For over 20 years, the Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah) has been helping companies create jobs and capital investment in our state. A private nonprofit agency supported by more than 250 partners, EDCUtah provides no cost consulting services to companies who would like to learn about expanding or relocating into Utah.

1. 2.3-trillion-Square-Foot Testing Facility. Utah boasts 13 world class ski resorts, 7 national monuments, 6 national forests, 5 national parks, 100’s of boatable lakes and rivers, and more. Nearly 75% of Utah is public land, or in other words, your 2.3-trillion-square-foot testing facility. See why people are saying that life in Utah is Life Elevated.


2. Dawn Patrol. What good is a testing facility if you can't get to it? The Wasatch Mountains are so close to the cities that some Utah ski resorts offer free lift tickets to anyone with a same-day airline boarding pass. Locals have even been known to earn a few sunrise backcountry turns or a mountain bike ride before heading into their offices.


3. Good Company. More than 1,000 outdoor products companies are currently doing business in Utah. Amer Sports (whose brands include Atomic, Salomon, Suunto, Arc’teryx, etc.), Backcountry.com, Black Diamond, Delta 7, Easton, Fezzari, Ogio, Petzl, Rossignol, and Voile are just a few of the companies already headquartered in Utah. See our list of major employers.


4. The State of Sport. Want thrilling events, world-class facilities, and breathtaking venues? Utah has mountains of them. From the 2002 Winter Olympics to XTERRA, the Utah Sports Commission hosts international sports competitions in Utah all year round.


5. Outdoor Retailer Markets. Utah is host to the annual Outdoor Retailer Winter and Summer Markets, which bring together more than 40,000 outdoor industry buyers and senior level decision makers from all over the world.


6. Great People. Utah's workforce is young, highly educated, and growing. The average age in Utah is 29 – the youngest in the nation – and the population is growing at more than 2% annually.


7. Competitive Costs. Utah's cost of doing business is 10% below the national average. Learn what components keep Utah's cost of doing business competitive.


8. Stable Investment. Utah is the best managed state in the nation¹. Utah boasts one of only three state governments with an AAA bond rating from all three rating agencies, and is projected to have a full recovery by 2011². Read more about our Governor’s plans to keep Utah’s economy going strong.


9. National Reputation. Forbes Magazine has ranked Utah in the top three “Best States for Business” three years in a row. At the same time, Business Facilities Magazine has ranked Utah as the fourth Best State Business Climate and Pollina Corporate Real Estate has ranked Utah as the second best Pro-Business States for 2009.


10. Financial Incentives. The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) can provide financial incentives to qualifying companies creating new, high-paying jobs in Utah. Special consideration is given to companies within Utah’s Economic Clusters, including outdoor products and recreation.

“Our future is immensely bright, immensely exciting, and without question a significant portion of our success is because we chose one of the best, if not the very best place in the United States to set up our global headquarters.”
-Peter Metcalf, President & CEO Black Diamond Ltd.

“[Utah] has been a great partnership so far. Just knowing that the state was friendly to our industry and that by moving here we would know we would have partners long term made a big difference. The [former] governor [Jon Huntsman, Jr.] has attended two events here, and the mayor [Matthew Godfrey of Ogden] really goes out of his way to help us recruit good people…You could almost say there is too much to do in this area – we have to work to keep employees in the office."
-Mike Dowse, President & GM Amer Sports
From Site Selection magazine, May 2008

For more information about relocation and expansion opportunities in Utah, contact Michael Flynn, EDCUtah’s California-based Proactive Recruiting Director, by e-mail or phone at 801.891.5755.