Utah Leads Nation in ACA Enrollment of 'Invincibles'
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www.slenterprise.com March 24-30, 2014 Volume 43, Number 29 $1.50 INSIDE Utah leads nation in ACA Recreation, enrollment of 'invincibles' gas lead hike John Rogers Reality series to shoot in Utah The Enterprise GOED incentives will help bring in Utah CPI production of two TV programs to Close to 40,000 Utahns have signed up The cost to consumers of goods and Utah, including a series on crowd- services in Utah continues to creep up, page 2 for private insurance plans available through funding. the Affordable Care Act, according to Jason according to the Zions Bank Wasatch Front Consumer Price Index (CPI) released last Get locals' support, miners say Stevenson, education and communications director at the Utah Health Policy Project, week. The CPI increased 0.2 percent from Panelists at a recent mining society an organization that helps guide people January to February on a non-seasonally- gathering discussed the importance through the ACA. What’s more, he says, the adjusted basis while the national Consumer of a company's relationship with state leads the nation in young adults get- Price Index, released by the Bureau of page 5 the local community. ting health coverage. Labor Statistics, increased 0.4 percent from during the same period. Utah’s increase was Industry News Briefs But with the March 31 enrollment dead- line on healthcare.gov quickly approaching, driven by recreation and gasoline prices. pages 6-7 many thousands more remain eligible but Over the past 12 months prices have increased in Utah by 1.1 percent while the Business Calendar unaware that they qualify for low-cost cov- erage created by Obamacare. national increase was 0.4 percent. page 8 Stevenson cited a report from the U.S. Utahns paid 1.3 percent more for rec- reational activities in February, led by an Real Estate Section Department of Health and Human Services that shows Utah is No. 1 for registering 18- increase for cable and satellite television. pages 17-19 to-34-year-old adults for health coverage One of Utah’s primary providers of satel- through the ACA. He said online marketing lite television raised prices by an average efforts targeting the so-called young “invin- of 3.7 percent for each of its service bun- Utah has shown more success than most states dles, citing rising programming fees from in enrolling people in heathcare plans offered cibles” appear to be paying off. content providers and broadcast networks. under the Affordable Care Act, especiallay when it comes to young people. see ACA pg. 16 Consumers could potentially see further substantial price increases for television services following last month’s announce- ment that Comcast and Time-Warner Cable will merge. Although the proposed merger Salt Lake company gearing up will take months to complete, many ana- lysts believe the new company will have unprecedented control on the market and to turn waste plastic into fuels will have the potential to increase prices converted to oil, it would result in 10 billion considerably. Brice Wallace gallons annually, according to a company Consumers also paid slightly more The Enterprise video shown to the crowd. for gasoline in February than they did in “While you were watching that short January. This increase is in line with typical In the movie “The Graduate,” a char- fi lm, over 3 million pounds of plastic waste seasonal trends, as gasoline prices gener- acter named Mr. McGuire counsels a young was disposed of globally. Meanwhile, in that ally begin to rise in February and peak man considering his future by using one same three minutes, over 3 million gallons in the summer. Still, this year’s seasonal word: “Plastics.” of oil was consumed globally,” she said. “PK price increase started much more slowly Priyanka Bakaya sees a future in plas- Clean’s vision is a bold one: to end landfi ll than it did last year. Last year, the aver- tics, but not by creating it. Instead, her com- plastic waste forever. We envision a world age price per gallon of gasoline jumped to pany, Salt Lake City-based PK Clean, can where every piece of plastic waste that can’t $3.30 in February from $2.91 in January, convert discarded plastic into diesel, gaso- be recycled can be converted to clean fuel.” but in 2014, the average price per gal- line or crude oil. Operating under the mantra “waste is lon of gasoline increased only to $3.14 The chief executive offi cer of the com- a terrible thing to waste,” the company can in February from $3.11 in January due to pany last week acknowledged that “people take plastic, which is made from oil, in its a lack of major geopolitical tensions in sometimes think it’s some sort of witchcraft, various forms: water and soda bottles, milk oil producing countries, along with cold converting plastic into oil.” jugs, shampoo bottles, PVC, bags, drink temperatures suppressing demand. Because Speaking at a luncheon hosted by the cups and straws and take-out containers, gasoline prices were substantially higher in Zions Premier Wealth Management Cen- to name a few. The process melts the plas- February 2013 compared to February 2014, ter Speaker Series, Bakaya spoke about the tic, and out comes oils. Several grades can overall transportation costs are down 2.5 economic and environmental positives of be produced, but the primary target is die- percent year-over-year. the proprietary process. The fi rst commer- sel. It costs PK Clean $30 per barrel to pro- In the months ahead, consumers can cial-scale unit is expected to convert 10 tons duce fuel that sells for $100 per barrel. A expect to see gasoline price increases accel- of waste plastic into 2,500 gallons daily, local Holly refi nery has agreed to accept PK erate, thanks in large part to increased with zero emissions, by sometime this sum- Clean’s output. demand and the seasonal switch from mer. If all U.S. non-recycled plastic were see PLASTICS pg. 16 see CPI pg. 16 2 · March 24-30, 2014 · The Enterprise - Utah's Business Journal UCAIR awards first Air Assist grant MPIP tax credits will bring ACS Precision Finish, an auto our air,” said Ted Wilson, UCAIR shoulder costs of upgrading to body shop in Salt Lake City, is the executive director. “The $1 mil- cleaner equipment protects jobs first recipient of an Air Assist grant lion in Air Assist grants will em- and supports Utah’s economic en- two film projects to state from the Utah Clean Air Partner- power small businesses to make gine,” said Jon Pierpont, executive A TV reality show about the cipal photography is scheduled for ship (UCAIR). The funds will be direct and real changes in their op- director of DWS. “We are hap- business world was one of two April 16 through Sept. 5. used by Precision to upgrade its erations that will have a significant py to provide funding to bolster projects getting production incen- The GOED board also ap- tives recently from the Governor’s painting system to decrease emis- impact on reducing emissions and the backbone of our economy — proved a tax credit incentive of up Office of Economic Development sions. improving air quality.” small businesses.” to $60,000 for Let It Go LLC for The UCAIR Air Assist pro- Some additional examples (GOED) board. To be eligible, businesses its drama feature film production gram is a partnership between of emissions-reducing equipment At its March meeting, the must have fewer than 100 employ- “Let It Go.” the Utah Clean Air Partnership that dry cleaners, restaurants, board approved a tax credit incen- The story is of a man who be- (UCAIR), Department of Work- print shops and other small busi- ees and must match the grant funds tive from the Motion Picture In- dollar for dollar. The current fund- comes a motivational speaker af- force Services (DWS) and De- ness could purchase with the grant centive Program (MPIP) fund of ter he forgives the drunken driver ing period ends June 30, so busi- between $476,088 and $595,110 partment of Environmental Qual- are exhaust, ventilation or heating who causes an accident that takes nesses are encouraged to apply for Jumpstart Main Street Inc. for ity (DEQ). DWS is providing units; filtration systems or cleaner the lives of the man’s pregnant quickly. Interested business own- its production of “Jumpstart Main $300,000 in funding for fiscal year burning engines. wife and two children. 2013-2014, with possible addi- “Helping small businesses ers should visit www.ucair.org. Street.” The production is expected to tional funding in subsequent years. The series will focus on the spend $300,000 in Utah. Principal DEQ will help identify businesses crowdfunding movement, with photography is set for May 1-22. that can benefit from the grant and online and TV audiences voting The board also revised the UCAIR administers the funds. The Hispanic confab coming to SLC for entrepreneurs appearing on the incentive figures from a Febru- grant offers funds to small busi- The United States Hispanic Hotel in Salt Lake City. program. Producer Rod Blanchard ary approval for Don Verdean the ness to purchase equipment up- Chamber of Commerce (USH- Donald J. Salazar, a lifelong described the show as a hybrid Movie LLC for “Don Verdean,” grades that will reduce emissions. CC) has announced that its 2014 resident of the Ogden Area and of “Shark Tank” and “American a comedy feature film. It will re- “Less talk, more action. This National Convention — the larg- president and CEO of Creative Idol.” The company is looking for is the purpose of UCAIR — to est gathering of Hispanic business Times Inc.