TOP OF UTAH’S ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE
BUSINESS DEPOT OGDEN Business Depot Ogden (BDO) is a premier industrial business park situated on 1,118 acres with excellent access to Interstate 15 and Interstate 84 with easy access to the Western United States. BDO has more than 12.5 million square feet of warehousing, manufacturing and office space and an additional 225 acres of ground available for new development. More than 130 unique businesses and 6,500 employees have made BDO their home. The area was formerly known as the Defense Depot Ogden, a military hub for supplies and transport that operated for 54 years. In 1940, the U.S. Army requested the War Department establish a depot for distribution of equipment to field a force of 500,000 men. Ogden was considered a prime location because of its existing rail infrastructure and its centrality to Pacific, Mexican and Canadian ports.
In under 48 hours, the citizens of Ogden rallied together to raise nearly $100,000 to purchase land and assure the War Department selected their city as the site. Within months, 41 buildings were under construction. On September 15, 1941, the new Defense Depot Ogden officially opened. For the next 55 years, Defense Depot Ogden continued to be an important asset to the U.S. military, providing supplies for engagements such as the Korean, Vietnam and Desert Storm conflicts. In 1995, Defense Depot Ogden was closed, and during the next few years, the land and buildings were sectionalized and deeded to Ogden City. In 1999, the Boyer Company entered into a long-term agreement with the city to manage and develop the facility into the future, creating what is today Business Depot Ogden.
86 | OGDEN-WEBER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE • ogdenweberchamber.com
