Southern Utah Business Magazine (Fall 2021)

S O U T H E R N U TA H GETTING INTO THE “AIRBNB VRBO” GAME Is It Right and Legal for You?

THREE STRATEGIES FALL 2021

To Accelerate Sales Growth

ARETÉ AWARDS

Excellence in All Things

INTERGALACTIC Southern Utah’s Moonshot Company

Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 1

2 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

Home is Where We Work, Live and Play As we spend more time at home, our living space is taking on a whole new meaning.

Learn more about buying and owning a home at nahb.org/consumers.

Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 3

Contents

FEATURES RISE St. George Business Summit—

Refreshed and Relaunched! �����������������

6

Intergalactic: Southern Utah’s Moonshot Company �������������������������

9

Getting into the “Airbnb Vrbo” Game: Is It Right and Legal for You? ���������������

14

Southern Utah Breakthroughs in Precision Health ������������������������

19

Utah’s Path to Economic Recovery Runs Directly through Global Markets �����������������������������

22 Your Best Eight Seconds ��������������� 24

6 14

24 28

TEDxStGeorge Is Coming Live to Tuacahn Amphitheatre! �������������

26

Three Strategies to Accelerate Sales Growth ��������������������������������

28

Lumber Prices Are Finally Dropping ��������������������������������������

30 Podcasts Help Your Business Grow �� 33 Areté Awards �������������������������������� 34 Cultivating a Culture of Volunteerism in Your Business �������

38

University’s Polytechnic Focus Is Vital to Southern Utah’s Economic Future ��������������������������

40

What’s Happening in Southern Utah ���������������������������

44

COLUMNS Letter from the Editor ������������������������ 5

26 38

30

Southern Utah Small Business Spotlight: Lazy 3 Leather Company �

41

Fill Drinks: A Simple Idea to Revolutionize an Industry ��������������

42

Welcome to Our Newest St. George Area Chamber of Commerce Members ��������������������

46 Calendar of Events ������������������������ 48 Southern Utah Nonprofit Organization Spotlight: Switchpoint Community Resource Center ���������������������������

50

A publication of the

The publisher is not responsible for the accuracy of the articles or advertisements in Southern Utah Business Magazine. The information contained within has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Neither the publisher nor any other party assumes liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on this material. Appropriate professional advice should be sought before making personal, professional, or financial decisions. Outside of our staff authors, articles written by providers or professionals are invited authors and represent the opinions of that particular individual, business, group or organization. If an article is a paid advertisement, we will place the word “Advertisement” or “Advertorial” to identify it as such. ©Copyright 2021.

4 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

Letter from the Editor ELECTIONS MATTER. We, as business leaders and entrepreneurs, sometimes like to brush aside politics as we focus on the daily hustle of running our businesses. We don’t want to get caught up in the drama or the inevitable debate. We’re focused on getting things done—delivering a quality product or service at a competitive price in the shortest amount of time.

The divisive nature of politics, especially as of late, doesn’t make our lives any easier. But rather than turning away from the political rhetoric and divisive debates, we need to become more active in the decisions being made that affect our lives and our community. We need business leaders to help us cut through the noise. We need business leaders to be more engaged in government, policy, and elections. We need business leaders to encourage their employees to be informed and to vote.

In my undergraduate political science classes, we often debated about what issues won elections. Was it education? Social Services? Healthcare? Infrastructure? While every election cycle seems to have its “flavor of the week” issue, paramount to any of these issues is the health of the economy.

Today, the economy is booming and we want to keep it that way! We need to elect leaders who understand the importance of a thriving economic ecosystem that empowers entrepreneurs, small businesses, and corporations alike. We need to elect leaders who understand that rather than placing burdensome constraints on businesses, they should eliminate unnecessary regulations and lower the barriers to entry. We need to elect leaders who will take specific and measurable action on pivotal economic development strategies like workforce development, affordable housing, community beautification, quality of life, and more.

Earlier this year, the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce launched its Chamber Votes Initiative, which has the singular focus of getting the business community more engaged in politics and government. If we sit on the sidelines or brush off elections as a waste of time, we are leaving a vacuum that will inevitably be filled.

Through this initiative, we ask businesses to do the following: 1. E ncourage your employees to register to vote. They can register online at vote.utah.gov.

2. E ncourage your employees to research and learn about the candidates.

3. E ducate your employees on the importance of electing business friendly candidates.

4. E ncourage your employees to vote via their mail-in-ballot.

As business leaders, let’s be part of the solution. Let’s get out the business vote this year!

Sincerely, Don Willie President and CEO, St. George Area Chamber of Commerce

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH

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www.SUBizMag.com 435-628-1650 Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 5

It’s a new dawn in Washington County.

Our economy is supercharged and business is booming.

What used to be just a tourism destination is becoming an entrepreneurial hub, and the economic gravity of Utah is shifting south. Needless to say, this is an exciting time to live, work, and play in the St. George area.

ST. GEORGE BUSINESS SUMMIT Refreshed and Relaunched!

By Don Willie, President and CEO of the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce

6 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

Just as a rising tide lifts all boats, the rising St. George area economy is lifting businesses. But those businesses need tools, resources, examples, and mentoring to grow with the economy around them. That’s why the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to relaunch our annual business summit with a new name—RISE St. George Business Summit—and you’re invited.

We’re calling all entrepreneurs, innovators, business leaders, dreamers, and visionaries! This is the must-attend event of the year. RISE St. George Business Summit will inspire a convergence of industries where innovative collisions help your business level up. Not only will you learn from globally and locally recognized business leaders, you’ll also connect with business services and leaders in government, education, and the community.

If you’re not jumping out of your seat to register by now, let me give you five solid reasons to get off the fence and be a part of this awesome event.

There’s something for you.

Yes, we’re promising the world. There is something at

this summit for everyone. But more importantly, there is something for you. We’ve brought in a variety of speakers who are the experts in their field, and guess what? Many of them have been where you’ve been!

We’ve locked in powerhouse speakers.

Yeah, we said powerhouse speakers, and we mean it!

You’ll listen to Natalie Gochnour, Utah’s most respected economist, and hear her predictions for the growth of southern Utah. ou’ll hear about how Brad Bonham built a billion-dollar Y furniture business from a container of product data analytics mastery. ou’ll have front row seats to a startup conversation with Y Lovesac founder and CEO, Shawn Nelson, and Rhone Apparel CEO, Nate Checketts. ou’ll learn why Brandon Fugal, one of Utah’s premier Y commercial real estate leaders, bought Skinwalker Ranch. e could go on and on, but we think it’s best you just join W us for the day.

You’ll hear the good, the bad, and the ugly.

We’re not going to sugarcoat the difficulty of running or managing a business. It’s hard. So you can count on hearing it as it is. Raw, unfiltered, awesome.

You’ll expand your network in a big way.

You’re going to walk away with a bigger network of likeminded individuals than you had at the beginning of the day.

You’ll be in The Know.

You’re not just going to learn how to level up your business, you’re going to hear things that no one else knows about yet.

You can’t find this content on YouTube or social media. You’ve got to be there to hear it.

So, whether you’re an emerging SAAS company or an established lifesciences business; whether you’re a realtor or a physician; whether you’re in tourism and hospitality or RISE St. George crunching numbers as a CPA; Business Summit whether you’re a farmer or a marketing pro, the Rise September 8, 2021 St. George Business Summit Dixie Convention Center is for you.

Business is booming in St. George. Be part of the conversation.

stgeorgerise.com

Register now!

Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 7

CEOs. Founders. Directors.

Managers. Innovators. Entrepreneurs.

Creatives. Movers and Shakers.

The St. George Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce it’s annual 30 in their Thirties event, which recognizes dynamic young professionals who are taking Southern Utah to a new level. The event will be held at the Dixie Convention Center on November 4, 2021.

8 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Summer 2021

N O M I N AT E T O D AY AT s tgeorgechamber.co m Nominations close Friday, September 10, 2021

Intergalactic Southern Utah’s Moonshot Company

By Elainna Ciaramella

I

t’s been over 18,600 days since humans last set foot on the moon, yet all the activity in space in 2021 is signaling that we’ve entered a new era of space exploration. The race is on to see who will be the first billionaire to commercialize space travel or the first person to walk on Mars.

The resurgence in intergalactic interest isn’t being driven by government agencies this time around, but by some of the most influential entrepreneurs of our time: Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk. While NASA is still pushing towards the ends of the universe, these innovative tycoons are commercializing, even democratizing, space travel.

At the center of this new quest into space is a technology developed and manufactured by a newly rebranded

St. George startup company: Intergalactic. Formerly known as Airborne ECS, Intergalactic is an aerospace systems integrator that builds the world’s smartest, lightest, and most advanced thermal management systems for the commercial aviation, defense, and space sectors. And while the company once focused on travel within earth’s atmosphere, Intergalactic and CEO Brian McCann are pushing the boundaries to the ends of space.

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To understand the marvel of Intergalactic’s thermal management system, imagine for a moment the $2.1 billion dollar Northrup Grumman B-2 Spirit, NASA’s Space Launch System’s rocket that costs more than $2 billion per flight, or the F-22 Raptor, one of the world’s most advanced fighter jets with a price tag of around $350 million.

The modern mechanical parts and electronics packed into each one of their systems generate a tremendous amount of heat, especially under the harsh circumstances in which they operate. But just like the heat generated from your laptop computer is regulated by a cooling system, each one of these engineering marvels has a cooling system that keeps parts from frying, electronics from being destroyed, and millions of dollars from being lost.

Unfortunately, heat has always been a problem plaguing the defense, space, and aviation sectors. For decades, innovation and progress have been limited by old methods of thermal management that just couldn’t keep up. “Legacy thermal management systems are too big and heavy to handle modern heat loads,” McCann explained. “All kinds of promising innovations in space and aviation have gone back on the shelf because they couldn’t overcome the heat problem,” Intergalactic’s thermal management system solves this problem. It outperforms every other thermal management system by an amazing 300 to 400 percent, and it weighs fifty to one hundred pounds less than anything on the market. In an industry that searches for ways to remove even a pound of weight from its aircrafts and where weight and size matter, this is an incredible feat. “It’s gamechanging technology,” McCann said.

“We’re turning a lot of heads in the industry. From a thermal engineering perspective, we’ve accomplished what has never been done before.”

Essentially, Intergalactic designs and builds hyper-advanced air conditioning systems for the space, defense, and aviation industries. “Your home, car, and computer all have thermal management systems that are designed to keep people, mechanical

systems, and computer components cool,” McCann said. “That’s what we do for emerging space platforms, nextgeneration military programs, and commercial aviation innovations like electric flight and supersonics.”

According to McCann, Intergalactic currently has active contracts or latestage negotiations with customers in the defense, space, and commercial aviation sectors. They have been expanding into the commercial space and aviation industries and have promising opportunities in some of the most exciting emerging markets, including space launch platforms, small satellites, electric flight, unmanned drones, supersonics, and hypersonics.

The Intergalactic Story McCann, born and raised in St. George, Utah, earned a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and a MBA from Southern Utah University.

From 2007 to 2019, he served as Vice President of Business Development for RAM Company, a premier provider of custom valves and actuation components for the aerospace and astrospace industries, located in St. George. RAM is owned by McCann’s grandparents, Ray and Melzie

10 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

Ganowsky, and this family connection provided McCann with a lifetime of exposure to the aerospace industry.

Brad Plothow, Vice President of Strategy, joined Intergalactic in 2020. He earned his bachelor’s degree in communications at Utah State University and his MBA at Utah Valley University. His career spans nearly two decades and encompasses work in aerospace, mass media, govern­ ment, higher education, and enterprise and consumer technology, making him ultimately qualified to lead Intergalactic’s expansion and growth into the future.

When McCann was VP of Business Development at RAM Company, RAM connected with Airborne ECS, a thermal management company in Port Angeles, Washington. They believed in Airborne’s technology, saw some synergies in the market, and invested in their growth.

Over time, it became apparent that Airborne ECS had legitimate technology but needed to shore up its business model. With McCann leading the acquisition, RAM Company purchased a controlling share of Airborne in May 2019, named McCann as the president and CEO, and moved the headquarters to St. George in the summer of 2019.

The company spent 2020 refining the business and getting products to market. Then in 2021, they rebranded to Intergalactic—the title of a 1980s Beastie Boys hit song—and are now working on growth strategies to scale.

Intergalactic currently operates out of RAM Company’s state-of-the-art aerospace manufacturing facility in St. George, but they intend to move into their own building, currently in the architectural phase, on Tech Ridge in the next few years.

Why St. George?

Both McCann and Plothow say they are excited to expand the definition of “tech” in Utah. “Our state has found massive success in software, biotech, and consumer electronics,” said Plothow. “These industries have attracted tens of billions in investment and significantly raised the median wage in Utah. We think aerospace will be this decade’s breakout industry, and we want to create an ecosystem in southern Utah that is attractive to aerospace innovators, investors, and talented mechanical and electrical engineers.”

But the reasons go even deeper than that. In an industry built on bureaucracy and lumbering legacy companies, Intergalactic wanted to set themselves apart, not only with their name but with their location. “We have an opportunity to build our company the right way, with an eye toward the future, in a place with maximum flexibility,” said McCann. “We don’t just want to build a great company, we want to play an active role in broadening the economic base in southern Utah.”

The company is on a trajectory to become the thermal systems integrator of record in space and aerospace, a significant player in a multibillion dollar industry with only a few current competitors. “In 2030, we’ll all be talking about how the 2020s were the coming out party for aerospace and astrospace. We want to be a major part of that movement,” said Plothow.

Intergalactic has been very purposeful in choosing southern Utah as the company’s headquarters, turning away from the classic aerospace hubs of Seattle, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Dallas. Although St. George is home for McCann, the active live-where-you-play lifestyle coupled with the beautiful vistas, moderate climate, expanding tech district, stable economy, and availability of graduates from Dixie State University, made St. George the standout location.

“Washington County today is a lot like Utah County a decade or so ago,” added Plothow. “There is lots of momentum, a nascent tech scene, and lots of opportunity to shape the future.

We want to build our company in St. George to keep the economic benefits in the community and bring high-paying jobs in exciting new fields,” he said.

To be sure, Intergalactic’s presence in St. George has had a positive impact on the city and the surrounding

communities. Jobs at tech companies in Utah pay nearly double the median income, and for every technical role, tech companies provide five jobs in support functions like sales, marketing, product management, finance, and HR. “Startups are hard,” said McCann.

“Aerospace is hard. We’re choosing to do very hard things, but we’re motivated by the mission. We don’t have a Neil Armstrong moment in our generation yet, but we think that moment will come this decade, and we want to be a part of it. We want to be able to talk about iconic moments in space and sky and tell our grandkids, ‘We helped build that.’

We want to bottle up that excitement and encourage more young people to pursue careers in mechanical and electrical engineering.”

Plothow agreed, adding that the company chose to rebrand to Intergalactic because they’re building a different kind of company, a company that is inspired by space pioneers like Neil Armstrong and Amelia Earhart but also inspired by boundary pushers like Skunkworks and SpaceX. “[The name] Intergalactic captures our big ambitions and also reflects our culture,” he said.

“We’re building something new in St. George and setting a new standard for innovation,” said McCann. “We’re pushing the envelope with precision engineering and building a company that will enable tomorrow’s moonshots.”

With McCann and Plothow at the helm, a team of the best engineers and innovators in the industry, a thermal management system that is, of itself, out of this world, and a business trajectory that is headed toward the far reaches of space, there is no doubt that Intergalactic is southern Utah’s moonshot startup.

Elainna Ciaramella is originally from Los Angeles, California. She spent five years in Las Vegas before relocating to southern Utah for its natural beauty. As a journalist, she covers the topics of business, real estate, healthcare, travel, and tourism.

When she isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her three daughters and strength training.

Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 11

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Getting into the “Airbnb Vrbo” Game: Is It Right and Legal for You?

By Timothy Burton Anderson

Legal Section Sponsored By 14 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

LEGAL Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 15

LEGAL

W

hat do Joseph Smith, Abraham Lincoln, and Betsy Ross all have in common? You guessed it; they were each short-term renters.

Each rented a room in the home of another family during a critical part of their respective stories.

For a large part of our country’s history, boarding with another family was a very common part of life. It created safe—though not always comfortable—lodging for persons in transition and extra income for the host family.

Then along came the post-industrial revolution and World Wars I and II, when the single urban home phenomenon took over. Along with it came planning and eventual governmental control in the form of zoning regulations that, in many cases, limited the extent to which one could rent out a home, either in full or in part. The reasons for this were varied, from managing traffic congestion to monitoring strangers to regulating taxation to protecting the local hotel and motel industry from competition. Whatever the reasons, the government became much more involved than in earlier times, and it has pretty much remained involved ever since.

Scroll forward to the 21st century.

Boarding or, to use the present-day term, “short-term renting” is hot again. This time, with the advent of the app world drivers of Airbnb and Vrbo, it is profitable. One day, one week, or even one month stays allow the payment cycle to turn over very quickly. In effect, the property owner is selling the same product several times per month.

For many, this is a much more advantageous use of their home, condo, or apartment than a longterm rental by the month or year.

And in areas of high demand, such as Utah’s Dixie, Park City, or Moab, this can be extremely profitable. In fact, renting short term is now such a prevalent practice it is said that in Moab more than 50 percent of

16 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

LEGAL

the residences are listed for rent on Airbnb, Vrbo, or similar networks.

Needless to say, many municipalities don’t like this practice. They have passed ordinances that limit shortterm stays to residences only within certain areas. They have even passed ordinances preventing a property owner from advertising on Airbnb, Vrbo, and other short-term rental apps. Local governments are concerned about protecting their municipal neighborhoods from the congestion and problems of uncontrolled boarding.

Then in 2017, the Utah State Legislature passed Utah Code Section 10-8-85.4 that forbids a municipality from enacting or enforcing an ordinance “that prohibits an individual from listing or offering a short term rental on a short term rental website,” or from fining, prosecuting, or otherwise punishing an individual solely for the act of listing or offering a short term rental on a short term rental website.

This is an odd situation. The municipality may regulate the actual use of the residential property for short-term rental but may not prevent the use of the rental website to advertise and book the short-term rental.

There are a couple of noteworthy things here: It is beginning to look like it is becoming more difficult for municipalities to enforce bans on short-term rentals. Some cities enforce it vigorously while others do not. And further, this is one of those odd circumstances where you can in effect legally advertise an illegal use.

The legislature justifies its action as protecting freedom of speech as guaranteed under the Constitution.

So the jury is still out on where all of this is going. Is the state moving in the direction of taking over the short-term stay issue to make more dwellings available at a time when rentals are harder to find? Does this restrict the municipalities enough that they will relax enforcement or enlarge the short-term rental zones? And—this is a big one— will HOAs eventually be prohibited from restricting short-term rentals?

To accommodate an Airbnb or Vrbo agreement, a property owner must be legally allowed to rent.

This is still the law. But realistically, “the times they are a-changin’.”

Pay close attention to the law as it evolves in this area.

Timothy Burton Anderson has practiced law in the St. George, Utah, area for forty-two years. He works in the St. George, Utah, office of the Salt Lake City-based firm Kirton McConkie. His areas of emphasis are commercial and recreational real estate, zoning and planning issues, public lands issues, and international commercial transactions for Utah-based companies primarily in Canada, Europe, and parts of Asia.

Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 17

18 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

St. George is the headquarters for Intermountain Healthcare researchers who study individual genetic characteristics to personalize treatment based on a patient’s DNA.

Southern Utah Breakthroughs In Precision Health

By David De Rurange, Intermountain Healthcare

W

hen Tabitha Pattison isn’t at Bryce Canyon National Park, she can sometimes be found sequencing genetic data in a machine nicknamed “Bryce Canyon.”

“What better names for these powerhouse machines than after some of the most impressive natural wonders here in Utah?” said Pattison, an associate scientist for research and development at Intermountain Healthcare. “Bryce Canyon, Lake Powell, Goblin Valley, Zion, and Arches allow us to sequence patients’ DNA quickly and accurately.”

Pattison is one of more than 200 employees at Intermountain Healthcare’s precision genomics department. Organized in 2014, Intermountain Precision Genomics (IPG) is headquartered inside the Cancer Center on St. George Regional Hospital’s campus. It is shifting healthcare worldwide to predict and prevent disease rather than treating patients after symptoms are felt.

Continued on Page 20 Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 19

“We love telling the world we’re changing the future of healthcare from St. George, Utah,” commented Gary Stone, associate vice president of precision health and academics and resident of southern Utah for twenty years. “We’ve been fortunate to put teams of scientific researchers like Tabitha and medical doctors together to help patients with precision cancer care, genetic counseling, pharmacogenomics, and heredi­ tary disease testing.”

Tabitha Pattison

Stone said these services and caregivers use the latest information to personalize care for cancer patients (often leading to improved survival and higher quality of life), guide patients through family health history and genetic information to see if they have inherited risk for certain health conditions, study how genes can affect a patient’s response to medication, and perform research with stateof-the-art technologies to unlock the secrets that transform healthcare.

Lincoln Nadauld, M.D., Ph.D., is one of the founders of IPG. He is also a medical oncologist. When Dr. Nadauld isn’t implementing genetic research to patient care, he enjoys family sports and hikes near his home in Santa Clara, Utah.

Lincoln Nadauld

“My family talks about genetics at the dinner table,” Dr. Nadauld said. “There are discoveries in precision medicine happening almost every day and now we have the privilege of using this expanding knowledge and practice immediately for our patients.”

Nadauld regularly speaks at Harvard Medical School in the Precision Medicine Conference, where the world’s leading clinicians, industry executives, investors, patient advocates, payers, policy experts, and researchers convene for the latest discussions on precision health. In 2020, he brought Scientific American and AstraZeneca to St. George as they recognized his precision medicine work for the Cancer Community Awards. And this year, KUTV’s Mary Nickles toured IPG with Dr. Nadauld as she interviewed him as a recipient of the Pioneers of Progress award in science and technology.

“It’s an honor to bring the precision medicine spotlight here where our community and business partners have been and are supportive. They inspire our research and breakthroughs,” Dr. Nadauld said.

20 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

Gary Stone

Proud to Be Part of the BioHive for Southern Utah Business and the World Bryce Canyon, Lake Powell, Goblin Valley, Zion, and Arches allow us to sequence patients’ DNA quickly and accurately.

Fast Company recognized Intermountain Healthcare as the eighth most innovative biotechnological company in the world, thanks to IPG’s HerediGene: Population Study.

It was a first for a healthcare organization to receive such a ranking and recognition. HerediGene is IPG’s massive genetic research study that may change the future of healthcare. To learn more about it, go to HerediGene.org/ ProtectOurHealth.

Intermountain Healthcare’s president and CEO, Dr. Marc Harrison, identified IPG’s HerediGene efforts as one of the five models for value-based healthcare in a Harvard Business Review article.

“The work that’s being done in St. George is incredibly important because it allows us to understand whether someone carries a genetic burden that predisposes them to something that we can do something about,” Harrison said.

“Our investments in St. George and in this program are well-justified. They’re at the cutting edge, allowing Intermountain to remain competitive with the rest of the world providing high-value care.”

The Results of Precision Health Intermountain Precision Genomics has several advanced services that translate research into innovative care.

Through genomic testing, healthcare providers can get right down to your DNA to find the path of care that may work best for you, helping to reduce costs while providing a better experience overall.

You can learn more about these services at precisiongenomics. org or by visiting any Intermountain Healthcare hospital or clinic in St. George, Santa Clara, and Hurricane, Utah.

Dave De Rurange likes people and their stories.

He supports Intermountain Precision Genomics in marketing and public relations, spreading its healthy stories locally and abroad. Before the last five years in health care, Dave was an awardwinning television journalist covering a decade’s worth of stories in Oregon and Ohio. Now he and his wife live in St. George, Utah, enjoying southern Utah’s splendor with their four sons.

Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 21

Utah’s Path to Economic Recovery Runs Directly through Global Markets

By Miles Hansen, President and CEO, World Trade Center Utah

22 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

D

espite the pandemic’s unprece­ dented global economic disruption — or perhaps because of the opportunities hidden within the crisis — Utah’s path to economic recovery and revitalization runs directly through global markets just as it did a decade ago.

Businesses that export grow faster during economic expansions and are far more resilient during economic downturns. The United States International Trade Commission reported that during the 2008-2009 financial crisis, small and mediumsized businesses that exported had more than twice the total revenue of their non-exporting counterparts.

These exporters had revenue growth of 37 percent between 2005 and 2009, while total revenue declined by 7 percent for non-exporting businesses over the same period.

International trade and investment now support nearly one in every four jobs in Utah, with small businesses accounting for 85 percent of Utah’s exporters. Last year, international sales added nearly $5 billion in additional revenue for these small business exporters, and Utah’s export growth rate has led the nation for the past two years.

There are significant global opportunities for Utah companies and important public benefits for internationalizing our economy.

Yet, the world is a big place, and international business can be daunting. The good news is that Utah businesses don’t have to go it alone.

World Trade Center Utah (WTC Utah) is dedicated to accelerating growth for Utah’s new-to-export businesses and the 3,500 Utah small and mediumsized enterprises that are already competing and winning on the global stage. With the launch of its newly enhanced Global Business Services, the organization can plug in at any stage of a business’s international expansion to catalyze growth while also mitigating risk.

WTC Utah’s Global Business Services builds on WTC Utah’s capabilities over many years of helping Utah businesses

grow in worldwide markets through increased global sales and investment.

The organization has always provided businesses with consultations, datadriven insights, and grant funding.

Now, in partnership with service providers in Utah and around the world, it also offers market research, strategy development, translation, logistics, freight forwarding, global matchmaking, and more.

WTC Utah assesses a company’s preparation, strategy and capabilities before it invests in international expansion. After providing datadriven advice to help develop an international expansion strategy, WTC Utah and its partners deliver services to help companies develop a website, refine their marketing strategy, move product, become legally compliant, and connect with potential partners and customers in markets around the world.

Starting in early 2021, WTC Utah began sending their team throughout the state to help Utah companies learn in person about global opportunities.

Just halfway through the year, the organization has led more than fifty companies through its pathfinding processes. To continue to engage with companies in southern Utah, WTC Utah will have a full-time staff member in place in St. George.

The organization also administers public and private grant programs designed to bolster global growth for small Utah businesses, especially those in rural Utah and the state’s multicultural communities.

Besides offering a full range of products and services to help enter and expand in global markets, WTC Utah can also help Utah companies find capital to help finance that growth. Companies ready to go global or expand their current international engagement can connect with WTC Utah at any stage to gain a partner with deep expertise that is dedicated to catalyzing the company’s success.

Miles Hansen is the president and CEO of World Trade Center Utah, an organization dedicated to promoting prosperity across the state by attracting investment and increasing exports. Hansen was most recently the Director for Gulf Affairs at the National Security Council in the White House. Prior to that, he served as a staff aide to the State Department’s Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs. As a diplomat, Hansen was the energy and economic officer at U.S. Consulate General Dhahran in Saudi Arabia’s oil-rich Eastern Province where he served as a liaison with Saudi Aramco and advised U.S. government and private sector leaders on the Saudi energy industry and economic reform agenda. He also served tours focused on Iran at U.S. Embassy Yerevan, Armenia, and the Iran Regional Presence Office at U.S. Consulate General Dubai. Before joining the State Department as a Thomas R. Pickering Fellow, Hansen started his career in Utah as a Special Assistant in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. Hansen is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and Brigham Young University. A speaker of Russian, Farsi, and Arabic, Hansen has firsthand experience in more than 70 countries and is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

To learn more about how WTC Utah can help your business go global, visit wtcutah.com.

Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 23

Your Best

Eight Seconds

By Brien Sonzogni

I

t’s safe to say that marketing has changed drastically in the last ten years due to the advancements and opportunities of video marketing and social media. However, the concept of being a “marketer” means you’re more of a polymath (a person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning) than anything else. Sadly, our attention span has decreased from twelve seconds to less than eight seconds in the last fifteen years, making it difficult for you to capture your audience’s attention. Whether you’re a viral, green, influence, or guerilla marketer, one thing is certain: attention-grabbing videos add value and impact to your marketing strategy.

Video content is the present and the future of marketing.

The concept of content marketing is based on creating trust and long-term relationships by providing users with interesting and useful information. According to Mark Schaefer, Executive Director of Schaefer Marketing Solutions, selling shouldn’t be your primary focus. “The new era demands a focus on ignition, not just content, on trust, not just traffic, and on the elite people in your audience who are spreading and advocating your content,” he said.

Google Loves Video Marketing Even when you try to avoid the inevitable, Google is a dominant force that’s here to stay. So, let’s use it! Videos increase the time spent by visitors on your site, and the longer exposure builds trust and signals search engines like Google that your site has great content. For example, your business is fifty-three times more likely to show up first on Google if you have a video embedded on your website. Since Google owns YouTube, there has been a significant increase in how much videos affect your search engine rank.

Mobile Users Love Video Video and mobile go hand in hand. 90 percent of consumers watch videos on their mobile devices. 70 percent of YouTube watch time occurs on mobile devices. Since people like to watch videos on the go and the number of smartphone users is growing, the video audience keeps getting bigger and bigger. Consumers continue to highly value video content as part of their buyer journey. While viewers most commonly use videos as a starting point to build their knowledge about a product or service, videos have also acted as a “tipping point” for an overwhelming majority of consumers—a decisive factor that convinces them to buy or download a product or piece of software.

24 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

Video Encourages Social Shares Social networks also encourage video content with their new features. Facebook has 360 Video, Live Video, and Stories. Instagram put in place 60-second videos and Instagram Stories, and Twitter has Periscope. In addition, YouTube is the second most popular social network in the world.

In a social media context, businesses must remember that people share emotions, not facts.

Many users say they would share a branded video with their friends if it was entertaining. How many of you wanted to taste some Ocean Spray cranberry juice immediately after watching the guy on a longboard grooving to Fleetwood Mac and sipping straight from the bottle on TikTok? If you have no clue what I’m talking about, prepare your tastebuds and take the Google journey to find out. Then prepare to share; it’s only natural. Solid video marketing has that effect.

Facebook Feeds Video Marketing With more than 2.07 billion monthly active users, Facebook has the largest audience of any social network. That’s more than one-third of the world’s population. And a whole lot of those people are watching videos. Around 100 million hours of video are watched every day on Facebook. Like YouTube, Facebook has a massive and diverse audience. The most important thing to remember about Facebook is that people come to be entertained. Make sure to experiment across a wide range of creative strategies to identify what works for your brand, and keep in mind that entertainment tends to win the day on Facebook with emotionally charged content. Set targets (such as total views or engagement) and track your performance.

YouTube Survives on Video More video is consumed on YouTube than on any other social network. Over a billion hours of video are watched daily in seventy-six languages and eighty-eight countries on YouTube, according to YouTube’s statistics. YouTube is also the world’s second-largest search engine after its parent company, Google. Of the 87 percent of marketers who have published video content on YouTube, a whopping 90 percent found it to be an effective strategy. YouTube has the widest variety of video content-type of any social network with people streaming everything from entire movies to six-second clips.

If you don’t have a YouTube channel yet, start with what you already know about your target audience. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind: 1. Get personal. With such a diverse platform, make sure you are targeting your specific audience.

With an MBA and a background in multiple industries, Brien has been in the marketing, branding, and project management field for over ten years. Dubbed the Ivory Gorilla, Brien brings playful professionalism to successful marketing.

Brien is the VP of Marketing for Manor Blue in St. George, Utah, and focuses most of his efforts spearheading the new Black Desert Resort development marketing in Ivins. His philosophy is to provide strong, dependable digital solutions that help a business grow. Brien’s strength is defining the true business needs and then executing, measuring quickly, and adjusting to create visibly successful marketing strategies.

2. Be interactive and try new things. YouTube is one of the widest platforms to experiment with. Try your hand at something new, such as new video filters, trending TikTok dances, drone flyovers, slo-mo action of you or your product in production, or video blogs of how to do specialties in your field.

3.

Release new videos on a regular schedule. YouTube is eating up viewing time from TV networks, so keep your content fresh to pick up these viewers.

4. Optimize your content so it ranks. Remember, YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine. You’ll also be helping people find you from Google. Write clever titles and metadata with engaging calls-to-action.

5. Make sure you’re sharable. Enable embedding so people can share the love they feel after watching your video. Go to advanced settings in your video manager. Then click on “Distribution Options” and check “Allow Embedding.”

Ultimately, it’s just a matter of picking up your phone or camera. Start recording, and give them your best eight seconds. We’re social and curious creatures, and video is the best form of message delivery. Get out there and start filming…it’s showtime!

Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 25

TEDxStGeorge Is Coming Live to Tuacahn Amphitheatre!

T

EDxStGeorge brings exciting TED-worthy content to the desert’s majestic beauty for an unforgettable night of original talks and performances under the stars. “TED talks are short, impactful speeches about ‘Ideas Worth Spreading’ that are experienced online three billion times annually,” explained Jami Lah, creative curator and Executive Director of TEDxStGeorge.

TEDxStGeorge’s inaugural Main Stage Event will gather ten to fourteen leading-edge thinkers and doers from all walks of life to give short talks designed to provoke thought, educate, and inspire change. They look for people who are specialists in a variety of topics, including education, science, relationships, art, new technology, innovations, entertainment, health, and wellbeing.

TEDxStGeorge will help propel ideas not only in southern Utah but globally. “Tuacahn is honored to be the home of TEDxStGeorge,” explained Tuacahn’s Marketing Director Stephanie Finck. “It will be an experience and a night to remember!”

Over the past ten years, Lah and her team have organized over twenty-five events in Cincinnati, San Francisco, and Shanghai, China using volunteer experts in speaker coaching, marketing, social media, graphic design, curation, and multi-media production. The team has worked with 225 speakers, and their talks have millions of views on the dedicated TEDx YouTube Channel.

Do you love watching TED talks?

Great news!

TEDx is coming live to Tuacahn Amphitheatre on April 8, 2022.

As the curator, Lah creates experiences that make people go wow. Her goal is to amplify and expose people’s ideas from inside this region to the rest of the world as well as bring thought leaders to St.George. “I love connecting people and amplifying their stories,” she said.

TEDxStGeorge is thrilled to have the support of the St.George Chamber of Commerce and is excited to partner with other local businesses. TEDxStGeorge looks forward to being part of the spring concert series at Tuacahn Amphitheatre. Series tickets go on pre-sale in September at Tuacahn.org for their Broadway season package holders. Individual tickets for TEDxStGeorge will go on sale in December. Save the date!

For more information and updates, follow on Instagram @TEDxStGeorge, and please join their mailing list at TEDxStGeorge.com.

For more than twenty years, Jami Lah has built international strategic partnerships by bringing together the people and ideas needed for exponential impact, brand awareness, and lucrative initiatives in the United States and abroad. As an innovator and connector, Jami facilitates global change with her vast network of CEOs, investors, inventors, and thought leaders in the commercial real estate, technology, and start-up sectors. She is passionate about identifying and cultivating the technologies, properties, and immersive experiences that impact people and the world for good.

As the Founder and CEO of FutureXI, Jami created the first-ever Chinese and American Startup Competition in Silicon Valley, and she was part of the Google initiative Solve for X, where they identified moonshot ideas.

Jami began TEDxSemesteratSea, TEDxOnBoard, TEDxCincinnati, and helped curate a TEDx in Shanghai, China. As the Executive Director, she has created, curated, and produced dozens of specialty immersive events in both live and virtual formats. The TEDx talks from her events have been viewed millions of times in the past decade, spreading the big ideas of today that create ideas on sustainability, health, well-being, and new technologies of tomorrow.

26 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

TED PAINT THE TOWN

April 8, 2022 Mark your calendars for the TEDxStGeorge Main Stage Event!

We are calling on you, the St. George community, to come together for one of the biggest events of the year. Join us as we gather at Tuacahn Amphitheatre for a night of connection, open mindedness, shifts in perspective, fun and most importantly community.

TEDxStGeorge features a series of inspiring talks and local performances. Ticket information is coming soon.

Visit TEDxStGeorge.com for updates.

TEDxStGeorge.comFall 2021 @TEDxStGeorge :: Southern Utah Business Magazine

27

Three Strategies

to Accelerate Sales Growth

By Brad Harker, Author and Sales Growth Advisor

S

elling has evolved drastically over the last few decades.

Innovation has shifted both what we sell and how we sell it. With such a rapid pace of change, it can be easy to complicate your sales process in an effort to stay competitive. Sales revenue is the lifeblood of your business, and in the words of Heraclitus, “The only constant in life is change.” Given the fact that even the most finely tuned sales systems develop bottlenecks and inefficiencies, here are three strategies to accelerate sales growth and boost revenue in 2021:

1. Sell value over features.

“Nothing happens in business until something gets sold.”

– Thomas Watson Improving customer engagement might be the most effective way to boost sales growth. With so much noise vying for your customers’ attention, you need to be compelling!

Let’s quickly recap two important rules of selling: Rule #1: The product or service you offer isn’t as significant as the value it creates for your customer. Your customer doesn’t care who you are or what you offer unless and until they can clearly see the value it provides for them.

Rule #2: The value your product offers must be greater than the perceived cost. As value exceeds cost, urgency and demand increase as well.

Challenge: Does your current messaging strategy focus on product features or customer challenges? What is the value your solution creates for your customers? How does it solve their problems? Ask existing customers to share the value they have gained from your solution. Use this content to test new messaging strategies.

28 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

2. Be a guide, not a hero.

“Your customer should be the hero of the story, not your brand.

This is the secret every phenomenally successful business understands.” – Donald Miller A common reason marketing and sales strategies fall short is because they position the company or sales executive as the “hero” with a solution to save the customer. According to Donald Miller, author of Building a StoryBrand, your customer is the hero. You are the guide with a plan (your solution) to help the hero defeat the villain (pain). While this might seem like a subtle nuance, most companies inadvertently position themselves as the hero and fail to recognize the many ways their product-centric messaging stifles rapport, fails to connect, or even alienates the customer during the sales process.

Consider the attributes of an effective guide. First, most guides are experts in their chosen fields. This expertise allows them to confidently lead, even in challenging circumstances. A guide has knowledge and situational awareness to modify the plan to fit any situation. Finally, a guide has empathy. He/she invests in the hero’s success, not their own.

A guide adapts to the hero’s needs, customizing the plan (solution) to meet their specific needs.

Challenge: Invite your team to read Building A StoryBrand by Donald Miller, or review your sales process and messaging in context of the “Hero’s Journey.” Evaluate your team members through the lens of an effective guide: product knowledge, empathy, adaptability, and leadership.

3. Refine the customer journey.

“If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing.”

– Edwards Deming An orchestra provides a suitable metaphor for an effective sales process. Every orchestra shares a few key elements: tuned instruments, trained musicians, music, and a conductor. With any part missing, chaos would certainly ensue. Yet, when each element is in place, the conductor tunes the orchestra to concert pitch and, without saying a word, launches the orchestra into action with incredible precision. With only a few simple gestures, the conductor moves the orchestra from piece to piece, adjusting the timing, volume, and intensity to deliver a musical masterpiece.

An effective sales process is similar. Every sales process introduces a viable candidate through the stages of lead generation, sales development, sales, implementation, and customer success. In each stage, various messages, emails, tasks, statistics, and handoffs are choreographed to create a seamless customer journey. Like the orchestra, consistent structure can help you tune, accelerate, and scale your sales growth to generate powerful results.

It is always interesting to watch sales processes evolve in the early phases of growth. Selling can be intense and unpredictable. It is this intensity and passion that makes it so rewarding to watch a fledgling sales process transform into an efficient and predictable engine of growth.

Challenge: Is your sales process ready to scale? Take an inventory of your last ten transactions using the following six questions, giving yourself a score of 0-10 depending on how many sales met the criteria. Out of 10, how many sales/customers: 1. Came from a consistent lead source?

2. Followed a consistent sales process?

3. Closed without requiring product customization?

4. Were satisfied with the performance/stability of the product?

5. Purchased the solution for a similar need/pain?

6. Voluntarily evangelized or referred your company?

Score ____/10 Score ____/10 Score ____/10 Score ____/10 Score ____/10 Score ____/10 Total ____/60

Brad Harker is a published author, software executive, and sales growth advisor to companies in the mountain west. Brad has enjoyed an ambitious career spanning real estate development, corporate entrepreneurship, and more than a quarterbillion dollars in sales. Brad was born in Calgary, Canada, graduated from BYU, and has spent the last eleven years in St. George with his wife and four children.

You can reach Brad via email: brad@bradharker.com

Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 29

Lumber Prices Are Finally Dropping

By Mari Krashowetz, Executive Officer at Southern Utah Home Builders Association

A

nyone who has tried to purchase or build a new home within the last year is very aware of significantly higher lumber prices and building material supply shortages. Lumber prices skyrocketed during the pandemic, hitting an all-time high of $1,686 per thousand board feet last May, an increase of over 400 percent from the $333 it was trading at just one year prior to the recorded high. As a result, the price of a new single-family home increased significantly, causing some potential homebuyers to wait it out in hopes that housing prices would stabilize or decline.

Now, lumber prices are finally coming down, causing builders, homebuyers, and lenders across the country to feel hopeful.

Robert Dietz, Chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), is cautiously optimistic, saying that some building projects, suspended when lumber prices skyrocketed, may be able to resume. “If it’s the case that the price is coming down because it does represent a true uptick in the amount of supply, we’re going to see some of those projects move forward,” he said.

Will lumber prices continue to decrease and will building materials become more readily available in the near future?

No one knows for sure, but local lumber and building materials suppliers cannot solve this problem and are not to blame. Although we have definitely been impacted here locally in southern Utah, this is a national issue that requires a national solution.

Why Did Lumber Prices Surge?

The following may help answer the “whys” behind what happened with the price increases. Was it related to the pandemic? Was it related to the labor shortage? Was it related to the limited supply and high demand in the housing market? You’re welcome to do your own research, but here are some facts you may want to consider: • Many mills reduced production due to stay-at-home orders and social distancing measures enacted by state and local governments at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

30 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

• When it became clear in the ensuing months that housing weathered the storm much better than predicted and demand remained strong, lumber mills did not ramp up production accordingly.

• Producers did not anticipate the massive uptick in demand from do-it-yourselfers and big box retailers during the pandemic.

• Finally, the extreme lumber price volatility was exacerbated by tariffs on Canadian lumber imports into the U.S. markets.

Why Is the Price of Lumber Dropping?

There are several factors contributing to the drop in wholesale lumber prices.

Fastmarkets analyst Dustin Jalbert suggested that sawmills responded to the demand for lumber and ramped up production once the pandemic turned a corner. He also noted that people returning to their offices and workplaces are no longer working at home. “If you’re spending less time at home, you’re probably spending less money on the home,” he said. “That remodeling, renovation, DIY boom—whatever you want to call it—that’s also softening.”

Jalbert also added that future demands on the lumber supply are expected to drop even further in the fall and winter months when building slows.

Is There Good News Ahead?

Finding solutions that ease building supply and lumber shortages has been a top priority for NAHB and many organizations related to the housing industry. The Secretary of Commerce has pledged to address the growing problem of high lumber and material prices along with supply shortages. Congressional representatives and the current administration continue to work on resolving this critical issue. They recognize the home building industry and the housing sector are vital to a strong and growing economy.

Despite current challenges with home building, there is still a high demand for new homes. Interest rates are still near historic lows and southern Utah is a wonderful place to live and work. During the pandemic, many people realized they have the option to work from home and a new home can provide amenities that support this new live-work-andplay lifestyle.

If you are looking for a general building contractor to build your next home, please visit www.SUHBA.com.

Mari Krashowetz, Executive Officer for the Southern Utah Home Builders Association (SUHBA), has been employed by SUHBA for 21 years. SUHBA is a trade association representing 670 home building industry related businesses in Washington County, Utah. She oversees the daily SUHBA operations, coordinates the annual St. George Area Parade of Homes, manages the education program, directs the Southern Utah Home Builders Care Foundation, and handles the Government Affairs program to help keep housing a priority in our area. In 2017, the St. George Area Parade of Homes received an award as the Best Parade of Homes in the Nation (National Association of Home Builders) and in 2020 and 2021, they received the Best of Southern Utah Annual Event award.

Mari is currently serving on the Dixie Technical College Board of Directors, the St. George Area Economic Development Council, and the Washington County Housing Attainability Committee.

She is married to Tony Krashowetz, and together they have eleven children (including a set of triplets) and six grandchildren.

Her family is most important to her and the joy in her life. She loves living in beautiful southern Utah.

Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 31

S O U T H E R N U TA H

SOUTHERN UTAH'S PREMIER RESOURCE FOR BUSINESS, ECONOMICS, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, FINANCE, NETWORKING, AND TECHNOLOGY

SUMMER 2021

BURGEONING BIOHIVE

Southern Utah Helps Power the State’s Burgeoning BioHive

CONTENT MARKETING Simple Tips for Mastering Content Marketing

SELLER’S MARKET

What’s Going on with Real Estate?

IN THEIR ELEMENT

Inaugural Recipients of the 2021 Element Awards Summer 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 1

SUMMER VIBES

For i nfor ma tion abou t adver tisi ng, ca ll the St. George Area Cha mber of Commerce, (435) 628-1650.

GREAT MUSIC SERVED UP VARIETY STYLE

W W W. S TA R 981.C O M 32 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

Podcasts Help Your Business

Grow

By Adam Stoker

A

podcast is an up-and-coming way for your business to build brand awareness and create personalized experiences for your customers.

In 2019, I opened the doors of our agency to the world of tourism promotion podcasts. We were determined to help destination marketers enhance visitor experiences. Today, we produce two of the top podcasts in the tourism industry, including The Travel Vertical Podcast and Architects of Destination Advocacy. These shows help marketers provide amazing visitor services and enhance vacations. Podcasts are popular, but few businesses are utilizing them. Be one of the frontrunners to start a podcast and reap the benefits.

Podcasts are a great tool to attract younger audiences to your business. As life gets busier, Gen Z and millennials prefer to consume passive content. In 2021, 41 percent of Americans ages twelve or older listened to podcasts monthly compared to 26 percent in 2018 (Edison Research and Triton Digital).

The biggest benefit of having your own business podcast is that you gain a piece of owned media. We buy media to get our message to audiences that may be difficult to reach otherwise. The problem is that this is a rented audience. You

do not own the distribution channel, your content has to fit within specific guidelines, and the platform determines the audience. With a podcast, you have autonomy over content and distribution. You gain complete control over your narrative. You can build up your brand and reach your audience at every stage of the funnel.

Another plus of podcasts is the easy access to storytelling.

No one knows your business’s story better than you. When you have a podcast, you gain the ability to share that story anywhere. Plan out entertaining, informative and inspiring content that will be useful to your consumers. Provide your customers with a well-rounded view of your services and up-to-date information. This builds a community and turns brand consumers into brand advocates. When your business has a voice, you create an element of personalization. A podcast opens the doors saying, “Look, here are all the amazing things we have to offer here.”

Podcasts are a great tool to get visitors and locals excited about your business. Providing up-to-date information in a passive form helps you connect with your target audience.

With a podcast, you create a piece of owned content for your brand. Starting your own podcast is an investment in your business. Stay ahead of the game by moving your business into this media space and watch the success roll in.

Adam Stoker is the president and CEO of Relic+EKR. He graduated from Brigham Young University’s nationally-ranked advertising program and has been working in advertising for fifteen years. Adam builds businesses, people, and products through his leadership. His role includes overseeing the vision of the company, creating relationships with employees and clients, and identifying growth opportunities. In 2020, he successfully led Relic in acquiring EKR, an agency that specializes in digital marketing and web development. Adam is the host of the Destination Marketing Podcast and author of Touchpoints: A Destination Marketer’s Guide to Brand Evaluation and Enhancement. Adam is listed in the 40 Under 40 from Utah Business and Utah Valley Business magazines.

Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 33

2021

Rooted deep in Greek history, Areté means excellence in all things. The notion of excellence is ultimately bound to the idea of complete fulfillment—the act of living up to one’s full potential.

Earlier this year, the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce set out to find and recognize business and community leaders of the highest caliber: leaders who were making a significant impact in our community, leaders who excelled in their professions while dedicating time and resources to the betterment of the St. George 34 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

area, and pillars in our community whose influence and impact has been felt far and wide.

To properly recognize these leaders, the Chamber introduced an award that fully encompassed their achievements and impact: the Areté Award. The Areté Award is the most prestigious award given by the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce and is reserved for those who have dedicated their lives to achievement and impact. The Southern Utah Business Magazine is pleased to introduce you to the 2021 Areté Award recipients.

Ray & Melzie

GAN OWS K Y RAM COM PANY Ray & Melzie Ganowsky with Dixie Power President and CEO Ladel Laub.

After a decade of living in upstate New York, Ray and Melzie Ganowsky, along with their two children, decided that it was time to move back to the west. California was where Ray and Melzie had grown up, become high school sweethearts, and eventually married. But the state had changed so much; it was time to look at other possible options.

The year was 1974 when the Ganowsky family arrived in St. George. Soon thereafter, Ray was tracked down by one of his prior company’s clients and asked to continue his work on a project he had been instrumental with in its early development.

With a nominal amount of seed capital, the origins of what is After a decade of living in upstate Over the last 46 years, RAM RAM Manufacturing had begun.

New York, Ray and Melzie Company has endured both Ganowsky, along Over with the their two hardships and periods of great last forty-six years, RAM Company has endured periods children, decidedofthat it wasand periods of success to become one ofone the of the hardship great success to become cornerstones of the localcornerstones economy. During its local tenure, RAM has time to move back to the west. of the economy. employed over 2000 people, whom RAM were southern Utah California is where Ray & Melzie Overmost this of tenure, has residents, to the economic base people, of the city. had grownup, became highadding schoolgreatlyemployed over 2000 most sweethearts, and eventually of which who were local, and has With their entrepreneurial spirit still intact, Ray and Melzie recently married, but the state had changed greatly added to the economic became the majority owners of a new enterprise—also aerospace so much, and it was time to look at base of the city. With their related and located in St. George, Utah—called Intergalactic. The other possible options. entrepreneurial spirit still intact, trajectory of Intergalactic’s success demonstrates that it will be Ray & Melzie have recently become every bit as successful and important to the city of St. George as The year was 1974 when the the majority owners of a new RAM Manufacturing has been.

Ganowsky family arrived in St. enterprise, located in St. George George. Ray was soon thereafter and is also aerospace related, tracked down by one of his prior called Intergalactic. It is the desire company’s clients and asked to and plan for this new company Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine continue the work on a project he to be as every bit successful and

35

Jon

PIKE

Jon

PIKE Jon Pike pictured with Desert Color General Manager Mitch Dansie.

36

FORMER ST. GEORGE C ITY MAYOR Utah Department of Insurance Commissioner Jon Pike was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, and worked in several positions with Intermountain Healthcare in St. George, Utah, between 1990 and 1995. Most recently, he served as the Southwest Utah Operations Director for SelectHealth, the health insurance division of Intermountain Healthcare. Pike’s career has focused on physician relations and contracting, broker relations, sales management, and government and community liaison. He has been a member of the National Association of Healthcare Underwriters and the Utah Acting Commissioner Jon Pike George. He servesyears. on the Association of HealthcareSt. Underwriters for many

was raised in Salt Lake City and boards of Dixie State University, In 2007, Pike was elected to the St. George City Council, and worked in several positions Dixie Technology College, in Healthcare 2013, he was elected mayor of St. George.

He serves on with Intermountain the Washington County Water the boards ofSt. Dixie State University, DixieDistrict, Technical College,St. since 1990 and since 1995 in Conservancy Encircle the Washington Water Conservancy District, and George. Most recently, he servedCounty George, and previously as the Encircle St. George. Previously, he served the League president as the southwest Utah operations president of the as Utah of of the Utah League of Cities and Towns.

He also served as director for SelectHealth, the Cities and Towns. He also served as the chair of the Rural Matters groupof forthe theRural Cox-Henderson health insurance division of the chair Matters group Transition Team.

Intermountain Healthcare. Pike’s for the Cox-Henderson Transition career has focused on received physiciana bachelor’s Team.

Pike degree in finance from the relations and contracting, broker University of Utah and an MBA from Westminster College. relations, sales management, Pike the received bachelor’s degree He loves singing and playing piano,aorgan, and guitar. and government and community in snow finance frommotorcycling, the University He also enjoys water and skiing, and liaison. He has been a member of Utah and an MBA from walking or biking on St. George’s many trails. He and his of the National Association Westminster College. Pike loves wife, Kristy,of have five children and four grandchildren.

Healthcare Underwriters and the singing, playing the piano, organ, Utah Association of Healthcare and guitar, as well as water and Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021 Underwriters for many years. snow skiing, motorcycling, and

Carol

HOLLOWE LL SWITCHPO INT COMMUN ITY RESOU RCE CENTER Carol Hollowell with Security Services Federal Credit Union Assistant Vice President Rebecca Box.

Carol Hollowell has been involved in business development for over thirty years. From building a chain of hair salons to establishing a mortgage and development company, she has always had a knack for seeing the big picture and executing.

A native of Oregon, Carol moved to St. George, Utah, eleven years ago. Her desire to make a difference and to change the model of homeless shelters in Utah led her on a course to open Switchpoint Community Resource Center.

Carol has been involved in well theand Social Award Over the last sixas, years withJustice Carol’s help, Switchpoint has business development for overadded a food andpantry, Woman of Achievement in soup kitchen, community garden, thrift 30 years. From building up a hair Public Services. also store, dog and cat daycare,She andwas rapid rehousing program. salon chain, to a mortgage andIn 2017, Carol recognized as the Entrepreneur received the Congressional Patriotism and development company she hasService a of the year inCongressman 2020 in the Social Award from Chris Stewart. She knack for seeing the big picturealso received Impact Category.

In addition, the Social Justice Award she and Woman of and executing. A native of Oregon, was included in the Utah Women Achievement in Public Services Award. She was recognized she moved to St. George, Utahas11the Entrepreneur 2020 mural nowyear displayed onthe theSocial Impact of the in 2020 in years ago. Her desire to make aCategory. In side of the she Dinwoodey building addition, was included in the Utah Women difference and change the model in downtown Salt Lake City.

Carol 2020 mural now displayed on the side of the Dinwoodey of homeless shelters in Utah led her continues to work and provide building in downtown Salt Lake City. on a course to open Switchpoint resources to our community Carol continues to work and provide resources to the Community Resource Center. southern Utah community.

Over the last six years, with the help of Carol, Switchpoint has

Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 37

Cultivating a Culture of Volunteerism in Your Business

By Donna MacBean

Employees want to be a part of a company that not only is worried about their bottom line but also is concerned about the world around them.

38 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

L

ast year, the Beehive State was ranked as the number one state for volunteerism. 51 percent of its residents volunteered, accumulating a total of 133.9 million hours of service! Volunteerism is woven into the fabric of each of the state’s communities; it’s the Utah way.

Over the last decade, there has been a movement in the private sector signaling that employees increasingly expect employers to give back to the community, not just by handing out giant checks but by volunteering in the community and supporting local charities in unique ways.

Employees want to be a part of a company that not only is worried about their bottom line but also is concerned about the world around them.

In a 2017 report on corporate volunteerism, Deloitte released staggering figures that demonstrate how much employees value workplace volunteerism. The report found that cultivating a culture of volunteerism had the ability to boost morale, workplace atmosphere, and brand perception.

74 percent of working Americans noted that volunteerism provided an improved sense of purpose, 77 percent said that company-sponsored volunteer activities were essential to employee well-being, and 89 percent believed that companies who sponsored volunteer activities offered a better overall working environment than those who did not.

In November 2020, the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce launched its new Chamber Serves Initiative with the goal of increasing corporate social responsibility among businesses in the greater St. George Area. Not only is the Chamber the hub for businesses in southern Utah, it is also a bridge between businesses and nonprofit organizations.

By connecting with nonprofits, businesses can boost company morale, increase employee productivity, and add value to their brand, all by taking a genuine interest in and giving back to the community!

1. Include volunteerism and community giving as part of your company’s core values.

The Chamber Serves Initiative encourages businesses to give back in any way that makes sense for their company.

Some companies simply provide a much-needed monetary contribution to a charity while others coordinate a day of service for their employees.

6. Match employee charitable contributions on a specific day, week, or month.

If you are looking for ways that your business and employees can give back to the community, consider this: the Chamber Serves Committee plans monthly service projects in which chamber staff, chamber members, community businesses, and individuals can participate.

Since launching this initiative, the Chamber has had the opportunity to give back in meaningful ways by: • Donating over $6000 to local nonprofit organizations through the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

• Sorting 10,480 pounds of food that will provide 8,733 meals for southern Utah families through the Utah Food Bank.

2. Adopt a local nonprofit to support annually.

3. Create a Volunteer Time Off (VTO) policy for employees.

4.

Launch a company day of service where the entire company joins together for a service project.

5.

Hold a company-wide competition to raise funds or gather donations for a nonprofit in need.

7. Encourage employees to participate in existing giveback programs like Amazon Smile or box tops.

8.

Launch a company social media campaign to raise awareness of community needs.

9.

Send a weekly or monthly internal communication highlighting ways employees are giving back to the community.

10.

Create your own corporate foundation to address specific needs in the community.

While these ideas may not be possible for your business to take on tomorrow, try to implement one idea today. Work towards finding creative ways to give back in the coming months and years. Your employees will thank you. Your bottom line will benefit. And the community will be better off for your contributions.

• Building a home for a family in need through Habitat for Humanity.

• Collecting over 3,000 items for hygiene kits through Red Rock Center for Independence (RRCI).

• Cleaned up over sixty bags of trash from our roadways through the Love Where You Live program.

Through the Chamber Serves Initiative, the Chamber has developed the following ten ideas to help businesses find meaningful ways to give back to the community:

Donna MacBean is an entrepreneur, innovator, and philanthropist. Originally from Canada, Donna and her late husband moved to St. George in 2005. She started her career in bartending and later went on to manage a retail complex, eventually owning several service stations. In 2017, Donna founded Neighborhood Connection, a St. George-based non-profit organization that provides weekend food packs to children who receive free or reduced-cost lunch. She is the state chaplain for the Utah Elks Association, second vice president of the Utah State Ladies of Elks and co-chair of SGACC Chamber Serves Committee.

Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 39

Letter to the Editor

Originally published in St. George News

University’s Polytechnic Focus Is Vital to Southern Utah’s Economic Future Southern Utah has experienced incredible growth for decades, driven mainly by real estate, hospitality, and retirement. These important industries have provided opportunities for many and expanded the region’s population, but we need more to take the Washington County economy to the next level. It’s time to broaden our economic base.

In recent years, we’ve seen a handful of companies in advanced technology fields—including software, consumer electronics, and aerospace, to name a few—gain traction in the greater St. George area. These companies represent the next wave of economic growth for our region and the promise of high-paying jobs and upward career mobility. We have a tremendous opportunity to lean into this homegrown technology ecosystem and take our economy to greater heights.

To make this bright future possible, we need tight alignment between the academic programs of the local university and the workforce development needs of local tech companies.

The situation in 2021 Washington County is almost identical to 2008 Utah County. Back then, Utah Valley University refined its mission to become an “engaged learning” institution focused on the combination of academic and hands-on learning. Some initially criticized the change, but it has been validated over time. UVU is now the largest public university in Utah with 41,000 students and is a vital cog in Utah County’s well-oiled economic machine.

This is why the university’s new focus on applied learning in emerging industries is vital. As business leaders, we aren’t advocating for anything related to the name, which has been the topic of much debate, but we are vigorous proponents of a polytechnic mission that would allow students to pursue a full array of traditional academic programs and a select number of applied learning tracks in fields important to the local economy, especially business, healthcare, biotechnology, technology, and engineering.

Southern Utah is an ideal place for this academic mission. Utah currently has a land grant institution in Utah State University, a Tier One research university in the University of Utah, and one of the top private religious universities in the country in Brigham Young University.

We also have a statewide system of applied and technical colleges, including Dixie Tech, which trains plumbers, electricians, EMTs and more. But we don’t have a technology-focused university like Georgia Tech, Texas Tech, or Virginia Tech, which provide broad-based academic degrees, targeted applied learning tracks, and powerful athletic programs.

The time is right for this new emphasis because emerging technology industries will play an outsized role in reshaping our economic future. Southern Utah will eventually boast a technology sector on the level of Silicon Slopes in Northern Utah. For this to happen, we need a strong partnership between the business community and local higher education institutions to build and strengthen programs that produce graduates who are ready to contribute right away. In turn, local tech companies will provide valuable and lucrative professional opportunities right here in Southern Utah, keeping talent in the community.

Across Utah, technology jobs far exceed the median state income, increasing the standard of living for our future university graduates. High-paying jobs expand the tax base and contribute to the enhancement of our community.

In addition, for every job created in tech, up to five support positions in business services and other key functions are created. Utah’s technology companies attract about $25 billion in venture investments per year, plus billions more in revenues—multiples higher than Utah’s vaunted $10 billionper-year tourism industry—and much of that money goes straight into the pockets of highly qualified workers.

Above all, we want to create an environment where nobody in our community needs to look elsewhere for a high-paying job, and no employer has to look elsewhere for a qualified candidate.

We want to build on southern Utah’s strong foundation of grit, ingenuity, and resourcefulness and take the region to even greater heights. We want to fine-tune an economic engine where industry, academia, and government work together to grow the community and continually improve the standard of living.

The future is ours to define. Let’s align our educational and economic interests to build an even brighter future for everyone in Southern Utah.

40 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

Submitted by: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Brian McCann, CEO, Intergalactic Brad Plothow, VP of Strategy, Intergalactic Gregg Robison, CEO, RAM Aviation, Space and Defense Gary Stone, Associate Vice President for Precision Genomics, Intermountain Healthcare Shawn Nelson, CEO, Lovesac Joshua Aikens, Silicon Slopes St. George Chapter Mitch Cloward, Administrator, St. George Regional Hospital Shayne Wittwer, Business Executive Bryson Despain, Founder, Rukkus Chip Childs, CEO & President, SkyWest Inc. Robert Simmons, CFO, SkyWest Inc. Brittany Fay, Director of Marketing, Vasion Clint Reid, CEO, Zonos Michelle Ercanbrack, Product Marketing, Zonos Glenn Price, Founder & Managing Partner, Bondir Tavish Calico, Founder & Creative Director, Bondir

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Lazy 3 Leather Company Lazy 3 Leather Company, a handcrafted leather business located in Ivins, Utah, is owned by husband and wife team Todd and Lucy Duke. They are self-taught leather makers who began making leather goods in 2012 and relocated from northwest Colorado to Utah in the winter of 2017.

At its core, Lazy 3 Leather Company is a brand that aims to create everyday essentials that will last a lifetime. All their products are made from highquality, full-grain leather hides that will grow and age with you. Each item they craft is something you will be proud to own and will be a keepsake to be passed from one generation to the next.

One of the company’s goals is to use leather supplies in an eco-friendly way to eliminate waste. All scraps are saved and used to develop unique items that demonstrate their passion for leather and love for the art of leather stamping.

Their handmade keychains were born from this desire. Todd and Lucy also produce and design their own leather stamps, allowing them to make one-ofa-kind, hand-stamped leather jewelry, keychains, and company swag.

From hide to hand, they make it all!

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www.ganderoutdoors.com Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 41

Atwood Innovation Plaza Spotlight

A Simple Idea to Revolutionize an Industry

W

hen Devon Dickson landed on an idea for his Dixie State University student project, he could never have imagined the new direction his life would take.

In August 2019, Dickson was tasked with finding a viable business concept for his entrepreneurship class at Dixie State University. As any business person will tell you, coming up with an original working idea is not easy, so with his project looming and his mind brainstorming, Dickson stopped for a bite to eat at the campus Trailblazer Cafe. He watched as student after student stood in line to pay for soda before filling their glasses at the self-serve fountain and thought, “What if a person could pay monthly and have unlimited drinks anywhere on campus?”

The idea was intriguing; he decided to run with it. The next day, he arrived at class with charts, graphs, and an outline of the potential profits. Dickson named the project Fill Drinks, and when his idea was enthusiastically endorsed by his classmates, he, along with fellow students Braden Bringhurst and Stuart Baker, went to work to make the idea a reality.

“Initially, we thought this would be an easy business to start,” explained Dickson.

“But it took over a year from this initial idea until we launched in September 2020. We faced countless obstacles, including the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even trying to get a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine was a massive obstacle that took months of negotiations.”

It is no wonder that Dickson saw the potential profits in Fill Drinks, since Americans consume between seven and fourteen carbonated beverages a week at an average cost of roughly $2.20 per day. With a subscription to Fill Drinks— the monthly fee is $19.99 for unlimited drinks—student beverage costs could be reduced to $.66 per day, a savings of approximately 70 percent.

The process of becoming a subscriber is simple: Subscriptions to Fill Drinks can be purchased online and a free reusable bottle embedded with your personal RFDI chip can be picked up at the locations found online. A subscriber places the bottle directly on the fountain’s black RFDI reader and selects and pours a drink.

With over 200 flavor combinations, including healthier choices like Powerade and Vitaminwater, there is something at a Fill Drink fountain for everyone.

Dickson and his team credit much of their success to the help, guidance, and support of the Atwood Innovation Plaza (AIP), located on the DSU campus on 700 East and 400 South in the former East Elementary School Building, and to the UdvarHazy School of Business. The Atwood Innovation Plaza is named after the late Dixie State University Trustee Lindsay T. Atwood, who was a life-

42 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

long entrepreneur and businessman whose vision, focus, and energy led to the establishment of the center.

AIP’s mission is to assist entrepreneurs and small businesses in developing, launching, and growing their businesses free of charge. In essence, the story of Fill Drinks demonstrates the entire purpose and mission of AIP. “Without the countless number of people that helped us, we never would have made it,” Dickson said. “We are forever grateful for the support of AIP, the school of business, and the school faculty who helped us every step of the way.”

Currently, Fills Drinks is expanding into the business-to-business market with plans to retrofit existing soda machines with their technology.

A phone will unlock the fountain, allowing the user to pour a drink, and the system can be white-labeled to fit the branding of any customer.

So next time you think you must find a business concept that is “bigger and better” in order to be successful, think again. Devon Dickson is showing the world that a sensible idea that solves a problem can revolutionize an industry.

Fill Drinks invites you to join the refill revolution!

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WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTHERN UTAH

What’s Happening in Southern Utah

By Macrae Heppler Sponsored by Eagle Gate Title

Tech Ridge

Address: 475 S. Donlee Drive, St. George, Utah Website: techridge.com Where else can you find a blank canvas of 93 buildable acres on an elevated bluff in the middle of an established metropolitan area?

Tech Ridge, located in the heart of downtown St. George, is a unique, multi-purpose environment like nothing else in southern Utah.

Located on the original site of the historic St. George airport, this campus-in-the-sky is a mixed-use community designed to stimulate innovation. A perfect culmination of urban engineered living space, corporate offices, higher learning, experiential retailers, hospitality, and outdoor gathering spaces make for an empowered lifestyle. The 60,000-square-foot Vasion/Zonos building is open and occupied, with the Skyview building slated to begin construction in fall 2021 and the new Intergalactic building breaking ground in 2022.

Black Desert

Black Desert Drive and Snow Canyon Parkway, Ivins, Utah Website: blackdesertresort.com Black Desert Resort will be home to a future hotel providing 360-degree views of the breathtaking natural marvels in southern Utah as well as a Tom Weiskopf 19hole golf course in Ivins, UT. In addition to this famed resort, a 3000-foot-long desert boardwalk will allow you to walk end-to-end uninterrupted by vehicular traffic while enjoying feature restaurants showcasing hand-crafted culinary discoveries as well as international purveyors.

The first phase will offer nearly 500 new jobs with the completed project accommodating an anticipated one million visitors per year. Visit their website to learn more.

44 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

820 W. Akoya Pearl Street, St. George, Utah Website: desertcolor.com Desert Color offers residents, visitors, and businesses the opportunity to experience a life connected to the outdoors while allowing residents to be connected to one another. The main land-use districts within Desert Color are connected by parks, natural wash corridors, and the mountain vistas beyond.

The Shores Resort and Welcome Center at Desert Color are open for use, along with their 2.5 acre recreational lagoon, a spacious pool, and sunbathing deck. Most recently, Desert Color announced two newcomers to the development: Dixie State University’s extension campus and Big Shots Golf, which is under construction and slated to open in late 2021.

Dinosaur Crossing

Location: 447 S. Mall Drive, St. George, Utah

Anchored by the 123,000-square-foot Smith’s Marketplace, Dinosaur Crossing is a 26-acre commercial development that includes five multitenant buildings and pads. Dinosaur Crossing recently welcomed Mo’ Bettahs, Zao Asian Cafe, Menchies, and Taco Bell (under construction).

Two pads and two units are available.

Commerce Pointe

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTHERN UTAH

Desert Color

Location: Bluff Street and Blackridge Drive, St. George, Utah Commerce Pointe has proven to be a prime spot for retailers in the area and a huge contributor to the St. George community. Since breaking ground in February 2020, Commerce Pointe has powered through, opening with powerhouse retailers like Jersey Mikes, Mo’ Bettah’s, Blaze Pizza, Verizon, and Crumbl. Chick-fil-a has announced it’s second freestanding location in southern Utah, which will be located at Commerce Pointe.

Boulder Creek Crossing

Location: River Road and 1450 S., St. George, Utah Boulder Creek Crossing is filling in quickly! In addition to the anchor building where Balance of Nature is headquartered, Tag-n-Go, Popeyes, and Dutch Bros Coffee are open and busy! Three new buildings are planned or under construction, including a new multi-tenant retail building, which will house some newcomers to St. George, including Spilled Milk Ice Cream and Cereal Bar, Mix’d Soda & Dough, 8 Moons Thai and Sushi and a second Dixie Meats location. Alta Bank will also be building their new location at Boulder Creek Crossing.

Be in the know!

Scan this QR code to sign up for our newsletter and videos highlighting everything happening in southern Utah.

Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 45

Welcome

to Our Newest St. George Area Chamber of Commerce Members

1st Rate Mortgage (435) 772-2181 1530 E Scenic Sunrise Drive Washington, UT 84780

The Brothers Clean (435) 319-0917 782 S River Road #45 St. George, UT 84790

Feellove Coffee (435) 632-8324 2 W St. George Blvd #38 St. George, UT 84770

Laura’s Gourmet Apples (513) 375-2969 1854 Stonebridge Drive #13 St. George, UT 84770

ActionCOACH-Southern Utah (385) 333-8730 P.O. Box 380523 Ivins, UT 84738

Cal’s Smoke N Tacos (801) 669-3403 1620 E 90th S Circle St. George, UT 84790

Figmentation Foundation (435) 429-1318 53 E Cliffrose Lane Brookside, UT 84782

Lendio Utah (801) 675-8914 4100 Chapel Ridge Rd Ste 500 Lehi, UT 84043

ALIGHT Dance Academy (435) 703-9939 1082 E Riverside Drive St. George, UT 84790

Chic Gents (435)-879-9590 76 W Tabernacle St. George, UT 84770

Flying Carpet (435) 375-4500 755 S Bluff Street St. George, UT 84770

Life’s Worth Living Foundation (801) 856-7548 PO Box 1147 Tooele, UT 84074

Alliance Fire & Safety (435) 669-4039 1433 East Ridge Street St. George, UT 84780

Christie’s Asian Kitchen (808) 796-6319 2271 E Dinosaur Crossing Drive St George, UT 84790

Gateway Mortgage (801) 368-6519 335 E Main Street #104 St. George, UT 84770

Bicycles Unlimited (435) 673-4492 90 S 100 E St. George, UT 84770

Civil Ground Patrol (435) 419-1499 c/o Pandora Saunders St. George, UT

Geek Powered Solutions (435) 522-8310 St. George, UT

Logistic Specialities International (801) 776-0062 1530 N Layton Hills Parkway Layton, UT 84041

Big D Construction (801) 598-3078 1788 W 200 N Lindon, UT 84042

Compton Tax and Accounting (435) 999-2131 6173 S Zelda Drive St. George, UT 84790

BigShots Golf (801) 554-1551 1108 W Black Mountain Road St. George, UT 84790 Bondir Brandworks & Design Studio (913) 390-2052 912 W 1600 S Ste B-201 St. George, UT 84790 Brett’s Bees & Honey (435) 256-5391 2550 S 3430 E St. George, UT 84790 Brightening Within Counseling (801) 214-4434 32 E 100 S St. George, UT 84770

Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids (435) 522-9897 15 S River Road Ste 180 St. George, UT 84790 Elevated Networks (801) 930-0444 2545 E Gentry Court St. George, UT 84790 ES Solar (801) 628-6363 245 E 2150 N Layton, UT 84041

Gib’s Gourmet Popcorn (435) 817-3482 PO Box 460684 Leeds, UT 84746 Institute for Continued Learning (435) 652-7670 658 E 200 S St. George, UT 84770 Integrated Psych (435) 703-9647 1664 S Dixie Drive St. George, UT 84770 Jeff Smith Construction (435) 359-8387 491 N Bluff Street St. George, UT 84770 Jeremiah Barber Photography (435) 773-0799 2754 S 2220 E St. George, UT 84790

LV Swiss Manufacturing (435) 635-1482 621 N State Street LaVerkin, UT 84745 Mariana Adamson-RE/MAX (435) 592-3951 1001 W Curly Hollow Drive #88 St. George, UT 84770 Mimi’s Country Candies (435) 310-0087 31 S 300 W Veyo, UT 84782 My Place Hotel Hurricane (435) 619-6495 1167 W 80 S Hurricane, UT 84737 Never Give Up Brand (435) 773-7022 St. George, UT 84770 Next Gen Surfaces (435) 705-1240 4430 S Commerce Drive St. George, UT 84790

Join the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce today.

Connect with our 1000+ members!

46 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

Papas Got Jerk (435) 275-2668 250 Red Cliffs Drive St. George, UT 84790

Quick Quack Car Wash (888) 772-2792 2828 S Mall Drive St. George, UT 84790

Tracked Out Adventures (847) 345-7855 1609 Tollgate Canyon Road Coalville, UT 84017

Pick Your Plum Online Retailer (435) 201-2105 761 S Bluff Street St. George, UT 84770

Rasbrand Marketing Group (801) 310-9041 1000 Bluff View Drive Washington, UT 84780

Tyler Inn at Zion (435) 216-7455 244 W Main Street Rockville, UT 84763

Planet Smoothie (435) 229-0126 245 Red Cliffs Drive St. George, UT 84770 Proforma Business Communications (801) 867-1867 PO Box 634 New Harmony, UT 84757 Providence Insurance Agency (435) 767-7144 923 S River Road Ste 200 St. George, UT 84790

SIRQ Construction (801) 253-7825 3900 N Traverse Mountain Blvd Lehi, UT 84043 T-Mobile for Business (702) 622-0306 4175 S Riley Street Las Vegas, NV 89147 Tek-It (801) 556-2272 50 E 100 S St. George, UT 84770

U.S. Commercial Service (801) 524-3091 350 S Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84101 Unalp CPA (435) 767-9339 169 W 2710 S Circle St. George, UT 84790

World Trade Center Utah 60 East South Temple #300 Salt Lake City, UT 84111 Vacasa (435) 714-1410 783 E Posado Street Ivins, UT 84738 Western Tri State Equipment (702) 346-4276 4370 E Farm Road Littlefield, AZ 86432 Zion Trophies and Awards (435) 656-9164 376 E Sunland Drive St. George, UT 84790

Utah Microloan Fund (801) 746-1180 154 E Ford Avenue Salt Lake City, UT 84115

Renewals Company Name

Years Since Join Date

A Team Automotive........................3 Academy Mortgage Corporation...6 Alive and Well.................................3 Anasazi Steak House & Gallery....13 AT&T...............................................9 Bedrock Quartz...............................3 Best Western Abbey Inn...............25 Best Western Coral Hills...............53 Bi-Tapp............................................1 Broadway Bound Washington City Center for Music and Theater........3 Cargo Glide....................................2 Cheesecake Culture........................1 City of St. George.........................59 Clover Patch Quilt Shop.................6 Coldwell Banker Premier Realty, St. George.....................................18 Comfort Suites................................2 Comfort Systems USA Southern Utah.................................5 Dealer Collision Center................23 Dean Foods St. George Ice Cream....5 Deseret Industries.........................25 Desert Pain Specialists....................4 Dixie 4 Wheel Drive........................7 Dixie Center at St. George...........30 Dixie Technical College: Dixie Tech......................................14 DSU Community Education...........4

E & F Investment...........................20 Effectv a Comcast Company........12 ERA Brokers Consolidated, Ron Lemmon.................................23 Fabulous Freddy’s.........................11 First American Title Insurance Company......................................25 Gold Cross Services........................7 Harry Bertoia Foundation...............2 HintonBurdick CPAs & Advisors...22 Horrocks Engineers.......................15 Huntsman World Senior Games...16 iGOTPOOP.COM............................1 Impact Utah....................................1 Inwest Title Services........................2 Jacob Lake Inn................................7 Jeremy Larkin..................................4 Job Corps.......................................4 Kayenta Homes & Properties.......36 KPI West..........................................6 Lattitude Marketing........................4 LED, Lighting, Entertainment & Design.........................................3 Love Utah Box.................................1 Main Street Insurance Agency......24 Markel Realty Group.......................4 McArthur’s Temple View RV Resort.......................................36 Medical Billing Management...........3 Mountainland Kitchen & Bath Studio.....................................6

Navan Global..................................3 RE/MAX Associates, Shannon Gardner............................8 Red Cliffs Health & Rehab............20 Red Cliffs Rifle & Pistol Range........3 Riverfront Medical Center..............3 Roofers Supply..............................11 Root for Kids.................................24 Rowley’s Red Barn...........................6 RRCI: Empowering People with Disabilities.............................24 SERVPRO......................................14 Siena’s Pharmacy............................5 Sierra Vista Stucco........................22 Southern Utah RV Resort................2 Southwest Behavioral Health Center...36 Southwest Spine and Pain Center...1 St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm....................12 St. George Ford Lincoln...............16 St. George Ink & Toner Co...........16 St. George Rotary Club................11 Staples.............................................1 Star Sign & Banner........................11 State Bank of Southern Utah........28 State Farm, Mike Ford..................24 Stele Hat Company........................4 SUCCESS Academy........................4 Sunwarrior.......................................6 Switchpoint Community Resource Center.............................................6

SWPPPs Made Easy........................2 T-Mobile..........................................1 TDS Telecom.................................14 The Book Bungalow.......................3 The Code Frame.............................3 The Retreat at Sunbrook.................6 Tuacahn Center for the Arts.........16 Udy & Associates— American Family Insurance.............3 Utah Department of Workforce Services.........................8 Utah Shakespeare Festival............26 Val-U Flooring.................................2 VCBO Architecture.........................2 Washington City.............................1 Washington County School District...............................23 Washington County Water Conservancy District.....................11 Watts Construction.......................25 Wells Fargo Advisors......................3 Westland Construction.................12 Wyson Financial..............................6 Zagg St. George.............................2 Zion National Park Forever Project..............................26 Zonos..............................................1 Zwick Construction Company........2

www.stgeorgechamber.com

Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 47

Calendar of

Events

August 2021

September 2021

August 4 Meet the New Members Luncheon Chamber Networking Lunch Atwood Innovation Plaza at Dixie State University

September 1 Meet the New Members Luncheon Chamber Networking Lunch Atwood Innovation Plaza at Dixie State University

August 11 Lights, Camera, Action...at Tuacahn Chamber Networking Lunch Tuacahn Center for the Arts

September 8 RISE St. George Business Summit Dixie Convention Center NEW Annual Event

August 18 Welcoming the World for Ironman Chamber Networking Lunch Best Western Abbey Inn August 24 Annual Chamber Family Luau Vernon Worthen Park August 25 Keeping Momentum in Your Business Chamber Networking Lunch Courtyard by Marriott

48 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

September 13 Chamber Family Night!

Cupcake Decorating with Cupcakes by Julie St. George Area Chamber Offices

October 2021 October 4–16 Huntsman World Senior Games Various Locations in the St. George Area October 6 Meet the New Members Luncheon Chamber Networking Lunch Atwood Innovation Plaza at Dixie State University

September 15 Huntsman World Senior Games Preview Chamber Networking Lunch Best Western Abbey Inn

October 9 Washington County Multicultural Festival St. George City Town Square NEW Annual Event

September 17–18 Ironman 70.7 World Championship Greater Zion and Various Locations September 21 Business After Hours at Zions Trophy and Awards Zion Trophy and Awards September 22 The Business of Golf Chamber Networking Lunch Sponsored by Copperock Golf Club Sunriver Golf Club Ballroom

October 13 The Future of the Healthcare Economy Chamber Networking Lunch Sponsored by Steward Healthcare Best Western Abbey Inn October 20 Chamber Networking Luncheon Sponsored by Altabank Courtyard by Marriott October 27 Manufacturing in Southern Utah Luncheon Chamber Networking Lunch Hilton Garden Inn

September 29 Taking Off! The Future of Air Travel from St. George Chamber Networking Lunch Sponsored by Skywest Airlines Hilton Garden Inn

November 2021 November 4 30 in Their Thirties Awards Dinner Recognition Event Dixie Convention Center NEW Annual Event

To learn more about Community Events, please visit www.stgeorgechamber.com Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 49

SOUTHERN UTAH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION SPOTLIGHT Sponsored By | Eagle Gate Title Insurance Agency

Changing the Face of Poverty Switchpoint Community Resource Center is a stepping stone to independence for individuals experiencing homelessness. A switch point is a mechanism on a train track that, with a little bit of a turn, sends the train in a completely different direction. Switchpoint offers tools to get life back on track for those who need it most.

The Switchpoint Vision: Each individual has worth and value.

Change occurs when people are treated with respect and dignity and empowered with skills and resources to better their circumstance.

Every individual is a part of our community and can be free from harm in stable, affordable housing. With self-esteem, hope, and abilities restored, they can thrive and contribute to society.

You Can Help by Joining the Community of Monthly Donors Empowering People to Restore Their Livelihood.

The Switchpoint Society is a passionate and determined group of monthly givers on a mission to end the suffering of those experiencing home­ lessness. They are people like you, giving what they can to show how unstoppable we are when we work together. You are the “Switchpoint” to help those in need get back on the track to self-sufficiency.

$20 restores an ID card. $40 provides bus passes vital for clients to maintain employment. $100 provides 50 hot meals for the soup kitchen. $250 provides shelter, food, and supplies for a parent and child.

Donate today!

Switchpoint.com

948 N. 1300 W., St. George, UT 84770 435-628-9310 | info@switchpointcrc.org

Southern Utah’s Top Rated Title & Escrow Company

229 East St. George Blvd #200, St. George, UT 84770 435.703.6060

www.eaglegatetitle.com Closing Made Easy Consumers | Lenders | Realtors | Builders | Commercial 50 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021

SHAWN NELSON The Lovesac Company

CARINE CLARK Pelion Venture Partners

BRAD BONHAM Walker Edison

NATALIE GOCHNOUR David Eccles School of Business

RUSSELL CHILDS SkyWest, Inc.

REGISTER TODAY

DIXIE CONVENTION CENTER

NATE CHECKETTS Rhone

09 08 21

Business is booming and it’s time to talk about it.

Join us to discuss St. George, Utah’s next big thing.

STGEORGERISE.COM Fall 2021 :: Southern Utah Business Magazine 51

A genetics research project

Tomasso had heart disease, but his grandsons don’t have to.

Consent online at HerediGene.org/ProtectOurHealth and visit any Intermountain hospital or clinic in southern Utah to donate a small blood sample.

52 Southern Utah Business Magazine :: Fall 2021