UTAH: Flourishing Industry, Superior Workforce
01 Oct, 2019
The State of Utah enjoys a strong and diverse economy. Their success is due in part to aggressive support from state lawmakers to grow their targeted industries. With innovative programs to expand access to talent and capital, improve supply chain, share industry expertise, drive university research, and promote International trade, Utah is fertile ground for new business. These target industries include Aerospace & Defense, Financial Services, Information Technology, Life Sciences, Manufacturing & Distribution, and Outdoor Products & Recreation.
Utah is one of the top states in the nation for aerospace and defense with an employment base of more than 33,500 and home to companies like Boeing, Orbital ATK, Northrop Grumman, L-3 Communications, Hexcel, and many others.
Just two of Utah’s efforts to align education and industry are the Utah Aerospace Pathways program, which provides training high school students in aerospace manufacturing, and the Advanced Composites Working Group (ACWG), which meets quarterly to address issues facing the industry.
In 2000, the Department of Defense set a mandate to have one-third of its fleet unmanned or autonomous. Utah, already with a rich history in unmanned systems, has taken this mandate seriously. The state’s universities extensively research unmanned systems and related technologies and a variety of companies continue to make strides in the industry.
In terms of business climate, Forbes Magazine recognized Utah as “The Best State for Business” six of the past eight years, ranking 3rd in 2018. In 2015, Utah’s post-performance tax incentives program facilitated nearly 25,000 new jobs and more than $65 million in capital investment. In 2018, the Tax Foundation ranked Utah’s “Total Tax Climate” as the 8th best in the nation. Since 2011, Utah has eliminated or modified nearly 400 business regulations to ease the burdens placed on businesses.
As to workforce, Utah has high employee concentrations of aerospace engineers, materials scientists, machine operators, and many other aerospace-related occupations. Utah also has the 3rd lowest unionization rate in the country at 3.9% (2017).
For more information on all the opportunities available in Utah, please visit edcutah.org or call 1-800 574-UTAH (8824).
UTAH: EAGLE MOUNTAIN CITY
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In 1996, a City sprung up out of the desert. Now, just over 20 years later, Eagle Mountain City has exploded to 40,000 people and within one year welcomed both a case-ready facility for Tyson Fresh Meats and a Facebook data center. Located on the western edge of Utah County, halfway between Salt Lake City and Provo, Eagle Mountain City has become a powerful contributor to the rapid development along the “Silicon Slopes.” The best thing is that they are just getting started.
Visionary leaders saw what roughly 53 square miles of land could become and took proactive steps to create a business-friendly atmosphere. From creating a special zoning approval process for certain businesses to working with other government entities to improve the incentive process, Eagle Mountain City has prepared. Several major steps forward for the City included acquiring the rights for around 15,000- acre feet of water to support future growth and selling the municipally owned natural gas and electric utilities to Dominion Energy and Rocky Mountain Power. Each step helped to strengthen their position and primed the City for powerful economic development.
Industries across many different sectors are taking notice of and more than ever before, businesses are finding their home in Eagle Mountain. In 2018, Facebook announced that they would build a 970,000 square foot data center in the far south part of the City. That announcement put Eagle Mountain on the map and many adjoining landowners are preparing their land for the future development. That project brought in over $100 million in infrastructure with excess capacity for other development projects. Quick on the heels of the Facebook announcement, Tyson Fresh Meats announced a 400,000 square foot case-ready facility in the western portion of Eagle Mountain City. That project is bringing in over 1,000 jobs and providing the infrastructure to fuel development in another area of the City. Their retail and office sectors are rapidly growing along with industrial uses.
Eagle Mountain City is excited to begin its next phase of development. They are making investments in transportation, utilities, outdoor recreation, the arts, and in building out major park projects throughout the City. Their goal is to create a vibrant and resilient community that has space for all. There is something exciting happening in Eagle Mountain and they can’t wait to have you as a partner on this journey. Visit: eaglemountaincity.com
