UTAHDEVELOPINGUS WORKFORCE TALENTIN RURAL AMERICA

www.accelerantbsp.com

STRATEGY &LEADERSHIP

DEV OPS &DATA SCIENCE

CREATIVE &INTERACTIVE

SALES, SUPPORT &ADMINISTRATIVE

Through advances in technology, penetration of broadband infrastructure and the establishment of Rural Opportunity Hubs, Accelerant is opening the way for corporations to leverage new rural labor markets like never before.

CONTENTExecutive Summary

People

Places

Platform

Opportunity Impact

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46%

Percent of US Corporations STRUGGLING TO FILL JOBS

The grand opportunity for US corporations is to embrace and leverage our rural communities as the most favorable labor market. The majority of rural communities struggle with a lack of opportunity, unemployment and underemployment. Cost of living is low and lifestyle is high. Traffic is low while availability of workers is high. Accelerant has brought an unprecedented opportunity to provide a solution to the urban labor shortage through inclusion of the rural communities. It’s what we at Accelerant call the #URBALREMEDY.

Rural

Urban

“Talent Shortage 2016-2017.” ManpowerGroup.com

n today’s economy, organizations are desperately seeking to find and retain talent. Tightening labor markets and shrinking unemployment rates are driving a scarcity of qualified workforce, causing 46% of US corporations to struggle to find qualified candidates to fill open positions. Meanwhile, escalating wages and real estate costs are putting pressure on budgets and business margins. The trend of offshore workforce has reversed and these jobs are returning to the US market, creating even greater competition for talent. So what is the solution? Go rural with Accelerant!

With advancements in broadband connectivity, a growing trend in remote work, and the return of offshore jobs, the time has come for the inclusion of the US rural worker in the global labor market. Accelerant offers a unique business solution to do just that. Our combination of community expertise, a growing network of multiple use business locations called Rural Opportunity Hubs, technology, and a full suite of workforce development services makes Accelerant the go-to source for access to the rural labor market.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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ACCELERANT IS THE GO-TO SOURCE FOR ACCESS TO QUALTY TALENT IN RURAL LABOR MARKETS.

Barriers to entry and risk for corporations to go rural are overcome with Accelerant. It can be costly and risky for a company to determine market selection, acquire real estate, invest in office equipment and technology, not to mention the employee time and resources dedicated to recruiting, hiring, training and standing up an operation.

What if a proven, trusted partner made this process seamless and nimble? What if a partner did all the heavy lifting and provided a customized solution for your organization while removing the risks and providing highly cost effective services? What if your partner not only saved you money and headaches, but also helped you create real positive social impact?

ACCELERANT is that partner. We deliver because we do it differently. We have already invested in the People, Places, and Platform in target rural communities. We provide the suite of services necessary to make accessing high quality rural talent simple and highly cost effective. Partnering with Accelerant is a win for your bottom line and a win in developing your greatest resource - the people you employ.

Accelerant is on a mission to better the lives of families in rural America who are being left behind in the new American economy and dream. By easing your ability to bring great quality jobs to rural communities through Accelerant solutions, we can make a difference together.

“Accelerant provides the suite of services necessary to make accessing high quality rural talent simple and highly cost effective.”

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tah Workforce Benefits - With the tightening of the employment markets and looming increases in minimum wage rates in many states, Utah’s rural workforce is a highly attractive alternative. The Utah labor market is internationally known for its unique workforce qualities of being hard working and dedicated, dialect neutral, multilingual, well educated, and affordable. These positive attributes of Utah’s employees extend to Utah’s rural communities, making them optimal for supporting your business needs.

Staffing and Fulfillment - When it comes to hiring, we’ve got you covered. No need to hire a recruiting agency or spend big bucks sending in your HR team. Accelerant is here to work with your HR management team and handle the local hiring process. Our network of community connections, data collection, and market assessments gives us the edge when it comes selecting the right market and attracting the right talent for your business needs. As your partner, we are your HR extension from job posting to onboarding and everything in between. Our track record demonstrates an ability to attract a higher caliber talent than typically found in urban areas. Higher retention rates are reducing the often hidden and costly expense of employee turnover. Organizations are realizing a 10%-40% savings on their overall costs with Accelerant’s rural solution.

PEOPLE. PLACES. PLATFORM.

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PEOPLE.WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

Why go rural withAccelerant?

• Full-service hiring

• High caliber talent

• High retention rates

• Skill training

• Responsive

• Flexible

• Cost savings

• Community connections

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“Average Cost-per-Hire for Companies Is $4,129, SHRM Survey Finds,” Society For Human Resource Management, shrm.org, Aug. 3, 2016

$4,129

10-40%

Average cost to hirea new employee in US.

Accelerant cost savings per new hire.

Our growing database of individual talent, which includes job satisfaction and personality assessments, gives us an incredibly advanced view and access to the local workforce. Accelerant has already done a tremendous amount of data collection and work to establish community relationships for fruitful and rapid hiring. At times you need the ability to move fast and respond to customer demands. In an emergency, Accelerant has proven it can fill positions in a matter of days if necessary. We are always standing by to leap into action to meet your needs. Recruiting, ongoing workforce fulfillment, HR and staff maintenance are sustained by us under your direction.

Growth or transition of personnel to a rural location can occur at your pace and as business needs demand. With the Accelerant solution and pricing structure, your business margins are more predictable and directly associated with business activity rather than traditional operation models which are highly subject to significant fixed operational expenses. Incremental growth of personnel is responsive and flexible without all the associated headaches.

Workforce Development Is Far More Than Just Hiring - Workforce development does not stop once you hire someone. To attract and retain talent, employees must feel they are progressing and part of a community. As an employer, you are interested in talent that is improving and increasing in skills you can use to grow your business. As part of our workforce development offering, Accelerant provides access to free and paid educational opportunities from life skills to technology competencies. Education partners like the local higher educational institutions and skills training centers along with Utah STEM Action Center and Microsoft will offer courses to your employees on location. It’s our goal not only provide the people you need today, but the skilled talent you need for tomorrow.

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PLACES.RURAL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

ith expertise in each community’s advantages, potential risks, workforce availability, wages, competition, connectivity, leadership, geography and real estate, Accelerant is the best partner for growing US and international companies seeking to build talented US-based workforce teams in Utah’s rural communities. Accelerant’s rural communities have proven to provide great talent with low attrition rates and high performance.

Accelerant has already done the heavy lifting in investigating, profiling and selecting target communities suited for your business needs. Each community has been fully vetted for your particular workforce development strategy. Civic and private leaders have been engaged and stand ready to assist.

State authorities and economic development departments such as the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development and edcUtah offer support for businesses engaged with Accelerant. Together, we are opening the arms of Utah to welcome you in and help you succeed.

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Ephraim

Richfield

Cedar City

St. George Kanab

UTAH

Price

Vernal

Moab

Delta

Nephi

Salem

TremontonLogan

MonticelloPanguitch

Tooele

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ttracting and retaining talent is often dependent on the quality of life offered by the community around the place of business. Housing costs, traffic, commute, sense of community, safe neighborhoods, and recreation are some of the critical quality of life factors. It doesn’t get any better than rural Utah!

Low Cost of Living - Utah is known for its affordable living. Low cost of housing and taxes, short commutes, low gas prices, and less expensive medical care are just a few of the cost benefits. On average rural Utah is about 11+% below the national average and as much as 160% below major urban markets.

Community - Rural Utah offers a wonderful sense of community and a great place to raise a family. Utah boast some of the safest communities, friendliest people and highest volunteerism in the nation.

Entertainment and Outdoor Lifestyle - Sure there’s the usual shopping, movies and dining, but what makes rural Utah unique is the fabulous outdoor recreation. Numerous world renowned national and state parks offer incredible hiking, biking, climbing, and camping. While skiing, ATV trails, hunting, fishing, running and so much more are in your own backyard.

Millennials to centennials are realizing the advantages of the quality of life available in rural Utah.

UNMATCHED LIFESTYLE

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PLATFORM.RURAL OPPORTUNITY HUBS AND TECH

s an Accelerant partner, you will take advantage of our growing network of Rural Opportunity Hub (ROHubs) locations throughout Utah’s rural communities. Rural Opportunity Hubs are building sites in select rural cities or county seats with state-of-the-art facilities similar to an urban modern co-working space.

Each site is fitted with sit-stand workstations, amenities, and high-speed fiber connectivity. Sites range from 30 to 200 seats and can be dedicated, shared or co-located facilities. You occupy what you need when you need it. Use one or multiple facilities to build a diversified workforce. No long-term leases, no costly build-outs, no significant capital investments in office furniture and equipment. It’s all included and ready to go!

Options include on-site facilities management, personnel management, facility build out, set-up and maintenance, computers, high-speed broadband connectivity (fiber), sit-stand desks, dual monitors, executive chairs, 120v outlets and Ethernet to a central IT closet. Dedicated or shared office space, training rooms and meeting rooms can be shared or dedicated. Each ROHub is built with flexibility in mind to meet your specific and growing business needs from space allocations to security.

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All-Inclusive Design

• Sit-stand desks

• Dual-monitors

• Executive chairs

• 120v power

• High-speed Ethernet

“Rural Opportunity Hubs inject new job diversity to rural Main Street for real economic impact.”

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EARN AND LEARN

One of the greatest challenges in today’s job market is the fast pace of change. Continuous advancements in technology, software applications, data analytics, marketing and business methodologies are driving a requirement for employees to be constantly learning and adapting. Employers have realized employee training is critical to staying competitive. More than 40% of companies are now incorporating some form of employee education such as on the job training or reimbursements for certificate programs and college tuition. Accelerant’s ROHubs extend those opportunities to rural communities and remote employees.

More Than A Place To Work - ROHubs are more than just a place to work. They are places to both earn and learn. Each ROHub includes areas open to employees and the community for continuing educational training and entertainment. Partners like Microsoft, Women’s Leadership Live, Utah’s STEM Action Center, Front Analytics, FutureINDesign, SLCircle, local universities, and others, provide opportunities for everything from entrepreneur-ship to coding to life skills. Accelerant’s objective is to not only provide the best employment environment but a place for real social impact for individuals in underserved communities. High-speed computing stations for gaming, virtual reality applications, and data science open new frontiers of access to tech for these communities. As a corporate partner, you are encouraged to participate and sponsor individual training or education programs to build the skilled labor you need now and for the future.

Connecting to Remote Employees - Managing, training, interacting and building culture with remote employees can be a challenge. Some remote employees can feel isolated and disconnected from the core business. Accelerant has taken steps to address these challenges through a platform of tools we call Virtual Vision, which provides a simple to implement, easy to use communications environment incorporating a virtual office space, chat, audio, video and screen sharing. Integration with tools like Slack and Skype makes Virtual Vision perfect for integration into enterprise solutions.

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OPPORTUNITY IMPACT

ccelerant offers unique solutions for workforce development and locations in our rural American cities. Our passion is about helping to solve what is an increasing shortage of workforce talent in our urban communities by extending the reach of employers to include rural labor markets. There are 40 million workers in rural America. The jobs that once were the foundation of prosperity are shifting from industry to service, and our rural communities are struggling to keep pace with the change. Opportunities are evaporating and our nation’s heartland is falling behind. Someone had to step forward to meet these challenges.

Together, with your assistance, we can begin to make a difference in the lives of many people and many communities. The development of US-based workforce talent has become critical for our nation’s economy and staying competitive in a global market. Your company depends on the availability of talent today and the development of talent for tomorrow. Both are shrinking. Doing things the way they have always been done simply will not cut it. We must build a labor economy that embraces both the urban and rural communities. We must drive a diversity of job availability to include new populations. And, we must develop the talent with the skills to fill those jobs if we ever hope to meet the growing demands. Please consider the competitive advantages rural talent can provide your business now and long into the future.

It’s a challenge. We get it. So, Accelerant has created business solutions to simplify and de-risk the opportunity to go rural. It makes sense not only socially but financially too. The technology and connectivity are here. We stand ready to partner with you for a successful entry into America’s rural labor markets and look forward to working with you to create real and lasting impact.

Regards,

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Joel M. Smith, CEO Dean E. Lundberg, President

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Delivering fuill business solutionsand talented US rural workforce teams.

STAY IN TOUCH

175 W 200 S, Garden LevelSalt Lake City, UT 84101www.accelerantbsp.com

PEOPLE. PLACES. PLATFORM.

Contact: Dean LundbergPh. 801-358-6941email: dean@accelerantbsp.com

Contact: Joel SmithPh. 801-999-8342email: joel@accelerantbsp.com