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The best state in America is Utah, says U.S. News rankings

An atmosphere of bipartisan political cooperation in government management was cited by U.S. News & World Report among the reasons that Utah was named No. 1 in the magazine’s 2025 Best States ranking. Utah topped the prestigious list for the third consecutive year. Photo…

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GOEO, EDCUtah have new leadership

The churn at the top of Utah’s corporate recruitment and retention agencies appears to have settled. Jefferson Moss has taken over as executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, succeeding Ryan Starks, who resigned earlier this month. Starks subsequently…

Brice Wallace

May 17

Pompeo admits tariffs generally will increase Americans’ costs

Admitting that Trump administration tariffs will be beneficial to some companies and harmful to others, a former U.S. secretary of state believes their costs generally will fall onto U.S. businesses and individual taxpayers. Interviewed by former Utah Gov. Gary Herbert at the…

Brice Wallace

Partnership announces plans to pursue nuclear power generation at Delta’s IPP

EnergySolutions, a Salt Lake City-based nuclear services company, has announced the launch of a partnership with the Intermountain Power Agency (IPA) and the state of Utah to explore the development of advanced nuclear power generation at IPA’s Intermountain Power Project (IPP)…

John Rogers

Utah M&A activity reaches $30B for second straight year

Publicly disclosed mergers and acquisitions (M&A) exceeded $30 billion for the second consecutive year in 2024, according to the MountainWest Capital Network’s recently released annual Deal Flow Report. The research, which details trends and growth across Utah’s financial…

Utah consumer sentiment declines slightly in April

Utahns continue to express concern about their economic prospects, but not nearly as much as Americans generally. While Utah’s consumer sentiment fell slightly in April — down 1.4 percent — as reported by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute’s Survey of Utah Consumer Sentiment, a…

Key considerations as your Utah business invests in AI

As artificial intelligence (AI) grabs headlines, more Utah businesses are scrambling to capitalize on its potential. But both “build” and “buy” models for AI can be capital-intensive. Identifying the right strategy — and the right resources — to guide your organization’s journey…

Correction

In our Industry Briefs from May 12 on an association management company called HOA Love, we should have reported that Nancy Davis was a former work colleague of David Perdue, Love’s CEO.

Kroger names Kimball president of SLC-based Smith's division

Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. has announced a new president for its Utah-based Smith’s division, promoting 32-year company veteran and former vice president of operations Kenny Kimball. Effective April 30, Kimball will take the role left by Jay Cummins, who announced his…

Encompass Health to build a 50-bed rehabilitation hospital in St. George

Encompass Health Corp., a nationwide owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals based in Birmingham, Alabama, has announced plans to build a freestanding, 50-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in St. George. The hospital, expected to open in 2027, will be part…

Realigned restaurants at Temple Square set to reopen this year

Shut down since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, the Lion House Pantry restaurant in Brigham Young’s former home on Temple Square in Salt Lake City isn’t coming back. But no reason to panic: The popular eatery’s famous dinner rolls will return. The pillowy treats are just…

NFIB releases report detailing effects of allowing the small-business QBI tax deduction to expire

A small-business advocacy organization, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), has released a new report outlining the benefits of the 20 percent Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction for small businesses and the projected effects if it is allowed to expire.…

Walmart buys million-SF warehouse in northwest SLC

Major global retailer Walmart has acquired the warehouse that houses its Walmart Fulfillment Services in the Northwest Quadrant of Salt Lake City. The Class A distribution building and 60-acre site is part of the Salt Lake City Global Logistics Center. Walmart previously leased…

Weave to acquire TrueLark front desk platform

Lehi-headquartered Weave Communications, an all-in-one customer experience and payments software platform for small and medium-sized health care businesses, has signed an agreement and plan of merger to acquire TrueLark, an AI-powered receptionist and front-desk automation…

UMA’s Bingham leaving for job in Nebraska

After more than 13 years directing the Utah Manufacturers Association (UMA), Todd Bingham, the organization’s president and CEO, has resigned. The association has announced that Bingham has accepted a position with the Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce and Industry as its new…

Boston firm to build manufacturing facility on Wasatch Group campus

Ratio Therapeutics Inc., a pharmaceutical company using new technology to develop radiopharmaceuticals for cancer treatment and monitoring, has entered into an agreement with the Medical Innovation Technology Management (MIT) division of Salt Lake City’s Wasatch Group to partner…

Industry Briefs 5-19-2025

brice.w@thecityjournals.com Industry Briefs are provided as a free service to our readers. Company news information may be sent to brice.w@thecityjournals.com . ASSOCIATIONS • The Park City Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau has launched Best Place for Working Parents Salt…

Career Moves 5-19-2025

Career Moves are provided as a free service to our readers. Company news information may be sent to brice.w@thecityjournals.com . ASSOCIATIONS • Silicon Slopes has appointed Adam Edmunds to its board of directors. Edmunds is CEO of Entrata, a role he has held since 2020. Before…

Fieldstone Homes promotes Troy Gabler to CEO

Fieldstone Homes, a Salt Lake City-based national homebuilder, has announced the promotion of Troy Gabler to CEO, effective with the announcement. Gabler, who has been with the company for nearly 20 years, previously served as president and chief operating officer. Concurrent…

Utah exported $18.2 billion of goods in 2024, supporting over 70,000 jobs

A new study from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah found that Utah’s international trade sector continued to be a powerful driver of the state’s economy in 2024, with $18.2 billion in goods exported, supporting 70,171 jobs. The report details the…

Your boss, your couch. What could go wrong?

It isn’t often that I disagree with The New York Times, but this time, they’ve gone too far. It was a recent “Work Friend” column that raised my hackles (and when my hackles are raised, you need a really tall ladder to get them down). The headline, “My Boss Wants to Sleep on my…