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FEATURE

EDCUTAH Ready to Roll Out SURE Sites Program

Imagine if economic developers, private land owners and real estate brokers from around the state had a vehicle through which they could get their developable land sites viewed by companies considering Utah for expansion or relocation. Also imagine if this information was housed in a database tied to a geographical information system (GIS), that would be available to interested site selectors or other parties from anywhere in the world via the Internet.

As a matter of fact they will be able to do so very soon, says Michael Flynn, EDCUTAH’s Vice President of Public Development. Late last year, EDCUTAH started developing a new certified sites program for use in the state of Utah in cooperation with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. As part of the development program, , early last spring, EDCUTAH launched an aggressive pilot program to qualify 10 Utah industrial locations as “SURE Sites”—industrial land sites that are ideal for corporate expansion or relocation.

Pilot Program

Through the pilot program EDCUTAH and individual communities have gathered a long list of ‘due diligence’ information about several qualified industrial land sites throughout the state. As of Aug. 31, 16 sites were either qualified or close to being qualified, Flynn says. They include locations in:

• American Fork
• Beaver
• Brigham City
• Carbon County (3 sites)
• Emery County
• Logan
• Midvale
• North Logan
  
• Panguitch
• Salina
• Salt Lake County
• South Jordan
• Taylorsville
• Washington County

Flynn says the purpose of the SURE Site program (the acronym SURE stands for “Select Utah Real Estate”) and its related GIS web application is to perform diligence on a site in advance of relocation activity so when a project does materialize EDCUTAH and the local community can respond quickly and with better data. By having the information available over the web, anyone interested in moving a business to Utah can access the data from the comfort of their office, day or night. During the pilot program Flynn’s team developed an instruction document and application that any interested party in the state can use to gather information about a site for use in the GIS application.

“Now, in 15 minutes a site consultant can create numerous infrastructure map layers and conduct in-depth analysis of a site, extract all of the necessary data, then download the data into a format that can be saved to disk and printed. It’s leaps and bounds ahead of anything currently available in Utah or our neighboring states. This will be a huge competitive advantage going forward,” Flynn says.

The SURE Site/GIS system will allow site selectors (and anyone else that is interested) to create custom maps according to the information desired: available rail lines, interstate highways, population centers, elevations, airports, universities, natural gas lines (and size), power capacity, water type and capacity, water treatment facilities and available acreage.

With the pilot program nearing completion, Flynn says EDCUTAH is ready to work with anyone serious about seeking the SURE Site qualification. “We will have outreach plans going forward with hands-on, one-to-one assistance.” Anyone interested should call Flynn directly (801) 323-4248. “We’d especially like to work with communities and counties,” he says.

Added Bonus

Because the GIS application is web-enabled, Flynn expects the site will be visited by more than just site consultants. “There are a lot of good, smaller projects out there,” he says, “that have bypassed the state in the past.” For example, a company might be doing its own due diligence, actively looking for potential locations, but limiting its search to locations with information published on the Web. “Through our website, a company can make sound decisions about potential Utah locations—decisions that weren’t possible without an in-person site visit in the past,” says Flynn.

Demo at CoreNet

Flynn says EDCUTAH will demo its new web-enabled GIS application this November during the CoreNet Global Summit in Orlando. CoreNet is a major commercial real estate and economic development event and the new SURE Sites program will provide EDCUTAH with an excellent opportunity to put Utah in the forefront of the site-selectors and real estate executives attending.

Flynn says the SURE Sites Program is much more than a database—it’s a dynamic, powerful economic development asset that will make the due diligence phase much shorter, more efficient, and more competent. Furthermore, he says, it will make the state more competitive and provide a powerful marketing tool to target and solicit potential industries and companies.

Key Support from AGRC, GOED and Rocky Mountain Power
Flynn says the SURE Sites program, website and GIS application would not be possible without the assistance of Rocky Mountain Power, the Utah Automated Geographic Reference Center (AGRC) and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). “This has not been solely an EDCUTAH initiative. Without people like Dennis Goreham with AGRC, Doug Clark at GOED, Alene Bentley at Rocky Mountain Power and all the communities that helped us with the pilot program we would not be where we are today.”

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21 Firms Sign Up for GOED's China Trade Mission

Some 21 companies have signed on so far for a trade mission to China with Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. The weeklong mission, organized by the Governor's Office of Economic Development, will be focused on economic development, education and tourism.

"This is an extremely important outreach effort for the state and I am encouraged so many Utah companies are working to expand into the global market China offers," Huntsman said.  (Morning News) (SL Tribune) (Daily Herald) (KCPW here and here)

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IN THE NEWS

Economic Development Headlines

Local Business Leaders, Elected Officials Urge Legislators to Consider Transportation Ballot Measure

- On Gallivan Plaza Monday, within earshot of the Main Street TRAX stop, a unique coalition of local business leaders and elected officials gathered to urge legislators to place a quarter cent sales tax increase for transportation on the November ballot in counties throughout Utah.
The legislature meets in a special session today... (Utah Business)

Ogden/Weber CVB Gets Grant From State

- The Ogden/Weber Convention & Visitors Bureau was awarded $220,235 on Friday by the Utah Office of Tourism to market the area as a premier outdoor adventure destination. (Standard Examiner)

Tenants Lining Up at Pointe

- When James Lee Sorenson isn't occupied with one of his businesses or traveling across the country to promote his latest product, how does the 56-year-old entrepreneur spend his spare time? Developing one of Salt Lake County's biggest office parks, of course. (Morning News) (The Enterprise)

Thanksgiving Point Will Build 3 Hotels

- Thanksgiving Point has announced it will build three hotels within three years…a Hampton Inn, a Marriott Hotel Spring Hill Suites, and a Marriott Residence Inn. (Daily Herald)

U. Director Picked to Lead USTAR

- USTAR has its first leader at the helm. Edward R. "Ted" McAleer of Park City was selected as executive director of the Utah Science, Technology and Research Economic Development Initiative during a Thursday meeting of the USTAR Governing Authority. (Morning News) (SL Tribune)

Job Growth Slipping

- What was that? The sound of a hot economy losing a little velocity as suggested by the latest jobs figures, released Tuesday by the Utah Department of Workforce Services. (Morning News) (Daily Herald) (SL Tribune) (Utah Business Magazine)

No. Utah Economic Summit Sept. 28 at USU

- The first "What's Goin' Down Up North" business and economic development summit is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sept. 28 at Utah State University Innovation Campus, 489 E. 1650 North Research Parkway, North Logan. (Morning News)

HAFB Project Will add Thousands of Jobs

- It’s getting close for development of a major business and technology park on the west side of Hill Air Force Base. The 550-acre project is one step closer after a green light was given by the Air Force, Ogden Air Logistics Center (OALC) officials indicate. (Clipper Today)

Davis County’s Economy Diversifies

- With nearly 7,000 businesses in Davis County, its economy continues to diversify. That’s the word from the Utah Department of Employment Services, as noted in a recent survey about Davis County. There were about 300 more businesses in the county as of the first quarter of this year compared to the prior year, or 6,888. (Clipper Today)

Utah's Fermentation Economy

- Beer is big in Utah. How big gets a little lost in the numbers, but it's safe to say that the state's economy would feel the impact if the flow of suds ever dried up. (SL Tribune)

Ogden Hopes to Add $30M Amphitheater, Water Ski Park to Entertainment Venues

- Ogden City is looking to increase its visibility as a destination location by adding two new entertainment venues. The new amenities being proposed consist of a new $30 million amphitheater, which would bring regional concerts to the area, and a water ski park addition to the existing 21st Street Pond. (The Enterprise)

Young Living Essential Oils to Build New Plant in Spanish Fork

- Young Living Essential Oils Inc., a Lehi-based producer and distributor of essential oils, personal care products and dietary supplements, will break ground later this month for an approximately 107,000 square foot production and distribution plant in Spanish Fork. (The Enterprise)

Irish Clinical Studies Research Contract Firm Opens Office in Salt Lake City

- A global clinical studies research contract company has entered the Utah market on the heals of another moving its clinical operations out of state. Dublin, Ireland-based ICON Clinical Research, a global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, will open its first clinical research office in the Cottonwood Corporate Center. (The Enterprise)

New Companies Continue to Investigate Utah for Relocation

- Almost every day, a new business contacts the Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCU) about moving to the state, a situation that probably won’t change in the coming year, Brad Baird, EDCU’s business development manager, told members of the Building Owners & Managers Association at their monthly luncheon Thursday.
(Utah Business Magazine)

Salt Lake County Depends on Local Businesses, Corroon Says

- Local businesses drive Salt Lake County’s economy, Mayor Peter Corroon told members of the West Jordan, Southwest Valley and South Jordan Chambers of Commerce Friday at the quarterly Tri-Chamber luncheon. (Utah Business Magazine)
 

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CALENDAR

Sept. 28:

"What's Goin' Down Up North" - A summit to partner and showcase business and economic development activity in Northern Utah. (USU Innovation Campus--8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.; RSVP by Sept. 15 to icstaff@usu.edu or call (435) 797-9610. Click here for more details)

Nov. 12-15:

CoreNet Global Summit (Orlando, FL.)

Jan. 10, 2007:

Washington County Economic Summit (St. George)
7:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., for more information contact:
Dixie Business Alliance, 225 South 700 East, St. George, 84770. Call (435) 652-7724 or email; website:
http://www.whatsupdownsouth.com

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