Today, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) and the Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah) launched a premier interactive economic development map, now available online at locate.utah.gov.
Locate.utah.gov is the first site of its kind and will be a key tool in helping businesses find the critical information they need to make site selection decisions. The site allows users to explore the state’s broadband availability, utility information, transportation, workforce and lifestyle features. It also allows developers to evaluate potential locations and print customized reports with detailed summaries of available infrastructure.
The site was funded by the State of Utah and developed by the Utah Broadband Outreach Center at GOED.
“This tool is yet another way we are assisting businesses who are interested in relocating to Utah,’ said Val Hale, executive director of GOED. “Our team is continually developing strategies to simplify the site selection process as we invite new businesses into the state.”
The new site will be a companion site to EDCUtah’s utahsuresites.com website, which allows companies to explore the state’s extensive inventory of listed commercial real estate.
Locate.utah.gov was developed as part of the Utah Broadband Outreach Center’s core mission to promote the availability and use of broadband statewide. The center works with more than 50 broadband providers that supply premium services for all types of businesses in both urban and rural areas.
“Utah continues to lead the nation as a premier business destination, and companies continue to set up shop here,” said Jeff Edwards, president and CEO of EDCUtah. “This new tool highlights all of the services and amenities these companies can enjoy.”
Companies like Adobe, EMC, PluralSight and Boeing have opened facilities in Utah due to the state’s low corporate taxes, low energy costs, highly-educated workforce and the state’s advanced broadband infrastructure. Utah has the sixth fastest average Internet speeds in the country and the fastest speeds in the Western United States, according to Akamai Technologies Fourth Quarter 2014 State of the Internet Report.