Bureau, says the Summer Market will bring
approximately 20,000 attendees and translate into
41,000 hotel room nights for area hotels. (By
contrast, last January’s Outdoor Retailer Winter
Market brought $15.2 million in direct spending to
the state, with approximately 15,000 attendees and
27,585 room nights booked.)IN THE NEWS
Economic Development Headlines
Salt Lake Courts '09 Hispanic Convention
- Salt Lake City is in the running to host the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's annual convention in 2009. (Morning News)
Meat Processor Opts for Move to Box Elder
- An Iowa-based meat processing company whose plans for building a 500-employee facility in Weber County were derailed by a wetlands issue nonetheless will put the facility in Utah. West Liberty Foods LLC announced Friday it will put its fourth facility in Tremonton, Box Elder County. (Morning News) (Utah Business Magazine) (Gazette Online)
Talk of Eminent Domain Stirs Fears in Ogden
- This pocket of Ogden probably isn't the vision of the American dream. It's old. Two sets of bone-rattling railroad tracks cross the street. Some yards are unkempt, and several homes are deteriorating. For Christina Rodriguez, this is home. She has no plans to leave. But Rodriguez could be vetoed in months to come. The Utah League of Cities and Towns, along with a handful of the state's most influential communities, is studying a way to bring back the power of eminent domain - the tool that allows government to force sales of land - to spur private development.
Two New Stores Opening at Layton Mall
- Motorists speeding down I-15 by the Layton Hills Mall may not realize it — but Davis County’s only mall is among the busiest and most successful in the state. (Clipper Today)
The Cost of USTAR - Tuition Hikes for Other University Needs
- While state lawmakers pumped millions into the Governor's pet project for science and technology research, also known as USTAR, Utah's college students are left holding the tab for campus utility bills and faculty salaries. Commissioner of Higher Education Rich Kendell says some university funding needs got lost in the push for USTAR. (KCPW)
Sleepy Vineyard Abuzz Over a Stadium
- Vineyard, hidden just west of Orem, hardly seems the place for a major sports team to make its home. And yet, that's one idea currently on the table for Real Salt Lake, Utah's first major league soccer team. The idea of a major athletic team building a stadium in their tiny town has set Vineyard abuzz. To be sure, some like it and some don't. (Morning News)
County Lends a Hand
- Salt Lake County has launched a new initiative it says will boost its efforts to recruit, nurture and grow businesses. "Quality business development starts at home," Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon said during a program unveiling Thursday. (Morning News) (Salt Lake Tribune) (Utah Business Magazine)
Orem Council Makes Economic Development Plans
- Access to the Internet means never having to leave one's home while shopping for the latest fashions or researching a new car. Since two-thirds of the homes in Orem have computers, at least one City Council member is advocating the inclusion of Internet businesses into the city's economic development strategic plan. (Daily Herald)
State Economy Stays Strong
- Utah's economy was "remarkably strong" during the first half of this year and although that performance probably will slip in the remaining months of 2006, growth should finish up well ahead of last year. (Salt Lake Tribune)
Investment is Down, Not Out
- Venture capital infusions into Utah's economy plunged 80 percent in the second quarter, to $21 million, but analysts insist that the state has lost none of its allure to investors. (Salt Lake Tribune) (Morning News)
Davis Jobs Up, Unemployment Down
- Davis County continued to produce new jobs in a consistent, if not spectacular fashion over the past month, racking up approximately 1,800 positions during the month of June and registering a 4.1 percent rate of growth. (Clipper Today)
Convention Center in Provo?
- Utah County commissioners are reviewing a recommendation to build a new convention center adjacent to existing conference facilities at the Provo Marriott. (Morning News) (Salt Lake Tribune) (Daily Herald)
Economic Benefits of Rail Stations Questioned
- While the Utah Transit Authority and cities along the commuter rail system are banking on FrontRunner to boost their economies, one Davis County planner has expressed skepticism of its ability to revitalize communities. (Standard Examiner)
Davis Chamber Moves to New Home
- The Davis County Chamber of Commerce is relocating to the Davis Applied Technology College today as the first tenant of a one-stop business hub. (Standard Examiner)
Lt. Gov.: Rural Utah Holds Key to Growth
- Though most are miles from the state’s largest urban centers, Utah’s more sparsely populated counties hold the key to its continuing growth and economic development ventures, Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert said Tuesday. (Herald Journal)
Tougher Standards For Graduates Urged
- A member of the Governor's Office of Economic Development Board is pushing its members to draft a resolution that would recommend tighter high school graduation requirements to better prepare Utah students for the job market and improve the state's work force. (Morning News)
Utah Entrepreneurship, Self-Employment Thrive
- Utahns went to work for themselves at the fourth fastest rate in the nation, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. Between 2003 and 2004 the number of Utah firms without paid employees jumped 6.1 percent to 163,426. Nationally, the number grew by 4.7 percent. (Salt Lake Tribune)
Salt Lake County Leads State in Manufacturing
- Manufacturing, it has been said, is the backbone of the economy. Without it, you couldn't drive a car, wear your favorite tennis shoes or read this newspaper. Top of Utah manufacturing adds about $7.5 billion to the state's $25 billion annual manufacturing receipt totals, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. (Standard Examiner)
Strike it Rich in Mexico
- Ambitious businesses are wanted to test out the international market at this year's Utah trade mission to Mexico. Many Utahns were successful at the trade mission earlier this year, and the same is expected this time, says Miguel Rovira of the Governor's Office of Economic Development. (KCPW)
Utah Banks On Schedule to Meet Electronic Security Guidelines
- Thieves no longer need six-shooters or safe-cracking skills to rob a bank. With the advent of electronic banking, a computer keyboard and a little information can result in a big heist. (Utah Business Magazine)
Utah's Economy to Continue Growing, Wells Fargo Analyst Says
- With an increasing population, high employment rate and solid retail sales, Utah’s economy likely will remain strong through the end of the year, according to a Wells Fargo analysis. (Utah Business Magazine)