Salt Lake Chamber

This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. What started nearly 60 years ago as a small family business has grown into a well-known brand across the state. Western Nut Company specializes in small-batch roasted gourmet nuts and snacks, using high-quality ingredients to ensure freshness in every product. Chief Experience Officer, Sarah Adamson, joins us with more.

Sarah Adamson:

Nuts make the perfect gift and an unbeatable snack — delicious, nutritious, and full of flavor.

At Western Nut Company, we’ve been roasting premium nuts to perfection since 1966.

What started as a passion for quality quickly grew into a beloved tradition, offering customers the freshest, most flavorful nuts, brittles, fudges, and snack mixes.

In 2018, three brothers, Darin, Lee, and Loren Mercer took over the business, continuing the legacy of founders Wellington McDonald and Helen Bean. As a proud, family-owned company, we take great pride in small-batch roasting at our Salt Lake City facility, ensuring every product meets our high standards.

From our Holiday Gift Centers to grocery store partnerships and online sales, we’ve made it easier than ever to share our handcrafted treats with friends and family. Stop by our store at 434 South 300 West or visit our website to find the perfect snack or gift.

Derek Miller:

Western Nut Company is a great example of a family-owned business that has flourished in Utah. Their commitment to quality and local values highlights the important role these businesses play in our community and the state's economy. I'm Derek Miller, with the Salt Lake Chamber, Speaking on Business.

Originally aired: 3/27/25

This is Derek Miller of the Salt Lake Chamber with your Utah Business

Report.

Utah has been a filmmaking hotspot for over a century, with its diverse landscapes featured in many of Hollywood’s iconic films.

Now, the Utah Film Trail, created by the Utah Film Commission and the Utah Office of Tourism, invites film fans to visit these legendary locations.

A statewide series of physical markers guides visitors to experience Utah, America’s Film Set.

These markers honor the films and TV shows shot at those spots.

A 2023 survey revealed 37 percent of visitors chose Utah as their destination due to its film legacy.

The Utah Office of Tourism continues to celebrate and promote the state’s rich film history, a point of pride for locals and a draw for visitors worldwide.

To learn more, visit the Utah Film Trail website.

The Salt Lake Chamber. We Stand as the Voice of Business.

Originally aired: 4/9/25

This is Derek Miller of the Salt Lake Chamber with your Utah Business

Report.

The Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation has donated 1 million dollars to the Museum of Utah for programming and acquisitions.

Utah’s first state history museum will showcase the state’s history, culture, and art through exhibits and community spaces.

In recognition, the "Inspiring Utah" gallery will be presented by the Foundation.

This gallery will highlight Utah’s achievements, featuring memorabilia from the 2002 Winter Olympic Games and the state’s cinematic history.

It reflects the Miller family’s connection to Utah and its rich heritage.

Founded in 2007, the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation continues the philanthropic legacy of Larry and Gail Miller, supporting programs that enhance health, education, food security, economic independence, and cultural enrichment.

The Salt Lake Chamber. We Stand as the Voice of Business.

Originally aired: 4/8/25

This is Derek Miller of the Salt Lake Chamber with your Utah Business

Report.

Ahead of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration has announced this year’s SBA Specialty Award winners.

Among them, the Women’s Business Center of Utah has been selected as the winner of the Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award for 2025.

This award is part of the SBA Resource Partner Awards, which recognizes SBA-funded training and assistance partners for their impact on local economic growth, job creation and entrepreneurial support.

Selected from over 150 Women’s Business Centers nationwide, the Women’s Business Center of Utah will celebrate this achievement at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on May 4th and 5th.

In addition to the specialty award winners, 53 small business winners will also be honored for their outstanding contributions.

The Salt Lake Chamber. We Stand as the Voice of Business.

Originally aired: 4/3/25

This is Derek Miller of the Salt Lake Chamber with your Utah Business

Report.

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is now accepting grant proposals for the 2025 Specialty Crop Block Grant, a competitive program that funds projects to boost the market for Utah-grown specialty crops like fruits, vegetables, tree nuts and nursery crops.

This grant is open to Utah-based producers, businesses, schools, trade associations, nonprofits, and farming co-ops.

Applications for grant funds should describe how the project potentially affects and produces measurable outcomes for the specialty crop industry and the public rather than a single organization, institution or individual.

The application deadline is April 9, 2025.

For more information, visit the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food website.

The Salt Lake Chamber. We Stand as the Voice of Business.

Originally aired: 4/2/25

This is Derek Miller of the Salt Lake Chamber with your Utah Business

Report.

Megaplex has recently unveiled a rebrand, positioning itself as a premier entertainment destination where awe-inspiring moments become lasting memories.

This collaborative project with Matchstic, a nationally recognized branding agency, aimed to recapture the “mega” in Megaplex.

The new visual identity highlights every aspect of the Megaplex experience, from immersive movie screens to the simple joy of perfectly popped popcorn.

This year, Megaplex is also opening a first-of-its-kind entertainment center in Downtown Daybreak that features large format auditoriums, luxury bowling, games, enhanced dining, event spaces and more.

Megaplex’s transformation highlights the importance of community spaces and the power of shared experiences.

To learn more, visit the Megaplex website.

The Salt Lake Chamber. We Stand as the Voice of Business.

Originally aired: 4/4/25

This is Derek Miller of the Salt Lake Chamber with your Utah Business

Report.

Rasa Legal, Utah Women in Trades, and the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation have teamed up to launch a workforce development initiative that provides justice-impacted individuals with access to high-paying careers in the trades.

With a 20,000 dollar grant from the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation, this program offers pre-apprenticeship training, employment pathways, and legal support.

Utah Women in Trades will create a cohort for its Apprenticeship Readiness Program, a 12 to 15 week course providing hands-on training, industry certifications, and connections with local employers.

Rasa Legal will provide record clearance services to help participants overcome legal barriers to employment.

By simplifying and making criminal record clearance accessible, Rasa Legal opens doors to better opportunities for jobs, housing, and economic advancement.

The Salt Lake Chamber. We Stand as the Voice of Business.

Originally aired: 4/7/25

This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. Kaddas Enterprises is a second generation family business specializing in thermoformed plastic manufacturing. Their innovative products help protect power infrastructure from animal-related outages, ensuring a stronger and more reliable energy grid. CFO and General Counsel, John Adams, joins us with more.

John Adams:

At Kaddas Enterprises, we’re proving that industry and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.

Our goal is simple: keep power reliable while protecting wildlife. Since animal interactions cause 20 percent of all power outages in the United States, we’re on a mission to eliminate these disruptions worldwide.

We’ve grown rapidly over the past five years, investing in cutting-edge equipment and building a skilled team to keep up with demand. As a proud U.S. manufacturer, all our products are made in Salt Lake City using raw materials from Pennsylvania.

Our in-house design and development team works closely with power utilities to create innovative BirdguarD solutions, launching five to seven new products each year. By identifying the risks before they become problems, we help make power grids stronger and communities safer.

At the end of the day, we’re not just making products — we’re protecting power, wildlife, and people who depend on both.

Derek Miller:

Kaddas Enterprises is all about sustainability, using eco-friendly materials and efficient manufacturing to cut down on waste. They’re constantly innovating, developing new technologies that improve power grids and protect wildlife. Learn more at Kaddas.com. I'm Derek Miller, with the Salt Lake Chamber, Speaking on Business.

Originally aired: 4/11/25

This is Derek Miller of the Salt Lake Chamber with your Utah Business

Report.

HealthEquity, the nation’s largest Health Savings Account administrator, has announced the launch of HealthEquity Assist™, a suite of tools that help members save, spend and invest for healthcare.

By using HealthEquity Assist, employers are enabled to greater visibility into their benefits program performance and can drive positive financial and health actions to support their workforce.

The smart technology offering was developed to alleviate common employee pain points with their benefits, as well as a complex and fragmented benefits landscape that is difficult to navigate and limited resources available to support benefit education and personalized insights.

Employers can incorporate the tools into their current benefits ecosystem with support from HealthEquity experts and learn more about HealthEquity Assist by visiting the HealthEquity website.

The Salt Lake Chamber. We Stand as the Voice of Business.

Originally aired: 4/1/25

This is Derek Miller of the Salt Lake Chamber with your Utah Business

Report.

The John B. Goddard School of Business and Economics at Weber State University recently announced that they will welcome Jeremy Oller as the new dean this summer.

Oller comes from the University of Central Oklahoma, where he served as dean of the College of Business, leading initiatives to strengthen academic quality, student engagement and industry partnerships.

Under his leadership, the business college successfully reaffirmed accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, revitalized an award-winning mentorship program, created a student-run investment fund, launched a career-readiness initiative, and much more.

At Weber State, Oller intends to foster a team-focused culture that prioritizes students, an environment that supports the work of faculty and staff and a school that keeps the interests of the community in mind.

The Salt Lake Chamber. We Stand as the Voice of Business.

Originally aired: 3/26/25