Last month, members of the UAMMI team represented Utah’s advanced materials industry at the CAMX 2018 show in Dallas. Over 5,000 industry members and 500+ exhibitors attended this expanding show, which is now the biggest of its kind in the United States.
Along with several Utah companies, UAMMI had a booth display at the event. We used this to promote our state, the good things happening here and encourage people to connect with Utah companies. Joining us were partners from Davis Tech, the Composites & Aerospace of Northern Utah (CANU), Salt Lake Community College, and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. As a team we promoted Utah, delighted people with free ice cream, gave away a Utah-made carbon fiber guitar from KLOS and met hundreds of new contacts. 
As we met people, we began to notice a common theme. After telling them about Utah, almost all of them were amazed at how organized the advanced materials and manufacturing industry is here. It became common to hear people say, “Wow, Utah has a lot going on and seems really well organized. I had no idea the industry was that strong there” or “It’s incredible how much your state leadership supports this industry in Utah. I guess that’s what a state should look like when leaders actually get behind something!” Naturally, we followed up by inviting them to explore doing business in Utah and opening up new facilities here, which many showed genuine interest in doing.
After hearing so many of these comments, it reinforced the idea that we have a very unique workforce and support system here in Utah. Although we have an extensive history within the aerospace industry, it’s the people that really make the difference. To me, there is a pioneering attitude among our employees coupled with strong government and civic support that make all the difference. It’s a unique blend of talent, leadership and opportunity that make it such a special place to do business and enjoy life.
At UAMMI, our goal is to continue promoting Utah as a leader in this space and to bring more business to the companies that have made Utah so great. We are actively telling everyone what a special place this is and why they should do business here. Moving forward, we are confident this will pay off and help keep Utah as an industry leader.