SnowSports Industries America relocating from Virginia to Park City

SnowSports Industries Am-erica (SIA) announced last week it will relocate its headquarters from McLean, Virginia. The company made the announcement after being approved for a $100,000 “economic opportunity” grant by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED).

Park City will become the home for a major winter sports association.

SnowSports Industries Am-erica (SIA) announced last week it will relocate its headquarters from McLean, Virginia. The company made the announcement after being approved for a $100,000 “economic opportunity” grant by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED).

The company will move five employees to Park City and hire about 25 more workers for skilled mid- and low-level management jobs in Utah over the next three years. The average wage will be $93,000. The company will spend $1.8 million on the move, including the purchase of new headquarters space.

“It is a great thing both for the state and for the member companies who are here within the state to be a real thought leader in this space,” SIA board member Erik Snyder, president and chief executive officer of Armada Skis, told the GOED board.

“They’re a natural fit for our outdoor industry,” said Jerry Oldroyd, chairman of the GOED board’s incentives committee.

Established in 1954, SIA is a nonprofit, North American member-owned trade association representing suppliers of consumer snow sports with constituents in the retailer, representative and resort communities. It produces the SIA Snow Show and On-Snow Demo, and GOED documents indicate there is a possibility that those also could move to Utah.

The company had received a $445,000 incentive offer from Denver and also had been negotiating with Reno, Nevada, about possible relocation incentives.

Utah already is home to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association and the U.S. Speedskating Association as well as many outdoor-focused companies, including Vista Outdoor, Rossignol, Amer Sports, Armada Skis and Black Diamond.

“The significance of a trade association is not just for the jobs that it represents, but it’s for the breadth and depth of the industry and the ability that we have to be thought leaders, to be the folks that are really leading the way in this industry,” said Jeff Edwards, president and chief executive officer of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah. “And having the likes of SIA right here in our back yard just changes the game, as far as we’re concerned, on the [company] recruiting side.”

The GOED board last week also approved a tax credit of up to $447,175 for Press Ganey to open a printing production operation in Provo, adding up to 97 jobs over five years and a capital investment of $11 million.

Press Ganey Holdings provides patient experience measurement, performance analytics and strategic advisory services for healthcare organizations. As of Jan. 1, it served more than 26,000 healthcare facilities. It has more than 1,000 employees at six U.S. locations.

The Utah office is expected to produce more than 40 million patient experience surveys annually. The new jobs are expected to pay a total of $15.4 million over five years, and new state tax revenue is expected to be nearly $3 million during that time.

“Utah offers a great environment for Press Ganey, as a healthcare firm, to operate in,” Patrick, Ryan, Press Ganey chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement. “Further, we appreciate the support we have received from the state in establishing this new location and look forward to our continued relationship. We are pleased to support job creation and offer meaningful roles in the industry to the community.”