Quotes from Gary Herbert

My message to business leaders is clear: If you are looking to expand your business and boost the bottom line, there is no better place than Utah to do it.

Utah's economy stays strong by adhering to conservative fundamental principles: low and consistent tax rates, smaller and more efficient government, sensible regulation, and empowering the private sector to create jobs.

Utah is America's best place for business because Utahns make it their business to succeed - and we have the track record to prove it.

It's not enough for just us to invest in Utah; more and more, we are encouraging businesses around the world to follow suit. We want them to invest in and become part of Utah's future and to allow Utah to invest and become part of theirs.

Utah is one of the nation's leaders in rebounding from the Great Recession.

Education is the largest and most important investment Utah makes.

In 2009, during my inaugural address, I expressed the importance of unprecedented partnerships. Since then, Utah's government, business, and education leaders in communities statewide have worked together more frequently and with better results than ever before.

When I entered into office mid-recession, my No. 1 focus was Utah's economy. We set bold goals, and we've built one of the best-performing economies in the nation.

One person's rights do not have to come at the expense of another's. If we can find common ground on religious freedom and LGBT issues in Utah - one of the nation's most religious and conservative states - we can do it anywhere in the country.

In Utah, one word sums up our business prowess: investment. Simply put, we know we can't have long-term economic growth and maintain Utah's enviable quality of life without making some critical investments.

As governor, I enjoy the opportunity to talk about Utah's measurable business success.

Utah is no longer considered a flyover state.

That's a large part of the job as governor: to create and maintain the optimal balance.

In 2014, Utah cities Salt Lake City and Provo both surpassed Silicon Valley in per-deal venture capital averages. From large, multi-campus companies to promising start-ups, Silicon Slopes offers a promising climate for businesses. The entire tech industry has its eyes on Utah.

When it comes down to hardball, we have a veto pen, and I've used it in the past, and I expect we will have opportunity to use it in the future. That's the nature of the business.