"One, there's already a solid foundation. And two is the quality of life. We get a lot of resumes coming across our desk of very qualified people who want to be in this area, in the Intermountain area, for quality-of-life reasons. . . . I suspect you're going to see that kind of capability continue to grow along the Wasatch Front."

Growth of the regional economy also could boost local money managers.

"Most people in the financial adviser world want to have somebody fairly close by, within a few hours, anyway," Bird said. "This is just the world we choose to live in. . . . But I certainly think there's potential for growth in the market."

That doesn't mean Alta Capital or Albion will become household names right away. Gardiner said he thinks Wasatch Advisors remains rather anonymous in its own community, despite its success.

"I feel like we're much better-known outside of Utah," Gardiner said. "We would love to see the investment community blossom here."

Barlow believes that can happen.

"People are getting to know us and our name," he said. "In our business, so much of where new assets come from is through word of mouth and through referrals. . . . We're being recognized now."

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E-mail: gkratz@desnews.com