Pub. 3 2013 Issue 1

9 Mining Focus Since 2007, the number of medical device manufacturing jobs in the U.S. has seen an increase of 25.54 percent. In Utah, over the same period of time, the total increase in jobs was an impressive 6,300 percent. The Bureau of Labor Statistics issued a report in 2010 that said Utah has more biomedical engineers per capita than anywhere else in the U.S. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2011, the Salt Lake City metropolitan area has a 30-percent higher employment rate for people who work in the medical device manufacturing sector than its two closest competitors, which are Greensboro, NC and Boston, MA. As you might suspect, Utah also has a high concentration of jobs for medical appliance technicians and biomedical engineers. For every 1,000 jobs, the percentage of technicians is 0.51. For engineers, the number is 0.519. How does all this information relate to mining? The link is stronger than you might realize, since most people don’t think about what happens to metal once it ismined. Any company that manufactures any product involving electricity will inevitably needminedmetal. In particular, beryllium, copper, silver, nickel, and gold are essential when it comes to producing electronic equipment. That means they are also essential to the companies in Utah that manufacture medical devices. It can also be argued that at least part of Utah’s success in medical device manufacturing has to do with its proximity to the mining industry. The Bingham Canyon Mine, or the Kennecott Copper Mine, is a significant presence within the state. More beryllium metal is produced in Utah than anywhere else in the U.S., and the largest source of beryllium in the nation is located in Juab county. Copper, silver, and gold are also plentiful in Utah. Even nickel is mined in Utah. From the point of view of making medical devices, this is great news: a short supply chain is more efficient, and less expensive, than one making its way across an entire globe. Having everything in one state has got to be a terrific business advantage. Utah’s prominence in mining and medical manufacturing isn’t just a happy accident, except for the fact that Utah won the lottery geographically when it comes to mineral deposits. Government, education, and business leaders in Utah have all deliberately created an environment where life science companies can thrive. The state welcomes new businesses and is considered to be extremely friendly to those companies that are located here. Utah values both mining and medical manufacturing, and it shows. As a result, Utah has become a remarkable place both for miners and for those who build medical devices. Utah’s focus on both industries will benefit the lives of anyone who needs medical care for a long time to come. As legacies go, building medical devices and taking care of the elderly are both good. Maybe they are even better than building a cathedral. X continued from page 7 Utah is uniquely positioned to be at the forefront of two industries, mining and medical devices , for the foreseeable future.