Zions has been the SBA's top lender in Utah for the past 12 years. In fiscal year 2005, Zions reported that it approved 699 SBA 7(a) loans, totaling more than $60 million, and representing 34 percent of the 2,012 SBA-backed loans approved in the state during the year.

Mitchell, along with Zions' senior vice president, Lori Chillingworth, also will host a weekly hour-long show on the Utah County-based Internet radio network, www.grapevineradio.com. The show, "The Innerview," will include interviews with local business owners on best practices, tips and common pitfalls.

Martin Frey, managing director of the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development, said in a prepared statement that the center "will be part of the new Utah Business Link network, which is the state's new public/private partnership to improve entrepreneurial development throughout the state."

Ideally, Mitchell said Zions would like the Business Resource Center to outgrow its current space. It would like to create similar centers statewide, in cities and towns, urban and rural areas. And, Mitchell said, it would like to partner with colleges and universities, providing facilities and resources while giving business students opportunities for practical experience.

"Our idea is to work with those types of places, to make it really more of a one-stop shop for businesses," Mitchell said. "Our role in that could be providing staff. It could be providing equipment or extra space. We want to go in and do our part to help the business community, whether it's here or in St. George or Ogden. We want to be a part of the development of economic prosperity."

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E-mail: jnii@desnews.com