Company news information may be sent to brice.w@thecityjournals.com.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Three Utah companies are on a list of companies where people would work for free for one year, “if it guaranteed them a job at the end,” according to a survey by Bisnar Chase. They are Adobe (Lehi campus), at No. 111 overall; No. 137 O.C. Tanner and No. 139 BambooHR. The top-ranked company overall is Google in California. Details are at https://www.bestattorney.com/payless-passion-work-for-free/.
• Three independent businesses in Utah are on a list of “America’s Top 10 Best-Branded Independent Businesses,” compiled by Piktochart and based on a survey. They are Publik Coffee Roasters, Bix Bakery & Café and Tea Zaanti, all in Salt Lake City. The top-ranked business nationally is Bourbon Barrel Foods in Louisville, Kentucky. Details are at https://piktochart.com/blog/small-business-brand-survey/.
• Utah is ranked No. 1 on a list of “Best States for Senior Happiness,” compiled by Caring.com. It analyzed factors such as happiness levels per state, the number of senior centers per state, and good health rates of those over 60 years old. Utah was followed by, in order, Idaho, Connecticut, Delaware and Nebraska. Utah has 1.51 senior centers per 100,000 population (highest among states), 21.48 percent of its seniors (65 and older) living alone (third-lowest among states), and an average life expectancy at birth of 78.2 years. Utah is ranked No. 1 for overall senior health. About 44 percent of older individuals in Utah volunteer, the highest rate in the U.S. Details are at https://www.caring.com/resources/senior-happiness-index/.
• Carpenter ants, spiders, rodents and cockroaches are likely to be the most problematic pests in Utah this summer, according to Smith’s Pest Management. That’s because Utah had a relatively dry winter. Details are at https://smithspestmanagement.com/blog/post/summer-pests-2025/. Meanwhile, Utah is ranked No. 40 on a list of “Most Vulnerable States for Indoor Pests,” compiled by Home Gnome. The top-ranked state is Florida. The bottom-ranked state is Alaska. Details are at https://homegnome.com/blog/studies/most-vulnerable-states-indoor-pests/.
GOVERNMENT
• CenCore, a Springville-based security solutions company, has been awarded a $19 million contract by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Lab to build the first-of-its-kind mobile Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs) at the TS/SCI level for the USMC’s Project 7/11. The project will rapidly deploy CenCore’s containerized secure units, otherwise known as mobile SCIFs, to the battlefield. CenCore’s CSUs are manufactured in Aurora, Colorado. The CSUs will enable completely secure edge computing, mission command, and resilient communications in austere environments for the warfighter.
MILESTONES
• The Tooele Walmart Supercenter recently celebrated its 35th anniversary. It was the first store for the retailer in Utah. Associates who have been with the store since the first day were honored: Suzanne Brown (fashion), Michelle Baker (fashion), Lorraine Mascarenas (online shopping) and Carrie Chadwick (pharmacy). The anniversary celebration included Tooele Mayor Debbie Winn; Jared Stewart, economic development director; Chief of Police Adrian Day; Fire Chief Matt McCoy; and Keith Bird, executive director of the Tooele Education Foundation. The foundation and the Tooele fire and police departments each received $2,000 grants from Walmart.
NONPROFITS
• Ducks Unlimited Inc., a nonprofit organization working to conserve North America’s wetlands, grasslands and other waterfowl habitats, has completed a restoration project it led, in partnership with the New State Duck Club, of Burton Dam. The dam is at the northern end of the Jordan River. It has been reconstructed and modernized, restoring a vital link in the Great Salt Lake’s water delivery system. The dam had been in a state of disrepair for years. It directs water into the NSDC, a privately managed wetland complex, and eventually into the Farmington Arm of Great Salt Lake. The NSDC has managed this landscape since the late 1800s. The aging dam structure limited the club’s ability to manage water effectively, causing significant annual losses, up to 7,000 acre-feet of freshwater. The new infrastructure, including a tilting weir and stop-log system, now allows for precise flow control, greater capacity, and reliable delivery of excess water to the lake. The outflow structure on the sewage canal was also retrofitted and new monitoring equipment will be installed at the dam and the canal outflow.
REAL ESTATE
• Corliss Management Group, a Washington-based, fifth-generation, family-owned real estate investment and development firm, has entered the Utah market with the acquisition of a single-tenant net lease industrial asset at 3685 S. 500 W., South Salt Lake. The acquisition includes a 31,716-square-foot warehouse on 1.97 acres, currently leased to MasTec, a publicly traded infrastructure construction company. The property features upgraded infrastructure, including new HVAC systems, a new roof and expansive outdoor storage space, plus 33,000 square feet of excess land for future use. Corliss said it plans to invest $25 million to $75M in the Greater Salt Lake City area over the coming years. With a focus on stabilized, income-producing assets, the company has acquisition targets including industrial, self-storage and retail properties ranging from $5 million to $15 million. As an all-cash buyer with no financing contingencies, CMG is particularly drawn to off-market and distressed asset opportunities and is building relationships with local brokers and advisors.
RECOGNITIONS
• The South Valley Chamber of Commerce has announced the recipients of its 2025 Titan Awards: Jeremy Andrus, president and CEO of Traeger Grills, alongside his wife, Kristin Andrus; Amy Rees Anderson, managing partner of REES Capital; and Katy Welkie, CEO of Primary Children’s Hospital and vice president of children’s health for Intermountain Health. Since its inception in 2009, the Titan Award, the highest honor given by the chamber, has recognized business and community leaders who demonstrate long-term commitment, civic engagement and exceptional impact in Utah. Jeremy Andrus is also known for his leadership at Skullcandy and deep involvement in Utah’s business ecosystem. Kristin Andrus also is a passionate community advocate known for her work on hands-on service and philanthropy. Anderson’s REES Capital is an angel investing firm she founded to support entrepreneurs and startup companies. She previously founded and led MediConnect Global, a health information company that she sold in 2012. Anderson is a speaker, author and philanthropist. Welkie is a lifelong health care leader and pediatric advocate and has overseen major expansions in pediatric care access, innovation and research. The honorees will be celebrated at the 16th Annual Titan Awards, presented by The Larry H. Miller Co., on Oct. 29 at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. The 2025 Small Business of the Year will also be announced at the event. In its fourth year, the award recognizes a local company that exemplifies entrepreneurial excellence and meaningful community contribution. Details are at www.southvalleychamber.com/titanawards.
