Spring Fever!

Sure, Utah winters have their perks. We've got the best snow on earth. Ski resorts are just minutes away. But come March, we can't help but start thinking of spring, sweet spring, when the weather is ideal and the whole world comes out of hibernation. Here are a few things giving us a serious case of spring fever.

·         Green, green green all around

·         Cherry trees on Capitol Hill

·         Weekend getaways to Southern Utah (that aren’t blazing hot)!

·         Picnics at Memory Grove

·         Spring break = party time

·         See ya, inversion

·         Jacket-fee ski days

·         Spring hikes without the crowds

Pura Vida!

We just got back from a wonderful team trip in Costa Rica! We sure were missing Candace on the trip as she was holding down the fort at the IPG office back in Utah. It was a bonding experience for the rest of us as we enjoyed team breakfasts, talent shows, and even a impromptu hostel stay in Monteverde. We couldn't have done this without our team and amazing clients who make this possible. THANK YOU! 

Some of the team highlights were: 

Scuba diving: Jeremy, Melissa, and Travis got PADI certified while we were there! They saw sharks, devil and eagle rays, seahorses, turtles, and plenty of fish. We went out a boat together where half the group scuba dived and the other snorkeled around. 

Beach Time: The beaches were beautiful and were perfect for swimming around or snorkeling. We even went to one beach were the "sand" was entirely made of seashells! The water could not be more warm and inviting.

House time: We stayed at a magnificent house were there was more than enough to enjoy. There was a beautiful pool to relax and enjoy the sunrise, space for a few to get their workout in, cook amazing meals for each other, and even spot howler monkeys in morning or evening enjoying their meals as well! 

Monteverde: I think this was one of everyones favorite adventure. The drive to Monteverde was around 3 hours and once we got there it was mid-day. Tours were closing up and we all didn't feel like cutting this part of Costa Rica short. We decided to eat our lunch and stay in a hostel overnight so we could experience the cloud forest in the morning. We went through a night tour to see the animals, grabbed dinner, and went back to the hostel for the night.The sounds of the forest, dogs, and motorcycles kept most of us from getting much sleep but we all had a smile on our face in the end. The cloud forest is magical and we had a wonderful guide and time in Monteverde. 

A great trip like that makes us all appreciate our teams efforts and our clients even more. To another strong year for IPG!

Tourism in Utah

Last April I had a semi-staycation with friends and went to Zions National Park for a weekend. It's been a few years since I've last been, and I was absolutely astonished at how many people were there! There were buses and buses full of tour groups from all over the world, there were times where we were at a complete standstill in traffic inside the actual park. Finding parking outside the park was a joke. Since when did Zions become Disneyworld?

I recently came across this article on Utah Business, and after my last experience in Zions, I'm not the least bit surprised. Secrets out, Utah is one stellar place to be, and from the sounds of it, it's just going to keep on growing! 

"Salt Lake City—Recently, Fodor’s Travel, sometimes called the travel “bible” for its 80-year history of travel recommendations, selected Utah as its first-ever top destination in the world. Utah’s beautiful vistas, opportunities for adventure, and excellent skiing have driven the travel and tourism industry to a banner year in 2015, and industry professionals are looking forward to another great year in 2016...." 

Click here to read full article

Now what does this mean for the Utah Real Estate Market? We have already been experiencing a big trend of companies from other states, and other countries choosing to move their facilities to Utah. I think this will continue to be a growing trend, which will help Utah's economy remain strong as we enter a somewhat uncertain economic future. 

Michael Jeppesen, Man on the Street

Happy New Year! It's already January 12th and looks to be a great year. Something new we've decided to try this year is short video interviews with clients and friends about all things in the Utah industrial real estate market. I like to call it, Michael Jeppesen, man on the street, because Michael will be taking the lead on this new and fun initiative, but we will plan to mix it up and put me in front of the camera (once or twice) ;-) this year also! So, without further adieu, below is our first Michael Jeppesen, Man on the Street otherwise known as the IPG vlog series. This video features our good friend and client, Adam Maher, President of Furst Construction. Here it is:

What a year...2015!

What a year 2015 was for IPG. We recently announced record setting results for the company! Our firms transaction volume was up significantly from a record setting 2014. Notable dealings included transactions for ZAGG, XPEDX (International Paper), Pacific Steel, DAS Distributors, Hostess Bakery (Franz Bakeries) Skaggs Uniform, Sorenson Bioscience, Mygrant Glass, Standlee Forage Products, and the Redwood/ Broadbent Business Parks.  These transactions include a diverse portfolio of build to suits, investments, owner/user, sales and leases.

“IPG truly is a company built to be nimble enough to service each of our clients and their unique set of circumstances.” said Michael Jeppesen SIOR, CCIM, IPG’s President and managing broker.  “We are honored, humbled, and excited to consult with our amazing clients as an extension of their business.” 

Michael continued, “Utah led the nation out of the recession, and the economic indicators for Utah remain positive for 2016; as a company IPG is bullish with a watchful eye towards the cyclical nature of our business. Timing the market is almost impossible, but we are on fire to expose opportunities  for our clients and mitigate risk the same way we have been doing since 2005.”