Silicon Slopes moved into a new office one year ago and I can remember it like yesterday. Governor Herbert came and delivered some remarks, I was so excited I only wore boxer shorts and a white t-shirt which is pretty weird in any business scenario, but even weirder in a room full of government suits and skirts. It was kind of embarrassing until everyone starting giving me thoughtful compliments about the chiseled muscles of my legs, then I felt like a king amongst peasants, and then I was even more excited about the prospects of having a new office where all the inhabitants make daily remarks about my effortless beauty.
Those are the levels of excitement currently being experienced by Jones Waldo and Instructure. Boxer-shorts-and-t-shirt levels of excitement. Chiseled-leg-compliments levels of excitement. Meeting-the-Governor-in-your-underthings levels of excitement. New offices are the best and these two companies know it better than anyone, I swear it’s true.
So, the details: Jones Waldo has opened a new office in Lehi located inside the MaritzCX building. They already have offices peppered all over Silicon Slopes — Salt Lake City, Park City, Provo, St. George — and now Lehi joins this incredibly, incredibly prestigious list. Jones Waldo is already known as a mainstay in Silicon Slopes, Partner Travis Wilson told me an unconfirmed rumor that Jones Waldo is the sixth-oldest business in Utah and being the intrepid reporter I am, I immediately believed him and did no research on the subject whatsoever. They were created in 1875 so it seems reasonable, the only Silicon Slopes company I can think of that was founded before then is Zions Bank and that’s only because I remember reading about them in the bible. Jones Waldo is not in the bible but that’s also okay, I’m a worldly man who wears boxer shorts in public and I would never judge a company for being left out of biblical text.
“It’s been exciting to watch Lehi develop into a dynamic technology community,” said Wilson. “Our new office allows us to bring some of our most experienced business attorneys into the heart of Utah’s innovation.”
Instructure has also opened a new office, their tenth global office and second in Utah. Pleasant Grove is the new stomping grounds, home to an office that will house 90 employees, a mascot panda, and can accommodate up to 400 employees, pandas, or employee pandas. There’s an unsubstantiated rumor that Instructure’s panda is one of the original animals saved on Noah’s ark and that seems reasonable, I once met the panda and I’ve never stared into eyes that are wiser or filled with more kindness. On especially grueling days at Instructure, I’ve heard the panda has been known to visit and cradle employees’ frail human bodies with arms both strong and comforting, whispering sweet nothings until they find the blessed darkness of sleep. This is what the panda does and if that‘s not biblical, I don’t know what is.
Anyway, Instructure really does have a new office in PG, visible from the freeway. To celebrate, GOED Executive Director Val Hale was on hand to deliver some remarks, as were Pleasant Grove Mayor Guy Fugal and Instructure CEO Josh Coates. The panda cut a ribbon. Food was eaten. Everyone rejoiced. The end.
“Entrepreneurism and business is thriving in Utah,” said Hale. “Instructure is a true success story of a local startup that has grown to become a global and industry leader. We’re excited for their success and confident their new offices in Pleasant Grove will be a tremendous benefit to our state as they continue to grow and innovate.”
