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.
DIVIDENDS
• SkyWest Inc., St. George, has announced that its board of directors has declared a quarterly dividend of 4 cents per share. The dividend will be paid Jan. 6 to shareholders of record Dec. 31. It is the company’s 82nd consecutive dividend.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Utah exports totaled $1.12 billion in September, according to statistics released by the World Trade Center Utah. The figure is down 12.26 percent from the $1.28 billion reported in September 2014 and down from $1.21 billion in August. Metals accounted for 46.7 percent of Utah exports in September, followed by computer and electronic products at 16.1 percent. In 2015 through September, Utah exports totaled $10.18 billion, up 15.18 percent from the $8.84 billion in 2014 through September. The top three markets for Utah exports in September were, in order, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Canada.
ENERGY/NATURAL RESOURCES
• FX Energy Inc., Salt Lake City, said that Kiwi Acquisition Corp., has extended the expiration of its previously announced tender offer for all of the FX common stock outstanding shares. The offer was set to expire Nov. 25 but has been extended to Dec. 5. Kiwi is a wholly owned subsidiary of Orlen Upstream. FX said all other terms and conditions of the tender offer remain unchanged.
PHILANTHROPY
• The Utah Jazz and Larry H. Miller Charities have awarded a grant of $25,000 to West Bountiful City to build a new community basketball court. It will be the 16th Utah Jazz community court built or funded since 2001. The court will be built at West Bountiful City Park, 550 W. Pages Lane (1600 North). The two organizations announced in August grants for three courts, and Kearns will open its new court in Lodestone Park this spring. Funding for the projects are provided by Larry H. Miller Charities, a nonprofit organization representing the charitable arm of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, along with the cities where the courts will be built.
RECOGNITIONS
• Stein Eriksen Lodge has been named World’s Best Ski Hotel by the World Ski Awards for the second consecutive year. More than 2 million votes were cast by ski tourism professionals and ski consumers from 127 countries. Stein Eriksen Lodge first earned the title of Best Ski Hotel in the U.S. from among 13 nominees and then won the world distinction from 24 country finalists. More than 162 properties worldwide were vying for the award. Ski legend and lodge namesake Stein Eriksen was also honored at the 2015 Ski Oscars, receiving the grand finale award of the night for Outstanding Contribution to Ski Tourism. The lifetime achievement award was bestowed on Eriksen for his work at Boyne Mountain in Michigan, Sugarbush in Vermont, Heavenly Valley in California, Snowmass and Aspen in Colorado, and Park City Ski Community, Deer Valley Resort and Stein Eriksen Lodge in Utah.
• Four Utah companies have been selected as Outside magazine’s “Best Places to Work” for 2015. Outside each year recognizes the top 100 companies in the United States that help their employees strike the ideal balance between work and play. The companies encourage employees to lead an active lifestyle, are eco-conscious, and prioritize giving back to the community. No. 12 on the list is BrainStorm, Orem. The software education firm gives each of its 65 employees $50 per month to donate to anyone in need. It also has an in-house “Culture Club” responsible for organizing staff events like dodgeball games and other company outings. No. 83 is Petzl America, Salt Lake City. The outdoor gear maker offers an in-house bouldering area and a 55-foot-high climbing wall to its 56 employees. Staffers get discounted ski passes, a loaner gear closet, and lots of paid time off. No. 93 is USANA Health Sciences, Salt Lake City. The nutritional supplement and healthcare product maker and supplier provides its 746 employees with a basketball court, beach volleyball court, climbing wall, cardio and strength equipment, and two on-staff personal trainers. No. 100 is Skullcandy, Park City. The audio products company’s employees receive season ski passes, access to two gyms within walking distance of the office, group powder days (permission to come in late after it snows), and weekly “Skull Fit” and running workouts hosted by the CEO. They also get 12 paid time off days and work closely with local nonprofits.
• InContact Inc., Salt Lake City, has received the 2015 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Customer Value Leadership. The company provides cloud contact center software and agent optimization tools.
• InfoTrax, Orem, recently won the Technology Innovation Award from the Direct Selling Management Association (DSMA). The award recognizes industry excellence in a “new technology or service.”
• The MGIS Cos., Salt Lake City, has been named one of the “Best Places to Work in Insurance” by Business Insurance. It is the sixth consecutive year for MGIS to make the list. Winners are chosen based on a survey that relies heavily on employees’ engagement and satisfaction with benefits, workplace experience and company culture.
TECHNOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCES
• Bask Technology Inc. (formerly iTOK Technology Advisors), Lehi, has appointed Seth Greenberg as chief marketing officer. Greenberg has more than 15 years of brand-building experience and has been a member of Bask’s board of directors since June. He previously was CMO of LifeLock and spent seven years at Intuit, where he was responsible for digital, brand, social and mobile marketing.