Industry Briefs 3-25-24

Industry Briefs are provided as a free service to our readers. Company news information may be sent to brice.w@thecityjournals.com. The submission deadline is one week before publication.

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT

• The Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity board approved a couple of rural film production incentives at its March meeting. Getaway Production was approved for a tax credit of up to $500,000 for “Getaway,” a feature comedy expected to spend $3 million in Utah and involve 21 cast, 70 crew and 400 extras. Principal photography is scheduled for April 8-May 3 in Summit and Wasatch counties. The film tells the story of a couple’s romantic getaway that is thwarted by an intruder. The director is Jason Biggs. The producer is Jennifer Ricci. Me and Sonny LLC was approved for an incentive of up to $250,000 for its production of “Holiday Hunt,” a family series expected to spend nearly $1.4 million in Utah and involve three cast, 65 crew and 11 extras. Principal photography is scheduled for April 23-May 6 in Summit and Wasatch counties. “Holiday Hunt” is a reality competition series focused on finding the next big holiday personality “that encapsulates the warmth, magic, and joy of the holiday season,” GOEO documents say. The director is Jeff Tan. The producer is Brooke Redmon.

BANKING

• Meadows Bank, based in Las Vegas, has named Adam White as an SBA, senior vice president, business development officer in Ogden. White has over 14 years of commercial banking experience, specializing in SBA loans. He came to Meadows Bank from Intermountain Business Lending (Utah CDC) where he was executive vice president, chief lending officer, leading a team of commercial loan officers. Prior to that, he was with Royal Bank of Scotland as collateral manager. White earned a Master of Professional Communication degree from Weber State University and a Business Management degree from Utah Valley University.
• TAB Bank, an Ogden-based company providing working capital solutions to commercial businesses across a wide range of industries, has provided a California-based logistics company with a $1.5 million credit facility that spans multiple years. The company, which was not identified, will rely on the facility to fund growth and expand its sales and contract pipeline. The company offers warehousing services, expert route planning services, inventory management, and supply chain distribution solutions.

DISTRIBUTION

• Kenco, a Tennessee-based third-party logistics provider, announced that Sauder Woodworking Co., an Ohio-based ready-to-assemble furniture manufacturer, will relocate its western e-commerce distribution center operations from Jurupa Valley, California to Kenco’s Ogden facility. The partnership is expected to provide Sauder new levels of shipping flexibility, as well as operating cost reductions. By moving operations to Ogden, Utah, Sauder will be able to service 6 percent more of their U.S. customers within two days than from the Jurupa Valley location, Kenco said.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

• Salt Lake City is ranked No. 1 in the mid-sized U.S. metro category and Provo/Orem is No. 5 among small metros on lists of areas with the most coworking locations, compiled by CoworkingCafe. The Salt Lake City area has 38 coworking spaces, including 25 in Salt Lake City. Provo/Orem is No. 5 among small metros, with 11 coworking spaces, including seven in Lehi. Boulder, Colorado, led that list, with 25. The large-metro list was led by New York City, with 606. Details are at https://www.coworkingcafe.com/blog/top-metros-for-coworking/.
• Nearly one in five full-time Utah office workers have found a new “work spouse” since returning to the office, according to a survey by Wealth of Geeks. This equates to 616,482 workers. The national figure is 18 percent. The highest number is in Iowa, at 47 percent. The lowest is in Arkansas, at 9 percent. Details are at https://wealthofgeeks.com/survey-how-many-workers-have-found-their-work-spouse-in-the-office/.
• Provo is ranked No. 49, Salt Lake City is No. 226 and St. George is No, 229 on a list of “Most Investable Cities in America,” compiled by Stock Dork. It surveyed 3,000 investors nationwide to determine where they buy and sell shares if cities were stocks. The top-ranked city overall is Jacksonville, Florida. Details are at https://www.thestockdork.com/the-most-investable-cities-in-america-2024-survey/.
• The average household in Salt Lake City pays $2,293 per month, or $27,516 per year, on the 10 most common household bills, according to DoxoInsights. That is an increase of 10.9 percent year over year. Household expenses in Salt Lake City, on average, are 7.9 percent higher than the national average of $2,126, and 0.1 percent higher than the state average of $2,290. Salt Lake City households spend 34 percent of their income on household bills. The average monthly payment in Salt Lake City is $1,668 for mortgages, $1,322 for rent, $592 for auto loans, $302 for utilities, $115 for health insurance, $173 for auto insurance, $132 for cable and Internet, $123 for mobile service, $49 for alarm/security, and $81 for life insurance.
• West Jordan, at No. 148, is the highest-ranked Utah city on a list of “Most Expensive Cities for Watering the Lawn,” compiled by Lawn Love. It compared nearly 500 of the biggest U.S. cities, considering the affordability of local water bills and average yard sizes, plus factors that would increase the cost of irrigation, such as drought susceptibility and watering requirements for common grass types. Salt Lake City came in at No. 216. The most expensive city is Merced, California. The least expensive is Jersey City, New Jersey. Details are at https://lawnlove.com/blog/most-expensive-cities-lawn-irrigation/.
• Orem is ranked No. 193 on a list of “Best Cities for Solar Energy,” compiled by Roof Gnome. It compared over 470 of the biggest U.S. cities based on the solar viability of their roofs, potential solar energy production, projected financial and environmental impact, average grid energy prices, access to solar equipment and services, and time to recoup solar investments, among 17 total metrics. Orem is the top-rated Utah city. Salt Lake City is No. 279. The top-ranked city overall is Phoenix. The lowest-ranked city is Redmond, Washington. Details are at https://roofgnome.com/blog/studies/best-cities-solar-power-potential/.

EDUCATION

• Weber State University continues to build its relationship with the National Security Agency with the signing of a new Educational Partnership Agreement. An EPA is an agreement between the NSA and an educational institution to transfer or enhance technology and provide technical assistance to the institution. Under an EPA, NSA innovators can provide training and mentoring to personnel in STEM fields. In 2021, Weber State was designated as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, a program sponsored jointly by the NSA and the Department of Homeland Security that aims to reduce vulnerability in the national information infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in cyber defense.
• Southern Utah University has launched its new Virtual Reality and Augmented Innovation Classroom. This facility offers students hands-on experience in virtual reality and augmented reality content. It is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including VR and AR headsets and high-end computers and software. The VR/AR classroom was made possible through a nearly $1 million innovation grant awarded by Utah System of Higher Education that was written collaboratively by Dr. James Brandt, Dr. Richard Cozzens, Dr. Jeffery Cowley, Aundrea Frahm, Benjamin Kirkby and Dr. Brandon Wiggins. The classroom is equipped with 23 of the newest headsets from Meta, a monitor for every headset, and a computer dedicated to development. Over 15 classes are using the classroom in their curriculum. Students are using VR to learn human anatomy, build professional soft skills, take virtual field trips, and create collaborative molecular design.

FINANCE

• Aligned Data Centers, a technology infrastructure company offering innovative, sustainable and adaptive scale data centers and build-to-scale solutions for global hyperscale and enterprise customers, and Blackstone Credit & Insurance, an alternative asset manager, have announced a financing relationship and partnership. Blackstone has provided an initial $600 million senior secured credit facility to support the development of Aligned’s newest and largest data center in West Jordan. The senior secured credit facility is committed entirely by insurance accounts managed by BXCI’s Infrastructure & Asset Based Credit Group. Aligned’s SLC-03 data center is a two-story, 80-megawatt build-to suit project on its campus in West Jordan that now houses three facilities. It is the company’s fourth hyperscale data center in the Salt Lake City metro area.

GOVERNMENT

• The Utah Department of Workforce Services has hired Ben Crabb as new chief economist. He succeeds Mark Knold, who is retiring in April. Crabb joined Workforce Services in 2021. He has held the position of regional economist covering the Central Utah, Southwest, Uintah Basin, Castle Country and Southeast service areas and as the department’s research economist. Prior to working at DWS, Crabb was a researcher at Utah State University and worked in sales and marketing at a small manufacturing firm in Cache Valley. Crabb’s education includes a master’s degrees in applied economics and bioregional planning from Utah State University.

MANUFACTURING

• Powered by MRP, a Park City-based company offering aesthetics devices, has appointed Jonathan Nielsenas an independent director to its board of directors. Nielsen’s experience includes leading technology-enabled businesses to scale. Most recently, he served as CEO of Backcountry, a global online outdoor, cycling and powersports company.

NONPROFITS

• BioHive, a nonprofit public-private partnership dedicated to enhancing Utah’s life science and healthcare innovation ecosystem, has launched HealthTech Hub, a new BioHive chapter that empowers the state’s science and technology communities to help improve medical innovation and disrupt healthcare. The group will convene to explore innovative topics, provide thought leadership, and create opportunities for collaboration and sector crossover. The goal of the HealthTech Hub chapter, formerly BioBytes, is to catalyze precision medicine innovation and disrupt the healthcare system, resulting in personalized preventative care, more effective treatments, improved patient outcomes and reduced healthcare disparities.
  • The Utah Worksite Wellness Council, a nonprofit providing wellness resources and events, has announced its officers. They are Kari Norton, council chair; Cathy Kendall, treasurer; and Kialei Kappel, secretary. The marketing committee includes Heidi Strickland (chair), Melissa Ceballos and Lynette Helmer. The social media chair is Sara Aguirre. The exhibitors committee includes Carly Corlett (chair), Camille Kelly, Sherry King, Rachael Mainord and Brittany Parry. The speakers committee includes Stephanie Larsen (chair), Lynda Blades, Linda Ngalle and Kassie Harbath. The awards committee includes Erin Anderson (chair), Angela Bishop-Harmon, Madison Milligan and Joelle Anderson. The location committee includes Rebecca Simmons (chair), Melanie Willis and Andrea Kjar. The registration committee includes Olivia Spencer (chair), Britta Trepp, Angie Hendrickson and Bailey Gubler.

PARTNERSHIPS

• Stream Digital Signage, a Salt Lake City-based company offering digital displays, and Table Needs, a Boston-based company specializing in point-of-sale solutions for restaurants, have partnered to integrate Stream’s Content Manager Software with Table Needs’ point-of-sale system. This partnership aims to transform the drive-through and dining experience, bringing efficiency and accuracy to restaurant operations. The collaboration introduces a seamless connection between order confirmations at the drive-through, live price changes and advanced inventory management from the POS to digital menu boards.

PHILANTHROPY

• Zions Bank, based in Salt Lake City, is inviting the public to nominate homes for its employees to spruce up with a fresh coat of exterior paint during its annual Paint-a-Thon service project. Entering its 32st year, Paint-a-Thon benefits low-income elderly, disabled and veteran residents in communities across Utah and Idaho. Typically, homes are referred to Zions Bank by city and state housing agencies, aging services, community organizations and local churches. This year, the public is invited to nominate up to half of the 35 homes employees plan to scrape, paint and landscape. Nominations are due by April 15. Details and a link to the nomination form are at zionsbank.com/paintathon. Since the program began in 1991, Zions Bank employees have volunteered in the evenings after work and on Saturdays to paint nearly 1,300 homes throughout Idaho and Utah. The has donated more than $1.4 million toward beautifying homes in the two states.
• Mountain America Credit Union has donated $18,000 to the American Red Cross of Utah. In partnership with the Brigham Young University men’s basketball team, $50 was donated for every three-point shot made by BYU. The American Red Cross will use the funds to assist Utah communities in preparing for, preventing and responding to emergencies, including house fires. This latest gift brings the total funds donated by Mountain America to $139,500.
• Utah residents donated over 136,000 pounds of food this year as part of the annual “Scouting for Food Drive.”That is a record number and up 38,000 pounds from last year. Donors dropped off food donations at several drop-off locations across the state, including Bank of Utah branches, Arctic Circle locations, Smith’s, Red Hanger Cleaners and Young Automotive and Powersports locations. The drive was held Feb. 12-29. Utah Boy Scouts helped collect the food and deliver it to more than 20 food banks across the state.
• Youth Sports Alliance has received a customized Land Rover Defender 130, delivered by Land Rover Lehi, for winning the category of “Outdoor Accessibility & Education Presented by Outside Interactive Inc.” in this year’s Defender Service Awards presented by Chase. The alliance runs after-school programs introducing youngsters to sports and healthy lifestyles, with the goal of getting them outside and away from their screens. The Defender Service Awards recognize nonprofit organizations across the U.S. and Canada that exemplify the Defender ethos of helping serve their communities.

REAL ESTATE

• Tablerock Capital has sold Meridian Heights, an apartment community in Sandy, to Orion Real Estate Partners for an undisclosed price. Built in 1998 on five acres, Meridian Heights offers 96 one- and two-bedroom apartments. Danny Shin and Brock Zylstra of Intuitional Property Advisors, a division of Marcus & Millichap, represented the seller and procured the buyer in the deal.

RECOGNITIONS

• Juliette Bautista Barahona, a pioneer in STEM education and digital literacy and the founder of Club Ability, has been honored with the Utah Governor’s Science Medal for her contribution to technological and educational advancement in the state. Since its inception in 2020, Club Ability has promoted educational inclusion, offering bilingual programs that have benefited nearly 1,000 students, including low-income families, the Latinx community, and people with disabilities. She will be honored during an award ceremony April 12.
• Gail Miller, co-founder and owner of The Larry H. Miller Co., has been named “Pillar of the Valley,” an annual honor presented by the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce. Miller is a former chair of LHM Co. and oversees a business portfolio established in 1979. She has been engaged in various boards and initiatives; authored “Courage to be You”; and chairs both the Larry H. Miller Family Foundation and the Larry H. Miller Education Foundation alongside her husband, Kim Wilson. The chamber’s “Pillar of the Valley” event takes place April 10, 7-9 p.m., at the Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo.
• The World Trade Association of Utah has named Melanie Cox, CEO of Backcountry.com LLC, as International Woman of the Year. The honor was presented at the association’s recent Women in International Business Conference at the Zions Bancorporation Technology Center in Midvale. Cox’s career has been in the fashion, consumer products and outdoor retail industries, and she has also worked in private equity. Not only is she CEO of Backcountry.com LLC but she also has served on its board since March 2020. Prior to Backcountry, she was founder and CEO of MBC Consulting, where she advised private equity firms and public company boards on retail strategy and diligence, and she held the interim CEO role at Rue21 and Wet Seal. She previously served as CEO of Scoop NYC and Rave Stores, and held executive-level roles at Mervyn’s, Gymboree, Urban Outfitters and Contempo Casuals. In addition to her role at Backcountry, Cox serves on the board of the Duckhorn Portfolio and as lead director of the Revolve Group. She also serves on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Salt Lake Branch.
• The American Association of Colleges of Nursing recently recognized Leesha Simons, assistant director of simulation and lab skills at Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences in Draper, during its Diversity Symposium in New Orleans. Simons received the Novice Faculty Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award for her work teaching simulations, skills lab and clinical courses at Joyce University. She joined the university faculty in March 2022. The AACN recognizes only two novice instructors each year, instructors from across the country who hold higher degrees in nursing and are in their first five years of teaching.
• Spire Therapeutics won the E&I Summit Pitch Competition at the recent Wilson Sonsini Entrepreneur & Investor Life Sciences Summit, presented by BioUtah and the University of Utah Technology Licensing Office. From among more than 30 applicants, nine companies were finalists at the event. Judges were from venture capital firms with a national reach. Spire received a cash award of $10,000. The runner-up, Bloom Surgical, received $5,000. Other presenting companies were Signpath Pharma, 3Dio, BioFi, Diagnostic Ventures, PolarityTE, RespirAI Medical and Stingray Therapeutics.
• The Utah Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Initiative has announced the recipients of its 2024 “Utah Women at the Forefront” honors, recognizing women in Utah’s advanced materials and manufacturing industry, and its “Men’s Allies” list. The 2024 UAMMI Champion Award recipient is Caroline Chapdelaine, CEO, Northstar Photonics. The Utah Women at the Forefront honorees are Ginny Allaedini, staff materials scientist, Moxtek; Monica Archuleta, senior maintenance planner, Compass Minerals; Jessica Atherley, director of quality and compliance, RAM Aviation, Space & Defense; Lisa Bodily, company coordinator, Western States Rebar/Rocky Mountain Rebar; Linda Cabrales, director, Utah Innovation Center; Jasmine Clark, vice president of business development and improvement, Interstate Gratings LLC; Zahra Derafshi, head of hardware computing, Torus Inc.; Brittany Frecker, site manager 1, Northrop Grumman; Geri Gamber, executive director, Southwestern Regional Development Agency; Lynn Gomez, vice president of production and plant manager, RIA-USA Manufacturing Inc.; Maxine Gorelick, materials and process engineer, Boeing; Chelsea Guynes, TRO VSET lead and deputing PI, Northop Grumman; Marta Harris, quality system manager, Purple Innovation LLC; Hollie Hill, director of industrial engineering and operations management, Northrop Grumman; Jansyn Johnston, senior design engineer, RAM Aviation, Space & Defense; Melissa Lee, CI and administration manager, USG; Brittany Mansfield, senior project planner, Intergalactic; Breanna Price, business unit manager, RAM Aviation, Space & Defense; Pam Russell, production manager, Springbar; Krista Scibisz, materials science applications specialist, Checkerspot; Danielle Sendi, plant leader, Owens Corning; Julie Sieving, co-director, Intermountain Industrial Assessment Center at the University of Utah; Heather Smith, senior site manager of operations, Northrop Grumman; Ashley Spear, associate professor, University of Utah Department of Mechanical Engineering; Carly Wanberg, director of business development, Spectrum Recruiting Solutions; and Megan Ware, senior director of workforce development, Utah Manufacturers Association. The “Men’s Allies” are Ryan Berke, associate professor, mechanical and aerospace engineering, Utah State University; Dustin Birch, College of Engineering Applied Science & Technology, Weber State University; Pete Codella, managing director of business services, Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity; Richard Hawkes, director of programs, Northrop Grumman; Brady Hitchcock, brand and marketing manager, Spectrum Recruiting Solutions; Cedric Jacob, manufacturing engineering manager, Albany Engineered Composites; Gay Letendre, vice president, UAMMI; Nathan D. Rich, founder and CEO, IsoTruss Inc.; Max Stitzer, retired brigadier general, U.S. Air Force, and CEO, Mentorprise Advisors LLC; Nate Walkingshaw, CEO and founder, Torus; and Marshall Wright, founder and principal, MNW LLC.
• Several Utah locations and activities are nominees for USA Today’s Best Readers’ Choice Travel Awards for 2024. Voting takes place online until April 8. Winners will be announced April 17. Nominees are Best Main Street, Ogden; Best Public Square, St. George Town Square; Best City Park, Liberty Park in Salt Lake City; Best Small Town in the West, Ivins and South Ogden; Best Small Town Food Scene, Park City; Best Small Town Cultural Scene, Park City; Best Historic Small Town, Heber City and Moab; Best Sprint Triathlon, TriUtah Ice Breaker Sprint Triathlon, American Fork; Best Road Cycling Event, Lotoja Classic in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming; Best 5K Race, Park City Trail Series 5K; and Best Arts Festival, Park City Kimball Arts Festival.
• Lucid Software, South Jordan, is ranked No. 12 on a list of the most-used applications in the world, compiled by Okta in its “2024 Business at Work Report.” The ranking is based on the number of customers. Lucid was first ranked in Okta’s 2015 report and has been included as a most-popular application since 2020. Lucid offers visual collaboration software.

RETAIL

• Warby Parker, a direct-to-consumer lifestyle vision brand, has opened a store at 161 N.E. Promontory, No. B-125, at Station Park in Farmington. It is the company’s third Utah store. It will offer the brand’s full sun and optical assortment and in-store eye exams.

SCHOLARSHIPS

• The inaugural Dr. P. Daniel Ward Scholarship for Future Doctors will provide a one-time award of $1,000 to recognize and support the next generation of medical professionals who exhibit exemplary academic excellence and passion for medicine. It is named after a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon whose academic background includes the University of Utah and experience includes being a founder and CEO of establishments in Salt Lake City. Beyond his practice, Ward is an adjunct associate professor at the UofU. The scholarship is open to medical students, residents and professionals on the path to becoming doctors. The recipient will be announced Nov. 15. Details are at https://drpdanielwardscholarship.com/.

TRANSPORTATION

• The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced a grant award of more than $87.6 million to the Utah Department of Transportation toward funding local street crossings of Interstate 15 in St. George at 400 East and 900 South.

St. George City is one of 132 communities nationwide to benefit from the federal Reconnecting Communities & Neighborhoods Grant Program. The new crossings will provide additional connectivity of local routes on the east and west side of St. George at I-15.