oct-2017

256 257 wheelercat.com | 800-662-8650 Wheeler Power Systems is the proud project developer and generation equipment supplier of the new Lehi City Power Office and Generation Facility. Thank you Lehi City for your trust and confidence! SALES • Diesel & Gas Package GenSets • Automatic Transfer Switches • Manual Transfer Switches • Switchgear • Battery / Static UPS • Flywheel / Rotary UPS • Load Banks RENTAL • Generators • Electrical Distribution • Transformers • Resistive & Reactive Loadbanks • Compressed Air • Temperature Control • Hydroblasting Wheeler Power Systems is ready to meet all your power generation demands— large or small, simple to complex. just on that project alone.And numerous other IT companies have either announced, or they’re already in the process of constructing buildings to be in the area. “There’s a lot of talent and a good work force here for these companies to hire and retain quality employees, so we’re starting to see these companies pop up. So, primarily our economy, or this boom, anyway, has been driven by the tech sector, but, of course, you have retail and other industries that are following the population growth. So, year to year, we’re exploding at the seams.We’ve got thousands of housing units already in the pipeline ready to go, and we’re just trying to keep up with the infrastruc- ture that those additional units will require.” Lehi’s growth has also come about because it’s a great place to live.“People really love the small town feel that Lehi still does have, as well as ac- cess to both Salt Lake and Utah Counties,” says Walker.“There are a lot of amenities and things for people to do that are close by. Every year,we sur- vey the general public just to see howwe’re doing, LEHI CITY, UTAH LEHI CITY Total area:                       26.34 Square Miles Population:                     61,130 Unemployment:             3.4% Median family income:  $77,662 Job growth %:                 4.59% Median home price:       $252,400 and consistently Lehi ranks very well in quality of life scores.And, as we talk to these businesses and corporations that look at Lehi and ultimately decide to locate here, quality of life is always at the top of their list as factors for their decision to move here. That’s something we take a lot of pride in.We have a very safe city, a very clean city, access to a lot of recreational activities, both within the city and very close to Lehi.And we have an historic downtown; it’s old and small, but it’s got a lot of charm and charac- ter.” Walker says that one of the city’s challenges is to both improve the look and feel of the downtown area,while also paying attention to the rapidly growing business sector to its north.“The majority of the tech sector and a lot of the new growth is actually developing on the north side of town,”he explains.“So, it’s two distinct epicenters, if you will. You have the old downtown area where City Hall and some city offices are located close to some of the old, traditional mom-and-pop type shops, and then you have this new, high-tech area seeing massive growth–a lot of office space, retail as well, going in on the north side.We’re trying to figure out ways to join the two together so they can be mutu- ally beneficial to each other.” Another challenge for the city is trying to keep housing costs affordable for the influx of new res- idents.“With the type of industries coming in, the type of high-paying jobs coming in, those are all great things,”Walker avers.“However, it’s caused our housing market prices to go through the roof. Some of the younger buyers are getting priced out.We’re trying to find ways to be responsible with densi-