TOOELE COUNTY: Stepping into the spotlight.

• Position: SPECIAL REPORT: TOOELE

Tooele County is the state's second-largest county by geographic area--but it is in seventh place for its population size. That means the county, which is a short drive from the Salt Lake Valley, has plenty of room for population growth, economic development and tourism expansion. While Tooele County has experience fluctuations in some of its industries--particularly in information technology--it continues to flourish with low unemployment and a great deal of untapped potential.

MAJOR EMPLOYERS

1 Tooele School District

2 Walmart

3 Department of Defense

4 U.S. Magnesium

5 Cabela's

6 Dealersocket

7 Tooele County

8 Detroit Diesel Remanufacturing

9 Mountain West Medical Center

10 Tooele City

Source: Utah Department of Workforce Services

TOOELE COUNTY TRAVEL & TOURISM 2016 2015 CHANGE Travel-related $993,283 $972,458 2.1% tax revenues Leisure & $67,557,073 $70,020,671 -3.5% Hospitality taxable sales L&H jobs 1,549 1,546 0.2% L&H % of total jobs 13.0% 13.8% -5.8% L&H wages $21,667,391 $24,005,402 -9.7% Ave. occupancy rate 51.4% 52.3% -1.8% Source: Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, County Tourism Profiles FOURTH QUARTER 2017 PERMIT AUTHORIZED CONSTRUCTION (IN THOUSANDS) NEW RESIDENTIAL NEW NON- RESIDENTIAL ADDITIONS/ RESIDENTIAL ALTERATIONS/REPAIRS Grantsville $27,541.8 $556.5 $9,796.9 Tooele $14,402.0 $284.2 $4,664.3 Wendover $.0 $.0 $.0 Other Tooele Co. $944.4 $.0 $.0 Total Value $42,888.2 $840.7 $14,461.1 Percent Change -6.7% -60.8% -24.5% NONRESIDENTIAL TOTAL CON- ADDITIONS/...