RURAL UTAH

WRITTEN BY: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION UTAH

Virtually every community off the Wasatch Front is looking for “stickiness” — that healthy, diverse local economy that boosts community morale and allows the next generation of job seekers to stay close to their roots. The Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah) is helping — along with many partnering organizations — to build the economies of rural Utah. For more than three decades, EDCUtah has been working with state and local governments and private industry to attract competitive, high-value companies and spur the expansion of local Utah businesses. EDCUtah, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), and other partners collaborate on programs and initiatives to spur growth statewide. Working with GOED in FY2020, EDCUtah successfully managed some marquee corporate expansion projects that help communities across the state. Three notable wins include Procter & Gamble’s third major expansion (Box Elder County), Sutter Health (Cedar City and Richfield) and West Point Dairy Products (Hyrum). These three projects alone represent future growth of 310 jobs and $375 million in capital expenditures. In FY2021, EDCUtah supported an expansion by Malouf, Inc. in Cache County that represents 1,195 jobs and $120 million in investment. The Development Ready Communities (DRC) program is another way EDCUtah helps foster growth. The DRC program prepares communities to attract and grow companies via a five-stage process of community assessment, planning, marketing, training and integration with “Team Utah.” In October 2020, the first cohort of eight urban and rural cities and counties held a “graduation” ceremony, celebrating their completion of an intensive set of educational sessions, and development of a local assessment and partnering plan. These included Box Elder County, Brigham City, Cedar City, Grand County and San Juan County. “After participating in training sessions, we’ve seen the quantity and quality of local partners’ responses to our Requests for Information improve dramatically. Communities are better prepared for site visits. Interaction between communities, statewide, has been enhanced. Engagement with EDCUtah’s private sector partner companies has increased,” said Alan Rindlisbacher, EDCUtah director of community strategy. Another program, EDCUtah’s Know the Customer (KTC) initiative, seeks interviews with company leaders to understand successes and challenges of doing business in Utah. By understanding what is working, as well as knowing what impediments exist, economic development professionals work to bolster the benefits and fix the faults. County economic development leaders in San Juan County, Box Elder County, Iron County and elsewhere, have assisted EDCUtah in identifying target companies to talk to, and have joined EDCUtah staff on these fact-finding sessions. The compiled results of the first year of KTC surveys show a bright spot, that holds true on and off the Wasatch Front: The perception of Utah as a place to do business is high. With a rating above 60, Utah has an excellent net promoter score (NPS) — a benchmark organizations use to measure customer loyalty. To provide context, Amazon has a score of 62, and Netflix of 68 (source: Retently.com). A fourth effort, EDCUtah’s Mega Sites program, identifies and certifies sites of 400 or more acres, intended to attract large-scale industrial projects that have substantial direct and indirect economic impact. Certification shortens development timelines, increases cost savings, reduces risk for developers and serves as a growth catalyst for local economies, especially in rural Utah, where the majority of large-acre sites are located. Off the Wasatch Front, communities with Mega Sites include Elberta, Millard County, Tooele County, Washington County, Iron County and Carbon County. The program is expanding in FY2021, with the addition of Certified Sites, which will have a smaller acreage requirement. In another collaborative effort, EDCUtah has partnered with GOED, the Salt Lake Chamber and the Utah Dept. of Workforce Services (DWS) to create the Rural Workforce Network to identify and encourage urban companies to find employment opportunities that can be done in rural Utah. The pandemic has forced a dramatic shift, but it has been proven that remote work works. More companies, from Utah as well as those expanding into the state, are reaping the benefits of hiring rural Utah workers. Responding to pandemic protocols, DWS orchestrated several statewide virtual job fairs in 2020. Further amplifying the state’s efforts, GOED’s Office of Rural Development (ORD) provides resources and programs to sustain business and improve employment opportunities. In coordination with local governments and other development partners, ORD offers programs — from tax credits to grants — that enhance economic development in rural Utah. These include: • Enterprise Zone Tax Credits — Incremental tax credits for new jobs paying above county average wage, and capital investment tax credits • Rural County Grants — For business recruitment, development, and expansion; workforce training and development; and infrastructure and capital facilities improvements

Center Grants — To assist in the creation of facilities designed to provide individuals working within designated rural areas with the infrastructure and equipment to participate in the online workforce

Incentive — Grants to businesses for new positions created in rural Utah counties • Utah Rural Jobs Program — Enables an eligible small business located in a rural county to expand and create high wage jobs by providing flexible and affordable capital. In any of the dozens of rural communities, organizations like EDCUtah, GOED, DWS, and the Salt Lake Chamber will continue to offer support, and work to ensure that we improve that “stickiness” for which we all strive. For more, visit edcutah.org.