< Previous48 BUS I N E SS I N U T A Hin all six of the state’s strategic industries — aerospace/defense, energy, financial services, life sciences, outdoor products/ recreation and software/IT — with a concentration on aerospace, life sciences and the automotive supply chain.What’s the Point?The Point of the Mountain area — roughly extending from Sandy to Lehi and on the southern end of Salt Lake City and midway between the University of Utah and Brigham Young University — already is home to operations from the likes of eBay and Adobe. Now, with legislation backing the relocation of the prison to the northwest quadrant, backed by $100 million worth of infrastructure improvements to the surrounding area.An entire range of sub-projects will then unfold at the former prison site in Draper, as what was once just a vision begins the journey to becoming a next-generation hub for business, research and living.It’s happening at a time when the state is growing fast: “Utah County will almost triple in population by 2065, and Salt Lake County will add another 500,000 people, so that each county will house over 1.6 million people,” says Envision Utah, the Point of the Mountain project’s lead champion. “Most of that growth will be Utahns’ “Utahns can enjoy higher-paying jobs — as many as 150,000 additional jobs and a 12-percent increase in average household income — as well as thriving communities, convenient commutes, and clean air.”— Envision UtahB U S I N E S S I N U T A H 49own kids and grandkids.”It’s also a time when leaders realize infrastructure means a lot more than just Utah’s strong road, power and broadband networks. It’s about the web of daily life.“Infrastructure is essential to build a dynamic economic hub, but it is not sufficient,” says Envi-sion Utah. “Success will require a vision that is powerful enough to galvanize support and invest-ment, a full analysis of the best practices and lessons learned from successful economic hubs across the country, and a plan that extends far beyond the nec-essary infrastructure.”Among the stakeholders are multiple cities and counties, GOED, EDCUtah, various chambers and government agencies, major landowners such as Thanksgiving Point, and the universities. A community visioning process unfolded that distilled to 12 signature elements that include such essential ingredients as a deep, diverse and highly-trained workforce; improved air quality; vibrant urban centers with jobs close to dwellings and connected trails and greenspace; a variety of housing types; a university/research presence; and yes, new boulevards, alongside world-class public transportation such as the region’s growing FrontRunner and TRAX transit systems.The stakes are high, but so are the prospects, says Envision Utah, which says that through the right strategic choices, “Utahns can enjoy higher-paying jobs — as many as 150,000 additional jobs and a 12-percent increase in average household income — as well as thriving communities, convenient commutes, and clean air.” 50 BUS I N E SS I N U T A HL I FE S C I EN C E Sf observers of the life sciences industry in New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York are wondering where so many jobs in that sector went in recent years, they should look in Utah. Each of those states lost a significant number of biopharma jobs between 2012 and 2016, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. New Jersey’s employment in the sector alone shrank 9.1 percent. But Utah’s life sciences industry employment jumped 26.2 percent, well over twice the second-biggest jobs gainer, Florida, where biopharma jobs grew 10.6 percent. The average national job growth for the industry during that four-year period was 5.9 percent. Most other strategic economic sectors in Utah are seeing annual job growth, but not like life sciences, where the growth rate was 8.4 percent in 2016.Why is Utah seeing such a dramatic increase in jobs in life sciences — one of the state’s six strategic industry clusters? Because that’s where the sector’s companies (more than 960 of them) and their employees want to be. More than 34,000 Utahns work in the sector — 19,000 at medical device manufacturers and 9,300 at biotech and pharmaceutical companies. The companies can attest to the business climate: Utah scores third in WalletHub’s 2017 ranking of the best state economies and on Forbes’ list of the best states for business. Workers and business owners alike speak to its quality of life which, particularly for outdoor recreation enthusiasts, is well documented, as is its entrepreneurial ecosystem along the Silicon Slopes and throughout the state. The most current and most comprehensive analysis of the sector is found in the Utah Life Sciences Industry Report 2018 from BioUtah, an independent, non-profit 501(c)(6) trade association serving Utah’s life science industry. Its members include organizations focused on research and development, manufacturing and commercialization or support services to life science technologies and treatments.Major highlights of the report include:• Utah leads the nation in job growth in the life sciences industry.• More than 1,000 life sciences companies in Utah provide 34,352 jobs, paying a From prognostics and diagnostics to genetics and forensics, tomorrow’s life sciences breakthroughs are designed, tested and manufactured in Utah today.by MAR K AR E N DIWhere the Life Sciences Jobs Are GoingB U S I N E S S I N U T A H 51combined total of $2.7 billion in employee compensation. • Utah life sciences companies achieved $7.4 billion in total sales in 2016, creating $4.1 billion in state GDP.• Utah ranks as the number three genomics market in the nation, based on innovation, talent and growth metrics; it’s also third in molecular diagnostics and precision medicine. • Many Utah life sciences companies have successfully raised capital to accelerate growth.Two Projects, Nearly 1,200 JobsTwo recent investments illustrate the appeal of Utah’s life sciences ecosystem to expanding companies in this critical sector. Medical device manufacturer Stryker, which employs 33,000 worldwide, announced in October 2017 a $100-million expansion that will add up to 540 new jobs. The company manufactures neurovascular products in Salt Lake City; the expansion will increase the product portfolio to include orthopedic, spinal and endoscopy product manufacturing. It will also increase research and development operations, employing many engineers, and will host a medical device physician training and certification program. “Stryker has been operating in the Salt Lake City area since 2011,” noted Mark Paul, president of Stryker’s neurovascular division. “During that time, we’ve benefited from the talented workforce and first-rate education, research, and healthcare facilities in the area. “We are excited to continue our expansion of Stryker’s operations and partner with state and local government in the future.”Also in 2017, Collective Medical Technologies, Inc. (CMT) announced the Salt Lake City-based health technology company will expand in Utah, adding nearly 600 new high-paying jobs to the community. CMT is a Salt Lake City-based health technology developer dedicated to eliminating avoidable risk and friction from care delivery. It’s building the largest geographically contiguous real-time data network in the United States to enable payers and providers to deliver more timely and accurate patient care using real-time alerts and collaborative care management tools to reduce avoidable utilization. CMT’s network of thousands of physicians, nurses, case managers and others spans hundreds of hospitals, health systems, clinics, plans, and more which collectively serve millions of patients nationwide.“We are honored and grateful to receive an offer of support from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development,” said Chris Klomp, CMT’s CEO. “We are thrilled to partner with the state to continue to create attractive, high-paying jobs and further Utah’s reputation as a technology and innovation leader. Our entire team is passionate about building software that improves the lives of patients and the people who care for them. We bring that same level of passion and commitment to building our team and look forward to having many more values-oriented, driven innovators join us.” From grilling to immigration, technology innovators fi nd new solutions in Utah.From grilling to immigration, technology innovators fi nd new solutions in Utah.Everything52 BUS I N E SS I N U T A Hf you thought that Silicon Slopes was a haven for just fi ntech and big data, think again. Innovative fi rms in Utah apply technology to everything from grilling to immigration.Look no further than the hottest trend in backyard barbecuing: Traeger Grills. Chances are, you’ve heard them advertised during your favorite drive-time sports radio talk show after work.Well, all those ads aimed at sports dads are working. Traeger Grills, based in Salt Lake City, is taking America by storm.How it got to Utah is a classic story in innovative thinking. Entrepreneur Jeremy Andrus left California for Utah in and joined the founder of Skull Candy. “I wanted to run a private business again. I looked around and created a broader search,” says Andrus. “I found a business that I fell in love with in Oregon.”That business was Traeger Grills, a -year-old fi rm that was doing about $ million a year in revenue. Andrus thought the business had a lot more potential, but it needed an infusion of energy and creative thinking.“I had a choice to make — commute, move to Oregon, or move the company to Utah,” he says. “I was so impressed with the people here and the outdoors. by R ON STA R N E RT E C H NOL OG YPhotos courtesy of Traeger GrillsII fell in love with Utah.”Andrus promptly moved the company to Salt Lake City and swapped out percent of the team. “I saw such a cultural difference between Oregon and Utah in the level of entrepreneurship, lifestyle and sheer passion to build something.”It wasn’t long before exponential growth became the norm for Traeger Grills. “We accelerated the business to $ million last year and will do $ million this year,” says Andrus, who serves as CEO of America’s fastest-growing grill maker. “There are so many variables that drive growth: team, culture, competition, etc.”Another one is technology, Traeger’s calling card. Traeger pioneered its trademarked wood-pellet grills two decades ago and has used technology ever since to perfect them. “Great brands and great companies are constantly going through the questioning of the status quo,” Andrus says. “You need people who are likeminded around disruption.”Andrus found that in Utah when he relocated the business four years ago. “This spirit existed in Utah long before I came here,” he says. “Entrepreneurship breeds entrepreneurship. People here are constantly questioning the status quo. We have integrated a lot of technology around I.T. devices. It’s important to our brand to have a culture of creativity. That’s why we chose the Sugar House neighborhood of Salt Lake City. Sugar House has that vibe and energy. We’re able to recruit more tech people here.”Andrus is not alone. Tech startups all over Utah are tackling old problems head on.Consider the case of Sam Stoddard, CEO of Simple Citizen, a startup that has engineered a digital immigration solution.“It’s like Turbo Tax, but for immigration,” Stoddard says. “I started it in during my senior year at Brigham Young University in Provo.”He had been planning to return home to Portland after graduation, but Utah got in the way. “Utah is a very exciting place to start a business,” he says. “I reached out to business mentors and investors, and they helped us along. I graduated and decided to stay here. We made Utah our headquarters.”Proximity to venture capital, cost of living, tax incentives and access to technical talent sealed the deal for Stoddard and Simple Citizen. Located in downtown Salt Lake City, the fi rm now has nine full-time workers. “We’re getting close to needing new space,” Stoddard adds.The talent base of Silicon Slopes sold him on staying put, he notes. “The ability to recruit highly qualifi ed engineers from BYU, the University of Utah and Utah Valley University is exceptional. This is feeding a startup culture in Utah that is beginning to rival that of Silicon Valley.” “I had a choice to make — commute, move to Oregon, or move the company to Utah. I was so impressed with the people here and the outdoors. I fell in love with Utah.”— Jeremy Andrus, CEO, Traeger GrillsI had a choice to make — commute, move to Oregon, or I was so impressed with the I fell in love with Utah. CEO, Traeger GrillsI had a choice to make — commute, move to Oregon, or I was so impressed with the I fell in love with Utah.”I was so impressed with the ”I was so impressed with the I fell in love with Utah.” I fell in love with Utah. CEO, Traeger GrillsB U S I N E S S I N U T A H 5354 BUS I N E SS I N U T A Htah’s legacy as a health care innovator includes life-changing technology like the world’s first artificial heart and the first hearing aid. With a past like the Beehive State’s, it should come as no surprise that Utah companies are on the frontlines of the health care industry’s latest evolution: company culture. Utah’s health care ranks No. 10 on U.S. News and World Report’s Best States 2018 data. Like the health care industry, people in Utah are exceptionally healthy as well. In 2017, the United Health Foundation ranked Utah No. 1 in the lowest prevalence of smoking, strokes, cancer deaths, heart attacks, high blood pressure and heart disease. To bolster the state’s healthy bioscience industry, Talent Ready Utah offers students an opportunity to jumpstart careers in medical device manufacturing and laboratory science through its Medical Innovations Pathway. Students that complete the pathways program earn a certificate and are eligible for entry-level positions with industry partners like BD Medical, BioFire, Biomerics, Edwards Lifesciences, Fresenius, GE Healthcare, Merit Medical, Nelson Laboratories, Sorenson Forensics, Stryker and Varex Imaging. More than 1,000 life Uby S AVAN N AH K I N GHealth care companies in Utah are innovative and culture driven.Culture ClubH E A L T H C A R E OF T OMOR R O WPhotos courtesy of HealthEquityscience companies call Utah home and employ more than 70,000 people across the state. In 2016, Health Catalyst, a health care data warehousing, analytics and outcomes improvement company, chose to expand its headquarters in Salt Lake City. The company was founded in Utah in 2008. Health Catalyst has been called one of the Best Places to Work for Millennials due to its unlimited paid time off, onsite fitness facilities, and other perks. “Health Catalyst, like its founders, grew up in Salt Lake City, which combines a vibrant technology sector with one of the nation’s leading laboratories for health care improvement,” said Dan Burton, CEO of Health Catalyst of the announcement. “We feel the region is one of the best places in the US today to operate as a health care technology company and we’re grateful that GOED is working with private companies like Health Catalyst to nurture an even stronger environment for innovation and job growth.”CHG Healthcare opened its new headquarters in Midvale, Utah, in August 2017. The company’s former HQ was located less than 10 miles away in Cottonwood Heights, Utah.The health care staffing company’s 282,000-square-foot campus is LEED certified, and comprises two five-story buildings — with room to build another — connected by a glass “People Hub” where employees can gather in meeting spaces, lounge and dining areas. The new building also features several amenities including a fitness center, sports courts and a clinic for employees and their families. CHG Healthcare was recognized by Fortune Magazine and ranked among the 100 Best Companies to Work For. Several other organizations have also recognized the company for its positive culture.CHG Group President Melissa Byington says building one of the nation’s leading health care staffing companies in Utah beneficial for the company. “We have a great, highly educated “We feel the region is one of the best places in the US today to operate as a health care technology company”— Dan Burton, CEO of Health Catalyst56 BUS I N E SS I N U T A Hworkforce here in Utah. They’re just very compassionate and service oriented. They want to make a difference.” It’s that desire to help, she says, that makes recruiting talented employees easier in Utah and helps to fuel the company’s growth. CHG has 1,400 employees in Utah and 2,600 employees nationwide. Byington notes the company added more than 1,000 employees over the last five years with plans to double in the next five years. Another health care innovator that’s focused on its employee culture is HealthEquity. Several media outlets in Utah including, Deseret News and Utah Business, have ranked HealthEquity among the list of top companies to work for in the state. Steve Neelman, founder of HealthEquity, says having a positive company culture is tantamount to its success.The company, founded in 2002, provides health care data warehousing, analytics and outcomes improvement. HealthEquity is the nation’s largest health savings account non-bank custodian and serves more than 3 million health savings accounts for more than 38,000 companies across the country. Currently the company employs some 1,000 “team members” with plans to add more over the next few years.HealthEquity offers health care consumers health savings accounts (HSA) — which Kiplinger called the “Best Health Savings Account” in 2017 — and flexible spending accounts. In 2015, the company expanded its headquarters in Draper, Utah, a neighborhood just outside of Salt Lake City. The following year, it opened its newest location in the rural city of Price, Utah, about 100 miles away from its headquarters. Neelman calls the Price office an “interesting offshoot.”“We got to a point where we needed more service people,” explains Neelamn. “So, we looked around the state and we found a location that was economically depressed. We found a former mining town, Price, Utah. We were able to go into Price and get some really quality folks to work for us. They are the frontline customer service people that answer the phone when people call asking about their health savings accounts.”Neelman says Utah’s workforce has a great deal to offer health care companies like his. In addition to being eager and educated, many Utahns have lived abroad and learned to speak a foreign language. More than 120 languages are spoken in daily commerce in the Beehive State. About 14 percent of Utah’s 157 schools offer dual immersion programs in five languages including Mandarin, Spanish, French, German and Portuguese. HealthEquity team members enjoy a high quality of life in Utah.B U S I N E S S I N U T A H 57A E R O S P AC E & S O F T W A R E How an Air Force base anda contractor ignite innovation.The Best of Both Worlds:by MAR K AR E N Dollaboration between private-sector aerospace and IT companies and Hill Air Force Base in Davis County, north of Salt Lake City, is not new — it’s been going on for years. But in early , that collaboration was recognized with an award. Specifi cally, the BAE Systems Air Force Strategic Programs team at Hill AFB was named “Innovation Business of the Year” by the Davis Chamber of Commerce in February . The annual honor is awarded to businesses that demonstrate the ability to drive innovation in their business practices in support of the Davis County community. Hill AFB is home to the F- A Lightning II fi ghter aircraft program.The team supports the Air Force as the Integration Support Contractor for the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) system. It also collaborates with employees supporting the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs.“We help ensure system availability, reliability, and accuracy — top-level system performance measures that refl ect the adequacy of the ICBM force readiness,” explained Randy Tymofi chuk, director of Air Force Strategic Programs and ISC Program Manager.“We’re trusted by the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy to support percent of the nuclear triad, because we’ve demonstrated more than years of nuclear Team Hill Airmen load bags into a commercial aircraft, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Oct. 30, 2017. (U.S. Air Force photo by R. Nail Bradshaw)Photos courtesy of Hill Air Force BaseCNext >