Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said EMC is spending $7 million on the project, and is getting an approximately $3.5 million tax credit as part of 10-year agreement.

ITT, a high tech engineering and manufacturing firm, this month announced plans to create 2,700 new jobs in Utah over the next 15 years, while a large data center in the state.

Utah officials are crediting some business friendly decisions for the recent moves, including a reduction about two years ago of the corporate and personal income tax rates, changes in , and a willingness to engage various industrial sectors in ongoing discussions about business needs.

The state's efforts are getting national attention.

The non-profit Brookings Institution, in its quarterly economic development monitor released this week, cited the Salt Lake City and Ogden metro areas as two of the 20 strongest-performing regions in the U.S.