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Show Business Park Record. Editor: Carolyn Webber Alder business@parkrecord.com 435.649.9014 ex.15718 CHAMBER/BUREAU TO HOST FALL B2B MIXER RECYCLE UTAH READIES TO HOST THE HARVEST FEST Recycle Utah plans to host its ninth annual Harvest Fest on Oct. 6 from noon to 5 p.m. at the High Star Ranch in Kamas. According to a press release, the festival will include more than 40 vendors selling local goods such as jewelry, art and handmade items. There will also be hay rides, live music and food. Proceeds from kids crafts will pay for art materials for South Summit Elementary School’s Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Program. Recycle Utah will be selling apples, apple pies and pumpkins. The event is free and open to the public. COMPANY LEADER IS ON A NATIONAL CABLE BOARD All West Communications, based in Kamas, recently announced that its president, Matt Weller, was appointed to the National Cable Television Cooperative, according to a press release. The cooperative represents more than 750 small and mid-size U.S. independent cable operators. The release stated that the appointment will allow a representative from All West to drive discussions about the future of broadband and cable television. Weller is expected to serve a three-year term. SAT/SUN/MON/TUES, SEPTEMBER 22-25, 2018 Businesses scale back due to lack of employees Low unemployment rates make it difficult for companies to hire Wages and Unemployment in Summit County Over the last four years, Summit County workers have seen wages rise and unemployment rates fall as business owners experience a lack of available workers DATA COURTESY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE SERVICES CAROLYN WEBBER ALDER The Park Record On the door of the Woodland Biscuit Company is a sign stating the business is cutting back its operations from five days a week to two. One does not need to speculate about the reason because it is written. Due to an inability to “find and hire enough staff to provide a reliable quality experience,” the Woodland restaurant is only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. until further notice. This is not the first sign announcing shortened hours residents of the Wasatch Back have seen this year. Fast food restaurants in Heber City had to close early a few weeks ago because of a lack of staff, and Einstein’s Bagels off Bonanza Drive was facing a similar problem around the same time. For many small businesses, cutting hours is a last resort, but it is one more are coming to as they face the challenges accompanied by low unemployment rates throughout the state. Bill Malone, president and chief executive officer of the Park City Chamber/Bureau, said Park City businesses have identified hiring as one of the toughest challenges for several years. “Many businesses have gone through entire seasons with numerous jobs unfilled,” he said. That was the case last winter, as companies struggled to fill positions in the busiest time of the year. In the past, Park City businesses combated the problem by offering higher wages than positions in the Salt Lake Valley, Malone said. People used to be willing to drive up the canyon for those wages, but low unemployment and lots of job openings in the Wasatch Front make it possible for workers to be picky. Expensive housing in the Park City area is one of the causes most people point to for the workforce problem. Malone said some of the larger employers provide employee housing to 2500 3.5 2400 3.4 Unemployment in Summit County 2300 Average monthly salary of a worker in accommodation and food services in Summit County 3.3 2200 3.2 2100 3.1 2000 Unemployment rate The Park City Chamber/Bureau plans to hold a Fall B2B Mixer and Party on Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 5 to 7:30 p.m., according to a newsletter. The event is set to take place at the Legacy Lodge at Park City Mountain Resort and will include professional development, networking, vendor booths, live music and prizes. Prior to the event, a certified Google trainer will lead two free workshops on Google titled “Get Found on Google Search and Maps,” which is set to take place from 3 to 4 p.m., and “Make Your Website Work for You,” from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. All members of the Chamber/Bureau and their employees are invited to attend, as well as prospective Chamber/Bureau members. To register, visit the Chamber/ Bureau’s event page A-7 STUDENTS PROGRAM BOLSTERS BUSINESS, A-8 www.parkrecord.com $ dollars The LITTLE GYM IS PERFECT SIZE FOR TOTS, A-8 3.0 2014 2015 2016 2017 GRAPHIC BY PATRICK SCHULZ give them a leg up, but small businesses can’t compete. Instead, they have to be creative in the perks they offer, such as transportation subsidies or end-of-season bonuses. Laurel Bartmess, owner of Woodland Biscuit Company, can attest. Her restaurant is located an hour from Salt Lake City. “I don’t even get anyone that applies for the positions that I need,” she said. “It became so bare bones that I couldn’t do it anymore.” Currently, she is down a dishwasher, a position she has tried to fill for a year and a half, and a handful of cook positions. Her main cook recently left because he was overworked. The restaurant has been shorthanded for so long that he and Bartmess were working double. A large part of her staff now is teenagers who are only able to work on weekends, she said. The hiring problem makes Bartmess feel as if her business is stagnant. She wants to be able to expand her hours and offer pizza cooked in the pizza oven she has in the back of the restaurant, but she has not been able to fire it up. She is too busy in the kitchen. Ben Farquharson, owner of Clockwork Café, knows the struggle of holding back on offerings because of low staff. He closed his original location at Silver Summit for two years to focus on growing his second eatery at the Tanger Outlets. Both locations are now open, and Farquharson has added a third. Hiring has become something Farquharson knows is almost always going to be difficult. He said it is just part of owning a business in Park City, which is why he never takes a break from trying to build his team. “We always have open positions,” he said. Gabe Morin, owner of the Mirror Lake Diner in Kamas, said hiring difficulties are something he has come to accept as well. He knows he has to offer pay that is competitive with Park City restaurants. He knows that year-end bonuses help keep people around. And he knows when his employees have reached their limits and need a rest. All over the area, he sees “Now hiring” signs. But he has not had to put one up for a while because he works hard to keep his employees. Still, he knows that, given the rising cost of living in Summit County, enticing people to stay when they can’t afford to live in town is going to be a large obstacle. Until servers and chefs are able to afford living in town or unemployment rises, Morin, and other restaurant owners, say the hiring struggle is just a factor of owning a business they will continue to tackle however they can. – STUNNING VIEW LOT FOR SALE – 3 7 7 7 Q UA RRY M O U N TA I N ROA D LOT 3 0 2018 Park City’s best plastic surgeon — Dr. Renato Saltz, proudly offers the “state-of-the-art” solution for hair loss! Before After CALL NOW TO SCHEDULE YOUR COMPLIMENTARY NEOGRAFT CONSULTATION! (Introductory offer, consults are regularly $95) NeoGraft is a game-changing technology that automates the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) method to give patients the most natural looking results. 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Scott Maizlish REALTOR® 435.901.4309 scott.maizlish@sothebysrealty.com scottmaizlish.com This material is based upon information that we consider reliable, but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete, including price, or withdrawal without notice; square footage is an estimate only. ©MMXVIII Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company. Each office is independently owned and operated. Copyright© Summit Sotheby’s International Realty 2018. |