Industry Briefs are provided as a free service to our readers. Company news information may be sent to brice@slenterprise.com. The submission deadline is one week before publication.
BANKING
•KeyBankrecently had a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Salt Lake City mortgage fulfillment center at Gateway Tower West, 15 W. South Temple, Suite 800, Salt Lake City. It will be one of three such KeyBank centers nationwide. The company is hiring 27 mortgage underwriters, processors, closers, funders, imaging specialists and CMS loan officers who will serve KeyBank mortgage clients from the new fulfillment center. KeyBank plans to increase staff at the new location to 45 by the end of 2018. The center is scheduled to open and will begin serving customers in August.
DIRECT SALES
•DoTerra, Pleasant Grove, has appointedAndrew O’Hareas vice president and chief commercial officer. As CCO, he will direct the company’s web development, mobile device application and external social media strategies, as well as virtual office and distributor tools. For the past six years, O’Hare served as vice president at a health and beauty products company, where he led strategy, digital and most recently was the lead technology executive for the company. He also led the company’s nonprofit organization.
DIVIDENDS
• TheZions Bancorporationboard of directors has declared a regular quarterly dividend of 8 cents per common share. The dividend is payable Aug. 25 to shareholders of record Aug. 18. The board also declared the regular quarterly cash dividends on the company’s various perpetual preferred shares. The cash dividends on the series A, F, G, H and J shares is payable Sept. 15 to shareholders of record Sept. 1, while the cash dividend on the Series I shares are payable Dec. 15 to shareholders of record Dec. 1. Zions also announced that its board has authorized the commencement of its stock buyback program, including $45 million in the third quarter of 2016.
• The board of directors ofPeople’s Utah Bancorp, American Fork, has declared a quarterly dividend of 7 cents per common share. The dividend is payable Aug. 12 to shareholders of record Aug. 1.
ENERGY
• Profire Energy Inc., Lindon, announced it had received notice from board memberStephen Pirnatthat he would not stand for re-election at the end of his current term. Pirnat is chairman and chief executive officer of Clearesign Combustion Corp. He will continue to serve as a Profire board member until the company’s annual shareholder meeting.
EDUCATION/TRAINING
•Ameritech College of Healthcare, Draper, is launching an occupational therapy assistant (OTA) associate degree program, starting with the September 2016 semester. The program is designed to provide students with a diverse and inclusive curriculum, including comprehensive fieldwork that prepares students to pass the national certification exam and receive placement with a potential employer. The program is designed to cover the therapy needs of all ages, from pediatric treatment to geriatric rehabilitation, focusing not only on muscle development but also real-life situations, such as home settings, hospice and hospital care. Graduates from the program receive their associate degree in 20 months and are prepared to become certified OTAs by sitting for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Graduates also may be eligible for certification as a Certified Dementia Practitioner and CarFit Technician.
FUND-RAISING
•Grow, Provo, has raised $11 million with Series A funding, led byToba Capital, based in San Francisco. Founded in 2014, Grow helps companies accelerate growth through real-time data. Toba is a venture firm founded byVinny Smith, former chief executive officer of Quest Software. Smith has joined Grow’s board of directors.
• Accounting software startupZipBooks, Lehi, recently raised $2 million in seed round investment led byPeak Ventures, Provo, with participation fromPelion Venture Partners,Liquid 2 Venturesand existing angel investors. ZipBooks also has appointedJaren Nicholsas chief revenue officer. Nichols previously was director of global sales strategy for Insidesales.com and also has worked at Dropcam, Nest Labs and Google. His education includes a Master of Accountancy from Brigham Young University.
HEALTHCARE
•CoNextions Medical, Sandy, has hiredDan Gruppoas executive vice president of global sales and marketing. Gruppo previously was vice president of sales and marketing for Upper Trauma and Extremities at Stryker Orthopaedics. He also held other leadership positions at Stryker, including vice president of sales for Stryker Trauma and vice president of marketing for Stryker Trauma and Extremities.
•Alliance Health, South Jordan, has appointedScott Klossneras chief financial officer. Klossner will focus on cash flow management strategies, partnerships within the financial community and implementing systems and processes to help the company scale. He has more than 30 years of experience in finance and operations, including at HomeClub and Backcountry.com. He currently serves on the board of Sidewalk, a software provider for content distribution in higher education.
MANUFACTURING
•Merit Medical Systems Inc., South Jordan, has appointedDr. David M. Liuas a company director.He is clinical associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia.Liu is a Fellow of theRoyal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC), diplomate of the American Board of Radiology, and Fellow of the Society of Interventional Radiology (FSIR).
PHILANTHROPY
•KeyBank’s Utah market recently donated $10,000 toAmerican Indian Services(AIS), based in Provo. AIS provides thousands of educational scholarships to Native Americans each year with assistance to K-12 students, as well as students attending more than 400 accredited colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide. This is thesixthconsecutive year KeyBank has provided scholarships to help AIS.
REAL ESTATE
•29th Street Capitalhas hiredMcKay Winkelas acquisition director for Salt Lake City. He is responsible for all facets of the privately held real estate investment and advisory firm’s activity in the Salt Lake market. McKay will lead all multifamily acquisitions and asset management strategies in Salt Lake City, while also assisting with certain aspects of the company’s growing Denver portfolio. McKay previously was the senior analyst at Consolidated Investment Group in Englewood, Colorado. His education includes a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University with a specialization in finance.
RECOGNITIONS
• TheUtah Department of Health Bureau of Emergency Medical Serviceshas presented theDistinguished Service Award for a Lifetime of ServicetoR. Gene Moffitt, chairman and owner of Gold Cross Ambulance Services. Moffitt was recognized for working closely with the health department in the early 1970s to create an effective certification program for ambulance professionals. Prior to that, ambulance drivers would simply “pick up and run” people to the hospital without providing any medical attention to the patient. His involvement led him to become a leading expert on EMS protocols around the country and Gold Cross Ambulance employees were some of the first paramedics trained in the state. Gold Cross Ambulance provides basic life support, paramedic, critical care, neonatal, bariatric and 911 services in Salt Lake City and five counties.
•Impartner PRMfrom Impartner, South Jordan, has won aStratus Award for Cloud Computingfrom theBusiness Intelligence Groupin the “Software as a Service” category. The Stratus Awards honor the companies, products and people that are offering unique solutions that take advantage of cloud technologies.
RESTAURANTS
• Natives of Verona, Italy,Marco StevanoniandAmy Stevanonihave opened a restaurant, calledVeneto Ristorante Italiano, at 370 E. 900 S., Salt Lake City. Named for the northeastern region of Italy, the restaurant features antique Italian and European furniture and accessories. It seats 40 and its outdoor patio can accommodate 30. The restaurant will feature local purveyors, including Caputo’s, Creminelli Fine Meats, Keep It Real Vegetables, Nicholas & Co. and 44 Farms Angus beef from Majestic Meats.
• TheGarage Grill & RPM Breweryhas opened at 1122 Draper Parkway, Draper. The restaurant features Indy, Le Mans P1 and McLaren Formula One race cars; street cars and motorcycles. It features an interior dining area and an outdoor dining area with cabana-style seating. Chefs areJonathan LeBlancandChris Maymi.
RETAIL
•Kneaders Bakery and Café, Salt Lake City, has opened its 50th store, in Phoenix. It is the company’s 16th store in Arizona. Like its other locations, the Phoenix store will include a retail shop, which offers custom-made and themed gift baskets, as well as a variety of home décor, online ordering capabilities and drive-through service. The company plans to have 55 stores by year-end.
SERVICES
•New Heights Management Group Inc., based in Washington, has announced an expansion into the Utah market. Market directorShaun Skaggsstarted the transition into the Orem area to help with the growth and expansion needs of the company’s clientele. The new office space in Provo will provide capacity for an increase in brand marketing, sales and opportunities for the clients.
BANKING
•KeyBankrecently had a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Salt Lake City mortgage fulfillment center at Gateway Tower West, 15 W. South Temple, Suite 800, Salt Lake City. It will be one of three such KeyBank centers nationwide. The company is hiring 27 mortgage underwriters, processors, closers, funders, imaging specialists and CMS loan officers who will serve KeyBank mortgage clients from the new fulfillment center. KeyBank plans to increase staff at the new location to 45 by the end of 2018. The center is scheduled to open and will begin serving customers in August.
DIRECT SALES
•DoTerra, Pleasant Grove, has appointedAndrew O’Hareas vice president and chief commercial officer. As CCO, he will direct the company’s web development, mobile device application and external social media strategies, as well as virtual office and distributor tools. For the past six years, O’Hare served as vice president at a health and beauty products company, where he led strategy, digital and most recently was the lead technology executive for the company. He also led the company’s nonprofit organization.
DIVIDENDS
• TheZions Bancorporationboard of directors has declared a regular quarterly dividend of 8 cents per common share. The dividend is payable Aug. 25 to shareholders of record Aug. 18. The board also declared the regular quarterly cash dividends on the company’s various perpetual preferred shares. The cash dividends on the series A, F, G, H and J shares is payable Sept. 15 to shareholders of record Sept. 1, while the cash dividend on the Series I shares are payable Dec. 15 to shareholders of record Dec. 1. Zions also announced that its board has authorized the commencement of its stock buyback program, including $45 million in the third quarter of 2016.
• The board of directors ofPeople’s Utah Bancorp, American Fork, has declared a quarterly dividend of 7 cents per common share. The dividend is payable Aug. 12 to shareholders of record Aug. 1.
ENERGY
• Profire Energy Inc., Lindon, announced it had received notice from board memberStephen Pirnatthat he would not stand for re-election at the end of his current term. Pirnat is chairman and chief executive officer of Clearesign Combustion Corp. He will continue to serve as a Profire board member until the company’s annual shareholder meeting.
EDUCATION/TRAINING
•Ameritech College of Healthcare, Draper, is launching an occupational therapy assistant (OTA) associate degree program, starting with the September 2016 semester. The program is designed to provide students with a diverse and inclusive curriculum, including comprehensive fieldwork that prepares students to pass the national certification exam and receive placement with a potential employer. The program is designed to cover the therapy needs of all ages, from pediatric treatment to geriatric rehabilitation, focusing not only on muscle development but also real-life situations, such as home settings, hospice and hospital care. Graduates from the program receive their associate degree in 20 months and are prepared to become certified OTAs by sitting for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Graduates also may be eligible for certification as a Certified Dementia Practitioner and CarFit Technician.
FUND-RAISING
•Grow, Provo, has raised $11 million with Series A funding, led byToba Capital, based in San Francisco. Founded in 2014, Grow helps companies accelerate growth through real-time data. Toba is a venture firm founded byVinny Smith, former chief executive officer of Quest Software. Smith has joined Grow’s board of directors.
• Accounting software startupZipBooks, Lehi, recently raised $2 million in seed round investment led byPeak Ventures, Provo, with participation fromPelion Venture Partners,Liquid 2 Venturesand existing angel investors. ZipBooks also has appointedJaren Nicholsas chief revenue officer. Nichols previously was director of global sales strategy for Insidesales.com and also has worked at Dropcam, Nest Labs and Google. His education includes a Master of Accountancy from Brigham Young University.
HEALTHCARE
•CoNextions Medical, Sandy, has hiredDan Gruppoas executive vice president of global sales and marketing. Gruppo previously was vice president of sales and marketing for Upper Trauma and Extremities at Stryker Orthopaedics. He also held other leadership positions at Stryker, including vice president of sales for Stryker Trauma and vice president of marketing for Stryker Trauma and Extremities.
•Alliance Health, South Jordan, has appointedScott Klossneras chief financial officer. Klossner will focus on cash flow management strategies, partnerships within the financial community and implementing systems and processes to help the company scale. He has more than 30 years of experience in finance and operations, including at HomeClub and Backcountry.com. He currently serves on the board of Sidewalk, a software provider for content distribution in higher education.
MANUFACTURING
•Merit Medical Systems Inc., South Jordan, has appointedDr. David M. Liuas a company director.He is clinical associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia.Liu is a Fellow of theRoyal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC), diplomate of the American Board of Radiology, and Fellow of the Society of Interventional Radiology (FSIR).
PHILANTHROPY
•KeyBank’s Utah market recently donated $10,000 toAmerican Indian Services(AIS), based in Provo. AIS provides thousands of educational scholarships to Native Americans each year with assistance to K-12 students, as well as students attending more than 400 accredited colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide. This is thesixthconsecutive year KeyBank has provided scholarships to help AIS.
REAL ESTATE
•29th Street Capitalhas hiredMcKay Winkelas acquisition director for Salt Lake City. He is responsible for all facets of the privately held real estate investment and advisory firm’s activity in the Salt Lake market. McKay will lead all multifamily acquisitions and asset management strategies in Salt Lake City, while also assisting with certain aspects of the company’s growing Denver portfolio. McKay previously was the senior analyst at Consolidated Investment Group in Englewood, Colorado. His education includes a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University with a specialization in finance.
RECOGNITIONS
• TheUtah Department of Health Bureau of Emergency Medical Serviceshas presented theDistinguished Service Award for a Lifetime of ServicetoR. Gene Moffitt, chairman and owner of Gold Cross Ambulance Services. Moffitt was recognized for working closely with the health department in the early 1970s to create an effective certification program for ambulance professionals. Prior to that, ambulance drivers would simply “pick up and run” people to the hospital without providing any medical attention to the patient. His involvement led him to become a leading expert on EMS protocols around the country and Gold Cross Ambulance employees were some of the first paramedics trained in the state. Gold Cross Ambulance provides basic life support, paramedic, critical care, neonatal, bariatric and 911 services in Salt Lake City and five counties.
•Impartner PRMfrom Impartner, South Jordan, has won aStratus Award for Cloud Computingfrom theBusiness Intelligence Groupin the “Software as a Service” category. The Stratus Awards honor the companies, products and people that are offering unique solutions that take advantage of cloud technologies.
RESTAURANTS
• Natives of Verona, Italy,Marco StevanoniandAmy Stevanonihave opened a restaurant, calledVeneto Ristorante Italiano, at 370 E. 900 S., Salt Lake City. Named for the northeastern region of Italy, the restaurant features antique Italian and European furniture and accessories. It seats 40 and its outdoor patio can accommodate 30. The restaurant will feature local purveyors, including Caputo’s, Creminelli Fine Meats, Keep It Real Vegetables, Nicholas & Co. and 44 Farms Angus beef from Majestic Meats.
• TheGarage Grill & RPM Breweryhas opened at 1122 Draper Parkway, Draper. The restaurant features Indy, Le Mans P1 and McLaren Formula One race cars; street cars and motorcycles. It features an interior dining area and an outdoor dining area with cabana-style seating. Chefs areJonathan LeBlancandChris Maymi.
RETAIL
•Kneaders Bakery and Café, Salt Lake City, has opened its 50th store, in Phoenix. It is the company’s 16th store in Arizona. Like its other locations, the Phoenix store will include a retail shop, which offers custom-made and themed gift baskets, as well as a variety of home décor, online ordering capabilities and drive-through service. The company plans to have 55 stores by year-end.
SERVICES
•New Heights Management Group Inc., based in Washington, has announced an expansion into the Utah market. Market directorShaun Skaggsstarted the transition into the Orem area to help with the growth and expansion needs of the company’s clientele. The new office space in Provo will provide capacity for an increase in brand marketing, sales and opportunities for the clients.