ACG Utah Growth Conference and Capital Connection

Utah's premier conference on mergers and acquisitions and private equity will be held Feb. 12 at Salt Lake City's Grand America Hotel. Zions Bank is the title sponsor of the event, which was organized by the Utah chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), an international organization with more than 11,000 members in 54 chapters.

George Flint III, president of ACG Utah, says 40 Private Equity Groups, with over $20 billion under management, have registered as exhibitors for this event and will be traveling to Utah to attend the conference in search of opportunities to acquire and invest in Utah businesses.

?This conference has become the 'can't miss' event in Utah for those involved in corporate growth. The private equity groups attending are looking to invest in established middle-market Utah businesses grossing $10 million to $500 million and to meet the professionals and service providers that work with these businesses,? says Flint.

The conference kicks off at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast and opening remarks by Jason Perry, executive director of the Governor's Office of Economic Development, followed by a keynote address by Joel Peterson, co-founder of Peterson Partners. After morning breakout sessions a luncheon keynote address will be given by Robert B. Reich, the 22nd Secretary of Labor of the United States and one of the nation's leading thinkers about business and the economy.

During the afternoon's Capital Connection attendees will be able to meet and mingle with the principals of 40 Utah-focused Private Equity Groups and Mezzanine lenders representing billions of dollars of buy-out and growth capital.

As a special benefit, he says conference registrants are also invited to attend a Dealmakers Ski Day, to be held February 11 at Park City Mountain Resort, from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm.

Early conference registration has been extended to February 5. Register online. Click here to download the conference brochure (pdf).

IN THE NEWS

Economic Development Headlines from the Past Week

Despite initiative's success, Utah needs more engineers

- A seven-year initiative to increase the number of engineering graduates has been a huge success, but Utah must train more engineers if the state is to retain its competitive edge, a business leader told lawmakers Wednesday. (Salt Lake Tribune) (Morning News)

Sandy asking Salt Lake County for more RSL stadium dollars 

- City officials here are ready to ask Salt Lake County to participate in another funding package for Real Salt Lake's $110 million soccer stadium. (Salt Lake Tribune)

Editorial: Fully fund USTAR request 

- Admittedly, it sounded a little pie-in-the-sky at the outset. The state would spend $25 million a year to recruit "rock star" researchers and create innovation teams. (Morning News)

Commercial credit crunch in Utah? Most local bankers say 'no'

- Local bankers agree that lending related to residential real estate has dwindled in the wake of the national sub-prime mortgage meltdown and that there has been a slowing local and national housing market. (SL Enterprise)

California fast-food chain to open first of 15 Utah stores in Lehi

- El Pollo Loco, a Costa Mesa, Calif.-based fast-food chain will break ground Jan. 31 on the first of 15 locations it plans to bring to Utah through a multi-unit development agreement with WKS Restaurant Corp. (SL Enterprise) 

Menlove to invest millions in new Bountiful dealership

- Menlove Toyota Scion plans to break ground in February on a new a two-building complex totaling approximately 110,000 square feet that will represent an investment of between $15 million and $17 million. (SL Enterprise)

Credit Union to invest $20 million in new training facility

- Mountain America Credit Union is preparing to expand its headquarters presence in West Jordan with the construction of a new $20 million, three-story training facility. (SL Enterprise)

Cold-weather clothing manufacturer plans to employ up to 400

- BARN Inc. (Building America's Readiness Now) has opened new manufacturing facility in Mt. Pleasant and anticipates expanding operations to Utah County and employing as many as 400 later this year. (SL Enterprise)

California restaurateur eyes Salt Lake City market

- Research has shown that Utahns eat out as much or more than diners in California, New York and Texas, which as prompted California restaurateur Robert Jennings to bring his Harry's Pacific Grill to Utah within the next year.  (SL Enterprise)

New firm to sell electric-powered ATVs and commuter scooters

- Silent Green Machines, a new business selling electric-powered all-terrain vehicles, commuter scooters and three-wheeled utility trucks, is planning to open a new dealership and service center in Midvale. (SL Enterprise)

EU ambassador visits Utah to promote trade relations with Europe

-The security of Europe was a top priority for the United States during the Soviet era, but America's priorities have since gone elsewhere, prompting the European Union ambassador to the United States to make a direct plea: Don't forget about Europe. (Morning News)

South Weber Looks to Fill the Gap

- This city has an "opportunity gap" that could one day be filled with restaurants, a hotel, grocery stores, pharmacy or drug store and boutique-type clothing and apparel businesses, according to a retail study done by Strategy 5, a firm hired by the city to study economic development. (Standard Examiner)

No recession for Utah

- Despite the ongoing housing and credit market turmoil, and lingering fears of a national recession, the Beehive state will likely hold its own for now because of its uniquely robust population, in-migration growth and diversified employment base, a Wells Fargo economist said Wednesday. (Daily Herald) (Morning News) (SL Tribune)

Inland Sports Heads to Ogden

- Inland Sports is moving its business from Layton to downtown Ogden. "There's lots of things going on there -- the growth of it -- and we like what the mayor has done turning Ogden into a place where people want to come," Tyler Conlin, owner of Inland Sports, said. (Standard Examiner)

Tourism, hotels, restaurants up in 2007

- Things were definitely looking good in 2007. The Davis Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau held its end-of-year conference Jan. 18 to present the facts on how well 2007 went for Davis County and surrounding area's hotels, restaurants and other attractions, as well as events and conferences. (Clipper Today)

Outdoor Retailer trade show begins at Snowbasin

- The Outdoor Retailer Winter Market Tradeshow kicked off Tuesday at Snowbasin ? perhaps another sign of Ogden's emergence in the outdoor recreation industry. (Morning News) (SL Tribune) (SL Tribune) (KCPW)

WVC creates zone to spur job growth

- The city council on Tuesday created an economic-development area that eventually could pour 3,600 new jobs into this west-side Salt Lake County city. (SL Tribune)

Ogden may get hotel-condo tower, water park

- A 12-to-14-story hotel and condo tower, as well as a multimillion-dollar water park, could be coming to downtown Ogden, the City Council was told Tuesday night. (SL Tribune) (Standard Examiner)

Black business still has eye on dream

- When unveiling plans for a local arm of the Utah Black Chamber of Commerce here, executive director Stanley Ellington posed a question: "What are you doing to help others realize the dream?" (Morning News)

City's historic center is target of zoning change

- The city and a developer call it a revitalization effort, but many local residents and business owners say it would make Pleasant Grove less pleasant. (SL Tribune)