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CONSTRUCTION
• Pentalon Construction, Salt Lake City, has hired Jeff Young as a project manager, promoted Tonya Timothy to project manager, and promoted Brian Stewart to senior project manager. Young has worked in the construction industry for more than 19 years, advancing from foreman to project manager. He has experience in multifamily and commercial construction. He graduated from Brigham Young University in construction management. Timothy over 22 years of experience in the construction industry, serving in multiple positions over the years while working for commercial and multi-family general contractors as well as a geotechnical engineering firm. She has worked for Pentalon for five years. Stewart has worked in the construction industry for more than 25 years, including work in CPM scheduling, cost forecasting and training techniques.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Utah in 2019 was ranked as the No. 8 growth state in the U.S., based on U-Haul data analyzing national migration trends. Utah was No. 4 in 2018 and No. 21 in 2017. Growth states are calculated by the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks entering a state versus leaving that state during a calendar year. Utah arrivals of one-way U-Haul trucks were up more than 2 percent, while departures were up 3 percent from the state’s 2018 numbers. Still, arrivals accounted for 50.4 percent of all one-way U-Haul traffic in Utah. St. George, Provo, Bountiful and Logan led Utah’s gains. The top growth state in 2019 was Florida, followed by Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina and Washington. Illinois and California led in out-migration.
INTERNATIONAL
• The deadline for companies to register for the governor-led April trade mission to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is Jan. 17. Delegates on the trade mission to the cities of Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Dubai will engage with high-level business and investment leaders, receive market briefings by in-country experts and the U.S. Commercial Service, attend VIP networking receptions, participate in company visits and take part in customized B2B meetings. The trade mission takes place April 14-24. Small and medium-sized companies may be eligible for grants administered by the World Trade Center Utah to offset some costs and to receive customized trade services at no cost. Details are at https://wtcutah.com/trade-missions/20-2/.
INVESTMENTS
• Avii, a Lehi-based provider of a platform for tax, audit, advisory, compliance and management consulting firms, has received its first external investment, from Blue Diamond Capital LLC, Provo. The amount and terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The infusion joins more than $2.5 million in internal funding from operational profit. The company said the new investment will accelerate hiring of marketing, sales and software development positions to support the company’s rapid growth during 2020.
LAW
• Maschoff Brennan, Salt Lake City, has named Mikhael Mikhalev as its newest shareholder. Mikhalev joined the firm in 2012. His practice focuses on U.S. and international patent preparation and prosecution, patentability evaluation clearance and non-infringement opinions, and intellectual property due diligence. He received his J.D. from the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law.
OUTDOORS/RECREATION
• The grant application period for Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation grants begins Jan. 15. The office administers three grants programs authorized by the Utah Legislature: the Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant, Recreation Restoration Infrastructure grant, and the Utah Children’s Outdoor Recreation & Education program. The Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant (UORG) helps fund outdoor recreation infrastructure projects that improve recreation amenities for residents as well as attract tourists to the region. The Recreation Restoration Infrastructure (RRI) grant funds restoration or rehabilitation of existing outdoor recreation infrastructure. The Utah Children’s Outdoor Recreation & Education (UCORE) grant funds programming that provides Utah’s youth (ages 6-18) with outdoor recreation skill-building and nature-focused, hands-on learning. Applications for UORG and RRI grant cycle will be accepted until March 20. Applications for UCORE will be accepted until Feb. 20. Over five years, the Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant awarded funding for 155 outdoor recreation projects featuring more than 25 types of outdoor recreation activities throughout the state. The grants provide matching grant funding to local governments and nonprofits to build outdoor recreation infrastructures such as trails, boat ramps and more. In the 2020 grant cycle, UORG award amounts will range from $1,000 to $150,000, with an additional award amount called the Regional Asset Tier that includes award amounts of up to $500,000 to support larger infrastructure projects.
RECOGNITIONS
• Gov. Gary Herbert has been selected to receive the “Giant in Our City 2020” award, presented by the Salt Lake Chamber. The black-tie, invited award event is scheduled for March 26 at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. Herbert is the 21st recipient of the award.
• The South Valley Chamber and Sandy City are partnering to honor small-business leaders in Sandy. Recipients of the Sandy City Peak Awards 2020 are Business Person of the Year, Daniel J. Luke, Diversify; Business Person of the Year, Fernanda and Vivien Bohme, Bohme; Business of the Year, City Works; Community Service Award, Whole Kids Emotional Wellness; Developer of the Year, Wadsworth Development; Innovative Company of the Year, Dental Select; Public Private Partnership Award, Chemtech-Ford; Mayor’s Excellence Award, M-Vac Systems Inc.; and Residents’ Choice, Pixels Foto and Frame. They will be honored at the Peak Awards event Feb. 27 at the Salt Lake Community College Miller Campus in Sandy.
• TheraLight LLC, a Lindon-based medical device company focused on photomedicine technology, has received an award from Global Health & Pharma, a publication and information-sharing platform. TheraLight was recognized as the “Most Innovative Infrared Light Therapy Provider” in the 2019 International Life Sciences Awards category. The awards recognize visionary firms and individuals for harnessing disruptive ideas that will drive the healthcare industry forward.
RESTAURANTS
• HallPass, described as Utah’s first food hall, has opened at 153 S. Rio Grande St. at The Gateway in Salt Lake City. Anchored by Las Vegas-based SkinnyFATS, it has more than 11,000 square feet of communal dining and chef-driven fare. It is open nightly for dinner, with lunch service expected to follow soon. It has eight restaurants and two bars, with restaurants including SkinnyFATS, Waffadopolis, Beer Zombies Tap Room & Beer Garden, Blaze of Thunder, Raining Ramen, CodSpeed, Hibachican, Colossal Lobster, Guac Pusher and a password-protected speakeasy. Live music and DJs will entertain diners on weekends.