When I came to Provo in 1986 to attend Brigham Young University, I was struck by the beauty of this community so nicely nestled up against the mountain. As I stood on campus and looked up at the enormous "Y" on the mountain, I felt like I was home. So it is very fitting to be working as the economic development director for Provo City, where our motto is “Welcome Home.”
Provo really is home, not just to me but for global influencers like Qualtrics and Vivint, as well as community staples like the oldest yarn shop in America, Heindselman’s. And the world is taking note. In January, the Milken Institute named Provo the top-performing large city in the United States, noting our job growth, high-tech GDP concentration and the number of high-tech industries in Provo. The Milken study went on to mention Provo’s quality of life, access to outdoor amenities and lower cost of doing business compared to other locations around the country.
Being ranked as the top-performing community is impressive, but the accolades continue. In the past year, Provo was also ranked No. 1 Youngest City, No. 3 Most Dynamic Metropolitan, No. 3 Best College City, No. 1 Safest Big City, No. 3 Best Run City and one that speaks to who and what we are — No. 1 Most Charitable City.
But what is it that makes Provo this dynamic place to live and work? Provo is arguably the “downtown” or the central business district of Utah County — the fastest-growing county (numerically) in the fastest-growing state in the U.S. Provo is the education center of Utah County, being the home to Brigham Young University, a top private university in the United States with 33,000 students that is recognized nationally for quality education, and the adjacent Utah Valley University, the largest state-run university, with 41,000 students. Provo is the government center for Utah County, with federal and state of Utah regional centers and the center of Utah County administration.
Provo is the medical center for Utah County with Utah Valley Regional Medical Center and numerous medical offices, clinics and many other healthcare services.
Provo is the hospitality center of Utah County with the Utah County Convention Center, the Marriott Hotel complex and several thousand hotel/motel rooms. Provo is the transportation hub of Utah County with the new Provo Airport terminal to be completed in 2021, a major FrontRunner station and the UVX bus rapid transit line running from south Provo to Utah Valley University. To top it off, Provo is the only city in Utah County with a thriving, vibrant and livable downtown. And if you don’t know, there are 70-plus restaurants in the Provo downtown area.
Provo is where the technology sector began in Utah in the 1980s, with WordPerfect Corp. and Novell Inc. This technology sector continued to boom in Utah Valley with the growth of “Silicon Slopes.” Provo has again positioned itself to be a major technology hub with Freedom Commons, a 230,000-square-foot Class A office building under construction. When asked why PEG chose to build Freedom Commons in Provo now, Brandon Fugal, the chairman of Colliers International Utah and the broker for the project, said, “More than ever before, Provo is the central business district of Utah County and really plays a key role in setting the tone for economic development along the Wasatch Front.” In describing downtown Provo, Fugal said, “There is no other location where you can draw from 70 restaurants, multiple hotels, a word-class convention facility and access to a university that has a truly global mission at Brigham Young University. To have all of those benefits combined within Provo’s urban core and Utah County’s central business district truly is unique.”
And, people want to be in the middle of that environment. Right now, there are over 1,000 new residential units planned or under construction in the downtown area close to offices and amenities and direct access to quality graduates that flow from BYU and UVU. As studies have shown, these graduates often stay and work locally and frequently return to work locally once they gain additional experience. This creates a dynamic labor force that is very attractive for employers. Another major reason for the thriving business development currently occurring in Provo is the widely recognized business-friendly environment that companies encounter in Provo.
Provo’s startup environment continues to thrive with active programs like Rev Road, 1 Million Cups and the Startup Building. These startup incubator or accelerator environments house dozens of upcoming companies ready to take their next steps forward. Halda is an example of a software company that started with two people working at the Startup Building in their co-working space at a shared table, then grew to needing a small office and now has 15 employees and is planning to expand into its own offices. Founder and CEO of Halda, Lance Hydrick, said that proximity to an excellent labor pool from BYU and a great, livable downtown have been critical to its success and that Provo is the only location they would consider to expand their business.
For those of us who live in Provo, none of this is news. It’s why we live here and what we have known all along. But the world around us is recognizing what makes Provo great and is coming to live, work and play.
And moving to Provo makes good sense. Whether you are a resident looking for a wonderful community or a business looking for access to good working capital, you’ll find it here.
So, when we say, “Welcome home,” we mean it. Come check us out and find out for yourself.
Keith Morey is the economic development director for Provo City. He graduated from BYU with a master’s degree in public administration. He was the vice president of business development for the Economic Development Corporation of Utah.