We welcome the new board of directors who were sworn in on Jan. 22 at the monthly Chamber lunch meeting.  The Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce’s annual Knight of Heroes Award Banquet will be held March 6. We need your help. We are looking for business heroes in the following categories: Large Business (over 20 employees), Small Business, Business Man, Business Women and Volunteer of the Year. Please email [email protected] to make a nomination. We need the name of the company and why they deserve to be honored as a hero.

 The Chamber had the opportunity to welcome several businesses with ribbon-cuttings. Firstly, South Bangerter Health Center (photo #1) is conveniently located on the corner of 134000 South and Bangerter Highway.  The center provides urgent care services through Medallus Medical.  The urgent care clinic is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.  The center also houses the specialty services of family practice, OB/GYN, orthopedics and sports medicine, ENT, pediatric ENT, internal medicine, physical therapy, cardiology, urology, and general surgery. Also housed in the facility is comprehensive imaging services including a leading edge MRI—the first direct digital MRI in the state—resulting in shorter screening times, lower dose radiation and unsurpassed image quality.  The imaging services also provide CT, ultrasound and X-ray.

 Both Riverton and Herriman opened a Neighborhood Market—Walmart. Riverton’s (photo #2) is located at 1200 West 12600 South and Herriman’s is at 5100 West 13400 South. They are both open and ready to serve you when you need groceries and health items. Meet the manager of the Herriman location: My name is Brock Rose and I am the store manager at the new Walmart Neighborhood Market opening in Herriman (photo #3). We are excited to be in this area where the growth is booming. This Neighborhood Market will be a wonderful 

 convenience for all shoppers in this area. I have been with Walmart since 2010. I was hired after I received my bachelor’s degree and had great opportunities for advancement in the company, leading up to being named the manager here at the new store. I have a beautiful wife named Haley and she blessed me with three wonderful kids, Braxton, Conner and Braylee.  Please let me know if there is anything we can ever do to make this store an enjoyable experience!

 We welcomed H&R Block (photo #4) to their new location by Peterson’s Fresh Market at 12600 South and Redwood Road. This is a little background about them: In 1946, Henry and his brother Leon founded the United Business Company, offering bookkeeping and other services to small businesses. Initially, tax preparation was offered only as a courtesy to clients.  A friend suggested advertising their tax preparation services in 1955. The IRS had just discontinued its practice of preparing tax returns at no charge. They ran an ad twice in the Kansas City Star and were immediately deluged with interested taxpayers.  This began a remarkable growth opportunity, and by 1962, the company had 206 offices and nearly $800,000 in revenues. In that year, H&R Block, the new name of the company, became a public company.  Now, Block prepares one in every seven tax returns in the U.S.  They have over 12,000 offices world-wide, and are the sixth largest retailer in the United States.  Locally, there are almost 50 offices available in the Salt Lake Valley.  The two offices in Riverton are located on the north side of 13400 South, below Bangerter and in the Peterson’s Shopping Center on 12600 South, just west of Redwood Road.