UMA Members in the News

Associated General Contractors of Utah Names Rob Moore of Big-D Construction as 2010 Chairman

By Business Wire

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Associated General Contractors of Utah has named Rob Moore, President and COO of Big-D Construction, as the organization's Chairman for 2010. Each year, the membership of AGC elects leadership to serve a three-year assignment as Vice Chairman, Chairman and Past Chairman.

"This is a wonderful association, and I am honored to be serving as its Chairman"

As the largest and longest tenured commercial construction trade association, AGC of America began in 1918, with the Utah Chapter being founded in 1922. Currently, AGC of Utah is comprised of more than 500 companies, including general contractors, specialty contractors and suppliers of materials or services, with over 10,000 employees and an estimated annual payroll of over $500 million.

Member firms are responsible for roughly 80% of all non-residential construction projects built in Utah, and they work collectively as a group to promote the values of skill, integrity and responsibility. Within these principles and with training as a high priority, AGC has provided training and education to over 7,000 companies during the past year, and more than 50 management seminars to help Utah's future work force embrace the opportunities that lie ahead.

Moore has been a Principal of Big-D Construction since 1976 and President since 1998. Moore has more than 40 years of experience and has provided leadership to more than $5 billion in construction throughout the western United States, while watching Big-D's revenues grow from $2 million to $700 million.

"This is a wonderful association, and I am honored to be serving as its Chairman," said Moore. "The construction industry is one of Utah's largest employers, and it's extremely important for all of its firms to join together in a collective effort to promote the values of skill, integrity and responsibility within the industry-and AGC does just that. I am proud to be a part of such an established, constructive organization."

In addition to naming Moore as AGC of Utah's Chairman, AGC of Utah also elected four new board members: Robert Tempest, Tempest Enterprises, Inc. as Vice Chairman; Dave Hogan, Wadman Corporation; John McEntire, Okland Construction Co. Inc.; and Thomas Morgan, Morgan Asphalt, Inc.

Remaining board members include: Allen Gerber, Gerber Construction, Inc.; Troy Belliston, Belliston Construction, Inc.; Paul B. Clyde, Clyde Companies, Inc.; Richard Dutson, Dutson Builders, Inc.; Randy Y. Evans, Industrial Supply Company; James C. Gramoll, Gramoll Construction Co.; Richard Hunt, Hunt Electric, Inc.; Scott W. Parson, Staker Parson Companies; Albert T. Schellenberg, Geneva Rock Products, Inc.; and Brad Sweet, Granite Construction Company.

For more information about the AGC, visit www.agc-utah.org.

Varian Medical Systems Awarded a Patent for Improving X-Ray Shielding

By PR Newswire


SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Varian Medical Systems, Inc., a supplier of X-ray tubes and flat panel digital image detectors, announced it has been awarded a patent for improved shielding in X-ray tubes. It is the company's 100th X-ray tube patent from the United States Patent Office.

The new Patent # 7661445 entitled "Shielded Cathode Assembly" applies to internal shielding in X-ray tubes. Where lead is normally used in the tube housing to protect from radiation leakage, the new patent involves moving the shielding, now made of tungsten, inside the X-ray tube, closer to the point of X-ray development. "By moving the shielding as close to the X-ray source as possible, this innovative technology improves the radiation shielding, reduces the tube weight and moves toward a 'greener' product by using less lead." said Dennis Runnoe, Vice President of Varian's X-Ray Products Research and Development group.

"Our focus on innovative cost-effective solutions for developing and advancing X-ray technology fuels our company's growth and helps to improve the performance and cost effectiveness of the X-ray imaging equipment manufactured by our customers," said Bob Kluge, President Varian X-Ray Products. "In order to meet our customers' evolving technology requirements for high-resolution imaging, longer tube life, and faster throughput, we have a comprehensive research and development program which incorporates teaming concepts and active customer participation," added Kluge.

Varian also has numerous patents surrounding the development of the anode grounded CT tube. "Varian has been a pioneer in anode grounded tube technology which has resulted in faster CT-scanning, air cooled X-ray tubes for safer mammography and smaller size, lighter weight X-ray tubes," said Runnoe.

Currently Varian has more than 50 additional X-ray tube and digital detector patents pending.

State offers bakery $140K to expand

Ogden » Lofthouse will add 115 employees over next five years.

By Steven Oberbeck
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 02/11/2010 05:20:19 PM MST

Lofthouse Bakery Products Inc. in Ogden is launching a $22.5 million expansion of its operations, growth that is expected to result in the addition of as many as 115 new employees to the company's payroll over the next five years.

The bakery, which now employs more than 500 Utahns and produces more than 70 million pounds of cookies a year, wants to expand its operations to include the production of "griddle products" such as waffles and pancakes.

"It is good to see a homegrown company like Lofthouse continue to expand," said Spencer Eccles, director of the Governor's Office of Economic Development. "They are a Utah success story."

GOED's board approved a $138,434 state incentive for Lofthouse on Thursday to help it expand. The additional jobs the bakery expects to create should help ease Utah's unemployment rate that now stands at 6.7 percent, which is the highest level since the 6.8 percent recorded in March 1987.

Lofthouse was founded in Utah in 1994. It was purchased by the Illinois-based Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products subsidiary of Ralcorp Holdings in January 2002. Ralcorp is perhaps best known as the maker of Post brand cereals.

"The question is whether they are going to expand here or in Seattle," said Jerry Oldroyd, a member of the GOED board.

Charles G. Huber Jr., president of Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products, said in a statement issued after the GOED meeting that the decision has been made and Utah will get the additional jobs that come with the bakery's expansion.

"Having the state's and city's support on this project reflects our shared interests in strengthening the local community," he said.

Lofthouse is expected to increase its Utah payroll by approximately $15 million over the next five years and generate more than $692,000 in new state tax revenue.

Under GOED's offer, the state will rebate 20 percent of the new state tax revenue that is expected to be generated by the company over the next five years as Lofthouse expands the number of its employees.

steve@sltrib.com