You can get there from here.

• Position: Availability of and access to transportation prove essential to Utah business and industry

YOU CAN GET THERE FROM HERE

Settled because of its sheer isolation from the rest of the country, Utah is now only as remote as 160 flights a day, and more than 1,500 freight companies, miles of rail lines, and three major interstates allow. In fact, most Utah businesses--including the Utah companies on this year's Inc. 500 list--sell a good share of their products out of the state. And that represents specific challenges.

"The availability of transportation has to be there. It doesn't do any good to be strategically located if you have to pay a premium to move your product," says Gary Bettencourt, president, All American Gourmet. Since 1986, the company has manufactured and distributed its frozen entrees and sidedishes from its plant in Clearfield.

By Air

The Salt Lake International Airport is the most important transportation criteria for most existing and relocating businesses looking to land in Utah, whether they transport executives or day planner books.

"The airport will work very closely with economic development entities and any community in the state if they were trying to lure a business. We'll make a presentation to the client about our air service, reliability, and what the airport would do for their business if they come. If they approached us, we would support them all we could, even confidentially," says Lou Miller, director, Salt Lake Airport Authority.

Salt Lake's is a relatively new airport. Terminal Two has been expanded six times already since it was built in 1978. The Salt Lake International Airport recently completed $60 million in improvements to serve local residents. Utahns have a new parking structure, passenger sky bridges, convenient exit and entrance roads, an expanded baggage claim area, and food services to "provide the passenger with more of what they want and are used to seeing in other airports," says Miller, who points out that only local contractors were used to build the projects.

Still Expanding

1992 will see a third runway built to increase capacity and reduce flight delays. When it's foggy, the airport's operations are limited to just one of its two runways. This happens only 7 to 8 percent of the time, Miller says. The new runway will be complete by the end of 1995 and will cost $107 million. Design of the runway will begin this summer, and will include wetlands mitigation.

The 25th-busiest airport in the United States, Salt Lake is also one of the most reliable. "It's rare that Salt Lake closes all...