack when he says, “I’m not scared to take on any job.”
“I’ve lived a lot of lives already,” Madden said. “It’s been quite the experience, especially when it comes to career fields, because I’m interested in learning how every different aspect of everything works, and I’ve just got a knack for picking up on new trades, I guess.”
It goes back being a teenager and getting his first car, which he painted, by the way. Madden also did the necessary work under the hood.
“I got my first car when I was 16, and it needed a clutch, so that was an intimidating job for somebody that doesn’t know how to work on cars,” he said. “And it was either figure it out and have a car to drive or don’t and have an expensive paperweight.
“And so I took the first option and learned how to get it done. And ever since I haven’t been scared to jump into new projects and challenge myself.”
Two years later Madden was learning to paint aircraft at West Star Aviation in Grand Junction, great experience for someone who wants to paint automobiles.
“I was taught by some really worldclass guys on how to paint aircraft,” he said.
Madden did that for two years, then decided he wanted to see if another trade might suit him. He said he was an electrician apprentice for about six months, but that wasn’t what he wanted to do. Then, he helped a friend who has a painting
business and got a lot of good pointers.
Eventually he found himself back at West Star and worked there for another two years, which brings him to the present.
What the work resume doesn’t include is what he did on two homes that he bought. Yes, Madden is 24 and bought two homes. He acknowledged he was making decent money, but he attributes his ability to buy each home to taking advantage of the help that’s available to young home buyers.
“Just financial literacy was 90 percent of the battle,” he said. “And there’s definitely programs out there to help people get into houses, which is what helped me get my start, and a lot of good advice from friends.”
The home price was more affordable, too, because both homes were fixer-uppers – actually, his word for each was “trashed” – and he was up for fixing them.
Home renovation involved lots of work he’d never done, but Madden is a quick study and has that aptitude for tools. And what’s that old adage? There’s no better way to learn to do something than to do it.
Madden swam into waves of on-thejob experience as a homeowner.
“Buying my first house, and then on to my second house, I’ve really enjoyed the process of just making it what I want it to be and enjoying the space and making it look new,” he said. “I found that I really like working on houses.”
Now, he brims with confidence, saying he can do “pretty much anything when it comes to remodeling, whether it be flooring, installing doors, light fixtures. If you want to make a space look nice, I’m the guy to do it.”
Madden said his friends saw how he transformed each home, realized he was good at remodeling, “and they wanted me to come help them with their projects.”
Hence came Madden’s realization that he was ready to start his own business.
“I just assumed that that was the way to go,” he said. “And the timing lined up right, and I had the ability to do it and the tools to do it finally, and clientele started popping up, and I’ve had some really good friends in the industry that have showed me how to get started.”
And nearly two months in, he has found:
• He likes the independence of running his own business and being involved in the totality of a project, not just one, small, repetitive part of it.
• Problem solving and overcoming challenges get his motor running.
• And the gratification in a job well done and a happy customer are rewards beyond remuneration.
MORE ABOUT MADDEN PAINTWORKS
To learn more about Madden Paintworks, find it on Facebook, or call owner Jared Madden at (970) 314-8348.
Madden Paintworks owner Jared Madden hauls his tools and supplies to job sites with his Nissan Pathfinder and a small trailer. Photo by Tim Harty.
Same Values, New Chapter
CommWest’s longtime owner retires, hands over company to like-minded successors
CommWest’s longtime owner Nathan Wallace, left, stands with new managing partners Martin Jensen, center, and Anson Pierce, right. The company, based in Grand Junction, will continue under new ownership with the same community focus and commitment to customer service that have defined it for more than two decades. Photo courtesy of CommWest.
Brandon Leuallen
The Business Times
When Nathan Wallace decided it was time to retire after 20 years at the helm of CommWest, finding the right fit mattered more than finding just any buyer. The Grand Junction-based technology company, known for its personal approach and deep local roots, will now continue under new ownership that Wallace said “just felt right.”
CommWest was acquired Nov. 11 by Anson Pierce and Martin Jensen, managing partners who operate two technology firms in Florida. Both were looking to expand westward but were determined to find a business that shared their same values of trust, service and community connection.
“We weren’t looking for a takeover or a roll up,” Pierce said. “We wanted a company with a culture that cared about people, that valued relationships and that didn’t see clients as numbers. When we met Nathan, it was clear our values lined up perfectly.”
Match Built on Shared Principles
The pair had explored several options, and Colorado was at the top of their list. Both have family ties and personal connections to the state, and when a business broker introduced them to CommWest, they knew
they had found what they were looking for.
“The broker told us right away that Nathan had nonnegotiables,” Jensen said. “He wasn’t interested in selling to anyone who would gut the staff or change what makes CommWest special. That told us everything we needed to know about the kind of business this was.”
Instead of pursuing a corporate acquisition or private equity-backed merger, the new owners said their goal is to maintain the company’s team, branding, culture and local presence while continuing to build on its longstanding relationships with customers.
“We understand doing business in a relationship-based community,” Pierce said. “That’s how we built our companies in Miami, and that’s how CommWest has built its success here. We plan to keep that going.”
From Phones to Full-Service IT CommWest was founded in 2002 as a provider of business phone systems. Wallace joined in 2004 and purchased the company a year later. Under his leadership, the business grew into one of the Western Slope’s most respected technology service providers, offering managed IT support, communications systems and cybersecurity protection for businesses of all sizes. See COMMWEST on Page 9
Kid City USA closes 1 center, while 2 others maneuver to remain open
Continued from Page 1
The posted note also included the following declaration: “Please note that if I have to commence legal proceedings in order to secure repayment of the debt owing, this letter will be tendered in court as evidence of your failure to attempt to resolve this matter.”
Edwards said the childcare center’s director left, and Kid City USA asked Edwards on a Thursday to “go over and let all the teachers go, and tell the parents they have no daycare as of Monday.”
Edwards said the Elm Avenue childcare center “only had 40 kids in the building, and they had more employees than me.” Edwards said she has 18 employees at the 28 1/4 Road location.
493 28 1/4 Road
Edwards said Kid City USA did not announce it was going to close the childcare center at 493 28 1/4 Road, but it gave the business back to her after she inquired about its future, and she has kept the business open.
Edwards owned and operated Wishes and Dreams Learning Center at 493 28 1/4 Road for 22 years before she sold the daycare to Kid City USA in July. She had owned the building, but sold it earlier this year to a different entity, ECHO Real Estate Group CO7 LLC, which is not associated with Kid City USA.
Edwards said she is getting relicensed and attempting to restructure ownership, so the childcare center will be employeeowned. She plans to name the childcare center Busy Bees Learning Center and continue to serve the existing 112 children currently enrolled at the center.
Aware of the closure at 2880 Elm Ave. and “several on the Front Range,” Edwards said, “I just started getting panicky, so I called them and said, ‘You know, I owned my center 22 years, be honest with me, what’s going to happen?’ And she said, ‘Just take your center back.’”
Edwards said retaking ownership of the childcare center is not as simple as “just take your center back,” but she realized she needed to start work on ownership immediately, and that’s where the idea of
making it employee-owned emerged.
Edwards said Kid City USA made payroll to the employees at the 28 1/4 Road location for October, but it won’t for November, so she has created a GoFundMe page online in hopes of raising $50,000 to cover the payroll and a few other expenses while she gets the ownership restructured for Busy Bees Learning Center.
Edwards said she will keep all of the employees.
“There are people here who worked for me for 10 years, 15 years, 19 years,” she said.
Edwards added social media has been abuzz about what is happening with Kid City USA in Grand Junction, and people have “really reached out and supported” her through the process of trying to get the 28 1/4 Road childcare center owner-operated.
3170 D 1/2 Road
Killpack first and foremost wanted to make it clear to the community that her childcare center serves: “You can bring your kids here. We’re not going to close down.”
Killpack said she started her childcare center and its association with Kid City USA in August 2023 as a franchisee that benefits from the brand recognition and operating system of a national company. Kid City USA’s website lists 11 states that it operates in, including Florida, where it is headquartered and operates 50 childcare centers.
Killpack said 3170 D Grand Junction CO Inc. remained the owner of the childcare center, and Kid City USA was only the trade name. She said she has the state license to operate the center, not Kid City USA.
She said she has an attorney working to terminate the association with Kid City USA, so she can rename the childcare center.
Killpack said Bruner called her about closing her childcare center, and it went like this: “She said, ‘You will shut down, and you’ll shut down tomorrow,’ and I said, “I won’t.’ And she said, ‘I’ll make you,’ and I knew she couldn’t.
“And I don’t know why she wanted me to shut down, because she didn’t make payroll, because she couldn’t get the license in her name. I don’t know.”
Killpack said her childcare center serves about 70 families.
DAYCARE NEEDS HELP TO PAY WORKERS
Coreen Edwards said she is getting relicensed and attempting to restructure ownership of the childcare center at 493 28 1/4 Road after Kid City USA gave the daycare business back to her.
She said until that happens, which will take about a month, the employees will not get paid by Kid City USA.
Edwards has set up a GoFundMe page online in hopes of raising $50,000 to cover payroll for November for the center’s 18 employees, plus some expenses.
The GoFundMe page is at: www.gofundme.com/f/help-busybees-stay-open-for-the-community
An outdoor play area at the childcare center at 493 28 1/4 Road.
CommWest
Continued from Page 5
Its client base stretches from small insurance offices to hospitals, resorts and government agencies, serving communities from Grand Junction to Montrose, Delta and Telluride.
“We can’t guarantee your stuff won’t break, but we’ll guarantee we’ll fix it,” Wallace said. “That’s been our motto from day one. Take care of the customer, be honest and make sure things work.”
The Essential Defense Suite
One of the company’s most recent innovations is its Essential Defense Suite, a comprehensive cybersecurity solution designed for small and medium-sized businesses. The package includes real-time monitoring, email security, multifactor authentication, data backup and endpoint threat detection, providing enterprise-grade protection without the large price tag.
“Small businesses are just as vulnerable as large ones,” Wallace said.
what we wanted. I’ll still be around, and I want to be able to see my staff and customers in a few years and know everyone’s happy.”
New Leadership, Same Values
At CommWest, Pierce will focus on growth and client relationships while Jensen oversees operations and service delivery. Pierce brings more than a decade of experience helping technology firms grow through relationship-based service and strong customer partnerships. Jensen, a former corporate attorney and operations leader, brings a focus on efficiency, systems and long-term sustainability.
On the Western Slope, Pierce said, “I have been genuinely impressed by the strong focus on community. … As someone who has always built my business on relationships, stepping into this environment truly feels like coming home. I am excited to build upon the remarkable legacy that Nate and the team have established.”
“It has been my great pleasure to work with our team and help our clients’ businesses grow through technology. We’ve built something special here, and I’m proud to see it continue.”
- Nathan Wallace, former CommWest owner
“We’ve seen local chambers, hospitals and even counties hit with cyberattacks. We wanted to make sure businesses here could be protected affordably.”
A Family Business and a Local Legacy
For Wallace, CommWest has always been more than a business. It has been a family effort and a community connection. His wife and daughters have been involved over the years, helping with office work and client support.
“It has been my great pleasure to work with our team and help our clients’ businesses grow through technology,” he said. “We’ve built something special here, and I’m proud to see it continue.”
Wallace, who moved to Colorado in 1983, said he plans to stay local and enjoy more time camping and hunting in the Western Slope’s wilderness while remaining a familiar face to customers and staff during the transition.
“I’ve seen a lot of ownership changes that didn’t go well,” he said. “That’s not
Looking Ahead
For Pierce and Jensen, the sale represents more than a business expansion. It is the continuation of a shared philosophy and a partnership that will include two familiar faces.
Wallace’s two daughters will remain on staff, a condition the new owners quickly embraced. It didn’t take long for them to see how much they contribute to what makes CommWest work, recognizing that they’re part of the heartbeat of the company and making it clear they are grateful that the two are staying.
Outside the company, the transition has also drawn support from local partners.
“Nathan did an incredible job to get CommWest to where it is today. We are excited for the team’s new chapter and for the opportunity to partner with Anson and Martin as they continue to keep their service strong and local,” said Luke Clayton of Evergreen Administrative Services, a human resources and payroll solutions company in Grand Junction.
F
TV stations KKCO, KJCT moving toward new ownership
Brandon Leuallen The Business Times
Two of Western Colorado’s television stations will soon have new owners, pending federal approval.
Gray Media has agreed to transfer KKCO, the region’s NBC affiliate, and KJCT-LP, the area’s ABC affiliate, to The E.W. Scripps Company as part of a multi-market station swap involving several states. The item appeared on the Nov. 5 Grand Junction City Council agenda, because the city must acknowledge the transfer of Gray’s existing lease agreement to Scripps when the deal closes.
According to the Scripps Media announcement, titled “Gray Media and Scripps Agree to Swap Television Stations,” the exchange includes stations in Colorado, Idaho, Michigan and Louisiana. Reporting in TV Technology, under the headline “Gray Media and Scripps Agree to Swap TV Stations,” confirmed the transaction is a strategic realignment between the two companies. Closing of the sale is expected before the end of the year.
KKCO originally was operated by Eagle III Broadcasting. Gray entered the Western Colorado market in 2004 when it announced plans to purchase KKCO for about $13.5 million. The sale was completed on Jan. 31, 2005, according to Gray’s SEC filing titled “Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)” from that year.
The KKCO and KJCT building at 2531 Blichmann Ave. in Grand Junction. The stations are part of a planned ownership transfer from Gray Media to Scripps Media. Photo by Brandon Leuallen.
Bounce, Grit, Laff and Scripps News.
Gray did not acquire KJCT until 2014, when it purchased the station from Excalibur Broadcasting and related entities.
After nearly 20 years of operating KKCO and more than a decade of operating KJCT-LP, Gray will now transfer control of both stations to The E.W. Scripps Company, a national broadcaster headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.
According to the Scripps announcement, the company operates 61 local television stations in 41 markets and owns several national networks, including ION, Court TV,
In its July statement, Scripps said the added stations would support its plan to expand local news and sports coverage in fast-growing Western markets and deepen what it calls “community connected journalism.”
KKCO and KJCT play an important role in the region’s information network. The stations provide daily newscasts, breaking news alerts, weather coverage, fire updates, school and government reporting, and emergency communication during major incidents.
The Business Times contacted KKCO seeking comment. Jamie Satterfield, office manager/HR/national sales assistant at Gray Media, said she cannot provide any further information at this time.
to expand what it calls network. The updates, incidents. Satterfield, office any further planned own-
Baking
Continued from Page 2
In addition to what she chooses to teach, she might take requests, such as one made by a person who doesn’t like sourdough and wondered if Loncarich would teach other bread classes.
Whatever she teaches, the class sizes will be “very small.”
“It would be like six to seven people and very one-on-one, a little more intimate,” she said. “They will learn more when they’re literally in here doing it themselves and watching me, and then I can help them, critique and really work on their craft.”
Thank You, Palisade Farmers Market
Caitlin Loncarich registered Pinon Kitchen Co. LLC with the state in early October 2024, but calling that the start of her business is a stretch.
“No, that was just me kind of getting all of my ducks in a row,” she said.
She called Jan. 1, 2025, the official start date, but even then she was working on building up the business, doing a major kitchen renovation in May.
She finally felt like she was running a business when the farmers markets arrived.
“I got accepted into the Palisade Farmers Market, and so that’s when it really just took off,” Loncarich said. “I became very busy, a lot busier than I thought I would be, just doing breads and pastries and baked goods for the Palisade Farmers Market.”
First, There Was Baking Kate
Before she formed Pinon Kitchen Co., Loncarich operated a small business called Baking Kate.
She said she would come back to Colorado after working seasonally in Alaska, “and I’d always do maybe eight to 10 weddings a year or little custom cakes. And that I just was able to do out of my home under the cottage-food law.”
She said she did the cake baking for 10 to 12 years, and she baked some pies for the Feedlot Restaurant and Strayhorn Grill in Fruita.
“So, a little of this and that all over in the valley,” Loncarich said, “and then I outgrew Baking Kate, and then that’s when I created Pinon Kitchen, when I was more serious about it and didn’t have a regular full-time job.”
Business Is Businesses
When Loncarich said “a regular full-time job,” she was referring to a number of different businesses she owned and operated. One was a
woodworking business with her exhusband and father-in-law.
“It was a great business we started back in 2010, and it was in a completely different field,” she said. “We traveled all over the country. It was specializing in a recoil-reducing system for competition trap and skeet shooters.”
The work was nothing like baking, but the principles for running a business carried over and proved invaluable.
“That really helped me hone in on how to run a business,” she said. “I didn’t quite ever finish my four-year degree, because I was already running businesses, and I figured this is the best way to learn.”
She added, “A really big thing is the clients and the customers and building a relationship with them. I am a people person. I love talking to different people and just learning from others, everyone.
And so that really helped just running a business in general.”
Future Hubby Does His Part
Loncarich is sole owner of Pinon Kitchen, but she said her fiance, Mike Melton, has found a niche, which she appreciates.
“My brother called (Melton) the product-placement manager with Pinon Kitchen, because he was very strategic on where to place stuff and keeping it stocked and packaging and how it looked, because that’s an important part of selling, having great packaging,” she said.
Loncarich thinks if Pinon Kitchen keeps growing, Melton might quit his day job and go all-in on her business.
“I do think if I get big enough and I grow accordingly, he would be 100 percent happy working with me,” she said. “I definitely couldn’t have survived this last summer, with the amount I was baking for Palisade Farmer’s Market, without him helping me.”
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Mike Melton and Pinon Kitchen Co. owner Caitlin Loncarich are engaged to be married, and Melton helps Loncarich at farmers markets and festivals. They’re shown here at Palisade Peach Fest, where they wore matching shirts for the occasion. Photo courtesy of Pinon Kitchen Co.
MORE ABOUT PINON KITCHEN
The heart of service: Genuine care builds lasting success
Marcus Straub
If you want to build a business that thrives, not just survives, you must begin with one essential ingredient: care.
Not just care for profits or growth, but care for people. Because when you care deeply about your customers, your team and the experience you create, success becomes a natural outcome.
Think back to a time when you received poor customer service. Maybe you felt dismissed, ignored or like just another transaction. That kind of experience leaves a lasting impression, and it’s not a good one.
Chances are, you didn’t return to that business. You may have even warned others to stay away.
That’s the ripple effect of indifference.
Now, contrast that with a time you were treated exceptionally well. Maybe someone went out of their way to help, listened attentively or simply made you feel valued. That kind of care sticks with you. It builds trust, loyalty, and goodwill. You probably returned, spent more and told your friends.
That’s the ripple effect of genuine care.
As a business owner or leader, you get to choose which ripple you create.
If you want your company to stand out, to be truly exceptional, you must prioritize the relationships you build and the care you extend. Exceptional service isn’t just about systems or policies. It’s about attitude. It’s about showing up with empathy, gratitude and a desire to make someone’s day better.
The truth is: Customers can feel whether you care or not. It’s in your tone, your responsiveness, your follow-through. It’s in the way your team interacts with them. And it’s in the culture you cultivate behind the scenes.
Revenue matters, of course. But revenue is a result. It’s the outcome of consistently delivering value and care. Without those, revenue dries up. With them, it grows, often exponentially.
Caring in business is both a mindset and a practice. It shows up in your hiring decisions, your team dynamics and your daily interactions. When you care about your team, they’re more likely to care about your customers. And when customers feel cared for, they return, refer and become advocates.
So ask yourself: Are you and your team approaching customers with gratitude? Are you focused on making their lives better, not just closing a sale? If the answer is yes, and you keep that commitment alive, you’ll build relationships that endure, even in tough economic times.
The pandemic reminded us of something profound: We
need each other. Business isn’t just about transactions; it’s about connection. It’s about people helping people. And when we lead with care, we create environments where everyone wins: owners, team members and customers alike.
Here are two truths worth remembering:
• When business owners genuinely care about people, they create companies that foster happiness, satisfaction and, yes, profitability.
• When team members feel respected and supported, they pass that feeling on to customers, who respond with loyalty and repeat business.
It’s a virtuous cycle. Care begets care. And it all starts with you.
The ultimate key to lasting success isn’t a secret formula or a clever strategy. It’s a timeless principle: Treat people the way you want to be treated. If you truly care, if you lead with heart, that care will come back to you in the form of trust, loyalty and growth.
So as you reflect on your business, ask yourself: What kind of experience are we creating? Are we building a culture of care? Are we making people feel seen, heard and valued?
Because in the end, it’s not just about what you sell. It’s about how you make people feel. And when you make them feel cared for, you don’t just earn their business, you earn their belief in you.
That belief is what transforms a one-time transaction into a lasting partnership. It’s the foundation for referrals, glowing reviews and the kind of word-of-mouth growth that can’t be bought with advertising dollars alone.
When your intentions are rooted in genuine care, people sense it, and they respond in kind. They trust you with their needs and challenges, and they tell others about the positive experiences they’ve had.
Over time, this trust becomes your company’s greatest asset, setting you apart from competitors who may offer similar products or services but lack that essential human touch.
In business, as in life, authentic relationships make all the difference.
F
Marcus Straub owns Life is Great Coaching in Grand Junction. His personalized coaching and consulting services help individuals, business owners, executives and companies build teams, organizations and lives filled with happiness and success. Straub is winner of the International Coach of the Year Award and author of “Is It Fun Being You?” He’s available for free consultations regarding coaching, speaking and trainings. Reach Straub at (970) 208-3150, marcus@ligcoaching.com or through the website located at www.ligcoaching.com.
views and advice you can use
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It’s not about feeding the hungry, it’s about buying votes
It’s time America SNAPped to its senses over SNAP. Seriously. You want me to believe part of the shut down was about feeding the hungry?
How many shelters are in your town? How many food banks? How many “soup kitchens?” How many stories do you read in local newspapers every year about hunger?
How many surveys does your school district have to put out declaring kids are hungry? How many breakfast, lunch and dinner programs does your government need to provide? How about all those politicians declaring food deserts after local governments and crime drive every grocery store out of the city limits?
In other words, just how much charity is needed or tax dollars strewn haphazardly is it going to take for you to realize hunger is a serious issue and that government is the last entity on the planet that can solve it?
If you realized anything from the government “shutdown” it’s this: We have over 40 MILLION people on the SNAP welfare program alone in this country, and it’s a serious problem.
The other thing you should have realized is that the SNAP program isn’t about getting food to people. It’s about their iPhones, their cars, big screen TVs and whatever else the recipients desire, because that’s the only reason the program fills debit cards better than it fills kitchen cabinets. Because it relies on the people at the other end of the money transfer to fill the cabinets.
That’s not to say there aren’t people deserving of a hand up when they hit rough times. They are and always will be. But with SNAP, it’s become a lifestyle. How else can you have people on the programs not just for a month or two, or maybe a year, but DECADES?
Worse, we’re finding many who are receiving double. If you believe someone receiving double the benefits or on the program for decades is buying all organic at your local grocer, you must also believe every parent uses child support just for the kids clothes and school supplies and not pedicures or watching the game at their favorite bar.
Folks, this is the true reality of SNAP. More folks on the public dime. Payola from the largest corporation on the planet, the United States government, an entity so large and inefficient it spends a couple of TRILLION more dollars than it confiscates every year. And it does it because of programs like SNAP, which results in more folks on SNAP every year. SNAP is just another cottage industry under the conglomerate of the federal government’s largesse and wasting of dollars for votes.
If you need a local example, just look at the relationship between our previous city council and HomewardBound of the Grand Valley, which accomplished what, exactly?
That’s right, the doubling of our homeless population over the past few years, making it a problem only who could solve? Correct, the City of Grand Junction and HomewardBound. Therefore, that’s where all the money needed to go. At least HomewardBound was feeding folks, but not for the desired result of ending homelessness; it was more its business plan, which relied on government for all its funding.
Back to SNAP. All one needs to do is look at how our good, local charities fight hunger. It’s really novel in today’s era of big government. Here it is: They feed people. What a concept. That’s what the local Backpack program does. That’s what Food Bank of the Rockies does. That’s what Catholic Outreach and the Joseph Center do. That’s what my church does. And that’s what I do when the trailers are parked in front of City Market on my Friday “date” nights (yes, I shop for fuel points) or when I’m jonesing for something unhealthy for watching weekend sports.
Yup, we all actually use food and feeding those in need as the solution. We also hope and try to help them to improve their situations, so they can be free from dependence on others and become self-sufficient.
And right there you have the problem of government and how it handles hunger. Government only knows one solution when it comes to the problems of the people. Create a program for it and throw money at it, declare it solved while making it worse and people dependent on it for life.
Because, folks, that’s where the votes are, along with all the worship involved in the “look how much I care” and “let me tell you what the problems are caused by the other party and only I can fix them” partisan politics.
And the saddest part is this: It’s all about the money.
Yes, there are over 7 TRILLION reasons why all too many are hooked on welfare, and that’s just at the federal level. In our state there’s over 50 BILLION reasons. Locally, over half a billion. Now, not all the money and all the people in office are in on the scam. But way too much and many of both are.
Seems to me if government really wanted to feed the hungry, they’d have warehouses to distribute food from. They’d have properly run shelters and kitchens. They’d have actual folks in contact with actual people actually helping them in their time of need.
But why do that when you can just do an ACH transfer and declare the problem solved?
In Truth and freedom.
F
Craig Hall is owner and publisher of The Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com
Craig Hall
New gas station opens in Fruita
n Palisade Olde Fashioned Christmas set for Dec. 5-6
The Palisade Chamber of Commerce is delighted to announce the return of Olde Fashioned Christmas, a cherished community tradition that kicks off the holiday season in true Palisade style. The celebration begins with the Palisade Parade of Lights on Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Olde Fashioned Christmas & Winter Faire on Dec. 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Palisade.
This year’s Olde Fashioned Christmas & Winter Faire will transform Main Street into a festive outdoor marketplace filled with local vendors, handcrafted gifts, delicious treats, and seasonal décor. Guests can enjoy live entertainment, children’s activities, and a visit from Santa Claus, all surrounded by the small-town charm that makes Palisade so special.
“Olde Fashioned Christmas is one of our most beloved community traditions, a day that truly captures the magic of Palisade. It’s a time when families from across the valley come together to celebrate the season, support local businesses, and experience the charm of our downtown in its most festive form. This event not only spreads holiday cheer, but also brings valuable business to our community during a special time of year.”— Jessica Burford, President & CEO, Palisade Chamber of Commerce
The weekend festivities promise something for everyone, whether you’re watching the glowing floats roll down Main Street at the Parade of Lights or strolling through the Winter Faire with a cup of hot cocoa in hand.
Make plans to join us for this heartwarming celebration of community, tradition, and holiday cheer. For vendor applications, entertainment details and event updates, visit palisadechristmas.com.
n Friends Giving fundraiser to benefit food bank
Three Sisters Theatre Co. is teaming with Grand Junction Community Food Bank and Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand Valley for the “Friends Giving – GJ Community Food Bank Fundraiser.”
The fundraiser takes place Nov. 21 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand Valley, 536 Ouray Ave. in Grand Junction. There will be kids karaoke and activities from 5:30 to 7 p.m., followed by karaoke and open mic from 7 to 9 p.m. for adults.
Donations of food are welcome, but money is preferred, and all proceeds go to the
Has your business recently hired, moved or made changes? The Business Times welcomes submissions for free publication in Business Briefs. Email stories and photos to stories@thebusinesstimes.com or submit a news release online at www.thebusinesstimes.com.
GJ Community Food Bank. There also will be a donation box for winter clothes, blankets, sleeping bags, tents, etc., for Mutual Aid.
If you can’t attend the event but want to help, online donations to the food bank can be made at communityfoodbankgj-bloom.kindful.com.
n Gart Properties announces leadership transition
Gart Properties, a real-estate-investment, development and management firm that owns Canyon View Marketplace, 632 Market St. in Grand Junction, and is part-owner of Powderhorn Mountain Resorts, announced a leadership transition that reflects its growth and long-term strategic vision.
Following 26 years as a partner and president of the company, Mark Sidell has been named Vice Chairman of the Board. In this new role, Sidell will continue to lend his strategic insight, experience and institutional knowledge to support the Gart Properties leadership team.
Simultaneously, Evan Gart has been promoted to president of Gart Properties. With nine years at the firm and three years overseeing daily operations, Evan Gart will now provide oversight for all aspects of the company’s asset management, acquisitions, leasing, property management and construction.
Chairman of the Board Thomas Gart expressed appreciation for Sidell’s leadership and excitement for Evan Gart’s new role, saying, “Mark has been an extraordinary leader and a driving force behind Gart Properties’ growth and success over the past quarter century,” and “(Evan’s) operational expertise, thoughtful leadership and commitment to our values make him the ideal person to lead Gart Properties into its next chapter.”
n Bloom Where You Are Planted awards $4K in grants
The District 51 Foundation announced the 13th Round of Bloom Where You Are Planted grants, benefitting 47 Mesa County students who received funding that totaled almost $4,000.
Bloom Where You Are Planted grants provide support to K-12 students with financial need, allowing them to pursue extracurricular activities.
Since 2020, approximately $39,600 has been granted to 457 children. Students and parents applied for the grant via a portal on the D51 Foundation website. Typical grants range from $50 to $200. Some of the extracurricular-activity grants funded in this round were Legacy Academy, Grand Valley Taekwondo and Fruita Parks and Recreation.
The grant fund, which was created by the family of Karl Bloom, who passed away in February 2020, is seeking donations to continue to fund Bloom Where You Are Planted. The fund will open for applications again in February with a deadline of April 15, 2026.
“As a family we are honored and blessed to be able to help students achieve their goals and dreams through the Bloom Where You Are Planted Fund,” said Theresa Bloom, Karl Bloom’s wife. “With the generous support and continuing donations from the School District 51 Foundation and from people in our community, we hope to keep this fund going for many years to come. ... Every child deserves the chance to pursue their dreams and talents.”
For more information about the School District 51 Foundation or to make a donation, please visit www.d51foundation.org.
The Fruita City Market Fuel Center officially opened Nov. 12 at 437 W. Aspen Ave. (at the intersection of West Aspen Avenue and Coulson Street) after a soft opening the previous week. Photo by Tim Harty.
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