Industry Briefs 12-9-24

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ASSOCIATIONS

• The Salt Lake Chamber has named Mary Catherine Perry as vice president of public policy and government affairs. Perry succeeds Ginger Chinn, who held the position for the past several years and has accepted a position at another organization. Perry also will manage the policy committees that bring together chamber members and community partners to establish strategies in key policy areas. Perry previously was director of policy and government affairs for The Policy Project. She also previously served as a policy analyst at the Utah Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel and has served on numerous nonprofit boards, such as the University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics, Utah Women Run and Junior League of Salt Lake City. Perry earned a B.A. in English and a Master of Public Administration from Brigham Young University.

BANKING

• Regions Bank has named Joel Cannon as the bank’s first-ever market executive for Salt Lake City, Provo and surrounding areas. Cannon also will continue his role as senior vice president leading sales, marketing, contractor training and software products for Regions Home Improvement Financing, formerly EnerBank USA. Cannon joined EnerBank as vice president of training in 2015. He earned additional leadership responsibilities over time. Prior to EnerBank, Cannon served as chief product officer with JobDash and director of strategic partnerships and vice president of operations for Neutron Interactive. Regions Financial Corp. serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,250 banking offices and more than 2,000 ATMs.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

• Salt Lake City is ranked No. 14 on a list of the top 100 places in the U.S. for workplace happiness, compiled by Resume.io. Its score was 8.6 out of 10. Resume.io surveyed 3,000 employees to find out where America’s happiest workers thrive and what keeps them motivated. The top-ranked city is Honolulu. Details are at https://resume.io/blog/study-happy-hires.
• Utah’s earliest shoppers on Black Friday started shopping at 3 a.m., on average, according to a survey by Red Stag Fulfillment. That compares with the national average of 4:36 a.m. The earliest was 1 a.m. for people in South Dakota and Vermont. The latest was 8:24 a.m., in Mississippi. Red Stag Fulfillment also found that residents of five Utah counties were at a disadvantage in securing Black Friday deals because of a relatively small percentage of households with broadband access. They are San Juan (67 percent of households with broadband), Piute (69 percent), Beaver (80 percent), Garfield (80 percent) and Carbon(82 percent) counties. Details are at https://redstagfulfillment.com/black-friday-study/.
• Salt Lake City, at No. 217, is the highest-ranked Utah city on a list of “Best Cities for Golfers,” compiled by LawnStarter. It compared the 500 largest U.S. cities based on several factors, including the number of public and private golf courses, PGA courses with public access, driving ranges, amateur competitions, and average course consumer rating. Several Utah cities made the list. The lowest-ranked Utah city is No. 396 Lehi. The top-ranked city overall is Scottsdale, Arizona. The worst-ranked city is New Britain, Connecticut. Details are at https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/best-cities-for-golfers/.
• Dairy Queen is the top first-date, fast-food choice for Utah men, according to a survey by DatingNews.com. Fifty-four percent of Utah men would prefer first dates at fast-food restaurants, according to survey results. The second-favorite restaurant is McDonald’s, followed by Subway. Nationally, Chick-fil-A was the top choice. Two-thirds of surveyed women said they would go if asked out on a first date to a fast-food restaurant. Details are at https://www.datingnews.com/industry-trends/fast-food-first-dates/.
• Eight Utah cities are part of the 2024 Municipal Equality Index, a survey of cities’ LGBTQ+ equality in the areas of municipal policies, laws and services. The index was produced by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, in collaboration with the Equality Federation. This year, a record-breaking 130 cities or over 25 percent of all MEI-rated cities, earned the highest score of 100, which is up from 129 in 2023. Only six cities scored zero points. Scores of Utah cities are Logan, 48 points; Ogden, 57; Orem, 48; Park City, 85; Provo, 51; Salt Lake City, 99; West Jordan, 35; and West Valley City, 41.
• Little Wild Horse Canyon is ranked No. 5 and nearby Goblin Valley State Park is No. 85 a list of “must-see hidden gems,” compiled by Barefoot Yachts Indonesia. It surveyed international travelers to get the list of the top 120 alternative landmarks in the U.S. The top-ranked location is the Seven Magic Mountains in Las Vegas. Details are at https://www.barefoot-cruising-indonesia.com/top-120-lesser-known-places-international-travelers-want-to-visit/.

EDUCATION/TRAINING

• Utah State University recently celebrated the grand opening of its second aviation training facility in Northern Utah during an open house at the Brigham City Regional Airport. The new facility will provide expanded flight training opportunities for students in USU’s professional pilot degree program, which has seen a significant increase in enrollment over the past year. It had 680 students this fall, about 90 more than last year. The Brigham City location offers fixed-wing training and serves students from both Northern Utah and the Wasatch Front. While the Brigham City expansion focuses on flight training, USU’s aviation maintenance program will continue to operate in Logan, with plans to extend further to the USU Eastern in Price and the program’s teaching facility at the Carbon County Regional Airport.

EXPANSIONS

• LivAway Suites, a Salt Lake City-based extended stay hotel brand, has opened its third national location in Smyrna, Tennessee, marking the brand’s first venture east of the Mississippi River. Developed by West77 Partners and financed by Keystone National Group, the hotel has 126 suites. LivAway plans to have 50 locations open or under construction by the end of 2026.

HEALTH CARE

• CancerVax Inc., a Lehi-based developer of a breakthrough universal cancer treatment platform that will use the body’s immune system to fight cancer, has announced Dr. George Katibah as chief scientific officer. Katibah is an expert in oncology, immunology, host-pathogen interactions and personalized medicine. He previously served as director of discovery biology at RAPT Therapeutics. Prior to that, he was head of biochemistry and senior scientist at Aduro Biotech.

HOSPITALITY

• Lodging Dynamics Hospitality Group, a Provo-based hotel management company, has been appointed to manage The Wilde Resort and Spa in Sedona, Arizona. The property features 137 rooms and suites, a world-class spa, and wellness programs.

INVESTMENTS

• Polaris Modular, a Salt Lake City-based company in the modular construction industry, has closed a $6.25 million Series A growth round, led by Sentry Financial and HSL Properties. Sentry Financial is a diversified financial services firm based in Salt Lake City. HSL Properties is the largest apartment owner in Southern Arizona, managing 39 apartment communities comprising 10,000 units. Polaris said the round will enable it to implement technology innovations essential to meeting client demand for large-scale multifamily and commercial construction in its Utah facility.

LAW

• Mayer Brown has promoted 39 lawyers to the position of partner, including David A. Cox in Salt Lake City. He is part of the Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice. Cox’s legal representations have involved numerous construction projects. He has represented owners, general contractors and subcontractors in numerous construction disputes. He also has experience in various forms of domestic and international dispute resolution, including informal and formal mediation; state and federal litigation; and ICC, AAA and JAMS arbitrations. Before becoming a lawyer, Cox earned a bachelor of science degree in construction management at Brigham Young University.

MANUFACTURING

• SINTX Technologies Inc., a Salt Lake City-based advanced ceramics company that develops and commercializes materials, components and technologies for medical and technical applications, has appointed Gregg R. Honigblum as chief strategy officer. Honigblum has over 35 years of experience as an executive for emerging growth companies, specializing in the health care sector. His career began on Wall Street as a stockbroker, transitioning into investment banking roles at various firms in New York City. He co-founded Creation Capital LLC and Creation Capital Advisors.

NONPROFITS

• The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah Foundation Inc. has named Jason M. Groth as legal director, succeeding John Mejia after 15 years. Groth, who joined the ACLU of Utah in 2018 and served as deputy legal director, has extensive experience in public defense and civil litigation. He began his legal career as a public defender in Colorado. After moving to Utah in 2018, he led the ACLU’s Campaign for Smart Justice, advocating for criminal legal reform across the state. His role later expanded to litigating civil rights cases as deputy legal director. Most recently, Groth worked with the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association, representing indigent clients in felony cases, and with the Indigent Appellate Defense Division, focusing on post-conviction relief. He has also volunteered extensively with the S.J. Quinney College of Law Pro Bono Initiative.

PARTNERSHIPS

• The Utah Hockey Club has announced its 2024-25 practice jersey patch partnership with Ski Utah, a nonprofit organization that promotes Utah’s 15 ski and snowboard resorts. As part of the partnership, Ski Utah will offer Ski Utah Passport holders (which include fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students) the opportunity to attend a select Utah Hockey Club’s morning skate during the 2024-25 season at Delta Center. Fans who attend the morning skate will receive co-branded merchandise and a ticket voucher redeemable for two upper-bowl single-goal view tickets to attend one of several select Utah Hockey Club games.

PHILANTHROPY

• The 12th annual “Warm Bodies, Warm Souls” 2024 clothing drive recently concluded. Arctic Circle, Bank of Utah and Red Hanger partnered to gather winter clothing and other essentials for families in need across the state from Oct. 21 to Nov. 15. This year, donations poured in at 74 collection sites statewide, filling more than 600 bags with warm clothing and collecting $8,500 for the donation fund. Gently used coats, hats, scarves, gloves, blankets and gift cards were donated to 15 charitable institutions from Logan to St. George, including Bountiful Community Pantry, Cache Community Food Pantry, Cache Valley Humanitarian Center, Catholic Community Services (Joyce Hansen Hall Food Bank), Community Action Services and Food Bank, Crossroads Urban Center, Heber Valley Center Stage/Christian Center of Park City, Switchpoint, The Family Support Center, The Lantern House, The Road Home’s Midvale Family Shelter, The Well (formerly Hope Pregnancy Center), Tremonton Community Pantry, United Way of Eastern Utah and Utah Foster Care.
• The Rocky Mountain Power Foundation has announced new grants to organizations in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho that are focused on community enhancement and the environment. The foundation is donating a total of $256,000 in grants across the three states to underwrite a range of programs and projects, from affordable housing access, job training and rural economic development to ecosystem preservation, trail restoration and nature-based education. This round of grants, focused on community enhancement and environmental respect, is one of four grant cycles offered by the foundation annually. A total of 48 grants were given to local organizations in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming, including Bridgerland Community Ice Arena, Cache Valley Humanitarian Center, Renters Justice Coalition, Centerville City, Emery Town Heritage Council, Fastpitch Elite Moab, Youth Garden Project, Girls on the Run Utah, Habitat For Humanity Salt Lake Valley, White Mesa Education, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, The Christmas Box International, Habitat for Humanity for Summit and Wasatch Counties and Henefer Town.
• D.L. Evans Bank, based in Burley, Idaho, has announced the second round of donations for the 2024 Employee Directed Donation Initiative, which gives employees an opportunity to nominate their favorite nonprofit organizations in Idaho and Utah. Each organization will receive a $2,500 donation from the bank plus a 5 percent bonus that will be added in the name of the employee who submitted the application, for a total of $2,625 each. Selected organizations include Acts Six Soup Kitchen, nominated by Randy Christensen, Brigham City vice president commercial loan officer; and Cache Community Humanitarian Center, nominated by David Mumm, Logan vice president senior commercial loan officer and branch manager.
• Liberty Safe, a Payson-based manufacturer of safes, in partnership with Tractor Supply Co., has announced a donation of $188,000 to Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing educational scholarships to the families of fallen and disabled military personnel and first responders. The contribution follows the launch of an exclusive safe, crafted in partnership with Folds of Honor and Tractor Supply, with a portion of sales dedicated to supporting the mission of Folds of Honor.
• Parker Migliorini International (PMI Foods), a Salt Lake City-based meat broker company, recently has teamed up with Pastor Paula White-Cainand her team at Florida-based Paula White Ministries to provide hundreds of turkeys to needy families. The turkeys were part of more than 250 fully furnished Thanksgiving meals.

REAL ESTATE

• St. John Properties Inc., based in Pleasant Grove, has announced five executive promotions timed with the 10-year anniversary of the commercial real estate company’s inception in Utah: Marty Beaumont to assistant vice president of development; Mark Cathemer to assistant vice president of construction; Scott Gifford to assistant vice president of leasing; Dayne Nelson to assistant vice president of property management; and Jenessa Young to assistant vice president of interior design. Cathemer and Young have been with St. John Properties for the past eight years, and Nelson joined the company seven years ago. Since beginning Utah operations in 2014, the group has developed five business communities comprising more than 1.4 million square feet of office, flex/R&D and retail space in Salt Lake, Weber and Utah counties. The company has invested more than $1.5 billion in Utah, and serves more than 140 tenants throughout its regional portfolio. Founded in 1971, St. John Properties has developed more than 24 million square feet of flex/R&D, office, retail and warehouse space and has investments in over 3,000 residential units.

RECOGNITIONS

• Two Utah companies are recipients of the 2024 Excellence in Housing Innovations Award, presented by the Rental Housing Association of Utah. Bridge Investment Groupearned recognition for its work on Post District, a transformative reuse community in Salt Lake City. This project revitalized a 13-acre industrial area in the city’s Granary District, creating a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood that seamlessly integrates residential, retail and commercial spaces. Post District was co-developed by Bridge Investment Group, Lowe Property Group and Blaser Ventures. The Post District features 580 multifamily units across four buildings. Greystar was recognized for The Worthington Residences, Salt Lake City’s 31-story high-rise for luxury living. The Worthington Residences offers a range of apartments and penthouse residences on the 30th and 31st floors.
• Flying M Ranch of Hansel Valley has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Utah Leopold Conservation Award, which honors ranchers, farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land. Flying M Ranch’s owners, Tim and Laurie Munns will receive $10,000 for being selected. Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trustwill present Leopold Conservation Awards to landowners in 28 states this year. In Utah the award is presented with the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, Western AgCredit and Utah Cattlemen’s Association. The award was presented to the Munnses at the Utah Farm Bureau’s recent annual meeting.
• Chartway Credit Union received the inaugural La Alianza Award from the Washington Area Chamber of Commerce at the chamber’s fourth annual Rock and Roll Installation Gala and Community Hall of Fame Awards in Washington, Utah. The recognition highlights Chartway’s dedication to empowering diverse business communities and fostering growth in Southern Utah. This year, Chartway partnered with the Hispanic community, including sponsoring the Southern Utah Latino Business Alliance, and Desai Madrigal, SULBA’s chairman and a local small-business owner, joined Chartway’s board of directors as an associate in October. Chartway also expanded financial access in underserved communities by designating its Sunset branch in St. George as a bilingual “Juntos Avanzamos” location, making it the credit union’s first fully English/Spanish branch in Southern Utah. Based in Virginia, Chartway has members in Virginia, Utah and Texas.
• Sorenson Forum, a product of communications company Sorenson, based in Salt Lake City, has been named to Fast Company’s “2024 Next Big Things in Tech”in the Enterprise award category for “hardware, software and services that change how business gets done.” This year, a panel of judges evaluated over 1,300 applications to select the top 138 honorees. Sorenson Forum is an AI-powered language solution for events, providing remote simultaneous interpreting and captioning across 25 languages and 45 dialects.
• Renew Biotechnologies, based in Provo, has received the Biotech Breakthrough Award for “DNA Sequencing Innovation of the Year,” recognizing its technology ecosystem and potential to address some of health care’s most critical challenges. Renew is focused on revolutionizing clinical testing by developing and launching a series of specialized biotechnology companies. Its proprietary DNA sequencing technologies power clinical assay development from biomarker discovery to scalable testing in collaboration with its high-throughput clinical laboratory subsidiary, Wasatch BioLabs.
• Parker Migliorini International (PMI Foods), a Salt Lake City-based meat broker company, recently received the Customs Authorized Economic Operator Advanced Certification Award at the seventh edition of the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. The award recognizes the company’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of customs safety. The OEA certification is awarded to businesses that demonstrate compliance with stringent customs regulations, ensuring the integrity of their supply chain.

RESTAURANTS

• Matteo, an Italian restaurant that opened a year ago, has moved from a space near Liberty Park to downtown Salt Lake City at 77 W. 200 S., Suite 100, opposite the Capitol Theatre. The 6,000-square-foot space is nearly twice the size of the previous location and features three private dining spaces to accommodate corporate dinners, holiday parties and celebrations.