Company news information may be sent to brice.w@thecityjournals.com.
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
• The Gateway in Salt Lake City is accepting applications until Oct. 13 for artists to participate in its “Winter After Dark” program, which will feature unique window designs for some of its storefronts. Each selected artist will receive $500. They will be notified by Oct. 17 and their project must be completed by Nov. 17. Artworks will be highlighted monthly during SLC Gallery Stroll, where artists can open their space and showcase and sell their work. Details are available by emailing jbreslin@vestar.com or kcressall@vestar.com.
BANKING
• Bank of Utah, based in Ogden, has launched its Vernal-Uintah Basin Home Loan office. It will offer a range of mortgage services, including construction lending, jumbo financing, Utah Housing loans, USDA Rural Housing loans and FHA/VA loans, among others. During an opening ceremony, Bank of Utah presented a $1,000 check as a donation to the Utah Association of Realtors Housing Opportunity Fund. Since 1998, the fund has contributed over $1 million to support housing-related programs for those in need. The bank’s Vernal team has built a strong relationship with the nonprofit, including helping install smoke detectors in underprivileged homes. This donation will support critical needs of veterans in the Uintah Basin area.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Salt Lake City, at No. 177 nationally, is the highest-ranked Utah city on a list of “Most Expensive Metro Areas for Renters,” compiled by Lawn Love. It compared 196 of the largest U.S. markets across factors including adjusted rent prices, affordability and market trends. Other Utah metro areas on the list are No. 183 Provo/Orem and No. 189 Ogden/Clearfield. The most-expensive area nationally is New York City. The No. 196 location is Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Details are at https://lawnlove.com/blog/most-expensive-metro-areas-to-rent/.
• Construction jobs with the fastest-growing wages (in nominal terms) in Utah the past five years are, in order, solar photovoltaic installers, 51.1 percent; paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators, 33.6 percent; pipelayers, 30.4 percent; construction laborers, 29.5 percent; and brickmasons and blockmasons, 27.2 percent. The figures were released by Associated Builders and Contractors. Researchers at Construction Coverage, an online publisher of construction industry research reports, analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify how wages are trending across the construction industry nationally, by state, and by specific occupation. ABC estimates a shortfall of 439,000 workers nationally in 2025. In 2024, construction and extraction workers earned a mean annual wage of $63,920, up 21.6 percent from 2019 in nominal terms but down 0.9 percent after adjusting for inflation. Details are at https://constructioncoverage.com/research/construction-jobs-with-the-fastest-growing-wages.
• Two Utah family-owned companies are on a list of those “most coveted by job-seekers,” compiled by financial media company MarketBeat and based on a survey. They are Sterling Furniture, Salt Lake City, ranked No. 114 nationally; and No. 116 Daynes Music, Midvale. The top-ranked family-owned company overall is The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida. Details are at https://www.marketbeat.com/originals/top-125-family-businesses-people-most-want-to-work-for-in-the-us/.
• Utah had the nation’s fifth-fastest growth rate for senior fraud complaints, up 83 percent since 2021, according to a study by Caring.com. Older adults in the state lost $4.8 billion to fraud in 2024, it said. Caring.com analyzed data to find the victimization rates of reported fraud for those over 60, and the rates of losses in each U.S. state. They also investigated the most common types of fraud in the U.S. and compiled a list of tips on spotting suspected scams. The largest increase in senior fraud complaints per 100,000 people was in Indiana, at more than 240 percent. Details are at https://www.caring.com/resources/senior-scams-report.
• Two Utah locations are on a list of “farmers’ markets families most want to visit this fall,” compiled by photo book company Mixbook and based on a survey. They are Millcreek Farmers Market, ranked No. 47 nationally, and No. 101 Vernal Farmers Market. The top-ranked location nationally is Pine Grove Mills Farmers Market in State College, Pennsylvania. Details are at https://www.mixbook.com/inspiration/top-fall-farmers-markets.
• Salt Lake City, at No. 60 nationally, is the highest-ranked Utah city on a list of “the nation’s greenest cities,” compiled by LawnStarter. It compared the 500 largest U.S. cities using 47 eco-conscious metrics, such as restrictions on gas-powered lawn equipment, the share of car-free commutes, and access to zero-waste grocery stores. The lowest-ranked Utah city is No. 490 West Jordan. The most sustainable city nationally is New York. The No. 500 city is Pembroke Pines, Florida. Details are at http://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/most-sustainable-cities/.
EDUCATION
• Nightingale College in Sandy recently graduated 1,874 nursing students. Eighty percent of the group identified as a minority and 86 percent are 24 or older. The college’s model combines online instruction with localized hands-on clinical experiences.
INTERNATIONAL
• World Trade Center Utah is accepting applications until Nov. 1 for its Feb. 9-12 trip to attend WHX Dubai, the world’s largest health care exhibition. Attending companies can showcase their products or services, connect with global buyers and tap into high-growth health markets across MENA. WHX Dubai is expected to host more than 4,300 exhibitors, welcome more than 67,000 professional visits, feature more than 250 speakers, and represent participation from more than 180 countries. Details are at https://www.wtcutah.com/tradeevents/whxdubai2026. Small businesses can apply for the SBA STEP grant through World Trade Center Utah to help offset travel and lodging costs for WHX Dubai. Approved exhibitors and visitors may receive reimbursement of up to 75 percent of qualified expenses. Details about the grant are available by emailing grants@wtcutah.com.
INVESTMENTS
• PassiveLogic, a Salt Lake City-based company focused on generative autonomy, has raised $74 million in Series C funding to scale its vision to meet global demand for physical AI in everyday infrastructure. The round was led by European venture capital firm Noa and included new investors Prologis Ventures, Johnson Controls and PSP Growth. Existing backers include Addition, NVentures, Keyframe and Brookfield, bringing total funding to over $125 million. PassiveLogic aims to transform how buildings and physical infrastructure are designed, operated and optimized through an autonomous control platform.
MILESTONES
• LivAway Suites, a Salt Lake City-based economy extended-stay brand, has sold more than 100,000 room nights in its first 12 months of operating hotels. It has eight hotels, with 14 more under development. Plans call for 10 additional hotels in 2026, bringing the total to 30-plus hotels by the end of next year.
• Arrive Home, a Sandy-based national affordable housing innovator, has announced that it now serves six of the nation’s top 10 mortgage lenders and had record growth upon its third-year anniversary. Launched in August 2022 to help underserved borrowers achieve homeownership through its down payment assistance and earned equity programs, the company has seen revenue grow 30 times since then. In three years, Arrive Home has helped nearly 13,000 Americans achieve homeownership.
• The Salt Lake Board of Realtors is on its way to a milestone of its American Dream Grant program, awarding more than $500,000 in down payment assistance to first-time homebuyers by year-end. First-time buyers who work with a Realtor who is a primary member of SLBR are eligible to apply for the $7,500 grant. Recipients are chosen through a random drawing and must meet program requirements, including a credit score above 640 and a household income at or below $141,400. In 2025, SLBR will award 18 grants totaling $135,000.
PARTNERSHIPS
• US Critical Materials Corp., a Salt Lake City-based rare earth exploration and process technology company, has announced a strategic advisory alliance with GreenMet, a Washington, D.C.-based firm specializing in critical minerals strategy and financing. US Critical Materials holds the highest-grade reported gallium deposit in the United States. Gallium is essential for advanced semiconductors, defense electronics and satellite communications. GreenMet will serve as strategic advisor to US Critical Materials, supporting efforts to secure federal funding through grants and concessional loans aimed at strengthening U.S. critical mineral supply chains. The engagement will be led by GreenMet Founder and CEO Drew Horn, an authority in defense supply chain strategy and former senior official at the White House National Security Council, Department of Energy and Department of Defense.
PHILANTHROPY
• Chartway Credit Union, based in Virginia and with branches in Utah, Texas and Virginia, has announced a sponsorship with Salt Lake Community College. Through a one-year commitment, SLCC will receive $30,000 that will directly benefit its English as a Second Language (ESL) scholarships and cultural programming through the Center of Latin American Studies (CLAS). The sponsorship includes $10,000 in scholarship support for ESL students who demonstrate financial need and $20,000 in unrestricted funds to advance CLAS programming, which fosters academic and cultural connections between SLCC and Latin American institutions. As part of the sponsorship, Chartway will be recognized at key SLCC events and will participate in summer festivals and community outreach initiatives.
• The Salt Lake Board of Realtors has donated to a different local charity each month this year. The recipient list includes Turtle Shelter Project, by creating winter survival vests for individuals experiencing homelessness along the Wasatch Front; Utah Foster Care, by writing letters of encouragement to local foster families; Granite and Jordan education foundations, by assembling 180 snack packs for students in need; and Utah Food Bank, by collecting and donating an entire truckload of food to help local families.
REAL ESTATE
• Evergreen Devco Inc., focused on retail, multifamily and industrial real estate development, has begun construction on The Trail, a 315-unit luxury multifamily development at 1674 Burke Lane, Farmington. A recent groundbreaking ceremony marked the beginning of a $92 million-plus investment. The Trail will span 296,602 square feet and offer a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. The development includes 32 affordable units priced at 80 percent of area median income (AMI). The Trail will feature a swimming pool and spa, pickleball court, fitness center, coworking and meeting spaces, and barbecue and community gathering areas. Construction is led by general contractor Pentalon Construction, with architectural design by Architecture Belgique. Anticipated availability for the first units is April 2027, with full completion in December 2027.
• Fort Street Partners has completed the acquisition of Daybreak Corporate Center, a 177,000-square-foot, multi-tenant office building in South Jordan, in a rare off-market purchase. The building is located in the heart of Daybreak, a 4,000-acre master-planned community. Built in 2008, the Daybreak Corporate Center property features a structured parking garage and a rooftop patio. Current occupancy is 95.4 percent, anchored by Rio Tinto and also housing technology companies Travelpass Group and Enova. Fort Street Partners has plans to renovate and lease the remaining space within the building. Fort Street Partners’ portfolio includes more than 1.8 million square feet of office, retail and medical properties.
RETAIL
• Walmart has announced that it is the first retailer to provide refrigerated and reconstituted prescription delivery in Utah, through same-day delivery of medications such as insulin, GLP-1s and pediatric antibiotics. Prescriptions arrive in insulated, light-protected packaging that maintains safe temperatures for up to three hours. Customers can choose same-day scheduled, on-demand or express delivery. Refrigerated medications represent more than 30 percent of Walmart Pharmacy sales. Walmart’s $4 generic prescription program is also eligible for delivery.
SERVICES
• U-Haul Co. of Utah Inc. has announced that My Storage Charleston has signed on as a U-Haul neighborhood dealer to serve the Heber City community. Located at 2323 W. 3000 S., it will offer essential services like U-Haul trucks, trailers, towing equipment and moving supplies. U-Haul has more than 24,000 rental locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. It has a fleet of 193,900 trucks, 138,200 trailers and 40,300 towing devices. It also has more than 1 million rentable units and 92 million square feet of self-storage space at company-owned and managed facilities.