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This is Fred Ball for Zions bank, speaking on business.
Paul Holden of Bio-West in Logan has a Ph.D. in fisheries from Utah State University. After receiving his degree, Paul spent several years working on the Alaska Pipeline. He came back to Utah to ski and decided that he definitely wanted to live in the state and to utilize his education and background in environmental, planning and research services.
In 1976, four people who had been graduate students at Utah State each put in $250 and started Bio West. Tom Twedt, who acts as a physical resources division manager, joined Paul in 1979 and became an integral part of the management team. Today Bio-West has their Logan office and another in Austin, Texas. They have 25 professionals plus additional technical and support personnel working on projects all over the West.
Bio-West provides context-sensitive environmental service for a variety of customers representing state and federal agencies, Indian Tribes, private organizations and industries. He told me that clients depend on the company's objectivity, credible service and superior products that are based on scientific principles.
I really enjoyed hearing the history of the environmental problems associated with the Central Utah Project. I had followed with great interest the early years of the Bonneville Unit of the CUP. Paul and Tom explained how early outside consultants had performed poor work related to environmental impacts and mitigation and how this was one of the catalysts for starting the company.
I also listened intently as they told me about their work on the controversial road that went into the Snow Basin Resort in Ogden Canyon for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Bio-West provided studies that showed how to mitigate impacts and how to replace resources.
It was obvious sitting in the Bio-West offices that the people really love working around wildlife using their expertise to protect wetlands, vegetation and the entire outdoors.
For Zion's bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
