Each of Utah’s 29 counties offers unique advantages for businesses and talent alike. Let’s visit Wasatch County.

Tony Kohler, the community development director for Heber City, has three adult children who have all grown up and moved out on their own. Then, last year, they all came back.

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“[They] couldn’t quite make it,” Kohler says. “All three of them said, ‘I love Heber. I don’t want to move, but help me understand what options I have.’ It’s frustrating being in my position, you know? Kids, be patient. We’re working on it.”

As the community development director, Kohler works closely with many of Heber City’s commissions and councils to find, plan and implement solutions for various community problems. One of the largest topics of discussion is affordable housing.

To put it plainly, “We do not have affordable housing,” Kohler says. “We’re in a crisis mode.”

Outpriced everywhere

Heber Valley is not alone. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox listed housing as a focus for the 2026 legislative session in his 2026 State of the State speech. The crisis isn’t new; research from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute shows that not since 2017 has the price of a starter home dropped below $200,000.

According to Dallin Koecher, the executive director of Heber Valley Tourism & Economic Development for Wasatch County, the current median sales price of a home in Heber Valley is $1.2 million, while the median household income is roughly $130,000 — and that’s based on homes with two incomes.

When Koecher does the math, taking household income and multiplying it by three to see how much house the median buyer can afford, it’s barely $400,000.

“There’s no home that price here in Wasatch County,” he says.

Renting is no different. Kohler’s oldest son, now 26, has spent years moving between Heber, Kamas, Midway, Provo, Springville and Salt Lake City, searching for affordable, stable housing where he can keep his dog. Kohler says his son’s rent is often more expensive than his own mortgage.

His daughter, attending nursing school, cycled through housing instability as rising rents, unstable expenses and roommate challenges took their toll.

“When you’re 20-something, you don’t have $1,000 in reserve,” he says. “If somebody leans on you for $150 or $800 — game over.”

Kohler’s youngest son recently earned a certificate from Snow College and is excited to start a career in the local ski industry. However, Kohler fears the pay, even with some seasonal housing options, won’t be enough for him to truly survive in the area.

The cost of losing a generation

With affordable options few and far between, Kohler is seeing many of Heber Valley’s youth, including his own children, consider leaving the state.

“My oldest son, part of his plan, is moving. He doesn’t want to move, but he’s saying, ‘I can go down to Texas and, for half the price, I can afford something, and it might even be on five acres. I have to move out of state,’” Kohler says. “I’m both proud of him, … but I’m also sad that that’s what we as a state have decided that we’re going to do.”

With the young people of Heber Valley struggling to stay afloat and now beginning to move away to more affordable areas, Koecher’s concerns have centered on the local economy.

“One of the biggest risks or hurdles for economic stability and growth is not land prices, which are expensive, … [it’s] who is going to start a business?” Koecher says. “Where are you going to find people to work in those spaces?”

As he is approached by current or new residents interested in starting or building companies in the area, Koecher says he is thrilled, but concerned that soon the housing market will become an insurmountable stumbling block. “We need jobs. We need all those kinds of things. But have you looked at the housing market? … I don’t want people to show up here, build their facility and then say, ‘Oh wait, I can’t pay my employees enough to live here.’”

While commuting is an option for some, Kohler says essential workers like teachers, police officers and plow truck drivers need to be local and available.

Multi-prong solutions

To Koecher, the housing crisis in Heber Valley is a “multi-pronged problem.” The best way to solve it: “a multi-prong solution.” He suggests everything from employer partnerships with developers, down payment assistance and alternative ownership models as options for relieving the pressure. One possible solution might also be self-help housing, where families can help build their own homes, reducing construction costs and using “sweat equity” as a down payment.

Meanwhile, Kohler and Heber City are experimenting with new zoning approaches that would allow for more density without changing the character of neighborhoods. He hopes the changes will encourage more mixed-use housing, accessory dwelling units and even “mansion-style” homes — large homes that look like one house but actually contain several apartment units.

The city of Heber has considered buying its own land to provide cheaper housing and is currently in the process of negotiating a contract with the Forest Service for a 99-year lease that would allow the city to then re-lease the land to a developer in the private sector.

“[The developer] would develop for single-family [homes] or townhomes on that property,” Kohler says, happily announcing that their developer has reached out to the Forest Service and he fully expects progress on this prong of the solution soon.

Change for the better

Despite the need for housing reform, Kohler says the NIMBY (not in my backyard) movement has killed many proposals in Heber Valley. While the city works against its local resistance to change, however, it feels the impact of a statewide aversion to density and housing solutions.

“It’s not fair that cities like Herber City and others who have a big heart are thwarted by other cities who are not going to do it,” Kohler says. “We’re a community of 20,000. … It’s a lot more challenging for us to make a dent in the statewide problem than it is for communities like Salt Lake or Provo or Orem. … We’re hopeful that the legislature keeps putting pressure on the Wasatch front to take the bulk of this because rural Utah cannot.”

Heber Valley will continue its all-of-the-above approach, celebrating each win as it comes. Most recently, Koecher says the Wasatch County government performed a wage study and made applicable adjustments to help support all county employees.

“I’m optimistic because people are still moving here. People are still finding jobs here. It’s still happening,” Koecher says. “I’m just afraid that if we don’t continue to invest in our community, we could become a bedroom community.”

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Built to absorb: DRYOUT’s evolution from direct-to-consumer experiment to OEM growth engine

“Food was an easier path for me,” she says, explaining that her experience was technical, but she dreamt of incorporating more creativity into her profession. That hope led to: “Let me just start my own business and figure out if we can even manufacture.”

Since 2013, Kapsandoy has crafted spices and seasonings to focus on health, family and home-cooked food. Her passion built Amboseli Foods — and its child company, USimplySeason — from a home-kitchen hobby into an industrial manufacturing facility, and they aren’t stopping there. The company is looking to partner with other local food entrepreneurs to enter the sauces space and is building an entire online community around cooking, called the “Flavorverse.”

Know your numbers

Kapsandoy learned many lessons over the last 13 years of entrepreneurship. Her biggest tip for anyone starting their own founder journey: Know your numbers.

“Definitely know your numbers. … It is the most boring stuff, but it is one area that you definitely, definitely need to know and understand,” she advises.

As the company went from a kitchen to an industrial facility and from Etsy to Amazon, Kapsandoy realized her passion for the project would not pay the bills. To thrive, she steadily learned the basics of cash flow, product pricing and daily operating costs. Even a successful creative venture requires technical knowledge and skill.

“I think understanding what your cash flow is enables you to know what you need to do to not only stay competitive, but to pivot if you need,” she says.

As growth required Kapsandoy to delegate more and more tasks, she eventually hired accountants and bookkeepers to support her efforts. However, she didn’t delegate the entire mental load to her newly hired help — and she certainly doesn’t recommend doing so.

“I have bookkeepers, but just because you get bookkeepers and accountants, doesn’t mean you don’t keep an eye on what’s going on,” she explains.

The trade-offs of personal funding

A large part of Kapsandoy’s focus on the finances came because she was determined to self-finance her venture. Like cooking, business can be personal and a person’s company can be a reflection of themself. Kapsandoy worried that bringing on investors would incur pressure to expand or take the company down business avenues she didn’t agree with faster than she felt comfortable.

“You have to be aware; yes, there are opportunities out there, but what do you want your brand to be?” she asks, noting that, to her, bringing on investors posed the threat of bringing on unsustainable or unnatural growth to the company.

Even without investors, Kapsandoy faced pressure to expand into a bigger facility early on in her journey. At the time, the company experienced a growth spike and she did a commercial with Amazon. The thought of moving to a bigger space began to float around. While exciting, Kapsandoy said the fact that she is the sole owner and funder of the company kept her cautious — which is something she doesn’t regret.

“We looked at expanding into another space, but by the end, I [saw that the growth was] slowing down,” she recalls. “All those [financial] lessons came into play. … It looks good and everything, but maybe this is not the right time to expand.”

“Don’t ask me which spices I use, but I use quite a few in there. It just makes it easy. That’s my thing. That’s my goal. Make it easy.”

Sylvia Kapsandoy

Instead, Kapsandoy focused on saving the extra income and investing in her business, improving inefficiencies, paying employees higher wages and preparing her company to be nimble for future changes and challenges.

Her vision is clear and if it means growing slowly to keep it in focus, she doesn’t mind. “There’s a case for patience,” she says.

Give the customers what they want

USimplySeason’s spices cover a wide range. Many are classics you may own and love already: Sumac, Mint, Chinese Five Spice. Others are more unique creations based on Kapsandoy’s Kenyan childhood and roots. She likes to tell a story through her food, but sometimes her majority-American audience can’t handle the heat.

“One of our No. 1 seasonings is Togarashi, which is the Japanese seven-spice. When we started making and selling it, a review came in,” she says. “This guy wrote like a full paragraph. … He liked it, but it was too hot; the whole narrative, I just started laughing.”

From that specific review, Kapsandoy went back to the drawing board and reformulated the company’s version of the spice to have less heat. She says they even added a few other things and that the current version of the spice fits the target flavor profile better than ever.

Togarashi has been a bestseller ever since.

Introducing the Flavorverse

Not one to forget a lesson, Kapsandoy’s next frontier for Amboseli Foods is called the Flavorverse. She says the platform will be an online community for “like-minded people who actually buy and use our product.”

Members will be sorted into groups based on their style of cooking and will help create active cohorts by sharing recipes, cooking techniques and releasing new flavor combinations to elevate everyone’s food. Kapsandoy hopes the platform will be a starting point for anyone new to cooking and a wealth of knowledge and creativity for those looking to add more spice to their meals. Subscribers may even get to innovate on spice blends, allowing Kapsandoy to gather community feedback like never before.

In many ways, the Flavorverse is just a scaled-up version of Kapsandoy’s personal approach to cooking: Keep it simple, experiment often and let flavor do the heavy lifting. Kapsandoy often jokes that she’s the laziest cook in the world; it’s easy to just add spices!

“My husband always thinks I’m the best cook in the world,” Kapsandoy says. “Don’t ask me which spices I use, but I use quite a few in there. It just makes it easy. That’s my thing. That’s my goal. Make it easy.”

A Q&A with Rosette Bahati, founder of Rosette’s Beignets and Mandazi and winner of the GK Folks Entrepreneurship Award 2025

Panicked, he rushed to Best Buy looking for a way to save his tech and his wallet, but the best solution the employees could provide was a bowl of rice. He tried it. It didn’t work. He was out $1,200.

Built on trails, powered by people

A few days later, Harris found himself wearing a moisture-wicking workout shirt while eating a bag of beef jerky. At the bottom of the bag, his fingers found the silica gel packet that holds moisture and prevents food from molding. This was his lightbulb moment.

Harris immediately thought of his phone trouble and couldn’t help but wonder if a pouch made of moisture-wicking fabric and silica gel could have saved him. Without any formal product design training, Harris created and patented the wet electronics rescue pouch. The pouch pulls moisture from devices, traps it and releases it when later exposed to sunlight, controlled heat or airflow.

Harris started two companies — Absorbits and BONE-DRI — to sell his new technology. Absorbits focused on the wet electronics rescue pouch, and BONE-DRI created gun sleeves to help protect firearms from rust and corrosion. A few large business deals came in, so Harris invested in building an inventory.

Soon after, the world went into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and all sales were driven online. Harris, having little e-commerce experience, knew he had an amazing product, but he needed help getting it to the people who needed it. He joined startup accelerator RevRoad as a portfolio company and met Romney Williams.

Williams did his undergrad in Utah, developing an “insatiable appetite to lock arms with smart people and build something special,” he says. After school, he joined an MIT spin-off company that had invented a CMOS image sensor, a digital imaging sensor that would initially be used in digital cameras and eventually exist everywhere: cars, computers and phones.

“They were an ingredient brand similar to Intel inside a computer or GORE-TEX inside a ski jacket,” Williams explains. “That was our business model.”

The experience led Williams to join three more companies as CEO or president. At the beginning of the COVID shutdown, he was looking for his next role and was introduced to Derrin Hill, co-founder and CEO of RevRoad. Hill learned about Williams’ history of partnering with founders who have visions to disrupt major industries but don’t necessarily want to be CEOs. Naturally, Hill immediately told Williams about DRYOUT.

“When I met Elliot and learned about the technology, … the vision I saw for the company was: don’t carry inventory, don’t try to convince people they need it. Adopt this ingredient-brand strategy, an OEM [Original Equipment Manufacturer] business model, similar to GORE-TEX, selling to Arc’teryx and North Face and Patagonia,” Williams recalls.

Now the CEO of DRYOUT, Williams successfully transitioned the brand from a direct-to-consumer model and is excited to announce upcoming partnerships with Pelican Products and UAG, where DRYOUT technology will be a core ingredient in new products.

“[UAG is] doing a phone rescue pouch. What’s really cool about that is literally the founding story was a phone pouch,” Williams says. “The fact that we have a tier one brand that sells in Best Buy, launching a fully enhanced version of it is really exciting for us.”

Support breeds success

When Williams joined the company, it was bleeding cash, struggling to offload inventory. Although he knew how to build the company into an ingredient-based business and was confident in its success, the inventory overhead was constantly shrinking the runway and cash flow. The situation was dire — and stressful.

Eventually, Williams called a board meeting to pitch his vision, asking Harris and the board for their full support to continue.

“The board was amazing. They said, ‘We agree, but figure out how to sell this inventory,’” Williams says. “I had a very supportive and patient board and very patient investors in those early years.”

Even more importantly, Williams had the support of his spouse. “If you have a spouse or a life partner, … make sure that you are aligned,” Williams advises, saying it’s vital to have open and honest conversations about what risks you and your family can and are willing to take.

“[We will be] partnering with, hopefully dozens, if not hundreds, of brand partners around the world.”

Romney Williams

Williams’ wife has encouraged him through his entrepreneurship journey. During one of the more challenging times at DRYOUT, she worked full-time for a year for the company without pay.

“She just said, ‘Romney, it’s not about the compensation. Obviously, it would be great if either of us could get paid, but I believe in you and in the vision and in the technology and in the opportunity, so I’m happy to help,’” Williams recalls. “It truly was a moment where I felt very, very fortunate. I would have cracked if I had been on my own.”

Thinking inside the box

To shift DRYOUT’s trajectory toward becoming an OEM, Williams began meeting with CEOs and companies he thought would be a good fit. Through the process, DRYOUT partnered with the University of Utah’s chemical engineering department to conduct third-party performance testing on the product. The partnership provided insights to the company, but even more confidence to future partners and buyers.

Williams also began conducting customer surveys, finding that 79% of people in America reported an issue with a phone getting wet. These and other statistics further illustrated the product’s value.

The final evolution came when Williams realized production time was keeping partners from jumping in. He quickly decided to offer turnkey product design, product development and production oversight to DRYOUT’s customers.

Having data and information at the ready when meeting with new partners allowed Williams and DRYOUT to build the offering’s framework. With all production services covered, prospective companies ran wild with the possibilities of applying DRYOUT technology. Saying “yes” was easy.

“The marketing was more engaging in conversations with brands. CEOs had their product, [and we could say] ‘Here’s what’s possible with this technology. How could it apply to your world?’” Williams says. “Speed to launch is really important. We always want to shorten that path.”

These efforts have brought on upcoming partnerships with Pelican Products and UAG, with many more companies waiting in the wings. Williams says his goal for the company is to be in every household in North America by 2033. With him at the head and Elliot serving on the board, DRYOUT’s direction has never been clearer.

“I wouldn’t call it a pivot. I’d call it an evolution or graduation from a consumer product company to being an ingredient brand,” Williams says. “[We will be] partnering with, hopefully dozens, if not hundreds, of brand partners around the world.”

Tariff strains and national park funding cuts pose challenges for Utah’s outdoor outfitters

Each of Utah’s 29 counties offers unique advantages for businesses and talent alike. Let’s visit Sevier County.

Rural Utah counties have previously relied on single industries to thrive, like coal, agriculture and tourism, which have made the rounds and continue to be mainstays in certain areas. As Utah prepares for the 2034 Winter Olympics, and urban counties consider the benefits of tech as outlandish as flying cars, many rural counties are modernizing as well — by diversifying.

A beach, in Utah?

In Sevier County, legacy industries are being reinforced with new investments into trail infrastructure that serves both residents and visitors. These recreational and practical paths have been steadily built over the last few decades into an interconnected economic asset.

The county’s economy has long relied on agriculture and energy. According to Greg Jensen, Sevier County Commissioner, the county currently generates more than $300 million annually in agricultural receipts and is also Utah’s largest coal-producing county. Mining jobs alone support a wide network of trucking, service and supply positions.

But while those industries remain foundational, county leaders have intentionally diversified by investing in outdoor recreation infrastructure — not as a tourism add-on, but as a complementary economic strategy.

“About 20 years ago, we went through an exercise to identify the county’s brand,” Malcolm Nash, Sevier County’s economic development director, says. “What came out of that exercise … was this brand of ‘Utah’s Trail Country’ because we have the ATV trails. … We realized, let’s keep going on that theme of Utah’s Trail Country; and that’s what we’ve been building.”

From dealership to destination

Dennis Jorgensen, owner and operator of Jorgensen Powersport, has been a Honda dealer in Richfield, Utah, since 1962. When ATVs emerged in the early 1980s, Sevier County’s geography made their value immediately clear to his business.

“We have a lot of mountain areas, riding areas. We have a lot of hunting and fishing, and we have a lot of agriculture,” Jorgensen says. “The farmers found that [ATVs] were very beneficial for them to run around their fields, and the hunters and the fishermen could get into new, hard-to-reach areas, … so we’ve capitalized on that.”

Jorgensen, an avid mountain biker himself, became heavily involved in the creation of the county’s trail system in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. He personally donated funds and, with the help of other community members, persuaded the city and county to match contributions. The result was enough capital to hire grant writers, engineers and trail builders to develop a system that now rivals nationally known destinations.

“In my opinion, we have better mountain bike trails than Moab or Colorado or anybody in the country,” Jorgensen says.

Trail tourists now arrive every March and continue to visit until snow falls, filling hotels, restaurants and gas stations while supporting local service businesses. Jorgensen Powersports alone employs about 60 people and provides powersports, bicycles, sporting goods, trailers and even a bowling alley for guests and locals alike.

Trails that work for locals, too

For local leaders, trail investment has always served two audiences: visitors seeking experiences and residents building daily life. Jensen notes that while tourists visit for adrenaline-filled recreation, the county ensures that equal care and attention are given to paved bike paths and pedestrian connections.

“We connect families,” Jensen says. “Mothers going for a walk with their children or a family riding their bikes through our communities — that builds community spirit.”

To date, Sevier County has constructed 26.92 miles of pedestrian pathways, investing more than $11.5 million over 25 years. Another 4.32 miles are slated for development in 2026-2027, bringing the total to just over 31 miles. The long-term vision is connectivity, eventually allowing residents and visitors to bicycle nearly the entire length of the county, from Redmond in the north to Big Rock Candy Mountain in the south.

The county’s trail portfolio now includes ATV routes, mountain bike systems, paved paths, equestrian trails, BMX and pump tracks, and even paragliding launch access points that host international competitions.

“Come find your trail,” Nash says. “We’re building the infrastructure so that people can experience something on a trail, however they define it.”

Economic return and shared responsibility

That infrastructure generates measurable fiscal returns. Increased visitation has driven growth in Sevier County’s transient room tax and restaurant tax, providing revenue that can now be reinvested into emergency services, search and rescue, and law enforcement. These funds provide critical support in a county where visitors place added strain on rural systems.

Recent legislative changes allow tourism-generated tax dollars to fund those services, reducing the burden on local residents.

“It’s a very typical business model,” Nash says. “We have the infrastructure and events for people to come here, stay for a weekend and spend a few dollars having a great experience. … It’s a mutual deal that works out for everybody.”

Jensen points to the rise of ancillary businesses, such as bike shops, ATV repair, equine services and e-commerce operations, as evidence of how trails create economic ripple effects similar to traditional industries.

“One miner can support up to 12 other jobs,” he says. “These trails can do the same thing.”

A long game that pays off

Sevier County’s approach to developing its trail and tourist industry has been incremental, collaborative and deliberately rural-minded. Federal land agencies, state partners, local businesses and private citizens have all played roles. The result is a recreation economy that complements rather than replaces agriculture, mining and manufacturing.

For Jorgensen, the value is straightforward.

“[The trails] bring people to our community to spend money, and that’s a big economic boost,” he says.

Tariff strains and national park funding cuts pose challenges for Utah’s outdoor outfitters

Each of Utah’s 29 counties offers unique advantages for businesses and talent alike. Let’s visit Rich County.

Utah’s world-renowned landscape boasts mountains covered in “The Greatest Snow on Earth,” five national parks featuring gigantic red rock cliffs and naturally occurring arches, and the largest inland body of salt water in the Western Hemisphere. Despite the landlocked state’s arid desert climate, Utah even manages to host over 1,000 fishable lakes and plenty of well-known spots for swimming and boating.

Training your workforce with Custom Fit

Rich County won the geographical lottery and contains half of Bear Lake, one of Utah’s most popular spots for water recreation. The lake’s tourism draw earned it a $62 million marina expansion in May.

According to Shawn Milne, director of community and economic development and intergovernmental affairs for the Bear River Association of Governments, the state’s significant investment in the marina is an acknowledgement of the area’s growth and a sign that now is the time to plan and prepare for an economic boom.

Step one: balancing long-term, year-round business growth with short-term, warm-weather tourism.

“Both Bear Lake County, Idaho, and Rich County, Utah — each having about half the lake inside their jurisdiction — realize the asset that they have in their midst,” Milne says. “They realize that it’s the anchor for the outdoor recreation draw and tourism economy, and so they want to make sure that the tourism industry and the agricultural industry can [coexist].”

Taking on tourism

While agriculture remains the county’s dominant industry, claiming roughly 11% of economic output, tourism is a major part of the economy. During the offseason, Milne says the county currently has about 4,000 residents, a number already double that of the 2020 census, which counted 2,510. When summer comes, the area will host a staggering 35,000-40,000 people each holiday weekend.

The sudden growth each summer can be difficult for the area to handle. Milne says county leadership often looks to examples like Park City and Moab for solutions to manage the drastic influx.

“Bear Lake is coming to the realization that we can either, more expensively, retroactively, try to think about our growth after it’s already happened to us, or, as this [marina] project envisions, we can try to own it right at the top,” Milne explains.

Rich County began to see growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. As remote work grew and professionals dispersed from city centers, Garden City, the largest town in the county, saw over 80% of its homes become secondary residences. Milne says many of the homes are rented out as Airbnbs or VRBOs to tourists and remote workers.

While rental units support the area’s tourism economy, transient residents can make it difficult for permanent residents to build community. To help manage the quality of rentals available from the beginning and preserve community benefits, Garden City requires all short-term rentals to be licensed through the city.

Tami Leonhardt, the Rich County and Bear Lake County executive director of tourism for the Bear Lake Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, says, “The city has kind of controlled the short-term rentals so that they don’t take over everything. … The visitor numbers — you cannot track them. … There are so many VRBOs and places to rent here.”

The licensing also helps the county collect and track transient room taxes (TRT), an essential income for rural counties handling large swaths of tourism. In 2021, Rich County totaled a little less than $860,000 in TRT for the entire year. There were some winter months in the last five years that only garnered a couple of thousand dollars. In 2025, however, the county totaled $1,324,323.

Getting back to your roots

As the county welcomes more tourists and TRT funds, locals worry there may need to be trade-offs. Nikki Weston, chair of the Rich County Economic Development Board, says her team is committed to making growth work for everyone.

“We have two separate business models here in the county. We’ve got tourism, and we’ve got agriculture,” she explains. “For the past four or five years, we have been doing small business grants, trying to build business here in the county. … We have lots of business here in the summer and not so many in the winter. This year, our goal is to try to increase full-time, year-round employment [with the grants].”

“Before, we didn’t have a big grocery store. We didn’t have a big hardware store. We didn’t have a bank here in town. … Now there are restaurants, … souvenirs … and new roads.”

Tami Leonhardt

Recently, the board used one of its small business grants to help a local horse trainer build a barn that allows him to work through the winter. “He hired a local girl who wants to be a horse trainer, and she works with him,” Weston says. “Eventually, it will be [a full-time position the grants helped create]. Right now, she’s in school and gets to come home and work in the winter.”

By weighting the small business grants toward full-time residents, employers and business owners, Weston says the board is seeing heritage enterprises diversify, adding year-round commerce options such as creating recreational trails on unused farmland.

“Our offseason is growing each year, and you’ll see that in the numbers,” Leonhardt says, referencing the county’s January TRT going from $24,000 in 2021 to $62,000 in 2025. “Before, we didn’t have a big grocery store. We didn’t have a big hardware store. We didn’t have a bank here in town. … Now there are restaurants, … souvenirs … and new roads.”

Randolph, Utah, the county seat, will even be gaining a new custom cabinetry shop. Weston’s board is looking into how its grants can support the company as it starts operations.

“A cabinet company is going to bring 15 full-time employees to the county. We’re going to set aside some money to help them with some infrastructure up there,” Weston says. “We’re just trying to help make his life a little easier as an incentive there. … If we help him get the infrastructure up there, it will expand.”

As the economy and population continue to develop, staying ahead of the curve with careful planning and purposeful allocation of resources will allow residents of Rich County to avoid growing pains and simply enjoy the stretch.

Where co-ops meet crude

Four years ago, a construction and materials company in Washington County was struggling to hire employees for a niche job: drivers for cement trucks. In-house training was expensive and required significant upkeep. Then the company learned of a program that helps businesses create custom training at a reduced cost. It turns out the program, Custom Fit, has been helping companies for decades.

A Friday off that pays off

Utah is the No. 1 state in the country, and the state’s economic and fiscal stability are among the many standout categories that got us there. While Salt Lake and Utah counties are recognized as urban hubs for business, thriving ecosystems across the state have been utilizing Custom Fit to upskill employees and remain competitive.

Custom Fit provides reduced-cost, customized training for Utah employees “through a dynamic partnership between Utah System of Higher Education Custom Fit institutions, the state of Utah, and local businesses.” In 2025, the program supported 1,847 companies, with 80% considered small companies, and 300 companies self-reporting as rural. However, according to a 2025 report from the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, Utah has 371,569 small businesses, meaning only 0.4% of Utah’s small businesses are taking advantage of this program.

Fill workforce gaps

Custom Fit has been training employees in Utah for 40 years. Each year, the Utah Legislature appropriates funds to cover 40% of businesses’ training costs conducted through the Custom Fit program. This means companies upskilling employees through Custom Fit pay a fraction of the cost for the same education. In 2025, most Custom Fit trainings were provided to companies in the construction, advanced manufacturing and life sciences sectors.

In Washington County, Suncore Construction & Materials is one of many construction companies utilizing the Custom Fit program. Jeremy Christensen, the ready-mix operations manager for the St. George, Hurricane and Mesquite areas, says he found the program around four years ago when he was struggling to hire enough drivers for cement trucks.

Initially, his team attempted to train drivers in-house. After the first round, however, they realized their process was too expensive and time-consuming to upkeep. Christensen, having previously hired drivers from Dixie Technical College’s CDL program, set up a meeting with the college to see if they could help.

“They said, ‘Our Class B program is three and a half weeks to four weeks long,’” Christensen explains. “We [needed] it condensed. … We didn’t want to have this long duration of employees getting paid to go to school — that’s just too much money. Then they said, ‘We have this program called Custom Fit. … We can build a program for you, and then we can reimburse you for the money for the tuition on a percentage basis.’”

That changed everything. Christensen says from that point on, he has worked closely with Dixie Tech to build programs to train around 30 employees.

“Custom Fit as a whole — it’s a fantastic thing to have, and it’s benefited us like crazy,” he says. “We’re going to try to utilize it in all different areas now, not just with our licensing.”

Customized training for company pain points

As of 2024, Washington County’s estimated population was 207,943 people. While the fifth largest county in Utah by population, local employers can still struggle to find qualified, trained employees — an issue that intensifies for each county in Utah lower on the list. Custom Fit solves this pain point by alleviating the upskilling costs for companies’ current employees.

Marie Bowcut, director of Custom Fit at Dixie Technical College, helps local businesses create the exact training programs they need to bring new employees up to speed or continue the education of long-time workers. Bowcut has organized trainings on specialized machinery and helped sign up employees for CPR classes — no training is too big or too small.

“I like to meet with the customer and find out what the issues are,” Bowcut says, explaining that for one company, “instead of hiring engineers, we took their welders and trained them to become engineers and run the machines.” For another company, Bowcut helped implement the Toyota kaizen program among employees to improve efficiency in a manufacturing plant.

“Being rural, you don’t necessarily have access to [a large] workforce,” she says. But that doesn’t have to be a barrier anymore. “With Custom Fit, you can train and upskill the employees you have.”

If Dixie Tech doesn’t have the exact training or instructors available, companies can find available trainings they’d like employees to take on their own and still apply for the 40% reimbursement from the Custom Fit program.

Elise Bunnell, the accounts payable clerk at RAM Aviation, Space & Defense, helps coordinate Custom Fit trainings for her company. Being a rural company handling highly technical work, the program’s flexibility is essential for RAM’s employees.

“Most of our training is not local; it’s either online or employees have to travel somewhere. If we didn’t have the ability for that, there would be a lot of lost training for our company,” Bunnell says, emphasizing the benefit of the 40% tuition reimbursements.

“Finding the right trainer for businesses like RAM, where everything is so complex and precise, we leave it up to them because nobody knows their business better than they do,” Bowcut says.

Enhance performance, boost profits

Jeff Staples, CEO of S&S Group of Companies, estimates he’s had hundreds of employees go through trainings with the help of Custom Fit. Every time one of the S&S companies adds a new machine or process, Staples says they consult with Bowcut at Custom Fit to bring in experts to train employees. Each time, he sees increased efficiency and increased profit.

“The more we’re trained, the more we see things as processes, and we have confidence that we can implement and affect change in positive ways,” he says. “We have roughly the same head count at S&S as we did 10 years ago, but our throughput is three-and-a-half to five times more.”

Even if you don’t have a training in mind yet, reach out to your local Custom Fit office to see how they can support your employee training needs. For Washington County, Bowcut’s experience in building trainings and connecting with local business owners has given her a wide network of people and resources she leverages to support local businesses.

“If it doesn’t impact our ability to leverage the grants,” Staples jokes, “I would definitely recommend reaching out to Marie and helping her understand your pain points. … She puts people together, and there’s a lot of value in that.”

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Each trip West exposed more of the market gap, and eventually, the couple realized their appreciation and understanding of what was missing made them perfectly positioned to offer it.

While still in New York, Dan and Mike began meeting regularly on Saturday afternoons at their local gym’s co-working space to map out a hypothetical business plan. From the beginning, they knew their studio needed to inspire.

“For us, it was about going to a place where you felt it was an occasion, like something special that warranted this elevated experience because of the way you felt when you walked in,” Cooney says. “We used to say our litmus test for that was: Would you feel comfortable walking around barefoot?”

In a typical gym, going barefoot would be unheard of. In this new type of studio, however, Cooney says they wanted to provide customers with not just a killer cycling workout, but the same high-quality products they used at home — luxurious towels, deodorant, hair ties, shampoo, conditioner, razors, blowdryers — in a space that felt like home. From the spacious locker rooms to the curated scent as you walk through the door, Barney and Cooney planned to bring a new level of comfort and elegance to their space.

In 2018, the first Torrent Cycle studio opened in downtown Salt Lake City. Today, the three locations in the Salt Lake Valley demonstrate the demand for high-end, curated experiences.

“We’ve had several riders hit 1,000 rides,” Cooney says. “In the next month or so, we will have our first person with 2,000 rides.”

Know who you are

To ensure Torrent met Barney and Cooney’s high expectations for cycling from the very beginning, Cooney dug into his fashion retail background to develop a strong brand baseline. The first thing Torrent needed was a mission statement.

“We spent a lot of time in those first few weeks going through our mission statement and being very particular about the wording, being very clear about exactly what we want to say,” Cooney says. That statement has since helped guide the company through every major decision.

From there, Barney and Cooney meticulously created mood boards and designed every meticulous detail of their gym and brand. As important as branding is, it’s not the branding itself that is valuable, Cooney says; it’s knowing who you are and what you want to do.

“We were able to do this very inexpensively,” he explains. “But what helped was that we were super defined about what we wanted it to be. … We were tuned in to what we wanted from the beginning.” Consistency and clarity in values that “ring true to your customer” will always be more important at Torrent than a “big, flashy logo.”

Community as a strategy

Outside of the actual studio experience, Cooney says the founders’ main focus is community. Initially, the community and company grew organically, and the founders reinforced the growth with various ads in magazines, on billboards and on social media, but found that nothing worked as well as word of mouth.

“If it were just a workout class, I don’t think they would come back time and time again,” Barney says. “They wouldn’t ride 500, 1,000 times and still be going strong after all these years. It’s our belief that if the business is run well, people will want to come back and … will share the experience with friends and family.”

Today, Torrent focuses on building community by encouraging person-to-person advertising, focusing advertising dollars on “incentivizing existing customers to bring people with them,” Barney says. When gathering data on how the business is doing, the founders see the number of daily customers as more important than even revenue.

“If someone spends $100 on class credits but then never uses them, they’re never going to come back,” Barney explains. “For us, it’s a lot more important to look at how many people are showing up to ride because those are the people that are going to continue to spend money with us.”

“We were noticing that strength was becoming more important for people, just in general. And then, of course, we did find data to back all of that up.”

Dan Cooney

It takes a team

As co-founders and co-owners of the company, Barney and Cooney split business responsibilities based on their strengths. Barney’s background in operations allowed him to focus on logistics, staffing and building maintenance, while Cooney’s experiences in the creative industry help him handle the instructors and their education, as well as marketing.

“The main thing to focus on here is we are married, and we wanted to stay married,” Barney says. “To do that, there had to be separation.”

While they still meet weekly to stay unified, the split allows the founders to make decisions without constantly getting approval from each other. At the beginning of the business, the division also helped keep them sane until they were able to hire help.

“In the first six months of us being open, we were at the business from 5:15 a.m. until about 9:00 p.m., five days a week,” Barney says. “We did that as long as we could. But we were juggling a lot of different roles. … I actually think that was really good for us, because it helped us see what had to be done so that we could then find the right people to fill those positions.”

Classically, their fitness business took off during its first January. Cooney says they expected that to happen, but they didn’t expect the good momentum to continue to build for months afterward. At one point, the founders were collectively teaching almost 20 classes a week, leaving little time to actually run the business.

“In that first year, we trained four more instructors so that we could actually run the business rather than just teach a million classes every week,” Cooney says. That pivotal support allowed the founders to focus less on day-to-day operations and instead keep the business’s long-term interests and priorities in sight.

Intuition + data

Torrent has come a long way since 2018, but the growth never stops. In 2023, Barney and Cooney opened Tenet cafes near the Downtown and Sugar House Torrent locations to provide customers with “a healthy, convenient spot to re-fuel after class.” In August 2025, the downtown SLC studio began offering classes combining cycling and strength training. Both changes came from the same entrepreneurial intuition that started Torrent.

“We were noticing that strength was becoming more important for people, just in general. And then, of course, we did find data to back all of that up,” Cooney says. “We’ve seen a huge resurgence in how many strength classes there are. For us, it’s been a really good shift, and it started with just feeling.”

Just like the feeling that created it, Torrent Cycle continues to provide a high-end fitness experience to the Salt Lake Valley that evolves with the intuition of its founders.

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Economic development is inseparable from quality of life. The more money businesses make, the more tax dollars are allocated to local schools, parks, roads and general infrastructure. The more money businesses make, the more locals make working at the business, and the more non-local professionals move into the area to work and spend money. A town grows and becomes a hub that provides not only living essentials but also luxuries to residents. For Piute County, the start of the economic development chain is its school system; specifically, the weekly schedule.

Christmas on Commercial Street

Piute County School District shifted to a four-day school week beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. The decision has often been framed as an education policy decision, but local leaders see it differently. For them, it is a workforce strategy designed to protect instructional time, support working families and adapt schooling to the economic needs of a rural county.

Geography decides

Piute County is not close to much of anything. A dentist appointment, medical visit or grocery run can require a 40-minute to hour-long drive. Locals often bundle several errands into one trip because of the distance involved. For students, that travel reality translated into frequent, full-day absences from school for basic needs and school-sponsored sporting events.

“Attendance on Fridays was a huge problem for us,” Shauna Bagley, principal of Piute High School, says. “For all of our extracurricular activities, … you have to travel quite a distance to play other teams.”

When sports teams travel for state tournaments, non-athlete students also travel to support and cheer on players. With only around 130 students in grades seven through twelve, those who didn’t travel to show support would skip school as well, knowing there would be minimal instruction that day.

“When you don’t have half of the kids in your class, it’s hard to move on,” Bagley says. Over time, low Friday attendance created a cycle: fewer students showed up because little new instruction could reasonably take place.

An attendance problem

Piute County School District Superintendent Koby Willis says the current four-day week emerged from a close look at how Friday school days were actually being used. When he and his wife — both teachers — realized they had not taught their senior classes on Fridays for weeks due to absences, the district began analyzing attendance data.

“There was just so much instruction time lost on those Fridays, and that was just making it a very unproductive school day,” Willis says. “It started us down the rabbit hole of research.”

Willis notes that the Piute County School District had previously run its high schools on a 4-day school week until the state phased out the practice from all districts in the early 2000s. While looking into solutions for the district’s attendance issue, he rediscovered why the unique schedule worked well for the area and that several schools in Utah had been approved by the state board of education to return to the practice.

The key metric required by the Utah State Board of Education is 990 hours of instruction per year. To meet the requirement while also eliminating an inefficient day, the district lengthened Monday-through-Thursday instructional days.

From initial conversations to final approval, Willis says the process took one school year. During that year, the school board and Willis held several meetings, hosted public town halls, and sent out surveys to parents and students to gather input on the decision.

“In urban districts, you’d have to worry about what happens to thousands of kids on Fridays. We don’t have those same variables.”

Koby Willis

“The public gave us a lot of good comments on how to make it better, more efficient. We believe the benefits of a four-day school week aren’t just about if you do it, it’s really in how you do it,” Willis says. “There are a lot of ways to do it wrong, and so I feel like we got a lot of good feedback on ways to make it better and more effective.”

Aligning education with rural labor patterns

In Piute County, the school district is the largest employer. If parents aren’t working in education, they likely work in agriculture. The workforce spread heavily affected the implementation of the four-day school week. Initially, many community members were concerned that having no school on Fridays would negatively impact the local workforce. The concern wasn’t necessary.

“When [the schools are] not working on Fridays, [parents] can be home with their kids,” Bagley says. For other families, older students at home can help care for younger siblings or contribute directly to farm and ranch work.

Willis says Fridays have really become a meaningful extension of the local workforce pipeline. Many Piute students are enrolled in work-based learning programs, and the additional full day provided by a shorter school week allows them to meet employer expectations without missing any instructional time.

“We have a pretty heavy proportion of our high schoolers who work while they’re going to school,” he continues. “[The four-day school week] just allowed them to add another day and have two full days of work on a Friday and Saturday.”

To maximize efficiency, the district paired the four-day school week with a block schedule, allowing students to take more career and technical education courses and pursue clearer pathways aligned with local economic needs.

“We are able to offer so many more classes because of the block schedule,” Assistant Principal and school counselor Eric Jessen says. “CTE and pathways have been a big emphasis, and additional classes have been able to be added.”

Recruiting talent to rural Utah

The four-day school week has also become a competitive advantage in teacher recruitment and retention — a critical economic development factor in rural communities.

“It’s hard to recruit people to live in Piute County if they don’t already have ties here,” Bagley says. When the district hired a new language arts teacher last year, the four-day schedule was a significant selling point.

Teacher turnover remains low, and staff report reduced burnout. “They come back on Mondays refreshed and ready to work,” Bagley says, a factor that reduces costly turnover and supports long-term community stability.

Stable outcomes, broader benefits

Academically, student performance remains stable through the transition. “We’re performing at the same level we were on a five-day week,” Jessen says. While national research on four-day school weeks shows mixed academic results, Piute County’s data shows that community input and careful design can prevent negative results.

With the new schedule, Bagley says the high school has specifically campaigned for students to get more involved in the community or extracurricular activities, ensuring they stay engaged and connected beyond the classroom. The district has seen 97 percent of students join a group.

Willis is clear that Piute County’s model is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Research shows four-day school weeks are overwhelmingly rural, where distances are greater, economies are family-based and communities are tightly interconnected.

“In urban districts, you’d have to worry about what happens to thousands of kids on Fridays,” Willis says. “We don’t have those same variables.”

In Piute County, the four-day school week operates more as an infrastructure adjustment than a perk, aligning education with the county’s economic realities.

For a rural community competing for talent, supporting working families and maximizing limited resources, Piute County’s approach suggests that education policy can double as an economic development strategy when it is designed with local conditions in mind.

Within K-12 education, maybe career specialization can wait

Juliana Feinberg is the founder and CEO (aka Chief Embroidery Officer) of Feinberg Ltd. embroidery studio (aka your favorite place for embroidery west of the Mississippi). Specializing in custom embroidery, live event personalization, chainstitch and monogramming, Feinberg Ltd. services companies such as Ballerina Farm, Crocs, Gozney and Dorai.

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And that’s just this year.

Feinberg officially launched her company in 2020. At the time, she didn’t even own an embroidery-specific machine and actually blew her knee out the same month. Within three months, COVID-19 would crush the U.S. economy. Safe to say, not a great space or time to start a company.

“But [registering the company] gave me that North Star,” Feinberg says. “I wasn’t going to give up on it.”

Starting a company in a creative industry was always in Feinberg’s future. At age three, she redecorated her mother’s new white couch with a crayon rainbow. At nine, she set up a lemonade stand with a cousin and earned $200. Throughout childhood, she sold Girl Scout cookies door-to-door.

After growing up in Rochester, New York — and never having visited the West — she followed a hunch all the way to a campus tour around the University of Utah (the U). She was hooked when the guide stopped to show visitors the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute.

While attending the U, Feinberg became a director at the Institute, gaining early and pivotal leadership experiences. She also became an ambassador for ASOS, the online fashion retailer — a pursuit that fed her creativity.

“I just loved seeing what other people were working on, and seeing that we [at Lassonde] could give them an opportunity to advance as entrepreneurs,” she says. “But I also love fashion. I love everything about clothing, style and expressing myself.”

Feinberg graduated from the U with a bachelor’s degree in business management and began working at Goldman Sachs as an analyst. After a few years, she returned to the U for a master’s degree in entrepreneurial studies. Through it all, she experimented with various creative pursuits such as painting, jewelry crafting, clothing upcycling and even a bit of embroidery using a sewing machine she’d purchased in 2015.

“When I first got the machine, I was making bandanas for my friends. We were going to Coachella, and I would make little small things,” she says. “There was something about the texture that I just really loved. And then the machine broke, and I couldn’t get it to work for years. … I kind of forgot about it, because then I was dabbling with all these other outlets.”

With a graduate degree in hand, Feinberg continued her career in finance as an assistant VP at Zions Bancorporation. While sitting at work, she would often read Utah Business and dream of a venture that might land her in the pages. Her creative and entrepreneurial itch kept her testing out projects in her spare time until a fellow artist told her she needed to just pick a medium and stick with it.

A few months later, she was in an online course when someone mentioned embroidery.

“Out of the blue, I was like, ‘I want to get a new embroidery machine,’” she explains. “I bought a four-needle, and I just fell passionately back in love with the art. There’s something so classic about it. It’s unique. It’s playful. It’s a really fun, tactile medium.”

The itch to stitch

Nicole Procida, a project manager for Natural Retreats, met Feinberg at the U, and they’ve been friends for the last 10 years. While pursuing her own career, Procida has purchased, tested and witnessed every turn in the road for Feinberg and her business.

“From the minute I met her, she always talked about having a company,” Procida says. “She’s so personable and very fashionable. I knew she was gonna go places.”

Having witnessed the variations of Feinberg Ltd. live, Procida says the company’s entrance into embroidery and the live event space felt “kismet.”

Feinberg’s first live embroidery booth was a practice run at her local pilates studio. Hollie Mason, owner of The Point Pilates, noticed her clients loved using grip socks during classes. She knew Feinberg had recently gotten back into embroidery and asked if she’d be interested in hosting a custom embroidery bar at the studio so patrons could personalize their socks.

“We knew people were going to be into it, but I don’t think we knew how much,” Mason says. “There was a line out the door. She had so many socks, she had to take them home with her. It was crazy. … And I think that was a pivotal thing for her in the beginning of her business — very validating. This is a thing people want.”

A few months after the success with The Point Pilates, Gozney, a pizza oven manufacturer, hired Feinberg to do live embroidery for a corporate event. She brought a small design of a hand holding a pizza and walked into an event that would change her company forever.

“It was so much fun to bring the machines and watch people’s reactions,” Feinberg says. “It is why I love this job so much.”

Since then, the gigs and events have been nonstop; Feinberg has had to work out the kinks and finetune her in-person process on the job. Thankfully, Procida accompanies her to most events to help balance the art of embroidery with customer service.

Sustainability creative

Feinberg Ltd. is not only an embroidery studio but also a fashion brand. When business meets fashion, the conversation of sustainability is never far behind. Utah’s fashion industry has particular experience with fast fashion and big brands overtaking product, mass-producing and cheapening carefully designed and beloved pieces.

Feinberg’s personal ethics and interests have naturally driven her business toward sustainability. In fact, Feinberg Ltd.’s products began with Feinberg upcycling her own closet and thrifted pieces.

“She’s always been really into thrifting and flipping,” Procida explains, noticing Feinberg’s growing passion for embroidery merge with sustainable practices. “[She was] realizing that sustainability could be a bigger thing that encapsulates her whole company. … She was purchasing things from Savers and fixing them. Those clothes are not going to end up at the dump anymore.”

Feinberg also began upcycling some of the items she already owned with embroidery. Upcycled items became closet staples, and her customized embroidery transformed old clothes into lifelong heirlooms — one-of-a-kind pieces. Her creativity grew along with her ideas of what this path meant for her business. When she stepped into the live event space, she knew the same principles would apply.

“When you go to an event, and you get something, you’re like, ‘I don’t want this tchotchke,’ so you throw it away,” Feinberg says. “But when you have a take-away item that you want to use — and it’s personalized — it makes such a difference. You remember that experience. You remember that event.”

Mason says Feinberg Ltd.’s dedication to sustainability resonated specifically with her business. “It goes hand in hand with what we’re providing as a Pilates studio. We want to take care of ourselves, we want to take care of the Earth.”

As the company grows, Feinberg hopes to provide the customization and upcycling she delivers at events to anyone online. She’s playing around with a drag-and-drop system where customers can upload their own products to the website, then add various patches and embroidery designs. This new iteration of Feinberg Ltd. spreads awareness of the need for sustainability while empowering any customer to upcycle and create heirlooms in their own life.

“We’ve been calling it ‘clothing tattoos,’ because it really is just like patches all over. It’s such a cool way to create personalized items while using her designs, her thought process,” Procida says.

Currently, the Feinberg Ltd. website boasts bandanas, luggage tags and other various items for personalization. All products available are currently manufactured new by the company. Keeping with the mission to create heirloom-quality products, Feinberg says all her manufactured goods are of the highest quality.

“[Our products are] well crafted and withstand the tests of time. Quality and natural fibers are first for us. You don’t want polyester on your body. It doesn’t feel good,” she says. “I’m all about sourcing the best natural fibers so that we feel good. When we feel good, and we’re dressed in our own personalized product, it creates a ripple effect. We show up differently.”

Inspired by the Western sky

Feinberg Ltd. has flourished in the desert landscape, drawing its tenets from the beauty and craftsmanship Feinberg sees embodied in Utah. She leans into a rugged Western lifestyle that values quality, and her creations tell a story. Being “your favorite embroidery studio west of the Mississippi” is more related to emotion than location.

“There’s something about the vastness of the Western sky. It really does make you ‘feel a way,’ like anything is possible.” Feinberg explains. “I feel creatively inspired by [the Western] sunrise and sunset: the gradient tones all throughout the year, a sunset in the desert or against a snow-capped mountain. These are the colors that feel particularly grounding and like home.”

Local and international brands relate.

Feinberg embroidered aprons at a media day for Ballerina Farm this summer. She designed Jibbitz-esque patterns for an event with Crocs. For each client, Feinberg carefully considers her capacity for how many guests she can accommodate, creates custom designs using unique color schemes, and sometimes even meticulously sources quality products to be embroidered. Her preparation helps her stay cool and collected on event day, allowing her to spend one-on-one time with guests and especially the clients.

“Watching her these last few years, she’s problem-solving in such a different way,” Procida says. “She’s really molding things to match her own business and her own aesthetic a lot better. I think that’s why Feinberg Ltd. is doing as well as it is now.”

The next pivot — and the one after that

Feinberg isn’t likely to stop innovating. She’s one year into doing live events and already has a laundry list of pivots, paths and partnerships she’s excited to pursue. The art of hand-cranking a chainstitch machine would provide a uniquely vintage Western look to creations. A brick-and-mortar location would bring custom goods directly to locals and give Feinberg a daily opportunity to show up as an artist. Innovations in fashion technology spur new revenue possibilities.

“She looks at everything with these giant eyes; things can only get better,” Procida says of Feinberg. “She just started doing events, and she’s already thinking about starting a donation fund and a shelter. She has really bright ideas, and she has been one of those business people I’ve watched actually be able to make those ideas come true with time.”

As Feinberg Ltd. continues to grow and morph, Feinberg herself stays grounded in her intuition and wholly trusts in timing. Her advice to other young founders is to try everything.

“It’s good to have structure and a nine-to-five; take as much as you can from that,” she says. “But if you feel like you’re destined for something bigger, just go for it. You’ll figure it out on the way.”

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We need to take the long view. We must have people who are translating discoveries. Utah’s biotech sector does that really well, and that’s a great aspect of working in this environment.

Wesley Sundquist

Wesley Sundquist

Samuels Professor & Co-Chair, Department of Biochemistry | University of Utah

A renowned scientist recognized among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People for his pivotal contributions to HIV drug development, Wesley Sundquist’s research on capsid proteins paved the way for lenacapavir — an HIV prevention drug with near-perfect efficacy in clinical trials.

Nola Sundquist, Chris Hill, Tomáš Cihlář, Gilead Sciences, President Taylor Randall and Magic Johnson. These names, along with countless research fellows, students, coworkers and community members, are the reasons we can celebrate the success of Wesley Sundquist, PhD.

“The person who is the PI (primary investigator) gets the awards for what everyone accomplished together,” Sundquist says. “If that doesn’t get conveyed, it’s — first of all — not fair to those folks, but also it’s not an accurate description of how it really works.”

In 2025, Sundquist was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the world for his lab’s research that has now led to a highly effective HIV prevention drug. Sundquist and his teams began studying HIV in 1991, right after Magic Johnson announced his diagnosis. At the time, many other groups and labs had developed invaluable, life-saving research to treat HIV. Sundquist didn’t want to compete or “double up” on research, so he decided to focus on how the HIV particle, specifically the proteins in the capsid, was assembled.

“We [Sundquist and partner Chris Hill] came to realize that the architecture of the capsid was a structure which is called a fullerene cone,” he explains. “There was a short period of time when we tested it and … showed that the capsid is really important for the virus.”

With this new information, biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences developed lenacapavir.

“And in multiple clinical trials involving tens of thousands of people, lenacapavir has shown 99.9 to 100 percent efficacy in preventing HIV — results that Sundquist describes as ‘spectacularly successful,’” explained an April 2025 press release from the University of Utah.

While lenacapavir’s success is just getting started — the drug was approved for worldwide use in June 2025 — Sundquist’s groundbreaking research actually happened 20–30 years ago, early on in his lab’s lifetime. He’s now excited to see what researchers and drug developers can do with years’ worth of more recent research.

“I think every basic scientist wants their work to make an impact on real-world problems, but everyone has to understand that that takes time,” Sundquist says. “There was a lot of translation between understanding that the capsid is important and developing a drug and then clinically testing it to make sure it’s safe and effective. It’s been a little bit unusual in the sense that there was this long delay where really good people were working hard, but we were less involved than when we started.”

To fellow researchers, Sundquist advises taking satisfaction in what you do every day. Discovery research takes time and dedication, so working on projects that feel fulfilling in the moment is paramount.

To the wider business community, particularly in Utah, Sundquist applauds the long-term approach to investments and emphasizes the need for continued basic research.

“We need to take the long view. We must have people who are translating discoveries. Utah’s biotech sector does that really well, and that’s a great aspect of working in this environment,” he says. “But we also have to be willing to invest in the long-term future and understand how things work. NIH funding is in jeopardy. Next year, it won’t be a disaster, but three years from now, we’ll really be feeling it. In 15 years, it’ll mean we’re not saving lives.”

Intermountain’s recognition and investment in children’s health is phenomenal. As that continues, we will be able to have the very best kid healthcare for children in the country.

Katy Welkie

Katy Welkie

Former CEO & VP | Intermountain Children’s Health

Katy Welkie’s 43-year career at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital culminated in leading the creation of the groundbreaking Primary Promise program — expanding pediatric and behavioral health services, opening a second hospital campus and rallying the community to raise over $600 million to elevate children’s healthcare across the Intermountain West.

As the leader of the only quaternary care children’s hospital in the area, Katy Welkie dedicated her service and career to creating an institution ranked among the best of the best.

“We look at the U.S. News and World Report. They put out a yearly best children’s hospitals list, which we use as guidance on where we need to focus our efforts,” Welkie says. “In recent years, we’ve scored in the top 50 in all 11 areas. That’s an amazing, amazing accomplishment, but because we are the community’s resource, we have to keep ourselves there.”

Welkie began her career 43 years ago as a pediatric nurse at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital. She capped it off by serving as the hospital’s CEO and VP of Intermountain Children’s Health starting in 2019. She retired in August 2025.

Welkie earned the hospital its distinguished marks through many years of devoted work. Her efforts culminate in the Intermountain Health’s Primary Promise program, described on the website as a “once-in-a-generation vision to build the nation’s model health system for children.”

“When we started to create this vision, we thought about kids all across the continuum, from the womb of a mother all the way up to adolescence,” Welkie says. “We needed to think about: How do you expand care so more kids can get care? How do you address emerging health needs?”

Among many initiatives that stemmed from the vision, Welkie and her team had noticed that youth in the Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital service area were increasingly struggling with mental and behavioral health. Welkie wanted to provide more targeted services for adolescent mental health, or at least have more bed availability to keep up with the need.

“Sometimes there were up to 25 kids waiting for beds. … There just was not enough capacity; I’m not sure if there ever will be, but we recognized that we weren’t doing as much as we could,” Welkie says. “This was an opportunity to step up and increase capacity and improve the way kids are cared for.”

As part of the Primary Promise program, Intermountain Health built a family-centered behavioral health center in Taylorsville, Utah. The $96 million flagship campus provides nearly a 50 percent increase in inpatient beds.

When Welkie initially rolled out the plan for the Primary Promise program and what needs Intermountain Health wanted to meet through it, the team’s goal was to raise $500 million. At the time, the number felt unachievable.

“We’d never raised anything like that — within Intermountain, within the state, anything — for children,” Welkie recalls. “Then, we were pushed by our community to increase the goal from $500 million to $600 million. Then, we blew right through that target! What an incredibly generous community we have.”

With the generous donations of the Intermountain community, Welkie’s Primary Promise program built the second campus of Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital. Dedicated in February 2024, the campus is “the most significant enhancement in pediatric healthcare in Utah and the Intermountain West in more than a century,” claims an Intermountain Health press release.

“Intermountain’s recognition and investment in children’s health is phenomenal,” Welkie says. “As that continues, we will be able to have the very best kid healthcare for children in the country.”

Katherine Heigl’s Badlands Ranch: From Hollywood hustle to heartfelt entrepreneurship

When I click on her profile picture, I learn that her U-Haul, full of crucial items for an upcoming event, was towed the night before. I’m shocked and quickly change my first question for the interview. After we say hello and I introduce myself, I ask: How are you doing?

Bates tells me fall and Halloween are her busiest seasons. From haunted houses to Thanksgiving, corporate Christmases and end-of-year celebrations, her and her team are everywhere, doing everything, all at once. She tells me it is hard to live in the moment. She tells me she’s worried about work-life balance and making sure she’s spending enough time with her kids. She tells me her children’s after-school program costs two dollars a minute, that she’s recently divorced, and that all her event supplies from all seven of her previous storage units now live at her house.

It sounds like chaos, but the way Kenzie tells it is impressively calm. I’ll soon learn that’s her specialty. “I feel like my whole job is putting out fires,” she says. “It’s not a lack of coordination, it’s not a lack of organization — it’s just part of the industry that I’m in.”

Teresa Homer, an event manager with Kenzie’s Events, says it is exactly Bates’ perspective on the job that makes her great to work with. Even when everyone is stressed on an event day, Homer says Bates “Knows there are going to be little things that go wrong every day, but we’re just gonna deal with it and roll with the punches.”

The cool and collected manner Bates employs was won through the trials of building her business. Her calm resonates with customers, employees and contractors, allowing her creativity to shine through any mishaps and her calendar to fill up quickly.

The learning and development phase

Bates’ career in creativity began early. As a teenager, she wrote songs and played the piano while attending a music academy in Arizona. She helped put on concerts, quickly learning the ropes of ticket sales, stage design and event flow. Her dream was to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston and become a music writer, working with the rich and famous.

When she first left home, however, a short stop in Idaho to see a friend quickly turned into a job. Another friend’s parent had created a product, and they needed help getting it into stores. Her creativity and hard-working personality took her around the country, setting up custom display tables to market the product at Walgreens locations. She found she excelled at crafting the display tables and enjoyed expressing her creativity to benefit a business.

“I could see that this was a job that made my parents proud,” Bates explains. “People could understand it. I wasn’t going to be this poor musician who’s just trying to sell the next best song. I was now at the actual bigwig company, making good commissions and money. So I stuck to that.”

Instead of Berklee, Bates continued to study music at nearby BYU-Idaho. College classes fed her creative side while work taught her the basics of QuickBooks, company administration, warehouses and operations. Within a few years, Bates married and moved to Utah. She changed her major to business and finished her degree online while working another corporate job. She enjoyed developing her business skills but longed for a creative outlet.

To fill the gap, Bates started planning birthdays, baby showers and weddings for family members in Utah. As the raving reviews came in, she decided to find a new job that would allow her to dedicate more time to events. She soon found a position as a personal assistant.

“I figured if I could get in with a wealthy family, I would start being surrounded by people who could afford bigger events,” Bates explains. “I went into the job letting them know that I was trying to build my business. They said, ‘Well, that’s great! We hold a lot of events. We own seven companies. You could do all of our company events and decorate our house for the holidays.’”

With that, Bates began curating her portfolio of event work and meeting many future clients. Her business spread through word of mouth from impressed clients and event attendees.

Brady McDonald, founder and resident DJ of Rock the Mic Entertainment, knew Bates for years before she started her business, becoming a frequent contributor to many of her events. McDonald has been a witness to the growth of Kenzie’s Events and has a unique respect for her work.

“My business has grown based on the needs of what clients have asked for, and I think Kenzie is identical to that,” he says. “She has had to step out of her comfort zone … to pull off some fun things. She’s dealt with crazy budgets and pulled off miracles. Sometimes you take something to grow it or to get into a new part of the industry. She’s done so very well.”

Only the best

Kenzie’s Events started gaining traction, but as just one person, Bates knew she would need to be strategic. If she wanted to create the big, luxurious, show-stopping events she dreamed of, she needed a clientele willing to pay for them. Eventually, Bates found her dream client.

“There was a specific event where it was very high-end, and my client came in with a good chunk of money, and I just, I nailed it. Still to this day, those pictures are iconic for me from that event,” she reminisces. “It was such a big event, and seeing how I could transform the room — … I constantly say it’s like a high.”

The memories of these events are ones Bates knows her clients will remember forever. This specific party helped her finally see what she was capable of when given an opportunity, some trust and a good budget. Not only did she flex her artistic muscles, but she also broke through her limits and truly delivered the celebration she’d dreamed of. Once she’d given birth to her first child, Bates decided to go all in on the company.

“As adults, we kind of get into a routine where our life becomes old. If we don’t create moments that are exciting or moments to be celebrated, like birthdays or Halloween, life can fall into a stagnant place. I hope [Kenzie’s Events] inspires people to take time to appreciate moments and create little magical things for themselves.”

Teresa Homer

“Seeing as I was doing these events, and seeing that people really trusted me and appreciated my work, I thought, ‘OK, I think I found this clientele,’” she says. “And that’s when I started requiring a minimum. … I know a lot of people want to work with me, and wish that they could; but there’s only one of me, and I also have to make money.”

Setting a minimum for her events helps Bates work with clients interested in parties on her level, who understand and value the effort that goes into throwing celebrations worthy of Kenzie’s Events.

“I undervalued myself for so many years, losing money on events because I wanted it to be greater than it was,” she says. “Once I had a good clientele, I was able to weed those out so that I would actually have people who could afford what I envisioned for their events.”

Go home and go viral

As Kenzie’s Events grew through word of mouth, Bates’ social media presence also helped create intrigue. Professional photos of the best events garnered an initial following, and once that grew, the company started catching the eye of influencers and celebrities.

“Even though my Google reviews are minimal, it’s been Instagram — that’s where I’ve received most of my clientele,” she says.

At the top of her page, Bates proudly features clips of Post Malone performing at a recent event and Mayci Neeley and Mikayla Matthews from Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” thanking Bates for throwing them a “10/10” dual baby shower.

Instagram is also where Bates found many of her vendors and contractors. Homer initially found and reached out to Bates on Instagram for her job. She was impressed by Bates’ skills and started as an on-call staff, helping set up and take down events. Now, she’s an integral part of the Kenzie’s Events team.

“It’s pretty easy to see in the events, but also on social media, that [Kenzie] does a fantastic job. I think there are a lot of event planners who pull parties together that are great. But Kenzie truly pulls together people’s visions,” Homer says. “[The events] look exactly like the clients’ Pinterest board; she truly brings magic things to life.”

One such vision came in 2022 from Jeffery and Katie Nelson. Bates began working with the Nelsons a few years earlier on birthdays and corporate events. When the Nelsons decided they wanted to decorate their house with a Harry Potter theme for Halloween, they knew just who to call.

“We met with Kenzie, and we all brainstormed and got way out of control,” Katie says. “Now, we get hundreds of people a night. On Halloween, we have at least 3,000 trick-or-treaters.”

The Nelsons’ Halloween decor, which you can see more photos of on their Instagram (@HogwartsontheIsland), includes a great hall on their porch with a complete Diagon Alley below, a Quidditch pitch, the Weasley family burrow, a potions room and their very own goblet of fire — all of which surrounds the outside of their home. Guests can see the full extent of the decor on the Nelsons’ custom Marauder’s Map. Each item has been carefully curated and stored to grow their collection through the years.

“Kenzie helped us realize that she was able to leverage not only her own skill, but she brought in some additional vendors to support what we wanted to try to accomplish,” Jeffery says. “Kenzie is a wonderful resource and a person who helps you realize your vision. She can take your idea and make it even better than you might expect.”

The success of the Nelsons’ home and others created a wave of interest in Halloween decor by Kenzie’s Events, eventually growing into an entire “Barbieland neighborhood.”

Although the houses and events sometimes take 18-hour days to pull off, Homer says the efforts are well worth it.

“As adults, we kind of get into a routine where our life becomes old. If we don’t create moments that are exciting or moments to be celebrated, like birthdays or Halloween, life can fall into a stagnant place,” she says. “I hope [Kenzie’s Events] inspires people to take time to appreciate moments and create little magical things for themselves.”

Let the celebration begin

For McDonald, the success of Kenzie’s Events makes complete sense. He’s seen firsthand how hard Bates works for her clients and knows she is the best of the best. Despite her skills, McDonald says Bates continues to impress him most with how grounded she stays.

“She is humble. She is determined. She is a human being. She has challenges and trials and gets through them. She’s no different than anyone else,” he says.

After nearly 10 years in the business and countless cakes, dinners, balloons and shoutouts, Bates has accomplished her goal of working with the rich and famous — just not in the way she initially hoped. Instead of music, she creates the greatest celebrations with clients who are passionate and invested in her work.

“It isn’t about the money, the big office or the biggest team. It’s that I’ve met my goal of working with the rich and famous,” she says. “That sounds kind of crazy, but ultimately, those are the people who throw the events I want to create and design. It’s the best, best job ever. I love it.”

Christmas on Commercial Street

Each of Utah’s 29 counties offers unique advantages for businesses and talent alike. Let’s visit Morgan County.

Fully decorated Christmas trees, each with a unique theme and goodies tucked amongst the boughs, will soon start appearing in shops along Commercial Street in Morgan, Utah. The festive foliage comes as part of the city’s Hometown Christmas and Tree Festival, where each donated tree will be auctioned off. The Morgan Area Chamber of Commerce uses the proceeds to help those in need celebrate the season through targeted giving or food pantry support.

Rural Utah’s data center boom

In the weeks leading up to the tree auction, community members and visitors can scope out the trees by visiting each participating business.

“To try to get people to go into the businesses, the Chamber does a passport thing,” Traca Wardell, president of the Morgan Area Chamber of Commerce, explains. “We make up a little card that has every business listed that’s donating a tree and where it can be viewed. If you go into that location and view the tree, they’ll stamp your passport. Then we collect [the passports] at the festival and draw for prizes.”

From gift cards to iPads, the winnings can vary, but the effect is the same: increased business and community support. And Wardell says there is always room for more.

“I would love to see it grow, to see more businesses donating trees, to see more people come out and buy the trees,” she says. “It goes toward a good cause. … We try to divide the money and have as much of an impact as we can.”

Redeveloping a magical main street

While Commercial Street seems idyllic today, Morgan’s thriving main street businesses and day-trip worthy festivals took years to get to this point. Ty Bailey, Morgan’s city manager, says the street used to have several vacant buildings that needed redeveloping to bring them up to code.

“We gave four different grants for four different buildings, and all four of them went from vacant to new businesses,” Bailey says. These grants are possible because Commercial Street was designated as a redevelopment area (RDA) in 1993, a status that allows the city to collect and utilize a tax increment to enhance the city’s economic base through improvement projects.

Bailey says for every $40,000 given in grants, the city has seen around $500,000 in additional investment by businesses and individuals. The grants certainly helped focus and spur the development, but the city and its businesses banded together to truly bring in the Christmas magic.

With this program, Commercial Street businesses have saved their historic buildings from decline and improved them and the surrounding street areas for modern use. The program even brought Morgan its first hotel, located right on Commercial Street.

“The new problem is parking,” Bailey says excitedly. His team is already working on the solution: “We’re building an alleyway that’ll go behind most of the businesses on Commercial Street so visitors can have rear access. It will provide additional parking, and it’s going to include a plaza.”

Morgan doesn’t currently have a central gathering spot for downtown activities like festivals or farmers’ markets, making it difficult to host large events without having to shut down streets. Bailey says the new plaza provides that extra space to host events and build community.

“The festival space will be a huge thing for the community,” Wardell agrees. “Right now, we shut down Commercial Street, but it can still get a little crowded. This will open it up so that we’ve got more room, and we can hold more events.”

Time to market the magic

Although Morgan County has only 12,295 people, Bailey says the Hometown Christmas and Tree Festival attracts around 2,000 visitors each year. The number is likely to grow as, according to Justin Rees, director of tourism for Morgan County, the county-wide tourism has been steadily growing as well.

“The first thing we did was work on the brand,” Rees explains. “We opted to use the wording ‘Morgan Valley’ because we felt like it was more inviting than just a governmental organization, like a county.”

The rebrand highlights everything from the Weber River’s rafting and fishing to the hiking, camping and lake adventures at East Canyon and Lost Creek reservoirs. Rees and his team have also focused on expanding awareness through social media, influencer partnerships and a long-term destination plan that defines short-, mid- and long-range goals for sustainable tourism.

“We started inviting influencers into the valley, connecting them with local businesses … and that’s turned out to be very, very successful,” he says.

The results are visible in both the growing number of day visitors and in the renewed investment downtown. “There’s a lot of excitement,” Rees says. “We’re moving in the right direction.”

For Morgan County, the future of tourism lies in balance — preserving the valley’s small-town warmth while inviting more people to experience its magic year-round.

“Commercial Street came back to life,” Wardell says. “It’s a pretty happening little street now. It’s got that old-time feel to it.”

Why early-year celebrations and strategic kickoff meetings matter more than ever

Each of Utah’s 29 counties offers unique advantages for businesses and talent alike. Let’s visit Millard County.

In 1855, Utah’s territorial legislature met for the first time in the capital city: Fillmore, Utah. Four years earlier, Gov. Brigham Young had visited the area and personally selected the valley and site of the town. Citizens quickly colonized the area, building homes, mills and commerce. The next year, the legislature voted to relocate operations north, with Great Salt Lake City as the capital we know today. While Fillmore remains the Millard County seat, losing “capital city” recognition shifted the economy from high-density typical businesses to rural Utah’s heavy hitters — mining, agriculture, construction, transportation and manufacturing.

Base camp is burning

Today, the benefits of that shift have never been greater: The Millard County Commission has approved two rezoning requests, allowing Creekstone Energy and Joule Capital Partners to both start construction on their campuses after conditional use permits are finalized. Millard County will soon be home to two of the largest and most advanced data center campuses in the world.

Here’s the deal with data centers

At 6,572.42 square miles, Millard County is the third-largest Utah county by land area. Combined, the two new campuses will use up about 8 square miles. According to Millard County Commissioner Bill Wright, these data centers provide the best bang for the county’s buck.

“The data centers are probably the best way for us to get development, rather than a business that brings 500 people [for whom] we will have to build houses, schools and everything else,” he says, explaining that the two new data centers will provide their own power, water, infrastructure and even security. “These data centers will generally not impact our basic operation.”

The commission expects population increases to support construction efforts for a few years, but in the long term, the biggest change will be an influx of tax revenue for the county. And Wright already knows how he’d like to spend it.

“I have no [intention of building a] big kingdom,” he says. “We’re going to take the property tax we receive, take care of our normal increases … and put as much money as we can back to lower property taxes.”

Keeping the peace

As of 2023, 13,437 people call Millard County home. With a development this large, some residents worry that precious resources, like power and water, might become more scarce or expensive, or that construction and operation will disturb the area’s natural tranquility.

Vicki Lyman, a Millard County commissioner, says all fears can be put to rest. The data centers won’t be tapping into the local grid for energy; instead, she says, they will use generators. A press release announcing the Joule Capital project explains that Caterpillar’s latest G3520K generator will provide 1.1 gigawatt hours of grid-forming battery energy storage, along with backup power generation served by diverse fuel sources.

Wright says both operations sit on natural gas lines that can power generators, and that a huge draw for companies to come to Millard County is its variety of power options.

“I don’t think there’s another county in the United States that has the potential to produce power from six different resources,” he says. “Right here in our county … we have geothermal, solar, a little bit of wind, coal, gas … and nuclear on the horizon.”

For Joule, the Millard location was chosen based on personal familiarity with the land. Mark McDougal, a partner at Joule Capital Partners, is a part-owner of the farmland that was rezoned for the project.

Both commissioners reiterated that the county did not give either development any special treatment or incentives to bring the historic data centers to the area. “There’s a tremendous amount of resources here, and it kind of sets me back when I see everybody wanting to take credit,” Wright says. “We can give the Lord credit. It’s not me; it’s not the state. They came of their own free will and choice.”

Statewide success

In a recent interview with Utah Business, Packsize Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer Troy Rydman explained that “AI’s growth doesn’t just require better software. It needs energy-efficient processors, stable power grids and secure, scalable data centers to handle the load.”

As the Joule campus is set to launch with capacity by 2026 and Creekstone is already taking on a 50 megawatt agreement with BluSky AI, these new developments join a broader trend in Utah’s ecosystem and are a signal that Utah has the space and is developing the resources to support businesses in this sector.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the Creekstone campus alone could generate as much as $40 billion in economic activity for the area.

For Wright, he’d happily take on several more campuses. “If we’re going to change, I love data centers compared to everything else.”

Utah’s strategic investments in AI infrastructure

As leaders, C-suite executives make the hard decisions that impact their companies’ daily operations and long-term vision. Developing the strategies behind company success in an ever-changing world is no small task, but these dedicated executives are shaping Utah’s business future with reliability and ingenuity. Join us in celebrating the Executive Excellence honorees of 2025.

Photos by Beka Price Photography

Selection Committee

Cassie Myers | COO & Managing Partner | Capita Financial Network | in/cassie-myers-911a3b220

Terri Lins | Chief Credit Officer | TAB Bank | in/terri-k-lins-ba3836116

Steve Lindsey | Founding Partner & CTO | LVT | in/steve-lindsey-b385361

Krista Parry | Chief Development Officer | Visit Salt Lake | in/kristaparry

Honorees

Katie Hoffman Abby

VP, U Career Success & Assistant Dean, David Eccles School of Business | The University of Utah

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Jesus Bilancieri

Chief Compliance Officer | Lane Health Inc.

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Zacc Call

President | Capita Financial Network

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Jill Calton

EVP & Executive Director, Alternative Investments | UMB Bank n.a.

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Brooke K. DeWyze

SVP, Sales Operations | Trucordia

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Megan Druding

Senior Managing Director | Cushman & Wakefield

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Amy Eldredge

VP, Menu | Crumbl

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Jonathan Field

General Manager, weBoost | Wilson Connectivity

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Tami Fisher

Chief Information Officer | TAB Bank

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Andrew Gale

CFO | LVT

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Michele Teresa Grasmick

President | Toothpillow

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Adam Gunn

VP, Brand | Fullstory

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Dayna Hathaway

CMO & SVP | Extra Space Storage

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D. Scott Jackson

Managing Shareholder | Allred Jackson PC

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Madison Limansky

COO | SheMoney

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Mindy Maude

VP, Domestic Violence & Residential Services | YWCA Utah

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Jenny McCallum

VP, Marketing | Mercato Partners

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Jessica Moyer

Chief Restaurant Officer | Savory Fund

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Jeniece Olsen

COO | Wasatch Homeless Health Care dba. Fourth Street Clinic

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Clay Partain

Chief Sports Officer | Sports Salt Lake, A Division of Visit Salt Lake

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Laura Peifer

VP & Healthcare Consultant | GBS Benefits

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Tyler Pollock

Executive Director, Communications | Young Living Essential Oils

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Davy Ratchford

COO & General Manager | Snowbasin Resort

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Jared Roberts

Chief Administrative Officer | Nursa

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Chris Willis

Chief Design Officer | Domo

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Each of Utah’s 29 counties offers unique advantages for businesses and talent alike. Let’s visit Kane County.

The Dragon Bravo Fire in Arizona, near the Grand Canyon, covers 143,808 acres and is only 44 percent contained as of August 11, 2025. The progress is there, but for Kelly Stowell, an economic development professional for Kane County, the damage is already done.

One man’s trash is another county’s treasure

The fire started when lightning struck on July 4. Authorities initially decided to manage the fire with a “confine and contain” strategy. According to AP, the fire erupted over the following weekend, taking over 70 structures down amid the blaze, one being the historic visitor’s lodge at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

“All visitors to the North Rim … it’s over,” Stowell says. “The Grand Canyon is a big hole. There are a lot of places to access it, but that was the main one, where the pavement goes. That’s where most visitors go. That’s where all the services were and the restaurant.” Most importantly, “a lot of those visitors would stay in Kane County and then Kanab,” but with the visitor’s center gone, so are the visitors.

A visitor-less economy

Kanab, Utah, affectionately branded “Base Camp Kanab,” sits only 75 miles from the previous location of the North Rim Lodge. Within county limits, however, visitors will find sections of Bryce Canyon National Park, Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Dixie National Forest, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Zion National Park, Kodachrome Basin State Park and many, many other natural wonders to enjoy. Stowell says over 90 percent of the county is owned by the government.

With so much public land and proximity to natural wonders, it is no surprise that Stowell attributes 50 percent of the county’s economic activity to tourism. From 2019 to 2023, direct visitor spending in Kane County averaged a little over $175 million, and in 2023, visitors generated over 75 percent of local sales tax revenue, according to the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute’s travel and tourism county profile for Kane County.

Stowell says that, without the North Rim Visitor’s Lodge, local hotels and tour companies are already seeing cancellations and lost funds. Eventually, he expects to have a place where businesses can make disaster relief claims and declarations, but the county is still working out the kinks. What he can say: “It’s not good.”

Despite the North Rim Visitor’s Lodge being located in Arizona, Stowell says Kane County has a lot of support from its senators and congresswoman, Celeste Maloy, and expects a rebuild soon. The fire might even be a blessing in disguise if a new North Rim Lodge is winterized and allows for year-round guests. However, with recent budget cuts to the National Parks Service, Kane County wouldn’t be the first community left wanting for more support and infrastructure to cater to visitors.

Stowell remains hopeful, saying, “We try to employ that same spirit, to be welcoming and helpful and have a can-do attitude with all business efforts. We just try to have an open mind and a willingness to work on and make things happen.”

The county’s economy needs a new lodge, and the county’s history demands it. “Even though it is in Arizona, our economy is attached to it, and a lot of our heritage is too,” Stowell says. “It was Kanab people who developed the North Rim and made it into a reality.”

An everything economy

Like many of Utah’s more rural economies, tourism is a large piece of the economic pie, but even a large slice is just a single slice. In Kane, other slices include the Best Friends Animal Society, coal mines, film development, manufacturing, a burgeoning food scene, and a growing community of remote workers and business professionals creating what Stowell calls “Silicon Sands.” While tourism wanes for a time, Stowell says Kane County is still enjoying boosts from these other sectors.

“Kane County has always been open to new ideas and new possibilities. We’re so remote, we’ve had to be really reliant on each other and try to solve our problems,” Stowell says. “All those public lands have been there forever, but the way they’ve been managed has changed over the years, and the industries that were supported by these lands have changed.”

Even with the Grand Canyon being out of commission for a while, nature lovers should take the opportunity to explore the other, lesser-known gems available near Kanab. Stowell says no one should cancel a stay or ticket — just take a detour.

Create a magical, memorable team experience at Best Friends

Each of Utah’s 29 counties offers unique advantages for businesses and talent alike. Let’s visit Weber County.

Global Warming Potential (GWP) measures how much a specified gas will warm the Earth compared to carbon dioxide. The larger the GWP, the more potent the gas.

Railroads revitalize Iron County’s economy

As the base gas, carbon dioxide has a GWP of 1, determined by a study of the gas’s atmospheric life, potency and quantity in our atmosphere. Despite having a much shorter atmospheric life and quantity, methane’s GWP typically measures anywhere from 27-30, meaning it is much more potent than carbon dioxide. And it is the second-highest gas emitted globally.

From fossil fuel production and use to agriculture, wetlands and even termites, global methane emissions averaged 669 teragrams per year from 2009 to 2019. With only an average of 633 teragrams of methane removed from the atmosphere per year, the world’s methane budget is 36 teragrams over.

“Because there are natural emissions, you’re never going to get to zero,” Logan Mitchell, a climate scientist and energy analyst with Utah Clean Energy, explains. “The idea is: We want to reduce these human-caused emissions to as low as possible. We’re probably never going to get to zero, … but maybe eventually we’ll find alternative solutions.”

Green is good

Methane from landfills accounts for nearly 2 percent of all United States greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. In Weber County, Utah, local officials and homegrown company Qnergy have begun tackling the effects of methane from landfills with those very alternative solutions.

“[Methane abatement] is a really important tool in our toolbox in terms of reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions because methane is such an important and potent greenhouse gas,” Mitchell says.

In the late ‘90s, Weber County closed down a landfill and attempted a methane harvesting program. Stephanie Russell, Weber County director of economic development and government relations, says that though the initial program didn’t work out, it left the landfill with an operating pipe system. When Qnergy approached the city in 2023 with plans for a methane abatement pilot project to test out its new technology, Russell says everything was already in place.

“It’s an off-grid, reliable, completely autonomous system that, with a landfill gas collection system installed, can absolutely collect the methane and destroy the methane. ... [TORCH4] is completely self-powered, … and we’re able to give some power supply to the landfill owners to do other things.”

Timothy Atwater

“What’s fantastic about what we did is we’re doing the partnership around the pilot. They provided everything for the pilot. We had no investment, no cash investment, just the landfill and the pads like that we helped build, which was like $1,200,” she says. “[It was] a really, really good return on investment.”

The pilot program quickly found success and expanded, allowing Qnergy to abate over 95 percent of the landfill’s emissions. Not only is the methane being ostensibly rerouted, but it is also being repurposed into clean energy and an economic boost for the county.

‘We’re getting paid’

The first boost: usable land. Once the methane emissions and toxins are mitigated, “we will have 142 acres on the river of viable development property,” Russell says. In the meantime, the land is slowly being reclaimed and used as an archery park while Qnergy’s systems continue to mitigate methane, generating electricity during the process.

“They’re generating enough energy off that one site to power about five houses,” Russell says. “We’re cleaning the air. We’re cleaning the ground. The county’s getting carbon credits, and we’re going to be able to use that land in the long term for development purposes.”

Once created, carbon credits can be sold on the carbon market to give companies permission to produce greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and methane. Currently, Qnergy produces carbon credits through its CLEAR program, a comprehensive landfill methane abatement and carbon credit generation initiative.

“Weber County is going to be way ahead of the curve,” Russell says. “The federal and state governments [want counties] to clean up landfills. We’re already doing it, and we’re getting paid to do it.”

A hub for green

In March 2025, Qnergy announced the release of the TORCH4, a landfill gas-powered Stirling Engine generator and enclosed flare system. The new system is mobile and designed to collect and destroy over 99 percent of methane emissions, even in landfill gas with methane content as low as 30 percent.

“It’s an off-grid, reliable, completely autonomous system that, with a landfill gas collection system installed, can absolutely collect the methane and destroy the methane,” Timothy Atwater, general manager of the biogas team at Qnergy, says. “[TORCH4] is completely self-powered, … and we’re able to give some power supply to the landfill owners to do other things.”

As the home and headquarters of Qnergy, Weber County is proud of its public-private partnership’s success and the advancements Qnergy is making in methane abatement. Russell says they are now looking to expand and bring more green energy-focused companies to the area. The county’s partnership with the Utah Inland Port Authority will help the county provide the incentives needed to attract companies and build a synergistic, sustainability-focused business community.

“I’m trying to create a clean and renewable energy hub [in Weber County],” Russell explains. “We have been looking at ways we could start implementing sustainable practices inside the county, not just with creating an energy hub, but by being a promoter of good, sustainable practices with the businesses we support and work with.”

Amid controversy, inland ports begin construction this summer

Photos from the event can be found here.

Every year, Utah Business anonymously surveys thousands of employees to identify which companies are rewriting the playbook on workplace satisfaction. In an era where ping pong tables have lost their ping, this year’s winners prove that the secret sauce to employee recruitment and retention goes beyond the break room. These Utah companies are making work feel less like work — and their employees are actually excited to clock in.

Micro Companies | 25-50 employees

Cooper Savas

coopersavas.com

Primary Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Industry: Accounting

What employees love: Hybrid work, PTO, 401(k) match, parental leave, free lunches and snacks, onsite gym, flexibility

What employees are saying: “I love being able to contribute to the culture of my company. It’s a culture that allows me to become the best version of myself.”

Datafy

datafy.com

Primary Location: Ogden, UT

Industry: Computer Software

What employees love: Hybrid work, parental leave, quarterly bonus, insurance benefits, 401(k), technology stipend, flexibility, free snacks and drinks, holiday PTO between Christmas and New Year’s

What employees are saying: “I don’t think I’ve ever worked for a better company. The people in our company are superb. The team environment is inclusive and open.”

Fragomen

fragomen.com

Primary Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Industry: Professional Services - Legal

What employees love: Education stipend, unlimited PTO, 401(k) match, flexibility, insurance benefits, hybrid work

What employees are saying: “I love working for Fragomen. The firm is a leader when it comes to issues that are important to me, such as DEI initiatives, pro bono work and employee health.”

Hamlet Homes

hamlethomes.com

Primary Location: Murray, UT

Industry: Real Estate

What employees love: Insurance benefits, HSA, fitness stipend, education stipend, free snacks, flexibility, company parties, 401(k), profit sharing, monthly performance bonuses

What employees are saying: “Hamlet has the best culture and work environment, especially for women in construction. I have been in the industry my entire life, and I have never seen a firm so dedicated to ensuring all members become the best versions of themselves and providing every opportunity to reach for the stars.”

Philo Ventures

philo.ventures

Primary Location: Lehi, UT

Industry: Venture

What employees love: Flexibility, hybrid work, insurance benefits, free snacks and catered lunches, company retreats, supportive leadership, travel discounts

What employees are saying: “Philo Ventures is a positive company that truly recognizes its employees and the value of each member. They understand that good products come from good employees. The culture day to day is healthy, recognizing employee value and contributions.”

Smart Resources

smartresources.com

Primary Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Industry: Human Resources

What employees love: Unlimited PTO, insurance benefits, flexibility, open door policy

What employees are saying: “Many companies claim they have a strong culture, but Smart Resources lives it. We begin every meeting with culture discussions. The entire team is driven by our amazing culture.”

Stratus HR

stratus.hr

Primary Location: Sandy, UT

Industry: Human Resources

What employees love: PTO, flexibility, “Winning Wednesday,” insurance benefits, fitness stipend, hybrid work, 401(k), employee lunches, tickets to Bees games and Red Butte Garden concerts, free snacks, company parties, employee of the month program

What employees are saying: “Culture is why I came to work at Stratus. Everyone feels empowered to do what is in the best interests of our clients.”

The Picklr

thepicklr.com

Primary Location: Kaysville, UT

Industry: Health & Wellness

What employees love: Company offsites, flexibility, 401(k), profit sharing, insurance benefits, free pickleball memberships, unlimited PTO, free drinks and snacks, weekly catered lunches

What employees are saying: “I love the excitement that comes with the rapid growth of The Picklr. Everyone is on the same team and supports each other through the pros and cons of fast growth, making it a fun, safe and exciting place to work.”

VidAngel

vidangel.com

Primary Location: Lehi, UT

Industry: Computer Software

What employees love: Profit sharing, quarterly bonuses, flexibility, insurance benefits, unlimited PTO, weekly catering, company parties, Employee Compassion Fund, maternity leave

What employees are saying: “I love our company mission and product. Days in the office are great days where we can touch base with other departments and grow friendships.”

Small Companies | 51-100 employees

97th Floor

97thfloor.com

Primary Location: Lehi, UT

Industry: Marketing & Advertising

What employees love: 401(k) match, insurance benefits, HSA, passes to Thanksgiving Point and Sundance Resort, parental leave, onsite gym, unlimited PTO, flexibility, company library and book club, Results Only Work Environment (ROWE), pet insurance, company parties

What employees are saying: “97th Floor is built on principles of hard work, creativity, enthusiasm for our work, respect and friendship. My successes are recognized, and I always receive support for my shortcomings. I have learned more here than anywhere else, and I’ve developed amazing relationships with my coworkers.”

Beehive Meals

beehivemeals.com

Primary Location: Layton, UT

Industry: Food & Beverage

What employees love: Free monthly meal subscription, holiday bonus, 401(k) match, “Fun Friday,” monthly spa stipend, PTO, insurance benefits, tickets to arts and sporting events

What employees are saying: “I can see myself working at Beehive Meals for a long time. The atmosphere is fun while also being very productive. The people I work with are helpful and supportive.”

BrainStorm

brainstorminc.com

Primary Location: American Fork, UT

Industry: Computer Software

What employees love: Company activities, free ski passes, service opportunities, 401(k) match, bucket list “Boom Campaign,” gym membership, PTO, tickets to sporting events, insurance benefits, monthly budget for sending gifts

What employees are saying: “BrainStorm knows how to hire well and foster a culture of giving, positivity, humor and camaraderie. There is an effort to include everyone in everything we do.”

Carpet Diem

carpetdiem.us

Primary Location: Draper, UT

Industry: Construction

What employees love: Insurance benefits, free snacks and drinks, PTO, parental leave, company vehicles, discount on flooring, TopGolf membership, HSA, birthday lunches, 401(k)

What employees are saying: “I feel like the company promotes putting the customer first and does a great job of empowering the employees to do what’s right. The people I’m surrounded by are very much in tune with one another and the companies’ values, which we do our best to live on a daily basis.”

Cicero

cicerogroup.com

Primary Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Industry: Management Consulting

What employees love: Insurance benefits, PTO, work-from-home Fridays, parental leave, 401(k) match, company events, professional development support, annual trip to Mexico, profit sharing, weekly catered lunches, free snacks

What employees are saying: “I feel surrounded by individuals who are extremely driven to do their very best work on a daily basis. There is a strong drive for exemplary work, and the relationships are what keep people here long term.”

Clean Simple Eats

cleansimpleeats.com

Primary Location: Riverton, UT

Industry: Health & Wellness

What employees love: PTO, flexibility, 401(k) match, free product, onsite wellness room, free drinks and snacks, yearly retreats, hybrid work

What employees are saying: “Clean Simple Eats blows every other company out of the water! They have a great mission and purpose, and they have created a one-in-a-million work culture. I truly enjoy being with all of my coworkers and my incredible bosses.”

Cozy Earth

cozyearth.com

Primary Location: Lehi, UT

Industry: Consumer Goods

What employees love: 401(k), unlimited PTO, team activities, free lunches, maternity leave, company parties, wellness stipend, free snacks, employee discount, golf passes, insurance benefits, flexibility

What employees are saying: “We’re encouraged to be creative and take risks. We all spend time outside of work together and have created forever friendships.”

Disruptive Advertising

disruptiveadvertising.com

Primary Location: Pleasant Grove, UT

Industry: Marketing & Advertising

What employees love: 401(k) match, HSA, personal and professional development training, vacation and wellness stipends, unlimited PTO, profit sharing, flexibility, free snacks

What employees are saying: “Every day, I feel so grateful that I get to work with some of the most incredible people on Earth. A focus on giving back and having opportunities to jump into service projects together really strengthens relationships across the company.”

FOCUS Engineering & Surveying

focus-es.com

Primary Location: Midvale, UT

Industry: Consulting - Civil Engineering & Land Surveying

What employees love: 401(k) match, HSA, insurance benefits, PTO, personal development training, first-time homebuyer incentive, wellness programs, flexibility, merit-based bonuses

What employees are saying: “Focus holds its culture very tightly and swears by it. The partners and management do a great job of exemplifying the kind of culture they want to permeate throughout the company, and it’s successfully trickled down to many of the employees here.”

Grant Victor

grantvictor.com

Primary Location: Kaysville, UT

Industry: Financial Services

What employees love: 401(k), company parties, flex holidays, company retreats, PTO, insurance benefits, gym membership, free snacks, tuition reimbursement, free monthly lunches, humanitarian trips in Kenya

What employees are saying: “I appreciate the growth and development opportunities at the company. Training programs and mentorships have been very helpful in advancing my skills.”

iDrive Logistics

idrivelogistics.com

Primary Location: Lehi, UT

Industry: Information Technology

What employees love: Flexibility, free snacks, PTO, bonus program, 401(k) match, holiday parties, birthday lunches, profit sharing, insurance benefits, service opportunities

What employees are saying: “iDrive’s culture is very entrepreneurial in nature. People are encouraged to think for themselves and own their successes and failures.”

Nectar

nectarhr.com

Primary Location: Lehi, UT

Industry: Human Resources

What employees love: Unlimited PTO, flexibility, insurance benefits, Apple Watch and gym membership reimbursements, equity/stock options, bonus programs, employee recognition rewards, Topgolf and boating events, catered team lunches, phone plan discounts, parental leave

What employees are saying: “We believe in our leadership, we believe in our teams, and we believe in our mission. It’s a very positive place to work, grow, have autonomy and build something worthwhile.”

ObservePoint

observepoint.com

Primary Location: Pleasant Grove, UT

Industry: Information Technology

What employees love: Remote-first work environment with hybrid flexibility, insurance benefits, HSA, unlimited PTO, 401(k) match, healthy lifestyle reimbursement, corporate golf pass, pickleball league, weekly catered lunches, month-long sabbatical after 7 years, family-friendly events and parties, free snacks, phone stipend, quarterly team summits

What employees are saying: “The culture here is one of accountability, customer obsession, cooperation, alignment and feedback. It’s a great incubator for growth and success for the company and for individuals.”

Scalar

scalar.io

Primary Location: Draper, UT

Industry: Financial Services

What employees love: Hybrid work, unlimited PTO, insurance benefits, 401(k) match, weekly team activities like “Ultimate Frisbee Fridays,” free snacks, catered meals

What employees are saying: “Scalar has a vibrant and dynamic culture. Employees are encouraged to be themselves and to express themselves.”

The Children’s Center Utah

childrenscenterutah.org

Primary Location: West Valley City, UT

Industry: Nonprofit

What employees love: Hybrid work, PTO, insurance benefits, 401(k) match, annual winter break, onsite gym, employee development opportunities, staff recognition program, catered company parties and retreats

What employees are saying: “The culture in our company is positive, warm, energizing and dynamic. We work among others who are equally passionate about the service and role we play in supporting children and families in the community.”

Visit Salt Lake

visitsaltlake.com

Primary Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Industry: Conventions & Tourism

What employees love: PTO, insurance benefits including fertility/adoption coverage, 401(k) match, profit sharing, child care and wellness reimbursements, phone stipend, hybrid work, UTA pass, gym membership reimbursement, free snacks, Bonusly peer recognition program, event tickets and ski passes, professional development opportunities, custom-clothing allowance, summer camp stipend, community outreach opportunities

What employees are saying: “We do hard, fulfilling work at VSL. We help support a multi-billion dollar visitor economy, but most importantly, we have fun at our jobs and love the people we work with.”

Your Employment Solutions

youremploymentsolutions.com

Primary Location: North Salt Lake, UT

Industry: Human Resources

What employees love: Insurance benefits, HSA, hybrid work, PTO, quarterly bonus program, mileage reimbursement, profit sharing, phone plan perks, company parties and retreats, employee recognition, flexibility

What employees are saying: “Culture and environment is a huge piece of why I’ve stayed at the company for 10+ years. The culture is one of transparency, growth opportunities, upward feedback and rewarding success.”

Medium Companies | 101-500 employees

A Plus Garage Doors

utahgaragedoors.net

Primary Location: West Valley, UT

Industry: Construction

What employees love: Competitive pay, onsite cafe, performance bonuses, insurance benefits, flexibility, company vehicles, company activities, zen rooms, PTO

What employees are saying: “The culture is very friendly, and everyone is like-minded. We push each other to succeed. There are plenty of resources available from our teammates and management.”

ASEA, LLC

aseaglobal.com/en-US

Primary Location: Pleasant Grove, UT

Industry: Health & Wellness

What employees love: HSA, flexibility, company parties, free lunches and snacks, insurance benefits, maternity leave, PTO, 401(k), fitness stipend, annual massages, profit sharing, tuition reimbursement, hybrid work

What employees are saying: “They are continually striving to grow, develop and train employees. I’ve been promoted to several positions and have grown in many skill sets that have helped me not just in the workplace but in my day-to-day life.”

AudioEye

audioeye.com

Primary Location: Lehi, UT

Industry: Computer Software

What employees love: Unlimited PTO, health insurance, stock options, commission structure and frequent spot bonuses, weekly family meal stipend, daily free lunches provided onsite, flexibility, hybrid work, supportive environment, opportunities for personal and professional growth

What employees are saying: “Our culture is incredible and improving every year. I think having a positive mission draws the best kind of employees.”

FinWise Bank

finwise.com

Primary Location: Murray, UT

Industry: Financial Services

What employees love: Health insurance, PTO, 401(k) match, profit sharing, flexibility, hybrid work, gym membership reimbursement, Top Golf and golf course memberships, company parties and events, tuition and education reimbursements, Calm app membership, LinkedIn Learning membership

What employees are saying: “Management is present in the office regularly, and they take the time to speak with employees. They are all very down-to-earth so I feel like I am not just a cog.”

GMRE

gmre-inc.com

Primary Location: Ogden, UT

Industry: Defense Contractor

What employees love: HSA, 401(k) match, PTO, flexibility, work-life balance, competitive compensation, generous leave, supportive leadership, employee events

What employees are saying: “The executive team leads growth and development opportunities for the company and for employees. The strong sense of commitment from the executive team helps employees feel supported and valued.”

Gozney

us.gozney.com

Primary Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Industry: Consumer Goods

What employees love: Flexibility, hybrid work, positive environment, team building events, unlimited PTO, pizza parties, company lunches, retirement planning, quarterly bonus program, industry discounts

What employees are saying: “The culture is fun, inspiring and inclusive. It’s unique in the sense that everyone is on mission together, and it feels that way.”

Groove Technology Solutions

getgrooven.com

Primary Location: Midvale, UT

Industry: Telecommunications

What employees love: Onsite gym, mental health therapy, massage therapy, pet insurance, company-sponsored events, 401(k), snack bars, EV charging stations, learning opportunities

What employees are saying: “Management is always interested in my professional development in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming. My team members go above and beyond to lend a hand when it’s needed.”

InfoWest

infowest.com

Primary Location: Saint George, UT

Industry: Telecommunication

What employees love: Flexibility, PTO policies, paid holidays, 401(k) match, performance bonuses, sales incentives, family-oriented atmosphere, company outings, discounts at partnered hotels and businesses

What employees are saying: “I appreciate being able to discuss and implement ideas that I think will make the company better. Management cares about us not just as employees but as people.”

JobNimbus

jobnimbus.com

Primary Location: Lehi, UT

Industry: Computer Software

What employees love: Unlimited PTO, health insurance, HSA, hybrid work, Fridays off in the summer, Motivosity, weekly catered lunches, travel funds and programs, 401(k)

What employees are saying: “JobNimbus promotes from within as often as possible. If you’re willing to put in the work, they foster your learning and help you achieve your goals!”

Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences

joyce.edu

Primary Location: Draper, UT

Industry: Education

What employees love: Unlimited and self-directed PTO, hybrid work, fitness memberships, onsite massages, tuition reimbursement, 401(k) match, book clubs, professional development

What employees are saying: “I enjoy working with others who are dedicated to educating nurses and want the best for our students and coworkers. We have the same goals and are willing to help one another.”

Larson & Company

larsco.com

Primary Location: South Jordan, UT

Industry: Accounting

What employees love: Flexibility, hybrid work, health insurance paid for after certain tenure, generous PTO, reimbursements for gym memberships and cellphone bills, bonuses

What employees are saying: “Larson has a great culture that focuses on growing individuals professionally and personally. I feel like I can truly excel and be promoted when the time is right for me and not necessarily just when it’s right for Larson.”

OptConnect

optconnect.com

Location: Kaysville, UT

Industry: Technology

What employees love: Remote work, comprehensive health insurance, wellness reimbursement program, mental health days, employee recognition, 401(k), tuition reimbursement, company events

What employees are saying: “This company is absolutely a ‘people first’ organization, which makes it very easy to come into the office each day. Everybody looks out for each other and is willing to help if someone needs it.”

Pura

pura.com

Primary Location: Pleasant Grove, UT

Industry: Consumer Goods

What employees love: Unlimited PTO, monthly lunch budget, flexibility, mental health support services, generous parental leave, baby bonuses, 401(k), Nectar points, book club, bonuses

What employees are saying: “I have had so many opportunities to grow and advance my business knowledge. Everyone is so willing to share information and help me be a better leader. There is a great level of transparency from upper management, and I think that cascades down.”

Squire

squire.com

Primary Location: Orem, UT

Industry: Accounting

What employees love: Flexibility, remote work, affordable and extensive health insurance coverage, HSA, 401(k), Christmas gifts, Motivosity, fitness reimbursement program

What employees are saying: “Squire has a great work culture when it comes to truly caring about and investing in their employees.”

Strider Technologies

striderintel.com

Primary Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Industry: Consumer Software

What employees love: Daily catered lunches, hybrid schedules, unlimited PTO, annual wellness stipends, wellness programs, parental leave, mission-driven culture, development opportunities

What employees are saying: “Our management has found the balance between management and leadership skills. They’re able to maintain the large scope of our goals and aspirations while getting into the details of the projects and managing those appropriately. We practice a ‘zero ego’ perspective and focus on feedback and growth opportunities.”

Tanner LLC

tannerco.com

Primary Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Industry: Accounting

What employees love: Flexible PTO, company-sponsored trips to Disneyland, 401(k), HSA, access to gym facilities, appreciation initiatives, CPA exam reimbursement, career development

What employees are saying: “Tanner has been very committed to my growth and development within the company. They want to do what it takes to keep great people at Tanner.”

Utah First Federal Credit Union

utahfirst.com

Primary Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Industry: Financial Services

What employees love: High-incentive pay, profit sharing, employer-funded HSA, 401(k) match, PTO, paid maternity leave, monthly incentives and bonuses, company parties, tuition reimbursement

What employees are saying: “Utah First hosts several charity events throughout the year. It feels great knowing we are helping others and putting together all kinds of kits and donations. People genuinely enjoy their jobs and are willing to help and teach.”

VLCM

vlcm.com

Primary Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Industry: Information Technology

What employees love: Flexible work arrangements, 401(k), relaxed workplace culture, tickets to sporting events, opportunities for learning and growth, wellness program

What employees are saying: “VLCM fosters collaboration, inclusivity and open communication, which makes me feel valued and supported. The emphasis on teamwork and mutual respect creates a welcoming atmosphere where everyone is encouraged to share ideas and contribute.”

Large Companies | 501-2,500 employees

IMA Financial Group

imacorp.com

Primary Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Industry: Insurance

What employees love: Unlimited PTO, flexibility, opportunities for stock ownership, bonuses, onsite gym, well-stocked snack stations, sabbatical programs, lifestyle spending accounts, extended holiday weekends

What employees are saying: “I feel that I am able to succeed and grow at this company for years to come. The company promotes from within, and there are a lot of opportunities to grow.”

Layton Construction

laytonconstruction.com

Primary Location: Sandy, UT

Industry: Construction

What employees love: Employee stock ownership, company vehicles, gas cards, comprehensive health coverage, flexibility, remote work options, end-of-year bonuses, company-sponsored events

What employees are saying: “They encourage moving up in the company and provide a lot of internal training and development. If you show that you can perform tasks outside of your current responsibilities, you are supported in that growth.”

Okland Construction

okland.com

Primary Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Industry: Construction

What employees love: 401(k) match, flexible PTO, bonuses, HSA, fitness centers, team-building activities, employee achievement rewards, company vehicles, fuel cards, free snacks, catered meals

What employees are saying: “I like the solid foundation for growth with training programs and diverse projects to grow my skill set. Investing in and providing ongoing opportunities for employees is a genuine priority from leadership.”

Progressive Leasing

progleasing.com

Primary Location: Draper, UT

Industry: Financial Services

What employees love: Flexibility, work-life balance, gym reimbursement, family planning benefits, generous PTO, parental leave, 401(k) match, volunteer opportunities, bonuses

What employees are saying: “Management makes you feel heard and recognized for your hard work. They do a good job of integrating the interest of the company with individual interests.”

Select Health

selecthealth.org

Primary Location: Murray, UT

Industry: Healthcare

What employees love: Flexibility, gym memberships, 401(k) match, pension programs, tuition reimbursement, wellness programs, inclusive culture, recognition programs

What employees are saying: “Select Health’s goal is to help people live the healthiest lives possible. There is an emphasis on preventive healthcare, proactive health screenings and healthy lifestyle choices. Select Health also sponsors many community outreach programs and is actively trying to improve the healthcare options of economically disadvantaged communities.”

Utah Jazz and Utah Hockey Club

nba.com/jazz

nhl.com/utah

Primary Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Industry: Sports & Entertainment

What employees love: Unlimited PTO, flexibility, free or discounted event tickets, wellness programs, gym memberships, 401(k) match, free lunches, cross-department learning opportunities

What employees are saying: “I love working here and feel so bought in because of the transparancy that exists. They truly want to transform Utah for the better!”

Waystar

waystar.com

Primary Location: Lehi, UT

Industry: Healthcare

What employees love: Hybrid work, Headspace meditation app, Virgin Pulse for fitness tracking, pet insurance, parental leave, weekly catered lunches, swag, HSA, learning incentives

What employees are saying: “We are a fast growing company with no shortage of opportunities to jump in and solve big problems while getting new skills and experiences.”

Young Automotive Group

youngautomotive.com

Primary Location: Layton, UT

Industry: Automotive

What employees love: Flexibility, work-life balance, discounts, insurance coverage, PTO, retirement benefits, career advancement, training, spiff bonuses, recognition programs

What employees are saying: “I feel grateful to be a part of a company that puts such an emphasis on positivity and family. The dedication to making sure everyone knows and lives by the mission statement and core values is unlike anywhere else I have worked.”

Extra Large Companies | Companies with 2,500+ employees

CBIZ & CBIZ CPAs

cbiz.com

Primary Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Industry: Financial Services

What employees love: Company-provided meals, flexibility, hybrid work, comprehensive health insurance, fitness facilities, PTO, CPA assistance, opportunities for career development, retirement contribution matches

What employees are saying: “Management is working hard to make everything run smoothly. If there is a conflict, open communication is initiated, both sides are heard and an equitable solution is implemented.”

Leavitt Group

leavitt.com

Primary Location: Cedar City, UT

Industry: Insurance

What employees love: Flexibility, remote work options, mental health programs, wellness initiatives, positive work culture, company events, PTO, maternity leave, 401(k) match, profit sharing

What employees are saying: “One of my favorite things about the Leavitt Group is the culture. The employees and leaders all understand that while we are working to make a profit for the company, prioritizing employees’ needs is equally important. The culture of support, friendship and devotion to each other as much as the company is unlike any other company I have ever worked for.”

Mountain America Credit Union

macu.com

Primary Location: Sandy, UT

Industry: Financial Services

What employees love: Outstanding insurance options, HSA, flexibility, 401(k) match, gyms, cafes with employee discounts, onsite medical clinics

What employees are saying: “Mountain America encourages growth and development, and it provides the tools and resources to help you achieve your goals.”

Trucordia

trucordia.com

Primary Location: Lindon, UT

Industry: Insurance

What employees love: Flexible PTO, remote work, concert tickets, HSA, monthly lunches, appreciation events, stocked break rooms, 401(k) match, bonus structures, opportunities for growth

What employees are saying: “Management is incredible. I can talk with everyone, and we all help each other out when needed. I don’t feel like I’m alone.”

Having spent his youth in the Central African Republic and Nigeria, Christoph Gorder developed an intuitive understanding of diverse environments and people — a skillset he honed further in his 14 years at Americares and over a decade with charity. “I didn’t set out to build a career in disaster response, but the rush and purpose of this work have kept me engaged and committed,” he says. Now living in Utah with his family, Christoph’s extensive experiences have taught him that good people can be found anywhere you journey. “Even though people look very different or societies feel very different, ultimately we’re all the same.”

‘Always hi, never hello’

Travelpro Platinum Elite Softside Expandable Carry on Luggage

“I was on 81 flights last year. I flew four times around the globe, 100,000 real miles. I’m flying almost every week. I’ve had a lot of other bags, but they don’t hold up like this one.”

Universal Travel Adapter

“Certain oddball countries have plugs that you have never seen before. [The Universal Travel Adapter] is really helpful when you have that. I’ve had a whole bunch of [travel adapters], and I think this one is the most universal.”

Owala FreeSip Water Bottle

“The top closes. All the cool kids have them!”

Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Jacket

“I’ve been wearing the Uniqlo Ultra Light Down for years. My boss in my last job, who traveled even more than I did, turned me on to it. I’ve been through multiple generations of them now, grown with them over 15 years. I always keep one in my bag; I have one in my bag right now. You can’t go wrong.”

Moleskine Classic Hardcover Pocket Notebook

“If I’m in a meeting and I need to take notes, it’s much more polite to take them in a notebook as opposed to typing them on my laptop or into my phone. [A notebook] really shows a sign of respect [and that] what you tell me is going to be important enough for me to write down.”

Haribo Goldbears

“[My favorite color] is the green.”

KINeSYS Fragrance Free Clear Spray Sunscreen

“Best sunscreen in the world. … Nobody’s ever heard of them, but it spreads really, really easily, and it’s not greasy. It’s hypoallergenic. It’s not gloppy. It’s transparent. Somebody will figure out how to market it, and it’ll do really well.”

Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4 Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker

“I spent the last 11 years, before I joined Airbnb, working mostly in Africa. … I spent long hours in the car, and being able to pull [this speaker] out and have a great jam was fun. You have fun with the driver and the local host, and it’s just a vibe.”

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Bluetooth Headphones

“Being on a plane and being able to remove that ambient sound, which is actually very loud, really makes a big difference. I listen to Spotify. I’ve got a couple of really long playlists. It’s pretty eclectic.”

Bracing for rough air ahead

Each of Utah’s 29 counties offers unique advantages for businesses and talent alike. Let’s visit Iron County.

Lund, Utah, is a ghost town. Thirty-three miles from Cedar City, it was once a train station stop for travelers on their way to Utah’s national parks. Today, there is a railroad sign and a single habitable house.

Grand County’s ‘highly commended’ film commission

The Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, later Union Pacific, ran the line between Lund and Cedar City. Forty 11-passenger auto-stages ferried tourists closer to Utah’s natural wonders. The last passenger trains stopped in 1969, but rail lines have stayed relevant, attracting business to Iron County’s larger population areas like Cedar City.

In 2017, Danny Stewart, then the economic development director for Cedar City and Iron County, started to hear rumblings of “inland ports” in Salt Lake City. Knowing his county’s economy heavily relied on transportation infrastructure, the topic “instantly grabbed [his] attention.”

“Most of the success we’ve had in Cedar City, Iron County, was based on our geographic location. Proximity to major Western markets — one day’s trucking to LA and Phoenix — is a big deal,” he says, explaining that an inland port area, dedicated to improving and facilitating transportation, felt like the perfect fit for the county’s economic strategy and a needed upgrade for existing railroads.

A waterless port?

Even with roads and rail connecting Iron County to other economic centers, local manufacturing companies struggled to fully utilize the transportation options, specifically the railroad, because there was no way to move goods between road and rail.

“I would regularly get calls from companies throughout the region saying, ‘We need to unload something off the rail,’” Stewart recalls. “Transloading is something we seriously started looking at about the same time I was hearing talk of the inland port concept. I said, ‘It makes sense for us to do transloading here. I know there’s a business case for it. Would partnering with the Inland Port Authority help us?’ It certainly has.”

Since the Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) approved the Iron Springs Inland Port Project Area in 2023, two railroad transload facilities have opened for business. These facilities help local companies move steel, lumber, food-grade and fuel oils, and mined materials from train to truck and back again.

In the last two years, Stewart says BZI’s RailSync transload facility has processed 600 rail cars, unloading over 100 million pounds of materials. A recent press release states that RailSync has taken more than 2,500 inbound semi-truck loads off highways between Salt Lake City and Phoenix in that time. Transloading capabilities have already begun attracting companies and jobs to the area.

Transloading costs

Since helping launch the Iron Springs Inland Port Project Area, Stewart has transitioned into a new position as the associate VP for regional project area development with UIPA. In partnering with UIPA, Iron County’s inland port development is fast-tracked for success.

Under the jurisdiction of UIPA, instead of the county collecting 100 percent of all new taxes and distributing them regularly, the county will only collect 25 percent of the taxes on development in the area for 25 years. The other 75 percent goes to UIPA, which then returns it to businesses in the project area to assist them in development.

“We’re reinvesting it back into that area in the form of roads, water, sewer, fiber — whatever it takes to make it more valuable,” Stewart says. “At the end of 25 years, that new value will go back to the regular tax entities and our agreement ends.”

Although UIPA oversees 14 total project areas, all increased tax from the Iron Springs Inland Port Project Area stays in Iron County to support the community. There is no statewide pot for redistribution; everything is invested right where it was generated.

Use all available resources

David Johnson, the current economic development director for Cedar City and Iron County Economic Development, says the benefits of having the rural inland port in Iron County are unquantifiable.

“I don’t think any of that would have been possible had it not been for the Utah Inland Port Authority,” he says, explaining that he only sees current development and economic prosperity continuing to snowball.

One of the first companies to join the Iron Springs Inland Port Project Area was BZI Steel, a steel erector and fabricator that works on large building projects across the nation. Previously, BZI had been trucking steel to its fabrication shop in Cedar City but was in search of a better, more efficient mode of transportation.

Once initiating the property finding process, Drake Howell, project executive at BZI Innovation Park, says the company acquired 820 acres along the Union Pacific Railroad and began working with the county to build a transload operation.

“We’ve had a vision of developing the rest of the acreage out and making it available to other industries and manufacturers to attract them to Cedar City and Iron County, lifting the whole economy,” Howell says. “Our partnership with the Utah Inland Port Authority … stretches our dollars to make development of this scale possible.”

Phase one of the BZI Innovation Park was recently completed, opening 330 acres for business, including all utilities and roadways completed and operational. Howell says his team is excited to be in “full business recruitment mode,” but without UIPA’s support, the story could have been very different.

“If the port hadn’t been involved, there would likely be a BZI operation at some scale but probably just a private operation,” he says. “With the port, it has opened the door to serve not only BZI but the economy and public as a whole.”

Chugging toward the future

What began in the ’20s for tourism is now the basis for Iron County’s economic present and future.

The project area did not just happen, though. It took leaders like Stewart and community support. “Project areas are only established based on requests from the local communities, support from elected officials, and recommendations of economic development staff,” Johnson says. “UIPA allowed us to better tell our story of what a manufacturing hub we are and how diverse our economy is, even though we are historically a rural community.”

Amid controversy, inland ports begin construction this summer