National and local industry web tools

All of the industry data that the Department of Workforce Services collects has a NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) code; a standardized coding system used by the United States, Canada and Mexico, that provides consistency and comparison between industries. An industry (as opposed to occupation) represents businesses providing or producing the same products or services. NAICS divides industries into 20 sectors, coding each industry with up-to a 6-digit number, making it easy to look at industry data for the entire North American continent.



The U.S. Census Bureau has launched a new web tool called the Industry Statistics Portal. This new web application provides easy access to all Census Bureau programs that release statistics for a user-selected industry, as classified by the North American Industry Classification System.

The Department of Workforce Services has two online tools for industry that are specific to Utah. FirmFind allows you to find employers based on their industry. Information is available for specific county, groups of counties, or for the entire State. Industry employment and wage data is collected through the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program. The primary source for QCEW data are the reports submitted by employers to the Utah Unemployment Insurance program.

For an entire list of DWS’ online data tools, visit the Utah Economic Data Viewer (UEDV).

Aereo coming to Utah

Online TV streaming service Aereo is coming to Utah. The service is set to launch statewide on Aug. 19, just ahead of its September debut in Chicago. More than 2.8 million Utahns will have access to Aereo’s innovative antenna/DVR technology to record and watch live television online. Utah service will be statewide as opposed to the localized service as with previous rollouts.

“We’re excited to be launching our technology in Utah, or what is fast becoming known as the Silicon Slopes,” said Aereo CEO and founder Chet Kanojia…When it comes to how you watch television, Aereo’s technology will bring more choice and flexibility to Utahns across the state, whether you live in Salt Lake City, St. George or Ogden…”

Utahns who pre-register at Aereo.com will receive priority access to sign up. Aereo’s technology will be available to all consumers across all 29 counties on Aug. 19.


In Utah, consumers will be able to use Aereo’s unique antenna/DVR technology, to record and watch major networks such as KSTU-HD (FOX), KSL-DT (NBC), KUTV-HD (CBS), KTVX-HD (ABC) and KUED-HD (PBS), as well as other over-the-air special interest and foreign language channels, including BYU-TV, AntennaTV, ION, Qubo, Estrella TV and others. In addition, consumers will also have the ability to add Bloomberg Television.

Aereo membership costs begins at $8 per month, for access to Aereo and 20 hours of DVR storage. For an additional $4, consumers can upgrade their subscription and receive 60 hours of DVR storage for a total of $12 per month. Consumers who join Aereo will get their first of month of access for free.

Aereo’s technology works on "smart" devices from tablets to phones to laptop computers. Aereo is currently supported on iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Chrome, Internet Explorer 9, Firefox, Safari, Opera, AppleTV (via airplay) and Roku devices. Android support is expected later this summer. The Enterprise

Senate immigration bill would remake economy

Landmark immigration legislation passed by the Senate would remake America’s workforce from the highest rungs to the lowest, bringing more immigrants into numerous sectors of the economy, from elite technology companies to restaurant kitchens and rural fields.

In place of the unauthorized workers now commonly found laboring in lower-skilled jobs in the agriculture or service industries, many of these workers would be legal, some of them permanent resident green card holders or even citizens. Salt Lake Tribune

Utah tech industry grew from 2011‐12, despite decreases in clean tech

Utah’s technology industry — businesses classified by the U.S. Census Bureau as part of either the IT industry or clean tech industry — grew by 2.4 percent from September 2011 to September 2012. That’s according to data released last week by the Utah Department of Workforce Services (DWS) and compiled by the Utah Technology Council.

The total number of Utah-based businesses classified by the U.S. Census Bureau as part of the IT industry increased from 4,020 to 4,201 in that period. Meanwhile, the number of businesses in the clean tech industry decreased from 616 to 544. The increase in IT companies was enough to make up for that decrease and result in a total increase of 109 companies.

The most significant gains came in data processing, hosting and related services, which grew by just over 130 percent, increasing from 93 companies to 216. Internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portal companies increased by nearly 80 percent, from 93 to 167, and the “other information services” category grew by 115 percent, from 26 companies to 56.

The most significant decreases came in the category “regulation and administration of communications, electric, gas and other utilities,” which decreased by 82 percent, from 51 companies to nine. Administration of air and water resource and solid waste management programs went from 42 to 17 companies, a decrease of about 60 percent. Utah Business

Marketplace Fairness Act anything but, e‐tailer says

Currently, buyers are supposed to report Internet purchase taxes on their income tax filings but most do not. The Marketplace Fairness Act (MFA) would allow states to require all retailers, including “remote” retailers like Overstock.com, to collect and remit to states the sales and use taxes on customer buys.

Online sellers already are required to collect those taxes from customers in their own states, as Overstock.com does in Utah, and they must do so from out-of-state customers if they have a physical presence in the customer’s state. The MFA would allow states to force retailers to collect sales taxes on purchases in states where they have no physical presence. It would apply only to sellers with total sales of $1 million or more in annual sales in states where they have no physical presence.

But, for states to require that sales tax collection, they must meet certain tax simplification standards required by the MFA.

Without that simplification, companies face the prospect of dealing with more than 9,600 tax jurisdictions in the U.S. “It’s very difficult to collect a tax based on where the purchaser is,” Jonathan Johnson, executive vice chairman of Overstock.com’s board of directors said.

Most retailers now collect sales taxes at the point of sale — for example, a store in Fort Union charges a tax for the Fort Union jurisdiction — but the MFA would require collection based on a buyer’s location. The Enterprise

More states permit digital car‐insurance cards

After a busy legislative season, 25 states (including Utah) now permit drivers to show “e-cards” at traffic stops, according to a map prepared by the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, a trade group that supports use of the digital cards.

The association’s director of personal lines policy, Alex Hageli, has said the use of electronic identification cards is more convenient for consumers, and can help reduce time spent by courts addressing tickets issued simply because (like me) drivers forgot to put the card in their wallets.

The association supports “flexible” rules allowing use of the digital cards as an option for insurers and consumers–meaning that those who prefer paper cards can still use them. New York Times

Report: STEM job impact larger than thought

Acquiring knowledge in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math are a much greater part of the economy than previously thought, according to a report released Monday by the Brooking Institute’s Metropolitan Policy Program. Almost half of these positions, commonly dubbed STEM jobs, are filled with workers by an associate’s degree or less education.

According to the report, 20.1 percent of Utah jobs are now considered STEM positions. This figure is in stark contrast to previous estimates of 4 to 5 percent by the National Science Foundation and others.

In Utah, 116,200 jobs now fit the qualifications to be considered STEM positions and command an average annual salary of $65,481, compared to non-STEM earnings of $37,658. Those with STEM jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree in the state earn an average of $80,269 while their counterparts with an associate’s degree or less earn an average of $48,588. One of the surprises revealed by the Brookings report is that 46.7 percent of the STEM job holders in Utah have an education of an associate’s degree or less.

In the report, “The Hidden STEM Economy,” much of the change in the statistical evaluation of STEM jobs is due to a redefinition of these workers by the Brookings study. Previous studies classified workers as STEM only if they worked in a small number of professional occupations, but the Brookings definition classifies occupations according to the level of knowledge in STEM fields that workers need to perform their jobs. As a result, many non-professional jobs in manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and mining industries are now considered STEM jobs. One large difference is in the number of jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree, as experience and on-the-job training help fill the demand for STEM skills.

As expected, in Utah the majority of STEM jobs are held by those in the computer-related occupations. Of the 19,280 workers in this sector, 87.8 percent hold bachelor’s degrees or higher. Other STEM jobs with large numbers of employees include health diagnosing and treating professionals (16,530), financial specialists (9,780), construction trades (9,600) and engineers (6,650). The Enterprise

Salt Lake software firm now supplying military investigators

Software designed to receive and manage anonymous crime tips and developed by a Draper company is now in use by two of the three major United States military investigative services. TipSoft, an online and mobile program for information and intelligence gathering, is a product of PublicEngines Inc.

TipSoft allows organizations to receive and manage anonymous tips through the Web, small message service (SMS), or mobile platforms such as iOS and Android devices. It is one of several products from PublicEngines, a provider of cloud-based products that facilitate crime analysis, supply actionable intelligence and increase community engagement for law enforcement, schools and governments.

Launched 14 years ago, TipSoft has seen some impressive success within the nearly 1,000 agencies that now use it. PublicEngines recently announced that 3 million tips have been processed through its software.

According to statistics released by PublicEngines, public use of TipSoft has resulted in the recovery of $60 million in cash, the seizure of $2.6 billion in drugs and the recovery of more than 11,000 stolen vehicles. More than 14,000 tip calls are currently being transferred each month through TipSoft. In addition, nearly 5,000 text tips and 10,000 Web tips are processed monthly, according to PublicEngines data. The Enterprise

Paperless mortgages gaining acceptance in Utah

Closing on a house is going digital. Forget the hours of meetings with mortgage brokers and hand cramps from signing a ream of paper. Now, Utah house hunters and refinancers can apply for a mortgage from at least one key lender, submit all the required forms and documents, ask questions and even sign on the dotted line using a laptop on the living room sofa.

Mountain America Credit Union (MACU) rolled out its Quick Close paperless mortgage service as an option about 18 months ago and so far, about 500 Utahns have used it, said Amy Moser, MACU vice president of mortgage services. She says it’s a matter of convenience for customers.

David Luna, legislative officer with the Utah Association of Mortgage Professionals and president of Mortgage Educators and Compliance predicts digital mortgages will all be paperless in the near future, pointing to industries that have also gone digital such as insurance, law enforcement and pharmaceuticals. Salt Lake Tribune

The future of food?

The new world of 3D printing is on its way to revolutionizing personal weapons after the successful test of the first entirely 3D printed gun in early May, but mechanical engineer Anjan Contractor sees a different future for 3D printing: ending world hunger.

"One of the major advantages of a 3D printer is that it provides personalized nutrition," Contractor said. "If you're male, female, someone is sick — they all have different dietary needs. If you can program your needs into a 3D printer, it can print exactly the nutrients that person requires." Deseret News

ATK to acquire ammunition maker Caliber Co.

ATK said it has entered into an agreement to acquire Caliber Co., the parent company of Savage Sports Corp., one of the world’s largest manufacturers of hunting rifles and shotguns.

The purchase would expand ATK’s portfolio of munitions-related operations of commercial and security ammunition. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and conditions, with closing anticipated by the end of June.

ATK is an aerospace, defense, and commercial products company with approximately 15,000  employees and operations in 21 states, including Utah, and internationally. Salt Lake Tribune

What is UtahFutures?

A post-growth world?

In a provocative recent paper, Robert Gordon of Northwestern University concludes that the rate of technological progress has slowed sharply, and that the rise in standards of living (at least in the world’s rich countries) is thus set to decelerate. In the twentieth century, he says, per capita income in the United States doubled about every 25-30 years. But the next doubling will likely occur only over 100 years, a pace last seen in the nineteenth century.

Long-term growth considerations, while recognized as crucial, seem distant from the here and now of financial repair and restoration of confidence. So the commentary on Gordon’s paper has been largely dissociated from the policy discussions addressing the ongoing Great Recession.

But a realistic assessment of growth prospects is precisely what is needed right now to design appropriate and feasible policies. Gordon’s point is not that growth will decelerate in the future, but rather that underlying productivity growth moved to a sharply lower trajectory around the year 2000. We lived the better part of the subsequent decade with a misguided sense of extended prosperity and inflated a financial bubble. Worse, we are treating the present as if the bubbly growth from 2000 to 2007 will return. Project Syndicate

Bill would halt further bonding for UTOPIA operations

Utah lawmakers will consider a bill that would make it impossible for the financially troubled UTOPIA fiber-optic network to use money from the future sale of bonds to fund its day-to-day operations.

SB 172 would prohibit cities and counties from selling bonds after May 14 to build projects and then use any of that money to operate them more than one year after the debt was issued.

It also would prevent money from the bonds to be used to pay off interest more than five years after the bonds are issued. UTOPIA, a consortium of 11 cities from Brigham City to Payson that are building the high-speed Internet network, has been doing just that.

The bill’s provisions would not affect the bond money UTOPIA is using at present. Salt Lake Tribune

Utah, a competing state

Competing states are coming after Washington’s economic powerhouse: aerospace.

One of those competitors recently received a big boost from Forbes magazine. For the third year in a row, Forbes ranked Utah the Best State for Business.

Utah won high praise from Forbes, which wrote, “No state can match the consistent performance of Utah. It is the only state that ranks among the top 15 states in each of the six main categories on which states are rated.”

Boeing is opening a third plant in Utah to fabricate tail-section parts for the 787. The Salt Lake City plant will employ 100 people making an average of $65,000 a year. That brings Boeing’s Utah workforce to roughly 700.

Utah’s rise to economic prominence didn’t happen overnight. It has been a consistent long-term strategy initiated in 2004 by then-Gov. Jon Huntsman and Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert.

Today, aerospace and aviation companies in Utah employ more than 10,000 people who provide engineering, logistics support and maintenance for several U.S. Air Force jet fighter and cargo aircraft programs, as well as the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile.

Janicki Industries, a family-owned, cutting-edge composite manufacturer headquartered in Sedro-Woolley, also located a $20 million aerospace plant in Utah to support the company’s work on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. Janicki is exactly the type of aerospace company Utah targets to recruit because its high-tech precision molds are the future of aerospace.

Among the other pluses for Utah: energy costs that are 29 percent below the national average. KPBusiness Journal

Video Highlights USTAR's Progress

What sort of impact is the Utah Science, Technology and Research initiative USTAR having on the state of Utah? A new video produced by Zions Bank provides an update on USTAR progress and accomplishments.

USTAR is requesting $8 million in new funding from the Legislature in its current session.

 
Utah Pulse

Utah’s Catheter Connections awarded sixth patent

Catheter Connections, a Utah company founded by nurses seeking to reduce hospital-acquired bloodstream infections, said the U.S. Patent Office has issued a patent to the company that broadly covers its technology for disinfecting the connectors at the ends of IV tubing. The company has identified those connections as a significant source of hospital-acquired infections. It is the sixth patent in the company’s portfolio. Salt Lake Tribune

Target matching rivals’ online prices year-round

Target Corp. is pledging to match prices of select online rivals year-round, a move that underscores how physical and online retailing is being meshed.

Matching online prices is rare but expected to become more common as shoppers move increasingly online. Target, the nation’s second-largest discounter behind Walmart Stores Inc., said it will match prices that customers find on identical products at top online retailers, all the time. The online list includes Amazon.com, as well as the websites of Walmart, Best Buy, Toys R Us and Babies R Us.

Target’s move follows a similar holiday price match that began Nov. 1 and ended Dec. 16. Target is also making permanent its holiday offer of matching prices of items found at its stores with those on its website. And for the first time it will include products that are out of stock on Target.com.

The moves follow a disappointing holiday shopping season for the Minneapolis-based retailer, hurt by stiffer competition from online rivals and stores such as Walmart that have hammered its low prices. It’s also the latest step from brick-and-mortar stores to combat "showrooming" — a growing trend for customers to browse stores to check out products, and then go online to buy the same products for less.


Many major stores have offered price matching guarantees for local competitors’ brick-and-mortar stores, but it wasn’t until this past holiday season that the focus was on matching online prices. Analysts believe that the trend will increase as stores are realizing they need to wake up to the increasing shift among consumers to online, which accounted for about 10 percent of holiday sales this past season. Still, such policies can be difficult in practice, because online prices tend to be lower and fluctuate often.

Joel Bines, managing director and co-head of the retail practice at AlixPartners and other analysts say the online price match policies are also tough to implement given the constant fluctuation of online prices, even in the same day. That was particularly evident around Thanksgiving week. From Nov. 19 to Nov. 30 Amazon.com doubled the average number of promoted products it changed prices on each day compared with the same period a year ago, according to Dynamite Data, which tracks online prices.

Still, having a price match policy in place is essential for cheap chic Target, analysts say. The discounter, known for selling trendy merchandise and staples like toothpaste under the same roof, has seen uneven sales growth since the economic downturn as it tries to convince frugal shoppers it has good prices. This past holiday season, Target chose to limit promotions to preserve profits. That resulted in muted sales in November and December. However, Target expects fourth-quarter earnings to meet or possibly top the low end of its previous outlook. Salt Lake Tribune

NetDocuments Launches 13.1 Release with Secure Document Delivery

NetDocuments released version 13.1 of its leading cloud-computing content management and collaboration service. This latest release contains more than 20 new and updated features, including document delivery via a secure link and a new search engine.

Available for the first time with this release, Secure Document Delivery enables public sharing of documents without loss of content control. Users simply select the documents they wish to deliver, and NetDocuments generates a secure URL for each document to be sent to multiple email addresses.

This feature offers users a number of security and control options, including the ability to:

• Password-protect the viewing of documents
• Set document permissions, including the ability to download documents
• Set a predetermined expiration date, after which the URL will no longer be active
• Lock the original version of the document in NetDocuments, thereby prohibiting any changes to be made to the delivered document

Previously, third parties could only gain access to documents stored in NetDocuments by obtaining a username and password through a client portal. The Secure Document Delivery feature also improves collaboration and adds increased functionality to the suite of SEC-, FINRA- and HIPAA-compliant content management features.


As part of the 13.1 release, the NetDocuments’ NDSearch, an enterprise-class search platform embedded in NetDocuments and available to all users, now relies on the Solr search engine to power its functionality across 750 million documents for its global customer base in 140 countries.

Solr’s open source enterprise platform provides NetDocuments with the flexibility to adjust search functionality to meet customer needs. All previous search features remain available, including search analysis filters, find similar, dynamic filters and saved search. With Solr, users will enjoy quicker display of items in workspaces and other search result lists, an improvement in productivity made possible by Solr’s ability to index metadata for documents significantly faster.

“Collaboration has always been a main pillar of our company, and the new document delivery tool, which was highly requested by our customers, provides the easiest way for our customers to work with someone outside their organization while maintaining complete control of their documents,” said Leonard Johnson, vice president of marketing and product management at NetDocuments. “Our users have always valued our powerful search tool, and switching to Solr not only provides them with a superior search experience, but gives us greater customization and scalability as we near the billion document mark.”

Current NetDocuments users will also see additional updates and features. A complete list can be found here.

Utah Business

Merchant Data Systems Announces New Mergers & Acquisitions Partner Program in Utah

Utah will see the launch of a new Mergers & Acquisitions Partner Program. The Merchant Acquirer, Merchant Data Systems (MDS), is offering new services for Utah businesses. Certain portfolio acquisitions may be possible through the services provided by MDS. An ISO already working with MDS may find a program that immediately provides business cash that is needed.

Merchant Services sales may be an integral part of a venture or buyout plan. Cash that is needed to grow a business may be provided by a solution that includes a Sell Merchant Portfolio plan or a Buy A Merchant Portfolio program. Merchant Portfolios may be sold in order to help a merchant business with certain immediate cash flow matters. A merchant portfolio consists of merchant accounts that include business credit card processing transactions. A company may gain immediate cash flow with a plan that includes a Sell ISO Portfolio option.

Portfolios are often a source of business funding. A merchant portfolio may be presented for sale to a potential buyer. The buyer will want the performance information verified and the various accounts verified with the account credit status included. Merchant business funding may be gained as the portfolio is considered for funding. The internal rate of return will be analyzed for the particular accounts. The attrition and risk factors will need to be determined for the accounts that are to be sold to an investor.



Merchant business capital may be gained quickly will a sale of an ISO portfolio or a merchant portfolio. The capital may be used to continue a business expansion or for other cost purposes. Business owners are offered a lump sum of cash for the particular business accounts selected for purchase. The investors that purchase the accounts will gain the additional profits from the accounts that are sold. A significant number of these accounts that are sold may be in the form of a buyout or merger agreement.

MDS offers a unique mergers and acquisitions partner program for certain businesses that may need additional cash or additional business services. Other business services that may be offered include those for salaries and dividends, infrastructure and competitive pricing, and roll-up premiums. MDS offers a competitive re-seller program as well. Adelard Gasana, Co-Founder of Karma Snack, mentions, "Partners are the way Merchant Data Systems sees themselves with others. This is not a service provider in the traditional sense, rather the company enjoys becoming true business partners with the clients they service.”

Services that are being offered include services in certain targeted industries. MDS has expanded capabilities for business payroll programs and payment processing. Point of sale equipment sales and leasing are offered. Merchant cash advances are available, and credit card and debit card processing are available as well. Equipment leasing and financing are available.

Virtual merchant services may be developed for an online business or point-of-sale business service. Electronic checks may be processed as well as mobile electronic transactions for off-site business processes.



E-commerce is available for online store processing. Online credit card and debit card processing is offered for online business store transactions. Credit card machines and terminals may be provided for businesses that need an onsite payment terminal. These onsite services are available with security features and back-up system programs.

MDS is able to underwrite many of its transactions for businesses and their portfolio sales. MDS has been in business for fifteen years and has been a successful enterprise from the beginning of its inception. The business has its own BIN and is able to underwrite its own merchants. A professional customer service staff is maintained for its customers, and this service is available for extended hours each work day.

Business owners are offered a lump sum of cash for their portfolio accounts. The investment companies that purchase these accounts will gain the particular profits from these accounts when they are eventually collected in full. Many companies may elect to take the option of a buyout. Other companies may find that the merger option is better suited for the company's financial goals. Certain risk factors and attrition possibilities may need to be taken. Virtual Strategy