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AGRICULTURE
• The Downtown SLC Farmers Market is marking its 30th season this year, expanding its footprint for the 2021 season at Pioneer Park after serving as an essential grocery service during the height of the pandemic. This year will feature the return of prepared food vendors and nearly 60 arts and crafts vendors in addition to local and regional farmers and growers. It will be open Saturday mornings. Details are at slcfarmersmarket.org.
BANKING
• Mountain America Credit Union, Sandy, has appointed Amy Moser as chief lending officer. Moser succeeds Mike Turner, who served in the role since 2009 and retired earlier this month. Moser joined Mountain America in 1997 as a member service representative and quickly advanced to the loan team. Over the past 24 years, she’s been involved in all aspects of lending: home, consumer, commercial and business. Since 2012, she has served as the vice president of mortgage services.
CONSTRUCTION
• Construction was recently completed for Lindquist Mortuaries’ newest location, a 12,850-square-foot building at 869 S. 2000 W., Syracuse. The contractor was Salt Lake City-based Big-D Construction. The location was its 20th project for Lindquist Mortuaries, which now has nine locations. The architect was Frank N. Murdock Jr. Architect and Associates.
CONTESTS
• Applications are being accepted through June 30 for the sponsors the MountainWest Capital Network (MWCN) Utah 100, which recognizes the 100 fastest-growing companies in Utah and honors the 15 Top Revenue Growth companies and select Emerging Elite companies. Awards will be presented based on revenue growth from 2016 through 2020. Applicants must be a for-profit Utah-based corporation, limited liability company or partnership; have five full years of operating history, including 12 months in Year One; and have had a minimum of $100,000 in total revenues in fiscal 2016. If the company had less than $100,000 in revenue in 2016, it may apply for the Emerging Elite Awards. Details are at https://www.mwcn.org/mwcn-100-awards/.
• Submissions are being accepted until 2 p.m. July 2 for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Sixth Annual Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC), with the addition of a new component aimed at spurring investment in underrepresented communities within the innovation economy at scale. The 2021 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Catalyst programs will recognize the nation’s most innovative organizations with inclusive approaches toward supporting entrepreneurs in research and development. New to this year’s competition, two tracks will run totaling over $5 million in cash prizes. In the GAFC, prizes of $50,000 will be awarded to accelerators, incubators and related entrepreneur programs proposing impactful assistance to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and R&D entrepreneurs. In the SBIR Catalyst, seven prizes of $150,000 will be awarded to scale collaborative partnerships and build regional collaborations in support of SBIR/STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) applicants and awardees, fulfilling SBA’s mission of addressing gaps in access to the innovation economy for communities of color, women entrepreneurs and rural communities. Details are at www.sbir.gov/accelerators.
CORPORATE
• Sundesa LLC, a Lehi-based parent company of BlenderBottle, has changed its name to Trove Brands LLC. The company said the new name “better represents the company’s entire portfolio of pioneering innovations, products and ever-expanding assets.” Its other brands include Whiskware, Avana and Owala.
DIVIDENDS
• The board of directors of Extra Space Storage Inc. has declared a quarterly dividend of $1 per share on the company stock of the company for the 2021 second quarter. The dividend is payable June 30 to stockholders of record at the close of business June 15. The Salt Lake City-based company is a real estate investment trust that owns and/or operates 1,969 self-storage properties.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Salt Lake City is ranked No. 8 among “Best Biking Cities in America,” a list compiled by LawnStarter. It ranked the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on 18 key indicators of a bike-friendly lifestyle. Among the factors are the length of bike lanes; the share of workers who bike to work; access to bike stores and repair shops; air quality; weather; and availability of biking clubs. San Francisco was top-ranked. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was No. 200. Details are at https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/best-biking-cities/.
• Daggett County leads all Utah counties where people have the most purchasing power, according to a study by SmartAsset. It weighed several factors, including cost of living and median income. Daggett County was followed, in order, by Morgan, Davis, Summit, Wasatch, Utah, Weber, Tooele, Millard and Salt Lake counties. Details are at https://smartasset.com/mortgage/cost-of-living#Utah/purchasing-power.
• Salt Lake City is ranked No. 102 on a list of “most LGBTQ-friendly cities,” compiled by LawnStarter. It ranked the 200 biggest U.S. cities on 17 key indicators of LGBTQ lifestyle- and dating-friendliness. San Francisco was top-ranked. Midland, Texas, was No. 200. In a breakout list, Salt Lake City tied with several other cities for the fewest sexual orientation- and gender-related hate crimes per 100,000 residents (one). Details are at https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/best-cities-lgbtq-singles/.
EDUCATION/TRAINING
• Sixteen founders graduated in the Class of 2021 from the Master of Business Creation (MBC) program at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business in May. It is the second group to complete the nine-month program designed for entrepreneurs. Graduating MBC founders are leading 13 startups, ranging from hotel-management software and luxury skincare with exotic ingredients to portable baby beds for refugee families. Three of the startups had multiple founders. The MBC program is a partnership of the Department of Entrepreneurship & Strategy and the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute.
EVENTS
• Young Living Essential Oils, a Lehi-based essential oils company, has announced that it again will host its International Grand Convention virtually. The event takes place June 16-19. Last year’s digital convention attracted attendees from 81 countries and hosted over 210,000 virtual guests.
EXPANSIONS
• DoTerra, a Pleasant Grove-based aromatherapy and essential oils company, has opened another international market, Thailand. With a new corporate office in Bangkok and more than 80 locally registered products, doTerra Thailand is providing full service and support to its base of wellness advocates. The office includes space for staff, customer service and back-office support.
HEALTHCARE
• Dr. Denitza Blagev has been named medical director of Intermountain Riverton Hospital. Blagev is an Intermountain pulmonologist and critical care physician. She will oversee clinical operations and a medical staff of more than 300 physicians and advanced practice providers at the 97-bed community hospital that is one of 25 hospitals in the Intermountain Healthcare system, based in Salt Lake City. Blagev was recruited to Intermountain in 2011 through the Advanced Training Program at the Instituted for Healthcare Delivery Research and previously was the medical director for quality in the office of patient experience. She has served as medical director at the Schmidt Chest Clinic at Intermountain Medical Center, as well and medical director of Intermountain’s Pulmonary Disease Navigator Program.
• Brighton Recovery Center will have a grand opening for its therapeutic community center at 4905 s. 900 E., Salt Lake City, on June 25, 2-6 p.m. The center consists of six newly remodeled buildings with about 29,000 total square feet and will offer drug and alcohol treatment featuring both out-patient treatment and sober living in Utah. It will work in conjunction with Brighton’s recovery centers in Sandy and South Ogden.
HOSPITALITY/FOOD SERVICE
• The St. Regis Deer Valley has appointed Tyler Mugford as general manager. Mugford has more than a dozen years of luxury hospitality experience, spanning properties in the western U.S. and with multiple hotel companies. Most recently, he was at Goldener Hirsch in Deer Valley, where he was general manager. Prior to Goldener Hirsch, Mugford served as resort manager and assistant director of operations at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa; opened the Pendry San Diego with Montage Hotels; and held leadership positions at The Phoenician, A Luxury Collection Resort, Scottsdale; and The St. Regis Aspen Resort.
INSURANCE
• PCF Insurance Services, a Salt Lake City-based insurance brokerage, has named Robert Smith as president of agency operations. Smith has nearly 20 years of experience in the insurance brokerage and risk advisory industry, most recently serving as the western region executive vice president for Acrisure. Prior to Acrisure, Smith served as a national practice advisor and regional business development officer with Wells Fargo Insurance, led the account management and client advisory practice for the Aon Corp., and worked with the Marsh & McLennan Cos. for several years.
INVESTMENTS
• Mercato Partners, a Cottonwood Heights-based company providing capital and guidance to firms in periods of high growth, has announced the closing of Savory Fund II, its second investment vehicle devoted exclusively to backing emerging and profitable restaurant concepts, raising $100 million of commitments. The closing of Fund II builds upon the early success of the firm’s inaugural vehicle, which closed on $100 million of commitments in October 2020. Limited partners in the fund consist of both existing and new investors, including institutional investors, family offices, financial services and advisory firms. Seventy-two percent of investors in Fund I have committed to Fund II and will enjoy co-investment rights on a deal-by-deal basis. Fund II will seek to partner with six to seven new brands during its investment period. Since the inception of the Savory Fund Practice in 2018, the firm has deployed $65 million and allocated an additional $15 million of growth capital into five emerging restaurant concepts. Cooley LLP provided legal counsel for the formation of Fund II.
• Scientia Vascular, a Salt Lake City-based company focus on interventional medical devices, has raised $50 million of growth equity financing from Vivo Capital, a California-based global healthcare investment firm. The financing will be used to accelerate sales, marketing and new product development in both its core neurovascular stroke market as well as adjacent markets in peripheral vascular and interventional oncology.
• Spiff, a Sandy-based company focused on sales commission software, has announced $46 million in Series B funding from new and existing investors. The round was led by Lightspeed Ventures Partners and included investments from Salesforce Ventures and Stripes, along with existing partner Norwest Venture Partners and all of the original investors. Individual investors in the round included Mark Anderson, CEO, Alteryx; Daniel Dines, CEO, UIPath; Marc Maloy, CRO, BetterUp; Paul Melichiorre, CRO, Anaplan; Hanno Renner, CEO, Personio; Alexi Robichaux, CEO, BetterUp; and Leslie Stretch, CEO, Medallia, and former CEO, Callidus. In total, Spiff has raised $68 million. Spiff said the funding will fuel its mission “to put trust back into the commission process.”
MANUFACTURING
• The shareholders of Nu Skin Enterprises Inc., a Provo-based company focused on consumer products, product manufacturing and controlled environment agriculture technology, has elected two people to its board of directors: Ryan S. Napierski, Nu Skin’s president and CEO-elect, and Emma S. Battle, founder and CEO of Market Vigor, a strategic consulting and digital marketing company. Napierski fills the position vacated by current CEO Ritch Wood, who previously announced his retirement from the company, effective Sept. 1. Napierski has been with Nu Skin for 25 years, including as president for the past four years. Prior to that, he was president of global sales and operations and lived abroad while serving as president of Nu Skin Japan and of Nu Skin’s North Asia region and leading and executing Nu Skin’s strategy in EMEA. Battle’s experience also includes serving as vice president of client success at Windsor Circle, and she has held executive, senior marketing, and sales leadership positions at Three Ships Media, Red Hat, Art.com, 1 Sync and Sara Lee Branded Apparel (now HanesBrands). Battle currently serves on the board of directors for Unifi and Bassett Furniture Industries and was previously a board member at Primo Water Corp.
• Purple Innovation Inc., a Lehi-based comfort products manufacturer, has appointed Patrice Varni as chief marketing and digital officer. Varni will be responsible for the company’s marketing, customer experience, e-commerce and product development. Varni has over 25 years of digital and brand transformation experience, most recently serving as chief marketing officer and president of Dermstore. Prior to that, she was chief customer officer at Corelle Brands, chief customer officer at Arhaus Furniture, senior vice president of Marketing for Tempur Sealy Brands, helped relaunch Levi.com, and was in brand marketing and strategy The Walt Disney Co. and Kenwood Electronics.
MEDIA/MARKETING
• The Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, Sandy, has completed the sale of The Zone Sports Network to Smith Entertainment Group (SEG). The Federal Communications Commission has provided its approval for the transfer of control of the licensee of KZNS 1280 AM and KZNS-FM 97.5 FM to SEG Basketball LLC. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The newly formed Smith Entertainment Group includes the Utah Jazz, Vivint Arena, the G League Salt Lake City Stars, NBA 2K League Jazz Gaming, The Zone Sports Network and management operations of the Triple-A baseball affiliate Salt Lake Bees under the majority ownership of Ryan and Ashley Smith.
NONPROFITS
• Utah Food Bank has announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has officially declared sponsorship of the Summer Food Service Program. The program will extend Utah Food Bank’s Kids Cafe program by providing free meals to children 18 years of age and under in both “Open Sites” and “Enrolled Programs.” Approximately 200,000 meals will be served at 40 sites through the Summer Food Service Program, and consist of either breakfast, lunch or supper, depending on the site. Utah Food Bank will prepare meals for “Open Sites” and “Enrolled Programs” throughout the state. Details are at www.UtahFoodBank.org/SummerMeals.
PHILANTHROPY
• Miller Insurance Group, Salt Lake City, recently donated $10,000 to Wasatch Homeless Health Care, doing business as Fourth Street Clinic. The clinic helps homeless Utahns improve their health and quality of life by providing healthcare and support services. The donation will help hundreds of individuals experiencing homelessness receive basic medical care, prescriptions, mental health counseling, dental services, and specialty care with little or no cost to them. Alex Meade, principal broker for Miller Insurance Group, originally received a $5,000 donation for Fourth Street Clinic thanks to a submission process with Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance through their 2021 “Make More Happen” Awards. The agency was given the chance to raise an additional $5,000 by conducting a local awareness campaign for the nonprofit.
RECOGNITIONS
• MountainStar Healthcare, a Cottonwood Heights-based affiliate of HCA Healthcare, has been named one of five top small health systems in the U.S. by Fortune and IBM Watson Health. It evaluated 324 health systems and 2,522 member hospitals. Several Utah hospitals made the list of 100 Top Hospitals: University of Utah Hospital, Salt Lake City; LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City; McKay-Dee Hospital, Ogden; St. Mark’s Hospital, Salt Lake City; American Fork Hospital; Ashley Regional Medical Center, Vernal; Cedar City Hospital; and Lone Peak Hospital, Draper. Lone Peak Hospital and St. Mark’s Hospital also earned Everest Awards, which recognizes hospitals for top rate of improvement during a five-year period.
• McKenzie Rockwood, a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and co-founder of Nibley-based Citrus Pear, was recently recognized as a 2021 Young Dietitian of the Year by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, an organization of food and nutrition professionals. Now representing over 100,000 certified practitioners, their Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year program honors those who demonstrate outstanding leadership and service to the nutrition and dietetics profession. Rockwood has been a registered dietitian nutritionist for 11 years and started Citrus Pear in 2016 with her husband. Citrus Pear offers in-person preparation classes and pre-assembled meals. Before that, she was an inpatient RDN at Logan Regional Hospital for six years.
RETAIL
• National Product Sales Inc. (NPS) has opened its fourth Utah location, at 1150 N. Main St., Layton. The location includes nearly 100,000 square feet of space for grocery, furniture, clothing, sporting goods, a bargain room and more. NPS is a family-owned business that has been serving Utah communities since 1968. It started a concept of assisting other businesses with overstock, refused, unclaimed and cosmetically damaged products.
SCHOLARSHIPS
• Nature’s Sunshine Products Inc., a Salt Lake City-based health and wellness company that manufactures herbal and nutritional products, announced the creation of a new scholarship in partnership with the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah to support diverse students in their education. The company has pledged $200,000 over four years, and the Eccles School will match 50 percent, for a total of $300,000. This will provide full-ride scholarships for deserving students to help them complete their education. Nature’s Sunshine will partner with the Opportunity Scholars program, which provides scholarships to diverse, underrepresented students that will be the first in their family to achieve a college degree.
SERVICES
• Global Leader Group, a Salt Lake City-based executive management consultancy, has hired Dale Murphy as senior partner and premier keynote speaker. Murphy will offer organizations and teams an opportunity to join Global Leader Group’s newly launched Dale Murphy MVP Experience, which involves an interactive day with Murphy to hear about his experiences on and off the baseball field and how they can aspire to “big league” leadership. Murphy is a former Major League Baseball player who won back-to-back Most Valuable Player awards, five consecutive Gold Glove Awards, four Silver Slugger Awards and had league-leading home run and RBI seasons.