The HQ Conundrum

She points to her company’s recent acquisition as an example. When she asked the dealmakers at Verisk about their interest in her firm, the response was, “We love Utah companies. We love the integrity and work ethic of the people.”

Anderson would like to see more deals, not less, in the short term, because she believes it builds the state’s business brand and enriches the soil for bigger things down the road. And while she agrees that there isn’t enough mentoring available for Utah entrepreneurs—she founded REES Capital to address this very issue—Anderson says it’s important to
revel in the successes of this stage in Utah’s development.

“It has always been the case that companies either exit or go public when they grow up. There’s nothing new there, but we are seeing larger deals come out of Utah, which is exciting, and more big firms acquiring Utah companies with an intent to stay in Utah,” she says. “In the end, this is a good thing for Utah.”