BEST OF UTAH
OC TOBER 2018
FREE ISSUE
COMMERCE Tech Central
Readers Vote for the Best In Commerce and Industry
Utah’s Silicon Slopes bring talent, investors and jobs
P. 10
P. 30
Women in Commerce
P. 8
DEREK MILLER ON
SUCCESS Salt Lake Chamber CEO: Inland port will take Utah into the next century.
P. 24
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CONTENTS BEST IN COMMERCE 10 READERS WRITE IN 32 READERS CHOICE
COMMUNITY VOICE
8 Women on the Rise
Don’t underestimate the role of branding, selling & networking BY BABS DE LAY
24 Wise Owl in the Making
An interview with Salt Lake Chamber’s CEO Derek Miller BY JERRE WROBLE
28 Neighborhood Infusion 30 Oh My Tech! Salt Lake RDA invests $10 million as incentives for affordable housing
Utah’s thriving Silcon Slopes BY ANNA KASER
34 How to
BY ISAAC RIDDLE
29 From Gold to Bits
Retire Wealthy
Using bitcoin for local purchases is becoming a reality BY BABS DE LAY
Create a plan today that will set you up for a carefree retirement BY SAM WATKINS
LAST LOOK:
THE ART OF COMMERCE 35 BY BABS DE LAY
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SUCCESS STORIES
No one is really sure when man first traded a piece of sharp bone for animal fur. Or bartered labor for a meal. But somewhere between that first transaction and today, the word commerce has taken on a meaning all its own, a word at once traded and used by all, but owned by no one. We are all engaged in commercial endeavors, nearly constantly: trading not only for goods and services but also for time and energy. All of us are, by nature, entrepreneurs, a necessity at first for survival of one, now a tool for us all. In this, our inaugural issue of Best of Utah Commerce, we bring you scores of the best people, businesses and enterprises to be found in Utah. Want a great bank for that SBA loan you need to start your business? Look here. Or how about the financial adviser you never thought you’d need? Right here. Who is Utah’s Best Innovator? Best CEO? What is Utah’s Best Minority-Owned Business? Woman-Owned Business? Or Best Product Made in Utah? It’s all here. Like all our other Best of Utah issues, this one began with a readers’ poll. Readers voted online, creating this array of “best” picks. In addition, we are featuring a number of reader “write-ins”: nominees in other categories that readers wanted us to include. For our editorial staff, this issue offers a fresh challenge because it’s not every day our writers get to break out of their safe spots of taking on politicians and finicky musicians, and delve into the realm of cash registers and lines of computer code. Please enjoy this issue, and if you’re among the winners (everyone here is a winner— first, second or third), congratulations to you. We hope to see you at our Best of Utah party coming this November. For now, we trade our good will to all of you for the simple chance that you might one day make Utah even better than “the Best.” $ John Saltas Publisher, Copperfield Media
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staff
Publisher Project Editor Copy Editor Proofreader Contributors
Art Director Graphic Artists Circulation Manager Associate Business Manager Technical Director Developer Office Administrators
John Saltas Jerre Wroble Sarah Arnoff Lance Gudmundsen Babs De Lay, Anna Kaser, Isaac Riddle, Sam Watkins Derek Carlisle Sofia Cifuentes Eric Granato Paula Saltas Bryan Mannos Bryan Bale David Adamson, Anna Kaser
Director of Events & Marketing
Samantha Smith
Magazine Advertising Director Newsprint Advertising Director Senior Account Executives Retail Account Executives
Jennifer Van Grevenhof Pete Saltas Doug Kruithof, Kathy Mueller Alex Markham, Mieka Sawatzki, Jeremiah Smith Anna Papadakis
Digital Operations Manager
Display Advertising 801-413-0936
ON THE COVER: SALT LAKE CHAMBER CEO DEREK MILLER BUSATH PHOTOGRAPHY Distributed free and independently throughout the Wasatch Front. Limit one issue per person. Additional copies of this magazine can be purchased at City Weekly for $3.50 each while supplies last. City Weekly, 248 S. Main, Salt Lake City, UT 84101 | 801-575-7003 | CityWeekly.net ©2018 Copperfield Publishing. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine can be reproduced without the publisher’s expressed written consent. CITYWEEKLY.NET
utah’s first family nursery,
where a love for plants runs deep
Mon-Sat 8am-7pm Sunday 10am-5pm 9275 S 1300 W 801-562-5496 glovernursery.com
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SALES | FEATURE
COURTESY INFINITE SCALE
Molly Mazzolini
This Is How We Do It
Women whose business success relies on branding, selling and networking
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By Babs De Lay
t’s no secret that in Utah, women who own businesses tend to work harder—and with fewer resources—than men who own businesses. But, despite the uphill battle, Utah is one of the top-10 states where women-owned businesses have increased their economic clout (based upon growth rates for number of firms, employment and revenue) between 2007 and 2018, according to a recent American Express report. To take full advantage of this trend and to succeed in the modern, fast-paced business world, it helps to know how to brand, sell and network. The following three women have blazed trails in these areas and serve as role models for all business people.
communications and went from 0-500 when she launched a sportsdesign consultancy during her gig with the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. After almost two decades of school (she raised a family and expanded her business along the way), she graduated in 2017. Although she works for multinational corporations with billions of dollars in the bank, Mazzolini is a cheerleader for new and local businesses in Utah. She just finished a stint as board chair of the Downtown Alliance and is an expert at showing anyone who will listen how dollars go a long way when they stay local. She recommends all companies—no matter their size—value and understand design and learn how to be consistent with their own.
BRANDING MOLLY MAZZOLINI
SELLING LINDA WARDELL
Partner and director of brand integration Infinite Scale As a founding partner and director of brand integration for Infinite Scale, Molly Mazzolini can create a brand from scratch or elevate one to a new audience. In the world of commerce, this is the essence of success. Mazzolini’s knowledge of brand development, identity and strategy allows Infinite Scale Design Group to provide comprehensive sports marketing services. They’re known for designing sponsored spaces at sports facilities such as Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., and the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. You’ll see their branded elements—from a flag presented on the field during the national anthem to jumbotrons with team song lyrics to banners and advertising displayed inside and outside a sports event—showing up at events such as the Super Bowl and the NHL’s World Cup of Hockey. This Westminster College grad has a master’s in professional 8
BEST OF UTAH Commerce 2018
General manager of City Creek Center While she’s general manager of the high-end shopping center across from Temple Square, Linda Wardell doesn’t work for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (which owns the land—not the mall). She works for Taubman, a massive firm that manages, owns or leases 26 regional, super-regional and outlet shopping centers in the United States and Asia. In Utah, Taubman owns the mall and leases the land under the shops. Wardell oversees the marketing and leasing team and up to 300 seasonal employees for the 100plus retail and food businesses. You gotta be one special person to head up one of Taubman’s projects, and Wardell fits the bill. In previous years, while managing Taubman projects, she built a reputation as the trusted person who could get a property up and running. Lucky for Utah, Wardell landed here, and for eight years, she’s been kicking some royal retail in what is now Salt Lake’s classiest place to shop. CITYWEEKLY.NET
You’d think the queen of the malls here in the Rocky Mountain West would sit in an office overlooking all that she manages. But no, she’s tucked into the bowels of City Creek—and sitting isn’t her style. This energetic manager is always in motion, walking the property to meet with tenants, engaging with the mall’s downtown neighbors and volunteering with the chamber of commerce and United Way. City Creek is one of the largest mixed-use downtown redevelopment projects in the nation with one-third of its tenants unique to Utah. Wardell has helped Taubman realize that 60 percent of the mall’s customers were locals. In addition, most of the mall’s international visitors come from China. Given that data, she’s had signs made in Mandarin, and she posts mall news regularly on WeChat, a Chinese social media platform. Her biggest worry is not if the mall will make money for Taubman—it’s already a huge success. She’s more concerned about the animals—making sure the 250 Bonneville and rainbow trout in the mall’s faux creek stay healthy. She’s also bringing in goat yoga to the mall this fall.
NETWORKING NCHOPIA NWOKOMA
Founder of Young Professionals Salt Lake City Nchopia Nwokoma relocated to Utah County about five years ago from big ol’ Houston. Nwokoma wasn’t planning to stick around Provo too long, especially after finding it hard to connect with fellow professionals in her age group who were interested in networking parties, causes and volunteerism. To remedy this, she posted on Meetup.com to find
Nchopia Nwokoma
COURTESY IMPACT HUB
COURTESY CITY CREEK CENTER
Linda Wardell
others who shared her mindset. Within days, she found hundreds of Millennials in Utah looking for life outside of a computer screen. At first, she and the Meetup group members organized hangout house parties, but with cocktails instead of kegs. The group grew so fast, they had to seek venues in which to gather, which helped Nwokoma achieve a personal goal to experience local places to eat, drink, network and plug in to the scene. A few years later, the group she started as an inquiry became Young Professionals Salt Lake City, a registered nonprofit with almost 3,500 mostly Millennial members. They do online networking but the point is to meet up in person at events such as Meal Prep, where members make new friends and learn to make three dinners in 30 minutes, or at the second annual Salt Lake Sing Off at Gracie’s, where they raise money for charity with karaoke gatherings. The volunteer leadership team that Nwokoma established creates events catering to transplants to keep people in the loop. Their website, YPSLC.com, features articles such as “10 Ways to Find Things to Do In SLC” and “Ask A Mormon,” a guide to socially navigating Utah’s LDS-dominant culture. “In this world of disconnect,” Nwokoma says, “get face to face and find your tribe.” Now working as director of culture at England Logistics and as a part-time college psychology professor, Nwokoma and her volunteer team might well be helping keep transient job seekers here permanently. So far, this little startup has logged 80 hours of volunteer time in our community—a side benefit to their social events, with more to come. $
Watch Out, Shark Tank! Kyle Muir’s programmable disc and sportswear are hot prospects
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o matter your age, life today pushes the limits of the human mind like never before. Kyle Muir believes that neuro science shows young minds are “lit” in every sense of the word. With FuzePlay (FuzePlay.io), Muir and his sister, Kristy Muir, created an EdTech toy that teaches kids how to harness their intellectual powers through play. As it flies back and forth, the Muirs’ “hackable” frisbee literally teaches coding while playing 12 games that test memory, play music and create light art. The disk can be plugged into a computer and each game reprogrammed, or users can create games of their own. Originally from the Reno/Tahoe area, Kyle moved to Utah to learn how to develop products and launch businesses. This 36-year-old likes to fly planes, take long bike rides and spend time teaching elementary school kids how to program electronics and networked devices. Kyle also founded Swoob Inc., a women’s athletic apparel company. The idea for his SwoobFit sports bra came about during a rock-climbing adventure in the Utah mountains. His patented pocket bras are not only inexpensive but are moisture wicking and great for yoga or everyday wear. The brand has since expanded to tops, bottoms and lifestyle gear and products. $ —By Babs De Lay
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READERS CHOICE | BUSINESSES
Best Entrepreneur
Hanko Kiessner, Packsize Hanko Kiessner founded Packsize in 2002. The Salt Lake City-based company is an on-demand packager that “right-sizes” your packages to ensure your products are shipped in the smallest boxes possible. This method reduces waste by eliminating the need for packaging filler. Packsize doesn’t only help the environment but their “right-size” shipping method helps businesses save on shipping costs. (Isaac Riddle) 3760 W. Smart Pack Way, SLC, 801-944-4814, packsize.com
JOHN TAYLOR
2. Clint Betts, Silicon Slopes 3. Josh James, Domo
Best Business Innovator
Best Company to Work for
Before Utah had Silicon Slopes, it had Overstock.com. Overstock has called Midvale home since its founding in 1997 by Patrick M. Byrne. Since those early days, it helped establish Salt Lake as a technology and online retail center. The company initially sold surplus and returned goods but now sells new merchandise, including electronics and home goods. With nearly 2,000 employees, Overstock continues to prosper with revenue in the billions, despite competition from other retail giants such as Amazon. (IR) 799 Coliseum Way, Midvale, 800-843-2446, overstock.com
Far more than colorful backpacks and jackets, Cotopaxi is a business with a real conscience, and a strong one at that. Named after an active stratovolcano in the Andes, Cotopaxi is a Certified B Corp that creates outdoor products and events and dedicates 2 percent of its revenue to alleviate poverty. As founder and CEO, Davis Smith is the driving force behind this do-good business. Growing up in Latin America, he knew he wanted a business that was a force for good. Not only does Cotopaxi work with organizations such as the International Rescue Committee and Educate Girls, the company takes great care of its own employees as well, helping them to feel empowered and valued while ensuring that products come to market under fair working conditions. (Anna Kaser) 74 S. Main, SLC, 385-528-0855, cotopaxi.com
2. Kenneth M. Woolley, ExtraSpace 3. Peter M. Johnson, Sinclair Oil Corporation
2. University Federal Credit Union 3. Young Automotive Group
Patrick M. Byrne, Overstock.com
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Cotopaxi
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BEST OF Nate & Vanessa Quigley
UTAH commerce
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Best Tech Start Up Chatbooks
COURTESY OF CHATBOOKS
Provo-based Chatbooks is all about family. Not only is the 4-year-old company family run, but family was the catalyst for its inception, as co-founder Vanessa Quigley was inspired to find an easier way to convert online photos into photo books and albums that her kids could enjoy. The company has expanded with a staff of 85 people and continues to be family focused, allowing employees to work remotely so that they can spend more time at home. (IR) 382 Park Circle, Suite 300, Provo, 855-424-2825, chatbooks.com 2. Xima Software 3. DivvyPay
Best Family-Owned Business with Less Than 50 employees Sound Warehouse
Since 1979, Sound Warehouse has been the go-to sound connection in the Salt Lake Valley. Their three Utah locations offer everything from car stereos and mobile video to alarms, remote starters and navigation systems. And they’re not just about selling equipment, they’re experts at installation as well. Dean Magnesen, Sound Warehouse’s Salt Lake co-owner and manager, says the secret to success of his family-owned business is due to the longevity of their employees. “Some team members have been with us for 39 years,” he says with pride. Those with longevity “think their pay and their conditions are good,” he says. “They are treated well as human beings.” (AK) Multiple locations, soundwarehouse.com 2. Ruby Snap 3. Takashi
Best Tech Company Pluralsight
Farmington-based Pluralsight is a technology learning company that helps creative professionals, software developers and IT administrators adapt to and master ever-changing technologies through a series of onlinevideo training courses. The company continues to grow and is building its new 350,000-square-foot headquarters at the Point of the Mountain in Draper, Utah. The company plans to add 2,400 new jobs to the region when its new campus is completed. (IR) 182 N. Union Ave., Farmington, 801-784-9007, pluralsight. com 2. Adobe 3. Lucid Software
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READERS CHOICE | BUSINESSES
Best IT Service Executech
Instead of frustrating phone interactions with an IT professional, the technicians at Executech work onsite, traveling to you to help with your technology needs. The outsourced IT provider utilizes a staff of 80 certified technicians, meaning help is available 24/7/365. The company also offers cloud services and free network monitoring. They serve over 1,000 Utah companies and were recognized as one of the state’s best places to work by the governor’s office. (IR) 1314 W. 11400 South, South Jordan, 801-253-4541, executech.com.
COURTESY PHOTO
2. Wasatch IT 3. Weave
Best Company With a Social Conscience Even Stevens
No, not the Disney show of the same name where Shia LaBeouf got his first break, but the story of this company is similarly impressive. This sandwich joint started in Utah and has been rapidly expanding in other states, including Arizona, Idaho, Colorado, Texas and Washington with more to come. Even if you’re not crazy about sandwiches, Even Stevens offers cream-cheese stuffed French toast, loaded breakfast burritos and swell veggie options. For every sandwich sold, the equivalent value in funds is donated to a nonprofit in the restaurant’s community. It’s like a Tom’s shoes business model, only hyper local. Compassionate capitalism never tasted so good! (Babs De Lay) Multiple locations, evenstevens.com 2. Zions Bank 3. Ken Garff Automotive Group
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Best Office Complex Riverpark, South Jordan
Nestled along the Jordan River—in one of the state’s fastest growing cities—is the RiverPark office complex in South Jordan. The complex contains a mix of offices, restaurants and retail space with riverfront views. The area is home to the nonprofit Roseman University of Health Sciences Utah Campus and a bevy of technology companies including Verscend Technologies, Inc, Xima Software and Dealertrack. Dining offerings include Market Street Grill, Brick Oven, Tsunami Restaurant and multiple fast-casual eateries. After your meal, you can burn those calories at the state’s only Lifetime Fitness location. (IR) 10701 S. River Front Parkway, South Jordan, 801446-0110, riverparkcorporatecenter.com 2. Jordan Valley Tech Center 3. Thanksgiving Point
Best Software Development Firm
Software Technology Group STG touts their people-centered service with the philosophy that their “strength lies in our collective knowledge and our access to the right people for the right job.” The company offers a range for services including software development, IT services and product management. STG will also help you develop projects and build your workforce through either their consultants on a temporary basis. If you need more permanent tech-orientated employees, STG will also handle recruiting and help match your company with the right staff. (IR) 555 S. 300 East, 801-595-1000, stgconsulting.com 2. Instructure 3. Qualtrics CITYWEEKLY.NET
The heart of downtown Salt Lake City weddings meetings festivals concerts Book your event today Call Bart at (801) 535-6113 thegallivancenter.com
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READERS CHOICE | BUSINESSES
Best CEO
Jack Buttars, University Federal Credit Union What makes a great CEO? There are the stock qualities such as “great communication skills,” “proven leadership,” “thinking outside the box.” And there are the human qualities: great listener, understanding, good coaching skills, ability to read people. Then there’s the crucial bottom line (as in, can you read a financial statement?). Jack Buttars would seem to have all the bases covered. After joining UFCU in 2001, Buttars parlayed his background as a financial analyst to climb the ranks to chief of staff, then VP of operations, then executive vice president and then president/CEO in 2009. During Buttars’ time in upper management, the credit union has expanded its membership to include anyone who lives, works, goes to school, worships or volunteers in Salt Lake County, and relatives of those who qualify. Now, UFCU boasts more than 80,000 members. (AK) Multiple locations, ucreditu.com
JJOHN TAYLOR
2. John Farnsworth, Stratus.hr 3. Eleanor Ramirez, Incredible Dwellings
Best Property & Casualty Insurance Sentry West Insurance Services
Whichever type of insurance you need, Sentry West most likely has it. The company’s insurance offerings include home, auto, personal, commercial and even earthquake coverage. Sentry West prides itself on providing quality service and for its relationship with some of the state’s largest charitable organization including the Huntsman Cancer Institute, Utah Food Bank, Toys for Tots, The Humane Society, Wounded Warrior Project and the Make a Wish Foundation. The company serves northern Utah with offices in Vernal, Heber, Salt Lake City, Ogden, Orem and Park City. (IR) Multiple locations, sentrywest.com 2. Moreton & Company 3. The Buckner Company
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Best Minority-Owned Business Rancho Markets
What might be the largest Latino-owned business in the state, Rancho Markets is one smart galleta. Founded in Utah and just over a decade old, Rancho Markets is proud to be local and serve not just Hispanic customers but anyone who’s food-savvy and loves to cook. Somehow in the uber-competitive world of grocery stores, Rancho manages to have extremely low prices. You might walk into a common chain and get two limes for a buck. Shop at one of the 11 Rancho Markets, and you’ll probably find them 10 for a buck. The stores all have tortilla factories and carnicerías that take up the entire back wall. Looking for chiles? They have fresh ones that you might never have seen outside of Mexico, and the dried ones attack your senses as you walk by. (BDL) Multiple locations, ranchomarkets.com 2. Rico Brand 3. Fillings & Emulsions
CITYWEEKLY.NET
BEST OF
UTAH
Best Mom & Pop Retailer
commerce
King’s English Bookshop
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Opened in 1977, The King’s English is a local bibliophile’s favorite stop, one where book-lovers can mix and mingle with the latest editions and kindred souls. The quaint, blue building sits in the cozy 15th & 15th neighborhood surrounded by coffee shops and homey restaurants. The shop’s real draw, though, is its friendly and knowledgeable staff that knows just the right books to recommend. While not exactly “Mom and Pop,” co-owners Anne Holman and Betsy Burton have managed to stay put despite incursions by chains, bigbox stores and online booksellers. Burton’s embrace of the shop-local movement brought her prominence in the local business community and beyond (Burton is also the outgoing president of the American Booksellers Association). For a small store, they fill a huge space in the hearts and minds of SLC’s literary community. (AK) 1511 S. 1500 East, SLC, 801-484-9100, KingsEnglish.com
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STEVEN VARGO
2. Namedroppers 3. Randy’s Records
Best Woman-Owned Business Larry H. Miller Group
It’s one thing to be the richest person in Utah, but it’s another to be one of the most generous. Gail Miller (who, according to Forbes as of July 2018, is worth $1.4 billion) gets massive press because she’s part of the family legacy that she and her late husband, Larry H. Miller, set up before he died in 2009. They turned a single Toyota dealership into a $4.7 billion operation with 64 dealerships. They bought the Utah Jazz in 1986 for $22 million and now the team (according to Forbes) is worth $1.2 billion. She doesn’t flaunt her riches; she donates them. In 2017, she and her family offered to match up to $10 million in donations for programs and services at the upcoming homeless shelters. The charities she supports appear endless and she serves on committees and boards not just as a name, but as a serious, caring visionary. (BDL) LHM.com 2. Ruby Snap 3. Incredible Dwellings
Best Family-Owned Business with More Than 50 employees Young Automotive Group
Gearheads love this company. It started as Olsen Chevrolet in 1924 in Morgan, Utah, when regular or DeLuxe Trim cars in the Series F cost between $490 to $940. The Chev cars were billed as the “world’s lowestpriced quality automobile” and looked like something out of an old black and white Keystone Cops movie. Five generations later, the family name is known along the Wasatch front with their nine dealerships and the Rocky Mountain Raceways in West Valley. Spencer Young bought the old Bonneville Raceways and made it into a world-class quarter-mile NHRA drag strip and three-eighths oval track with seating. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle and Kurt Busch and Ken Schrader all competed there. The 50-acre raceway that became familiar for funny cars, motorcycle and drag races is now in its final season. Though land was sold in 2014 and leased back to the family until the end of this year’s racing season, the Young family will continue to sell cars to loyal customers. (BDL) YoungAutomotive.com 2. Lagoon Amusement Park 3. Caputo’s Market and Deli
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Funerals weddings Birthdays make someone ’ s day
Art l a r o Fl
The
801-363-0565 580 E 300 S SLC theartfloral.com
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READERS CHOICE | BUSINESSES
The Elwoods (left to right: ): David, Michael, Mark and John
Best Professional Employment Agency With 25 office locations in Utah, no matter where you live in the state Elwood Staffing can help you attract and retain employees. Elwood Staffing is the 18th largest staffing firm in the country, according to Staffing Industry Analysts. The company boasts a large client portfolio that includes industries such as customer service, manufacturing, engineering, construction, information technology, administrative and clerical, automotive and natural resource extraction. (IR) 10808 S. River Front Parkway, Building 14, Ste. 100, South Jordan, 812-372-6200, elwoodstaffing.com 2. TEKsystems 3. Quest Staffing Services
Best Friend of Local Business
Best Temporary Employment Agency
Credit unions were originally based on financial cooperatives in England and Germany of the 19th century. They were created to lend money to trade group members from other members of that trade. The UFCU was set up to serve employees who worked only at the U of U, but later added alumni and students to its membership. It was the brainchild of a small group of professors teaching at the school back in 1956 that included Roland Stucki, finance department chair, as well as 11 others who signed the original charter. As of 2004, membership is open to all, and they now boast more than 80,000 members, with a nonprofit board that cares about, serves and invests in the local community. Members often comment about how employees remember their names. Turnover is also low at the branches, so the employers must be doing something right! (BDL) Multiple locations, ucreditu.com
Are you in-between jobs and need to pay the bills? Has an employee requested personal time, so you need a temporary staffer? Spherion Staffing to the rescue! This national firm has been around for more than 70 years linking up employers and employees. Each office is independently owned with its own unique job postings and staff. Readers felt that the combination of job postings and customer service for both employees and employers was enough to rank them best in the field. If you’re looking for $15 per hour as a warehouse or quality control associate, a lab tech or forklift driver, this is a much saner way to find a job than doing searches on the trillions of websites out there. The VP for Utah branches is Aubrey Robison, who was voted last year by Utah Business Magazine as one of their 30 Women to Watch. She likes working for the company so much, she bought a franchise in Boise. (BDL). Multiple locations, spherion.com/utah
University Federal Credit Union
2. Local First Utah 3. Ogden’s Own Distillery
Spherion Staffing Services
2. TEKsystems 3. PrincePerelson & Associates
COURTESY PHOTO
Elwood Staffing
Best Workers Comp Insurance Provider WCF Insurance
For more than 100 years, the WCF has worked to ensure that workers injured on the job are properly compensated. The WCF started in 1917 after the Utah Legislature passed a workers compensation act, and it works to protect both employee and employer through workers compensation insurance, processing 24,115 claims in 2017 alone. The company serves more than just Utahns, with additional claims offices in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho and Nevada. (IR) 100 W. Towne Ridge Parkway, Sandy, 385-351-8000, wcf.com 2. Moreton & Company 3. The Buckner Company
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READERS CHOICE | BUSINESSES
Best Utah-Based Franchise Café Rio
Started in St. George in 1997 by husband and wife team Steve and Patricia Stanley, Café Rio quickly outgrew its Mom & Pop status. The ingredients were so fresh and the food so addicting that Utahns demanded more locations. The company’s six locations were bought by Bob Nilsen in 2004, and in September 2017, the fast-casual Mexican chain was purchased by Freeman Spogli & Co. The eateries start each day making fresh food from scratch; there are still no freezers, microwaves or pre-made food. Café Rio is now headquartered in Salt Lake City and boasts over 100 locations in 11 states. (AK) Multiple locations, caferio.com
DEREK CARLISLE
2. Costa Vida 3. Beans & Brews
Best Accounting Firm Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is an international financial services powerhouse. Founders Arthur Young and Alwin C Ernst started separate accounting firms at the start of the 20th century, never met and died within days of each other in 1948. The two firms merged in 1989 to become a global leader in financial services. Today Ernst & Young is headquartered in London and employs 231,000 people with offices in 150 countries and six continents. (IR) 15 W. South Temple, Ste. 1800, SLC, 801-350-3300, ey.com 2. PricewaterhouseCoopers 3. Tanner LLC
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Best Auto Dealership in Salt Lake County
Best Auto Dealership in Northern Utah
The Mark Miller Auto Group sells new and used Toyota, Scion and Subaru vehicles at three Salt Lake County locations: downtown Salt Lake, Millcreek and Sandy. Mark Miller has been the top new vehicle retailer for the past five years, and boasts a “Famous for Customer Service” reputation. The company promises to provide a dedicated sales staff and top-trained technicians to make your car-buying experience a positive one. (IR) Multiple locations, markmiller.com
The Young Automotive Group has 12 dealerships in northern Utah and southern Idaho. The company’s touts a mission of taking pride in “delivering an exceptional customer experience while generating a fiercely loyal following that loves to think Young.” Young Automotive Group’s vehicle selection includes Buick, Chrysler, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Subaru, Mazda and Toyota. The company promises to work collaboratively with customers based on trust and loyalty to ensure the right car at the right price. (IR) Multiple locations, 801-663-7565, youngautomotive.com
2. Nate Wade Subaru 3. Ken Garff Automotive Group
2. Ed Kenley Ford 3. Cutrubus Motors Inc.
Mark Miller Auto Group
Young Automotive Group
CITYWEEKLY.NET
Best Business School
David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah You should pay attention to this education giant when they are listed in both Forbes and Bloomberg Business Week best business school rankings. They completed a century of teaching in 2017 with over 37,000 alumni. Dean Taylor Randall oversees nine undergraduate majors, four MBA programs, eight specialized master’s programs, a Ph.D. program and executive education offerings. Plus, there’s the Marriner S. Eccles Institute for Economics and Quantitative Analysis, the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, the Sorenson Impact Center and the Ivory-Boyer Real Estate Center. The school was named in 1991 after David Eccles, Utah’s first multimillionaire, when his daughter honored her late father with a large endowment. It’s the only school in Utah to be ranked in the Financial Times top-100 executive MBA programs. (BDL) 1655 E. Campus Center Drive, SLC, 801-581-7676, eccles. utah.edu 2. Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business, Westminster College 3. Goddard School of Business & Economics, Weber State University
Best Place for Corporate Events Utah Motorsports Campus
You might know this place as the former Miller Sportspark in Erda, just outside of Tooele. The 511-acre playground is just 35 minutes from Salt Lake and is open most days for company or family parties. For $20 per session, you can race go karts with speeds up to 50 mph, then pig out with your friends in the banquet facilities. Watch your boss do his same Power Point presentation from last year in one of their classrooms, then head off on a staff mud run on one of the park’s dirt tracks. The place can be rented for festivals, reunions and weddings, but remember, it’s still a big raceway. The Pirelli World Challenge and Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series compete there as does the Utah Sport Bike Association. (BDL) 2901 N. Sheep Lane, Erda, 435-277-8000, utahmotorsportscampus.com
Best Company Retreat Location
Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort Get excited when your boss says, “The company retreat this year is at the Bird!” The year-round resort is something we can all be proud of, with its stunning location in our beautiful Wasatch mountains. If your company event is in the winter, then you know you’ll get some ski time in, with great food and a hot tub later? But a summer retreat allows you to take the tram to the top and eat at 11,000 feet, enjoy the much cooler temperatures in Little Cottonwood Canyon, and slide down the mountain coaster track, Alpine slide or summer tube. The ropes course is ideal for team “trust” experiences, while a bungee trampoline, climbing wall and crazy vertical drop provide other daredevil experiences. Rooms are nice in whatever building your boss pays for, and all are within a quick walk to food and beverages. This resort sits on what was, in the 19th century, one of the largest deposits of silver ore—a fact that hits home when you ski Big Emma in Gad Valley, named after the old Emma Mine. There’s always treasure to be found any time of the year at the Bird. (BDL) 9385 Snowbird Center Drive, Snowbird, 800-882-4766, snowbird.com 2. Zermatt Resort 3. Deer Valley Resort
2. Rocky Mountain Raceway 3. TopGolf Salt Lake City
Best Fundraiser Location Grand America Hotel
2. Thanksgiving Point 3. The Union Event Center
MATHEW CRAWLEY
This Forbes four-star hotel is the highest rated and tallest hotel (24 floors) in Salt Lake City. Built by the late Earl Holding and designed by Frank Nicholson, it served as the hotel during the 2002 Olympics for world dignitaries, celebrities, presidents and politicians. Holding was famous as owner of Sinclair Oil Corp., while Nicholson was a member of the Design Hall of Fame who created looks for international hotels such as the Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton. With the money and talent of these two industry sovereigns, no expense was spared in creating the Grand. There are 775 rooms with 75,000 square feet of meeting/banquet space, a Conde Nast Traveler-rated spa, two bars and restaurants. It’s likely that more money has been raised at events held at this hotel than any other in Utah. (BDL) 555 S. Main, SLC, 801-258-6000, grandamerica.com
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READERS CHOICE | BUSINESSES
Best Auto Dealership in Utah County Brent Brown Toyota
Brent Brown is known for selling cars and for playing an electric guitar with his teeth when his band opened for ZZ Top here in the 1970s. You can’t make this stuff up. As a teen, he was the lead singer and guitarist for the local group, Brown’s Roadwork. The bearded boys of Texas needed an opener, and legend has it that a local disc jockey suggested Brown’s Roadwork. Sure enough, they played their hearts out in front of a sold-out crowd of 14,000 ZZ Top Fans. With his stage days behind him, Brown’s flagship Toyota dealership in Orem is so popular, people in Salt Lake County often make the drive south to pick up a new or used car. He had seven other dealerships but sold them off to Larry H. Miller in 2010 to focus on one really, really good store and business that stands out enough to win this year’s best auto dealership award. (BDL) 1400 S. Sandhill Road, Orem, 801-224-1320, brentbrowntoyota.com
Best Made-in-Utah Product Uinta Beer
Will Hamill founded Uinta Brewing Co. in 1993 in an old mechanics shop. From the early batches of Cutthroat Pale Ale and King’s Peak to Trader and Golden Spike, they proved it’s possible to successfully brew beer in Utah. From those humble beginnings, it’s now one of the top 50 craft brewers in the United States by volume. The brewery boasts 100 employees along with new products lines and a five-acre campus west of downtown housing a state-of-the-art brewhouse powered completely by renewable energy. Uinta’s beer is enjoyed in 36 states and has become one of the Utah’s proudest exports over the past 25 years. (AK) 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC, 801-467-0228, uintabrewing.com 2. Skullcandy Earphones 3. Five Wives Vodka
Helpful Uinta Beer staff
2. Doug Smith Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram 3. Ken Garff Automotive Group
Best Utah Manufacturer Purple
JOSH SCHEUERMAN
Brothers Tony and Terry Pearce are both engineers (and more) who began making high-tech materials for wheelchairs, hospital beds, braces and other equipment in 1989. They developed a cushioning fluid they called Floam, then soon after that, a stretchy polymer, and then obtained an additional 30 cushioning patents. In 2013, they decided to combine their knowledge and cushioning products to create a pressure-relieving mattress utilizing a patent-pending invention called the Mattress Max. Not only is it affordable, it comes with all kinds of Purple perks, like a 10-year warranty and free inhome setup. (AK) 123 E. 200 North, Alpine, 888848-8456, purple.com 2. Bullfrog Spas 3. MityLite Inc.
Best Utah Retailer
Kirkham’s Outdoor Products For more than seven decades, Kirkham’s has served as Utah’s locally owned outdoor store. For 60 of those years, Kirkham’s has sold its own specialty gear, manufactured in Salt Lake City, including the Springbar tent, backpacks, gear bags, gaiters, horse blankets, awnings and more. They maintain a vast inventory of outdoor products such as boots, clothing, camping gear and just about any CampChef item you can dream of. (JW) 3125 S. State, SLC, 801-486-4161, kirkhams.com 2. Recreation Outlet 3. Smith & Edwards
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Best SBA Lender
Mountain America Credit Union Mountain America Credit Union is the 12th largest credit union in the country and, at 84 years old, serves residents in Salt Lake, Duchesne, Wasatch and Unitah counties. With a long history of loaning to local businesses to help these companies grow, MACU was recently listed as the No. 1 SBA lender in the nation. The credit union is growing as well and will soon be relocating to its new headquarters, a new 11-story office tower in downtown Sandy. (IR) Multiple locations, macu.com 2. University Federal Credit Union 3. Mountain West Small Business Finance
CITYWEEKLY.NET
Black Diamond
We like to consider this company a Utah start, but really, the outdoor equipment firm began when a climber from California began hand-forging pitons and selling them from the trunk of his car near Yosemite. He built up a firm that, unfortunately, by the late 1990s filed for bankruptcy. That’s when Utah came into play. Peter Metcalf and his investors bought the firm and moved it and its employees to Salt Lake City to be closer to terrific climbing areas, where they manufactured products for climbing, skiing and mountain sports. The company was sold in 2010 for almost $100 million to Clarus Corp, which also sells products under the Sierra Bullets and Pieps brand names. (BDL) 2092 E. 3900 South, SLC, 801-278-0233, blackdiamondequipment.com
UTAH commerce
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2. Cotopaxi 3. Osprey
Best Workplace Benefits Skullcandy
Founded by a guy whose grandma designed swimsuits, Skullcandy debuted its first product at the 2003 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where it won its first design and innovation award. Electronic geeks became the coolest kids on the block with the affordable and sleek headphones and earbuds they sported. But it’s really all about the Link system founder Rick Alden developed, which combines headphones with hands-free cellular technology. Employees at the Park City firm rave about the premo flex time they get, 401(k) matching, health and dental, and discounts on gym and season ski passes. The office has a half pipe and mini ramp for skate breaks during the day, and their Powder Day Policy prohibits work before 11 a.m. on any day when fresh powder falls. Cowabunga! (BDL) 6301 N. Landmark Drive, Park City, 435-940-1545, skullcandy.com 2. Traeger Grills 3. SelectHealth
Best Entry-Level Work Positions Harmons
This local grocery chain with 18 Utah stores likes to tout that they know what makes their company successful: Many of their leadership team members grew up bagging groceries or stocking shelves. In 1932, George and Irene Harmon
started the chain with The Market Spot, a humble shop that sold local fruit and veggies. The Harmons lived behind the store. As the local chain grew, they’ve kept their dedication to Utah-grown/produced grocery products, and employees can start at more creative entry-level positions than at other grocery franchises. They have a cooking school, opportunities for training beginning chefs, post office and coffee bar positions. They make many of their own deli, bakery and meat department products from scratch. (BDL) Multiple locations, harmonsgrocery.com 2. Larry H. Miller Group of Companies 3. Vivant
Best Networking Event
CREW Utah Pop-up and Events This group is not necessarily for the average party seeker because CREW stands for Commercial Real Estate for Women. CREW was founded in 1989, when women were just starting to be taken seriously in the commercial real estate industry. Up until that time, it would be rare to find a female sales agent in a local or franchise office. If there was a woman in the office, she was usually the receptionist. But many women Real estate agents were interested in selling malls, hotels, and other large tracts of industrial land and facilities. CREW’s mission is simply to “influence the success of the commercial real estate industry by advancing the achievements of women.” In a July post on their website, they share a success story of a CREW luncheon where an
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DOM DARLING
Best Outdoor Recreation Manufacturer
BEST OF
invitee ended up sitting next to a COO. She handed them her card and ended up landing a huge contract to do industrial cleaning for 440,000 square feet of commercial buildings. (BDL) crewutah.org 2. YWCA Leadership Luncheon 3. Governor’s Economic Summit
Best Chamber of Commerce Salt Lake Chamber
Picture this: men in all-white suit jackets smiling, working the crowd and shaking hands at social mixers. These were the Salt Shakers, and they represented the Salt Lake City’s chamber of commerce as greeters and recruiters starting in 1887. Business leaders began meeting to look at the bigger picture of what SLC needed. Almost immediately after its formation, street-car service (think Trax) improved as members saw the need for the Wasatch Front to have better transportation for workers, and they lobbied for a train depot in the city. A hundred years later, the chamber is not only the largest and longest standing business association in the state, but a voice of business. They annually present and sponsor over 150 events in the local business community and helped foster the idea of networking in the state for women, men and businesses of all sizes from Logan to St. George. (BDL) 175 E. 400 South, SLC, 801-364-3631, slchamber.com 2. Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 3. Utah Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
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READERS CHOICE | BUSINESSES
BEST OF
UTAH
Best Office Meeting Caterer
Cuisine Unlimited Catering & Special Events
commerce
Oh, please, Boss, not the 6-foot hoagie again! Step it up a notch and get with the folks at this family-run business that started as a small deli and is now one of the premier event caterers in the state. Visit their website and rejoice at the death of rubber chicken breasts and semi-dry rice you’ve had at every office quarterly meeting. The future looks tasty for your company events. Drool over grilled chicken drumsticks in bourbon-cherry barbecue sauce, corn on the cob with cilantro and chile flakes, caprese-stuffed hasselback tomatoes, grilled pineapple and fruit tarts. The Turner family has been classing up mobile food for parties and events for 35 years and will fill minimum orders just for six people or huge orders for thousands. You might know some of their food if you’ve been to the Red Butte Concert concession stand. They offer picnic foods for out-of-office meetings with full box lunches and dinners, too. (BDL) 4641 S. Cherry St., SLC, 801-268-2332, cuisineunlimited.com
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2. LUX Catering and Events 3. Culinary Crafts
Best Business Meeting Cocktails
Best Power Lunch Spot
Did you know that up until 1906, the downtown blocks between 200 South and 400 South on Main Street were known as Whiskey Street? Not only was the area home to numerous bars, but also a liquor store. Ah, the things you learn upon stepping inside this vintage-chic bar close to the hustle and bustle of downtown (in fact, some of the patio tables place you right in the action of Main Street). Here, you are greeted by a stately 72-foot-long cherry wood bar and an establishment that oozes class and comfort, perfect for that first business meeting over drinks. With a wide-ranging menu of beer, cocktails and wine, they have an elixir that will keep every business deal in motion. And don’t forget whiskey—there are literally hundreds to choose from. (AK) 323 S. Main, SLC, 801-433-1371, whiskeystreet.com
Want to impress a client and have a terrific meal? This local restaurant chain opened in 1980 and has been rated by just about everyone as Utah’s most popular seafood restaurant. The downtown location in the historic New York Hotel was the flagship for the Gastronomy group founded by three men who knew food and business. Only one of the original founders is still alive (Tom Guinney) but the original menu of fresh seafood remains a high standard in this land-locked state. This group originally blew the competition out of the water 30-plus years ago by flying in fresh crab, lobster and fin fish daily. There’s the Grill downtown, the Oyster Bar, the Cottonwood and airport locations and their sister restaurant, The New Yorker. If you want a place with white linens and a wait staff crisp and clean like a fancy French bistro, this is the place. (BDL) Multiple locations, marketstreetgrill.com
Whiskey Street
2. Bar X 3. The Vault at Bambara
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Market Street Grill
2. Stanza 3. The Dodo
CITYWEEKLY.NET
Best Bank
Best Office Equipment
Brigham Young founded Zions Bank in 1873. In the 145 years since, Zions Bank has become Utah’s largest bank and one of the largest in the country. The bank employs over 10,000 people and has more than $66 billion in assets. Zions has 125 full-service financial centers in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming and, for four consecutive years, American Banker magazine has listed it as a best bank to work for. CNNMoney magazine also listed Zions as the best midsize bank in America. (IR) multiple locations, zionsbank.com
Withmore than 60 years of service experience, Les Olson promises to serve all of your office’s technological needs with IT services, document management software, managed print services, copiers and printers. The family-owned and independently operated company has nine locations from Logan to Las Vegas, offering both office products and office support with a large team of experts and free lifetime copier and printer training. (IR) 3244 S. 300 West, South Salt Lake, 801-486-7431, lesolson.com
Zions Bank
2. First Utah Bank 3. Bank of Utah
Best Financial Adviser
Bapis Group at HighTower Advisors The Bapis Group is a privately owned, multi-generational family business that focuses on helping clients build and manage their personal wealth. The financial services company has offices in New York and Salt Lake City, and operates in a fiduciary capacity, meaning they are legally required to make their clients’ needs their top priority. The Bapis Group personalizes each client’s portfolio through research, planning and data analysis to ensure that client needs are being fully met. (IR) 2603 E. Parleys Way, SLC, 801-401-8700, hightoweradvisors.com 2. TruthNorth Wealth Advisors 3. Smedley Financial
Les Olson Co.
2. Pacific Office Automation 3. JBM Sales and Service
Best Business Consultants Stratus.hr
Not every company is large enough to have their own HR department. For this reason, Stratus.hr offers outsourced human resources. The company also provides outsourced payroll, risk management, employee benefits, health plans and employee data management. Stratus.hr offers an alternative to a full-time HR department at a lower cost. The nearly 20-yearold company was founded in Utah and continues to call it home as it has emerged as one of the region’s HR leaders. (IR) 75 W. Towne Ridge Parkway, Ste. 440, Sandy, 801-984-0252, stratus.hr
Best Personal Injury Attorneys
2. Helpside 3. Resource Management Inc.
If you grew up in Utah, you’ve probably heard of Robert J. DeBry. The prolific personal injury law firm has had a historic presence on billboards and TV for several decades. Robert J. DeBry’s legal team of 50 professionals is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer questions and get clients the help they need. With offices in Salt Lake, Sandy and St. George, the firm promises to get you the money you deserve. (IR) Multiple locations, robertdebry.com
Best Government Employer
Robert J. DeBry & Associates
2. Siegfried & Jensen 3. Craig Swapp & Associates
Best Full-Service Travel Agency Morris Murdock Travel
Who needs a travel agent when you have the internet? We all do. Even Millennials have found that using the services of seasoned travel agents can save time and money. Travel agents might be back in style, but Morris Murdock never left. The firm was created in 1958 by Franklin Murdock at the request of the LDS Church to help meet the travel needs of employees and missionaries. It’s now grown to six divisions: Morris Murdock Escorted Tours (think travel groups to Israel), Morris Meetings and Incentives (when you get promoted up the ladder and travel to China), Black Pearl Luxury Service catering to high-end travelers; LDS Travel Study for escorted LDS tours to places like Nauvoo or Egypt, Jenson Baron Travel Express offering discounted airfare to other travel agents, and Solo Independent Contractor Program that helps travel agents create their own company under the umbrella of Morris Murdock Travel. (BDL) 101 S. 200 East, SLC, 801-483-6441, morrismurdock.com 2. Christopherson Business Travel 3. Cruise & Travel Masters
Hill Air Force Base
For nearly 90 years, Hill Air Force Base has been a nationally important military base and a cornerstone of north Davis and south Weber counties. Hill AFB contributes an estimated $3.4 billion yearly to the local economy. The base is the state’s sixth largest employer with a staff of over 22,000 and an annual payroll of $1.3 billion, the bulk of which are civilians with military personnel accounting for just a quarter of the total employees at 5,785. (IR) 7981 Georgia St., Hill AFB, 801-7775201, hill.af.mil 2. Utah Department of Workforce Services 3. Utah State Board of Education
Best Law Firm Jones Waldo
Jones Waldo had served the Utah community since 1875 with a focus on business, litigation and real estates services. The law firm employs 85 legal experts with offices downtown and in Provo, St. George and Park City. Jones Waldo has been an integral part of Utah’s legal community for most of the state’s history. Former U.S. Senator Joseph Rawlins founded Jones Waldo in partnership with Ben Sheeks. Rawlins played a crucial role in securing Utah statehood in 1896 as a U.S. Congressional delegate. (IR) 170 S. Main, Ste. 1500, SLC, 801-521-3200, joneswaldo.com 2. Parsons Behle & Latimer 3. Durham Jones & Pinegar
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SUCCESS
TDK | FEATURE
DEREK MILLER ON
Salt Lake Chamber’s CEO talks inland port and secrets to success
By Jerre Wroble
D Occupation: President and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance Hometown(s): Orem and Provo Education: Graduate of BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School. Also holds a Master of Public Administration from the Romney Institute of Public Management Years of living/working Salt Lake City: After living in D.C. for 10 years, he’s been back in Utah for 13 years Years with the chamber: Only four months but was a member of chamber board of governors for preceding four years
Number of Salt Lake Chamber members? About 1,000 Salt Lake Chamber budget? Approximately a $5 million operating budget
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COURTESY PHOTO
How many chamber employees? About 50
erek Miller is an unabashed lover of Salt Lake City. While he’s lived and worked all over the world, the new CEO for the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce says there is no place he’d rather be, especially on a sunrise run along the Bonneville Lake Trail overlooking the Salt Lake Valley. After growing up in the Utah Valley and living in Washington D.C. for a decade, Miller believes Salt Lake offers everything he’s looking for in a city. But just because he loves the land of Zion doesn’t mean it was an easy sell when it came to attracting new business investment in Utah. When he worked with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, he recalls going on recruitment trips to places like the Silicon Valley where his team would promote Utah’s lower tax rate, more reasonable regulations and lower cost of living. “Companies would look at us like we were telling them they ought to move to Mars,” he said. But that was before 2008. “In an odd way,” he says, “Utah as a state was the beneficiary of the Great Recession.” Around that time, companies like Goldman Sachs, eBay, Adobe and Proctor & Gamble opened their operations in Utah. Their arrival “allowed us to put our foot on the gas coming out of the recession,” Miller says. “Utah came out faster and stronger than any other state, with higher and faster job growth than any other state.” But is Utah truly on the map now? It’s more top of mind than ever in the U.S., Miller says, but less so in the international community. Miller recalls going on World Trade Center trade missions and having international delegates ask about Utah. CITYWEEKLY.NET
Salt Lake City’s Northwest Quadrant
“We’d tell them, ‘Utah is the fastest growing economy in the USA.’ And they, too, would look at us like we were from Mars. Then they’d say, “I don’t even know where Utah is.” Miller believes that Utah has to take the same model that attracted the national players to Utah and apply it on an international scale. “We live in a global economy like never before,” he says. “We have an opportunity, and we have a great story to be able to tell.” In partnership with the World Trade Center of Utah and the governor’s office, the chamber hosts visiting leaders in Utah that includes ambassadors, consuls general and other dignitaries, at business luncheons where Utah businesses can educate international players and share their stories. Chamber members can also participate in the chamber’s trade missions abroad. In that way, Miller says, “we’re not just telling the [chamber’s] story; we’re actually bringing examples with us and letting those businesses tell their own story.” Port Possibilities Miller no sooner took the reins as chamber CEO in July 2018 than he was asked to take on another key role in the business community: chairing Utah’s inland port authority. The position came with the need to address criticism from affected groups across the spectrum—political, community and environmental. And more importantly, the job required educating the public about what exactly is an inland port. “The best and easiest way to answer it is: Think of everything that happens in a port,” he says. “Goods are offloaded in huge containers, they’re broken down into smaller containers, they then clear customs and go through security. Then, they’re put in new containers and shipped off around the world. Each step along the way takes time,” he says. These steps also cause physical constraints. What an inland port does is create an express lane at the seaport, Miller says. The container is taken off of the ship, put on a train and sent to the inland Port of Utah where all of the other work takes place. From Utah, the goods are then shipped to other places in the country. It works in reverse as well, Miller says, where you have goods coming to Utah, clearing customs, then having the manufacturing and assembly work taking place here. The goods are then put into the containers and shipped in an express lane back to the seaports. $
RESUME TOTEMS What animal “totem” would you assign to your previous jobs?
Golden Eagle: Working for the House of Representatives
When I left my job as legal counsel for the House of Representatives, I bought two bookends at the U.S. Capitol. They were two golden eagles, our national bird. They’re prominently displayed in my home. The golden eagle is a nice representation for me because it reminds me of the country. I had started working on Capitol Hill right after 9/11. That had a big impact on me as it did on many people. It caused me to think about the country and what I thought I could do as a public servant. And that was why I decided to go work for Congress and get involved in public service.
Work Horse: Gov. Herbert’s Chief of Staff
It reminds me of the governor. He is a hard worker. Although he is 25 years my senior, most days—I’m not ashamed to admit—he worked me under the table! I just saw an unlimited capacity and desire to work hard, and it was so impressive to me.
Wolf: CEO of the World Trade Center
When I started at the World Trade Center, I was a lone wolf. It was, for all intents and purposes, a one-person office, a one-man band. I started out as a lone wolf and one of the things I am most grateful for, and most satisfied with, was the fact that over the four years I was there, I was able to build out a team that I was proud of. So, I went from being a lone wolf to pack of wolves, a 10-person organization, which was a ten-fold increase. We appreciated each other and got along well together. We had a shared and common goal. Sometimes you just enjoy the people you work with immensely.
The Wise Old Owl: Chamber CEO
It’s still TBD, but in honor of my predecessor, Lane Beattie, who left me very large shoes to fill, I’m going with the wise old owl. He was/is such a great senior statesman, not just for the chamber but for the state of Utah. $
BEST OF UTAH Commerce 2018 25
TDK | FEATURE
GOOD ADVICE
FOR FREE
When I was 12, I was a paper boy for the hometown Daily Herald. What I learned was that the work never stops. There’s a job to do, it’s required to be done every day, and I couldn’t just say, “I don’t think I want to deliver the papers today.” That was a great lesson early on in life, that when there is a job to be done, you gotta get it done. Not doing it is not an option.
I love to mountain bike, to trail run, to ski … to take advantage of everything that Salt Lake and Utah have to offer. This morning, I watched the sun rise while I was running the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. I got to the top of the Dry Creek saddle and saw all the sparkling lights filling the valley floor. By the time I got to City Creek saddle, the sun had come up, and I looked over the valley from the Capitol to the Point of the Mountain, and I thought to myself, “Where else would I want to live?” And the answer is: Nowhere!
What was your first job, and what did you learn from it.
You’re around successful business people every day. What is behind their success?
I have noticed busy people get a lot done. People who aren’t very busy don’t seem to get a lot done. It’s a paradox of life: the busier you are, the more you actually do. What I’ve observed in successful people is that they’ve learned wherever they are, to be there. Whatever you are doing, focus on what you are doing. That may sound trite, but I find there are people who are trying to do one thing but are distracting themselves by thinking about something else. Those who are very successful and accomplish a lot have a very honed ability to focus on whatever task is at hand.
Any advice for new business people who are getting started (besides joining the chamber)?
It’s very easy to fall into a trap of putting your head down, working hard on your business and inadvertently isolating yourself from the community at large. It may work in the short run. You may be successful by isolating yourself and only thinking about yourself and your own business. But I don’t believe it works in the long run. In the long run, you need partnerships to be successful. You need relationships to be successful. You need to be expanding your own involvement, your own network and your own intelligence and knowledge and ability to 26
BEST OF UTAH Commerce 2018
learn from others. There are lots of ways to be involved outside your own organization and you ought to take advantage of them.
“Those who are very successful and accomplish a lot have a very honed ability to focus on whatever the task is at hand.” —Derek Miller
What’s the most important business lesson you’ve learned?
For me, it is (and I’m still learning this lesson over and over, almost on a daily basis): Slow down and listen. It’s easy to get rushed and feel rushed, especially with our modern-day work environment with all the technology of emails and texts and the phone going off. When you do that, you’re failing to listen. Sometimes, that means listening to those around you, but also that means listening to yourself. You have to have time to self-reflect. Take a walk. Let your mind talk to yourself. And listen to those around you. I find myself too often giving in to that pressure and being rushed. I’m always much better off and more productive and successful when I listen to those around me and listen to myself.
Where do you go/what do you do when you’re not a CEO?
On the importance of finding mentors
I want to say how grateful I am for the mentors that I have. They’ve taught me and have been advocates for me. One of the great things they’ve taught me is to learn how and when to ask for help, to be able to say, “I am facing this challenge or problem or conundrum at work. How would you advise me? How would you counsel me?” How does one find mentors? I am not naturally an extrovert. I found my mentors not necessarily setting out to find them but through the positions that I’ve held as well as by getting involved in the community. You naturally meet people in a professional work setting or in your neighborhood or on a community board, and there will be people you observe that you admire and respect. I learn by watching. There are people that I watched, and when I was faced with a certain situation, I would say to myself, “How would that person respond in this situation?” and I tried to act that way. And that is the way that I learned: by example, and in some ways, by mirroring. Over time, by doing that, and by developing relationships and friendships, they become mentors. For me, it was natural and organic. $ CITYWEEKLY.NET
Derek Miller: Why an inland port will be good for Utah
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iller says an inland port represents job growth for Utah. “We should never stop thinking about how we’re going to create jobs in the future because our population grows so fast,” he says. “We want to be able to provide opportunities to our children and grandchildren. Feasibility studies that I’ve seen are saying [an inland port will create] tens of thousands of jobs—not hundreds or even thousands of jobs.” An inland port puts Utah on the map, he says. “We live in a global economy, and this is something that will provide a reason for other states, countries, organizations, businesses to continue to think about Utah,” Miller says. An inland port is visionary, future-oriented. “Logistics and distribution are the future of our economy,” Miller says. “It’s been true for a long time that when you’re buying something, you’re counting the time it takes to get to your doorsteps in minutes, not days or weeks. The inland port gives us the opportunity to provide the solution, which then takes Utah into the next century.” Critical Concerns Miller has his work cut out for him when it comes to assuaging the port’s critics. “There were disagreements between the state Legislature and Salt Lake City on how it was being set up,” he says, believing that those political differences will be overcome in time. Another group is alarmed at the port’s impact on the environment, transportation systems and its impact on local communities. “These are all legitimate concerns, by the way,” Miller says. “The only thing I would say about that is that we are on Step 3 of a hundred steps. We do need to find answers to these questions. It will take time and it will take moving forward in a quick way but in a smart way.” Finally, he says, that with any kind of large project, there will be naysayers whose only objective is to stop the project, and they’re not going to get on board. “Time will tell whether or not people are taking a reasonable position or not,” he says. On Wearing Two Hats No matter what, serving as both a chamber CEO and port director, Miller has a lot on his plate. “I believe I can do both jobs, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of hard work,” he says. He says it’s like when he was a paper boy as a kid. “There was a job to be done, and it doesn’t matter if it’s raining or the roads are icy,” Miller says. Yet, he recalls, if the roads were icy, his dad would drive him and his brothers would help. “The same is true today: I have a great team at the chamber who provide tremendous support. We’re going to go out as a board to hire staff for full-time inland port support,” he says. $
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HOUSING | FEATURE
DEREK CARLISLE
600 Lofts
Neighborhood Infusion
Salt Lake’s redevelopment agency directs $10 million to affordable housing
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By Isaac Riddle
he Wasatch Front’s booming economy is creating a housing shortage as the demand for housing has far outpaced supply. According to the Housing Gap Coalition, since 2010, the region has added four new households for every three new housing units. In 2016, in an attempt to address the city’s growing affordablehousing shortage, Salt Lake City officials set aside $21 million from Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City (RDA) to finance affordablehousing projects. This summer, city officials announced that $10 million of those funds will be available to developers as low-interest loans through a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) intended to develop and preserve affordable housing. The low housing supply is driving up the costs of buying and renting a home or apartment. A June 2018 rental report by Apartment List, an online rental marketplace, found that among larger cities, rents between May 2017 and May 2018 in Salt Lake City grew at 5.4 percent, the second-fastest rate in the country. A recent report by the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, a nonprofit that advocates for more affordable housing, found that even in the most affordable zip code, Salt Lake City residents must earn at least $17.31 an hour to afford a typical two-bedroom apartment and at least $14.04 an hour to lease a fair-market one-bedroom apartment. The coalition also estimates that in the Salt Lake metro area, there are just 26 affordable units for every 100 extremely low-income renters. Furthermore, the county will need to add at least 21,000 more units to meet the current demand for low-income housing. In Salt Lake City alone, it’s estimated that the city needs to add at least 7,500 new affordable-housing units to meet the current demand. “I’m so excited about this notice of funding availability,” says Derek Kitchen, chair of RDA’s board of directors. “It’s important to me that all resources from the RDA budget be focused on neighborhood 28
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reinvestment. This program demonstrates how committed the RDA is to affordable housing in our city.” Kitchen says the NOFA model is an effective option in increasing the city’s affordable housing stock because it allows the city to partner with developers in the private sector to address the affordable-housing shortage while also investing in the city’s neighborhoods. Because the funds are distributed as low-interest loans, it saves the developers money, and those funds are eventually returned to the city to go to future housing projects. “It really is a win-win,” Kitchen says. Under the NOFA process, interested developers and property managers can apply for low-interest loans to finance affordable housing projects. Those projects can include new construction or renovations of existing housing stock that would be reserved for lower-income residents. Based on the guidelines for NOFA, the city will give priority to developers that plan to build or renovate affordable-housing projects near public transit, in mixed-income neighborhoods and in neighborhoods of high opportunity (neighborhoods with high levels of prosperity and socio-economic advancement). Priority will go to projects that encourage sustainability, offer diverse housing types, revitalize neighborhoods, show innovation and offer long-term affordability. The program isn’t limited to just new construction projects. Officials are looking to property owners that want to upgrade their properties with low-interest renovation loans. “Preserving existing housing stock is a cost-effective and efficient way of ensuring long-term affordability in the market,” said Melissa Jensen, director of Salt Lake City’s Housing & Neighborhood Development, in a statement. “In many cases, the city loses affordable housing opportunities when units are renovated and then placed into the open market.” $ CITYWEEKLY.NET
ATE UTAH ST
HISTORI
CAL SO
CIE TY
SALES | FEATURE
Bit Your Bottom Dollar
Not even cold hard cash is immune to the digital revolution
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By Babs De Lay
he first Utahns didn’t print paper money to buy and sell goods. They traded and bartered with grains, beads, furs or other goods. Centuries later, Brigham Young created his own coins here in the new Mormon Territory in 1848, including a three-pointed Phrygian Crown design to mimic the symbol for the priesthood, over an all-seeing eye graphic. The gold in the coins didn’t come from Utah, but from Colorado. Young’s coins were minted in the home of William Sharp in downtown Salt Lake City. The paper money Brigham minted and signed himself were issued about the same time he was declared president of the church. U.S. currency did not have a standard in those days. A $1 bill in Virginia didn’t look like a dollar in Georgia, and might not be worth the same amount. Very few paper bills survived from those days, but those that did could now be worth thousands of dollars. You can see examples at Rust Rare Coin (242 E. 300 South, 801-363-4014, rustcoin.com). Flash forward 170 years since the pioneers, and now few people carry paper bills or coins anymore. Smartphone apps such as Wallet mean you don’t even have to carry a credit card. Amazon now features Amazon Coins as its digital currency while Overstock.com, Subway, Virgin Airlines, Expedia, Whole Foods, Naughty America and Grooveshark are happily accepting invisible money or bitcoins. Bitcoins were envisioned by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009 as a “peer-to-peer electronic cash system” that allows people to send and receive payments without involving a financial institution. While
bitcoins have been around almost a decade, no one claims credit for inventing it. It might have been a group effort rather than the work of an individual. The first bitcoin created from 2009 would be worth roughly $19 billion USD, and there have evolved almost 2,000 different types of cryptocurrency that we know of today. It’s not a form of commerce for just smart techy people anymore. Classes for beginners in web currency are taught at The Black Business School. Arthur Hayes, the “Crypto Black Gangster,” claims to be the Goldman Sachs of digital trading and owns the exchange (BITMEX). Sooner, rather than later, bitcoin will be used as a currency to buy homes. The owner of the coins might have an anonymous address, but the currency can be traced to its complete history. Think of knowing where your dollar bill has been since it was printed—from every user and abuser. If a seller is willing to accept bitcoins, the transaction can take about 10 minutes to transfer the crypto-coin into the owner’s account. In January 2018, realtor.com had listed 37 homes across the country willing to accept bitcoin as payment. It’s not a thing yet in Utah, but bitcoin purchases could soon become a reality. Bitcoins are related to blockchain—the ledger system that tracks each transaction—and once the bitcoin has been used, it can’t be reused, so this helps eliminate fraud. There are no bad checks or forgery. This will eventually have a huge impact on middlemen such as title companies and could reduce transaction fees substantially. $ BEST OF UTAH Commerce 2018 29
TECHNOLOGY | FEATURE
COURTESY OKLAND CONSTRUCTION
eBay’s facility in Draper
Oh My Tech!
The Wasatch Front’s Silicon Slopes bolsters the local economy with jobs, investment and talent By Anna Kaser
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ake a drive on Interstate 15, south of Salt Lake City and past the Point of Mountain toward Lehi, and you’ll see clusters of office buildings and retail storefronts that practically have grown up overnight on what were once sagebrushcovered hills and empty fields abutting the freeway. Welcome to Silicon Slopes—a hotbed of tech ventures and investment. While Silicon Slopes actually encompass the expanse of tech firms along Utah’s Wasatch Front, the Lehi area is particularly robust. The area’s business-friendly environment, low taxes, (somewhat) affordable real estate and college-trained workforce make it a fertile ground for startups. But just what do these new companies with nerdy names do? In case you haven’t been keeping up, here’s a sampling of Utah’s more than 6,500 tech companies, old and new, that have tasted the sweet honey of the Beehive State and decided to put down roots.
SALT LAKE COUNTY eBAY Global e-commerce
eBay’s facility in Draper, at 240,000 square feet, is a monster of a building. It holds not only a full-service cafeteria and gym, but a soccer field and volleyball courts as well. eBay’s move was especially notable in Draper’s tech-rich area due to its name recognition and the 1,800 jobs it needed to staff its customer service center. The choice to move to Utah has not only helped the people employed there, but the state as 30
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a whole. eBay has supported events such as the Pride Festival and Walk for Autism. 583 W. eBay Way, Draper, 408-376-7400, ebay.com
Edwards Lifesciences Medical equipment
Also located in Draper, Edwards Lifesciences develops and builds medical technologies in structural heart disease and critical care monitoring. Its founder, Miles “Lowell” Edwards, was always fascinated with medical technology surrounding the heart, and he still holds 63 patents in an array of industries. The current CEO, Michael A. Mussallem, maintains a similar passion for patient care. The Draper location employs 1,100 people in careers varying from engineer to packager. 12050 Lone Peak Parkway, Draper, 801-5655200, edwards.com
Amazon Fulfillment Center Online commerce
Though not completed yet, the new Amazon facility has been eagerly awaited. The company’s move is already employing hundreds in the building process, and when finished, will employ around 1,500 full-time workers. The flagship regional facility will be focused mainly on fulfilling online orders and is predicted to generate $85 million in wages over eight years. The $200 million building will stand at a staggering 855,000 square-feet. Started in 1994, Amazon’s 20year run as a public company has resulted in CEO Jeff Bezos being named the richest man in the world (with a net worth of $143.1
billion). And the next step for the company will be right here on the Wasatch Front. 777 N. 5600 West, SLC, 480-702-9742, amazon.com Other Salt Lake County tech stars of note: EMC, ARUP labs, Discover Products, L3 Communications, Clearlink, Alorica Inc.
WEBER COUNTY WhiteClouds 3D print services
Located in Ogden, WhiteClouds has quickly become one of the leaders in Utah for 3D print services and models. With models large and small, the company uses their self-made software called 3D Printing in the Cloud, which allows companies to customize their products as much as they’d like. The software at WhiteClouds allows companies to almost do it themselves, without needing any experience in 3D design, software or equipment. With over 100 employees, WhiteClouds is a smaller business on the list. However, only started in 2013 and by having most of their focus on web development, WhiteClouds is sure to grow. 766 Depot Drive, No. 8, Ogden, 385-2068700, whiteclouds.com
PURCH Digital publishing
When asked which tech company to watch, many Weber County-ites have one answer: Purch. With 350 employees, Purch is a digital publisher and marketing platform that connects marketers to their desired market, thus boosting sales. Their online CITYWEEKLY.NET
VIDPRESSO Interactive video company
From The New York Times, NBC, BMW, Coca Cola, the NBA and many others, Vidpresso’s list of clients is off the charts, which speaks to their quality of work. Vidpresso not only helps with the logistics of live streaming but enhances the experience with graphics, polls and other features. Vidpresso served as a media partner for Facebook until Aug. 13, when its team and technology were actually acquired by Facebook. The Ogden start-up is now off to the races. 4287 Harrison Blvd., No. 241, Ogden, 801-981-5005, Vidpresso.com Other Weber County tech stars of note: Setpoint, Borsight, Parker Hannifin, Marketstar, WebNX, Enve Composites, Amer Sports, Northop Grumman
DAVIS COUNTY MINDFIRE TECHNOLOGY Custom software development
Located south of Ogden’s technology boom, Mindfire Technologies calls Layton home. Founded in 2010 by Shane Willard, Mindfire is a software engineering firm specializing in websites, web applications, cloud migration, mobile apps and business partnering, staffing and solutions. This one location boasts clients such as Panasonic, Best Buy, Xerox, the University of Utah and many more. Employees here speak “geek” fluently and can hit the ground running and be productive in a variety of programming languages. 872 W. Heritage Park Blvd., Ste. 200, Layton, 801-4442600, mindfiretechnology.com
KLYMIT Sleeping bag company
With its innate scenic attractions and outdoor recreation, Utah has no shortage of outdoor product manufacturers. A newer player in the outdoor category is the popular sleeping bag company Klymit. Founded in 2007 by Cory Tholl, Klymit not only specializes in producing quality sleeping bags but brings together engineers, artists, athletes, explorers and more to design, craft and test new gear. 457 Deseret Drive, Ste. 1, Kaysville, 1-888-559-6481, Klymit.com Other Davis County tech stars of note: Kihoman, Fit Four, Metropolis Design, Pluralsight, International Armoring Corp.
SUMMIT COUNTY SKULLCANDY Headphones, speakers and more
If you ask a local about a Utah business success story, one name immediately comes to mind: Skullcandy. Straight off the ski slopes of Park City, Skullcandy made a huge name for itself 15 years ago. Founder Rick Alden wanted an attractive earbud that he could use to both listen to music and answer phone calls while on the mountain. Based in Park City, Skullcandy raised the bar for making quality products Utahns can be proud of. 6301 N. Landmark Drive, Park City, 435-940-1545, skullcandy.com Other Summit County tech stars of note: Mountain Hub, White Knight Fluid Handling, Avi-On Labs, Triumph Gear Systems, Jaybird, Backcountry
WASATCH COUNTY nCAP Wireless technology
Located in little Heber City, nCap was started by Rhett F. Spencer and Anthony J. Sutera. These two figured out how to do something no one in the field of wireless communications was able to do. They developed an antenna that saved energy, had a more powerful signal and minimized
the magnetic field. After discovering this technology, they created the nano-capacitive antenna specifically for military personnel. In addition to their other innovations, their technology set this company aside as especially influential in the wirelesscommunication industry. 390 W. 910 South, Heber City, 801-566-4124, nnap.com Other Wasatch County tech stars of note: Miro industries, Conductive Composites, Probst Electric, Redmond Inc.
UTAH COUNTY VIVINT Smart home services
Founded in 1999, Vivint was started by Todd Petersen and Keith Nellesen and has grown to one of the leaders in home security. Not including the 2,500 salesmen across the country, Vivint’s home in Provo employs over 200. The company offers more than home security, though. Vivint was immediately set apart from other home security companies due to other services like home automation, local cloud storage and energy management. 4931 N. 300 West, Provo, 801-377-9111, vivint.com
ADOBE Creative computer software
Sitting on a hill visible to all in Lehi is the mammoth Adobe building built in 2012, which helped pave the way for further development on Utah’s Silicon Slopes. With locations in Boston, Chicago, San Jose and Detroit (to name a few), Adobe employs 1,100 digital media and marketing employees at its 280,000 square-feet facility in Lehi. The company just broke ground in March 2018 on an expansion that will add 160,000 square feet to their campus and bring in 1,000 additional jobs. 3900 Adobe Way, Lehi, 385-345-0000, Adobe.com Other Utah County tech stars of note: Infini D Learning, Nexeo Staffing, Young Living Essential Oils, DoTerra International, IM Flash, Podium $
Adobe in Lehi
BEN PL
advertising campaigns focus on finding the right customer base for each advertiser and making buying experiences easier and faster. Founded in 2003, with locations in New York, L.A., France, the U.K. and Italy, this company is growing not only in Utah but around the world. 251 20th St., Ogden, 866-648-2140, purch.com
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COMMUNITY VOICE | READERS WRITE IN
COURTESY PENNA POWERS
The Penna Powers team
Best Utah Advocate
Best Little SEO Company
Visiting Salt Lake for the first time? Not sure where to go for dinner? Never stayed at a downtown hotel? Well, worry not, dear reader, Visit Salt Lake has you covered. With its visitors guide and website highlighting attractions, hotels, restaurants, events and more, Visit Salt Lake is a go-to for all things Salt Lake. As the city’s convention and visitors bureau, Visit Salt Lake is private, nonprofit that promotes Salt Lake as a convention and travel destination. With more than 650 area businesses and individuals as members, the organization works to ensure that Salt Lake’s convention centers and hotel rooms fill up year-round. (AK) 90 S. West Temple, SLC, 801-534-4900, visitsaltlake.com
A SEO company, or search engine optimization company, increases a business’ web traffic by having them show up high on the list of searches. Diib’s claim to fame is as a predictive analytics company, noting that customers decide to use your company not only on how your website looks but how you show up in social media, search directories and on a smartphone. With a motto of, “We turn your business’ big data into answers,” and clients such as US Merchant Systems, KSL and the University of Utah, this up-and-coming company is earning its place among other big tech businesses in Utah. (AK) 350 W. 800 North, 800303-3510, diib.com
Visit Salt Lake
Best Friend of Tech
diib
Clint Betts, Silicon Slopes
Best Big SEO Company
Entrepreneur Clint Betts helped put Provo on the map with his company Beehive Startups. From there, he teamed up with Josh James, founder and CEO of Domo, to use James’ Silicon Slopes brand to create a hub for the more than 6,500 startups and companies in Utah’s tech community. Now headquartered in a 5,000-square-foot building at Thanksgiving Point, the statewide nonprofit maintains an active blog/ podcast, promotes chapters across the state, and hosts more than 200 events annually, including Utah’s largest tech event, Silicon Slopes Tech Summit, which attracts more than 15,000 attendees. (AK) 2600 Executive Parkway, Lehi, 385-374-0880, siliconslopes.com
When visiting Boostability’s website, the first thing you notice is the number of awards they’ve garnered for excellence as an SEO company. Named as one of the top SEO firms by Clutch in 2017 and receiving a 2017 customer choice award from Sitejabber, it’s little wonder readers wrote them in for a Best of Utah award. Founded in 2009, Boostability’s focus is on keeping SEO services affordable for everyone, even the smallest of businesses. (AK) 2600 W. Executive Parkway, No. 200, Lehi, 800-261-1537, boostability.com
Best New Digital Marketing 97th Floor
Not exactly “new” (they were founded in 2007), 97th Floor is headed by Chris Bennet who boasts years of experience in graphic design and SEO. With this background, Bennet went on to found a company with a focus on digital marketing in all forms, with specialists in graphic design, development, SEO, PPC, video production and copywriting. Not only are they masters in their respective fields but they’ve won numerous awards for being a great place to work. (AK) 2600 Executive Parkway, No. 180, Lehi, 801-341-1986, 97thfloor.com 32
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Boostability
Best Advertising Agency Penna Powers
Full-service marketing agency Penna Powers does it all— advertising, digital, branding, web design, media buying and PR. They believe PR, an online presence and advertising should work together as a streamlined company model, and that is the very product they offer their clients: an all-in-one experience to boost business and results across the board. Started in 1984, Penna Powers has kept creativity at the forefront of their business. (AK) 1706 S. Major St., SLC, 801-487-4800, pennapowers.com CITYWEEKLY.NET
Best Marketing Innovators Oz Marketing
Located in Layton, Oz Marketing provides web development, digital marketing, video, print, traditional media and event coordination. They’ve worked with many nonprofits to help them gain recognition and raise funding. They have not only won eight Telly awards for best-produced television commercials, but they are also a Google Certified Agency partner. (AK) 470 N. Main, Layton, 801-927-1774, ozmarketingonline.com
Best Memorable Radio Ads Shane Co.
Who hasn’t heard diamond pitchman Tom Shane’s distinctive cadence over the airwaves, extolling his connections in the diamond trade, always summing up with: “Now you have a friend in the diamond business”? And no matter where you live, you soon memorize just where to find them: “On the corner of State Street and 7200 South.” After almost five decades in business, with 20 stores in 13 states, Denver-based Shane Co. is the largest family-owned jeweler in the United States. Shane Co.’s ads have worked their way into our brains, so much so that he’s been satirized on a South Park episode and called out in social media—a sure sign of success! (AK) 7182 S. State, Midvale, 801-568-9500, shaneco.com
Best Water Sports Craft Marine Products
Marine Products began in 1971 as one of the first water sports pro shops in Utah. Specializing in high-quality wakeboards, water skis and everything one could need to haul and own a boat, they are a huge supporter of watersports in Utah and beyond. Most of their employees have been a part of the company for more than 20 years, proving this company is a great one to be a part of. (AK) 949 W. 1700 South, SLC, 801-973-4017, Marine-Products.com
Best Outdoor Rec Vehicles Parris RV
Family owned and operated, Parris RV caries an astounding number of brands to choose from. The owners boast over 25 years
of experience with technicians that have over 120 years of combined experience in the field. People often drive from Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada and beyond for the great service and selection at Parris. Not only do they have a large selection of new trailers but used trailers and RVs as well, meaning there is something for everyone. (AK) 4360 S. State, Murray, 801-268-1110, parrisrv.com
Best ATV Dealers /Outdoor Rec Steadman’s Recreation Inc.
Starting as a humble tire and service station, Steadman’s has grown into an empire in just 40 quick years. They offer almost any outdoor toy a person could want, from ATVs and snowmobiles to dirt bikes and scooters, both new and used, Steadman’s has it all. They also deal in lawnmowers, generators and snowthrowers. They also offer service for any item you buy or already own, making sure everything is up and running properly. (AK) 916 N. Main, Tooele, 435-882-3344, Steadmans.net
Best Trucking Company Pride Transport Inc.
They are the business rarely thought about, the transporters of goods and sultans of trucking. But never the less, an integral part of the transport system within the country and our state. Started in 1979 by Jay England, someone with almost 60 years of experience in the trucking industry, Pride has quickly become a leading business in the trucking game. Even better? They are environmentally conscious. Pride is even recognized as an environmentally “green fleet.” (AK) 5499 W. 2455 South, SLC, 801-972-8890, pridetransport.com
Best TV Ad Personality
Dan the Laptop Man, PC Laptops Dan Young, otherwise known as Dan the Laptop Man, has been the face of his own company for 26 years. Far more than an ad personality, he is the master behind the mayhem that is PC Laptops. After getting into trouble as a teen, Young found out he had a knack for sales. He also knew how much people valued a warrantee. And by guaranteeing warrantees, Dan created a customer base that has stuck with him. And what’s more, with his smile and colorful, infectious commercials, he’s become a household Utah name. (AK) 745 S. State,SLC, 801-596-7283, pclaptops.com $
COURTESY MARINE PRODUCTS
Marine Products
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TAXES | FEATURE
Set Yourself Up for the Good Life To retire in comfort, it comes down to having a plan
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o you fantasize that your retirement years will be truly golden, free from worry about paying your bills and expenses? The truth is, you won’t have to struggle to survive on a tight budget if you create a plan today that will set you up for a carefree retirement. Consider these five steps to retire wealthy: 1. Start Today Albert Einstein reportedly called compound interest “the eighth wonder of the world.” These words ring especially true when it comes to retirement planning; it is impossible to ignore the power of compound interest. For example, if you saved $1,000 per month for 20 years at 8 percent interest, you would end with almost $600,000. If you did the same for 40 years, you would save almost $3.5 million. Your deposited money will have multiplied by more than seven times. Thus, the most important step you can take to retire wealthy is to start now. Regardless of your stage in life, the sooner you begin saving or increasing your savings rate, the more time compound interest will have to work its magic for you. 2. Take the Right Risks All forms of saving and investing carry some form of risk. Even your FDIC-insured bank account carries the risk of inflation eroding its purchasing power and the opportunity cost of missing out on higher-yielding uses of that money. In order to successfully meet your financial goals, your portfolio should contain the right kinds of risk in the right amounts. More aggressive investments, such as ETFs or mutual funds that contain stocks and real estate, create better longterm outcomes; nevertheless, their shortterm outcomes are uncertain and might even result in significant losses. On the other 34
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By Sam Watkins, TrueNorth Wealth financial consultant hand, more conservative investments, such as bonds, create more short-term certainty but give up significant growth in the long-run. Because of this, young workers early in their career are generally encouraged to be more aggressive, while those closer to retirement should be more conservative. Many young workers, too intent on avoiding risk with their hard-earned money, handicap their own ability to build significant wealth. As you create a risk-appropriate portfolio, consider pursuing expert advice. Options include using one of the many free online risk allocation calculators, consulting with an online investment roboadviser, or contacting a fee-only financial adviser. 3. Take advantage of tax-advantaged opportunities To encourage retirement savings, the federal government has created an array of tax-advantaged vehicles. These include individual accounts like Traditional and Roth IRAs, along with employer sponsored plans like a 401(k). A tax-advantaged account will always produce superior outcomes to an identically invested account without any tax advantages, so they can be very useful tools to create retirement wealth. If your employer offers a retirement plan with a company match, your first priority should be to contribute enough to receive the full match. That is the closest thing to free money you will ever see in life. Next, seek to maximize your IRA opportunities. Traditional IRAs, like a 401(k), lower your tax bill by deferring both income and realized gains until time of withdrawal. Roth IRAs allow the post-tax money you contribute to grow tax-free and be withdrawn tax-free. Both can be easily set up direct with an investment company, such as Vanguard or Fidelity, or with the financial adviser of your choice.
4. Maintain adequate cash reserves Basic, but true: Adequate cash reserves are essential in financial preparedness. Individuals should keep enough cash in reserve to pay for four-to-six months of expenses. This reserve should be kept somewhere easily accessible and stable, such as a savings account, money market account or short-term high-grade bonds. Without proper reserves, you might be forced to finance your cash flow with credit or penalized retirement account withdrawals, which can quickly become very expensive. 5. Stick to your plan “The important thing about an investment philosophy is that you have one you can stick with.” –David Booth, co-founder and executive chairman of Dimensional Fund Advisors The best financial outcomes are usually the result of making a plan and sticking to it. Choose to be the tortoise rather than the hare, and do not underestimate the power of consistency in saving, investing and making financial decisions. Often, the biggest financial mistakes people make stem from abandoning consistency and instead engaging in emotional decision-making. In 2008, plummeting stocks caused many investors to panic and sell all the stocks in their portfolios. These investors ended up locking in their losses and missing out on the resulting recovery in stock prices. Once you have a good plan, stick to it, and do not allow your emotions to override it. $ TrueNorth Wealth is a fee-only financial consultants and fiduciaries specializing in comprehensive planning for high-net worth and complex cases. Find out more at truenorthwealth.com. CITYWEEKLY.NET
LAST LOOK | FEATURE
COURTESY
Dolores Chase
The Art of Commerce Making money selling fine art is an art in itself. By Babs De Lay
O
ne of the most difficult types of commerce to see a constant profit in is dealing in fine art. Dolores Chase, an English major with an MFA (but not an artist herself), worked for years representing local artists in Utah. She hadn’t intended to be an agent for creative types who would opt for buying oils and canvas over paying rent, but she says she was “sweet-talked” into it by the artists themselves. She bought pieces at a steep discount and then brought on more artists, all the while consulting and repping out of her Mayflower condo on South Temple. Her business grew, and she opened a gallery on Pierpont Avenue after taking on about 15 regular artists, including her star attraction, Edie Roberson. She also scoured student shows at local colleges, library exhibits, competitions and artist enclaves to find emerging talent and spent years snooping in other galleries and listening for trends and names to watch for. Chase wasn’t known for selling art pieces for millions of dollars. In fact, many of Roberson’s paintings were going for $1,800-$2,500 when she started (now for much more since Roberson’s death in 2014). “I had to hustle because I was an unknown and had to build an audience and a stable,” Chase says. “Because most well-known and established artists were already committed, I had to find new talent, develop their market, and grow their prices. Once a tax person came to check my sales records to see if I was underreporting sales. When I showed him my quarterly sales journal with only roughly 15 pieces sold, he left ‘enlightened.’” Chase says she earned an average monthly surplus of $595 over the 17 years she spent in the business. “This had to cover everything (forget my salary),” she says. She managed to make it all stretch to provide a gallery assistant, maintenance, utilities, supplies, advertising, monthly exhibit mailers, a quarterly newsletter she produced and the monthly gallery stroll’s food and wine. Dolores Chase Fine Art closed in 2002 when Chase retired.
Remembering artist Edie Roberson, 1929-2014
When you see an oil painting by Edie Roberson, you usually want to walk up to it to touch it—not to harm it, but to see if it’s three dimensional. She was an expert artist at tricking the eye in the French trompe-l’oeil style. One painting titled “Channel Three” is of a bulletin board full of notes and cards that looks so real you are easily fooled to think it is a framed bulletin board from someone’s home, not an oil painting. Growing up in Delaware before moving to Utah and making a life here, she studied under the famous painter and illustrator Howard Pyle, who illustrated pirate stories and created designs for flamboyant pirate outfits. Roberson often dressed a bit like a pirate herself or maybe more like a toned-down Iris Apfel. She died four years ago, and her Avenues home, full of hidden art and whimsey like Roberson herself, recently sold. She had installed Dutch tiles in a bathroom, but when they ran out of the blue and white patterned squares, she painted exact duplicates, and you can’t tell the difference. The exterior chimney had a large boll weevil attached to it, the sheetrock of an interior wall was embedded with a diorama and a cherub’s head hides in the foyer. $ BEST OF UTAH Commerce 2018 35
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BEST OF UTAH Commerce 2018
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