Local manufacturers make good.

• Author: Sweeten, Elizabeth
• Position: Made in Utah

It seems like all business talk lately involves catch phrases like "recession" "slow recovery" and "sluggish economy." For the new year, UB decided to spotlight some success stories. These eight local companies haven't been immune to economic hard times, but they continue to provide innovative products while seeking out new market niches. And for various reasons, they all make Utah their home. Perhaps Ken Martin, president of Martin Door Manufacturing, puts it best: "We love Utah. We love the scenery. We love the people. The quality of life here is among the best anywhere in the world." Read on for a sampling of Utah manufacturers making cool stuff--and making Utah proud.

Daw Technologies, Inc.

Daw Inc. began in the 1960s as a partition design company In the mid '80s, National Semiconductor approached the company with a project to create a cleaner environment in which to produce computer components. Daw stepped up to the challenge. The venture was so successful, Daw Technologies, Inc. eventually spun off as a separate organization, becoming one of the leading manufacturers of clean environments, and one of only two publicly held controlled environment companies in the world.

In recent years, Daw looked to clients to determine new market opportunities. For example, Daw created a technology to replace automatic sliding doors with "air curtain entrances" for clients such as Wal-Mart. Mound 65 percent of Daw's clients are in the U.S., with the remainder mostly in Europe. Daw employs 150 to 170 people in their Salt Lake City facility, depending on the number of projects in production. "The people here are the most tenacious people on the planet," says CEO James Goings. "The creativity of every member of this organization allows us to generate solutions to the problems we've faced."

Don Julio Foods

Don Julio's CEO, Craig Fisher, isn't new to the food business in Utah. He began his career with Clover Club Snack Food Company in 1974, running their Little Pancho Mexican food division, as well as taking over Regional Snack Food responsibilities in the 1980s. An entrepreneur at heart, Fisher started and owned several food businesses in the 1990s. Don Julio Foods' new state-of-the-art production facility opened this year in the Freeport Center in Clearfield. Wonder Bread now delivers fresh Don Julio tortillas daily to stores in the Intermountain area, and all major retailers in the region carry Don Julio brand tortilla chips, salsa, and flour and corn...