St. George is Best "Boomtown" for Business

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) Last month, booming growth placed St. George first on the list of fastest growing areas in the country. Now Inc. Magazine calls the city its number one boomtown and best place to do business:

"Businesses, companies that never would have considered us because we were literally not on their map, are now looking at our growth numbers and saying 'How could we have missed this?'" says Russell Behrmann, president of the St. George Chamber of Commerce.

Inc. Magazine bases its list of "boomtowns" each year on job growth numbers. Behrmann says St. George has been booming for several years - but only recently qualified as a "metro service area." That has meant a lot more publicity for the Southern Utah community:

"And so we're appearing on the stage in front of a brand new audience and we're doing it with such momentum with our growth that we really didn't sneak in. We came in with a big brass band," says Behrmann.

Behrmann says all of the publicity is sure to increase the pressure St. George is now feeling on its roads, land and water resources. Civic leaders, residents, businesses and environmental groups are working on a regional planning effort known as Vision Dixie to handle the changes that come with being the nation's best boomtown.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW