Looking Back at the Top ED Stories of 2008

During the build-up to the Revolutionary War some 232 years ago, a great American patriot named Thomas Paine wrote a political pamphlet called "Common Sense" in which he said, "These are the times that try men's souls." Who knew he was talking about our day!

I don't mean to detract from that difficult period of our American heritage, but these are difficult times as well; times that are trying the very souls of governments, businesses and individuals. Nonetheless, despite the financial morass afflicting the globe, I am confident that brighter days are ahead--especially in Utah! As we usher in the New Year with a fresh set of goals and objectives, I find it refreshing to look back on the major economic development events of 2008--a great year for Utah in many respects. To that end, I've jotted down a few of what I consider to be the top Utah stories from 2008:

The Delta and Northwest Airlines merger. This is a big deal for Utah because having the strong Delta hub at Salt Lake International Airport is important for the jobs involved and also has significant implications for economic development. Also, how can we forget Delta's new Salt Lake to Paris and the upcoming Salt Lake to Tokyo flights? The Paris flight far exceeded most people's expectations and the two flights create gateways to Europe and Asia, which are such important economic development tools.
Two reports rank Utah the number one most economically competitive state (the Beacon Hill Institute and ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index), while another report by Forbes magazine ranks Utah the second best economy in the country. The rankings are but two in a long series of accolades Utah has accumulated this year. Salt Lake City was just ranked the healthiest city in America for women and one of only a handful of cities in the country to make the top ten for both men and women, according to Men's Health and Women's Health magazines. Such rankings are changing the perception people have about Utah and are a boon to our economic development efforts.
FrontRunner commuter rail service begins and Legacy Highway opens, significantly reducing traffic congestion on I-15 in Davis and Weber Counties and providing alternative travel choices for northern commuters into and out of the capital city. We can't talk about transportation without also mentioning the phenomenal success of TRAX.UTA continues its build-out of rail service with TRAX construction continuing in the Salt Lake County's southwest corner and plans are underway for a line from downtown to the Salt Lake International Airport. The presence of a high quality public transit system is a significant economic development factor.
Falcon Hill, a massive public/private business development next to Hill Air Force Base in Davis County, gets off the ground. Falcon Hill is an exciting development with enormous potential, especially with regard to further enhancing our aerospace cluster and other technology-related businesses. What's more, this is only one of a handful of national locations where the Air Force has allowed commercial development on its land.
The UPC Wind Farm in Milford is announced. Meanwhile, Wasatch Wind holds a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its wind farm in Spanish Fork Canyon. Development of alternative energy will be a big part of Utah's future and these wind farm developments are drawing the attention of other alternative energy companies looking at Utah.
Goldman Sachs announces expansion plans for its Salt Lake City office. Despite the chaos in the financial markets, Sachs is moving ahead with its decision to expand its office in the near future and the jobs created will pay wages much higher than the Salt Lake County average.
Governor Jon Huntsman is re-elected and rolls out his new economic development plan. Economic development has always been a big part of his agenda and Utah is fortunate to have a governor with a national profile. His new position as a leader in the Western Governors Association will only draw greater attention to the state.
Real Salt Lake's Rio Tinto Stadium, a jewel in professional sports arenas, opens. Monumental efforts were expended to bring Real Salt Lake to Utah and keep them here and Utah is fortunate to be home to this successful professional franchise and its amazing venue.
Oracle plans the expansion of its Utah data center while eBay selects Utah for the location of its data center. The expansion plans by Oracle and eBay involve large capital investments and higher than average wages for Salt Lake County.
EDCUtah adds the 100th SURE Site to its online certified site database. The SURE Sites program has been very successful and its online presence will continue to add to Utah's national and international visibility.

Of course my list only scratches surface. There are many more great stories from 2008 worth mentioning. For example:

Taylorsville City bucks the global economic crisis-construction is booming there with local businesses driving the growth.
Duncan Aviation selects Provo for a new aircraft service center, while Jet Aviation announces its plans to locate a service facility in Ogden and Million Air Aviation announces that it will add a Honda Jet dealership, showroom and service center to its Utah operations.
Construction continues relentlessly at City Creek Center in downtown Salt Lake City; so also at 222 Main, the first class A (and LEED certified) office tower to be built in the metro area in a long time.
Iron County experiences a renaissance in iron ore mining and geothermal power projects become as hot as the ground water in Beaver and Iron Counties.

In a way I feel like I am counting my blessings here, but why not? We have a fiscally responsible state government, topnotch corporate citizens, lower unemployment and lower utility rates than most of the nation, a young, educated and vibrant labor force and outdoor recreational opportunities that are nonpareil. What better foundation could we have to build upon for future economic development?

I hope you've enjoyed a great holiday thus far and that you will celebrate the New Year safely and responsibly. Here's to 2009!