Conquering the present business world with lessons from the past.

• Author: Little, Candace M.
• Position: TRAILBLAZERS - Company overview

For more than 10 years, Utah Business has been spotlighting some of the state's longest-lasting companies and organizations. Is it getting old yet? Actually, yes. These companies are all getting old--old and experienced, and wrinkled with time, knowledge and challenges overcome. But they are far from old-fashioned.

The 2012 Trailblazers are leaders in their industry, trying new ways to keep up with the changing world and constantly improving their products, services and systems. We call them "trailblazers," because they were among the first of their kind, laying down a path in Utah for other businesses and organizations to succeed as well. It's been said that history repeats itself, and in the case of these four organizations, we can only hope it does.

Southern Utah University Established: 1897

The inception of Southern Utah University A took a lot of literal trailblazing. It began as an authorized branch of the state's teacher training school. But after only two months in operation, the state attorney general threatened to shut it down. He ruled that in order to keep the school in existence, Cedar City must not only construct a building on specific designated land, but the school must also be built within one year. In January of 1898, men, wagons, sleighs and horses blazed through shoulder-deep snow in order to saw logs for the school building. The Branch Normal School building was completed in about one year and has since transformed into a college and now a university.

SUU still has its share of battles to conquer. Michael Benson, president of SUU, says a recent challenge involved finding the necessary funds to complete construction of a science building. Once again, the citizens of Cedar City came through. There were about 10 families who donated roughly $3 million total and made the completion possible.

"We are part of a long chain of people who have given a great deal," Benson says. "We try very hard to live up to that ideal. Our job is to make the institution better."

SUU looks to the example of its founders and still exhibits great strength, both as an institution and as professors, staff and students. SUU student Cam Levins is a perfect example. He took first place in the 5,000-and 10,000-meter races at the NCAA Track & Field Championships in June, and has times that qualify him for the Summer Olympics.

As an institution, SUU was designated by the State Board of Regents as the state's premier public liberal arts and sciences university in September 2011, followed by the...