New York — The National Hockey League’s Board of Governors today approved the establishment of a franchise beginning with the 2024-25 season in Utah, that will be owned and controlled by Smith Entertainment Group, which is led by Ryan and Ashley Smith. In addition, the Board approved a plan that renders the Arizona Coyotes franchise inactive, with a right to reactivate if owner Alex Meruelo has fully constructed a new, state-of-the-art facility appropriate for an NHL team within five years. The National Hockey League’s Board of Governors today approved the es ..read more

Salt Lake City — Colliers | U.S. today named Jeanette Bennett as Executive Managing Director and Market Leader for their brokerage operations in Utah. In her new role, Bennett will directly oversee all brokerage operations, recruitment, retention and business development across Utah markets. She will report to David Josker, President, U.S. West Region. Colliers | U.S. today named Jeanette Bennett as Executive Managing Director and Market Leader for their brokerage operations in Utah. “I’m thrilled to join Colliers and embark on this exciting journey of driving excellence within Utah’s brokerag ..read more

Denver, CO — On Tuesday, April 23, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Small Business Majority will launch The EDGE — a new six-part webinar series for small businesses in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. This partnership will deliver small business resources on some of the most pressing issues affecting small business owners, including access to capital in rural communities, workforce development, resources to grow childcare business, and enhancing cyber security. This webinar series includes the following dates and topics: April 23 – Capital acce ..read more

Salt Lake City — Last week, Gov. Spencer J. Cox and the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO) announced the launch of the Startup State Initiative and its statewide entrepreneurship brand and business resource portal at startup.utah.gov. The first-of-its-kind state website aims to support startups, small businesses, and entrepreneurs through every step of the business journey by unifying the state’s entrepreneurial resources. “Utah has created the perfect ecosystem for startups to thrive,” said Gov. Cox. “The Startup State Initiative highlights what already exists in Utah and e ..read more

Cedar City, UT — Southern Utah University (SUU) is pleased to announce the groundbreaking ceremony for its highly anticipated new Music Center on April 25, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony will take place at the Northwest Corner of 300 West and University Boulevard. All members of the community are cordially invited to attend this historic event. “I am immensely proud to witness the groundbreaking of our new Music Center at SUU,” said Shauna Mendini, dean of the College of Performing & Visual Arts. “This facility will not only enhance the educational experience for our students but also ser ..read more

Salt Lake City — The Athens Group, a luxury hospitality development company, known for the creation of generational hotels and resorts, along with its partner, Hatteras Sky,  a commercial real estate firm focused on multifamily and hospitality development in high-growth American markets, are pleased to announce they have selected Pivot, the lifestyle operating vertical of Davidson Hospitality Group, to operate and manage Asher Adams, its 225-room Marriott Autograph Collection hotel in downtown Salt Lake City.   “We are excited to partner with Pivot along with Marriott ..read more

The Founder Series is a column by and about Utah founders and how they got to where they are today. Click here to read past articles in the series. This story appears in the April issue of Utah Business. Subscribe here. I started Crust Club because I was disappointed.  In 2016, a company made a chicken pot pie I was excited to try. When I finally did, it was a letdown. Nostalgia attaches itself to pot pies as a top comfort family food, and I instantly knew I could create a better one. It became my mission to make the best chicken pot pie. After creating a new r ..read more

Salt Lake City, Utah — Wasatch First Consulting, a premier Utah-based business consulting firm, is excited to introduce our expanded suite of Assessment services designed specifically to enhance business scalability and leverage strategic networking. In conjunction with this initiative, we proudly announce our strategic partnership with Kinect Capital and the Third Thursday at Three event, highlighting our commitment to fostering robust business networks and supporting startup innovation. Additionally, we have partnered with Udo to ensure the privacy and security of all client data and to fac ..read more

South Jordan, UT — Dr. Dan Fischer, founder and CEO-emeritus of South-Jordan-based Ultradent Products, Inc., a leading manufacturer of high-tech dental materials and equipment, was recently named as one of two individuals in the country inducted into national dental publication—Incisal Edge Magazine’s annual “Dental Innovators Hall-of-Fame”. Dr. Fischer is called “the most prolific American dental inventor over the last 30 years,” as well as applaudedthe global power and legacy of his “positive influence, clinical achievement, ingenuity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and giving.” Edward Kobesk ..read more

Salt Lake City — Each year, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute recognizes individuals and entities that work, often behind the scenes and with little fanfare, to help our community prosper. We call them “Informed Decision Makers” and select them based on criteria consistent with the Institute’s committable core values: responsibility to the community, integrity and relevance, accountability, collaboration, and a positive work environment. “The Gardner Institute is pleased to honor five outstanding individuals and organizations who exemplify a genuine commitment to their community through thei ..read more