Publisher’s Notebook: 2015’s top 10 stories

What were the top BizWest stories of 2015? Ranking the top business-news stories of the year would be a largely subjective exercise, but one means of tallying the top stories is purely objective: website traffic on BizWest.com.

So, for the calendar year 2015, here are the top 10 business-news articles for the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado, as dictated by you, our online readers:

1. “Despite retail failure, GoLite founder hoping for comeback” — Sometimes, stories have staying power. Our most-read story of 2015 actually was published Nov. 14, 2014. It chronicled the attempt of Demetri and Kim Coupounas to raise capital to keep their company going after through liquidation. Since that article, we’ve followed up a couple of times, including the couple’s new brand, My Trail Company.

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2. “Bill Gates-backed development part of Berthoud’s looming I-25 boom” — This Jan. 23 story by Doug Storum reflects the power of the Gates name, and its potential impact on a proposed 1,600-acre development along Interstate 25 in Berthoud. Storum identified a Gates-backed company as being behind the mixed-use project, known as Wilson Ranch.

3. “Companies to watch in 2015” — This Jan. 9, 2015, piece looked at companies to watch in a variety of industries.

4. “Wade Troxell to run for Fort Collins mayor” — Two-term Fort Collins city councilman Wade Troxell’s announcement led to the fourth-most-read story on BizWest.com during the past year. Troxell went on to victory in the April election.

5. “Surging water prices dry up Fort Collins homebuilding” — This March 20 report described how escalating water prices were beginning to stall several new housing developments in Fort Collins, with water prices so high that hundreds of new homes could be in jeopardy.

6. “Software firms can benefit from key tax deduction” — This sixth-most-read piece was not a news article at all, but rather a guest column by EKS&H partners Michael DePrima and Lawrence Knutson. The duo highlighted the importance of a federal tax deduction that could save software companies significant sums. Its popularity reflects the importance of the software sector to the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado economy.

7. “Bass Pro Shops pulls plug on plans to build mega-store in Loveland” — It was big news when Bass Pro Shops announced plans to build a store in Loveland’s Centerra development, but it was perhaps even bigger news when it pulled out of the project. That’s what Storum reported July 16. Some speculated that the planned 117,000-square-foot store was nixed after rival Scheels announced plans to build a 225,000-square-foot store across U.S. Highway 34 in Johnstown.

8. “Hospitals view for market share with mergers, construction” — This July 24 piece by Beth Potter chronicled the wave of hospital mergers, acquisitions and construction projects, from Broomfield north to Fort Collins. We’ll see much more such activity in 2016.

9. “Water prices reach historic highs” — Water remains a hot topic in the region, and this Feb. 6 piece by Steve Lynn highlighted soaring prices for Colorado-Big Thompson water, with prices tripling from two years prior.

10. Zayo’s Dan Caruso buys Denver metro’s highest-priced home for February” — Storum’s March 24 piece reported on the sale of a 7,447-square-foot home at 2300 Iris Ave. Caruso purchased the property for $4.9 million.

What will be the most-read stories of 2016? Stay tuned. But don’t be surprised if you see more Bill Gates headlines.

Christopher Wood can be reached at 303-630-1942, 970-232-2133 or via email at cwood@bizwestmedia.com.