Building Utah

This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. Utah’s real estate market has experienced some extreme changes over the last several years. Real estate professionals can help you navigate Utah’s ever-changing market. Greg Summerhays, Realtor with Chapman Richards and Associates, joins us today to share more. GREG SUMMERHAYS: Utah recently experienced one of the hottest housing markets in history. Realtors were extremely vital in helping their clients navigate the competitive market over the last several years, and they are even more vital now as the market has shifted and buyers and sellers are scrambling to understand this new normal. Chapman Richards and Associates was formed in 1978 by Scott Chapman and George Richards. We are one of Utah’s largest independent real estate companies, with 60 plus agents averaging over 10 years of experience. The professionalism, longevity, and success of our agents assure you the highest quality of service. We are large enough to have a significant presence in the market,

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Skiing is a multimillion-dollar industry and encouraging people to enjoy our slopes is Ski Utah, the marketing arm of Utah’s ski industry. Here’s Ski Utah’s President Nathan Rafferty with more. NATHAN RAFFERTY Through Ski Utah’s strategic marketing initiatives and creative advertising campaigns, Utah has seen a steady growth in skier visits for more than 40 years. Our mission to inspire the world to Ski Utah, and we are proud that we represent all 15 ski resorts in Utah, as well as the many lodging properties, rental shops, transportation companies and more. Utah’s ski industry provides over 20,000 jobs and contributes more than $2.3 billion in revenue – money that enables the state to lower each household’s tax burden by nearly $1,400 a year. In addition to promoting The Greatest Snow on Earth, Ski Utah aims to foster a love of skiing. One of our efforts is called Utah’s Passport which allows all 4th, 5th and 6th graders to ski up to 3 days at each Utah r

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Steel Encounters is a Utah success story – started four decades ago, it now has 260 employees across the country. Here’s president & CEO Tom Jackson with more. TOM JACKSON: Steel Encounters is an employee-owned building facade contractor and materials supplier headquartered in Salt Lake City. Founded in 1985, our company has completed over two billion dollars in construction services throughout the Intermountain and Pacific Northwest regions. Our structural division provides value-added steel joist and deck materials and services. Our Architectural Division installs building envelope glass, metal panel enclosures, and other specialty facades. Our signature building exteriors are visible throughout the valley, including the Salt Lake City International Airport Terminal and Concourses, the Eccles Performing Arts Center, Rice-Eccles Stadium, the Salt Palace, and many downtown highrises, including 95 South State, 111 Main, and the new Hyatt Regency hotel. At every

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital has been providing care for more than 100 years – two years ago it launched a new fund-raising campaign to expand its services statewide. Administrator Dustin Lipson shares more. DUSTIN LIPSON: Primary Children’s Hospital is proud to be part of Intermountain Healthcare’s Primary Promise – a transformational campaign to create a national model health system for children. Intermountain Healthcare and major community donors have already secured over $500 million to support the growing health care needs of children in the Intermountain West. We hope to reach $600 million sometime next year. With the money raised so far, Primary Promise has already helped more kids in more communities, simultaneously advancing the care for the sickest children while making healthcare more affordable for families and communities, and improving access to care statewide. Generous business and civic leaders are fueling Primary Promise with

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. People living in war-torn Ukraine face a brutally tough Christmas this year. Fortunately, Utah companies are pitching in to help and seeking your support. Scott Holmes, co-founder of TETON Sports, shares more. SCOTT HOLMES: TETON Sports mission is to help people enjoy the outdoors with durable, comfortable, and affordable camping gear. But we recently recognized that for many Ukrainians, a sleeping bag and tent promise much more than a fun-filled weekend—they are essential for their survival. Frontline soldiers, displaced individuals, and families living in homes with intermittent heat need our help. During this giving season, TETON Sports has partnered with non-profits August Mission and GEM to provide sleeping bags to Ukraine. Just $50 will help us cover 100% of the cost to deliver a winter sleeping bag to a Ukranian in need. We feel fortunate to have major Utah foundations like the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation supporting this effort. If you wan

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Getting the most out of health care often means bringing in social service providers, and Unite Us does just that. Here’s Senior Community Engagement Manager Katie Prawitt with more. KATIE PRAWITT: Unite Us is a technology company that builds coordinated care networks of health and social service providers. With Unite Us’ end-to-end solution, providers across sectors identify social care needs for people, send and receive secure electronic referrals to protect people’s privacy, report on tangible outcomes, and transform payment models within a secure and collaborative ecosystem. Unite Us community engagement teams continue to build sustainable partnerships with local organizations, including Intermountain Healthcare and the Utah 211 essential services system, to ensure networks have solid foundations, launch successfully, and continue to grow and thrive. In Utah, Unite Us is currently working with over 350 nonprofit and community based partners across the

This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. There are many great design firms in Utah and one of those is GSBS Architects in Salt Lake City. Kevin Miller, President and CEO, tells us more about what they do. KEVIN MILLER: GSBS Architects has been a local fixture for 44 years. We’ve been blessed to partner with Utah businesses, municipalities, schools, and other entities to enrich lives in very tangible ways. Some of our more familiar local projects include the Olympic Speed Skating Oval, the Natural History Museum of Utah, the Salt Lake Public Safety Building, and the lodge atop Hidden Peak at Snowbird. In our work, GSBS Architects aspires to preserve our planet through sustainable architecture. To beautify our communities through smart landscape design. To promote equity and opportunity through community planning. And to improve people’s well-being through healthy interior and experiential design. Most people never work with an architect, but what we do still affects them directly. We take that re

This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. Having well-planned infrastructure for transporting freight is critical in connecting Utah businesses with domestic and global markets. Kirk Aubry, the President and CEO of Savage, a Utah company with supply chain expertise, tells us more. KIRK AUBRY: Whether it’s agriculture, energy, or technology – Utah businesses need strong supply chains to succeed. That’s where Savage comes in. We provide transportation and logistics services to connect supply chain partners around the world. Savage is a Utah-based, family-owned company that’s been helping customers succeed for more than 75 years. We move and manage what matters, so our customers and partners can Feed the World, Power Our Lives, and Sustain the Planet. With 4,500 Team Members in over 200 locations, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Saudi Arabia, we’re committed to Do the Right Thing, Find a Better Way and Make a Difference. It’s what our customers count on. We’re investing in new rail facilities in ru

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Getting things in writing is critical in business but can be complicated when a professional translation is needed. That’s where Zab Translation Solutions can help. Here’s managing director Brian Chandler with more. BRIAN CHANDLER: More than 50% of all Google searches are now done in a language other than English, and only 25% of Internet users are native English speakers, making translation a critical need for almost every organization. At Zab Translation Solutions, we help clients reach non-English speaking customers and potential customers, as well as company employees, and even parents and students. Last year our team at ZAB translated information into over 115 languages. It is crucial to get an accurate translation to assist in clear communication that helps avoid serious challenges, misinformation, and reduces fear among non-English speakers. Google Translate is helpful for a casual experience but can result in mistranslations. For example, I recently ty

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Finding people with the skills needed has been tough for many businesses recently. Stephanie Parker, the President and Executive Recruiter of TalentSpark, explains how her firm can help employers. STEPHANIE PARKER: Utah’s job market remains red-hot despite concerns of a cooling economy nationally. While this is great news for Utah in most regards, the tight labor market continues to make it tough for businesses to find and recruit good employees. Companies need a more effective strategy for hiring than just posting jobs and hoping the right people will come. This is where TalentSpark comes in. TalentSpark works with companies across the Mountain West to find only top-quality candidates so our clients can hire better people faster and with more confidence. TalentSpark specializes in accounting, finance, HR and legal hiring. TalentSpark has a 93% retention rate and we offer a guarantee on our placements so your company can hire with complete confidence. To

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Stanford University reports that Utah leads the nation in privately held startups with a value of over $1 billion. Helping many of those firms has been Convoi Ventures. Here’s general partner Trent Mano with more. TRENT MANO: Convoi Ventures is a Utah-only pre-seed stage venture capital fund. Convoi’s mission is to be the first to find and fund Utah’s next breakout startups. As a Utah-only fund, we’re focused on building community among the startup founders that we back. Convoi has partnered with dozens of startups, venture capital firms and community organizations that support the Utah tech ecosystem that will bring Utah Tech Week to life from January 23rd through the 28th. Utah Tech Week is a gathering of founders, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and all who are building the companies that make up Utah’s fast-growing tech and startup scene. There’s no cost to register and attend, and no fee to host. While focused on downtown Salt Lake, anyone can host

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Analytical Resource Laboratories is headquartered in Utah, providing great jobs while ensuring product safety, accuracy, and quality for the dietary supplements and pharmaceutical industries. Here’s CEO Matt Lewis to tell us more. MATT LEWIS: Analytical Resource Laboratories supports our community by providing independent, third-party laboratory testing of the products your families, friends, and neighbors consume. We have been servicing product brands and manufacturers in the Food, Cosmetic, Dietary supplement, and pharmaceutical industries since 2000. ARL’s product testing, label claim verification, shelf-life, and stability studies ensure the quality and safety of your products. We are a Utah company headquartered and founded right here on the Wasatch Front. Now, with several labs throughout the United States, ARL extends its philosophy of Service, Professionalism, and Value to our national and international partners. ARL is ISO accredited, FDA registered

DEREK MILLER: This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Digital cameras have enabled millions of Americans to take billions of photographs, so why is Busath Photography Studio & Gardens more in demand than ever? Here’s Drake Busath to explain. DRAKE BUSATH: Our family portrait studio opened its doors 50 years ago. Today it’s second and third generation Busaths who you’ll meet when you come in for your portrait. We specialize in fine portraits for families and children, framed and ready to beautify your home. We’ll even come hang your portrait in your home for you. No piece of furniture warms a home more than a beautiful portrait of your family or your children, and nothing speaks more to your guests about what’s really importation to you. Forty years ago, we moved into one of the wonderful historic South Temple mansions. Our beautiful old home with its gardens provides the setting for stunning portraiture and we feel very fortunate to be here. We’ve been voted best in state the past 13 years

Originally Aired: December 16, 2022

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. The Downtown Farmers Market in Salt Lake was created in 1992 to bring fresh Utah products to the city. Allison Einerson, Executive Director of Urban Food Connections of Utah, shares more. ALISON EINERSON: The Downtown Farmers Market features more than 100 farms and ranches from within 250 miles of Salt Lake City. In addition to farm goods, area vendors offer handmade, locally produced food, beverages and crafts. Our motto is "Make it, bake it, grow it!" The mission of the Market is to support sustainable, regional agriculture; to build community gathering places; to increase access to nutritious, local foods in urban areas; and to educate the consumer about shopping local. With your support, we’re achieving the goals and ensuring that our community always has access to delicious, local food. Our markets feature fresh vegetables, grass-fed meats, honey, savory salsas and sauces, bountiful baked goods of all kinds, as well as products for pets and more. The W

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Ballet West is one of America’s largest ballet companies and is the second-largest performing arts organization in Utah. Here’s Executive Director Michael Scolamiero with more. MICHAEL SCOLAMIERO: For nearly 60 years, Salt Lake City-based Ballet West has entertained audiences throughout Utah and the world with classical ballets, historical masterpieces, and cutting-edge creations with the highest artistic and professional standards. Last year more than 65,000 audience members attended performances, pumping untold dollars into Utah’s economy. With nearly 100 full-time employees, and a similar number of seasonal and part-time employees, Ballet West is able to uplift our community and contribute to the economic vitality of the greater Salt Lake and Utah region. Ballet West operates one of the largest education programs in the country, reaching nearly 100,000 students, teachers and community members throughout Utah and the Intermountain Region every year, all at

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Beca Mark is CEO and founder of Megastar HR, a Utah-based human resources outsourcing and consulting firm that provides HR solutions tailored to your company's unique needs. Here’s Beca to tell us more. BECA MARK: At Megastar HR, our human resource solutions free up business leaders, enabling them to focus on company growth and customer needs. We are headquartered in Sandy, providing ready service that enables us to flex our support according to your company’s needs – while you maintain control over your employees. You can continue to use your current payroll system and insurance brokers – or choose from one of our top-tier recommendations. You select the services that will benefit your company the most — whether you need full-service HR support or just a customized employee handbook, payroll administration, or recruitment. We offer a compensation analysis report, which ensures internal equity, market competitiveness, and legal compliance, so you can prev

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Marathon Health is on a mission to transform one million lives by 2024 by improving healthcare delivery, lowering costs, and providing better outcomes. Here’s Vice President Penny O’Brien with more. PENNY OBRIEN: Marathon Health has been simplifying healthcare for employers and patients in Utah for over 10 years.   We partner with employers to make healthcare work better for their employees, powered by care that’s convenient and easy to access. To reduce costs and make healthcare more convenient, we emphasize virtual primary care in addition to in-clinic care with our well-known and trusted clinicians. Because we’re accountable to the businesses that hire us, we guide patients through choices based on cost and quality for complex care.  Marathon Health patients save their employers $2,000 on average annually and report better management of chronic conditions and their overall health. To date, Marathon Health has saved its clients more than $1 billion in hea

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Finding good help is challenging these days, but fortunately for employers there are companies like MTS Mobile Staffing. Here’s Scott Davis, the CEO, to explain how his company can help yours. SCOTT DAVIS: MTS Mobile Services was founded in Colorado in 1994, but we also now love to call Utah home! We opened our doors in Salt Lake City in October of this year to help fill the need for quality staffing in Utah’s booming marketplace. MTS Mobile Services is a full-service staffing and employment agency specializing in light industrial staffing needs, construction, landscaping, warehousing, hospitality, special events, and administrative & professional service placement. We interview, test, and screen all employees to ensure the highest level of competency. We pride ourselves in exceeding the expectations of our employees and their prospective employers. Our goal is to ensure job seekers are placed in the right position, with the best possible wages, who meet t

This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. The Larry H. Miller Company is a portfolio of businesses that has been enriching the lives of Utahns since 1979. Company CEO Steve Starks tells us more. STEVE STARKS: The Larry H. Miller Company, originally known for businesses like the Utah Jazz and Larry H. Miller Automotive, has transformed over the years and continues to evolve into new ventures and industries all aimed at building the community. With our acquisition of the Daybreak Master-Planned Community, we are now designing communities and creating a sense of place throughout Utah, where we also build high-quality homes through our company, Destination Homes. We have also entered the healthcare industry through our acquisition of Advanced Health Care, known locally as…, which provides exceptional transitional care, throughout the country, to our loved ones. The Larry H. Miller Company is also proud to invest in new ventures ranging from early-stage growth companies to those preparing to go public.