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CONSTESTS
• Kiln, a Lehi-based, tech-focused, shared-workspace community, will share its title sponsorship at the upcoming Silicon Slopes Tech Summit 2020 by providing a platform to showcase up to 40 of Utah’s most impressive startups. Stages will be constructed in the main corridor of the Salt Palace Convention Center, and startups will be given a mic and stage to tell the attendees about the company. The deadline for applying companies is Jan. 10. The summit takes place Jan. 30-31. To qualify, startups needs to have 50 employees or fewer and be headquartered in Utah. Details are available by emailing hello@kiln.co.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Utah saw the third-highest increase in jobs during the Christmas shopping season, with employment growing 4.4 percent in November and December, according to a study by Security.org, which used data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on wages, businesses and employment in the retail trade sector and comparing each state’s annual figures with its fourth-quarter numbers. The study, titled “’Tis the Season for Jobs,” shows that the national figure was an increase of 2.6 percent. The 2019 holiday shopping season is projected to be busier than last year, with an increase of 4.2 percent expected. Utah led the nation with a 4.4 percent increase in retail employment during the fourth quarter compared to the annual average and led the nation with an average weekly retail trade wage of $1,131. Utah tied with New Hampshire in having the highest percentage of fourth-quarter wages as a share of annual wages, with both at 27 percent. Utah was ranked 39th among states for the availability of retail jobs in the economy, at 104.4 per 1,000 jobs.
• Salt Lake City is ranked 10th among cities for the highest number of vegan restaurants per 100,000 people, according to rankings compiled by Rent.com. The organization reviewed every U.S. city with more than 100,000 residents and ranked them based on the number of vegan restaurants per resident. Salt Lake City has 16.45 vegan restaurants per 100,000 people, it said. The top-ranked city is Sarasota, Florida, with 25.98 vegan restaurants per 100,000 people, followed by Ashville, North Carolina; Santa Monica, California; Santa Cruz, California; Bloomington, Indiana; Portland, Maine; Pensacola, Florida; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and Kalamazoo, Michigan.
EDUCATION/TRAINING
• Weber State University has named Tim Crompton as director of intercollegiate athletics, a role he has filled as interim since May. Prior to his selection, Crompton coached WSU women’s soccer for 15 years. He was voted the Big Sky Coach of the Year three times. His teams won regular-season titles three times and Big Sky Conference Tournament championships three times. Crompton earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Weber State.
• Ameritech College of Healthcare, Draper, is seeking to become a candidate for regional accreditation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), although the college already is nationally accredited. As part of the regional accreditation process, the college has scheduled an accreditation visit to its campus April 8-10. Comments related to its qualification for candidacy may be sent to NWCCU, 8060 165th Ave. NE, Suite 100, Redmond, WA 98052, by March 6.
EXPANSIONS
• CircusTrix, a Provo-based owner, operator and franchisor of active entertainment parks, has expanded with four new Sky Zone parks in Canada — the company’s first in that nation. They are in Mississauga, Toronto, Vaughan and Whitby, all of which are in the Toronto metro area. The CircusTrix family of brands, including Sky Zone, Defy and Rockin’ Jump, has more than 320 global locations in nearly 20 countries, including more than 260 locations in the U.S.
GOVERNMENT
• Todd Adams has been appointed director of the Utah Division of Water Resources, succeeding Eric Millis, who retires after 32 years with the division. Adams has been serving as the division’s deputy director since 2013. He joined the division in 1990 and holds a master’s degree in civil engineering from Utah State University. Millis served as the division’s director the past six years. He also served as a member of the Governor’s Water Strategy Team and the Executive Water Finance Board and served as Utah’s interstate streams commissioner, where he acted as the governor’s representative on Bear River and Colorado River matters.
• The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) is seeking a successor for Tom Adams as director of the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation. Adams recently was named chief operating officer at Petzl North America. Applications are being accepted through Dec. 19 on the Utah state jobs website (statejobs.utah.gov/jobseeker and select 063 GOED in the department field, then Job No. 22205).
HEALTHCARE
• Central Logic, a Sandy-based innovator in enterprise visibility and tools to accelerate access to care, has appointed Barry Dennis to the newly created position of senior vice president of clinical operations. Dennis comes to Central Logic from Bon Secours Mercy Health, where he was the chief operating officer of Conduit Health Partners LLC. Prior to that, he served as regional director of patient navigation for PHI Air Medical. He also was CEO and co-founder of Navilife Health Solutions, administrative director of TriStar Transfer Center at TriStar Healthcare (HCA), and administrative director of emergency services at Jackson Madison County General Hospital. Dennis’ education includes an MBA in healthcare management from Western Governors University.
NONPROFITS
• The American Cancer Society (ACS) has announced three new members to its board of directors, including Katie Eccles of Salt Lake City. Eccles is an attorney and of counsel at Ray, Quinney & Nebeker. The new members’ two-year terms begin Jan. 1. The board has 21 members. Eccles in 2015 received the local ACS Sword of Hope Award in recognition of her years of service as chair of its Hope Lodge Board to fund, design and construct the Hope Lodge in Salt Lake City. She currently serves on the executive committee of the Board of Trustees for the University of Utah and chairs its Audit Committee, as well as serving as a trustee of the Nora Eccles Treadwell Foundation, the Emma Eccles Jones Foundation and the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.
OUTDOOR PRODUCTS/RECREATION/SPORTS
• Tom Adams has been named chief operating officer at Petzl North America, West Valley City. Adams most recently was director of the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation. He was appointed in January 2016. Adams has more than 25 years of experience in the outdoor industry. Before his employment at GOED, he worked at Petzl, Liberty Mountain and Black Diamond Equipment.
• Applications for the 2020 cycle of outdoor recreation grants through the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation open Jan. 15. The office helps communities in building recreational infrastructure projects that provide Utahns and visitors opportunities to be active in the outdoors through the Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant (UORG). Since 2015, the grant has supported more than 155 outdoor recreation projects in 22 counties around the state. The program has been awarded to more than 25 outdoor activities, and 60 percent of UORG funds have been awarded in rural Utah. New in 2020, the office has two new grant programs that complement existing funding opportunities: the Recreation Restoration Infrastructure Grant funds the restoration or rehabilitation of existing and developed recreation areas and trails so the public can safely access them; and the Utah Children’s Outdoor Recreation & Education Grant funds youth programming that provides Utah’s children with outdoor recreation skill-building and nature-focused, hands-on learning. Details are at business.utah.gov/outdoor or by emailing tmckee@utah.gov or indianielsen@utah.gov.
• Deer Valley has invested $7.6 million on resort improvements for the 2019-2020 season, including RFID technology and gantry gates at the chairlifts, on-mountain digital signage, a variety of snowmaking system enhancements and new snowcats. The Main Street Signatures Store recently reopened at its new location at 577 Main St. The remodeled retail outlet is stocked with exclusive Deer Valley logo merchandise, including apparel, blankets, accessories and glassware, along with a selection of lifestyle and gift items, plus items from Deer Valley’s kitchens. During the winter season, the store also serves as a lift ticket outlet. Also, Club 1981, a new membership-based experience and lounge located in the Royal Street Plaza building in Silver Lake Village, is opening this month. Details are at club1981.com.
PHILANTHROPY
• The Huntsman Foundation will donate up to $1 million to support The Road Home’s Holiday Mediathon, set for Dec. 19-20. Every dollar that the public donates during the Mediathon will be matched by the foundation. The Holiday Mediathon is the largest fundraiser for the nonprofit organization, which provides emergency shelter, permanent supportive housing and support services to help Utahns overcome homelessness. Since its first million-dollar gift to The Road Home in 1992, the Jon M. Huntsman family has donated more than $6.62 million for operations and support of The Road Home’s shelter and housing programs.
• Amazon fulfillment and delivery teams have presented $25,000 to the Volunteers of America organization in the fight against homelessness in the greater Salt Lake City community and participated in activities such as sorting donations and serving meals to 200 homeless women at the Women’s Resource Center. In addition to the grant, Amazon is gifting $5,000 in blankets, coats and sleeping bags to help replenish the organization’s inventory of warm winter items for clients this season.
• The South Jordan Chamber of Commerce, the Jordan Education Foundation and Walmart South Jordan recently hosted the sixth annual Christmas for Kids fundraiser to provide shopping trips for 500 deserving middle school and high school students in the Jordan School. District. School counselors, administrators and Jordan School District Educational Support Services selected students based on extreme needs and personal circumstances. The students received coats, boots, shoes, clothing, socks and other necessities. Firefighters, military, police, business leaders, educators and members of the community volunteered their time to chaperone and shop with a student and provide mentorship.
• The Utah Automobile Dealers Association, in conjunction with nonprofit organization Mobility for Kids, has donated more than 100 Pumper Cars and adaptive physical education programming to schools throughout Utah. Pumper Cars are a riding toy that has helped thousands of children in school districts and physical therapy sessions develop core strength and fine motor skills while having fun. Stephen Wade Toyota, Mark Bradshaw Chevrolet and Rob Droubay Chevrolet were the leaders in the movement, and others followed: Nate Wade Subaru, Seiner Chevrolet, Brad Strong Volkswagen, Blake Strong Audi and Porsche, Tim Dahle Nissan, John Watson Cadillac/Chevrolet and the Chris Wilson Nissan Dealership. The Larry H. Miller Family Foundation, Garff Family Foundation and Craig Bickmore of the New Car Auto Dealership of Utah also aided in the movement. Recipient school districts are Iron County, Salt Lake City, Millard County, Granite, San Juan, Garfield, Wayne County, Weber County, Cache County and Logan, as well as Washington County Elementary Schools.
• The Gary Sinise Foundation “Snowball Express” service recently hosted a five-day experience for more than 1,700 family members of fallen military heroes, focusing on their children and the surviving parent or guardian. One of 13 American Airlines charter flights with all-volunteer crews took off from Salt Lake City International Airport, with participants enjoying an all-expenses-paid retreat of five days of therapeutic and inspiring programs at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Families on that flight were from Farr West, Kaysville, South Jordan, Fruit Heights, West Jordan, Saratoga Springs, North Ogden, Clinton, Layton and Plain City. The Snowball Express program began in 2006. The trip is made possible by the foundation’s donors; its official airlines partner, American Airlines; and its corporate partners, Owens Corning, ATD, Aerotek, WoodmenLife and Highland Capital Management.
RECOGNITIONS
• ChamberWest has selected Ron Bigelow as its Hall of Fame award winner for 2020. Bigelow is serving as the eighth mayor of West Valley City and previously was the director of the Utah Office of Planning and Budget and a member of the Utah State House of Representatives for nine terms. ChamberWest’s annual awards gala is set for Feb. 20 at the Maverik Center in West Valley City. It also will feature the winners in five award categories: Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Best Place to Work, Best New Business and Volunteer of the Year.
• Podium, a Lehi-based interaction management platform for businesses, has been named a “Cool Vendor” in Gartner’s “Cool Vendors in Conversational Marketing” report. Founded in 2014, Podium works with more than 40,000 businesses to create over 16 million customer interactions a month.
RESTAURANTS
• Three restaurants have opened at The Gateway in Salt Lake City. Momi Donuts opened in November and offers one of the hottest food trends coming out of Asia. Mr. Shabu opened in late November and offers Shabu Shabu-style dining, an Asian hot pot dish cooked in a broth served with sliced meat and vegetables, cooked in individual pots. The dish can be tailored to personal tastes, with vegetarian and vegan options. Sweet Rolled Tacos opened Dec. 6 and offers hand-rolled ice cream in colorful waffle taco shells with a wide array of imaginative toppings; specialty drinks and milkshakes; boba tea; Vietnamese iced coffee, iced teas and vegan offerings.
SPORTS
• Powderbird, a heli-adventure operation and part of the POWDR portfolio, has announced with Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing (MWHS) that it was selected to host the U.S. qualifying events for the Mike Wiegele Powder 8 World Championships. Powderbird’s selection by MWHS as the only official Powder 8 qualifying host venue builds on a longstanding training partnership between the two organizations. Powderbird will host two U.S. qualifying events in the Wasatch Range, including a national championship qualifying event open to the public, on Jan. 22-24, and a final world championships qualifying event during the U.S. Powder 8 National Championships set for Feb. 5-7. Two teams from the national championships event will advanced to the MWHS Powder 8 World Championships, set for March 31-April 3 in British Columbia. Launched in 1980, the annual MWHS Powder 8 World Championships was – for two decades – widely heralded as the pinnacle showcase event for synchronized powder skiing.