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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
I have not lived in Ogden for many years. However, I still regard it as "home" because of my growing up years, and the fact that my mother and father and sister still live in the area.
I recently spent some quality time in the "Junction City" visiting with community and business leaders.
Things have changed a great deal in the many years since I first moved from Ogden to go to California for a few years. The sign on the outskirts of the city always said, "Welcome to Ogden. Population 37,400." Well, that number is really outdated. Today, there are more than 77,000 living in the city limits.
Retailing has changed dramatically. Washington Boulevard was home to some of the most outstanding retail stores in the entire country. Fred M. Nye, L. R. Samuels, Buehler-Bingham, Wolfers, Reeds, Tanner Clothing, Levin's. All of them are now gone but retailing is still healthy and alive in such places as the Newgate Mall, the 12th Street Plaza, The Family Center at 5 Points and other regional shopping areas.
When I was a kid the biggest employer by far was the railroad. Swifts Meat Packing was huge. American Can, Richardson Battery, Gould Battery and Royal McBee were major corporations.
Today Autoliv, McKay Dee Hospital, Convergys, Iomega, IRS center and Weber State University are the major employers.
Things really have changed. Some things for the better, some for the worse, as it always goes. One thing that has remained constant is the quality of the small businesses in the area. For the next few programs on Speaking on Business, I'll talk about several of them.
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
