Articles
8 February 2012

Around Utah

by Utah Business Staff

08 February 2012—

 Northern

 

Ogden - JACK B. PARSON COMPANIES launched Pro Expose, an environmentally friendly concrete surface retarder product. The water-based product is sprayed on top of freshly poured concrete surfaces, including interior and exterior flatwork and pre-cast panels, and eliminates several steps in the traditional etching process. 

 

West Haven - Utah’s MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP (MEP) recognized West Haven-based STAKER PARSON COMPANIES as its 2009 Manufacturer of the Year for Environmental Consciousness. Staker Parson Companies is a Utah manufacturer of aggregate products, ready-mixed concrete and asphalt. The company is also one of the largest highway contractors in the Intermountain region. 

MEP Utah also recognized Orem-based MITY-LITE INC. as its 2009 Manufacturer of the Year in its 100+ Employees category. MEP Utah recognized the company’s senior management team for transforming its operations into an innovative, performance-driven organization since being acquired in July 2007.

 

Ogden - The OGDEN CLINIC will now provide health care services, including urgent care, to individuals and families enrolled in a commercial health plan with HUMANA INC. Under the new contract, which became effective Jan. 1, 2010, members of Humana’s commercial products will have in-network benefit access to Ogden Clinic’s 38 physicians, 21 physician assistants, eight nurse practitioners, nine physical therapists, two dietitians, and an audiologist providing care in seven clinic locations. The contract does not include Humana’s Medicare Advantage patients.

 

Clearfield - ALLIANT TECHSYSTEMS (ATK) commenced deliveries of the Scalable Plate Carrier (SPC) for the U.S. Marine Corps. The first production of 10,000 SPCs, which began on Sept. 1, was completed and delivered on Oct. 15. By January 2010, ATK will deliver approximately 65,000 SPCs and components to the U.S. Marine Corps.

 

Bountiful - BUBBLE & BEE ORGANIC opened a new retail store at 297 N. 200 West in the historic Daniel Carter Barn next to the GARDEN DAY SPA. The new store will carry the company’s handmade organic bath and body products in addition to other eco-friendly items such as organic apparel, baby clothing, cleaning supplies, jewelry and gifts. Bubble & Bee started at the 2007 Salt Lake Farmers Market and later opened a store in TROLLEY SQUARE in Salt Lake City.

 

Woods Cross - GREENE’S INC. instated a new safety program to prevent on-the-job accidents year-round. The program consists of adding daily visits to job sites to encourage workers to stay proactive with their safety. No workers’ compensation claims have been filed by Greene’s Inc. since the beginning of 2009. 

 

Kaysville - BOONDOCKS FUN CENTER opened at 525 S. Deseret Drive. The 55,000-square-foot building includes a bowling alley, two-story laser tag arena, miniature golf course with features created by local artists, event and meeting facilities, and the Back Porch Grill restaurant.

 

 

Salt Lake Area 

 

South Jordan - MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC. completed a three-part deal with VYSERA BIOMEDICAL LIMITED located in Galway, Ireland. The deal will give Merit access to intellectual property and know-how for valve technology, opportunities to commercialize in Vysera. The transactions provide Merit with an equity investment of approximately $2.4 million, giving the company an approximate 14.45 percent fully-diluted participating equity interest in Vysera.

 

South Jordan - OVER THE TOP GOURMET COOKIES, located in the South Jordan Towne Center at 1665 W. Towne Center Drive, reached its first anniversary. The cookie store celebrated by giving away free cookies and milk, T-shirts, mugs, gift certificates, and other items.

 

Sandy - ALTA VIEW HOSPITAL completed an expansion of the hospital’s emergency department. The expansion includes five additional patient care rooms, increased privacy for patients with enclosed patient bays, more functional work areas for staff, equipment specific to pediatric patients, enhanced security, and new and updated paint and artwork.

Additionally, more care processes are electronic, including patient tracking, nurse charting, ordering of labs and imaging.

 

Murray - Researchers from the HEART INSTITUTE AT INTERMOUNTAIN MEDICAL CENTER are participating in a nine-year, $114 million Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) led by The National Institute of Health. The study will be conducted in more than 80 clinical sites across the United States to determine whether maintaining blood pressure levels lower than current recommendations further reduce the risk of cardiovascular and kidney diseases, or age-related cognitive decline in patients.

 

Salt Lake City - LEE’S HEATING AND AIR, a local heating, venting and air conditioning (HVAC) company operating since 1930, merged with EXCELLENCE IN AIR, a Provo-based company specializing in commercial HVAC since 1988. The merger allows Lee’s Heating and Air to expand services into Utah County and to serve the entire Wasatch Front.

 

Salt Lake City - CELTIC BANK recently closed a small business loan for SALT LAKE KARATE-DO’s new downtown location at 865 E. 500 South. Salt Lake Karate-Do offers martial arts lessons for children and adults and is lead by instructor Shihan Toshio Osaka.

 

Salt Lake City - The Salt Lake City office of CB RICHARD ELLIS reported the $4.5 million sale of 47 acres of land by ALLIANT TECHSYSTEMS INC. (ATK) to Salt Lake County. The property is located at 6200 S. 6200 West in West Valley City, and is to be combined with an adjacent 17 acres of property called Lodestone Park. The two parcels will eventually serve as a regional park.

 

Salt Lake City - READING EDUCATION ASSISTANCE DOGS (READ), a literacy support program in which children read to therapy animals, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. READ was conceived by Utah’s INTERMOUNTAIN THERAPY ANIMALS (ITA) and launched at the SALT LAKE CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY. Now more than 2,300 volunteer teams (a person and his or her dog) have been trained, registered and insured for liability in 49 states, four Canadian provinces, Europe and Asia.

 

Salt Lake City - The UTAH DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (UDOT) launched an intercity bus route on the U.S. Highway 40 corridor between Salt Lake City and Denver. The new route will connect rural communities and provide another transportation option to the public. Roundtrip service will be provided seven days a week, 365 days per year and includes the following stops throughout Utah: Salt Lake City, Park City, Heber City, Duchesne, Myton, Roosevelt and Vernal.

 

Salt Lake City - An international coalition of physicians and scientists led by the HUNTSMAN CANCER INSTITUTE at the UNIVERSITY OF UTAH proposed guidelines concerning genetic testing for melanoma patients. The guidelines were developed from analysis of worldwide data on patients harboring a mutation in a gene known as CDKN2A.

 

Salt Lake City - YOURLDSRADIO.COM, an online radio station aimed at members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has become a top 90 online radio station due to a new iPhone app now available to mobile phone users. When the radio station launched one year ago, it ranked among the leading 200 to 250 online stations.

 

Salt Lake City - LARRY H. MILLER SUBARU was purchased by MARK MILLER DEALERSHIPS OF SALT LAKE CITY. The dealership will remain in its existing location under Mark Miller’s ownership. The Larry H. Miller Dealerships now consist of 39 individual locations in seven Western states. The Mark Miller Dealerships consist of three locations in Salt Lake City.

 

Salt Lake City - UNIVERSAL ACCOUNTING celebrated its 30th year of operation. It has supplied more than 10,000 students with tools to help them start and grow an accounting business. Despite the national recession, Universal Accounting achieved record enrollments, revenue and net income during the first three quarters of 2009.

 

Salt Lake City - NETWORK DISTRIBUTION SOLUTIONS named ASPEN LOGISTICS its regional carrier in providing logistics services. The network is a marketing alliance of asset-based logistics providers who have joined together to extend their networks into nationwide coverage and a diversified menu of solutions.

 

Salt Lake City - The CADENCE GROUP and FIDUCIAN have joined data security consulting practices. Both companies provide consulting and compliance services related to information security and the payment card industry data security standards. The two firms will operate under the name CADENCE ASSURANCE, LLC.

 

Salt Lake City - Portland-based GREENREACH opened an office in Salt Lake City. The company will provide business sustainability consulting and training services focused on the best environmental, social and financial practices. GreenREACH helps organizations address increasing consumer demand for green products.

Salt Lake City - REAVELEY ENGINEERS + ASSOCIATES (RE+A) was ranked 14th of the Best Structural Engineering Firms to Work For in the nation by Structural Engineer magazine. Additionally, RE+A was ranked seventh in the small firms category. This is the second consecutive year the company has been recognized.

 

Salt Lake City - CUMMINGS STUDIO CHOCOLATES opened a store at 7689 Jordan Landing Boulevard. Cummings’ anchor store is located at 679 E. 900 South. The grand opening coincides with Cummings’ 85th anniversary.

 

Salt Lake City - UTAH ASSOCIATED MUNICIPAL POWER SYSTEMS (UAMPS) introduced two new consumer efficiency programs modeled after ROCKY MOUNTAIN POWER’s Cool Cash and See Ya Later Refrigerator programs. These initiatives, along with the Home Energy Savings program launched in May, are part of UAMPS’ Smart Energy Efficiency Program, an effort aimed at reducing energy consumption. UAMPS members who sign up for the new programs can offer their residential electric utility customers cash incentives and long-term energy and cost savings for participating.

 

 

Central

 

Park City - Construction of JUPITER BOWL is now complete by R&O CONSTRUCTION. Located at 1090 Center Drive in the New Park Center at Kimball Junction, Jupiter Bowl is a family fun center that features 16 bowling lanes, fine dining restaurants, an arcade and facilities for private functions. The center also includes video wall technology. 

 

Provo - Influencer Training by VITALSMARTS, a provider of corporate training and organizational performance products and services, was named one of the 2009 Top Training Products of the Year by Human Resource Executive magazine. Influencer Training teaches organizations a powerful step-by-step approach to solve entrenched problems by creating rapid and sustainable behavior change. 

 

Orem - GSBS ARCHITECTS was selected to design a 160,000-square-foot science building at UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY. Pending state approval on construction, the completed facility will complement the current 80,000-square-foot Pope Science Building, creating a single science complex on the campus. It will also provide space for laboratories, classrooms and faculty offices for the departments of biotechnology, biology, botany, biochemistry, physics, zoology, microbiology, forensics, anatomy/physiology and earth science.

 

Pleasant Grove - SHADE CLOTHING celebrated its fifth anniversary by awarding new wardrobes to five deserving women. Local winners included Jill Taula of Layton, who organized a relief effort to send supplies to tsunami victims in Samoa. During Shade Clothing’s five years in business, the company has grown from providing two basic layering tops to offering nearly 50 styles. 

 

Lindon - ACCESSDATA and E-FENSE formed a partnership to bring together AccessData’s computer forensic technology, development and distribution capabilities with the e-fense product portfolio. Under the agreement terms, AccessData will become an OEM development and support partner for e-fense’s entire product portfolio, including Live Response and the Helix solutions, and AccessData will become an authorized reseller of these products.

 

OREM - SHIRLEY J, an exclusive food products company, launched its products to individual consumers. Established in 1978 by food products inventor, Don Smith, Shirley J specializes in just-add-water sauces, bakery mixes and soup bases, and previously sold its products solely to restaurants and chefs. Shirley J is located at 15 E. 400 South.

 

 

Southern

 

St. George - The WASHINGTON COUNTY RESOURCE & REENTRY CENTER is preparing inmates at PURGATORY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY in Hurricane for life beyond the prison walls. Volunteers provide mentoring for inmates, offer various classes and assist in finding housing and jobs for newly released men and women.

 

Cedar City - The GARDEN COTTAGE BED AND BREAKFAST was selected again as Best in the Rockies in the annual Best of BedandBreakfast.com awards for 2009. The Best of BedandBreakfast.com awards are based upon a qualitative and quantitative review of nearly 50,000 reviews submitted to BedandBreakfast.com, an online B&B directory and reservation network worldwide.

 

St. George - After more than a year of fundraising and building, DOG PATCH, a newly developed dog park, is open for SunRiver residents. Volunteers and residents raised $7,000 and planted more than 50 small trees and bushes for the park. SUNRIVER WOOKWORKING CLUB constructed a handmade bench for the park and SUNRIVER DEVELOPMENT donated an additional $5,000 to build the .6-acre enclosed park. Local businesses donated free landscape design services and discounted supplies. SunRiver Development also helped coordinate the construction of the fence, irrigation, planting, shade structure and paths. 

 

eBay Accepts Incentive to Expand 

Salt Lake City - EBAY INC., a leader in e-commerce and payments, officially accepted an incentive offered by the State of Utah to further expand its global customer support operations.

“The expansion of our customer service operations is not only a reflection of our great working relationship with the State of Utah, but our continued commitment to improving the customer experience at eBay,” says Chad O’Meara, vice president of customer service. “We have attracted and retained a quality workforce in Utah over the past 10 years, and we appreciate the ongoing community and economic support from the State of Utah.”

“EBay has been an important part of the Utah business community for 10 years and this expansion of their customer service operations brings a welcome increase in quality jobs for our workforce and it underscores the continuing world class productivity of that workforce,” says Spencer Eccles, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

Others involved in this project agree that this announcement is significant and comes at a great time for the state.

“We are thrilled about eBay’s continued commitment to Utah and Draper City for this important expansion of their customer support operation,” says Jeff Edwards, president and CEO of Economic Development Corporation of Utah. “The company’s decade-long presence in Utah as a place to expand is truly a reflection of the coordinated efforts of both Utah’s private business sector and local and state government.”

 

 

HCI Researchers Develop Treatment for Rare Skin Condition

Salt Lake City - Researchers at HUNTSMAN CANCER INSTITUTE, in collaboration with a worldwide group of physicians and scientists, have discovered a remarkable treatment for a rare and yet debilitating skin condition.

In a recent study, researchers describe treatment for pachyonychia congenita, an extremely rare genetic skin condition caused by mutations in keratin. The disorder is characterized by painful, blistering calluses on the feet and limbs that limit a patient’s ability to walk. Other skin and nail problems also occur.

The new treatment involves a relatively new class of drug called siRNA, and works by preventing the mutated gene from being expressed while also permitting the healthy keratin genes to function normally. The study marked the first time that the skin of a human subject was treated with this type of drug. Researchers report that the drug had no serious side effects, and has vast potential because of its ability to specifically and potently target single molecules, making it an option for many other genetic diseases, including cancer.

“The result is exceptionally promising since it suggests that siRNAs can be used safely on the skin and also possibly to treat genetic disorders that would otherwise have few therapeutic options,” says Sancy Leachman, M.D., Ph.D., the study’s lead author. “The patient was treated with siRNA on her right foot and with placebo on the left foot. The callus on the right foot that received the siRNA fell off at the site of injection, but this did not happen on the left foot.”

Since the injections of the drug are particularly painful, the next step in the research will be to develop a more patient friendly treatment. This study marks a major collaborative accomplishment among international physicians, scientists, pharmaceutical companies and charitable foundation members.

OWATC Celebrates Groundbreaking 

Ogden - OGDEN-WEBER APPLIED TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE (OWATC) held a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the new Samuel H. and Marian K. Barker Family Health Technology building. Once construction is complete, the 88,000-square-foot building will double the college’s capacity for training and job placement for the college’s current 12 health care occupation programs. The college now serves approximately 600 health care trainees each year. 

OKLAND CONSTRUCTION and GSBS ARCHITECTS were selected to build the project, with completion scheduled for the summer of 2011. Okland Construction and GSBS Architects have designed a sustainable facility situated on the OWATC campus that will offer spectacular views, open spaces and efficient usability for students, staff and the community. When complete, the building is slated to receive LEED-Gold certification.

The Utah State Legislature awarded the college $21.9 million for the building during the 2009 session, partly in recognition of the $1 million in private funding raised by the OWATC Foundation for instructional equipment. The new building will be named in the memory of Samuel H. and Marian K. Barker through the generosity of lead donors and the Samuel C. and Myra G. Powell Foundation. Other major donors include the Cross Charitable Foundation, the George S. and Delores Doré Eccles Foundation, the American Dream Foundation, McKay-Dee Hospital Foundation, Ogden Regional Medical Center and the Stewart Education Foundation. More than 50 donors have contributed to the equipment fund to date, including college faculty and staff. 

“The health occupation programs at the college have continued to grow over the past 18 years largely due to the outstanding faculty, staff and students who have worked diligently to develop premier programs that meet the needs of the health care industry in Weber County,” says Jim Taggart, vice president for instructional services. “It will be wonderful to finally have a facility that will match the caliber of students and faculty we have on our campus.”


Built by Crowell