Increases in health care costs have many small businesses scrambling for solutions. At UBI we have solutions you are looking for. Check out the following article from the New York Times…http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/business/smallbusiness/25health.html?_r=1&ref=business
Posted in UBI NEWSWhen insurance companies jumped in to the battle for health care reform it was clear the real fight was about to begin. Now the federal goverment under Democratic leaderships is striking back. The gloves are coming off and unforntunatley in the end there maybe no winner.
Check out this article for more info … Dems go after anti-trust exemption
Posted in UBI NEWSSALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is sticking by a proposal to lump Box Elder and Tooele counties in with some of Utah’s most polluted areas.
Portions of those two counties — along with Utah, Salt Lake, Davis, Cache and Weber counties — will be deemed in violation of new stricter federal standards for tiny bits of harmful air pollution.
The decision announced Thursday also means the areas will have three years to come up with a plan to reduce the amount of pollution known as PM2.5, flecks smaller than the width of a human hair that come from car exhaust, power plants, burning wood and industrial activities.
Utah officials, including members of the congressional delegation, had opposed the inclusion of Box Elder and Tooele counties in the “non-attainment” area.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Posted in UBI NEWSWASHINGTON (AP) — Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says he will permit oil gas drilling on 17 of the 77 Utah land parcels that were hurriedly readied for leasing in the waning days of the Bush administration.
Salazar also said at a news conference Thursday that leasing will be prohibited on eight parcels. The fate of the remaining 52 is unclear as government officials seek more information before making a final determination.
The parcels are all in eastern or northeastern Utah, and much the land borders national parks and other areas prized for their vistas and their recreational and cultural amenities.
The Bush administration’s decision to lease the land drew fire from critics who said drilling might harm the nearby parks and other protected lands.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Posted in UBI NEWSDRAPER — As the state works to spur on the economy, a Utah company announced Thursday a long-term expansion that could add up to 1,000 new jobs over the next 15 years.
The company is called Edwards Lifesciences. It makes heart valves and cardiac surgery products, and it’s those surgery products that the company manufactures in Utah.
Because of millions of dollars in incentives offered by the state and the City of Draper, the company will move from Midvale to Draper and develop a state of the art manufacturing facility.
Edwards Lifesciences will transform a building in a Draper business park to expand its manufacturing and research and development.
Edwards Lifesciences will keep more than 225 jobs in Utah that might have gone overseas, and it could deliver up to one thousand new jobs over the next 15 years.
Paul C. Redmond, vice president of Edwards Lifesciences, said, “We had the opportunity yesterday to bring them to the new facility in Draper, and their enthusiasm and commitment reinforced for us that we are making the right decision to expand our operation in Utah.”
Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., the company employs more than 6,300 people worldwide.
As Gov. Gary Herbert addressed his economic development board, he kept the focus on growth.
He said, “It is the No. 1 priority. It’s all about jobs, jobs and more jobs.”
If the company meets specific goals, it can collect millions in post performance tax credits.
Derek Miller, with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, said, “Gone are the days of giving the money and hoping it works out. We give all of the money post-performance.”
The state put up incentives totaling $11.5 million based on the jobs being kept in Utah and the potential for more than 1,000 new jobs in manufacturing, business and engineering in the next 15 years.
The company also has a $3 million incentive from Draper based on capital investments and employment rates over the next seven years.
Herbert said, “It is in the growing of the economy that more revenue comes into government without having to raise taxes. So, if I can spend a dollar and get five [dollars] back, that’s a good investment for the taxpayer.”
The whole industry is big business in Utah. The companies in Utah’s life science industry provide around 66,000 jobs in the state and generate an estimated $3.6 billion in annual wages.
Posted in UBI NEWS