Woods Cross Kmart to close in early December

“Store closures are part of a series of actions we’re taking to reduce ongoing expenses, adjust our asset base and accelerate the transformation of our business model,” said Chris Braithwaite of Sears Holding. “These actions will better enable us to focus our investments on serving our customers and members through integrated retail—at the store, online and at home.”

The closing comes as Sears Holdings, the parent company, has announced similar store shutdowns in several other locations in the country. Brathwaite said eligible employees will receive severance and be given the opportunity to apply for open positions at other area Sears or Kmart stores. The Woods Cross store currently has 54 employees, most of them part time or hourly. Davis County Clipper

Utah Employers, Employment and Wages by Size, 2013

The Utah Department of Workforce Services compiles quarterly employment and wage data for non-agricultural employers in Utah. Data is maintained at the establishment level (e.g., store, plant, or other type of permanent worksite facility). Since these establishments are assigned an industry and county code, their employment and wage data can be aggregated into common industry and county groupings for analysis purposes.

Employment and wage data for Utah’s non-agricultural employers are categorized in this publication by employment size for the month of March in each of the designated years. Grouping data by this criterion provides a useful tool to analyze the characteristics of Utah employers. For example, general trends of the size of Utah employers and employment concentrations by employer size class can be observed. Wage levels for large, medium, and small firms can also be evaluated.

In this publication, data is presented for both establishments and firms. The term "establishment" is generally defined as a specific physical worksite for an employer. For most employers, this is the actual street location at which business is conducted. For others, with no permanent worksite (such as salespeople, factory representatives, or distributors) it is the location from which they conduct their business (sometimes even residences).

For an overview of this publication and a look at your county, click here.

Startup weekend NEXT program comes to Utah

Now is the time to learn proven techniques to grow your business. Startup Weekend NEXT is an intensive, in-person, mentor-driven course meant to assist startups in the beginning stages of development.

The Utah Science Technology and Research initiative (USTAR) along with Startup Ogden is pleased to partner with Startup Weekend to bring this exciting program to Davis County. Startup Weekend NEXT lean startup training program is a five-week program focused on customer discovery methodology developed by Silicon Valley entrepreneur, Steve Blank.

Startup Weekend NEXT will be held each Wednesday evening starting March 13 through April 10, at the Northfront Business Resource Center at the Davis Applied Technology College in Kaysville, UT. The cost is $250 a person with team discounts available. The registration fee also includes dinner and registration is capped at 10 companies. Utah Policy

As Utah students struggle, businesses enter the classroom

A business in Morgan has become one of the first to join a statewide movement to get involved in Utah schools.

Employees of Holcim Cement gather at Morgan Elementary twice a week to be Read Today tutors, an unlikely group to be sitting at the desks of little kids.

"When we are working with these kids, big smiles on our faces, it's a really nice break out of the day," said plant manager Keith Krugh. "It does I think as much good for us as for them."

It's not just corporate responsibility that drew Holcim Cement to be Read Today tutors, though. Twice a week, they send employees to the school knowing they're making a difference in their own neighborhood.

"To have professionals come in and make a connection with the kids benefits the reading, and the comprehension is amazing," said Tim Wolff, principal of Morgan Elementary. "The benefits and connection to the community are great, too."

The Holcim employees have become a model for what groups like Read Today and Prosperity 2020 hope will become a grassroots effort, with businesses helping schools.

"It's a wonderful example of a partnership between private industry, government and, you know, the school, KSL —just being partners together, making something wonderful happen," said Ben Johnson, CFO of United Way of Northern Utah.

Utah ranks 29th among states in public education spending per $1,000 of personal income, and spends less per pupil than any other state.

Although eighth-grade students in the state score above the national average on standardized math and reading tests, they score last among states with similar incomes, parents' educations and ethnic diversity. KSL

Bountiful Fresh Market to close

The Fresh Market store in Bountiful will close in February and a nearby Dick’s Market will be remodeled in an attempt to attract more shoppers, owner Associated Food Stores said.

Associated will remodel the Dick’s Market at 2280 S. Orchard Drive immediately. It will stay open during the remodel, which should be finished in the spring. The Fresh Market store at 535 S. 200 West will close Feb. 9.

"We will be able to combine the best elements from Fresh Market with the exemplary offerings of Dick’s Market," Troy Thomas, vice president of Associated Retail Operations, said in a statement. "The combination of Fresh Market and our remodel at Dick’s Market will make our grocery store one of the finest in Davis County."

Most Fresh Market and Dick’s Market employees will keep their jobs, but there may be some reduction as a result of the consolidation, the company said. It estimated that as many as five workers may be laid off.

In March, Associated closed a Fresh Market supermarket in West Valley City. Salt Lake Tribune

Hostess Shutdown Puts 600 Out of Work in Northern Utah

A truck driver with 45,000 pounds of sugar was turned away from the Hostess plant on Lincoln Avenue Friday after the company's top officials indefinitely halted operations at the facility and others nationwide.
"I sat around for an hour and a half … and then got a call to take the sugar someplace else," said Rocky Ridge, a driver for Idaho-based Handy Truck Line.

Employees at the factory — which has turned out truckloads of donuts, breads, cupcakes and other baked goods for several decades — seemed to have been expecting the move by higher-ups to liquidate the company, he said.

None of the roughly 600 workers at the Ogden facility had joined in the union-led protests, which eventually brought the battle between company executives and workers to a stalemate.

Randy Vigil, who has worked for Hostess for 15 years, said he hoped the company would have found a solution "for those who kept working."

Vigil said he'll collect unemployment and "try to start over."

Hostess Bakery Outlet stores across the state were hit with customers Friday, many hoping to snatch up the last of what was expected to be available to consumers. The company's request for permission from
the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to close down and sell off all its brands signaled an end to nearly 124 years of production of Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Wonder Bread and more of Hostess' nostalgic brands.

The move will shut down 33 bakeries, 565 distribution centers and 570 outlet stores nationwide, as well as lay off 18,500 employees.

Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell says, "It's a heartbreaking day for all these families that are affected."
He said the iconic bakery was part of the culture of Ogden.

While it is unknown what will happen to the company's property, building and equipment, Caldwell said the former employees shouldn't have to worry. He said Ogden's "robust economy" can absorb the local job losses. In the near future, the mayor expects the Division of Workforce Services to host a job fair specifically aimed at those whom Hostess has laid off.

Hostess' bankruptcy is expected to have a ripple effect in the economy of various gas stations, convenience stores, grocery stores and thrift shops across the country. Sales of the once popular confections were already low, due to what some believe was intense competition from other snack foods, as well as a desire among the American people to eat better.

"It's Hostess bakery, it's the place to go to get snacks or something in your system," she said. "I really don't want to see the bakery shut down. I feel bad for the people who lose their jobs." Deseret News

Related story: Twinkies Likely to Survive Sale of Hostess

F-JM has majority interest in Maverik

FJ Management Inc., formerly known as Flying J, announced Thursday that it is acquiring a majority interest in Maverik Inc.

FJ Management and Maverik will operate independently with their current respective management teams.

Headquartered in Ogden, FJ Management is a diversified holding company with interests in petroleum refining, travel centers, transportation credit processing and TAB Bank, serving the commercial finance needs of small and medium businesses from coast to coast.

Maverik was founded by Reuel Call in Afton, Wyo., in 1928 and has grown to nearly 250 stores in 10 states to become the largest independent fuel marketer in the Intermountain West. Standard Examiner

Key to economic success: Providing space for existing businesses to expand

It may be the land and business that is already here that shapes the economic growth of the Top of Utah, not what new industry is yet to come.

While Weber County officials are looking to develop an agritourism ordinance directed at diversifying a farm’s income through broadening its offerings and adding value to its products, Davis County economic gurus are marshaling resources to preserve strategically located land banks that can be used to provide space to existing businesses needing to expand.

Weber and Davis county economic officials share the same belief that it is government’s role to facilitate commercial growth, not pay for it.

“Davis (County) is looking to expand our manufacturing, distribution, Hill Air Force Base support businesses and services, as well as our information technology and communications,” says Kent Sulser, county director of Community and Economic Development.

“We are seeking growth in various clusters of advanced composites, aerospace, manufacturing, digital media, financial services, sports and outdoor products. Standard Examiner

Pleasant View, Farr West want to share a big box store

Two cities are gearing up for commercial development on 2700 North, specifically looking at approximately 80 acres known as the Randall property.

Both communities would like to bring in a big box store, but are looking at ways to share the wealth in the form of taxes for each city.

Planner John Jansen said Farr West officials requested he come and discuss the study he has been working on with Pleasant View.

Jansen said some good development ideas for the area would be a big box store, possibly some high-density housing and smaller convenience shopping centers. Little strip commercial areas seem to pop up randomly and often become vacant, he said, and it would be better to have a plan than to have businesses come and go and buildings left standing empty.

Jansen said both cities should discourage any more haphazard strip commercial development.

Mayor Doug Clifford said the residents’ income can also be important to support the developments there. Jansen said he had been studying the buying habits of people in the country and said some areas have more stores of a certain type and need, while in other areas people will drive out of the local circle to buy goods. Standard Examiner