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AGRICULTURE
- The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is seeking comment via an online survey through April 15 to help determine priorities for a $1 million Utah Food Security Processing grant. The purpose of the UFSPG is to increase in-state processing and storage capacity for locally produced agricultural products to strengthen local supply chain resiliency. The survey can be found at https://tinyurl.com/UtahFoodSecurity. During the program’s first two years, $2 million in grant funding ranging from $1,900 to $150,000 was awarded to 38 businesses across the state. This program has benefited local farms and ranches, processing businesses and consumers while reducing food waste and transportation costs.
BANKING
- Brighton Bank has appointed Jordan Pearce as vice president, branch manager and commercial loan officer at its South Salt Lake office, Bette Taylor as business development officer, and Shane Giddings as vice president and branch manager of the South Towne office. Pearce has extensive experience in community, commercial, real estate and private banking since 2008. In the industry since 1999, Taylor has over two decades of experience in community and commercial banking. Giddings has been with the bank since 2023 and has experience in community, commercial and real estate banking since 2002.
COSTRUCTION
- Harrison Regent, a Holiday by Atria independent living community in Ogden, has kicked off a new renovation project for capital upgrades in design and amenities. The million-dollar upgrades are designed to transform the community’s appearance and function, all geared toward fostering the social connections that help older adults live life to the fullest. The upgrades are expected to be completed this summer. The project includes an expanded fitness room and renovations to the game lounge, living room with library, atrium, dining room and salon. Other improvements include added A/V capabilities in all common areas, exterior enhancements, and energy-efficient lighting.
- Entrada at Snow Canyon Country Club, St. George, has begun a $2.8 million clubhouse renovation project that will include a complete renovation of the main kitchen, the creation of a new bar and grille, the remodeling of existing dining space, and enhancement of the club’s private dining space. The project is expected to be completed this fall. RealFood Hospitality, Strategy & Design, a Troon Company and a hospitality strategy and design firm based in Massachusetts, redesigned the club’s kitchen. Z Design Group served as the architect for the project, with interior design by Clay Pryor Interiorsof Henderson, Nevada, and Zwick Construction of Murray working as the project’s general contractor.
CONTESTS
- The Utah Jump$tart Coalition, Utah Treasurer Marlo M. Oaks, and the Utah State Board of Education have launched the Utah Financial Education Hall of Fame, which recognizes Utah educators and administrators who exemplify excellence in empowering Utah’s youth with financial knowledge and skills. The nomination period for the five award categories and closes on April 30. Four educators and one administrator will be recognized at a Utah Jump$tart Coalition event on June 10. Nominations will be accepted at treasurer.utah.gov/halloffame/. The community-nominated educator awards include the Utah Personal Finance Educator of the Year, the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Student Empowerment Award. The self-nominated educator awards are the Innovative Personal Finance Curriculum Award and the Financial Education Champion Award.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
- Utah is ranked No. 2 on a list of “Best States for Working from Home,” compiled by personal finance website WalletHub. It compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 12 key metrics, including the share of workers working from home, Internet cost and cybersecurity. Utah was ranked No. 1 for average home square footage (an average of 2,800 square feet), second for average retail price of electricity, No. 8 for share of population working from home, No. 11 for household Internet access, and No. 13 for Internet cost. It also is No. 6 for highest share of households with broadband Internet. The study found that about 14 percent of Utah’s workforce works from home but over 95 percent could do their jobs from home in the future. The top-ranked state is New Jersey. The bottom-ranked state is Alaska. Details are at https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-working-from-home/72801.
- Provo-Orem is ranked No. 5, St. George is No. 7 and Salt Lake City is No. 22 on a list of the “most dynamic metropolitans” (MDM), a list compiled by Heartland Forward. The annual ranking shows growth areas in the country using key indicators of where Americans are thriving and highlighting communities where education, business and government are working well together. The MDM ranks 382 metros by 10 metrics. The top metro on the list is The Villages, Florida. Ten metros have appeared on the list all five years that Heartland Forward has been compiling this data. That list includes Provo-Orem and St. George.
- Airbnb has reported that its activities in Utah in 2023 accounted for a $1.23 billion in economic contribution, 15,700 jobs supported and $360 million in tax revenue. Nationally, activity supported about 1 million jobs, with guests generating more than $85 billion in visitor spending, and guest spending generating more than $24 billion in taxes. Details are at https://news.airbnb.com/travel-on-airbnb-generated-85b-in-economic-activity-in-the-us/.
- Call center representatives are Utah’s “most unmotivated” workers, according to a study by Online-Solitaire.com. It surveyed employees to gauge the mood of the workforce and determine how motivated they are in their current roles. Following call center reps are, in order, artists and creative professionals, administrative assistants, bookkeepers, claims adjusters and processors, bank tellers and finance customer service reps, telemarketers, language translators, fast food and service industry workers, and data entry clerks. Nationally, the least motivated jobs are call center reps, bookkeepers, and claims adjusters and processors. Details are at https://online-solitaire.com/blog/americas-most-unmotivated-workers/.
- Utahns most envy labor laws in Denmark, according to a survey by personal injury law firm Bisnar Chase. It surveyed people about which international labor law they would like adopted in their own state. In Utah, Denmark was followed by France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Details are at https://www.bestattorney.com/labor-liberation-case-study/.
- Utahns hit “peak optimism” on April 15 this year, according to a survey by photo book company Mixbook. The date nationally is April 4. The earliest day is Jan. 13, in Wyoming. The latest is June 25, in Rhode Island. This year’s survey found a marked increase in optimism in Utah, with 37 percent of participants feeling hopeful, a significant rise from previous years: 17 percent in 2023, 13 percent in 2022 and 2021, and 20 percent in 2020. Details are at https://www.mixbook.com/inspiration/the-season-of-hope-unveiling-the-most-optimistic-time-of-year-for-americans.
FOOD
- Former restaurant owners Tyler and Valerie Kukahiko have launched Peachie, designed to offer solutions for food enthusiasts and home cooks. One key feature is a central platform for easy recipe storing, organizing and sharing. Users can upload their favorite recipes, categorize them, and easily share with others, eliminating the search through multiple online platforms for saved recipes and fragmented communication methods between friends and family to track down recipes. Peachie also can quickly, easily and automatically transform any recipe into designed and formatted digital versions. The Kukahinkos have experience in food blogging and other business ventures. Their first venture was Crust Club, an at-home business that advanced to become a brand offering fresh, ready-to-take-home meals. It was sold to Crumbl Cookies.
GOVERNMENT
- Salt Lake City’s Department of Economic Development has announced Atim A. Enyenihi as the department’s new technology and innovation strategic advisor. She will support the implementation of Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s Healthcare Innovation Blueprint, a collaborative, partner-driven document outlining pathways for a thriving biotech hub in Salt Lake City. She will also broaden the umbrella of industries served by Tech Lake City, the concept guiding the Healthcare Innovation initiative, and enhance the branding potential for the concept. Enyenihi has 18 years of experience as a chemist developing and validating analytical methods for a variety of purposes, including discovery and development of therapeutics, clinical laboratory testing, and newborn screening for rare diseases. Her career has traversed academia, clinical diagnostics, biotechnology and tech bio. It includes serving as a scientist at ARUP Laboratories and in senior scientist positions at Utah Public Health Laboratory and Recursion.
HEALTHCARE
- ARUP Laboratories, Salt Lake City, has appointed Dr. Dan Albertson as president of the newly formed University Business Unit. ARUP, which grew out of the University of Utah Hospital laboratories, has provided laboratory testing for the U Hospital, Huntsman Cancer Institute, and U Health clinics since its inception 40 years ago. The new unit aims to provide laboratory and transfusion medicine to the patients of U Health. ARUP Blood Services, the sole provider of blood products to U Health and the Huntsman Cancer Institute, will be part of the University Business Unit. In his new role, Albertson will also become a member of ARUP’s executive committee. He will remain the division chief of Anatomic Pathology and Solid Tumor Molecular Pathology. Albertson joined the U’s Division of Anatomic Pathology in 2012 as a fellow in surgical pathology.
HOSPITALITY
- LivAway Suites, a Salt Lake City-based extended-stay hotel brand, has hired Paul Duncan for its West77 development team as chief development officer. West77 is the development engine for the seven current LivAway Suites properties. Duncan has experience in real estate and construction in underwriting, site selection and design. He has more than 16 years of experience in the development and construction industry, including at Concord Hospitality, Aspire Construction and Ashland Construction Co. LivAway Suites has over 25 locations in various phases of pre-development across the U.S.
INSURANCE
- The Buckner Co., a Salt Lake City-based insurance brokerage, has appointed Jenny Hatch as director of private client services. She will assume leadership of Buckner’s Personal Lines Department. Hatch has over 22 years of experience in the insurance industry, with a specialized focus on personal assets for 18 years. Her experience encompasses roles with both exclusive and independent agencies, as well as four years in the commercial space.
INVESTMENTS
- Torus Inc., a South Salt Lake-based company that designs, engineers and manufactures energy storage and management products for the residential, commercial and large-scale utility sectors, has completed a $67 million fundraising round. It included new equity, conversion of outstanding notes and a loan facility. It was led by Origin Ventures and included contributions from institutional investors including Epic Ventures, Cumming Capital, the Larry H. Miller Co., Zions Bank, Pelion and ICONIQ. Torus said it plans to use the funds to deepen its energy solutions portfolio in the commercial and large-scale utility sectors and add talent to the Torus team. Torus also announced it has added David Bywater and Brent Hill to its board of directors. Bywater is a former chief operating officer and later CEO of Vivint Smart Home and Vivint Solar. Before that, he was CEO of Vivint Solar. He also worked Affiliated Computer Services, as an executive vice president and corporate officer at Xerox, and as a senior manager at Bain & Co. Hill is managing director at Origin Ventures.
- Aligned Marketplace, based in Park City, has raised $8 million in a seed funding round led by A* Capital and Maverick Ventures, with participation from Box Group, Epic Ventures, Liquid2 Ventures, SV Angel and other angel operators. Founded in 2023, Aligned Marketplace offers employers personalized primary care through a network of independent, advanced primary care providers across the U.S. The network of in-person and virtual advanced primary care options includes over 3,000 advanced primary care clinics nationwide.
MANUFACTURING
- IFIT Health & Fitness, a Logan-based company that produces connected fitness hardware, software and subscription content, has appointed Mark Phillipsas chief marketing officer and Bart Mulleras chief international officer. Phillips has over 20 years of marketing experience, previously serving as a senior advisor at McKinsey & Co. As CMO at IFIT, he oversees all aspects of the brand’s portfolio of products, including IFIT, NordicTrack, ProForm and Freemotion. Muller’s experience includes serving as CEO of First National Glassware in Jakarta, as well as the chief operating officer of Sound United.
NONPROFITS
- Visit Salt Lake, a private, nonprofit corporation that promotes Salt Lake as a convention and travel destination, has hired Brayden O’Brien as senior financial analyst. O’Brien will analyze VSL’s internal performance and its external impact to ensure VSL is prudently administering resources to efficiently grow Salt Lake’s visitor economy. Prior to joining VSL, O’Brien served as financial controller at Particl. He began his career at KPMG in the Bay Area of California. He earned a B.S. degree in finance and accounting at Utah State University.
OUTDOOR RECREATION
- Powder Mountain, Eden, has announced it is expanding both its public and private offering with two separate additions of terrain. The expansion will introduce the public to two new areas with expert and advanced terrain on the west side of the mountain and provide access to expert and advanced terrain for homeowners on the east side. Powder plans today to expand lift access to new adjoining areas of the mountain already owned by Powder in Wolf Canyon. The new lift infrastructure will add 900 acres of lift-served and 147 acres of hike-to access, for a total of 1,047 acres. Surveying and planning will begin this summer, with the announcement of construction timelines and exact routing of lift infrastructure pending. Powder plans to offer guided adventure experiences for the 2024-25 season. Summer 2025 is the target for lift installation. Powder has signed a contract for 2,390 acres of adjacent land to expand the private homeowner offering. The new terrain features 1,766 feet of consistently pitched vertical drop over 980 acres.
PARTNERSHIPS
- Aqua-Yield, based in Sandy, has announced a partnership with WestLink Ag Group to distribute Aqua-Yield’s nanoparticle-based products for farmers through the WestLink’s 42 retail outlets. WestLink is a member-driven ag buying group. In its 10th year, Aqua-Yield’s line of nano-based products have proven to improve crop protection performance, nutrient uptake and overall crop yield, according to the company.
- MotivHealth, an Alpine-based health insurance company, has announced a partnership with AZOVA Health, a company focused on digital health technology. Birth Doula support memberships will be available directly to Motiv members. The program offers expectant mothers continuous support from highly qualified doulas, fostering positive birth experiences and unlocking health benefits.
PHILANTHROPY
- Employees at Ken Garff West Valley Ford and West Valley Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat recently did a sensory room lobby makeover for Raise the Future in Midvale. Raise the Future supports youngsters in foster care. Ken Garff employees wanted to create a welcoming healing space for kids and families that will use the space for various activities and dressed up the space with new paint, furniture, sensory items, signage, pillows, rugs and more. The project was part of Ken Garff’s “We’re ‘Hear’ for You” initiative.
REAL ESTATE
- Mountain West Commercial Real Estate, a Salt Lake City-based commercial real estate brokerage, has hired Travis Dunn to lead the company’s expansion into the Boise, Idaho, market. The office in Eagle, Idaho, will be the company’s second office in the state. Dunn has over two decades of experience in commercial real estate.
TECHNOLOGY
- Inside Real Estate, a Murray-based real estate software company, has hired Stacey Soleilas senior vice president of community and engagement and Ryan Hartman as vice president of social and product engagement. Soleil will lead a cross-functional team, serving as the voice of the community for the company’s leadership team, and share her deep industry knowledge to drive value and enhance customer experiences and success. She has over two decades of real estate industry experience. Hartman will focus on the cross-section of product and communities, sharing how-to tips, best practices and straightforward product guides to help customers take advantage of the full suite of tools and solutions to drive higher productivity. He has more than 20 years of real estate industry experience.
- TriTel Networks, a Murray-based managed technology services provider, is now offering SD-WAN-as-a-Service to its small to mid-sized business customers. SD-WAN is an acronym for software-defined networking in a wide area network. It aims to simplify the management and operation of a WAN by separating the networking hardware from its control mechanism. TriTel Networks is a member of Technology Assurance Group, an organization of managed technology services operating in 136 cities and serving over 400,000 customers.