What's Up Down South?

Here is a snapshot of some of the information during the What’s Up Down South portion of Thursday’s Washington County Economic Summit:

• The Utah Department of Transportation outlined a number of recently completed or under-construction projects, including two new segments of the Southern Parkway, a bridge across the Virgin River at Mall Drive, a new freeway interchange at Interstate 15 and St. George Boulevard, and ongoing studies into ways to address traffic congestion on Bluff Street.
  
•  Cedar City projects include a new freeway interchange at the southern edge of the city and a $35 million arts facility at Southern Utah University.
  
• SyberJet Aircraft is working to produce the world’s fastest and longest-range seven-seat light business jet, the SJ30. The company is moving its headquarters and final assembly facility to Cedar City where it’s expected to create 47 new full-time positions in 2013 and 850 jobs total by the end of 2019. The company plans to invest more than $350 million in facilities and company expansion.
  
• Washington County School District is working to keep up with population growth, having grown from 20,240 students in 2000 to 27,004 as of December 2013. In November, voters approved a $185 million bond to help build a series of new schools and other infrastructure.
  
• Shefco, LLC has plans for a large-scale multi-use commercial development (Boulder Creek Crossing) planned to go in around the intersection of River Road and 1450 South in St. George, where a Maverik store is already under construction on the bank of the Virgin River. Over the next five to seven years, the plan is to develop much of the surrounding 60 acres, including a Smith’s Marketplace, McDonalds, car wash, a retail strip mall and office space.
  
• Industrial Brush Corporation is planning to relocate from Pomona, Calif., to a new 52,000 square foot building in the Fort Pierce Industrial Park. The company, which manufactures specialty brushes for industrial companies, is planning to bring 80 percent of its workforce wit it to St. George, investing $6 million up front and establishing an overall payroll of $1.6 million annually.
  
• Environmental Stoneworks, a local company that manufactures stone veneer, plans to invest $2.5 million in a new manufacturing facility that could produce more than 65 million square feet of stone veneer annually. The company would eventually hire about 100 employees, starting later this year after the facility is built. Final site selection is scheduled for February, with construction expected to start immediately thereafter.
  
• KPI Concepts, Inc., a custom store fixture manufacturer, plans to expand to Hurricane by 2015, opening a new facility that could have an economic impact of more than $27 million. The company, which currently operates out of two facilities in Iowa, makes wood laminate and stone fixtures such as checkstands, service counters and cabinets for clients like Target, Best Buy and Family Dollar. The Spectrum