Nov. 15, 2007

  

A Publication of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah
CEO Jeff Edwards

PRESIDENT'S

MESSAGE
Delta Air Line's Sky Magazine features Salt Lake in October Edition

Utah has received some great exposure over the last 12 months. The State has been named a ?Best State for Business,? the most ?dynamic? economy and is home to several of the ?Top Cities in the U.S.? Most recently, Delta?s Sky Magazine, featured a 42-page spread on Utah. Today?s feature article provides an in-depth look at Sky Magazine?s Utah feature ? another tool that will help to increase Utah?s visibility in the global marketplace.

Today's Economic Review also includes links to many of the ED-related news stories from the past week. As always, if you have comments, suggestions or topics you'd like to see in the Economic Review, please contact us by clicking the Comments link at the bottom of this page.

Enjoy!

Jeff Edwards
Jeff Edwards
President and CEO


FEATURE

All Eyes Were on Salt Lake During
Delta's October Skies


?Stunning? might be the best way to describe the recent 42-page Salt Lake portrait captured on the pages of Delta Air Lines? Sky Magazine and carried on all of Delta?s flights this past October.

Of the nine million passengers Delta flies monthly, an estimated 3.4 million read Sky Magazine, according to Delta estimates?nice exposure for a state already receiving notoriety for its hot economy and low unemployment rate.

Leigh von der Esch, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism, who is currently in London for the World Travel Market, reports that people are even talking to her there about the Sky Magazine spread. Deputy Director David Williams adds that the profile is the first opportunity for Salt Lake to have an article of this nature and that it works well for the Tourism Office?s international efforts.

?This exposure couldn?t have come at a better time and bodes well for the front-of-mind presence we seek in our economic development efforts,? says Jeff Edwards, president and CEO of EDCUtah. ?Our economy is hitting on all cylinders, Delta will soon be offering non-stop flights to Paris, France, the ski season is nigh?all eyes are on Utah.?

According to Marian Cowhig, associate editor at Pace Communications, which publishes Sky Magazine for Delta Air Lines, the size of the editorial content in the 42-page spread and the exposure given the city is a tribute to the support of Salt Lake?s public/private organizations that purchased advertising space. ?Forty-two pages is a really good size and larger than the typical profile we do,? Cowhig adds.

To do the Salt Lake profile, Cowhig says Pace Communications partnered with a variety of local organizations, like EDCUtah, Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Downtown Alliance, the Utah Office of Tourism and the City of Salt Lake, among others, which helped Pace obtain the contacts it needed with local business and civic leaders and also local writers and photographers.

Over the 42 pages, the Salt Lake profile includes nine sections that touch on Utah?s vibrant economy, Olympic legacy, unique culture, extraordinary scenery, and matchless quality of life.

Cowhig says the Salt Lake profile will be available on Delta?s website for one year, offering additional exposure for both the city and state.

CALENDAR


Nov. 16 -- World Trade Association of Utah's "India Trade Mission Report." Time: 12:00 ? 1:30 pm (lunch). Little America Hotel & Towers, 500 South Main Street, Salt Lake City. To RSVP: Please call Jennifer at the Global Management Center (801) 422-6495 and be ready with your 1) name, 2) company, 3) email address and 4) phone number; or email the preceding information to info@WTAofUtah.com. All RSVPs are due by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 14.

Nov. 30 -- Utah Technology Council's 9th Annual Hall of Fame Celebration. Keynote speaker: Intel President and CEO Paul S. Otellini. Black tie event. Location: Salt Lake City Grand America Hotel. 6 p.m. executive networking, 7 p.m. dinner and program. For more information call (801) 568-3500 or click here to register.

Dec. 19:  EDCUtah Holiday Open House

Jan. 9:  "What's Up Down South?" Economic Summit at the Dixie Center in St. George. Contact Information:
Contact: Scott Hirschi, c/o Dixie College, 225 South 700 East
St. George, UT 84770  (435) 652-7750
www.whatsupdownsouth.com

 

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IN THE NEWS

Economic Development Headlines from the Past Week

Clearfield project to be county's tallest

- Once constructed, the mixed-use lifestyle center - atop two underground parking levels - will stand as the tallest building in Davis County. The 1.2-million-square-foot development, to be built in three phases on 11 acres near State Road 193 and 2000 East, is expected to redefine the northern Davis County city of 27,241 residents.
(SL Tribune) (Standard Examiner)

Economy: The state maintains strong growth

- The state's unemployment rate remained at extremely low levels and new employment grew at the fastest clip in the nation, according to statistics released by the Department of Workforce Services on Tuesday. However, rates are slowing slightly when compared to previous months, indicating that the economy may be cooling slightly. (Morning News)

Coming Together

- In five months, the Davis Conference Center's expansion should be ready for tourists and events. But all the additional space is not coming without a few bumps. Today, the Davis County Commission is expected to approve about $145,000 in change orders, bringing the total to $300,000 in change orders. (Standard Examiner)

Sandy planning '08 ad blitz

- After taking a public beating with several controversial projects, Sandy is hoping to enter the new year with a positive image. Aiming to give residents more community pride and be an attractive place for businesses, the city will start the new year with various billboards, radio spots and national ads. (Morning News)

Will 8,900 acres in Summit County become Utah's newest city?

- A petition has been filed to incorporate approximately 8,900 acres southeast of Heber City into a new municipality called Aspen, Utah.  (SL Enterprise)

Choice Hotels planning to bring new Cambria Suites concept to Utah

- Cambria Suites, a new lifestyle hotel brand being offered by Choice Hotels, is in the development stages to be built near the Salt Lake International Airport. (SL Enterprise)

Despite construction, sales up at Utah Woolen Mills

- Utah Woolen Mills in downtown Salt Lake City has experienced 7 percent growth during the past year, despite estimates that business would decline as much as 20 percent once construction on the City Creek redevelopment project began. (SL Enterprise)

Northern Utah manufacturers struggle with labor shortage

- Manufacturers, particularly in northern Utah, are feeling the pinch of an increasingly tight labor market.

(SL Enterprise)

Food Company in Ogden

- Officials for U.S. Foodservice Inc. and the various government agencies that worked to bring the company to Ogden said it was a complex and difficult deal that looked at times as if it would not happen. The first physical evidence that it did happen was on display Thursday afternoon when officials broke ground for the food distribution company's 260,000-square-foot facility just west of Interstate 15 and north of Hinckley Drive. (Standard Examiner)

Economic future rosy for Utah

- Utah's economy is the best ever and the prosperity the state's residents are experiencing should continue through the first half of next year. Kelly K. Matthews, executive vice president and economist for Wells Fargo Bank, said Thursday he is anticipating the state's unemployment rate will remain low at 3 percent during the first half of 2008. (SL Tribune)

Utah enjoys high growth in employment and wages

- Utah had some of the highest employment and wage growth in the nation through the first quarter of this year. With an average increase in employment of 5.1 percent and wage growth increases of 5.3 percent over the the same period in 2006, the state ranked ninth in the country for growth. (Morning News)

Price tag skyrocketing for new USTAR facilities

- A permanent home for Utah's new public-private collaboration to promote technological innovation most likely will be built on the University of Utah's golf course.  (SL Tribune)

Extreme Ogden ? Railroad city rebuilds itself through extreme sports

- The idea was simple enough. Replace the railroad, once the lifeblood of this northern city, with snow, ice, water and super-high winds. Did it work? Ogden is, claims one national publication, "fast gaining on places like Boulder, Colo., as a destination for extreme sports." (Morning News)

Despite grass-roots effort, Wal-Mart is building in Heber

- Despite a large grass-roots effort to stop the big-box giant from building in the small mountain town, residents Tuesday night voted 1,433 to 1,327 for a new zone that will allow retail outlets up to 150,000 square feet in Heber. (Morning News) (SL Tribune) (KCPW)

Bringing 'em in: Success of luring firms builds on itself in Utah

- Given the significant expansion Utah's business base has experienced in recent years, a fair question to ask is what has the state done to attract all these companies? The surprising answer: Not as much as many might think.
(Morning News)

Utah's business conditions get boost

- Utah's business conditions got a bit of a boost in October, aided by a slightly higher unemployment rate, according to a report released Tuesday. (Morning News)

Private Money to Build Out Multi-Billion Dollar High-End Recreation Community, Resort in Heber

- A new high-end recreation community and resort, rich in amenities including world-class downhill skiing equivalent to Deer Valley, will be built on 8,366 acres in Utah?s Heber Valley, according to Dean K. Sellers, developer. (Utah Business Magazine)