Join us in welcoming the newest members of EDCUtah’s team and congratulate Jaime Hernandez on stepping into a new role!

Jaime Hernandez Steps into New Investor Engagement Role

Jaime recently transitioned to a new role inside EDCUtah as a Community Insights Manager. This new role on the Investor Engagement team reflects EDCUtah’s commitment to providing Utah communities with data-driven insights and strategic support services. Previously, Jaime worked on EDCUtah’s Business Development team, where he focused on creating and strengthening synergies for collaboration between the Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) and EDCUtah. EDCUtah’s Business Development team will continue supporting the strong relationship with UIPA.

Bre Yamauchi Joins EDCUtah as Director of Operations

Bre is dedicated to driving operational excellence and fostering economic growth in Utah. She oversees day-to-day operations, optimizes internal processes, and leads strategic initiatives to enhance the organization’s impact. Prior to joining EDCUtah, Bre worked as a Fractional Operations Executive, advising clients across various industries within Utah. She currently serves on the Foundation Board at Utah State University and mentors students in the Huntsman Scholar Program at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business. Outside the office, Bre enjoys sports, gardening, camping, and pursuing her passion for photography.

‍Joseph Wirthlin Joins EDCUtah as Research Analyst

As a research analyst, Joseph specializes in analyzing economic and business data to inform companies seeking to relocate or expand in Utah. Joseph also provides his analytical expertise to enhance in-house research reports and publications. He has a background in economics as well as language and area studies.  ‍

Learn more about our team and our work.

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For additional information or to schedule an interview, please contact us.

A lot has changed at EDCUtah in the last few months—and a lot has stayed the same! In this article, we answer frequently asked questions about the latest news and initiatives at EDCUtah, including our combination with the Salt Lake Chamber, our continued partnership with GOEO, and the Business Development team’s record-breaking month for new projects.  ‍

One of the biggest questions we hear is, “Where will my EDCUtah investment go now that EDCUtah is combining with the Chamber?”

EDCUtah and the Salt Lake Chamber will remain distinct organizations with defined missions, unique services, and separate accounts. Your investment in EDCUtah will not be commingled with Salt Lake Chamber funds and vice versa. EDCUtah is still a mission-driven nonprofit that supports economic development in communities across Utah, and connecting corporate expansion projects to Utah communities and industry experts is what we do best.

Investment at every level provides invaluable support to our team and mission—and there’s a tangible benefit to investing in EDCUtah. Every $1 you invested in EDCUtah in the 2024 fiscal year will generate an estimated $3844 in Utah’s economy. This number includes the direct, indirect, and induced financial impact of project wins announced in the 2024 fiscal year. EDCUtah investors are the engine behind Utah’s economic success, and your support has a direct impact on the project wins Utah has seen statewide.

Who should investors send their project leads to? 

Send them to us! EDCUtah serves a broad array of corporate expansion and relocation projects—across all industry sectors and on behalf of all Utah communities. EDCUtah will maintain primary responsibility for site selector engagement, and we’ll continue to offer:

• Premier business expansion and relocation services;

• Best in class research; and

• An expansive network of more than 200 community and industry leaders across Utah that can support the needs of an expanding company.

What, if anything, has changed for the Business Development team in recent months?

Not much has changed in our day-to-day work. We have a process in place to ensure we don’t duplicate efforts with our partners at the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, and to help us know which team is managing a new project when it comes in.

We haven’t missed a beat, and our project pipeline is still strong. In fact, August was a record-breaking month for us. We added 22 new corporate expansion and relocation projects to our pipeline. For context, the Business Development team typically takes in an average of 9-11 new projects each month. This busy pipeline speaks to the confidence that site selection consultants and investors have in EDCUtah as the destination for white glove service and corporate recruitment expertise.

The Investor Engagement team meets regularly with investors to answer questions and gather feedback. How does that inform EDCUtah’s priorities?

We’re introducing a new service model for communities that will enhance our client experiences, and we’re creating more opportunities for investor collaboration with EDCUtah’s business development, research and marketing teams. Examples of this include:

• Opportunities to connect with active projects

• Opportunities to meet in person with site selection consultants

• Exploring other channels for regular feedback

How can EDCUtah investors stay up-to-date?

We use a variety of methods to get the word out. Our website is a great way to learn about EDCUtah’s team, upcoming events, and program offerings. EDCUtah staff have been reaching out directly to offer meetings and phone calls, and we’re available to answer questions and learn from your feedback.

EDCUtah investors receive exclusive email announcements, and we follow up on those email announcements with live updates at investor-only events like EDCUtah’s Quarterly Business Development Breakfast. We regularly celebrate joint wins and investor activity on social media.

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If you’re an partner and you haven’t been hearing from EDCUtah, let’s get you connected! Send an email to connect@edcutah.org.

For additional information or to schedule an interview, please contact us.

Interest in Utah’s business environment is high! In August, the EDCUtah Business Development (BD) team took in 22 new corporate expansion and relocation projects. For context, the BD team’s monthly average typically falls between nine and 11 new projects.

When it comes to corporate expansion and relocation services, expanding businesses have an asset in EDCUtah’s BD team. Our experienced team works with companies that want to hire Utahns and invest in Utah communities, and we can support site selection projects from beginning to end.

Read on to learn more about EDCUtah’s Business Development team.

Erin Farr, Vice President of Business Development

With more than 10 years of experience in economic development, Erin oversees all business recruitment projects and manages a team dedicated to catalyzing capital investment and creating quality jobs in Utah. She drives strategic initiatives, secures new business opportunities, and maintains strong client relationships. Erin has been instrumental in helping companies expand within or to Utah, supporting projects that have added more than 18,000 jobs to the economy. Prior to EDCUtah, she worked as a management consultant in Washington, D.C., where she also earned her Master of Public Administration from the George Washington University. In her free time, Erin enjoys wakesurfing, pickleball, hiking, painting, and playing with her five-pound maltipoo, Franky.

Contact Erin at efarr@edcutah.org or 801-323-4243.

Jared Stewart, Senior Business Development Manager

Jared oversees recruitment and expansion efforts across the energy, data center, and manufacturing sectors. Before joining EDCUtah, Jared worked as Tooele City’s economic development director and as an urban planner for Salt Lake County. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah and a master’s from the University of Southern California, both in urban planning. Outside of work, Jared enjoys cycling, skiing, rock climbing, and reading. He volunteers on the Salt Lake City Historic Landmark Commission and admires architecture.

Contact Jared at jstewart@edcutah.org or 801-834-3858.

Rex Buys, Business Development Manager

Rex oversees life science and healthcare projects for EDCUtah. Prior to EDCUtah, he successfully created and exited his own business and worked in commercial real estate development. While at Brigham Young University, Rex was part of the Marriott School Student Council, Real Estate Association, and Ballard Center Social Venture Academy. He is currently pursuing the Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) degree at the University of Utah. Rex loves classic rock and exploring Utah’s natural scenery through rock climbing, canyoneering, and camping.

Contact Rex at rbuys@edcutah.org or 916-778-9232.

Spencer Layton, Business Development Analyst‍

Spencer manages corporate recruitment and expansion projects in the aerospace and defense and manufacturing industries. Prior to joining the business development team, Spencer worked in the financial services industry. Spencer graduated from Ensign College with a bachelor’s degree in finance with certificates in accounting, business analytics, and business management. Spencer enjoys spending time with his wife, playing sports, watching Utah football, being outdoors, and being with friends.

Contact Spencer at slayton@edcutah.org or 385-522-3085.

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Not sure who to contact first? Reach out to Erin Farr or email connect@edcutah.org, and we’ll connect you to the right person for the job.

For additional information or to schedule an interview, please contact us.

On Sept. 12, the Economic Development Corporation (EDCUtah) held its 2024 Annual Meeting to celebrate the success of Utah’s public-private partnership for economic development. EDCUtah released its 2023-2024 Annual Report, which outlines the work accomplished by EDCUtah with the support of its investors.

“Connecting corporate expansion projects to Utah communities and industry experts is what EDCUtah does best, and we have a strong track record of supporting companies that bring quality jobs and significant capital investment to Utah,” said Scott Cuthbertson, president of EDCUtah. “Many of EDCUtah’s investors have been involved with us for 10, 20, and even 30 years. Utah’s economy is stronger because of their support.”

In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, every $1 of investment in EDCUtah generated an additional $3844 in Utah’s economy. This figure is derived from an economic impact model, and it include the direct, indirect, and induced financial impact of the corporate expansion and relocation projects announced last fiscal year.

Between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, EDCUtah supported 28 companies in their decision to expand in or relocate to Utah. Together, these companies announced 8,968 new or retained jobs and $9.2 billion in projected capital expenditure. Notable project wins include Nature’s Bakery and Delta Air Lines in Salt Lake City, Tract in Eagle Mountain, and Lakeshore Learning in Box Elder County.

EDCUtah also recognized outstanding individuals and developments for their leadership in Utah’s economic development. The following recipients of the 2024 leadership awards are making an incredible, tangible impact on our state – helping to bring jobs, investment, and prosperity to Utah communities:

• Tooele City Mayor Debbie Winn – Public Sector Leadership in Economic Development

• Lew Cramer, CEO of Colliers | Utah – Private Sector Leadership in Economic Development

• Falcon Hill Aerospace Research Park – Institutional Cornerstone in Economic Development

The 2024 leadership awards were presented by Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, Salt Lake Chamber President and CEO Derek Miller, and Central States Manufacturing CEO Jim Sliker. Central States Manufacturing announced an expansion in Tooele City during EDCUtah’s 2023-2023 fiscal year.

To view the 2023-2024 Annual Report, click here.

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For additional information or to schedule an interview, please contact us.

The Salt Lake Chamber is excited to announce that the Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah) will be joining the Salt Lake Chamber organization. After careful consideration, the boards of both organizations have agreed to move forward with a framework and process for EDCUtah to join the “family of teams” within the Chamber.

“This change isn’t just about better coordination,” says Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber. “It will increase the collaboration and effectiveness of both our organizations, especially in the areas of statewide economic development strategy, planning and execution.”

This combination will be led by Derek Miller, Salt Lake Chamber president and CEO, and Scott Cuthbertson, EDCUtah president and CEO, with governance by the Chamber Board of Directors and EDCUtah Board of Trustees. Representatives from the EDCUtah Board of Trustees, including those from the public sector, will now be included on the Salt Lake Chamber Board of Directors.

“At EDCUtah, we couldn’t be happier to unite with the Salt Lake Chamber,” says Scott Cuthbertson, president and CEO of EDCUtah. “It’s an incredible opportunity to enhance the brand and mission of EDCUtah, as our organization will both add to and benefit from the Salt Lake Chamber’s large, statewide business base and community support.”

Moving forward, Cuthbertson will continue to oversee EDCUtah’s organization and staff as EDCUtah President. He will also be a director on the executive team of the Salt Lake Chamber and will report to the Chamber president and CEO.

EDCUtah will maintain its name and brand and continue to perform as Utah’s premier statewide economic development organization. They remain Utah’s primary point of contact for site selectors and corporate decision-makers. EDCUtah will continue to offer quality business expansion and relocation services, best-in-class economic research and data, and partnerships with public and private sector organizations across Utah.

“We look forward to becoming stronger together, leveraging our combined statewide mission, resources, capabilities and expertise,” Miller said. “This unified and powerful approach to economic development will improve outcomes and increase Utah’s prosperity.”

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For additional information or to schedule an interview, please contact us.

Law firm Ogletree Deakins – an EDCUtah Builder’s Circle investor – recently held an employment law briefing and invited EDCUtah to attend. We sat down with Kathleen D. Weron, who has an extensive employment law practice with a focus on occupational safety and health, labor law and litigation, to get the latest updates.

An important note: Ms. Weron stresses that the conversation that follows is not confidential legal advice and that you should seek guidance from your own counsel.

What’s top of mind for you when advising clients on the latest changes?

We covered a broad range of Federal and State laws and regulations in the seminar, which I can cover briefly. For me, topics that stand out are the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) ban on Non-Compete Agreements, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) guidance on sexual harassment, and changes to the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) approach to “concerted activities” as defined in the Unfair Labor Practice Act. ‍

Non-compete agreements made the news when the FTC published its final rule in May 2024. Is this a done deal?

Not yet. The first thing I’ll tell you is that there’s a lot of misinformation out there. I caution companies not to get their legal advice from headlines.

For one thing, the rule doesn’t take effect until September 4, and it’s the target of two lawsuits, so in all likelihood it’ll be subject to a stay in the federal courts and may eventually get overturned.

But for prudence’s sake, companies should evaluate at their non-compete agreements, their non-solicitation agreements, and their confidentiality agreements, because this is an opportunity to narrow and tighten the language to better withstand challenges in the future. One takeaway here is to separate these agreements into different documents and narrowly tailor them to protect legitimate business interests.

The FTC’s rule effectively bans all non-competes, retroactively and going forward. The rule’s language requires employers to refrain from enforcing most existing non-compete agreements. It also states an employer cannot prohibit, penalize, or prevent a worker from seeking or accepting work in the U.S. or from operating a business. A “worker” is defined as anyone from an executive to frontline employees to independent contractors.

If it goes into effect, employers will be required to send notices to employees who have non-competes, advising the employees that the non-competes are no longer enforceable. Should the rule navigate past the lawsuits, this notice would need to be sent in September 2024.

Are there any exceptions under the new language?

Yes, there are three. One involves existing agreements with senior executives entered into before the effective date of the rule. A second involves sale-of-business non-competes, and the third involves any causes of action that accrue before the September 4^th effective date.

Senior executives are defined as employees in policymaking positions who have annualized compensation over $151,164. Remember to factor in those last $64 dollars—I love how the Feds come up with these very specific dollar criteria!

“Policymaking” is narrowly defined, requiring “final” policymaking authority over more than just a segment of a business. So, it’s only going to cover pre-existing agreements with your most senior leaders.

You mention non-solicitation and trade secret provisions. What’s changing here?

The FTC’s expanded definition of non-competes may extend to clauses that restrain the solicitation of customers, if those provisions are broad enough to be seen as functionally preventing a worker from seeking or accepting employment. Specifically, a well-drafted customer non-solicitation provision could “prohibit” an employee to reject competitive employment. This is going to be a focus of intense litigation in the near term.

As for trade secret agreements, state and federal trade secret laws remain in place and employers will retain the same rights to protect trade secrets under those laws. If the rule goes into effect, you’ll want to make sure your confidential information and trade secrets are protected outside the context of a non-compete or non-solicitation agreement. In other words, split these things up into separate documents.

What courses of action are in front of companies in light of this rule?

Well, there’s something to be said for doing nothing, given the likelihood of a judicial stay.

You can also embrace the future and rewrite your template contracts to remove non-competes.

Lastly, there’s a middle ground, where you retain non-competes for senior leadership and other highly compensated employees. A lot of states are moving in this direction, and I expect Utah will eventually as well.

How does this effect Utah’s rule on non-competes?

Currently Utah allows non-competes to have an effective duration of 12 months from the date an employee leaves the company’s employ. If the FTC rule comes into effect, it would supersede the state’s provisions.

The other thing to bear in mind – and a good reason to revisit your template agreements – is that most other states are moving in the direction of limiting use of non-competes. If your business has operations in multiple jurisdictions, keep an eye on each state’s actions in this arena.

You mentioned the EEOC’s 2024 guidance on sexual harassment. What’s the update here?

First of all, this is the EEOC’s first update to workplace harassment guidelines since 1999, and the language took effect at the end of April. I can give a couple of high points, but I would encourage your human resource experts to dive into the details if they haven’t already done so.

For one thing, the guidance recognizes unlawful harassment against LGBTQ+ individuals, including sexual orientation and gender identification. Second, it addresses working protections for pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, including lactation. And third, it provides more than 70 hypothetical examples of potential unlawful harassment.

There’s language focused on color—that is, skin tone—versus race or national origin that bears consideration, as well as discussion of “repeated and intentional” misgendering. There’s also language on intraclass and intersectional harassment. For example, a 56-year-old harassing a 65 year old is still harassment, even though the individuals are in the same protected class.

The new guidance also discusses pregnancy-related harassment, which is relevant as the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act became effective in June 2023.

What’s the overview on the NLRB’s Unfair Labor Practice update?

You need to know what’s going on here, even if you don’t have union employees. Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) grants employees the right to form or join unions; engage in protected, concerted activities to address or improve working conditions; or refrain from engaging in these activities, if they so choose.

Section 8 makes its an unfair labor practice for an employer “to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights guaranteed in Section 7.”

One emerging area you need to pay attention to involves social media. One employee complaining online about their work or their boss is a personal gripe, and is not “concerted activity.” If other employees engage with that post, such as discussing terms of employment, wages, etc, in the comments, that has been construed as a concerted activity. The NLRB has been ruling in favor of employees in these cases. So, the takeaway here is to make sure you’ve crafted your social media policies so that they don’t interfere with concerted activities. ‍

Any other “icebergs” floating out there for companies to watch?

Two things come to mind. First, the Department of Labor (DOL) has increased the salary threshold for white collar exemptions. It is happening in two stages. In July, the threshold reaches $43,888 per year, and in January 2025, it rises to $58,656 per year. This may significantly increase the number of employees entitled to overtime compensation in Utah and other states you operate in. It calls for auditing your current payroll and has implications for timekeeping and recordkeeping.

Second, with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) in all aspects of our lives, the DOL has issued guidance about the use of AI. “Responsible human oversight” is key.  For example, as more and more companies use AI to screen resumes and to even conduct initial interviews, the company can’t abrogate all responsibility and decision-making to a bot, which may have inherent bias. And the company is on the hook, even though the AI tool may have been developed and administered by a third party. Again, lots to think about!

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EDCUtah is Utah’s only statewide economic development organization with a public-private partnership model. When you partner with EDCUtah, you gain access more than 200 local experts in law, real estate, construction, finance, talent recruitment, utilities, and more. Explore our investor network or email connect@edcutah.org to learn more.

For additional information or to schedule an interview, please contact us.

It was big news in February 2023 – Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) selected Utah for its next 300-mm semiconductor wafer fabrication plant. Building upon their existing presence, the new facility is set to expand their operations, adding extra capacity and will bring up to 800 new high-tech jobs and $11 billion in capital investment to Lehi, Utah, during the next 20 years.

This year, Area Development Magazine recognized the expansion as a “Project of the Year” in its annual Gold and Silver Shovel awards. Utah was also recognized with a Silver Shovel – making this 14 out of the last 17 years that Utah’s economic development efforts have been recognized by Area Development.

Area Development’s annual Shovel Awards recognize state economic development agencies that drive significant job creation through innovative policies, infrastructure improvements, and processes that attract new employers and investments in new and expanded facilities. The awards are presented annually to states that have achieved significant success in terms of job creation and economic impact.

The seven projects recognized by Area Development were nominated by EDCUtah for their notable impact on Utah’s economic prosperity.

Here’s the writeup from Area Development Magazine:

“Silver Shovel winner Utah had a big year in terms of investments, tallying some $12 billion in promises from a variety of big projects. The vast majority of that total involves one investment in Lehi, a Project of the Year from Texas Instruments. The biggest investment (resulting from a corporate recruitment project) in Utah history, it’s a semiconductor wafer fabrication plant that’ll connect to an existing Texas Instruments fab—the two fabs together will be able to make tens of millions of chips a day.

It’s hard to measure up to an $11 billion project like that, but Utah has a healthy list of other growth to be proud of. Lakeshore Learning picked Garland for a massive distribution facility to help get the company’s education materials to kids and teachers. Procter & Gamble is expanding its Box Elder facility that makes products in the company’s paper, baby care and feminine care business lines. Delta Airlines picked its Salt Lake City hub for a pilot training facility. And a number of food companies are locating or expanding in Utah, such as C&J Specialties, Utah Flour Mill and Schreiber Foods, which makes a variety of cheese products and celebrated its 50th anniversary a couple years ago by baking a Guinness World Record-winning two-ton batch of macaroni and cheese.”

Learn more about EDCUtah’s business expansion and relocation services.

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For additional information or to schedule an interview, please contact us.

We’re pleased to announce that EDCUtah’s Greg Bisping will be stepping into the role of vice president of community strategy. Since joining the team last year, Greg has undertaken multiple strategic projects in addition to his responsibilities of enhancing EDCUtah’s public sector investor experience.

“EDCUtah investors are the engine behind Utah’s economic success, and we are committed engaging their leadership and expertise on economic development issues statewide,” said Scott Cuthbertson, EDCUtah president and CEO. “Greg’s contributions have played a pivotal role in shaping the future of EDCUtah as we explore opportunities to deliver more value to our investors.”

In his previous role as EDCUtah’s director of community strategy, Greg led EDCUtah’s community development and Site Ready Utah initiatives. Prior to joining EDCUtah, Greg worked for the University of Utah, building partnerships among the university, its students, and the real estate and financial services business community.

‍Learn more about our team.

The Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah) is pleased to welcome a few new faces to the team!

Rex Buys, business development manager

Rex graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) with a degree in finance. Prior to EDCUtah, he successfully created and exited his own business and worked in commercial real estate development. While at BYU, Rex was part of the Marriott School Student Council, Real Estate Association, and Ballard Center Social Venture Academy. Rex loves classic rock and exploring Utah’s natural scenery through rock climbing, canyoneering, and camping.

Justice Russell, marketing event specialist

Justice is a marketing events specialist at EDCUtah, and she brings with her a passion for community and event management. Previously, Justice worked as an events director at Backyard Media, where she managed a variety of events from concerts and fundraisers to community festivals. Outside of work, you can find her skiing, mountain biking, or relaxing with a good book. She holds a bachelors degree in economics from Portland State University.

Lukas Hoeksema, intern

Lucas is a junior at the University of Utah pursuing an honors quantitative analysis of markets and rrganizations (QAMO) degree with a minor in advanced financial analysis. He is passionate about endurance racing, having completed a full-length Ironman triathlon and two trail run 50k races. Lucas will utilize his skills in modeling complex systems, interpreting data, and conducting predictive analysis in various projects for our team.

Heather Phipps, intern

Heather, a BYU graduate student in public administration, specializes in public finance with a background in environmental sustainability. As a student project manager at BYU’s Sustainability Office, she excels in implementing renewable energy strategies and managing projects for economic and environmental efficiency. Her expertise includes data analysis, client communication, and project management, honed during her role as a public relations intern at Living Zenith.

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Learn more about our team and our work.

For additional information or to schedule an interview, please contact us.