Industries find home in former Army base

By Jack Sanders

Special Contributor

What do you do with an old Army base, complete with buildings, shops and parade field?

Simple. You invest millions of dollars and turn it into a business mecca - Utah Industrial Depot - in a thriving small-town community where life is simpler and cows still graze in neighboring pastures.

At the onset, it made sense. That is, buying 1,700 acres of prime land with 2.5 million square feet of building space already in place and located in one of the fastest-growing communities in Utah.

It took the five principals involved in the depot about a year to finalize all the legal paperwork required for the purchase.

The military pulled out of the depot in 1995. Negotiations began to sell the land in 1998, and it wasn't until 1999 that the property, which had been transferred from the U.S. Army to the City of Tooele, fell into private hands.

"Since then we've been involved in upgrading the property, putting in all the necessary infrastructure and bringing each building up to today's modern standards, such as bringing in fiber-optic lines and new copper conductors for the phone system,'' said Mark Smith, asset manager for the depot.

What makes this so ideal for businesses is the property was built up a long time ago, and at a fraction of what it would cost today. Leasing space at the depot is far less expensive in comparison to what it would be renting a building somewhere along the Wasatch Front.

"Also, this property is zoned for heavy industrial use, which means it's available to a wide range of businesses,'' added Smith.

Depot owners, along with Tooele City officials, have recently completed a new high-pressure water line to better serve the various businesses.

The short drive to gain freeway access for their trucks and workers, as well as the convenient railroad access to and from the depot attracts and keeps businesses within the community.

There are currently 46 businesses in the Utah Industrial Depot in Tooele. These companies employ more than 900 people. Those companies range from a dance studio with only a few employees, to a Detroit Diesel facility, which took over a 40-acre engine-maintenance facility and employs more than 350 people.

The business venture has made it possible for many companies to economically lease or purchase business space in the Tooele area.

UID has also made it possible for employers to have access to a highly-skilled workforce. When it was the Tooele Army Depot North Area truck refurbishing facility, there was a wide range of jobs filled by civilian personnel.

"When the base closed down,'' explained Smith, "all of the talent that was working there found it necessary to go into places like Salt Lake City and Provo to find work.

"Many of those people are still living in Tooele. Companies that are coming into Tooele now have all that skill and talent available to them.''

After taking over the base, Smith said, more than $3.5 million was spent in general cleanup and repair. Since then, another $9 million has been spent to make the property as aesthetically pleasing and undated as possible.

"We also have plans over the next five years for even more upgrading and improving of the property,'' he added.

More than 1 million of the 2.5 million square feet of available space has been leased to a wide range of businesses. Also, some of the land within the complex has been sold to companies looking at long-term commitments.

A new road through the complex has also opened up the opportunity for new businesses in need of special building requirements to construct an entirely new facility on available land within the depot.

Smith said that he expects more space to be leased as the economy improves and new companies learn about the depot and the advantages it offers.

Among the businesses within the depot are a mining company, steel fabrication company, a supplier of large pipe, a sign company and welding supply company.

There are definite benefits to companies looking to relocate and for new businesses looking for a home base to grow from.

Tooele is, after all, considered an ideal location to establish roots, not only because of the low cost of leasing space at the depot, and the wide range of conveniences and services offered there, but because of the community itself.

There is quick and convenient access to the Salt Lake City International Airport and downtown Salt Lake City over I-80. Residents of Tooele, for example, because of the uncongested freeway system, can typically make it into Salt Lake City more easily and in less time than residents of Draper and Riverton.

Another attraction to the area is the lifestyle Tooele offers. Along with the community setting and small-city services, its laid-back rural lifestyle - a definite break from high-pressure, big-city living - is being sought by many of today's workers.

The depot is located about two-and-a-half miles west of downtown Tooele on State Road 112.