Enticing Gateway to build a warehouse and manufacturing facility for personal computer systems in west Salt Lake City was one of the top 10 deals in 1997, according to Site Selection Magazine, an economic development trade publication.
The article credits an extensive cost analysis completed by the Economic Development Corporation of Utah for swaying company executives toward building the new 260,000-square-foot facility in Salt Lake City, which was competing with Reno, Nev., for the expansion."EDCU's analysis showed lower costs at the Utah site for labor, workers compensation, unemployment insurance, property taxes, electric power and construction costs," the article said.
Louis H. Callister, chairman of EDCU's board of trustees, said the agency is often asked to furnish an operating cost analysis for clients.
Michael Lawson, EDCU president, said the cost analysis projects over the next 10 years how much a company will have to pay in operating costs in different locations.
The article quoted Robert Spear, Gateway senior vice president, as saying Salt Lake City offered distribution-friendly infrastructure, quality labor, great quality of life, a recognized education system and Utah's values.