Company news information may be sent to brice.w@thecityjournals.com.
ASSOCIATIONS
• DoTerra, a Pleasant Grove-based company focused on essential oils and natural wellness products, has become a member of the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT). The union is a nonprofit association that works to regenerate nature and secure a better future for all people through ethical sourcing of ingredients from biodiversity. Through its global Co-Impact Sourcing model, doTerra partners with local producers in more than 40 countries to improve livelihoods and create meaningful impact throughout its supply chain.
• Strider Technologies Inc., a strategic intelligence company with an office in Salt Lake City, has been selected as a member of the Oracle Defense Ecosystem. Launched by Oracle in 2025, the ecosystem features startups, scale-ups and established enterprises to drive AI, cyber and national security innovation. It aims to help government organizations adopt next-generation technologies more easily and securely. Through participation in the Oracle Defense Ecosystem, Strider gains access to Oracle’s cloud and AI expertise, preferred pricing, and technical support to accelerate solution development and mission deployment.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Utah is ranked No. 7 on a list of most energy-efficient states, compiled by WalletHub. It compared 48 states across two key dimensions: home energy efficiency and auto energy efficiency. Utah is ranked No. 5 for home energy efficiency and No. 12 for auto energy efficiency. The top-ranked state overall is Vermont. The bottom-ranked state is South Carolina. Alaska and Hawaii were not included in the analysis. Details are at https://wallethub.com/edu/most-and-least-energy-efficient-states/7354.
• Doctors/surgeons is the top-ranked profession that should never be replaced by AI, according to a survey of Utahns by Trio.dev, focused on global software team-building. The survey indicates that 92 percent of Utahns believe some jobs should always remain human-led, no matter how advanced AI becomes. After doctors/surgeons, the list includes (in order) teachers, judges, social workers and police officers. Three-quarters of respondents say they trust a human professional more than an AI system with sensitive data, and an equal share believes AI will make society riskier, not fairer. Asked which qualities AI will never replicate, Utahns pointed to empathy (39 percent), common sense (22 percent) and ethical judgment (17 percent). Just 35 percent said they’d be comfortable letting AI manage emergency 911 calls, and the average comfort rating for AI making major life decisions came in at a wary 4 out of 10. Details are at https://trio.dev/managers-are-ready-to-replace-employees-with-ai/.
• Utahns’ top chatbot use is to resolve family disputes, according to a survey by IT support provider AllSafeIT. Other top uses are, in order, coping with anxiety, parenting struggles, fitness and nutrition tips, and legal dilemmas. On average, Utahns spend 17 days and 2 hours a year with chatbots. The number is highest in South Dakota, at 53 days. The lowest is in Vermont, at five days.
• Bryce Point is Utah’s “most breathtaking autumn view,” according to a survey by travel company Exoticca. It is followed, in order, by Guardsman Pass Overlook and Dead Horse Point Overlook. Details are at https://exoticca.com/us/blog/best-places-to-see-fall-colors/.
EDUCATION
• Studiosity, an Australian company with a main office in Salt Lake City, has officially entered the U.S. market and has established a U.S. Academic Advisory Board, which includes Derrick Anderson, vice president for enterprise design and policy at the University of Utah. Studiosity is focused on writing feedback and study support for students. For over 20 years, Studiosity has partnered with institutions worldwide to provide scalable and ethical academic support. It is used by more than 200 universities and colleges across Canada, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand. The advisory board has three members. It will provide guidance on strategy, policy and innovation, with a goal of ensuring that Studiosity’s approach remains aligned with the realities of U.S. students and institutions.
PARTNERSHIPS
• The General AI Proficiency Institute (GenAIPI) has announced a partnership establishing GenAIPI as the official AI partner of BYU Athletics’ Built4Life program. GenAIPI is a global organization committed to helping companies and individuals master the use of artificial intelligence in everyday work. The BYU collaboration marks the first of its kind in collegiate athletics — integrating practical artificial intelligence education into a holistic student-athlete development program. Built4Life focuses on preparing BYU student-athletes for success beyond sports by emphasizing academics, career readiness, financial literacy and personal development. Through the new partnership, GenAIPI will deliver ongoing AI training, courses and 24/7 access to digital learning materials for all student-athletes and athletic staff.
• Trü Frü, a Salt Lake City-based frozen fruit brand, has partnered with college basketball player Paige Bueckers on a limited-edition collaboration, with a percentage of proceeds from every bag sold benefiting the Paige Bueckers Foundation’s work to fight food insecurity and expand access to nutritious meals for families in need. The product is Bueckers’ favorite flavor, frozen strawberries dipped in white and milk chocolate. Established in 2022, the Paige Bueckers Foundation is a partnership between the Greater Minneapolis Foundation and the St. Paul Foundation that focuses its work to create opportunity and justice in four primary areas: sport, creative, economic and food and wellness.
PHILANTHROPY
• Nate Wade Subaru, Salt Lake City, recently partnered with Nuzzles & Co. to host their fifth annual pet adoption event as part of Subaru of America’s annual “Subaru Loves Pets” initiative. To help more pets find loving homes, the dealership and nonprofit will contribute toward adoption fees, giving new pet parents a 50 percent discount on their adoption cost. Every person who adopted a pet during the event received a tote full of toys, a leash, a snuffle mat and more. Nate Wade Subaru also gifted new owners a “Chewbaru” plush toy and bandana.
• BYU fan Andrew Easton recently won a 2026 Honda CRV Hybrid by kicking a 25-yard field goal during a contest at the Utah-BYU football game. The vehicle is from Ken Garff Automotive Group. The contest was the “Ken Garff Kicks for Keys” contest, which allows one randomly selected fan from the crowd to attempt a field goal. The contests will continue at BYU’s Nov. 15 and Nov. 29 games and University of Utah’s Nov. 22 game.
REAL ESTATE
• The Boyer Co.’s 151 net leased industrial investment in Spanish Fork has been acquired by Cowley Cos. Inc., an Arizona-based family office. The 212,685-square-foot, Class A warehouse and manufacturing property is Cowley’s first strategic investment in the Utah market. Financial terms were not disclosed. The announcement was made by Newmark Mountain West.
• Cole West Land Co., a subsidiary of Centerville-based real estate development company Cole West, has closed on the acquisition of Echo, a 1,260-lot master-planned community in Erda. Terms were not disclosed. Echo will offer a mix of single-family homes, townhomes, open space and community amenities. The master plan includes 325 acres that will include 210 acres of residential lots across multiple housing types, 53 acres of future civic uses with interconnected parks and trail systems, and 62 acres of future development and commercial nodes. Initial home construction is expected to start in 2026. Cole West Land builds master-planned communities for homebuilders in the Salt Lake, St. George and Dallas-Fort Worth markets.
RECOGNITIONS
• The AIA (American Institute of Architects) Utah Annual Design Awards recently recognized and celebrated the outstanding work of its members and their firms. These awards support AIA Utah’s goal of enhancing the practice of architecture and the built environment across Utah, and the promotion of architecture in general. Architecture awards are given annually with two distinctions: “Merit,” for projects that exhibit superior quality, and “Honor,” awarded to projects that exemplify excellence across all aspects of architecture. Honor Award recipients are Firm Award, HKS Architects; Associate Member, Surbhi Ghodke; and Young Architect, Shawn Benjamin. Architecture Award recipients are The Cube, Sparano & Mooney Architecture (Merit); Utah Clean Energy Climate Innovation Center, Blalock & Partners (Honor); Spanish Fork Community Network, Blalock & Partners (Honor); Scratch Clubhouse, Stereotomic Arch & Design (Honor); and The Front at South Main, Vaughn Yribar Architecture (Honor). Student Design Award recipients are EXO, Vita Lampietti (Honor); Altius Tower, Miguel Gonzalez Quintanilla, Abbie Riley and Nathan Blazek (Honor); Drug Rehabilitation Center in Amritsar, Indian, Fatema Udaipurwala (Merit); and Re-Framing Land Tenure in Rural Britain, Jack Burton (Merit).
• Scorpion, a Salt Lake City provider of digital marketing and technology solutions for health care organizations, has announced that 10 of the 14 healthcare providers honored with the WebAward “2025 Healthcare Provider Standard of Excellence” were developed by Scorpion. In addition, Scorpion was named one of the 10 Outstanding Website Developers in the 2025 WebAwards, underscoring its leadership in website design and development. The WebAwards recognize outstanding website design and development across industries. Scorpion’s clients were evaluated on design, content, ease of use, and innovation.
• The Writing Feedback solution by Studiosity, an Australian company with a main office in Salt Lake City, has earned a 2025 CODiE Award in the category of Best Student Learning Capacity-Building Solution. It also had been a finalist in two other categories: Best AI Solution for ELA/Writing and Best Formative Assessment Solution. The CODiE Awards are a peer-recognized program celebrating innovation and excellence in technology. Each year, industry experts evaluate products for their innovation, impact and overall value. Studiosity develops critical thinking, agency and retention in students, while also empowering educators with learning insight, through its ethical formative writing feedback and 24/7 study support system.