Job creation is strong in Utah

Fresh off a hectic 2006-07 fiscal year, the Economic Development Corp. of Utah is finding the early days of the current year to be just as busy.

Meaning, folks have an eye on Utah for possible corporate relocations and expansions.

EDCU, contracted by the state to help lure projects to the state, since the end of June has had 21 site visits by outside firms considering Utah and seven visits by Utah companies looking to expand in-state. The entire prior fiscal year, EDCU was involved in 113 site visits.

The agency has more than 200 projects it considers "hot" or "warm," meaning Utah has a good chance of seeing clients pick the Beehive State.

"The level of interest in new in-bound projects continues to be high," Jeff Edwards, EDCU's president and chief executive officer, told the Governor's Office of Economic Development on Friday.

This fiscal year, EDCU has helped companies that plan to create potentially 1,810 jobs and retain 395. The figure includes 1,000 from Procter & Gamble, which announced last week it would build a paper products manufacturing plant in Box Elder County.

The agency also has 640 more jobs awaiting announcement by the creating company. Edwards told the GOED board that 17 projects involve companies that have opted for Utah but have yet to make their decisions public.

In 2006-07, EDCU clients committed to create or retain 6,410 jobs, of which 5,570 were new positions.

EDCU and GOED often use code names to refer to pending projects. Two strong possibilities for Utah to be announced soon are "Project Windmill," which is a financial services company considering central Utah, and "Project Airframe," an aircraft manufacturer in the composites industry with an interest in northern Utah, Edwards said.

During the past year, EDCU has worked with four aviation services companies, four data-center firms, four companies producing alternative energy products and several small to medium-sized manufacturing and distribution companies, he said.

A key to success, he said, is simply getting company representatives or site selectors to Utah. More than half the time, a site visit helps seal the deal.

"If we get someone to come and look," Edwards said, "it makes all the difference."

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E-mail: bwallace@desnews.com