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ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
• Denise A. Dragoo has been nominated to serve on the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) board of trustees. Dragoo is a partner at the law firm Snell & Wilmer in Salt Lake City. UMOCA has advanced and elevated the community of contemporary arts and culture since it was established in 1931. At Snell & Wilmer, Dragoo focuses her practice in natural resources and environmental law, including coal, water, mining, public land and issues affecting the oil and gas industry, mine safety and health law. Prior to Snell & Wilmer, Dragoo served as special assistant Utah attorney general to the Utah Board and Division of Oil, Gas & Mining. Her education includes a J.D. from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law.
ASSOCIATIONS
• Scott Parson has been elected chairman of NRMCA (National Ready Mixed Concrete Association). Parson is president and chief executive officer of Staker Parson in West Haven, a division of Oldcastle. Founded in 1930, the NRMCA is an industry advocate representing and serving the entire ready mixed concrete industry through leadership, promotion, education and partnering to ensure ready mixed concrete is the building material of choice. The U.S. ready mix concrete industry is a $35 billion industry with 2,200 concrete producing companies employing over 125,000 people. On any given day, the industry operates 65,000 concrete mixers.
CONSTRUCTION
• Big-D Construction, Salt Lake City, has made several organizational changes among key leaders. Cory Moore has been promoted from senior vice president to executive vice president and national managing director of Big-D’s regional offices. Moore has been a part of Big-D and its management team for more than 20 years. Troy Thompson has rejoined Big-D as executive vice president. Thompson has more than 35 years of experience in commercial construction and development.
DIRECT SALES
• LifeVantage Corp., Salt Lake City, has appointed Charles J. Wach as chief operating officer and Steven R. Fife as chief financial officer. Wach has more than 30 years of operations and leadership experience, having served in multiple senior operational roles with relevant industry experience. Most recently, Wach served as vice president of operations and supply chain executive for Bodybuilding.com Inc. from 2013-2017. Wach also served as director of global supply chain, materials management for Nature’s Sunshine Products Inc., worked in operational roles for Nestle-Perrier Group of America Inc., H.J. Heinz Co. and Frito Lay Inc. Wach received his Master of Business Administration degree from Utah State University and his bachelor of science degree in finance from Brigham Young University. Fife has more than three decades of financial and leadership experience, having served in several C-level financial and leadership roles. Most recently, Fife served from 2014-2016 as CFO and chief operating officer at Evidera Inc. Prior to joining Evidera, Fife served as chief financial officer for publicly traded companies, including Active Power Inc. and LECG, and served in several senior financial roles for Gilead Sciences, Amkor Technologies and JDS Uniphase. He also served as interim CFO for a nonprofit organization, Women’s Initiative for Self Employment. Fife’s education includes a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Brigham Young University.
DIVIDENDS
• EnviroTechnologies International Inc., Salt Lake City, has announced a 10 percent stock dividend for all shareholders as of April 21. The company develops and markets green, natural and organic products for diverse industries.
ENERGY/NATURAL RESOURCES
• Vivint Solar, Lehi, has appointed Colt Reid to vice president of sales operations. He will manage the company’s inside sales team along with a 75-person sales leadership team. Reid has more than 10 years of experience in sales and operations management, including previously serving as senior director of sales operations at the company. Prior to joining Vivint Solar as director of sales innovation, Reid held sales and operations leadership positions with other national residential solar companies and served in leadership roles with third-party resellers.
FINANCE
• New Penn Financial has hired Jeff Porter as area manager in Salt Lake City. Porter has been in the finance industry since 1987, in the mortgage industry since 1991, and in management roles since 2012.
HEALTHCARE
• OrthoGrid Systems Inc., a medical imaging company, has hired Mark J. Carrico for the new position of director of marketing. Carrico will lead and direct OrthoGrid’s global commercialization strategies, educational initiatives, and brand development activities. Carrico joins OrthoGrid from DePuy Synthes, a division of Johnson & Johnson, where he spent seven years leading the company’s hip replacement surgical approach marketing activities across the U.S. Prior to DePuy, he worked at Warner-Chilcott Pharmaceuticals and Organon Pharmaceuticals.
• EyeGate Pharmaceuticals Inc. has announced the appointment of two people to its Scientific Advisory Board, including Dr. Randall J. Olson, who serves as chief executive officer of the John A. Moran Eye Center and presidential endowed professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine. Olson has more than 30 years of experience. He specializes in research dealing with cataract surgery, intra-ocular lens complications, teleophthalmology and corneal transplantation techniques. He received his medical degree from the University of Utah School of Medicine. EyeGate is a clinical-stage specialty pharmaceutical company that is focused on developing and commercializing products for treating diseases and disorders of the eye.
HOSPITALITY/FOOD SERVICE
• Imperial House, 221 Main St., Park City, has reopened following renovations. It features a luxury penthouse, meeting space, the Riverhorse Provisions gourmet market and all-inclusive concierge service. The Imperial Hotel opened its doors in 1904 as a boarding house for single silver miners. The building was condemned in the early 1970s but was operating again by 1975 as a hotel. After a series of renovations and ownership changes, the establishment was most recently a private residence.
INVESTMENTS
• Canopy, a Lehi-based practice management platform for tax professionals, has closed a $20 million Series B financing led by Pelion Venture Partners, with participation from existing investors New Enterprise Associates (NEA); EPIC Ventures, Salt Lake City; and Deep Fork Capital. The round brings Canopy’s total funding to $30 million.
OUTDOOR PRODUCTS/RECREATION/SPORTS
• Snowbasin Resort has joined the Mountain Collective as a full partner for the 2017-18 season. There are now 16 destinations that are part of the collective, which provides a lift ticket that includes two days of riding at all partner resorts and 50 percent off additional days at each resort. The current cost is $399. Extra benefits include exclusive lodging deals and a complimentary, one-year Protect Our Winters membership. Utah will have three members of the collective: Snowbasin, Alta Ski Area and Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort. Starting next season, the collective will treat Alta and Snowbird as separate resorts. Sugarbush Resort in Vermont also joins the Mountain Collective next winter.
PHILANTHROPY
• Primary Residential Mortgage Inc. (PRMI), Salt Lake City, recently had 35 team members provide essential items needed for daily activities and classrooms as Mercedes Elementary School in Ortega, Costa Rica. PRMI provided electric fans, new computer desks, new tables and chairs, and everyday school supplies. The exterior of the school was also given a facelift by the volunteers as they painted the exterior and repaired a roof that had been previously damaged.
RECOGNITIONS
• The Utah chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (UCG Utah) has honored Albion International as Dealmaker of the Year following its acquisition by Balchem Corp. The acquisition purchase price of $111.5 million reflects a multiple of approximately 10.7 times 2015 EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization).
• The Utah chapter of CCIM recently honored 16 individuals at its 2017 Excellence Awards event. The annual awards program honors professionals in Utah’s commercial real estate industry who exemplify the highest degree of business excellence. To determine each award recipient, ballots containing three finalists in each category were distributed to a panel of over 100 business, civic and industry leaders for final review and vote. The recipients are: Hall of Fame, Mark Gibbons, Property Reserve Inc.; Economic Growth, Kenneth Nye, University of Utah; Architectural Firm of the Year, Peggy McDonough, MHTN Architects; Commercial Real Estate Banker of the Year (Over $75 Million), Johnny Clawson, The Clawson Group; Mid-Market Real Estate Banker of the Year (Under $75 Million), Colton Smith, Marcus & Millichap; Contractor of the Year, Cory Moore, Big-D Construction; Developer of the Year, Jeffrey Woodbury, Woodbury Corp.; Industrial Broker of the Year, Jeremy Jensen, IPG Commercial; Investment Broker of the Year, Kip Paul, Cushman & Wakefield/Commerce; Multi-Family Broker of the Year, Greg Barratt, Berkadia; Office Broker of the Year, Brandon Fugal, CBC Advisors; Property Manager of the Year, Nathan Thompson, NuTerra Partners; Real Estate Attorney of the Year, Leeza Evensen, Snell & Wilmer LLP; Retail Broker of the Year, Stuart Thain, CBC Advisors; Rookie of the Year, Nate Worthen, Newmark Grubb ACRES; and CCIM of the Year, Jeremy Doyle, Adobe. Four recipients of scholarships funded jointly by Price Real Estate and the Utah CCIM chapter are University of Utah students: Katie Wilking Clinard, Meghan Bond, Gabrielle Reid and Brady Berryessa.
• Provo-Orem tops of the large-metro rankings of the “Best Cities for Successful Aging” and Salt Lake City is ranked fourth, while Logan ranked ninth among small metro areas. The list was compiled by the Milken Institute. The institute’s Center For The Future Of Aging ranked the best cities to age in, not just to retire in, using 83 indicators to promote healthy, productive and purposeful aging. The indicators included general livability, healthcare, wellness, financial security, living arrangements, employment, education, transportation and convenience, and community engagement. The study evaluated 381 U.S. metro areas. Details are at successfulaging.milkeninstitute.org.
RETAIL
• Emser Tile has opened an expanded Salt Lake City branch at 3140 S. 300 W. The relocated branch has expanded from 8,800 square feet to 22,000 square feet. In the past year, Emser Tile has opened locations in Tampa, Pompano and Miami, Florida; Columbus, Ohio; Lyndhurst, New Jersey; and Detroit. It plans to open a distribution center in Virginia this spring, giving the company 75 sales and service locations in North America.
RURAL UTAH
• The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) board, at its March meeting, endorsed Rural Fast Track grants for five companies. AVA Management — Red Sands Hotel, of Torrey, was endorsed for a $50,000 grant to help with an expansion of the company’s current property to include 20 guest room suites and villas, employee dorms and a full-service spa. The $2 million project is expected to result in 12 new full-time positions. K Screens, of Morgan, was endorsed for a $38,092 grant to help the company purchase machinery to include fabrication of products from start to finish and personalization of clothing. The $76,183 project is expected to result in three new full-time positions. Optimum Composite Technologies, of Brigham City, was endorsed for a $50,000 grant to help the company with an equipment expansion/purchase and facility adjustment to accommodate the new equipment modification. The $232,292 project is expected to result in two new full-time positions. Little Learners of Price was endorsed for a $50,000 grant to help the company expand and make equipment and building purchases. The $503,115 project is expected to result in one new full-time position. Wardell Brothers Construction, of Morgan, was endorsed for a $50,000 grant for the company’s expansion and new company headquarters. The $726,409 project is expected to result in three new full-time positions.
SERVICES
• The Economic Development Corporation of Utah has promoted Matt Hilburn and Max Backlund to new posts within the organization. Formerly research manager, Hilburn has been promoted to vice president of research and marketing, while Backlund has been promoted from business development manager to director of public development. Hilburn will be responsible for all facets of research and marketing functions, including program development, executing on the research agenda and overall marketing program execution. Hilburn has a master’s degree in econometrics and quantitative economics from the University of Utah and is the membership chair for the Economic Club of Utah. Prior to joining EDCUtah, he spent nearly 10 years working in management, marketing research, statistics and taught classes on data analytics and applied statistics. Backlund will serve as the primary point of contact for EDCUtah’s public sector members, focusing his efforts on economic development preparedness. Prior to joining EDCUtah, he worked for Salt Lake County’s Intergovernmental Relations and Economic Development departments, working on revolving loan funds and redevelopment areas. Backlund has a master’s degree in city and metropolitan planning and a law degree from the University of Utah.
TECHNOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCES
• HireVue, Salt Lake City, has hired Doug Leonard as chief sales officer and Diana Kucer as chief marketing officer. Leonard joins HireVue as the company’s first CSO, having previously served as vice president of enterprise sales at Cornerstone OnDemand. His 15 years of experience includes lead sales roles at Ceridian and ADP. Kucer most recently served as director of global product marketing at LinkedIn. She also spent several years in Intuit’s Small Business Group and has many years of startup marketing experience across the tech industry.
• CleanSpark Inc., a Salt Lake City-based energy software and control technology company, has appointed Adam Maher to the new position of senior vice president. Maher will oversee development of the company’s corporate sales, marketing and development strategies for all CleanSpark products and solutions. Maher joins CleanSpark from Furst Construction Co., where he was co-owner and principal. He also was chief executive officer of EnSurge Inc., CEO and founder of Outbound Enterprises, and lead speaker and domestic sales coordinator at Profit Education Systems. Maher graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in graphic and industrial design.