Members of the community were welcomed to the Business & Technical Assistance Center (BTAC) on Tuesday afternoon to witness a panel of discussion on all things business and the new normal. This discussion was presented by Silicon Slopes East, an organization that is promoting the tech industry in Coal Country.
Jade Powell of the Southeast Utah Association of Local Governments (SEUALG) began the afternoon, stating that the efforts were launched in March. He then informed all in attendance and watching the live stream that these events would begin to be hosted monthly. Silicon Slopes East has a three-fold mission with the first goal being to highlight and showcase tech that exists in the area.
The second goal is to promote the remote capabilities such as fiber internet and remote working spaces. The third and final goal of Silicon Slopes East is to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit that is alive and well in Carbon and Emery counties in a myriad of ways.
The panel was then directed by Garrett Clark, who is the Director of Operations. The panel consisted of Bobby Houston, Kyle Roberts and JR Howa. They began by discussing the national trends in the last three or four months. The panel touched on the transition from traditional shopping means and the benefit to port-centric communities. It was stated that a lot of companies are going back to the drawing board and only handling absolutely what is needed.
Solar and renewable energy being found in more areas of Utah was also discussed as well as the real estate needs in Utah that would most benefit growth. It was also stated that there is a real opportunity with the Carbon County Airport.
With the pandemic, there has been a seismic shift on the way that consumers handle things. There are significant growth goals over the next few years, though the biggest challenge is housing. It was then stated that there is likely more available in industrial real estate than any other commercial real estate.
Following the panel discussion, the floor was opened for questions from both those that were present and those watching online. Price City Manager Nick Tatton asked for perspective on the next step toward some infrastructure connections.
Other questions poised came in the form of how COVID-19 has affected commercial real estate and the like. It was stated that more and more employees are switching to remote working instead of being in an office. It is believed that there is good opportunity for manufacturing to come to rural Utah with a lot of that reasoning being the railway system.
