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BANKING
• TAB Bank, based in Ogden, has closed a $13 million lender finance facility for Capital Foundry, a Pittsburgh-based specialty finance lender that provides a variety of debt and credit products as well as business consulting services to small businesses and middle-market companies. The facility is expected to enable the firm to expand its lending capabilities and better serve businesses seeking financing to support growth and working capital needs.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Park City to Salt Lake City via I-80 is Utah’s “most enjoyable commute,” according to a survey of “dream drives” by Quantrell Volvo. That ranked No. 28 in the U.S. Other Utah drives on the list are No. 54 Provo to Salt Lake City via I-15 and No. 61 Ogden to Salt Lake City via Legacy Parkway and I-15. The top-ranked drive overall is Kailua to Honolulu in Hawaii via Pali Highway/HI-61. Details are at https://www.quantrellvolvocars.com/dream-drives.htm.
• Utah County is ranked No. 85 on a list of “most earthquake-vulnerable counties” in the U.S., compiled by Home Gnome. It compared 206 of the biggest U.S. counties with high earthquake risk based on three categories and considered earthquake risk, the median age of homes, and the number of dams. The top-ranked county overall is San Francisco County, California. The lowest-ranked is Williamson County, Tennessee. Details are at https://homegnome.com/blog/studies/most-earthquake-vulnerable-counties/.
• The average Utahn has not broken a sweat while playing a sport in 93 days, according to a survey by LiveSportsonTV.com. The national average is 98 days. The highest “not broken a sweat” average is in North Dakota, at 188 days. The lowest, 19 days, is in Colorado. Asked if they would rather play or watch if they had an hour to spend on sports, 25 percent in Utah picked playing over watching. The figure was 11 percent in North Dakota and 67 percent in Colorado. Details are at https://www.livesportsontv.com/news/americas-sports-divide-survey-maps-where-were-watching-more-playing-less.
• Layton is the highest-ranked Utah city on a list of cities “safest from natural disasters,” compiled by Home Gnome. It compared 477 of the biggest U.S. cities based on five categories, considering each city’s overall risk across 18 natural hazards, including average insurance rates and access to disaster response resources like EMTs, fire stations, and hospitals. The lowest-ranked Utah city is No. 445 West Valley City. The top-ranked city overall is Lynchburg, Virginia. The No. 477 city is Hemet, California. Details are at https://www.homegnome.com/blog/studies/safest-cities-natural-disasters/.
HEALTH CARE
• Wellnest, a new fertility clinic for assisted reproductive technology (ART) in Ogden, recognized National Infertility Awareness Week by launching an IVF Grant Program aimed at alleviating the financial burden facing fertility patients. Wellnest will award up to $2,000 in financial assistance to 25 eligible patients pursuing IVF. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine indicates that women without insurance coverage for IVF are three times more likely to stop treatment after just one cycle, compared to those with insurance. Another study found that approximately 25 percent of patients discontinue fertility treatments because of out-of-pocket costs.
HOSPITALITY
• Extell Development Co., a New York-based real estate developer, and Hilton, a hospitality company, have signed an agreement for a new Canopy by Hilton hotel at Deer Valley East Village. The 180-key hotel, set to open in summer 2026, will be the first hotel in Utah for the Canopy by Hilton brand. The hotel design features architecture by The Richardson Design Partnership and interior design by DLR/Brayton Hughes. On-site amenities will include a pool and hot tub, steam room and sauna, fitness center, golf simulator, a ski reception lobby and ski locker room, meeting and conference facilities, and two levels of underground parking accommodating 176 stalls. Food and beverage options will include a signature destination restaurant, an apres-ski lounge, a grab-and-go coffee shop, and a rooftop lounge. The Canopy portfolio includes more than 40 open properties around the world and more than 40 under development across 13 countries and territories.
PHILANTHROPY
• O.C. Tanner, a Salt Lake City-based company focused on employee recognition, has committed $15 million over 10 years to the Utah Symphony/Utah Opera as part of the newly established O.C. Tanner Key Signature Initiative, aimed at sustaining USUO’s artistic and executive leadership positions and ensuring world-class programming for generations to come. O.C. Tanner’s commitment is divided into two components, including support for key leadership positions within the organization and a challenge to inspire other philanthropic leaders in Utah to join in building a brighter future for USUO. The commitment includes ongoing annual funding of $500,000, with an additional $10 million over a period of years. As part of the O.C. Tanner Key Signature Initiative, USUO has announced that the role of president and CEO will be named the O.C. Tanner Chair.
• Epicenter, an affordable housing nonprofit, is getting financial help from the Wells Fargo Foundation for Canal Commons, the first multi-unit rural Utah affordable housing development built within 50 miles of Green River in nearly 40 years. The grant amount was not disclosed. Five new affordable rental housing units are under construction and another five or more are in the planning stage for the next year or two. Along with the Wells Fargo grant, Epicenter raised a total of $1.2 million in funding to build new affordable housing in Green River and is using the grants to foster more tools needed to develop more homes in rural Utah. For example, it has activated Emery County’s Community Reinvestment Agency fund to start granting funds to affordable housing projects, and it has hosted two affordable housing panels.
REAL ESTATE
• Toll Brothers Inc., a builder of luxury homes, has announced a new phase of future home sites in its Toll Brothers at Jordanelle Ridge community in Heber City. The first phase of home sites is nearly sold out, and the new phase will be available for sale in late spring at 2109 N. Paradise Flat Lane. The community will offer home designs ranging from approximately 2,600 to more than 4,300 square feet, with prices starting at just over $1 million. Amenities include a fitness center, clubhouse, cafe, fire pit, hiking and biking trails, and a pickleball court. Toll Brothers builds in over 60 markets in 24 states.
• A currently vacant, 27,000-square-foot manufacturing building in Hildale has been sold to an unidentified local business. The announcement was made by NAI Excel. The sale was completed by Jason Griffith, a senior member and commercial investment specialist at NAI Excel, and Twila Davis, branch broker and senior vice president at NAI Excel in Cedar City.
RECOGNITIONS
• The Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce has named Matthew S. and Paige Holland and Nathan Ricks as the 2025 recipients of the Pillar of the Valley Award. They will be honored at the annual Pillar of the Valley Gala on April 9 at the Utah Valley Convention Center. The award recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the business, civic, social, educational and cultural climate of Utah Valley. Matthew Holland is a former president of Utah Valley University and currently serves as a General Authority Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Paige Holland has played a pivotal and complementary role to the rapid development of UVU and Utah Valley, including being a force behind initiatives aimed at increasing access to education, particularly for women. Ricks died in a plane accident in 2023 but was a retired executive of Provo-based Nu Skin and was an executive at Stack Real Estate.
• Several women received ForgeHER Awards at the recent Women in Manufacturing Conference at Salt Lake Community College in Sandy. The awards from the Utah Manufacturers Association recognize outstanding contributions to the manufacturing industry in leadership, innovation, mentorship and technical expertise. Recipients are Kaitlyn Ladwig, shipping lead, Five Star Airport Alliance Inc.; Natalie Koyle, manager of production/U.S. logistics, Nu Skin Enterprises; Sherry Van Mondfrans, glass specialist, 3form; Gretchen Hasenoehrl, president, CNC Fabrication; Vida Moss, operations manager, Country Lazer; Cari Dietrich, principal engineering of research and development, Northrop Grumman; Rebekah Stuart, group product manager, Hexcel Corp.; and Elena Balasa, senior systems engineering manager, Northrop Grumman.
• Tarifflo, a student startup from Utah State University that offers an AI-powered platform that automates international trade documentation, won the $20,000 grand prize and first place in the 2025 Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge, a statewide business-model competition managed by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute at the University of Utah and sponsored by venture capitalist Tim Draper. Finalist collegiate entrepreneurs in Utah competed for more than $75,000 in cash and prizes. Other top winners are Interval AI (a team from Brigham Young University), second place and $10,000; Signspaces (UofU), third place and $7,500; OCOVES, Josh Hadley Ecommerce Award and $5,000; MoonButter Co. (Ensign College), Actium Bootstrap Award and $2,000; OCOVES (Salt Lake Community College), People’s Choice Award Speed Pitch and $1,000; and Bleeped (USU), People’s Choice Online Vote and $1,000. Earning Judge Awards totaling $16,000 were PicPortal (BYU), SOUR (UofU), Interval AI (BYU), Bidi (BYU), Impact IQ (Southern Utah University), Roots Remedy (SLCC), Wing Tutor (SUU), Caribe Jewelry (Ensign College), Social Sync (Snow College), Buzzed Honey (Utah Tech University), Killer Spice (Utah Valley University), Pivvt (UofU), Bear Essentials (Snow College), Bleeped, OCOVES, Upadr (Weber State University), Simpll (UVU), MoonButter Co. and Reset Dating Socials (Ensign College). All finalist teams received $500 and Master of Business Creation scholarships.
RETAIL
• Beyond Inc., a Murray-based company that owns Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock and buybuy Baby, will reopen online buybuy Baby on May 8. The subsidiary also will be launching a crowdfunding offering of a tokenized digital security linked to certain buybuy Baby intellectual property on the tZERO brokerage platform, operated by tZERO Securities LLC.