The new Utah office where you wish you worked.

• Author: Stewart, Heather

Big-name Silicon Valley companies get a lot of attention for the over-the-top amenities they offer employees. Video game rooms, concierge services, onsite massage therapy--these perks are standard fare in an ultra-competitive startup environment.

But lately the spotlight is not on Silicon Valley--it's on Utah's Silicon Slopes. The Beehive State is a thrumming hive of entrepreneurial activity, and homegrown companies now rival their East and West Coast counterparts for creating ultra-modern workplaces that cater to the comfort and wellbeing of employees.

As growing businesses lease new office space or develop new headquarter buildings in Utah, they are looking to create a holistic ecosystem for their employees, a place where all their needs are taken care of. Employees don't have to leave to eat a healthy lunch, and they don't have to leave to exercise. They don't even have to leave in order to relax and play. Many companies enhance video game rooms with office scooters, ping-pong tables and arcade games.

Ongoing competitions help teams relieve stress and build camaraderie.

Software company Xactware recently moved into a new 210,000-square-foot building to accommodate its tremendous growth. The company seized the opportunity to include new amenities like an onsite fitness center, a climbing wall, outdoor basketball and volleyball courts, and an outdoor pavilion where employees can gather.

"Innovation is critical to our success as a technology company. That's why we went to great lengths to build a corporate headquarters where creativity can flourish," says Jim Evans, COO of Xactware. "Now we have a beautiful building with a modular design that allows plenty of sunlight to flow in, and there are many spaces where team members can get together to collaborate. Employees keep telling me how much they love the new building."

These features fall in line with trends that Brandon Fugal, chairman of CBC Advisors, has observed over the past few years. He notes that Utah companies are increasingly incorporating amenities like fitness centers and other recreational facilities, gaming areas, cafeterias, comfy break areas and collaborative work spaces.

For most businesses, employees are their most valuable asset--particularly for tech companies, which face a...