Company news information may be sent to brice.w@thecityjournals.com.
CONTESTS
• Applications are being accepted until Oct. 11 at 5 p.m. for the Utah Manufacturers Association’s annual awards, which recognize outstanding achievements in the industry. Awards are divided into categories based on company size: small (one to 99 employees), medium (100-249 employees); large (250-499 employees) and mega (500-plus employees). Awards include Manufacturer of the Year, Manufacturing Company Culture, Manufacturing Leader of the Year, Environmental Stewardship and Women in Manufacturing. The Annual Awards Banquet takes place Nov. 7 at the Utah State Fairgrounds in Salt Lake City. Details are at https://manufacturingutah.com/uma-awards/. UMA also is accepting nominations through September for “The Coolest Thing Made in Utah” competition. Voting will be open to the public in October to advance nominees to the next round. Sixteen products will be chosen from companies across the state and voted on through a bracket-style competition that ultimately crowns one product. Details are at https://manufacturingutah.com/.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Utah is ranked No. 5 on a list of states with the highest average household debt, compiled by Credible. The Utah average is $127,000. The highest average debt is in Hawaii, at $201,000. Details are at https://www.credible.com/personal-finance/financial-stress-across-america. In a related report, Utah has an average student loan debt of $32,996. Maryland has the highest average, at $43,354. The lowest average is in North Dakota, at $28,269. Details are at https://www.credible.com/student-loans/student-loan-debt-by-state.
• Utah is ranked No. 41 on a list of states that are most affordable for a comfortable retirement, compiled by GOBankingRates. It analyzed each state’s cost of living, average expenses for retirees, and typical mortgage payments, with an added 20 percent cushion to reflect a truly comfortable lifestyle. To retire comfortably in Utah, residents need approximately $64,455 annually without Social Security. The highest average is Hawaii, at $109,863. Details are at https://www.gobankingrates.com/retirement/planning/how-much-a-comfortable-retirement-will-cost-you-in-each-state-in-2025/.
• Fairgrounds in the Rocky Mountains region (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) generate $4.9 billion annually in economic activity, according to a report from the International Association of Fairs and Expositions. More than half of the economic impact in the region is generated by the 80 smallest fairs, and 35 percent of the region’s population attends a fair. The region had 14.3 million visitors, who generated 192,880 hotel room nights, 39,200 ongoing jobs sustained, $1.7 billion in wages created, and $101.1 million in state fiscal impact (sales and hotel tax revenues). Nationally, the study found fairs and fairgrounds have 219.8 million visitors (64.8 percent of the population), $51.9 billion in economic impact on the local economy, 2.8 million hotel room nights generated, 393,000 ongoing jobs sustained, $17.6 billion in wages created and $1.3 billion in state fiscal impact (sales and hotel tax revenues). The information comes from a survey and statewide data about nearly 1,400 fairgrounds throughout the United States. The IAFE said its report shares only a portion of the overall impact of fairs and fairgrounds, as it does not include carnivals and concessions. Details are at https://fairsandexpos.com/economic-impact-study-results/.
• Park City (Wasatch Mountains) is ranked No. 2 on a list of “best mountain towns to visit in the fall for peak foliage,” compiled by USA Today. The top-ranked location is Bethel, New York (the Catskills).
MILESTONES
• Agilix Labs, an Orem-based company offering innovative learning software for K-12, higher education and professional training, has announced that BusyBee, its AI-powered assistant built on Amazon Bedrock, has now helped teachers give feedback on over 1 million student submissions since launching in February. BusyBee aims to help educators tackle one of their most time-consuming responsibilities — grading — by combining AI efficiency with teacher judgment. Teachers accepted BusyBee’s predictive score 59 percent of the time without modification, up 16 points from the previous year. The company said educators are saving over an hour a day, which is time they can now spend connecting with students. More than 210,000 assignments were graded in the first month of this school year alone, with over 60,000 submissions processed every week. BusyBee also powers tutoring and support through its Get Help and Check My Understanding features.
PARTNERSHIPS
• Co-Diagnostics Inc., a Salt Lake City-based molecular diagnostics company that develops, manufactures and markets diagnostics technologies, has signed a memorandum of understanding with a regional manufacturing and distribution company located in Saudi Arabia to explore a joint venture that would be granted a license to develop, manufacture and sell Co-Dx intellectual property throughout the Middle East and North Africa, including the company’s upcoming Co-Dx PCR point-of-care platform. The company said Saudi Arabia has been one of largest international markets for its Logix Smart tests. According to the MOU, the partner company in the joint venture would contribute local operational support, access to infrastructure, personnel, regulatory expertise, and other resources, similar to the company’s operations in India through its Indian joint venture.
RECOGNITIONS
• The Economic Development Corporation of Utah recently honored two individuals and one company for their leadership in Utah’s economic development. Every year, EDCUtah invites members, stakeholders and the public to nominate outstanding individuals and organizations for the honors. Paul Larsen, economic development director at Brigham City, earned the Public Sector Leadership in Economic Development honor. EDCUtah said his leadership has helped drive Northern Utah’s economic prosperity for over two decades. His leadership has landed generational wins for the city, including Nucor and Niagra Bottling, and he played a key role in helping land Procter & Gamble in the region. Brad Simons, gas development services consultant for Enbridge Gas, earned the Private Sector Leadership in Economic Development honor. Throughout his decades-long career at Questar, Dominion Energy and now Enbridge, he has “championed collaborative infrastructure development, energy access and regional investment strategies that strengthen both urban and rural communities,” according to EDCUtah. “A long-time advocate for public-private partnership, Brad has been instrumental in connecting Enbridge’s operational footprint with Utah’s long-term economic priorities and local community investment initiatives,” it said. Delta Air Lines earned the Institutional Cornerstone in Economic Development honor. Delta has been a cornerstone of connectivity and commerce and a key player in Utah’s economic growth for nearly 40 years. As the largest carrier at Salt Lake City International Airport, it operates over 230 daily departures to nearly 90 nonstop destinations. Delta currently employs more than 5,000 people in Utah, making it one of the state’s largest private employers in the transportation sector. “Their decades-long operations in Utah have enhanced the state’s economic competitiveness and accessibility, helping attract global businesses and retain top-tier talent,” said EDCUtah.
• Mallory Stevens and her Tuff Pops recently earned first place and $20,000 at the female founder pitch competition at Catalyst 25, presented by Commerce Catalyst. Tuff Pops are protein-packed pops that aim to fuel, heal and bring joy while still being delicious. Earning second place and $3,000 was Breelyn Vanleeuwen and Daily Shade, a sunscreen company. Vanleeuwen, a mother of four and physician associate passionate about safe sun care, created 100-percent mineral formulas that protect without greasy white residue, making zinc safe, effective and family-friendly. Earning third place and $2,000 was Lora Palmer and Bonobo Baby. The Bonobo Baby Bidet is a convenient spray attachment for baby wipes that uses water to gently and effectively clean diaper messes It offers gentler, more thorough, and eco-friendly alternative to traditional wipes, making diaper changes easier for both parents and babies. The female pitch competition had 103 applications. The field was narrowed to 10 and later to three. Applicants had to be a female founder of a CPG product with under $1 million in lifetime revenue.
RESTAURANTS
• Mo’ Bettas Hawaiian Style Food has opened a restaurant at 1257 Draper Parkway, Draper. It is the 67th location nationwide and 33rd in Utah. Mo’ Bettahs offers Hawaiian-style food, including grilled teriyaki chicken or steak, kalua pig, katsu chicken, shrimp tempura, macaroni salad and steamed rice. The company was founded in Bountiful in 2008.
RETAIL
• Wild Rose Beauty, Salt Lake City, has announced that Whitney Rose, the founder, visionary and face of the brand, has officially reclaimed full ownership and the company is no longer affiliated with any former partners or outside ownership groups. The company says its mission is “to create clean, cruelty-free skincare that celebrates confidence, radiance and radical self-love.” As part of the brand’s refreshed direction, the company said, it will introduce updated product lines and an even stronger commitment to clean ingredients, cruelty-free practices, and results-driven skincare solutions in the future.
• Outlets at Traverse Mountain in Lehi has announced that “Big Jack’s World,” the largest known pumpkin display of its kind, will feature hundreds of pumpkins, interactive displays and immersive activities through Oct. 31. The free experience includes a grand welcome entry pumpkin arch, a “center of the world” display, pumpkin-inspired zoo animals, a carving house, a Patch cemetery, a scarecrow band, a Pumpkin Spice River, curated gardens, and a map adventure game throughout the display. On Oct. 11, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., will be the Big Jack Gives Back charity event, in which more than 30 Alpine School District PTAs can boost their budgets. The event includes exclusive discounts at participating retailers, carnival games, free face painting and a magician providing kid-friendly fun. There will also be prize giveaways with more than $30,000 in store gift cards distributed through random drawings. Participating schools will sell tickets for $5 each, with all the proceeds going directly back to the schools. Details are at https://www.outletsattraversemountain.com/.