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ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Kringle’s Midway, in the town of Midway, has the top “Christmassy” store in Utah, followed by Modern Display in Murray, according to a survey of shoppers by financial media company MarketBeat. Among surveyed Utahns, 41 selected price as their top priority, and 15 percent said the atmosphere and vibes matter most, even outranking convenience. Details are at https://www.marketbeat.com/originals/the-most-festive-christmas-stores-in-the-us/.
• Utah saw its agricultural exports to China fall by $68.7 million between January and August of this year, according to a new analysis from Farm Flavor, a company that provides news and information about the agriculture industry, which used the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service data. Exports in that period this year totaled $148.5 million, down from nearly $217.3 million from the same period in 2024, a 31.6 percent decrease that represents the 15th-largest decline of any state. The most negatively impacted products were beef and beef products, with shipments falling 49 percent year over year. For the full U.S., agricultural exports to China fell 54 percent year over year, amounting to a $7.4 billion loss. In the 2024 period, China imported $24.4 billion in U.S. agricultural products, or nearly 14 percent of total U.S. agricultural exports, making it the U.S.’s largest agricultural trade partner outside North America. Louisiana experienced the greatest absolute decline, with agricultural exports to China down $1.85 billion. Michigan led states that saw gains, at $11.3 million. Details are at https://farmflavor.com/farm/trade-war-impact-on-us-agriculture/.
• A total of 67,514 Utahns will be spending Christmas alone this year, according to a poll of adults by A Mission for Michael. That makes Utah the eighth-loneliest state at Christmas. The findings indicate that nationally, 14 million Americans will be alone during the holiday. The smallest figure among states is 45,424 in Wisconsin. Details are at https://amfmtreatment.com/blog/silent-nights-millions-will-spend-the-holidays-alone-in-2025-finds-study/.
• Utah reported 204 outbreaks of norovirus (often referred to as the “winter vomiting bug”) over the past decade, accounting for 1 percent of all U.S. outbreaks and placing it No. 28 among all states and the District of Columbia, according to a study by Trace One, a PLM and regulatory compliance software company for the food and beverage sector. It used 10 years of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Outbreak Reporting System data to map where norovirus outbreaks are most common. Utah outbreaks led to 5,317 reported illnesses, representing 0.9 percent of the national total. When adjusted for population, Utah experienced 58.2 outbreaks per 1 million residents, a rate that signals a moderate level of risk compared to other states. Utah also recorded 1,518 illnesses per 1 million residents. For comparison, over the past decade, Wisconsin alone reported 1,739 outbreaks, representing 8.3 percent of the national total. The fewest were in South Dakota, Oklahoma and Arkansas, with each reporting fewer than 15 outbreaks during the period. Details are at https://www.traceone.com/resources/plm-compliance-blog/where-norovirus-outbreaks-are-most-common.
• Seventy-six percent of Americans have tried to lose weight in the past year and fewer than a third kept it off, according to a national survey by Shed, a Salt Lake City-based health and wellness brand. The study determined that 29 percent of Americans skipped eating for 24-plus hours, with rates even higher among Gen Z. Fifty-one percent did calorie tracking, and 45 percent did intermittent fasting. Thirty-three percent of Americans say friends and family most influenced their interest in GLP-1s, which is more than fast results, medical advice or social media. Millennials are the biggest spenders, with 1 in 3 spending over $500 annually on weight-loss efforts.
• Glass baubles are the top cause of festive injuries in Utah households during the holiday season, according to a study by Bisnar Chase. They are responsible for 50 percent of decoration-related injuries in the state. Glass baubles were followed by falling Christmas trees (29 percent) and shocks or burns from string lights (15 percent). Seventeen percent of Utah households have reported at least one injury caused by Christmas decorations. When asked which decoration they underestimate the danger of, respondents most commonly pointed to overloaded outlets and extension cords (33 percent). Other risks include real trees drying out (fire risk), 18 percent; glass ornaments, 16 percent; and indoor string lights, 13 percent. Details are at https://www.bestattorney.com/dangerous-holiday-decorations/.
EVENTS
• Gov. Spencer Cox and former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema have been announced as keynote presenters at the Utah Economic Outlook and Public Policy Summit taking place Jan. 16, 7 a.m.-noon, at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. They will discuss policies and partnerships that will shape the economic future of Utah and the U.S. The summit is presented by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake Chamber and Utah Chamber. Sinema is president and CEO of the Arizona Business Roundtable, senior advisor at Hogan Lovells and a member of Coinbase’s Advisory Council. The other keynote speaker is Tim Shriver, who will discuss “The Business Case for Dignity.” Shriver is an author, Impact Scholar at the University of Utah, chairman of Special Olympics International, co-creator of the Dignity Index, and founder and CEO of Project UNITE Inc. Details about the event are at slchamber.com.
• Silicon Slopes and Visit Salt Lake will present the technology gathering Summit 2026 on Feb. 4-7 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City. It will feature keynotes from leaders in innovation, AI, frontier technology, funding and human performance; conversations that bring tech, sport, film and creativity onto the same stage; immersive labs; VIP deep-dive salons at Edison House; and a “Winter Roundup” celebration. The early-bird cost is $299 for a general attendee, $249 for locals, with other options available. Details are at https://www.visitsaltlake.com/summit/.
NONPROFITS
• Our Rescue, a global nonprofit organization, has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the Foxwynd Foundation to advance its mission to end sex trafficking and child exploitation, by supporting the Riverside County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which conducts proactive and reactive investigations, provides education and prevention resources, and collaborates with state and federal partners to protect children across Southern California. This grant will support Our Rescue’s regional operational program by enhancing digital forensic resources, investigative technology, and law enforcement training programs within the ICAC team, to identify and apprehend perpetrators of online child exploitation. Our Rescue is a global nonprofit organization that supports law enforcement and community partners worldwide in their mission to end sex trafficking and child exploitation. It was founded in 2013 in Salt Lake City, where it maintains a presence.
PARTNERSHIPS
• Alsco Uniforms, a Salt Lake City-based uniform, linen and facility services provider, has announced an official mop crew partnership with the Toronto Raptors of the NBA for this season. Financial terms were not disclosed. With this partnership, Alsco Uniforms now has six official mop crew sponsorships in the NBA, including with the Utah Jazz. As part of the partnership, the Alsco Uniforms logo will be featured on the Raptors’ mop crew uniforms and it also will provide the mops that will keep the court clean and safe during Raptors home games. In addition to supporting Scotiabank Arena, Alsco Uniforms provides rental laundry and facility services to businesses across Toronto and Canada. Alsco has more than 200 locations and 16,000 employees that provide laundry services and other services and products to over 350,000 customers in 13 countries.
PHILANTHROPY
• Bank of Utah, Arctic Circle and Red Hanger recently finished their annual “Warm Bodies, Warm Souls” warm-clothing drive. A total of 561 bags of clothing and $10,040 in donations were delivered to 15 charities statewide. The items were gathered at 73 collection sites. Recipient charities are Bountiful Community Pantry, Cache Community Food Pantry, Cache Valley Humanitarian Center, Catholic Community Services (Joyce Hansen Hall Food Bank), Community Action Services and Food Bank/Food and Care Coalition, Crossroads Urban Center, Heber Valley Center Stage/Christian Center of Park City, Switchpoint, the Family Support Center, the Lantern House, the Pamela Atkinson Resource Center, Tremonton Community Pantry, United Way of Eastern Utah, Utah Foster Care in Vernal, and Youth Futures. Bank of Utah launched the Warm Bodies, Warm Souls coat drive in 2011 and in 2014, Arctic Circle Restaurants and its foundation, Arctic Cares, joined the initiative. Red Hanger became a partner five years ago. Several local businesses joined the effort this year, including Great Dane Transportation and Gandy Dancer Mercantile, which collected items and dropped them off at donation sites.
RECOGNITIONS
• The Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives has named Tara Baucom to the ACCE 2025 “40 Under 40” list. Baucom is director of events and programs at the Salt Lake Chamber. The annual recognition program showcases 40 of the industry’s top emerging leaders who have demonstrated success in their careers and made significant contributions to the communities they serve. The list includes CEOs and staff professionals from a wide variety of roles and chamber sizes. ACCE has over 1,600 chambers of commerce and related business and economic development organizations as members, representing more than 9,000 professionals in the industry. Baucom was nominated by Salt Lake Chamber’s COO, Heidi Walker. Since joining the Salt Lake Chamber in 2016, Baucom has planned and executed a range of events and programs, including Giant in Our City, Women & Business Conference and Athena Awards Luncheon, Utah Economic Outlook & Public Policy Summit and Leadership Utah, among many others. She also oversees the following committees: President’s Ambassadors, Military Affairs and Business Women’s Forum.
• Americans for Prosperity-Utah recently presented Utah Rep. Ryan Wilcox (R-Ogden) with its “Legislator of the Year” award at its third annual Prosperity Elevated Gala for his leadership in deregulatory efforts during the 2025 legislative session. Wilcox sponsored HB474, implementing a legislative check on expensive regulations from the state bureaucracy and restoring the balance of power in the state government, it said. AFP recruits and unites Utahns behind a common goal of advancing policies that will help people improve their lives.
• Packsize, a Salt Lake City-based company producing sustainable, right-sized, on-demand packaging, has won five industry awards for its business acumen and automated packaging machines. The awards include triple recognition from the 2025 Packaging Gateway Excellence Awards in the following categories: Innovation Award–High-Throughput Automation, honoring the company’s engineering and system integration work to deliver right-sized packaging solutions that meet the needs of today’s warehouse environments; M&A Award–Portfolio Consolidation, recognizing the strategic value of uniting Packsize and Sparck Technologies, which brings Sparck’s platforms together with Packsize’s automated packaging solutions to give customers a single global partner for right-sized automation; and Environmental Award–Low-Carbon Localization, highlighting the company’s dedication to decarbonizing packaging supply chains through nearshoring and circular practices. Packsize is also the recipient of the 2025 Material Handling Product News’ Readers’ Choice Product of the Year for the Packsize X6 and the Editor’s Choice Award for the Packsize X5 Nozomi. Those products address industry challenges and create opportunities to better serve the needs of Packsize customers with greater automation and new capabilities.
RETAIL
• Smith’s Food & Drug has opened a marketplace at 2483 N. Main St., Tooele. It is the 58th Smith’s in Utah. The 123,000-square-foot store offers fresh produce, local products and organic options, including sushi and Starbucks Coffee cafe, salads and sandwiches, hot/cold chicken, fresh seafood, Boar’s Head Meats and Murray’s Cheese. The new store also has a floral department, household goods, drive-through pharmacy and online grocery pickup. The on-site Smith’s Fuel Center has nine dispensing stations (18 pumps), with four stations configured to cater to large recreational vehicles and boats. The $36 million Smith’s store was built by R&O Construction and anchors the new shopping center The Peak at Compass Point being co-developed by Perry Commercial Utah.