Company news information may be sent to brice.w@thecityjournals.com.
CONTESTS
• The Intermountain Sustainability Summit is accepting nominations until Jan. 16 for the 2026 ISS Awards. The summit takes place March 19-20 at Weber State University in Ogden. This year’s awards include the Collaboration Award and the Building Resilience Award, both recognizing exceptional efforts that advance sustainability across the Intermountain West. It is open to individuals, groups, organizations and projects making a meaningful impact. The Collaboration Award celebrates transformative partnerships or collaborations across the Intermountain West that are driving positive environmental and social change. The Building Resilience Award honors individuals, groups, organizations and/or projects that strengthen the ability of people, communities and/or ecosystems to adapt and thrive amid today’s challenges. All members of the Intermountain sustainability community are eligible. The nominated entities or projects must involve, impact or originate from the Intermountain West. Details are at https://www.weber.edu/ISSummit/ISS-awards.html.
COWORKING
• Kiln, a flexible office and coworking community, has opened a 60,000-square-foot workspace and lifestyle hub on the redeveloped site of the former Cottonwood Mall/Macy’s location. Amenities include a state-of-the-art theater, dedicated wellness features such as mothers’ rooms and relaxation zones, a golf simulator, a podcast and content studio for on-site media creation, and more.
DIVIDENDS
• The board of directors of Extra Space Storage Inc., based in Salt Lake City, has declared a fourth-quarter dividend of $1.62 per share on the company’s common stock. The dividend is payable Dec. 31 to stockholders of record Dec. 15. Extra Space Storage is a real estate investment trust that owns and/or operates 4,238 self-storage properties. It is the largest operator of self-storage properties in the United States.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Utahns who stayed at their jobs saw their pay increase an average of 4.6 percent from October 2024 to October 2025, according to ADP Pay Insights. That ranked Utah No. 23 among states for wage growth. ADP, focused on HR and payroll solutions, also found the median annual salary for job-stayers in Utah in October was $55,000. Nationally, median annual wage growth for job-stayers remained unchanged from September at 4.5 percent. Nationally, wage growth for job-changers also remained unchanged at 6.7 percent year-over-year. ADP’s Pay Insights is available at https://payinsights.adp.com/. The ADP National Employment Report is at https://adpemploymentreport.com/.
• Fifty-one percent of heirs to family businesses in Utah do not plan to continue their parents’ enterprise, according to a survey by financial media company MarketBeat.com. That matches the national average. The highest number is 86 percent in New Hampshire. The lowest is in Nevada, at 18 percent. When asked why they were walking away, respondents cited a mix of modern pressures and long-standing family tensions, with 40 percent saying they have different career interests. When asked whether they would rather inherit the business or an equal value in cash, Utah respondents were split: 50 percent chose the business, 38 percent the cash, and 12 percent weren’t sure. Forty-eight percent said their parents never talk to them about taking over.
• Utah is ranked No. 19 on a list of “Best States for Camping,” compiled by Lawn Love. It compared all 50 states based on five categories, looking at the acreage of state and national parks, access to campsites and RV parks, and average Hipcamp rates. The top-ranked state is California. The bottom-ranked state is Rhode Island. Details are at https://lawnlove.com/blog/best-states-camping/.
• One Utah company is on a list of the nation’s “Top Winter Fashion Stores,” compiled by Advance America and based on a survey. Honey & Lime Boutique in Ogden is ranked No. 64 nationally. The top-ranked store nationally is Alice & Wonder in Chicago. Details are at https://www.advanceamerica.net/money-saving-tips/money-management/top-local-clothing-retailers-by-state.
• Liberty Park in Salt Lake City is the No. 1 “sportiest” public park in the state, according to a survey by sports review site SportsBookReview.com. It is followed by Murray Park and Liberty Park in Ogden. SportsBookReview.com said sporty parks are green spaces where baseball diamonds, soccer fields and running trails are more than amenities but instead are part of everyday life. Details are at https://www.sportsbookreview.com/picks/novelty/ranking-the-sportiest-parks-in-the-us/.
EDUCATION
• Utah’s 529 educational savings plan, called my 529, has again been named as one of the top 529 plans in the nation by Morningstar, a distinction the plan has earned for 15 consecutive years, which no other 529 plan can claim. In its annual 529 industry report, Morningstar named my529 as one of only five plans to receive the Analyst Rating of “gold.” Morningstar Research Services LLC, a provider of independent investment research, is a subsidiary of Morningstar Inc. Morningstar evaluated 59 plans for their underlying investment quality and selection process, investment team, asset allocation methodology and oversight. Gold-rated plans stand out for their thoughtful investment option construction, knowledgeable investment teams, plan oversight and low costs. With more than 612,000 accounts and $29.2 billion in assets under management, my529 is the third-largest direct-sold 529 plan by assets in the nation.
EVENTS
• The Utah Chamber, Salt Lake Chamber and the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute have announced that Tim Shriver will be one of the keynote speakers at the 2026 Utah Economic Outlook & Public Policy Summit. The event takes place Jan. 16, 7:30 a.m.-noon, at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. Shriver is chairman of Special Olympics International and will discuss “The Business Case for Dignity,” focusing on why dignity is an essential component of strong organizations, effective leadership and long-term success. Shriver also is currently an Impact Scholar at the University of Utah, co-creator of the Dignity Index, and founder and CEO of Project UNITE Inc.
• The Utah Worksite Wellness Council has announced its annual conference will take place April 23 at the Zions Bancorporation Technology Center in Midvale. The theme is “The Wellness Shift.” The conference is designed for HR and wellness professionals committed to improving employee well-being in the workplace. Attendees will explore the essential dimensions of wellness, while fostering a culture of care and effectively managing and reducing health care costs. The event cost through Dec. 31 is $165.75 ($80.75 for students). Details are at https://utahworksitewellness.org/events/2026-sponsorship-exhibitor-registration/.
GOVERNMENT
• The Utah Small Business Credit Initiative has announced it will launch its Technical Assistance program in January. The program will provide Utah small businesses with the expertise necessary to secure funding and achieve sustainable growth, including accounting, financial planning and legal guidance. After a public Request for Proposal process, it finalized vendor selection and contracted with three organizations. The Suazo Business Center will support disadvantaged entrepreneurs. The Suazo Business Center brings a spectrum of services that directly align with the TA program’s goals of achieving financial and funding readiness: advising, education and facilitating finding loans. The Women’s Business Center of Utah will focus on statewide empowerment. The organization is dedicated to helping Utah women build confidence, create opportunities, and succeed in business ownership. Established in 1997 as a public-private partnership, WBCUtah has expanded its reach, operating a second office in Cedar City and actively serving all 29 counties across the state. The organization will contribute to the TA program by offering one-on-one advising, comprehensive training, and accessibility. Small Business Consulting will provide institutional expertise. The firm provides centralized expert consulting and technical assistance to business support organizations and financial institutions that administer programs like USBCI.
NONPROFITS
• Wildlife SOS, a global nonprofit wildlife conservation and welfare organization dedicated to providing specialized veterinary care and reducing human-wildlife conflict and whose U.S. headquarters are in Salt Lake City, has added a specialized elephant field care vehicle to increase its ability to provide medical treatment to captive elephants suffering from injury or illness in remote areas throughout India. The new mobile unit was made possible through the generosity of an individual donor in the United States and grants supported by American efforts. Launched earlier this year at the Wildlife SOS Elephant Health Care Camp, the Haathi Sewa program has already brought medical care to more than 130 elephants. The initiative furthers Wildlife SOS’s “Begging” Elephant Campaign, which aims to help captive elephants kept in a transient state of perpetual work and travel, and bring them all to sanctuary by 2030.
PARTNERSHIPS
• Owlet Inc., a Lehi-based company focused on smart infant monitoring, has announced a partnership with Rhapsody, focused on digital health enablement and interoperability. The partnership aims to securely connect infant health insights from Owlet’s prescription pulse oximeter, BabySat, directly into the Rhapsody electronic health record workflows. The integration creates a secure, standards-based pathway for Owlet’s pediatric data to flow seamlessly into existing provider environments, enabling clinicians to view and record important data information as part of their standard patient records. The result is expected to be that organizations can reduce custom development; minimize errors; and ensure accurate, timely patient information is available when and where it’s needed most.
PHILANTHROPY
• KAL Vitamins, a Salt Lake City-based mineral brand, celebrated its 93rd anniversary in November by introducing the Total Minerals+ line and Magnesium 7 Complex and partnered with a national nonprofit organization, Thanksgiving Heroes, to provide holiday meals to families in need across the Salt Lake City area.
RECOGNITIONS
• Several Utah properties have earned World Ski Awards, a program now in its 13th year that recognizes and celebrates excellence in ski tourism. Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley earned the distinction of World’s Best Ski Hotel. It also earned Best Ski Hotel in the U.S. Other U.S. awards were earned by Deer Valley Resort, Best Ski Resort; and Goldener Hirsch, Best Ski Boutique Hotel.
• The Shopping Cart Inspect solutions from SecurityMetrics, an Orem-based company focused on compliance and cybersecurity, has been selected as winner of the “Data Leak Detection Solution of the Year” award in the ninth annual CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards program, conducted by independent market intelligence organization CyberSecurity Breakthrough. The annual program recognizes the most innovative companies, products and technologies driving progress in the global information security industry. SCI reduces the chances of an e-commerce skimming attack through the inspection of a website’s shopping cart by a SecurityMetrics Forensic Investigator. The 2025 awards program received thousands of nominations from more than 20 countries.
RESTAURANTS
• Crispy Cones, a handcrafted dessert brand known for freshly baked gourmet ice cream cones, has reopened its Provo store under new management, opened a new location in Draper and plans to open a location in West Valley City in January. The new management team’s plans in Provo include regular promotions and partnerships with local events and student groups. The new Draper store will feature the brand’s full menu, including its pastry cones, weekly soft-serve flavors, and rotating toppings. It also will have special promotions. The new West Valley City store plans to feature the same open-concept kitchen and signature rotisserie grill that allow guests to watch their cones being made.