Company news information may be sent to brice.w@thecityjournals.com.
BANKING
• Sunwest Bank, based in Sandy, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the former MidWestOne and Bank of Denver branches from Nicolet National Bank. Financial terms were not disclosed. Founded in 1969, Sunwest Bank is a privately held commercial bank with over $4 billion in assets. It has offices in California, Arizona, Idaho, Colorado, Utah and Florida. Nicolet Bankshares Inc. is a bank holding company of Nicolet National Bank, a full-service community bank providing services ranging from commercial, agricultural and consumer banking to wealth management and retirement plan services. Founded in Green Bay in 2000, Nicolet National Bank operates branches primarily in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Iowa. The acquisition allows Sunwest to further invest in the Denver market by increasing the bank’s client base, branch presence and team of experienced banking professionals. Sunwest initially launched in the Colorado market in 2025.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Avoiding delivery fees by picking up food is the top “broke behavior” in Utah, according to a survey by Lenspricer.com. It asked people about how they are stretching their budgets in response to rising costs. Other behaviors are, in order, using public Wi-Fi instead of mobile data; taking office stationery for personal use; turning off lights obsessively to save electricity; bringing snacks into a movie theater; waiting days or weeks for a sale; ordering the cheapest item on a menu; waiting for payday instead of dipping into savings; taking extra napkins, sauces or condiments for later; delaying routine health appointments due to cost; considering selling something actually needed; reusing something a person probably should not; using self-checkout and “forgetting” to scan something small; checking a bank app like it’s social media; and using someone else’s subscription or login. Details are at https://lenspricer.com/news/broke-behaviors-2026-survey.
• Water Witch in Salt Lake City is the top spot in Utah for business executives to go to celebrate big career wins and milestones, according to a survey by financial media company MarketBeat. It is followed by No. 2 Side Bar in Ogden and No. 3 Communal in Provo. Details are at https://www.marketbeat.com/originals/where-do-business-leaders-go-to-celebrate-career-wins/.
• Only 31 percent of Utah adults drink alcohol, according to a study by Trace One, which has over 30 years of experience specializing in regulatory compliance and PLM solutions for the food and beverage industry. The state’s usage peaked in 2014 at 35.5 percent. Nationally, fewer Americans are drinking alcohol than a decade ago. In 2024, 51.1 percent of U.S. adults reported drinking — down from a peak of 56.7 percent in 2014. Interest in non-alcoholic alternatives has surged. Nationally, online searches for products like non-alcoholic beer, “zero-proof” drinks, and mocktails have continued to increase dramatically in recent years, reflecting a broader cultural shift toward wellness and moderation. The study uses the most recent data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to rank states based on the gap between their peak alcohol consumption and their current alcohol consumption. Details are at https://www.traceone.com/resources/plm-compliance-blog/states-drinking-less-alcohol.
FRANCHISING
• BaseCamp Franchising, a Salt Lake City-based parent company of upscale thrift brands Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid, has released its 2026 Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs). At Uptown Cheapskate, average gross sales were $1.4 million and average net income was $227,000 across franchised locations in fiscal year 2025. Those metrics expanded to $2.2 million of gross sales and $423,000 of net income for top quartile franchised locations. Kid to Kid also reported strong store-level performance and saw meaningful growth versus the prior fiscal year. BaseCamp celebrated several milestones in 2025, with the company surpassing $300 million in systemwide sales and expanding its footprint to more than 280 stores across 32 U.S. states and several international markets. This year, BaseCamp is expected to open 30 to 40 new locations.
GOVERNMENT
• The Utah Department of Commerce has established a new working group spearheaded by the Office of the Homeowners’ Association Ombudsman (OHOAO). This initiative, identified as one of the tactics in the new State Strategic Housing Plan, aims to identify HOA-related concerns and propose policy changes for future legislative consideration. The working group will dedicate much of the remainder of this year to a listening tour, engaging various stakeholders within the HOA industry to gather insights that will shape future policy decisions and key focus areas in preparation for the 2027 legislative general session and beyond. The group includes homeowners, association representatives, industry experts and a core team featuring Erin Rider, director of the HOA Ombudsman Office; Steve Waldrip, the governor’s senior advisor for housing strategy and innovation; Utah Sen. Wayne Harper; and Utah Reps. Neil Walter, Jill Koford, Jordan Teuscher and Ariel Defay. The group will convene regularly to address pressing issues, provide recommendations, and collaborate on improvement strategies. According to a recent report from Realtor.com, Utah ranks fifth in the nation for the percentage of real estate listings located within a homeowners association. Approximately 80 percent of new home construction in Utah is within an HOA.
MANUFACTURING
• MityLite, an Orem-based producer of furniture for the hospitality, event healthcare and senior markets, has begun operations at a new manufacturing facility in Orem. The move expands production and creates 65 jobs. The expansion near 400 North and 1200 West brings the company’s Holsag wooden furniture line to Orem. After announcing the shutdown of its Lindsay, Ontario, Canada plant in October, the company hired nearly 65 employees through a job fair in January. About 75 employees in Canada were affected by the transition. MityLite is a division of Orem-based Mity Inc., whose products include Bertolini, MityLite and Broda. Holsag by MityLite manufactures commercial seating for hotels, restaurants, healthcare settings, senior living, government buildings and other public and commercial properties.
PHILANTHROPY
• In celebration of Earth Day, Parker Migliorini International (PMI Foods), based in Salt Lake City, announced a donation of over $13,000 to One Tree Planted, a nonprofit organization focused on global reforestation. The partnership will plant another 10,000 trees in the Amazon, as part of an initiative that has planted over 100,000 trees so far. PMI Foods’ donation will help reforestation efforts by planting more than 100 U.S. football fields of new growth trees. PMI Foods supplies products to all major international markets and operates across multiple platforms representing three brands: PMI Global Solutions, managing product procurement, sales and logistics; PMI Distribution, supplying the needs of local wholesale markets; and PMI Food Service, which provides a constant supply source while focusing on personalized services and customer-specific adaptation of products and packaging.
• Women across the Salt Lake Valley participated in “Ab”solute Confidence Pop-Up/Try-On event April 18-19 at Lila Studio in the Sugarhouse neighborhood. The national women’s denim brand gave away 1,000 free pairs of Democracy jeans during the event, designed to celebrate confidence, community and connection. Guests attending the pop-up event were encouraged to bring a “pre-loved” pair of jeans to donate, which were distributed to women in need through the Fight Against Domestic Violence organization, which has a mission to raise awareness and generate resources for domestic violence survivors. Democracy Clothing also hosted a special Teachers-Only Pop-Up called the “Afterschool Special” on April 17 at Lila Studio. With valid teacher ID, attendees received a free pair of Democracy jeans along with a personalized fitting experience. The Salt Lake City stop was part of Democracy’s “Try-On Tour,” following successful events in cities including Jacksonville, Austin, Cincinnati, and Las Vegas.
• Enrollment is open until June 15 for Bank of America’s “Golf with Us” program, which offers youth ages 6-18 with $5 tee times via free one-year Youth on Course memberships nationwide. Golf with Us is free and open to the first 150,000 new participants who enroll before June 15. The offer unlocks tee times at thousands of courses nationwide at $5 or less per round. The course list includes Mount Ogden and Timpanogos and Remuda. Last year, over 1,600 Utah kids, many of whom were first-timers, took advantage of the offer and played 3,400 rounds. Over its inaugural year, Bank of America’s Golf with Us drew nearly 100,000 youth participants from every state; Washington, D.C.; and Puerto Rico. Of those members, more than 22,000 were girls, including many first-time golfers. Enhanced benefits in 2026 include $5 golf simulator rentals and free PGA Pro lessons via Youth on Course partners Golf Galaxy and Dick’s House of Sport. Throughout the spring and summer, Bank of America will also host thousands of youths at free Golf with Us clinics across the country. Details are at BofA.com/GolfwithUs.
• Doba, a Salt Lake City-based company offering a dropshipping platform, has announced an initiative aimed at supporting mom entrepreneurs and is designed to help make it easier to launch and manage an online store through automation, accessible technology and reliable product sourcing. At the center of the initiative is Doba’s AI Store Builder, designed to help merchants create a functional, SEO-friendly Shopify store in minutes. Through Doba’s dropshipping model, merchants can launch stores and test product categories without purchasing inventory upfront. The platform also provides access to more than 1 million U.S.-local products through a network of vetted suppliers, helping sellers offer faster shipping and more reliable fulfillment to customers across key retail categories. Doba has also introduced Doba Pilot, an AI-powered dropshipping agent designed to help sellers complete tasks such as product discovery and SEO-optimized listing creation using natural language commands.
REAL ESTATE
• Cole West, a privately held, locally owned and operated, Centerville-based real estate development company, has closed on 38 homesites for a new community called Lone Tree at 963 S. 200 W., Syracuse. Lone Tree’s single-family homes will range from 3,500 to 5,000 finished square feet with six new floorplans. Development is expected to begin this summer, with both design and construction led by Cole West. Homes are anticipated to begin selling in early 2027, with prices expected to start in the $700,000s. Key partners in the transaction include the land seller, Davis School District, and broker Brandon Wood of Northwood Group.
• Utah City, a 700-acre mixed-use development in Vineyard, recently debuted Bella’s Market and Fini Pizza & Café to serve its earliest residents and the greater Vineyard area. Among Utah City amenities open or planned for the coming months are Berliner Park, an all-abilities play destination anchored by Utah’s first and only hot air balloon-inspired structure from award-winning international play designers Berliner Seilfabrik Play Equipment Corp.; Fini Hoops, activated through a partnership with Fini Pizza’s Fini Hoops initiative, and featuring a fully custom court where community-focused clinics and leagues will play; Utah City Racquet Club, offering padel, tennis and pickleball and leagues, lessons, tournaments and social events for players at all levels; Greenline Waterfront Park Phase One, currently home to the central play area, the UC Sweat outdoor fitness classes and serving as a hub for year-round events and gatherings, a first phase that will consist of greenery and landscaping, and subsequent additions to include a large event amphitheater, wellness center, off-leash dog park, sand volleyball courts, and a connection to Utah Lake; Here Here Shops Phase One, an experiential retail village with a first phase introducing a collection of 10 retail spaces anchored by a central restaurant; and Corix District Energy, a scalable network for geothermal heating and cooling distributed to all buildings in Utah City.
RETAIL
• Hammer & Nails, a men’s grooming brand, has expanded into the Salt Lake City area with a location in the Miller Crossing shopping center at 5139 Miller Crossing Drive, Herriman. It offers haircuts, beard grooming, and signature hand and foot treatments. The location is owned by Damien Olson, who has lived in Herriman for the past seven years and grew up in neighboring Riverton. Olson is an entrepreneur with a background in business ownership, real estate investment and e-commerce operations. Olson plans to expand Hammer & Nails across Salt Lake County over the next six years.