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CONSTRUCTION
• Sundt Construction has hired Shahbaz Mohammad, Sheyenne Dodds and Brieanna Kuehner for its Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities New Water Reclamation Facility project. Mohammad brings two years of experience in the construction industry to his role as a project engineer. He has worked as a project estimator, assistant project manager and project engineer. Dodds and Kuehner both join the project as field engineers. Dodds has over 15 years of professional experience. Kuehner has experience working as an intern in the construction industry and as a tactical aircraft mechanic for the U.S. Air Force. In 2019, Sundt broke ground on the new water reclamation facility for Salt Lake City’s Department of Public Utilities. The $528 million facility will serve more than 200,000 customers over a 110-square-mile service area.
CONTESTS
• The Utah Manufacturers Association is accepting nominations until Oct. 21 for its 2022 annual awards banquet, set for Nov. 12. The awards given represent companies and individuals that have had a measurable impact on the manufacturing community through best practices, leadership, positive environmental impact and company culture. All applications must be submitted through the UMA website. The awards consist of different categories based on company size. Awards include Manufacturer of the Year, Manufacturing Company Culture Award, Manufacturing Leader of the Year, Women in Manufacturing Award and Environmental Stewardship Award. Details are at https://manufacturingutah.com/uma-awards/.
CORPORATE
• Lions Not Sheep, an apparel brands company, has moved its headquarters to a 35,000-square-foot facility in Salt Lake City. The company said the site will generate 70 new jobs by next year, up from the existing 30.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Salt Lake City is ranked No. 2 on a list of top home buyers’ markets on the Knock Buyer-Seller Market Index, which analyzes key housing market metrics to measure the degree to which the nation’s 100 largest markets favor home buyers or sellers. Salt Lake City trails only the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley market in California. It said the median sale price in Salt Lake City is $520, with the median number of days on the market being 19. The top seller market is Fayetteville, North Carolina. Details are at https://www.knock.com/blog/the-great-housing-divide-south-and-east-remain-seller-strongholds-west-coast-cool-off-spreads-beyond-california/.
• West Valley City is ranked No. 11 and Salt Lake City is No. 18 on a list of cities with best changes in the unemployment rate, compiled by WalletHub. The best change in unemployment was in Lialeah, Florida. Details are at https://wallethub.com/edu/cities-unemployment-rates/73647.
• Albertsons is Utahns’ favorite grocery store, according to a study by Wisevoter, a bipartisan educational platform that which studied favorite grocery stores by state. The team at Wisevoter analyzed foot traffic data gathered by GPS tracking by store in each state. Albertsons was followed, in order, by Vons, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe’s and Stop & Shop. Albertsons was the most popular store in nine states. Details are at https://wisevoter.com/report/most-popular-grocery-store-by-state/.
• Salt Lake City is ranked No. 50 and West Valley City is ranked No. 191 (or No. 10 among “worst cities”) on a list of “2022’s Best Cities for Golfers,” compiled by LawnStarter. It compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on 22 key indicators of golfer-friendliness, such as weather, number of golf courses, and access to equipment. The top-ranked city is Scottsdale, Arizona. The No. 200 city is Pasadena, Texas. Details are at https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/best-cities-for-golfers/.
• Utahns are spending an extra $24,502 to secure car models they want, according to a survey commissioned by Quantrell Auto Group. One in four Utahns have bought vehicles they did not initially plan on acquiring, according to the survey. Utahns who are not prepared to compromise and are holding out for their preferred option say they are prepared to spend 51 percent above the manufacturer’s suggested retail price for their vehicle. Among states, Alaska had the highest number of car owners who admitted they drive vehicles that they didn’t initially want in the first place, at 80 percent. The figure was 11 percent in New Mexico. Details are at https://www.quantrellforlife.com/car-compromise/.
• A total of 227,477 Utahns admit to having taken and acted upon financial advice from social media influencers, according to a survey by CouponBirds. They are among over 20 million in the U.S. Details are at https://www.couponbirds.com/research-center/data/people-take-financial-advice-from-social-media-personalities.
EDUCATION/TRAINING
• Utah State University has selected “Selling with Authentic Persuasion: Transform from Order Taker to Quota Breaker” by Jason Cutter for students enrolled in the ProSales required course at its Jon M. Huntsman School of Business. It will teach students “how to transform themselves into model salespersons and inspire trust through integrity and authenticity.”
ENERGY
• SolarEdge Technologies Inc., based in California, and power grid operator Rocky Mountain Power have announced the qualification of the SolarEdge Home Battery to join RMP’s Wattsmart Battery program. Launched in 2021, the Wattsmart program uses a growing fleet of residential batteries to help manage the electric system during peak usage periods. RMP wants to leverage customer-generated solar power along with battery technology in the homes of over 60,000 existing rooftop solar customers in Utah and Idaho. The program has over 3,000 batteries currently enrolled in Utah and Idaho.
HEALTHCARE
• BlueWind Medical Ltd., a medical device company with offices in Park City and Israel that is working to transform neuromodulation therapy for overactive bladder, has announced that Dr. Liz Kwo has joined its board of directors. Kwo is chief medical officer at Everly Health.
BlueWind is working to transform neuromodulation therapy for overactive bladder.Kwo’s background is in data science, automation and artificial intelligence, with a unique background in applying digital health to care delivery models. Prior to joining Everly Health, Kwo was the deputy chief clinical officer for Anthem, now Elevance Health. She is currently a faculty lecturer at Harvard Medical School and practicing physician in urgent and occupational medicine at Cambridge Health Alliance, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Kwo also is an active angel investor in the healthcare community with an interest in technology-enabled healthcare delivery.
• Lipocine Inc., a Salt Lake City-based biopharmaceutical company, has announced plans to focus on treating central nervous system disorders. The initial focus is on endogenous neuroactive steroids, which have broad applicability in treating various CNS conditions and where the company can leverage its platform to develop oral therapeutics. Lipocine’s priority is to advance its pipeline of endogenous neuroactive steroids.
INSURANCE
• MGIS, a Salt Lake City-based national insurance program manager, and Sun Life, a leading international financial services organization, have announced that group disability insurance programs managed by MGIS will expand to include veterinarian groups. The companies are partners in providing specialized disability income protection for healthcare professionals. MGIS provides specialized sales support, administration and underwriting, and Sun Life provides claims management and insurance supported by its insurance subsidiaries’ financial strength ratings.
INVESTMENTS
• Workstream, a Lehi-based company offering a hiring and onboarding platform for the “deskless” workforce, has extended its Series B funding round with an additional close of $60 million, bringing the total Series B financing to $108 million. More than two dozen investors are participating in the oversubscribed extension round, including both institutional funds and angel investors. The round was led by Hans Tung, managing partner of GGV Capital, with participation from Founders Fund, Coatue, BOND, Basis Set Ventures, CRV, WiL and Soma Capital, among others. Workstream said the funding and the addition of new investors will help it expand further into new and current verticals in the retail, hospitality, healthcare, warehousing and automotive sectors. It also will enable Workstream to boost its research and development investment to extend its platform offering.
LAW
• Dana Ball Legal Services, Lehi, has rebranded to Avanta Small Business Law. The firm focuses on business owners and entrepreneurs. Avanta will continue the services provided by Dana Ball Legal Services, including business entity formation and maintenance, human resources compliance, and plain-language contracts.
MEDIA
• Wholesale Nuts and Dried Fruit, Bluffdale, is among 16 contestants on “America’s Real Deal,” a new reality TV show allowing Americans to vote on and invest in companies. The series premiers Oct. 12.
PARTNERSHIPS
• OptConnect, a Kaysville-based company focused on wireless services, has announced a partnership with Cradlepoint, a company focused on cloud-delivered 4G LTE and 5G wireless network edge solutions. The partnership allows OptConnect to expand beyond managed IoT connectivity and support enterprise and branch, primary and backup business Internet connectivity deployments, with a simple connectivity-as-a-service model. The new offering will be sold by OptConnect’s Premier Wireless Solutions division, while the support and day-to-day management will be handled through OptConnect’s headquarters.
• Rent Dynamics, based in Logan, has announced that rent reporting provider RentPlus will work with Fannie Mae to grow their program to help renters build credit by working with owners and managers to help renters build credit by reporting on-time rental payments to the three major credit reporting bureaus. Disclosing on-time rent payments allows renters to build and establish credit scores while helping property owners increase revenue and lower their delinquency rates. The pilot program supports Fannie Mae & Rent Dynamics’ objective to further accelerate the adoption of rent payment reporting across the multifamily industry.
REAL ESTATE
• Magleby Development has broken ground on Velvaere, a wellness community in Park City next to Deer Valley Resort. The developer is Extell Utah. The 60-acre community with 115 planned residences will feature direct ski-in, ski-out access and year-round mountain adventure and recreation through an onsite ski lift, ski terrain, outdoor spaces, a wellness center and family adventure center. Homeowners will have a well-being membership, granting access to all of the club offerings. A limited number of wellness club memberships will be available for purchase to non-homeowners.
• Richmond American Homes of Utah Inc., a subsidiary of M.D.C. Holdings Inc., has announced the opening of a Laurel model home at Villages at Arrowhead Park, 1538 N. 1130 E., Payson. The community offers four floor plans, homes with three to six bedrooms and sizes of 2,000 to 2,360 square feet. MDC’s homebuilding subsidiaries have built more than 230,000 homes since 1977.
RECOGNITIONS
• The Utah Office of Tourism and the Utah Tourism Industry Association inducted three people into the Utah Tourism Hall of Fame during the recent Utah Tourism Conference in Vernal: Maria Twitchell, executive director, Visit Cedar City-Brian Head; Mark Wilson, owner, Red Canyon Lodge in Flaming Gorge; and Rick Maw, founder, Utah.com. They were chosen based on their history of contributions to the state’s tourism industry through leadership and longstanding contributions to their region or the entire state. Beginning in 1985, the Hall of Fame has recognized 124 inductees. After Twitchell graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications and marketing from Southern Utah University in 1995, she held various marketing positions for the county tourism office and was promoted to executive director of Visit Cedar City-Brian Head in 2005. Twitchell also serves on many local and state tourism boards, including the Utah Main Street board and is a past president of the Utah Tourism Industry Association. Wilson served 11 years at Solitude Ski Resort, ending as vice president of base area operations and marketing. During that time, he represented the Cottonwood Canyon ski resorts in Wasatch Canyon master planning, park-and-ride lot development and Ski Utah marketing. In 1991, Wilson was hired as a consultant to find a small family resort and reopened Red Canyon Lodge. He also became involved with community organizations and Northeastern Utah tourism and eventually became the Red Canyon Lodge’s primary owner. Maw founded Utah.com with partners Mike Donahue and Rich Farr.
RESTAURANTS
• The McHenry Group plans to open Pica Rica Americana BBQ this fall, first in St. George. The restaurant aims to combine “central Texas barbecue themes with the excitement and flavor of Mexico City.”
RETAIL
• 1-800 Contacts, a Draper-based retailer of contact lenses, has hired Angie Balfour as chief people officer. Balfour has more than 20 years of experience in human resources and will lead 1-800 Contacts’ people department across people operations, recruiting, total rewards and professional development. She most recently served as chief people officer at Weave. She previously served as head of human resources at Instagram and director of human resources at Facebook. Balfour earned a bachelor’s degree in human resource management from Utah State University and an MBA from the University of Utah.
SERVICES
• Savage, a Salt Lake City-based provider of industry infrastructure and supply chain services, has appointed Jeff Roberts as executive vice president and chief operating officer and hired Tom Coler as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Roberts has been CFO for the past six years. As COO, he will have overall responsibility for the operations of the company’s three sectors (agriculture, infrastructure and environmental), and he will continue to lead corporate development and information technology while assuming responsibility for safety, health and environment. Prior to joining Savage, Roberts served as CFO of Maxum Enterprises and also served in financial roles within the Pilot Flying J organization, including divisional CFO. Prior to joining Savage, Coler served as vice president and CFO for the health, hygiene and consumables business unit at H.B. Fuller Corp. He has experience in global, public companies and brings experience in corporate finance, acquisitions and integration, implementing IT solutions, driving cost and efficiency initiatives, and other finance-related topics.
TECHNOLOGY
• Nexus IT, a Salt Lake City-based IT security and support company, has appointed Jake Hiller as chief revenue officer and Eric Sessions as chief operating officer. Both are former founders of Intelitechs, which recently merged with Nexus IT. Hiller has nearly 20 years of professional experience in IT solutions. He will be responsible for implementing revenue-generating initiatives through enhanced marketing, sales and customer success strategies. Sessions will work to strengthen Nexus IT’s fulfillment and operations teams. He has more than 16 years of experience in the IT solutions industry, with a combination of responsibilities on both the data analytics and operations sides of the business. He became president and COO of Intelitechs in 2011. In addition to their appointments, the company has repositioned its organizational chart to reflect a “team of teams” approach, with the top three executives leading specific sectors of the business in a lateral way. As a result, shifts and transitions have been made among all departments.
VENTURE CAPITAL
• VentureCapital.Org, a Salt Lake City-based nonprofit organization that assists, coaches and provides mentoring to entrepreneurs raising investment capital, has named Tara Spalding as the inaugural chief programming officer and director of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Program and announced Marcia Nelson as the incoming chairman of the board. Spalding’s responsibilities include the oversight and execution to benefit women-founded, owned or led companies in Utah and in the surrounding states. She will be based in Salt Lake City. She has been working with startups and early-stage investors in California and in Utah for over 20 years. Her career includes most recently being the managing director of BoomStartup Accelerator. She also served on the board of trustees for VentureCapital.Org since 2020 and has been actively involved with its women initiatives since 2017. Nelson, based in New York City, will have responsibilities that include the oversight of the nonprofit’s charter, business operations, board committee direction and succession planning. On Jan. 1, she succeeds Matt Warnock, who has held the chairman position and has been an active mentor for 18 years. Nelson is an advisor and investment leader who has spent a large portion of her career working in and for family offices and private dealmakers. She is the managing director and head of business development for ShareNett; is the co-founder of Triple C Advisory; and serves on several boards, including her previous position as vice chair on the board of trustees for VentureCapital.Org. She is a former member of the board at Women in the Boardroom and was the founder and CEO of Deals & Divas, which brought together women entrepreneurs, advisors and investors.
• Tandem Ventures, a Draper-based investment firm, has added Jimmer Fredette as a partner. Fredette spent the past 11 years playing basketball professionally in the U.S. and abroad. He joins co-founders Alex Bean and McKay Dunn at the firm, which was formed earlier this year.