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Orem Sets Business Pace

Click to see original imageCentral Utah cities fared well in business activity in a report for 1974 compared with previous years submitted by the Utah Foundation. Among cities, Orem’s business growth was the greatest at 28.7 per cent – a boost from $89,557.000 in 1973 to $115303,000 in 1974. Other selected cities measured by sales subject to the sales and use tax, included: Springville, up 16.2 per cent; Nephi, up 12.5 per cent; Heber, up 12.4 per cent; American Fork, ug: 6.2 ner cent; Payson, up 5, per cent; Spanish Fork, up 4.1 per cent; and Provo, up 3.5 per cent. On a state-wide basis, Salt Lake City’s business activity growth was up 10 per cent, Logan was listed for an 11.9 per cent gain, with no figure shown for Ogden, West Jordan showed an 142.8 per cent gain and Woods Cross was up 99.7 per cent for spectacular gains, with Orem’s 28.7 good for third. Among counties. Duchesne led the list with a 64.1 per cent climb in business volume, with Daggett and Uintah next in line with percentages of 27.8 and 27.2, respectively. Among the large counties, Utah County showed a 12.5 per cent gain. with total gross sales climbing from $386,767,000 in 1973 to $434927,000 in 1974. The figures outstripped Weber County although total volume was about the same for these two rival counties. Weber’s percentage gain was 8.2 per cent, with total sales of $435.050,000 compared with $401955,000 for the previous year. Juab County’s increase was 12.9 per cent and Wasatch County’s 5.2. Salt Lake Coimty registered a 12 per cent gain, with volume reaching $2,281,714,000. One of the most striking changes in the Utah County picture, businesswise, has been the sharp gains made by Orem. In 1967, earliest year covered by the Utah Foundation report, Orem’s gross sales volume amounted to $17,580,000 By 1970 the figure had jumped to 27,373,000; 1973, $89,557,000 treflecting the widening shopping center business), and 1974, $115,303. Provo continued to be No. 1 in gross sales in the county, with volume of $90,453,000 in 1967, $122,755,00U, 1970; $170,753,000 in 1973 and $176,752,000 in 1974. The figures provide a good barometer on business activity; yet they must be considered in the light of the inflation. The Foundation, noting a 11.8 per cent gain state-wide. concluded; “Because of inflation, the dollar volume of business activity in the state appeared strong during 1974 despite the recession being experienced throughout the nation.” Subtracting the inflation factor, the net gain in the state was slight, estimated at 0.7 per cent. But even this performance, said Foundation, was “considerably better than the experience for the nation as a whole, which last year registered an over-all decline of 2.2 per cent in personal consumption expenditures stated in constant dollars?