WASHINGTON CITY — According to the Washington City website, the first settlers arrived in the town on their mission to grow cotton in the desert climate of Southern Utah in 1857.
“Workers were malnourished and could hardly work a full day,” the Washington City government website states. “They pushed themselves to create dams so that the precious water could find its way to the fields they planted. ‘Surely,’ they pleaded in their hearts, ‘our efforts will be blessed.’”
More recently, Washington City brought home a repeat trophy as the best small city in America to start a small business. The designation, by online financier Wallethub, compared cities with populations ranging between 25,000 and 100,000 when ranking the best places for entrepreneurs.
“We could not be more excited to be ranked the number one small city to start a business for the second year in a row,” said Washington City Mayor Kress Staheli in a press release. “We are a collaborative city that is willing to cut red tape and forge partnerships in order to foster strong economic growth.”
Jordan Hess, public affairs officer, said the city’s civic leaders recently overhauled business license code — cutting that code in half — and removing barriers to start a business in Washington City.
“The city issued 565 new business licenses in 2022 alone,” Hess reported. “Much of the growth in Washington City in past decades has been residential, but commercial growth is on the rise.”
According to the data, researchers “compared the business-friendliness of more than 1,300 small-sized cities. Our data set of 18 key metrics ranges from average growth in the number of small business, to investor access and labor costs.”
In an interview with St. George News, Staheli spoke of the economic boom over the previous decade that has been occurring.
“We are, today, where St. George was 20 or 30 years ago,” he said. “We have significant untapped potential.”
Staheli noted new businesses near Interstate 15 at Washington’s Exit 13 and a new Exit 11 that will give travelers the option to leave the freeway onto Main Street downtown as reasons some businesses are choosing the city.
In his State of the City address, he told residents of a large distribution center that could bring as many as 2,000 jobs to town when fully completed. On a smaller scale, Staheli said it is the “pioneer spirit” that keeps many small businesses afloat in the city.
“We are pro-business,” he said. “We see the value in individuals being able to attain that American dream by going out and working. We want to help them get there and not hinder their progress.”
Residents can notice some of the small businesses springing up with new doughnut and drink establishments, new office and retail space, and a new car dealership on Telegraph Street.
“Really this whole stretch of our city is kind of transforming and starting to take shape in this phase of the life cycle of our city,” Staheli stated. “I’m just like a proud parent.”
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