Utah Gov. Gary Herbert says state's businesses doing well during economic downturn

LAYTON — An optimistic Gov. Gary Herbert said Thursday he wants Utah to be known "No. 1 as a place to do business" and "the envy of the country."

Speaking at a Davis Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Herbert said economic development, education and energy remain his top priorities, and he lauded companies faring well during the current economic downturn.

Citing Icon Health & Fitness in Logan, Orbit Irrigation Products in Bountiful and Fresenius Medical Care in Ogden as leaders in their product markets, the governor said that throughout Utah one can find businesses "that in difficult times are not only surviving but are thriving."

"Some businesses are expanding right through the economic downturn," he told the crowd of about 130 people at the Davis Conference Center. "And I don't know how you are, but I'm a little tired of hearing only the gloom and doom out there and not realizing there's a lot of good things happening here during this economic downturn in Utah."

By creating a robust economy, "virtually everything else falls into place," he said, noting that a growing economy puts money into government coffers to meet education, transportation and health and human services needs without raising taxes.

During the past five years, Utah has occasionally led the country in job creation and had the lowest unemployment rate in the state's history, he noted.

Even today, Utah "is much healthier than other states. … We are, in fact, looked at as a state who is surviving very well in so many categories," Herbert said.

The job of the governor, the Legislature and local officials is "to keep government off your backs and out of your wallets," he said.

"If we do that, we can have a thriving economy and we create that fertile field, that atmosphere where the entrepreneur knows that if I can come to Utah, I'm going to have a chance to be successful," Herbert said.

Meanwhile, the state's education system must equip students with the skills needed to compete in the global workplace, he added.

"We are becoming the gold standard when it comes to a business-friendly community and a state that is run efficiently and effectively with the taxpayers' money, that has the door and the welcome mat open for business," Herbert said.

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