EDCUtah Celebrates Twenty-Five Years

Utah’s future is bright. So bright that the Wall Street Journal recently named Utah the “brightest star” on the American flag, said Gov. Gary R. Herbert at the Economic Development Corporation of Utah’s (EDCUtah) 25^th anniversary meeting yesterday.

EDCUtah announced the 2011-2012 Economic Development Award recipients and the results of its fiscal year end.

“Utah is at the forefront of the economic recovery and has maintained its rankings and media presence in publications like Business Facilities, Forbes and The Wall Street Journal,” said Jeff Edwards, president and CEO of EDCUtah. “EDCUtah continues to see high activity levels and new projects. FY 2011-2012 was the best year to date in EDCUtah history. What a great way to celebrate our 25th year in business.”

Former governor and ambassador to China Jon M. Huntsman Jr. said he is optimistic about Utah’s future. With a head start economically, Utah has the tools and human capital to keep pushing forward. “We’ve got a generation coming up that are anxious to succeed,” he said. “They bring a new level of enthusiasm, tech-savviness, and world view that the last generation didn’t have.”

Huntsman mentioned a motorcycle trick called the double back-flip, “I think about the double back-flip and I think that’s what this state is going to have to continue to do. We’ve already done some double back-flips economically in how we’ve prepared ourselves for the future.”

Utah has met goals and landed on top by continuing to innovate, take risks and move forward, according to Huntsman. “We have an innovative and resilient spirit,” he said.

The 2011-2012 Economic Development Award recipients were Lynn Pett and Lou Callister, Pett received the Thayne Robson award for leadership in the public sector, and Callister the Nick Rose award for leadership in the private sector.

EDCUtah highlighted jobs created and retained in 2011/2012: