Outdoor Recreation Office

OVERVIEW U.C.A. 63M-1-3301 Brad Petersen recently accepted the position of director for the newly created Utah Outdoor Recreation Office within the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. The responsibilities of the previous Outdoor Recreation Cluster director are being consolidated in this new position that was created in the 2013 legislative session. The new Outdoor Recreation Office and associated vision statement highlight the importance of promoting economic development in the outdoor industry and improving recreational opportunities in Utah. As a result of the new comprehensive approach to managing the state’s recreation economy there is significant industry enthusiasm and optimism for continuing to build the Outdoor Products and Recreation Cluster. The Utah based outdoor industry continues to gain momentum.

FY2013 highlights: • Liberty Mountain Sports, a leading independent distributor of technical outdoor products and climbing brands in the U.S. has relocated its

Utah headquarters to Sandy as a result of continued growth. In a strategic plan to invest in the expansion of distribution systems and to accommodate additional product lines Liberty

Mountain constructed a new, larger and more efficient building. • The Winter and Summer Outdoor Retailer Trade Shows continue at the Salt

Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake

City through the end of 2016. The contract extension comes after 18 months Brad Peterson climbing Moonlight of vigorous work with Salt Lake City Buttress in Zion National Park. to answer concerns about inadequate housing and infrastructure for the OR Winter and Summer Market shows— two of the fastest growing shows in the country. In the last four years, the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Show has seen a 13% average growth in overall attendance and an average 11% growth for the Winter Market show, with both

shows experiencing double digit percentage growth in the number of attending stores over those same four years. • PETZL, a leading manufacturer of technical climbing equipment and hands-free lighting, is constructing a new 80,000-square-foot facility in

West Valley City, in the heart of Utah’s

Salt Lake Valley. Petzl estimates it will invest more than $20 million in its new North American headquarters. • Enve Composites makes all of its rims in Ogden and, soon, will be making all of its components there too. They tried outsourcing components to

Asia, but lead times were long, stock levels were hard to control and the quality issue was so important that they decided it was about the same price to bring it all back in house. ENVE Composites manufactures high-end, multiple-award-winning carbon bicycle rims.

Enve wheels were featured in the 2013 Tour de France. • Goal Zero in Bluffdale was launched from philanthropic beginnings with the goal of creating zero illiteracy, zero poverty and zero hunger. Over the last five years, the company’s innovative full solar energy systems have grown to 2013 revenues of $60 million. • A Taiwan/China delegation of more than 20 executives from major bike companies will be touring Utah, as guests of Ogden City, to evaluate the viability of making Utah their U.S. based headquarters.

For additional information about the Utah Outdoor Recreation Office visit www.business.utah.gov or contact Director Brad Petersen at bradp@utah.gov or 801-538-8873