At Rural Day on the Hill, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development announced the winners of the Rural Businesses of the Year awards.
“Utah has experienced unprecedented economic growth, but not all of Utah’s communities are full participants in this success,” said Gov. Herbert. “The 25K Job Initiative aims to improve economic success in all 25 counties by exploring new opportunities and clearing roadblocks impeding economic progress.”
This is the first year for the Business of the Year awards program. GOED worked with county commissioners to identify winners to represent their county. Companies were nominated based on economic impact in their community, size of the business and jobs created.
Businesses located in Utah’s 25 rural Utah counties are recognized for outstanding achievement, growth, impact in their community, job creation and innovation.
The 2018 awardees are:
- Beaver County – Skope
- Box Elder County – Lewis Cabinet Specialties
- Cache County – Conservice
- Carbon County – Intermark Steel
- Daggett County – Flaming Gorge Resort
- Duchesne County – L&L Motor
- Emery County – Bronco Utah
- Garfield County – Ruby’s Inn
- Grand County – Moab Brewery
- Iron County – Genpak
- Juab County – Barnes Bullets
- Kane County – Honey Marketplace
- Millard County – Magnum
- Morgan County – Innovative Structural Solutions
- Piute County – Tomatoes Pizza Pie
- Rich County – STR Helper
- San Juan County – Bluff Dwellings
- Tooele County – Chad Hymas
- Uintah County – VTV Channel 6
- Wasatch County – Heber Valley Historic Railroad
- Wayne County – Legacy Outdoor Adventures
Rural Day on the Hill highlights economic challenges, successes and opportunities in rural Utah. The 2018 event featured updates from rural legislators, progress of the 25K Jobs initiative and a lunch with legislators in the Rotunda. During the luncheon, rural counties had the opportunity to exhibit and show off their county and what makes it great.
Gov. Herbert has spent the last several months meeting with representatives from each rural county to discuss incentives, grants, funding opportunities, resources, and each county’s strategy to and to grow diversify and their local economy.
“Today’s Business of the Year recipients demonstrate a commitment to growing their businesses, creating jobs and strengthening our rural communities through promising economic opportunities,” said Val Hale, executive director of GOED. “We’re confident they will continue to impact their communities and inspire others to find the resources they need to grow.”
In addition to the Business of the Year awards, the Utah Leopold Conservation Awards winners were announced. The award honors a Utah landowner’s achievement in voluntary stewardship and management of natural resources.
“Farmers and ranchers are the fathers of conservation here in the great state of Utah,” said Rep. Norm Thurston. “Long before modern organized conservationists, it was the agricultural producers that cared and tended to our land with the goal of preserving and passing it on to future generations. The families that have received this award have been a model for how conservation and agriculture go hand-in-hand in a prosperous operation. I want to sincerely congratulate Fred Thurston and the others for the incredible work they have done.”
