Nine times in the past 10 years, Utah has been recognized as one of the top places to do business in the United States, according to CNBC and Forbes. The state’s manufacturing sector is one of the primary forces driving its business success.

Perhaps that’s not surprising for a place nicknamed the Beehive State. Pioneer settlers choose the beehive as a symbol because it represented hard work and industry. Today the beehive symbol appears on the state flag and state seal and the honeybee is the official state insect.

Businesses seeking a great manufacturing experience should consider a Utah company like Petersen Incorporated, which has played a key role in Utah manufacturing since 1961.

Talented, expanding workforce

According to the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development, Utah "has the nation’s youngest population, with an average median age of 29.9, and the state’s leaders recognize the importance of educating youths to become skilled, competitive members of the workforce.”

Rob Despain, Vice President of Business Development at Petersen Inc., says, “I find myself spending time and investing resources at the elementary, junior high, high school and vocational colleges and universities educating students teachers and counselors about manufacturing.”

Approximately 90 percent of Utahns have earned at least a high school degree, and more than 55 percent have attended some college.

Utah has 10 public and three private universities and colleges. The University of Utah ranked first in 2010 and 2011 for the number of startups powered by technology developed by faculty at a U.S. university, according to the economic development office. In 2012, the University of Utah took the No. 2 spot behind MIT.

Utah maintains a major commitment to foreign language instruction. Eighty percent of students at Brigham Young University are fluent in a second language, and Utah conducts more Mandarin immersion classes than anywhere else in the U.S. More than 130 languages are spoken in the state, which gives Utah a disproportionate international impact.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports Utah is the nation’s fastest-growing state and crossed the 3 million mark in 2016.

Exploding technology

South of Salt Lake City is an area known as Silicon Slopes. It is to cloud computing today what the Silicon Valley was to software development in the 1990s. Utah has six companies on the Forbes Cloud 100 list of the leading private tech companies in cloud computing. That innovation is helping Utah companies of all types compete favorably across the globe.

Favorable tax climate

Utah's corporate tax rate of 5 percent is sixth lowest in the country, according to The Tax Foundation. In addition, the state offers great tax breaks for companies willing to invest in Utah, which led firms like Microsoft, Oracle, Adobe and others to set up shop in the Beehive State.

Utah also offers a state sales tax exemption for manufacturing equipment, according to the Utah tax code. That provides additional incentive for Utah companies to keep up to date.

Low energy and utility costs

Manufacturers consume an enormous amount of energy and with lower than average energy and utility costs, Utah is an attractive option, says the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development.

Utah is the place

All of these factors combine to allow Utah manufacturers like Petersen Inc. to create everything from rocket motors, to nuclear glovebox casks, to roller coasters, to mining and oil and gas equipment.

Utah has a highly educated and skilled workforce with nearly 10 percent employed in manufacturing, reports the National Association of Manufacturers. Of the state’s total economic output, about 15 percent comes from manufacturing.

The reasons why Utah is a great place for business are nearly endless. For those who need manufacturing expertise, it should be a no-brainer. As founder Brigham Young said when he first glimpsed the mountain valley, “this is the right place.”

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