Utah's Governor's office of economic development (GOED) rural development team helped 13 companies expand their business in nine rural counties in recent months. The GOED board of directors reviewed and approved each project and rural fast track grant in its May and June board meetings. June was a banner month, with nine projects.

Rural fast track grants help companies expand operations, hire new employees and positively impact Utah's rural communities. The grants help fund a portion of expansion projects, and the total combined project value for the 13 companies' expansions is nearly $6.6 million. Each of the 13 awarded grants were valued at up to $50,000, nearly $650,000 in grants awarded over the last two months to support rural Utah communities.

The companies span a variety of industries from health and animal care to construction and manufacturing.

Company names and impacted counties are listed below.

• Cache Valley Counter Tops

• Callahan Construction

• Dar's JJ Blacksmith Welding

• Emery Animal Health

• Evan Stilson, DDS

• First Call Propane

• Four Mile Hunting Club

• Gagon Family Medicine

• Horizon Metals

• ICORR Technologies

• MCM Engineering

• Slide Ridge Honey

• United Soil Service

• Cache County

• Carbon County

• Box Elder County

• Duchesne County

• Emery County

• Iron County

• Juab County

• Millard County

• Morgan County