Alan E. Hall and Partners Announce Grow America

Founder Alan E. Hall, champion of entrepreneurs, is joined by community partners Zions Bank, Comcast Business Class, Comcast Spotlight, KUTV2, Utah Jazz and KJZZ-TV to launch Grow America, an organization that supports, encourages, and strengthens entrepreneurship wherever and whenever it is found.

In conjunction with the announcement, the company unveiled Grow America Springboard, a series of business competitions that allow thousands of entrepreneurs to compete for cash awards and services in regionalized competitions to help them springboard to success.

“We strongly believe the key to economic recovery is entrepreneurial growth,” said Hall. “If someone has an idea, an early stage company, or an entrepreneurial dream, we want to provide them with the training and resources they can use to create or grow a thriving company, and to create new jobs.”

Zions Bank President A. Scott Anderson agreed: “As the No. 1 provider of U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) loans, we are highly supportive of entrepreneurs. Grow America is the ideal program to accelerate the growth of existing companies as well as to strengthen the opportunities for the 90 percent of small companies who without help would not be able to get the funding they need for their businesses to start and succeed.

“Forbes has named Utah the 'Best State for Business and Careers' for the last two consecutive years – that means both the best place for large business, and the best place in the country to grow anentrepreneurial enterprise,” said Gov. Gary R. Herbert. “Grow America Springboard is another example of the strength of innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit that has made this state’s economy strong through the recent economic hardship, and will continue to help us lead as one of the top states in the nation for business and entrepreneurship.”

Rodrigo Lopez, Comcast Regional VP, Mountain Region, noted, “The Grow America Springboard competition is exactly the kind of community team effort that Comcast strives to support. We are highly committed to helping every entrepreneur realize their dreams and in turn build our local economy.”

KUTV2 and Comcast Spotlight are providing broadcast and media support for the Springboard events, with the first competition concluding in May 2012.

For more information about Grow America and for details of the first Springboard competition, visit www.GrowAm.com.
(3.14.12)