Economic development officials in Utah must be selective where they spend their money because funds are limited, according to Mike Lawson, new president of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah.
Lawson said budgets of his public-private organization, the business development office for the state and chambers of commerce in Utah combined don't equal the budget for economic development in Phoenix or other large cities.Speaking to members of the Pioneer Partnership in the Alta Club, Lawson said EDCU is continually trying to attract businesses to Utah and help existing business remain in the state. He said California companies comprise the largest part of EDCU's client base, but other states are also courting California business to relocate.
He said EDCU currently has 100 clients and about 50 percent of those are manufacturing firms that have expressed a desire to move from their present locations.
John Hiskey, vice president of business services for EDCU, said he targets biomedical, electronic information, technology and business services companies as the best bets for relocation to Utah. He said EDCU uses advertising, direct mail, blitz trips, placement of magazine stories and national press familiarization tours to entice companies to relocate into the state.
Another speaker was Sharon K. Becker, vice president of operations in Utah and Idaho for TCI Cablevision, who said technology in the communications field is changing rapidly and soon more channels will become available. She said the future is very exciting because the possibilities of providing television programming are almost endless.