ST. GEORGE —Under the radiant sun, a vibrant scene unfolded on Venture Drive Wednesday morning. Twenty shovels, aligned in perfect symmetry, stood poised on the earth, each gleaming in the sunlight. Their presence symbolized a momentous occasion — the groundbreaking ceremony for Wilson Electronics’ new 90,000-square-foot facility.

“90,000 square feet — to me, that’s just the beginning,” Wilson Electronics CEO Bruce Lancaster said. “We have expansion capability here and we plan on doing that. I wear the flag on my sleeve. I’m proud to be producing and manufacturing in the U.S. in Utah. We’re going to continue to do that.”

Representatives from Wilson Electronics, Grass Creek Construction, Ball Adventures, Beecher Walker Architects, the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and the County Commissioner’s office were present, marking their official partnership.

Thirty-seven years ago, St. George resident Jim Wilson crafted a phone amplifier with one goal: to strengthen his cell phone signal and maintain uninterrupted communication with his wife. His humble creation evolved into a booming tech company, which now produces products for big-name companies like Apple.

Washington County Commissioner Adam Snow addressed the expansion of Washington County over the past three decades. In the last 18 years alone, the population has doubled. He often uses Wilson Electronics and its growth as an example of how successful a company can be in Washington County.

“People come here for Zion National Park,” Snow said. “They come here for Snow Canyon. They come here for the beautiful weather, like we have right now. But they stay because of opportunities provided by companies like Wilson. I’m so happy to be a part of this.”

Ryan Starks, executive director of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, emphasized the unique appeal of Utah, particularly Southern Utah, citing the abundance of notable developments underway in the region. The Governor’s Office remains steadfast in nurturing growth in strategic industries, recognizing Wilson Electronics as a prime candidate. Representing Gov. Spencer Cox, Starks extended heartfelt congratulations to the company, eagerly anticipating the partnership ahead and the economic impact on the community.

“As I like to say, there’s two people in this world: those who live in Washington County and those who one day will,” Starks said. 

Wilson Electronics Director of Operations Misty Snuffer has been with the company for 29 years. She noted her long tenure with the company, stating she’s stayed because of the combination of the quality of products and the positive work environment and culture.

Lancaster was next to address the crowd, stating his eight years with the company have been fueled by the company’s vision. He expressed their collective aspiration to create something remarkable, underscoring that every day is dedicated to improvement. The new building exemplifies this commitment to excellence.

“Today, Apple relies on us for all of their in-building communications and almost all of their campuses,” Lancaster said. “The House of Parliament in the UK relies on us for their telecommunication system. Meta, who’s building the largest data center in the world in Singapore right now, is using the equipment that we built in our factories to provide telecommunication.”

After the ceremony, Lancaster told St. George News the new building is imperative for growth and production. The current facility on Deseret Drive consists of four separate buildings, making daily operations extremely challenging. 

“We’re busting at the seams,” Lancaster said about the current facility. “We’re unable to keep up with the pace of growth that we need.”

Construction on the new facility will begin this week. The business is set to move into the building in June 2025, and they’re counting on Grass Creek Construction to make it a reality. The divisions of Wilson Electronics include production, engineering, customer support, IT, sales and marketing. Consumer products generally scale up in the summertime, resulting in around 275 employees during the peak summer season and a base staff of over 200. 

Grass Creek Construction CEO Spencer Richins said that throughout his life and career, he’s realized that relationships with others are the most valuable, and those relationships develop into experiences. He’s proud of Grass Creek, Wilson Electronics and Ball Ventures for putting together the entire project in less than a year. A relationship 20 years in the making, working with long-term friends to create the project has been invaluable. 

Tahri Molifua, co-managing director and president of real estate for Ball Ventures, said the company is from Idaho and represents the Ball Family who focuses heavily on real estate investing. Their first St. George project was the Hilton Garden Inn 20 years ago.

Registered Architect at Beecher Walker Brenton Scobee said they are excited about the opportunity to work on the project and are impressed with how things came together so quickly.

“We’re planting roots here,”  Lancaster said. “We’re really excited about it. We’re proud to be Utah manufacturers and we believe we have a competitive advantage by manufacturing here. We’re cost competitive and we are technologically more advanced being here.”

For further details about Wilson Electronics and potential career opportunities, visit their website.

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