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ASSOCIATIONS
• BioUtah, a nonprofit trade association serving the life sciences community in Utah, announced new board leadership during the recently BioHive Summit. The chair is Andrea Kendell, senior vice president and chief financial officer for North America for Biomerieux. The vice chair is Myles Greenberg, president and CEO of Alucent Biomedical. Past chair is Brad Brown, founder and executive chairman of the board at ATL Technology. Incoming members of the BioUtah board are Bo Nemelka, partner, Intermountain Health Strategy Office; Kolby Day, senior vice president of operations and corporate general manager, PolarityTE; and Keith Marmer, chief innovation and economic engagement officer, PIVOT Center at the University of Utah.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Utah is ranked No. 1 among states where very small businesses dominate, compiled by LendingTree. It measured three metrics to produce the rankings. The study indicates that 59.5 percent of businesses in Utah employ less than five people, the sixth-highest figure in the U.S. The number is up 2.2 percent from 2016, the largest five-year increase across the country. Details are at https://www.lendingtree.com/business/small-business-saturday-study/.
• Stansbury Park leads all of Utah as the “most affordable place to live,” according to a study by SmartAsset. Its eighth annual study weighed several factors, including taxes, homeowners’ insurance, and home costs relative to the local median income. Places where home ownership costs were lowest relative to the median income in each location were considered the most affordable. Stansbury Park was followed, in order, by Sunset, Nibley, West Point, Clinton, South Weber, Roy, Tooele, Syracuse and South Ogden. Details are at https://smartasset.com/mortgage/how-much-house-can-i-afford#Utah.
• Forty percent of Utahns say they buy things with the sole purpose of making themselves feel better, according to a survey by CouponBirds, which polled consumers on their online purchasing habits. The survey found that such “retail therapy” sessions cost shoppers an average of nearly $213, or collectively over $193 million. The highest percentage was 83 percent in Kansas, while the lowest was 11 percent in West Virginia. Details are at https://www.couponbirds.com/research-center/data/has-retail-therapy-worked-for-you.
• Salt Lake City is ranked No. 8 on a list of places with a significant increase in property prices over 10 years, according to a study by Ibrinfo.org. In 2012, $1 million could buy 9,346 square feet of property in the city. In 2022, however, the same amount buys just 2,961 square feet. That’s a decrease of 6,385 square feet in total, equivalent to 68 percent. The highest amount was 14,545 square feet in Detroit. Details are at https://www.ibrinfo.org/property-million-dollars-decade-ago/
• Utahns who had roast turkey for Thanksgiving likely paid more for it than a year ago, according to a study by Usko, a new free app that let users analyze their Amazon spending. Roast turkey prices were nearly 11 percent higher this year than last year, costing $33.76 this year, compared to $30.07 in 2021. The cost increase of each state’s favorite Thanksgiving dishes ranged from 7.45 percent for Hawaii’s creamy garlic mashed potatoes to 13.56 percent for Washington’s spiced Thanksgiving sugar cookies. Details are at https://uskoprivacy.com/blog/thanksgiving-inflation.
EDUCATION/TRAINING
• The South Valley Chamber of Commerce has extended until Dec. 11 the registration deadline for the KeyBank Business Accelerator, a 10-week program that begins Jan. 10. The course is taught by Ralph Little, founder and CEO of a nationwide financial services company. Session program topics include identification, risk, strategy, sales, financial statements, banking, management, customers and competitors, systems, and expansion and exit strategies. Details are at southvalleychamber.com.
EXPANSIONS
• Industrial Supply Co., a Salt Lake City-based maintenance, repair, operational and production distributor in the Intermountain West, has opened a distribution center in Chandler, Arizona. The 106-year-old company now has eight locations in Utah, Wyoming, Nevada and now Arizona. The company said the center will allow it to better serve current customers who have a presence in Arizona and also support the state’s construction, mining, manufacturing and aerospace industries.
• Woodward, a Park City-based company focused on action sports experiences, has expanded overseas with the opening of its first-ever Urban Center in Sydney, Australia. Scheduled to open in late 2024, Woodward Sydney will be an indoor action sports community facility catering to all ages and ability levels. It represents Woodward’s first expansion since the opening of Woodward Park City in 2019. Woodward Sydney is being developed in partnership with the New South Wales Office of Sport. The facility will cover a total area of 68,000 square feet over three levels. Construction is planned to begin in the first half of 2023. The company also is renovating existing facilities at Woodward Pennsylvania and Woodward West. Work is already underway, with the first phase anticipated to be completed for the summer 2023 camp season.
HEALTHCARE
• CenExel, a Salt Lake City-based company focused on medical and scientific support in the design and execution of clinical trials, has announced the formation of a Clinical Sciences business unit. It consists of early-phase and translational medicine scientists, plus the broader network of CenExel therapeutic experts and key opinion leaders, providing support to all the CenExel Centers of Excellence as well as standalone consulting services. Clinical Sciences by CenExel is led by Drs. Larry Ereshefsky, Robert Litman and Brett English. Ereshefsky will serve as chief scientific officer-early phase. Litman will serve as chief scientific officer-psychiatry. English will serve as vice president in the division.
INVESTMENTS
• DeepPower Inc., a new Lehi-based company, recently closed its Series A investment round. The Series A investment by an undisclosed venture capital firm will be used to help execute the company’s business plan to develop a breakthrough geothermal drilling technology. The company’s CEO is Andrew Van Noy.
LAW
• Greenberg Traurig LLP has hired 19 Intellectual Property & Technology Practice attorneys and patent agents, more than half of whom will be in the firm’s Salt Lake City office, which opened less than three years ago. The 31-person team, which includes specialist engineers and business staff, joined from FisherBroyles LLP. New shareholders Bryan K. Hanks and Jonathan R. Lee, both registered patent attorneys with electrical engineering backgrounds, will spend time in the firm’s Salt Lake City and Phoenix offices. Eleven of the attorneys on the team will be based in Salt Lake City, nearly doubling the number of attorneys in the office. Hanks and Lee’s legal team includes Jon Bills, Rebecca Kitz and Gregory R. Lunt in the Salt Lake City office. Other members of the group in Salt Lake City are practice attorneys Jared K. Lee, Alan McBeth, Sara McFadden, Stephen Pulley, Roger Smith and Christopher J. Wickstrom; and IP technology specialists Priya Jagadish, Hannah Lipsky and Jaymn Singh.
• Ogletree Deakins, a labor and employment law firms representing management, has opened an office in Salt Lake City with the addition of shareholders David Castleberry and Kathleen Weron. It is the firm’s first office in Utah and 55th location globally. They join Ogletree Deakins from Manning, Curtis, Bradshaw & Bednar. Castleberry, with nearly two decades of legal experience, will lead Ogletree Deakins’ Salt Lake City office as the office managing shareholder. In his practice, Castleberry frequently represents clients in federal and state court and before administrative agencies on claims arising out of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Title VII, federal and state wage and hour laws, trade secrets, non-competes and business torts. Castleberry also drafts company policies and employment agreements, conducts investigations for government agencies and private companies, and counsels clients regarding reductions in force. He earned his J.D. from the J. Reuben Clark Law School of Brigham Young University and his undergraduate degree from BYU. Weron has nearly 30 years of experience representing a broad range of clients, including major national and state employers, on employment and labor law issues. She has extensive litigation experience and has handled matters and counseled clients in nearly every area of employment law, including issues involving restrictive covenants, Title VII protected classes, the ADEA, ADA, FLSA, FMLA, employee privacy and employment-related state law tort claims. Weron regularly offers corporate harassment prevention training and executive training to create a diverse, inclusive and professional work environment and culture. Weron earned her J.D. from the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law and her B.A. from the University of Utah.
• Michael Best has hired Jud Stelter for its Labor & Employment practice group in Salt Lake City. Previously at Michael Best, Stelter’s experience in employment litigation and counseling, as well as his experience in complex traditional labor-related matters, will help to re-establish and build out a foundation for Michael Best’s Labor & Employment presence throughout Utah, the firm said. Stelter assists clients in federal and state courts across the United States, in arbitration proceedings, and before governmental agencies. His practice focuses on counseling and litigating in employment law, including wage and hour, non-compete, trade secrets, discrimination and harassment, and traditional labor. Stelter previously served as an adjunct professor at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University. His education includes a B.S. from Brigham Young University.
OUTDOOR RECREATION
• Powder Mountain Ski Resort, Eden, has selected Kevin Mitchell as general manager. Mitchell has spent the past 25 years in action sports and the ski industry. He most recently served as general manager of Homewood Mountain Resort on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe for the past 11 years. Mitchell launched his career as a professional big mountain skier and was a member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America National Alpine Team from 2000-04 where he represented the United States at Interski and helped set standards for snowsports instruction and experiences around the world. Mitchell also led early-stage development at the largest and most sophisticated instruction programs in the West and was instrumental in the evolution of terrain park and halfpipe instruction and coaching.
PARTNERSHIPS
• Salt and Honey Makers Market at Visit Salt Lake Visitor’s Center (in the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center) is partnering with the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art for a day of holiday shopping geared toward the whole family. Shoppers on Dec. 10, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., can experience an innovative gift and craft sale while supporting local artists and artisans. The museum will have an array of locally made gifts, children’s craft activities and all-day holiday movies for attendees. Kids who ask for a “Golden Ticket” at UMOCA and present it at Salt and Honey will receive a fresh-baked gingerbread man, courtesy of Victoria’s Cookie Co.
• The Utah Jazz and Vivint Arena have formed a partnership with SeatGeek becoming their official ticketing provider. SeatGeek is a the technology platform focused on the live-event experience for fans, teams and venues. SeatGeek’s technology will be used for all Jazz home games, as well as other concerts and shows featured at Vivint Arena. The partnership begins Oct. 1, 2023. The Jazz also announced that Gallagher, a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is the new naming partner for the Gallagher Club at Vivint Arena for Utah Jazz games, concerts and select special events. The club is available in both four-seat memberships and 12-person private boxes. This season, Gallagher will also return as the presenting sponsor of “Her Time to Lead,” a day-long local seminar in March for female high school students designed to inspire the next generation of leaders.
• Shipito LLC, a Sandy-based international logistics and parcel forwarding company, has announced a partnership with Verishop, a sales platform for direct-to-consumer and independent brands. Shipito is a portfolio company of Tritium Partners.
• Crisp, a Salt Lake City-based restaurant technology provider for enterprise franchising, has partnered with Chad Harrison, new president and COO of Fiiz from Stena, to help the company expand its new Fiiz from Stena brand. With 51 locations currently in operation, Fiiz from Stena plans to open an additional 50 locations by early 2024. Within five years, the company plans to expand to 400 locations nationwide. Fiiz from Stena offers specialty sodas and other menu items.
PHILANTHROPY
• Tranont, a Lehi-based company offering health products, recently completed a charitable expedition to fund and build three homes for families living in poverty in Tijuana. Through the company’s charitable foundation, Lift Where You Live, and in partnership with Project Mercy Baja, nearly 50 Tranont employees, direct sellers and family members spent two days building the homes alongside the recipients. Lift Where You Live funded the building materials for the project, and each recipient family saved up to buy the land where the homes were built. As part of the program, recipients also volunteer to build other homes in the area.
REAL ESTATE
• Fieldstone Homes and joint venture partner IHP Capital Partners has had the grand opening of Alpine Springs, a 63-home community at 177 N. Woodrum Way, Saratoga Springs, that offers accessory dwelling units, or “renter suites.” Lots range from 9,000 to 17,700 square feet, with homes ranging from 2,231 to 4,541 square feet. Pricing for the homes is yet to be released. Alpine Springs is the seventh new community Fieldstone and IHP are building together since 2020.
RECOGNITIONS
• Cintas Corp., based in Cincinnati, recently announced that the grand prize winner in the 2022 S.H.I.N.E. (Star Housekeeps in a New Era) Award is Christine Perkins, a housekeeper at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Cedar City. Perkins earned the contest’s $5,000 cash grand prize, and her property will receive a product, training and consultation package from Cintas and its contest partners. The grand prize winner and the nine runners-up were selected by a panel of judges that included hospitality expert and television and podcast host Anthony Melchiorri, and representatives from Cintas, ISSA, IEHA, GBAC and Rubbermaid Commercial Products. Following a COVID-19 diagnosis, Perkins suffered a significant stroke that affected her ability to speak, count and read. Since she received treatment for her stroke, she has regained her full ability to speak and has returned to the property in her role as head housekeeper.
• Meghan Stettler, a director of the O.S. Tanner Institute, and Cassie Whitlock, director of human resources at BambooHR, have been named to this year’s Human Resources Director “Global 100” list. Those on the list were selected for delivering outstanding results, introducing new initiatives, refining existing working practices and acting as a source of inspiration to colleagues.
• Savage, a Midvale-based provider of industrial logistics infrastructure and supply chain services, has been named a “2022 Top Company for Women to Work For in Transportation” by Redefining the Road, the magazine of the Women in Trucking Association. The magazine honored companies that offer “corporate cultures that foster gender diversity, competitive compensation and benefits, flexible hours and work requirements, professional development opportunities, and career advancement opportunities.” Savage also has earned the 2023 Gold Military Friendly Employer designation for the fifth consecutive year for its commitment to recruiting, retaining and advancing veterans. Institutions earning the designation are evaluated using public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Over a thousand companies participated in the 2023 Military Friendly survey. Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined with input from the Military Friendly Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community.
• Vistim Labs, a Salt Lake City-based company focused on a screening diagnostic for neurodegenerative disease, recently won an “All-Star Pitch Competition” in San Diego. The startup pitch competition featured a $10,000 grand-prize grant sponsored by Aleph One, a pitch appointment with Nufund Venture group, and office hours with Logicboost. The competition included four rounds of elevator pitches, two-minute deck presentations, rapid-fire questions, and “mic drop” 30-second pitches.
SERVICES
• Legato Security, a Salt Lake City-based company offering managed security and professional services, has selected Tim Hastings as chief information security officer. Hastings most recently served as the CISO for the state of Utah and also has held consulting leadership positions at Mandiant and Deloitte.
TECHNOLOGY
• Shine Technologies LLC, a Wisconsin-based fusion technology company, has named Ben Pratt as chief people officer. He will be responsible for cultivating the Shine team, which totals more than 400 employees. Pratt has nearly three decades of experience, including 27 years at Koch Industries, where he held various roles, including chief information officer and chief operating officer, across multiple Koch companies. Pratt earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy of science from the University of Utah.