Utah is consistently ranked high as a business friendly state, and one of the best places to do business is in Utah County.
Recently the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce honored some of the best businesses in Utah County at its annual Installation and Awards Banquet in Provo. The Chamber presented six awards to some of the most progressive companies.
Kneaders Bakery and Cafe won the best business of the year. What started off as a single bakery in Orem in 1997 now has 22 cafes in 3 states. Focusing on Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce President Val Hale says honoring successful businesses like Kneaders helps set the bar for others in Utah Valley.
“It’s always wonderful to recognize and say thanks to people who are doing well, who are showing a great example of how to be a good business and how to be a good community partner. Everyone likes to look at those who are being successful."
And there are plenty of success stories from Utah County. Take the Utah Valley Marathon for example. What started out in 2008 with about 250 athletes has now skyrocketed to more than 7,000 runners. It’s this success story that helped the marathon win best small business award.
“Right now this place is brimming with great businesses. It’s so hard to narrow it down to 5 or 6. We could have had more than 100 business here...but congratulations to all of the businesses in the valley.”
The Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce says it wants to be a strong example of success not only for Utah, but for the rest of the country.