Industry Briefs are provided as a free service to our readers. Company news information may be sent to brice@slenterprise.com. The submission deadline is one week before publication.
CONSTRUCTION
• FFKR Architects, Salt Lake City, has named five new senior associates: Jessica Hoffman, Trenton Jones, Mandy Martineau, Abram Nielsen and Jodi Geroux. FFKR is an architectural, interior design, landscape architecture and planning firm serving the western United States since 1976.
GOVERNMENT
• A total of 399 Utah students will get relief totaling $980,547.39 as a part of settlement funds resulting from a $493.7 million nationwide lawsuit against Illinois-based Career Education Corp., a for-profit education company. The company has agreed to reform its recruiting and enrollment practices and forgo collecting about $493.7 million in debts owed by 179,529 students nationally. The company also has agreed to pay $5 million to the 49 states involved in the lawsuit. Utah’s $50,000 share will go to the Consumer Protection Education and Training Fund. The company offers primarily online courses through American InterContinental University and Colorado Technical University.
INVESTMENT
• RainFocus, a Lehi-based event marketing platform company, has secured a $40 million investment from JMI Equity, which is focused on investing in software companies. RainFocus said the funding will be used to accelerate and broaden product development efforts, expand its global organization, and further other strategic initiatives. In conjunction with the investment, David Greenberg and Larry Contrella, JMI’s general partner and principal, respectively, have joined the RainFocus board of directors.
• Big Squid, a Salt Lake City-based predictive analytics and automated machine learning software company, has secured $9 million in Series A-1 funding, led by Lewis & Clark Ventures, with plans to further develop its Kraken platform. Other participants in the funding round include existing investors Silverton Partners, Signal Peak Ventures and Kickstart Seed Fund. The new investment brings Big Squid’s total amount raised to over $18.5 million.
LAW
• Craig Dell Attorneys has opened law offices at 2825 E. Cottonwood Parkway, Salt Lake City, and 1794 Olympic Parkway, Park City. The boutique law firm focuses on estate planning, tax planning, elder law, probate, trust administration, asset protection, and life or long-term insurance denials.
• The shareholders of Maschoff Brennan, an intellectual property and commercial litigation firm with offices in Park City, Salt Lake City and three other locations, have elected Kirk Harris as its next managing shareholder. Harris joined the firm in 2012 and has been serving on the firm’s executive committee. His practice focuses on complex business and intellectual property litigation. Harris succeeds Eric Maschoff, who has been serving as the firm’s managing shareholder for the past eight years. The firm also named Bethany Adamek to the newly created position of executive director. She will oversee operations throughout the firm’s five offices, including HR, marketing, information technology and more. She joined the firm in 2016 and has has been serving as the firm’s human resources director.
• Babcock Scott & Babcock PC, Salt Lake City, has promoted Jeffrey R. Handy from associate to shareholder. Handy has been with the firm for seven years. His practice focuses on construction law, where he works with individuals involved in all aspects of construction, including owners, design professionals, contractors and suppliers. He graduated in 2011 from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. He also earned a master’s degree in civil engineering in 2008 and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from BYU in 2006.
MANUFACTURING
• Purple Innovation Inc., an Alpine-based comfort product company, has appointed John Legg as chief operating officer. Legg has more than 20 years of experience in supply-chain management in the wholesale, retail and e-commerce/direct-to-consumer sectors. Prior to joining Purple, he served as a partner in the consulting firm Claris Solutions Group since September 2017. From 2015 to 2017, he served as senior vice president of global operations for Global Brands Group. Prior to that, he was the senior vice president of logistics and supply chain for the Zale Corp. from 2010 to 2015. Legg also worked in supply-chain and distribution roles with Tory Burch, Warnaco, and Liz Claiborne earlier in his career. Purple also announced that Mark Watkins plans to step down from his role as chief financial officer for personal reasons, effective March 15.
NONPROFITS
• The Sutherland Institute, a nonprofit, independent research and educational think tank, has announced Greg Miller and John Sperry have joined its board of trustees. Miller has served in leadership positions within the Larry H. Miller organization for more than 30 years, including seven years as CEO. He is a member of the board of directors and a trustee for the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. Sperry founded InMoment in 2002 and served as CEO until 2017, when he became the company’s chief scientist and chairman of the board.
• The Women’s Business Center of Utah has opened an office at the Southern Utah University Business Resource Center, 510 W. 800 S., Cedar City, to serve women business owners throughout southern and eastern Utah. WBC Utah is a nonprofit organization that helps Utah women business owners start and grow successful business enterprises through individual mentorship and group in-person and online training. The organization is in part funded through a cooperative agreement between the Salt Lake Chamber and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
PHILANTHROPY
• Peter Huntsman, CEO of the Huntsman Foundation and chairman and CEO of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation (HCF), has announced a $30 million gift from the family’s foundation to the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah to allow the institute to better plan for and address the future needs of cancer patients in the Mountain West. The gift is in addition to the $40 million already raised by HCF to support the construction of the Kathryn F. Kirk Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care and Women’s Cancers at Huntsman Cancer Institute. The gift will allow the planned HCI expansion to grow from 102,000 square feet of new space to 200,000 square feet, and from four to eight stories. Other major donors to the expansion are the Spencer and Kristen Kirk family, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and doTerra International. The major expansion of HCI is projected to cost $129 million, of which more than $70 million will come from philanthropic funds. Construction is slated to begin in December, and the building is anticipated to open to patients in September 2022.
• Stand Together, a social change organization, has announced a $250,000 commitment to Utah-based network partner, The Other Side Academy. It was part of the first of six multimillion-dollar investments during National Poverty Awareness Month to benefit organizations working to break cycle of incarceration. The Other Side Academy is a self-sustaining residential life-skills and vocational training program for women and men in long-term criminal behavior, drug addiction and homelessness. Students of the program commit two years to the academy and receive career training, peer counseling, education, mentorship and more, all free of charge.
• ION Solar, a Provo-based solar provider, recently donated a complete premium solar system free of charge through its ION Earth program for the Acosta family in Provo by working with Habitat for Humanity. Through the ION Earth program, for every two megawatts installed, ION Solar donates a premium solar system, providing a full-service solar experience for in-need families.
REAL ESTATE
• Newmark Grubb ACRES (NGA), Salt Lake City, has added four people for its brokerage team: Josh Prettyman, Gabe Phillips, Jeffrey Sorenson and Derek Kofoed. All four agents join the NGA team from Marcus & Millichap. Prettyman and Phillips primarily focus on the hospitality sector. Prettyman’s background includes both acquisitions and dispositions in hospitality investments, as well as skilled underwriting. Phillips worked in the software industry before making the move to real estate at Marcus & Millichap. Sorenson is an investment specialist who has been working in the investment real estate field for the past 12 years. He joined Marcus & Millichap after graduating from Brigham Young University and became a part of its office and industrial investment team. He has been involved in both acquisitions and dispositions of investment properties across the nation. Kofoed joins NGA as a multifamily specialist with experience in conventional and student housing properties. He also graduated from Brigham Young University, where he focused on construction and facility management.
• Richmond American Homes of Utah Inc., a subsidiary of M.D.C. Holdings Inc., has opened Coleman Farms, a community at 5228 S. 1250 W., Riverdale. It offers new ranch-style and two-story homes of two to six bedrooms, up to approximately 2,660 square feet.
RECOGNITIONS
• Women in Consumer Technology has presented its Carol Campbell Inspiration Award to April Feller, chairman of the board of BGZ Brands, Lehi. It was one of six Legacy Awards presented at the CES consumer electronics show. Women in Consumer Technology is an organization that promotes the advancement of women in the consumer tech industry. The Legacy Awards honor “exceptional women who are transforming the consumer technology industry through leadership in the retail, sales and marketing, integration, publishing and trade association segments.” At BGZ Brands, Feller has had many roles, including founder, chief financial officer and now chairman of the board.
• LBM Journal, a magazine for lumberyards and building materials dealers in the U.S., has announced three winners in the annual LBM Journal Dealers of the Year Awards program for 2019. One of the winners is Sunroc Building Materials, Lindon, which received the award in the category of “Sales Over $50 Million.” Started in 1937, Sunroc operates 12 locations throughout Utah and Idaho and has 375 employees.
RETAIL
• Sportsman’s Warehouse Holdings Inc., a Midvale-based outdoor sporting goods retailer, has announced that Martha Bejar has been appointed to the company’s board of directors, effective Feb. 3. Bejar serves as co-founder of Red Bison Advisory Group LLC, a telecommunications and technology advisory firm founded in early 2014. Most recently, she served as CEO and director of Unium Inc., a Wi-Fi software solution provider, from March 2017 to March 2018. Prior to Unium, Bejar was CEO and director at Flow Mobile Inc., chairperson and CEO of Wipro Infocrossing Cloud Computing Services, and corporate vice president for the communication sector at Microsoft Corp. She also serves on the boards of CenturyLink Inc., CommVault Systems Inc. and Rainer Scholars, and is a member of the Presidents Advisory Group at EastWest Institute.
• Tailor Cooperative, a custom clothier that began operations in early 2016, has expanded its custom suit shop at 335 Pierpont Ave., Salt Lake City, in order to launch its in-house tailoring department, begin new product development, and facilitate increased demand at its flagship location. This expansion brings new capital, over 3,000 square feet of retail and office space, and five to seven jobs to be added in 2019-2020. The expansion is funded in part by a loan from Salt Lake City’s Economic Development Loan Fund (EDLF), which aligns with the Redevelopment Agency’s efforts to rehabilitate existing downtown buildings in the Central Business District.
• Old Navy, an apparel retailer, will open a store at Valley Fair, West Valley City, in April. The 12,000-square-foot store will be near the mall’s west entrance. Old Navy has more than 1,100 stores worldwide.
• AT&T has opened an entertainment-focused retail store in Sugar House at 2254 S. 705 E. Owned and operated by Spring Mobile, the store has options for devices, accessories and services. AT&T has more than 55 retail stores in Utah.
SERVICES
• The Parking Spot, the nation’s largest owner and operator of near-airport parking facilities, recently celebrated the grand opening of its new location adjacent to the Salt Lake City International Airport. Located at 123 S. 2400 W., it offers travelers nearly 2,000 covered and uncovered parking space, a 5-to-7-minute transfer to and from the terminal, and luggage assistance. Guests can use its free mobile app to enter and exit the facility, make reservations, track their shuttles, and sign up for the Spot Club loyalty program. The new facility will add more than 30 jobs. It is The Parking Spot’s first facility in Utah. The company has 39 locations at 22 U.S. airports.
TECHNOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCES
• PolarityTE Inc., a Salt Lake City-based biotechnology company, has appointed Jon Burrows as president of contract services and senior vice president of corporate development. Burrows will oversee the market expansion of the company’s contract research organization (CRO) services, including that of its wholly owned subsidiary, IBEX Preclinical Research, as well as corporate development efforts at large. Burrows has more than 20 years of experience encompassing academic medical research in numerous pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry roles. Prior to joining PolarityTE, Burrows helped lead an early development stage consulting and clinical advisory group, which he co-founded in 2015. From 2012-2015, he was president and CEO of OncoPlex Diagnostics. Prior to that, he held multiple positions leading preclinical, translational medicine and clinical research programs for companies including Sugen/Pharmacia, Rigel Pharmaceuticals and Chiron. He also held leadership and business development roles in translational diagnostics at Ventana Medical Systems and Roche.
• HireVue, a Salt Lake City-based talent assessment suite and video interviewing solutions company, has hired David Bedell as chief financial officer. He will guide the financial performance and overall operating health of HireVue. Most recently, Bedell was vice president of finance and investor relations at Instructure. Prior to that, he spent 13 years at Intuit, where he served as business unit CFO for its $700 million payroll business unit and then as head of operational finance for the company’s $2.5 billion QuickBooks business. Earlier in his career, Bedell was a senior financial analyst at Gateway Inc. He holds an MBA and an MS in mechanical engineering from Brigham Young University.
Industry Briefs are provided as a free service to our readers. Company news information may be sent to brice@slenterprise.com. The submission deadline is one week before publication.
CONSTRUCTION
• FFKR Architects, Salt Lake City, has named five new senior associates: Jessica Hoffman, Trenton Jones, Mandy Martineau, Abram Nielsen and Jodi Geroux. FFKR is an architectural, interior design, landscape architecture and planning firm serving the western United States since 1976.
GOVERNMENT
• A total of 399 Utah students will get relief totaling $980,547.39 as a part of settlement funds resulting from a $493.7 million nationwide lawsuit against Illinois-based Career Education Corp., a for-profit education company. The company has agreed to reform its recruiting and enrollment practices and forgo collecting about $493.7 million in debts owed by 179,529 students nationally. The company also has agreed to pay $5 million to the 49 states involved in the lawsuit. Utah’s $50,000 share will go to the Consumer Protection Education and Training Fund. The company offers primarily online courses through American InterContinental University and Colorado Technical University.
INVESTMENT
• RainFocus, a Lehi-based event marketing platform company, has secured a $40 million investment from JMI Equity, which is focused on investing in software companies. RainFocus said the funding will be used to accelerate and broaden product development efforts, expand its global organization, and further other strategic initiatives. In conjunction with the investment, David Greenberg and Larry Contrella, JMI’s general partner and principal, respectively, have joined the RainFocus board of directors.
• Big Squid, a Salt Lake City-based predictive analytics and automated machine learning software company, has secured $9 million in Series A-1 funding, led by Lewis & Clark Ventures, with plans to further develop its Kraken platform. Other participants in the funding round include existing investors Silverton Partners, Signal Peak Ventures and Kickstart Seed Fund. The new investment brings Big Squid’s total amount raised to over $18.5 million.
LAW
• Craig Dell Attorneys has opened law offices at 2825 E. Cottonwood Parkway, Salt Lake City, and 1794 Olympic Parkway, Park City. The boutique law firm focuses on estate planning, tax planning, elder law, probate, trust administration, asset protection, and life or long-term insurance denials.
• The shareholders of Maschoff Brennan, an intellectual property and commercial litigation firm with offices in Park City, Salt Lake City and three other locations, have elected Kirk Harris as its next managing shareholder. Harris joined the firm in 2012 and has been serving on the firm’s executive committee. His practice focuses on complex business and intellectual property litigation. Harris succeeds Eric Maschoff, who has been serving as the firm’s managing shareholder for the past eight years. The firm also named Bethany Adamek to the newly created position of executive director. She will oversee operations throughout the firm’s five offices, including HR, marketing, information technology and more. She joined the firm in 2016 and has has been serving as the firm’s human resources director.
• Babcock Scott & Babcock PC, Salt Lake City, has promoted Jeffrey R. Handy from associate to shareholder. Handy has been with the firm for seven years. His practice focuses on construction law, where he works with individuals involved in all aspects of construction, including owners, design professionals, contractors and suppliers. He graduated in 2011 from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. He also earned a master’s degree in civil engineering in 2008 and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from BYU in 2006.
MANUFACTURING
• Purple Innovation Inc., an Alpine-based comfort product company, has appointed John Legg as chief operating officer. Legg has more than 20 years of experience in supply-chain management in the wholesale, retail and e-commerce/direct-to-consumer sectors. Prior to joining Purple, he served as a partner in the consulting firm Claris Solutions Group since September 2017. From 2015 to 2017, he served as senior vice president of global operations for Global Brands Group. Prior to that, he was the senior vice president of logistics and supply chain for the Zale Corp. from 2010 to 2015. Legg also worked in supply-chain and distribution roles with Tory Burch, Warnaco, and Liz Claiborne earlier in his career. Purple also announced that Mark Watkins plans to step down from his role as chief financial officer for personal reasons, effective March 15.
NONPROFITS
• The Sutherland Institute, a nonprofit, independent research and educational think tank, has announced Greg Miller and John Sperry have joined its board of trustees. Miller has served in leadership positions within the Larry H. Miller organization for more than 30 years, including seven years as CEO. He is a member of the board of directors and a trustee for the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. Sperry founded InMoment in 2002 and served as CEO until 2017, when he became the company’s chief scientist and chairman of the board.
• The Women’s Business Center of Utah has opened an office at the Southern Utah University Business Resource Center, 510 W. 800 S., Cedar City, to serve women business owners throughout southern and eastern Utah. WBC Utah is a nonprofit organization that helps Utah women business owners start and grow successful business enterprises through individual mentorship and group in-person and online training. The organization is in part funded through a cooperative agreement between the Salt Lake Chamber and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
PHILANTHROPY
• Peter Huntsman, CEO of the Huntsman Foundation and chairman and CEO of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation (HCF), has announced a $30 million gift from the family’s foundation to the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah to allow the institute to better plan for and address the future needs of cancer patients in the Mountain West. The gift is in addition to the $40 million already raised by HCF to support the construction of the Kathryn F. Kirk Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care and Women’s Cancers at Huntsman Cancer Institute. The gift will allow the planned HCI expansion to grow from 102,000 square feet of new space to 200,000 square feet, and from four to eight stories. Other major donors to the expansion are the Spencer and Kristen Kirk family, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and doTerra International. The major expansion of HCI is projected to cost $129 million, of which more than $70 million will come from philanthropic funds. Construction is slated to begin in December, and the building is anticipated to open to patients in September 2022.
• Stand Together, a social change organization, has announced a $250,000 commitment to Utah-based network partner, The Other Side Academy. It was part of the first of six multimillion-dollar investments during National Poverty Awareness Month to benefit organizations working to break cycle of incarceration. The Other Side Academy is a self-sustaining residential life-skills and vocational training program for women and men in long-term criminal behavior, drug addiction and homelessness. Students of the program commit two years to the academy and receive career training, peer counseling, education, mentorship and more, all free of charge.
• ION Solar, a Provo-based solar provider, recently donated a complete premium solar system free of charge through its ION Earth program for the Acosta family in Provo by working with Habitat for Humanity. Through the ION Earth program, for every two megawatts installed, ION Solar donates a premium solar system, providing a full-service solar experience for in-need families.
REAL ESTATE
• Newmark Grubb ACRES (NGA), Salt Lake City, has added four people for its brokerage team: Josh Prettyman, Gabe Phillips, Jeffrey Sorenson and Derek Kofoed. All four agents join the NGA team from Marcus & Millichap. Prettyman and Phillips primarily focus on the hospitality sector. Prettyman’s background includes both acquisitions and dispositions in hospitality investments, as well as skilled underwriting. Phillips worked in the software industry before making the move to real estate at Marcus & Millichap. Sorenson is an investment specialist who has been working in the investment real estate field for the past 12 years. He joined Marcus & Millichap after graduating from Brigham Young University and became a part of its office and industrial investment team. He has been involved in both acquisitions and dispositions of investment properties across the nation. Kofoed joins NGA as a multifamily specialist with experience in conventional and student housing properties. He also graduated from Brigham Young University, where he focused on construction and facility management.
• Richmond American Homes of Utah Inc., a subsidiary of M.D.C. Holdings Inc., has opened Coleman Farms, a community at 5228 S. 1250 W., Riverdale. It offers new ranch-style and two-story homes of two to six bedrooms, up to approximately 2,660 square feet.
RECOGNITIONS
• Women in Consumer Technology has presented its Carol Campbell Inspiration Award to April Feller, chairman of the board of BGZ Brands, Lehi. It was one of six Legacy Awards presented at the CES consumer electronics show. Women in Consumer Technology is an organization that promotes the advancement of women in the consumer tech industry. The Legacy Awards honor “exceptional women who are transforming the consumer technology industry through leadership in the retail, sales and marketing, integration, publishing and trade association segments.” At BGZ Brands, Feller has had many roles, including founder, chief financial officer and now chairman of the board.
• LBM Journal, a magazine for lumberyards and building materials dealers in the U.S., has announced three winners in the annual LBM Journal Dealers of the Year Awards program for 2019. One of the winners is Sunroc Building Materials, Lindon, which received the award in the category of “Sales Over $50 Million.” Started in 1937, Sunroc operates 12 locations throughout Utah and Idaho and has 375 employees.
RETAIL
• Sportsman’s Warehouse Holdings Inc., a Midvale-based outdoor sporting goods retailer, has announced that Martha Bejar has been appointed to the company’s board of directors, effective Feb. 3. Bejar serves as co-founder of Red Bison Advisory Group LLC, a telecommunications and technology advisory firm founded in early 2014. Most recently, she served as CEO and director of Unium Inc., a Wi-Fi software solution provider, from March 2017 to March 2018. Prior to Unium, Bejar was CEO and director at Flow Mobile Inc., chairperson and CEO of Wipro Infocrossing Cloud Computing Services, and corporate vice president for the communication sector at Microsoft Corp. She also serves on the boards of CenturyLink Inc., CommVault Systems Inc. and Rainer Scholars, and is a member of the Presidents Advisory Group at EastWest Institute.
• Tailor Cooperative, a custom clothier that began operations in early 2016, has expanded its custom suit shop at 335 Pierpont Ave., Salt Lake City, in order to launch its in-house tailoring department, begin new product development, and facilitate increased demand at its flagship location. This expansion brings new capital, over 3,000 square feet of retail and office space, and five to seven jobs to be added in 2019-2020. The expansion is funded in part by a loan from Salt Lake City’s Economic Development Loan Fund (EDLF), which aligns with the Redevelopment Agency’s efforts to rehabilitate existing downtown buildings in the Central Business District.
• Old Navy, an apparel retailer, will open a store at Valley Fair, West Valley City, in April. The 12,000-square-foot store will be near the mall’s west entrance. Old Navy has more than 1,100 stores worldwide.
• AT&T has opened an entertainment-focused retail store in Sugar House at 2254 S. 705 E. Owned and operated by Spring Mobile, the store has options for devices, accessories and services. AT&T has more than 55 retail stores in Utah.
SERVICES
• The Parking Spot, the nation’s largest owner and operator of near-airport parking facilities, recently celebrated the grand opening of its new location adjacent to the Salt Lake City International Airport. Located at 123 S. 2400 W., it offers travelers nearly 2,000 covered and uncovered parking space, a 5-to-7-minute transfer to and from the terminal, and luggage assistance. Guests can use its free mobile app to enter and exit the facility, make reservations, track their shuttles, and sign up for the Spot Club loyalty program. The new facility will add more than 30 jobs. It is The Parking Spot’s first facility in Utah. The company has 39 locations at 22 U.S. airports.
TECHNOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCES
• PolarityTE Inc., a Salt Lake City-based biotechnology company, has appointed Jon Burrows as president of contract services and senior vice president of corporate development. Burrows will oversee the market expansion of the company’s contract research organization (CRO) services, including that of its wholly owned subsidiary, IBEX Preclinical Research, as well as corporate development efforts at large. Burrows has more than 20 years of experience encompassing academic medical research in numerous pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry roles. Prior to joining PolarityTE, Burrows helped lead an early development stage consulting and clinical advisory group, which he co-founded in 2015. From 2012-2015, he was president and CEO of OncoPlex Diagnostics. Prior to that, he held multiple positions leading preclinical, translational medicine and clinical research programs for companies including Sugen/Pharmacia, Rigel Pharmaceuticals and Chiron. He also held leadership and business development roles in translational diagnostics at Ventana Medical Systems and Roche.
• HireVue, a Salt Lake City-based talent assessment suite and video interviewing solutions company, has hired David Bedell as chief financial officer. He will guide the financial performance and overall operating health of HireVue. Most recently, Bedell was vice president of finance and investor relations at Instructure. Prior to that, he spent 13 years at Intuit, where he served as business unit CFO for its $700 million payroll business unit and then as head of operational finance for the company’s $2.5 billion QuickBooks business. Earlier in his career, Bedell was a senior financial analyst at Gateway Inc. He holds an MBA and an MS in mechanical engineering from Brigham Young University.