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Questar residential customers could see bills drop $21 a year

Questar Gas residential customers are likely to see their gas bills go down $21 a year starting June 1.

The decrease stems from a request the gas company submitted to the Public Service Commission for a $28.6 million decrease in natural-gas rates because the market is flooded with supplies. Rate reductions are rarely rejected.

"We're paying less for supplies and passing the savings on to customers," said Questar Gas President Craig Wagstaff, who will head Questar-Dominion when the $4.4 billion merger of the energy companies is completed.

"We hope to see the trend continue," he added, but "prices can fluctuate."

McDonald's will participate in company hiring day on Friday

McDonald's restaurants around Utah will be participating in a company hiring day on Friday, looking to add about 1,000 employees.

Barbara Schmiett, a spokeswoman for the owner/operators of many McDonald's franchises, said job applications will be accepted at participating restaurants from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additional information about job opportunities is available at http://www.mylocalmcds.com.

To entice jobseekers, McDonald's is emphasizing that Utah restaurants are in a pilot "Create Your Taste" program that will give employees experience "in the restaurant lobby, brining concierge service and table service to customers."

Many full- and part-time employees also will be eligible for McDonald's "Archways to Opportunity" program, which offers free educational benefits, Schmiett said.

Jim Olson promoted to president of Vivant Smart Home Arena

Jim Olson is now the guy running Vivint Smart Home Arena.

His promotion to the position of arena president, responsible for ticketing, food services, facility operations and event booking, was announced Wednesday by Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment (LHMSE) President Steve Starks.

He said Olson's "wealth of experience and knowledge will make the arena the premier community-gathering place for years to come."

Now in his 22nd year with the company, Olson will be an executive vice president with the parent company and oversee the Salt Lake Bees Triple-A baseball team. Most recently LHMSE's chief operating officer, he started in the Utah Jazz ticket office and has been a manager in most aspects of the operations.

Sports Authority still seeks buyer, will not liquidate

Sports Authority Inc., still seeking a buyer, does not plan to give up. "Liquidation is not in our vocabulary," Robert Klyman, a lawyer representing the ailing sporting-goods chain, told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Mary Walrath Tuesday in Wilmington, Del.

That doesn't mean the company has found a committed buyer for some of its more than 450 locations, including 10 in northern Utah. Klyman told the judge a "stalking horse," who would set the floor in any asset auction, hasn't been designated.

Sports Authority filed for bankruptcy court protection in March, saddled with debt piled up from a $1.3 billion buyout 10 years ago.

Headwaters Inc. generates 13 percent more revenue

South Jordan-based Headwaters Inc. said its building products company generated 13 percent more revenue in the quarter ending March 31 than it did in the same period a year earlier.

The company said quarterly revenues reached $202 million, up from $180 million a year ago. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization increased 21 percent, from $24.1 million to $29.1 million. Adjusted income from continuing operations was $10 million, or 13 cents a share, compared to $4.5 million, or 6 cents a share, last year.

The company also noted that last month it bought a company that manufactures concrete tiles in Florida and Texas and plans to consolidate is operations with Headwaters' existing operations in Florida.

In March, Headwaters bought Synthetic Materials LLC, which provides synthetic gypsum used in wallboard manufacturing, cement production and fertilizers.

Black Diamond says poor weather, exchange problems caused revenue drop

Poor winter weather in Europe, coupled with foreign currency exchange problems, led to a 9 percent drop in quarterly revenues for Black Diamond Equipment.

The Holladay-based company said sales for the quarter ending March 31 fell to $38.2 million from $41.9 million a year earlier. That resulted in a net loss of $2.2 million, or 7 cents a share, compared to earnings of $100,000, zero per share, last year.

"Sales in our North American business remained strong, particularly in our core climb and mountain categories," said Mark Ritchie, Black Diamond Equipment's brand president, adding that manufacturing operations that recently moved back to Salt Lake County from China have cost more than anticipated.

Westgate spa, restaurant are praised

Edge Steakhouse and Serenity Spa, two components of Westgate Park City Resort & Spa, are new entries in a Forbes Travel Guide listing. Edge Steakhouse was a recommended restaurant while Serenity Spa was named a four-star spa.

Intermountain Healthcare gets workplace award

For the fifth time since 2011, Intermountain Healthcare was selected as one of 35 companies worldwide to receive the Gallup Great Workplace Award. The Gallup Organization created the award to recognize "the best-performing workforces in the world and the organizations' ability to create an engaged culture."