The right ingredients:
In a May 2019 article in Forbes and speaking to Utah’s objective to become a tech capital Governor Leavitt said, “leadership is a generational relay, each generation builds on the generations before.” Over the past 20 years, Leavitt’s “Utah Engineering Initiative Program” has lured over 5,200 tech companies and 302,000 jobs to the state. The tech sector in Utah is now affectionately labeled and supported by Silicon Slopes. This non-profit organization is the voice, hub, and heart of Utah’s startup and tech community.
An added benefit to the tech culture is the fact that Utah is very friendly to small business. Lendio’s fourth annual list ranked the state the second best in small business lending, with California taking first place. According to Forbes, many may argue that Utah’s entrepreneurial gene can be traced all the way back to its pioneer heritage. Peak Capital & Peak Ventures cofounder Jeff Burningham said, “The secret sauce of Utah is the people. This is something we just feel in our bones. It’s in our DNA. We just know what it means to bootstrap, to work hard, to be the underdogs, and just grind. When you face hard things like Utah’s pioneers did, it becomes part of your culture, and people here in Utah have embraced that.”
The footprints we leave:
We agree with Jeff’s position. Our history at Unrivaled is one burnished from turmoil and opposition. The name Unrivaled isn’t one of ego, but of vision. Vision to never relent, to burn brighter and deliver the impossible time and time again, no matter the challenge at hand. It declares our mission and speaks to our dedication to always build grander and to challenge yesterday’s accomplishments. Our design studio and fabrication shop are now housed in an old Department of Defense building once used for war. And we are still at war. War against mediocrity. War against the mundane. This passion for creation bleeds into every project, and if we have our way, infectiously bleeds into the spirit of our clients. Our relationships with our local clients have lent similar views on the unwavering determination that is ingrained in the soul of the Utah business culture.
Understanding where you have come from is one thing, but predicting the future is an entirely different beast. In a March 2018 article in Utah Business, the director of demographic research at University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute’s, Pamela Perlich Ph.D. said, “we live in an exciting time, and we need to start planning for Utah’s future. Many of our community institutions and businesses were built for the old Utah. As we plan for the future, we need to consider Utah’s new reality and economy.” This statement comes on the heels of forecasting which predicts the population in Utah will double over the course of the next 50 years, to approximately 6 million residents. About half of those residents are forecasted to reside in only two counties within the state, Utah and Salt Lake County, which are currently home to a large portion of the tech businesses previously mentioned.
Unlimited Potential:
With this growth comes opportunities that may only surface once in a lifetime for those who are willing to work with the courage that our founding residents laid before us. And to those who are willing to innovate and charge forward ready to design the new future of Utah business. Who wouldn’t want to grow beyond what they were yesterday? Utah is poised for exponential growth and opportunity so long as the vision of this future remains calculated. At Unrivaled, we just don’t understand life by any other means. So what does the future hold for Utah business? Time will tell, but based on the current stage set by Utah’s government, banking, and societal support, our prediction is that advancement in business will blossom while those who position themselves for this growth will reap the rewards of their efforts.
To our clients who dare to dream with us and realize how possible the impossible can be, our fellow businesses, tech-based or not, we salute your courage and vigor to thrive. We’ve accomplished so much in these past two decades together — imagine where we can be tomorrow! Utah’s settlers founded this state with one phrase, “this is the place.” When it comes to business in Utah, we couldn’t agree more. Eventually, a new world will be built just by trying to be something more.