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Colorado - Fri. 09/18/26 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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OUTDOOR RECREATION HIRING SOARS STATEWIDE AS RESTAURANT JOB LISTINGS DROP
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Colorado's outdoor recreation industry has been adding jobs ahead of winter, but the state’s restaurants pulled back on hiring amid industry turmoil in the state’s biggest city. A report from the Colorado Chamber Foundation and Aspen-based labor market analytics company Aspen Technology Labs found that the state’s active job listings modestly grew in the second quarter of 2026, rising about 1.5 percent year over year. The growth was below the national increase of 3.7 percent in the second quarter. Leading industries growing through the quarter include engineering, up 19.5 percent year over year, information technology positions with a 14.1 percent increase, and the state’s outdoor recreation industry, which recorded a 17.3 percent year-over-year increase in active job listings.
The report, issued late last month, analyzed 50 outdoor recreation companies in the state and found that they posted 1,580 new jobs. Within the outdoor recreation industry, food and beverage positions accounted for 40 percent of the new jobs, lodging and guest services 16 percent and recreation-specific positions, like ski coaches, accounted for 8 percent. Colorado’s restaurant industry jobs, which declined 9.9 percent over the quarter, declined at a rate more than four times the national average of 2.3 percent.
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CORTEZ NON-PROFIT AIMS TO RECONNECT TRIBAL COMMUNITIES WITH BISON HERD
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Here’s one way to take the “teach a man to fish” metaphor out of the water: Donate one bison to a food pantry and you provide up to 400 pounds of meat. But set up a system where ranchers can regularly donate meat from a herd, and you provide thousands of pounds of locally raised protein in perpetuity, while also helping ranchers sustain their business and reconnecting Indigenous communities with their culture. That’s the idea behind the Community Bison Program from Farming Hands Initiative, a newly established nonprofit in Yellow Jacket, just north of Cortez in Colorado’s southwest corner.
“I think post-COVID, more and more, we’re trying to figure out how we can be reliant on ourselves,” says Nicci Crowley, who’s lived in Cortez for 20 years. “And as SNAP benefits are reduced, all of our food pantries across the state are going to be drawing more from our food banks.” The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that nationwide SNAP participation fell by 12 percent — about 5 million people — between the July 2025 enactment of H.R. 1 and May 2026, the last month with data from every state. In Colorado, around 35,000 people lost SNAP access. Around 600,000 Coloradans rely on SNAP to keep food on their tables.
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ASPEN SISTER CITIES TO CELEBRATE 60 YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP
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This September, Aspen Sister Cities marks 60 years with its first partner city, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, with a week of activities Sept. 22 to 26. Aspen Sister Cities is hosting a “Aspen Sister Cities Summit” from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 24 at Paepcke Auditorium, 1000 N. Third St., along with the 12 delegates being hosted from the Bavarian Alps. The public can sit in on the day and later meet visitors over a taco-truck lunch for purchase at the Aspen Historical Society — events are free with registration. Highlights will include an Olender-moderated panel, titled “Preparing our cities for a healthy tomorrow: Sports as a Catalyst,” and a panel with Deputy Mayor Claudia Zolk of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
According to Olender, the summit is an opportunity “to celebrate Aspen and Garmisch-Partenkirchen Sister City programs as a catalyst for diplomacy through the youth exchange, idea forums and to learn more about the Aspen Institute.” The delegates will also take part in a trip to the Maroon Bells, a gondola to the top of Ajax, a mayor’s lunch, tours of the Aspen Art Museum, the Wheeler/Stallard Museum and the Aspen Historical Society and a visit at the Snowmass Balloon Festival. A few delegates will attend the Keg Tapping Ceremony for Oktoberfest in Snowmass Village, running Sept. 26-27. The Aspen Sister Cities program now consists of seven cities including Davos, Switzerland; Chamonix, France; Shimukappu, Japan; Queenstown, New Zealand; Bariloche, Argentina; and Abetone, Italy — in addition to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. For more information, visit sistercities.org.
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FLYERS ARE HAPPIER WITH U.S. AIRPORTS, DESPITE NEAR RECORD TRAVEL LEVELS
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Despite a near record number of people flying in the U.S., it appears travelers are happier with the airports they find themselves moving through. J.D. Power’s annual North America Airport Satisfaction Study, released Wednesday, reported that overall airport satisfaction increased significantly this year. Travelers gave higher ratings in part because of the newer gates and terminals many airports have opened in recent years, according to the study. From New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport to Kansas City International to Pittsburgh International, airports large and small have opened or are building new facilities to accommodate more travelers. Often, the new terminals and gates are larger, with more light and upgraded amenities, and cost billions to build.
This is the third straight year the J.D. Power study has found an increase in airport satisfaction. The latest report is based on responses from more than 24,000 travelers. Among the largest airports, which handle more than 33 million passengers annually, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International received the top score. For airports that serve between 10 million and 32.9 million flyers annually, Tampa International was ranked No. 1, while Charleston International in South Carolina was rated the best among medium airports, which see 4.5 million to 9.9 million passengers a year.
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DIA'S PASSENGER SATISFACTION FALLS AMID GREAT HALL PROJECT, BUT BETTER DAYS ARE FORECAST
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Denver International Airport's passenger satisfaction rankings have declined again, but better days are predicted ahead as major construction projects finish, and passenger volume continues to increase. Denver International Airport fell to No. 18, dropping five spots in J.D. Power’s 2026 annual satisfaction survey of the busiest airports in North America. DIA has seen a steady decline in recent years for the report’s “mega” airport size category, which measures the 20 busiest North American airports, those serving 33 million or more passengers per year. DIA recorded more than 82 million travelers in 2025, and that’s expected to increase this year. Denver’s airport ranked No. 13 the past two years but was No. 7 in 2023. The steady decline is largely attributed to disruptive capital improvement projects, primarily the Great Hall renovation in the main Jeppesen Terminal.
DIA's overall survey score actually increased six points from a year ago, but many other “mega category” airports finished large-scale construction projects in the past year that vaulted them ahead in the rankings. The average airport in Denver’s category increased its score by 14 points, Taylor said. The $2.1 billion Great Hall project started in 2018 and is expected to finish by the end of 2027. In recent years, DIA opened new east and west security checkpoints in the main terminal, with both projects totaling about $492 million. Those new security lines and check-in counters likely led to the slight increase in DIA’s passenger satisfaction.
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X GAMES WILL RETURN TO ASPEN IN 2027 FOR 26TH – WITH BIG CHANGES
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Jeff Hermanek, senior director of live events for X Games, and representatives of the Aspen Skiing Co. appeared before the Pitkin County commissioners Tuesday to present the permit application for the 2027 edition of the event. This will be the 26th season for the X Games in Aspen, which will be held Jan. 29-31, 2027. The X Games will operate under a completely new format, with four teams competing instead of individual competition. Teams will include five women and five men each. On Wednesday, athletes will be drafted to four teams (representing Golden State, New York, Park City and Whistler) to build the rosters for the first winter league season, and the winter season will begin in Aspen, with skiing and snowboarding competition.
The league will have two additional stops in Calgary and Ruka, Finland, where the finals will be held. While the competitions during the day will be free, all evening events will require a ticket. Hermanek confirmed the evening events will include big air and halfpipe competitions, as well as concerts on Friday and Saturday nights. After returning after a five-year hiatus in the January 2026 X Games, snowmobiling will not be part of the new format 2027 X Games in Aspen.
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TAXES ARE AN ISSUE FOR AMERICANS LIVING ABROAD
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An official of the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent organization within the Internal Revenue Service, in the latest report to Congress, stated that the challenges facing taxpayers living abroad are among “the most serious problems” confronting American taxpayers. In a statement on the issue, Erin Collins, head of the advocate service said, “As U.S. citizens, taxpayers abroad remain subject to U.S. tax laws, even though they must also comply with the tax requirements of the country in which they live and work. Failing to comply with U.S. tax and foreign information reporting requirements can result in large penalties.”
Americans living abroad cannot be double taxed and some Americans abroad are eligible for the foreign earned income exclusion. For the 2026 tax year, eligible taxpayers may be able to exclude up to $132,900 of foreign earned income from U.S. federal income taxes. However, the exclusion isn’t automatic. Taxpayers must meet specific requirements and generally must file a U.S. tax return to claim it. To qualify, the IRS says you must be a “bona fide resident” of a foreign country or countries for an uninterrupted period that includes an entire tax year or be “physically present” for at least 330 full days during a 12-month period.
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A DISTINCTIVE, TASTY BITE IN SOUTH DAKOTA FROM CRIMEA
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In Freeman, South Dakota and the surrounding area in the southeastern corner of the state, the staple menu item is chislic, basically roasted lamb on a stick. As distinctive a meal as it is, its history is an interesting tale dating back hundreds of years to the Black Sea and passing from tribal origins through Russian and German variations. The original “shashlyk” was typically mutton, marinated in onions or vinegar and grilled on skewers. By the late 18th Century, shashlyk had become fashionable in parts of the Russian Empire and was enthusiastically taken up by German settlers who had been encouraged to settle in Russia under Catherine the Great, many of whom later established communities around the Black Sea.
By the late 1870s, many Europeans began emigrating to the United States to take advantage of the "cheap land on the American Frontier" following the Homestead Act of 1862. Included in those immigrants were 115,000 Russo-Germans ("Germans from Russia"). One of those, Johann Hoellwrath, settled in Freeman, S.D. and is acknowledged as the one introducing shashlyk. The problem was his accent was so heavy, the name was recognized to be "chislic." It required some adaptation as there were sheep, but very little metal for skewers, no vinegar, onions were just being introduced and very little hardwood. So, Hoellwarth's version included using lard, willow sticks as skewers and wild grasses for fire fuel. Thus, the South Dakota version, even today, is a bite-sized snack and eaten with crackers.
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EUROPE’S FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES 2026
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Now in its fourth year, the Fortune 500 Europe ranks the continent’s largest companies by revenue. Volkswagen retains the No.1 position for the third-year running, while HSBC is the most profitable company on the list, recording $22 billion in profits for 2025. Combined, the businesses on the list generated $15.5 trillion in revenue, equivalent to half of Europe's GDP:
- For the first time in the four years of the Fortune 500 Europe, Germany did not have the most companies on the list. U.K. had 76; Germany had 73
- The U.K., France, Germany, and Switzerland are home to more than half of all companies on the list, and accounted for more than 50 percent of all profits
Top 10 companies:
- Volkswagen
- Shell
- Glencore
- BP
- TotalEnergies
- Stellantis
- BMW Group
- Mercedes-Benz Group
- Banco Santander
- BNP Paribas
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MARKET UPDATE - 09/17/2026 Close
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(Courtesy of Alpine Bank Wealth Management*)
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Canadian dollar (per U.S. dollar)
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Mexican peso (per U.S. dollar)
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30-year fixed mortgage rate (Freddie Mac 09/17/2026)
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*Not FDIC insured. May lose value. Not guaranteed by the bank.
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Alpine Bank is an independent, employee-owned organization with headquarters in Glenwood Springs and banking offices across Colorado's Western Slope, mountains and Front Range. Alpine Bank serves customers with retail, business, wealth management*, mortgage and electronic banking services. Learn more at alpinebank.com.
*Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the bank.
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