FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Grand Junction, Colorado (March 24, 2026)—
The Grand Junction Economic Partnership (GJEP) has released its 2025 Annual Report, sharing the organization's activity, economic impact, and key development insights into the state of Mesa County’s economy and its regional competitiveness for business development and site selection.
Curtis Englehart, GJEP Executive Director, said, “GJEP’s mission is to proactively support economic development through strategic business attraction and expansion efforts. The Annual Report is our way of showing stakeholders throughout Mesa County the progress being made on these efforts, including our economic impact.” Detailed in the report, GJEP measures impact through the number of jobs created and retained, employment impact, and capital expenditure impact. The organization’s economic impact has trended upwards year-over-year, reporting a record-breaking economic impact of $194,872,44 in 2025. “Demonstrating a meaningful return on investment is essential. We are proud to share that for every $1 invested in GJEP, we generated $202 in economic impact.”
Brad McCloud, Area Manager for Xcel Energy and GJEP’s 2025 Board Chairman, said: “Over the past year, GJEP has continued to build momentum by supporting impactful projects, strengthening regional relationships, and elevating Mesa County’s competitiveness as a place to do business. These efforts reflect the confidence businesses have in our community and the importance of a coordinated, proactive approach to economic development.”
Among the case studies detailed, the report shares insight into GJEP’s role in supporting the local expansion of High Country Beverage, facilitating the construction of the 159,650 square-foot-facility through aligning regional partners and removing barriers, supporting speed to market and ensuring the project crossed the finish line on schedule. Additionally, the expansion of Bruin Waste with a new Material’s Recovery Facility in partnership with the City of Grand Junction was noted with the report, highlighting its approval into the state’s Rural Jump Start Program through the support of GJEP, allowing the company to be eligible for $20,000 in grant funding and exemption from state and local taxes.
Additionally, there was a notable increase in competitive multi-state relocation and expansion interest for Mesa County, allowing GJEP to leverage the state’s Job Growth Incentive Tax Credit to secure several approvals for companies including Bioriginal and Morgan Mining. The report also notes significant progress made in the multi-agency initiative to support critical infrastructure, RAPIDS, spearheaded by GJEP and now launching as a pilot program at Colorado Mesa University’s Ruth Hutchins Powell Water Center through $412,558 in grant funding.
GJEP's Annual Report shares an in-depth recap of the organization’s inaugural Site Selector Familiarization Tour, which invited four premier site consultants representing a variety of businesses to tour Mesa County and then provide their strategic recommendations. Noted within the report, Mesa County contains a strong legacy of resilience and collaboration, setting it apart from competing markets. To remain competitive, it was recommended that the region focus on emerging industries, such as technology and logistics, while focusing on speed to market through streamlined development processes, a demand for flex space under 14,000 square feet to support early-stage companies, and prioritizing promoting livability to early workforce demographics aged 18-26 to support long-term growth.
The report also provides a high-level overview of the prospects in GJEP’s current pipeline and the most common real estate requests received. Top industries anticipated to grow in Mesa County, driven primarily by direct inquiries to the organization and proactive outreach, include real estate, technology, manufacturing, and professional services. Englehart shared, “Our staff, board of directors, and economic development partners work to be very intentional about the businesses we aim to attract to our regional economy, focusing on industries with a high growth potential and the ability to facilitate the creation of new primary jobs that enhance the quality of life for Mesa County residents.”
The Grand Junction Economic Partnership offers its business development and economic services free of charge. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, GJEP is primarily funded through the support of its public partners, private investors, and the community at large. The Grand Junction Economic Partnership will present its economic impact data and annual update during the Western Colorado Economic Summit, presented by FCI Constructors, happening April 23rd at Colorado Mesa University.
View the full report at gjep.org/annual-report