May 5, 2025
The Salt Lake City Department of Economic Development received the prestigious 2025 Mac Conway Award for Excellence in Economic Development from Site Selection Magazine. This national honor underscores the department’s commitment to investment, job creation, and economic growth in the region.
“Salt Lake City stands as a leader in economic opportunity and innovation,” said Mayor Erin Mendenhall. “This recognition is a testament to the amazing teamwork of our economic development staff and community partners, who are shaping our city into a thriving hub for business growth and investment.”
Named after Site Selection Magazine founder Mac Conway, a pioneer in economic development, the award recognizes organizations for their contributions to business expansion and investment. Winners are selected based on:
- Total projects
- Total investment
- Total jobs associated with those projects
- Per-capita calculations for those metrics
These metrics are tracked by Site Selection’s proprietary Conway Projects database and included 23 tracked projects involving more than $621 million and 2,200 jobs. It also factored the Milken Institute Best Performing Cities scorecard and the Most Dynamic Metros Report from Heartland Forward.
“This award reflects our team’s dedication to building a strong and resilient economy in Salt Lake City,” said Lorena Riffo-Jenson, Director of the Department of Economic Development. “We are honored to stand alongside impactful organizations that drive economic success across the country.”
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About Salt Lake City Department of Economic Development
Salt Lake City’s Department of Economic Development is focused on building Salt Lake City as a vibrant, beautiful, prosperous, diverse, and authentic place – a place that is economically accessible to everyone. Known as the “Crossroads of the World,” Salt Lake City is strategically located for businesses to succeed. SLC DED works to streamline processes, provide excellent customer service, and offer an array of resources and services to recruit and retain businesses in the City, and ensure they have the tools to thrive. Learn more here.