Business View Magazine - November 2016

120 Business View Magazine - November 2016 The Grand Junction Economic Partnership Hungry for innovation The Grand Junction Economic Partnership (GJEP) is the official economic development agency for Colora- do’s Grand Valley region, which includes Mesa County and the cities of Grand Junction, Fruita, Palisade, De Beque, and Colbran. GJEP is a private, non-profit or- ganization that provides business services and oper- ates in conjunction with its economic development partners in local government and the private sector. Its vision is to create quality jobs and expand capital investment through the attraction, expansion, and re- tention of primary business. Kristi Pollard is GJEP’s Executive Director and serves as its point person for the recruitment of new busi- nesses who want to relocate to the area, as well as for the over 200 businesses that are already a part of the organization. “We’re a one-stop shop,” she says. “When a company comes to me, I have direct access to the mayors, and the councils, and commissioners. If there’s something that our local governments can do to assist, we work together to make it the most valu- able experience for those businesses.” Pollard is bullish on the region’s pro-business agenda.