www.prairiebizmag.com(Photo courtesy of Mark Sorgaard at Fat Cat Studios)

2 PBRRV June 2011

RRV Table of Contents

to the new Red River Valleyedition of Prairie Businessmagazine!

The short answer is that it’s not so much different...just more.This month’s introductory launch of our zoned Red River Valleyissue includes our regular editorial coverage of the businessnews that affects our shared regional economies and businessleaders. What is different is that now, for our selectedsubscribers with a concentrated interest in the Red River Valleybusiness area, there is more of what you are looking for interms of filling that business news hole.

We’ve been busy as we head into our second decade. Busyupdating the look and feel of the magazine, busy expandingour readership, and mostly busy listening to what oursubscribers and sponsors are looking for in a businessmagazine.

The introduction of the Red River Valley zoned edition of PrairieBusiness Magazine also affords us the opportunity to giveadvertisers the ability to more effectively, and economicallytarget that hard to reach Business to Business marketplace, withspecially priced advertising rates and new strategic placementoptions that go well beyond just being competitive.

The better news is that we are not done listening. As a matterof fact, our expanded presence in the Red River Valley gives usa greater reach into listening to what business leaders arelooking for in a business publication.

Again, welcome to our latest efforts to provide the stories andmarketing opportunities that you have been asking for and welook forward to working with all of you in the future.

And, if you are not currently a subscriber or would like to seemore people at your place of business get Prairie BusinessMagazine, it’s free and you can have the magazine sent toyour home or office by going to our website,www.PrairieBizMag.com, and at the very top right look for the“Click here to subscribe” link. It’s easy and free!

3 Healthy lifestyle retirement

Just because they are retired,senior citizens still want to livean active life and have needs,interests, and concerns.

6 Airports meeting businesscommunity demands

Airline consolidations and highfuel costs may threaten toweaken opportunities forsmaller airports, but meetingthe demands of the businesscommunity is keepingthem strong.

8 Incubators developing jobs,generating wealth

North Dakota Department ofCommerce believes the state isin a strong position to supportentrepreneurial talent becauseof the infrastructure that is inplace. And part of thatinfrastructure includesincubators located in theRed River Valley corridor.

10 Paving a way for publichealth professionals

The two largest North Dakotauniversities have bandedtogether to create the Master ofPublic Health Degree programfocused on training healthprofessionals. It is the firstcombined Master’s program ofits kind between the twouniversities.

12 Targeting life sciences forbusiness opportunities

The state’s Center of Excellenceprograms have been funded forcollaboration betweenuniversities and private sectorentities, which has impacted theability to do work in lifesciences.

Welcome

PBRRV 3

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Elvin and Rose Moran have lived in Edgewood Vistaat Edgewood Villa in Fargo, ND since 2009. Amajor reason they chose the senior living facilitywas because they wanted to stay active.

Living a healthylife style -after retirement

Wedidn’t realize there were places like this,” explains RoseMoran, 79. “We thought the rest home was the next place.”

Just because they are retired, senior citizens still want to live anactive life and have needs, interests, and concerns.In January, AARP North Dakota surveyed a representative sample

of all North Dakotans 50 years of age and older to gather better

information about those three issues. Two issues stood out. Nearly halfof all North Dakotans surveyed cited health care issues as their topchallenge. One third cited economic issues as the biggest concern.Also, 94 percent said that staying healthy, staying mentally sharp

and adequate health insurance is important to them. Only 34 percentbelieve they have everything they need to make it happen.“Staying in their homes as they age is also very important to North

“

Elvin and Rose Moran enjoy the view out the window of their apartment.

Dakotans 50 plus,” says Lyle Halvorson, Associate State DirectorCommunications for AARP North Dakota. “More than half said theyare worried about the ability to stay in their own home as they getolder. Almost half also believe it would be hard to find appropriatelong-term care services that they could afford.”The Morans believe they have found the right place in Edgewood Vista

at Edgewood Villa as they continue through their senior years.Elvin, 83, worked at the University of Minnesota-Crookston

agriculture station for 39 years retiring in 1986. Then the couple spent21 years alternating between Texas in the winter and Crookston, MNduring the summer months. They moved to Moorhead, MN in 2002.Then the Morans decided in 2009 they had enough of the split scene

and started looking for a place that would satisfy their active spirit. Rosewas looking for a place that she would not have to cook anymore. Bothwanted a facility that they wouldn’t have to leave as they grew older.“It was very important that we found a place where we had

activities,” Elvin says. “We didn’t want to give up on that yet.”Rose adds that when they moved into the place it was almost like

home. “After we moved in here, we were settled.”Edgewood Vista at Edgewood Village provides independent living

twin Homes, patio homes and apartments as well as assisted living, andmemory care.In Fergus Falls, MN, after 80 years in the same location, PioneerCare

moved its skilled care center to a new building that leaders believe willmeet people’s current expectations for a comfortable and safe livingenvironment. The facility has moved from shared rooms to mostlyprivate rooms. The 150,000 square foot care center more than doublesthe amount of space in the original location.Steve Guttormson, marketing director for PioneerCare, says

nationally, 80 percent of seniors wish to remain in their current homeas they age. “If the services are there to support an independent lifestyleat home, that may be the optimal choice for most people,” he states. “Aswe’re entering the age wave of the baby boomers, we need to beequipped to support more people living independently at home.”In January, PioneerCare launched PioneerLink that brought

personal emergency response systems and sensor-based home monitorsystems into people’s homes in western Minnesota using a $220,000Minnesota Department of Human Services grant to start the program.“We’ve made it into an affordable, sustainable program and have

localized the service to integrate with a person’s home health care

services if they have that,” Guttormson explains. “In just three months,we’ve signed up about 140 subscribers to the service.”Halvorson states that people are working longer to maintain health

benefits and because they can’t afford to retire. In addition, he statesthat there are more people dealing with care giving issues both for theirown children, as well as grandchildren and aging parents.Among the needs Halvorson feels need to be addressed are people

planning for their retirement earlier in life, people living healthierlifestyles to prevent more serious health problems later in life, peoplemaintaining independence, control, and choice in life, transit andtransportation (especially in rural areas,) and planning for long-termcare.“While many North Dakotans 50 and older dream of enjoying a

future filled with travel and leisure, most are faced with a very differentreality today,” Halvorson says. “They’re worried about staying healthyand being able to afford health care and long term care, as well asfinancial issues, such as saving for retirement. Yet, despite the worriesabout their own health and financial future, this population still caresabout the needs of others, with two-thirds spending time giving back totheir community through volunteerism.” RRVPB

Alan Van Ormer - avanormer@prairiebizmag.com

4 PBRRV June 2011

RRV Retirement Lifestyle

RESIDENTS LOOK TO RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES:

WHY

Lack of socialopportunitieswhen no longerable to drive toevents or whenrestricted by theweather in wintermonths.

Need formedicationmanagement.

The need tobe close tomedical care.

Spouse is caregiver fortheir husband or wifeand the support ofmeals, housekeeping,and activities canalleviate some of thestress involved with caregiving.

The need foropportunities tobe more activewith exerciseclasses, therapy,intellectualopportunities, etc.Source: Edgewood Vista atEdgewood Villa

PBRRV 5

83 percent

FACTSSocial Securityrecipients inNorth Dakotawho rely onSocial Securityfor 90 percentor more oftheir income:

21.5percent

Number of NorthDakotans in Medicare:

108,067

Estimated number ofNorth Dakotans ages50-64 without healthinsurance:

12,500

Estimatednumber offamilycaregivers inNorth Dakota:

83,000

Social Securityrecipients in NorthDakota who rely onSocial Security for 50percent or more oftheir income:

52.6 percent

Source: AARP North Dakota

of North Dakota residents over 50voted in the last election.

NO

RTH

DAKO

TASEN

IOR

Social Securitybeneficiaries in NorthDakota

76,872 are retirees13,412 are widow(er)s12,872 disabled workers

Percent ofnon-governmentworkers 55-64withoutworkplaceretirementbenefits:

34.7percent

118,493

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RRV Busy Airports

Arecent study by the North Dakota AeronauticsCommission (NDAC) found that aviation is asignificant economic catalyst for the area. Hector

International Airport in Fargo is the largest commercialservice airport in the state with flights to Los Angeles, LasVegas, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis and Salt Lake City.While commercial flights are important to its success,

the airport is used for a variety of operations including aircargo, medical flights, military operations and businesstravel.

“Our success is because of the collaboration andrelationship we have with the business community toidentify travel needs,” says Shawn Dobberstein, ExecutiveDirector of Hector International Airport. “We can’t do

anything as an organization unless thebusiness folks are engaged with us.”

While the industry is subject toperiodic declines, Hector Internationalactually had the busiest January on record,and the second busiest February andMarch. According to the NDAC, the airporthas the largest economic impact in thestate, accounting for 40 percent of NorthDakota’s airport related economic activity.But Dobberstein is always seeking moreways to assist in business development.

“We have a long-standing request for anonstop flight to Atlanta, and for thepossibility of a low cost airline coming back,”he states. But he admits there is no easyanswer because the start-up costs are veryhigh, and airlines don’t like to limitthemselves with long flights. Dobbersteinsays shorter trips, around 700 miles, allowairlines to tap into multiple markets, whereasa flight from Fargo to Atlanta is over 1100miles and consumes a large part of a day.

While smaller airports along the RedRiver corridor may not offer commercialflights to make an economic impact, theyhave other avenues to make their mark.

Wahpeton Airport stays active due tothe manufacturing and value-addedagriculture in the area. Airport managerCindy Schreiber-Beck explains air travel isessential for existing and future business.These flights, along with crop sprayingaircraft, keep Wahpeton at the top of the

Airline consolidations and high fuel costs maythreaten to weaken opportunities for smallerairports, but meeting the demands of thebusiness community is keeping them strong.

Meeting business communitydemands keeping airports strong

6 PBRRV June 2011

Hector International Airport in Fargo, ND

PBRRV 7

list amidst general aviation airports in the state. A new concrete runwayand various upgrades allow the airport to meet the continuing needs ofits clientele.Access to a functional airport is a big factor for companies choosing

to do business in this area. In Fergus Falls, MN, business leaders tellairport manager Curt Malecha they couldn’t accomplish their goalswithout the airport.“Corporate flight numbers are up and I know city officials are trying

to expand that, so the airport is much more prevalent and important tothem,” he explains.Airport activity jumps each summer as lakeside cabins attract

pleasure travelers, too. Malecha adds those flights do their part to boostthe economy as guests often rent a car and shop local stores.But sometimes companies need airports for more than just moving

people. For Thief River Falls Regional Airport in particular, Digi-KeyCorporation relies on them to help keep promises. Digi-Key offers a 24-hour shipping guarantee to its customers.“They wouldn’t be able to do that without air service,” airport

manager Joe Hedrick says.The Thief River airport does offer commercial service through

Mesaba, a Delta connection carrier. The airport also hosts NorthlandCommunity and Technology College’s aircraft maintenance program inan 86,000 square foot training area featuring state-of-the-art equipmentand facilities.“This is the only place doing civil work on planes in the nation,”

Hedrick adds. “With their work on unmanned aircraft systems, they’re abig player in the economic activity here.” RRVPB

Maxine Herr is a Bismarck, ND-based freelance writer. She can bereached at maxine606@msn.com.

RRV Entrepreneurs

8 PBRRV June 2011

We’re seeing an increase in the number ofentrepreneur ventures or ideas around theregion and the country,” states Paul Lucy,

Director, Division of Economic Development & Financefor the North Dakota Department of Commerce. “Wemade entrepreneur development a priority in NorthDakota. I believe the state of North Dakota is going to seean increase in entrepreneurial development and become aprominent part of our landscape.”The involvement of the state’s incubators is about

developing jobs and generating new wealth in North

Dakota. They are important because they help launch newbusinesses by providing services, physical space,mentorship, and networking opportunities.For example, the Center of Innovation on the campus

of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND,has contributed to the creation of almost 200 jobs sinceJanuary 2005. As of June 2010, the Technology Incubatorat North Dakota State University Research & TechnologyPark in Fargo, ND, has also assisted in the creation ofalmost 200 jobs. The third certified entrepreneurial centerin the Red River Valley is the Southern Valley Innovation

Center located in Wahpeton, ND.Each facility has its own expertise.

Both university incubators provideimmediate access to the expertise at therespective universities.

“You will see companies located in theincubators having a relationship with theuniversity,” Lucy says. “This is one of thekey attributes at the technology park ofboth universities.”

The Center for Innovation operatestwo technology incubators: the SkalickyTech Incubator and the Ina Mae RudeCenter. According to the 2010 Centers ofExcellence annual report, the Centercurrently houses and services 38 businessesand student ventures. The Center has anaverage occupancy rate of almost 90percent.

Three clients – Appareo Systems,Intelligent InSites and PedigreeTechnologies – have graduated from theTechnology Incubator at the NDSUResearch & Technology Park. According tothe 2010 report, examples of currentincubator tenants includes Triton Systems,an advanced materials and systemsengineering product development firm,Larada Sciences, which markets abreakthrough medical device that offersthe fastest way to cure the global problemof head lice, and Avenue Right, which isbuilding a platform that will change theway online and offline advertising is

Valley’s incubators developing

jobs, generating wealthNorth Dakota Department of Commerce representatives believe the state is in a strong position to supportentrepreneurial talent because of the infrastructure that is in place. And part of that infrastructure includes thethree certified entrepreneurial centers or incubators located in the Red River Valley corridor.

“

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PBRRV 9

bought and sold.The Southern Valley Innovation Center does not have a

physical location but Dan Hodgson, the director, assistscompanies find financing for projects tied tomanufacturing.“There are new companies in the region looking for a

place to start or grow their business,” states JolynneTschetter, Manager, Science & Technology BusinessDevelopment for the Division of Economic Development &Finance. “Depending on the needs of the company, theincubators provide space, business services,and infrastructure.”Tschetter works with new and expanding

businesses with a technology focus lookingfor a North Dakota location. She works withincubator staff not only in the Red RiverValley, but around the state.Justin Dever, Manager of the Office of

Innovation and Entrepreneurship, works withthe Innovate North Dakota program whichhelps entrepreneurs develop their ideasand turn them into business ventures.“Through this program, our incubator

partners provide technical assistance and

mentoring,” he says. “Incubators are working withentrepreneurs in emerging industries and are helping todiversify North Dakota’s economy.”Lucy says that business incubators are a viable method

to help entrepreneurs succeed. These incubators combinedwith state tax incentives, financing programs, andcompetitive business environment enhance theopportunities for entrepreneurial success in North Dakota.RRVPB

Alan Van Ormer - avanormer@prairiebizmag.com

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RRV Health

Paving a way for publichealth professionals

North Dakota State University’sNatasha Petry is tailoring her owncareer path in ambulatory careand will have help from a newMaster’s Degree in Public Health.

Public health is one of the career fieldson an upward spike,” Petry states. “InNorth Dakota a lot of the trained

public health professionals are reachingretirement age, so there is going to be a realneed to have people who are specialized inpublic health.”With that in mind, the two largest

North Dakota universities banded together to create theMaster of Public Health Degree program focused ontraining health professionals. It is the first combinedMaster’s program of its kind between the two universities.Dr. Joshua Wynne, Vice President for Health Affairs

and Dean of School of Medicine and Health Sciences atthe University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, is excitedfor the state. “For students interested, this provides themwith outstanding educational opportunities and providesmore public health training that is sorely needed here andacross the country,” he adds.Charles Peterson, Dean, College of Pharmacy, Nursing,

and Allied Sciences at NDSU in Fargo, says that one of thebiggest challenges facing health care is the shortage ofprofessionals across the board. “It is really compounded inrural states like North Dakota that has a number ofsparsely populated areas,” he explains, adding that 68percent of North Dakota’s 53 counties are consideredfrontier counties. “We have a severe shortage of publichealth employees – individuals specifically trained inpublic health – to deliver public health programs.”The program is the first of its kind for several reasons.

It is an integrated, joint program being offered between aSchool of Medicine and a College of Pharmacy andNursing working to offer public health programs. Inaddition, the focus is to train health professionals todeliver public health.“The concept is to take health professionals and train

them with the skills and abilities to deliver healthpromotion and disease prevention program that wouldallow people in the grassroots of the communities to offer

programs to keep citizens healthy,” Peterson explains.Wynne adds that the program is for three groups of

students: health care workers who are in training and outin the field; public health workers scattered around thecounties; and various administrators in various clinics andhospitals, especially critical access hospitals.Wynne explains that there are literally a 100 public

health workers scattered around North Dakota.“Administrators in clinics (for example) would not just bedoing public health, but this would help them be a moreeffective administrator, more focused on illness preventionrather than illness treatment,” he says.The Master of Public Health is a 43 credit program,

which is essentially two years. Students must fulfillbaccalaureate requirements to get into the program. Publichealth focuses on the promotion of health and wellnessand the prevention of disease.Each university will admit its own students. There will

be 22 semester credits of core courses and 21 disciplinespecific or specialist courses. The two universities willjointly teach the core courses; many which will bedelivered online, to not only students, but practitionersacross the state.Projections for the first year are 20 students, the second

year 25 students, and the third year 30 students. There ispotential to reach as many as 50 students for eachuniversity each year.More importantly, officials feel that the program will

increases a student’s ability to obtain a job in multi-faceted areas.Petry says that for a long time in the pharmacy field,

you could go anywhere to get a job. “The job market is

ON THISDATE

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PBRRV 11

tightening up now,” she states. “With advanced training,(Master of Public Health,) everybody who gets a degree willbe one step up on everyone else who is out there lookingfor a job. It is going to open up jobs that wouldn’t beavailable without that extra training.”Petry, who received her Bachelor of Science degree in

Microbiology in 2001 from NDSU, spent time working in abiotechnology lab and teaching at Bismarck State College.She returned to school and started working toward herDoctorate in Pharmacy in 2008. She expects to graduate in2012.Petry says she is not the only student interested in going

through the program. “Surprisingly enough a lot of peoplewant to go out in the rural communities,” she says.The needs in public health are not a surprise for Wynne.

“It’s well appreciated that public health is under appreciatedthroughout the country,”Wynne says. “The unfortunateexperience with terrorism has highlighted some of ourneeds in the public health arena. Many of us have beenconcerned about this for some time.”In a nutshell, Peterson says the new program will fill a

great need in North Dakota by focusing on promotinghealth wellness and disease prevention, as well as providingan opportunity to our students to have a degree which willhave a meaningful impact on communities looking toimprove public health.

Alan Van Ormer - avanormer@prairiebizmag.com

Number of entrepreneurialventures receiving angelfunding in 2010:

61,900(8.2 percent increase from 2009)

Number of active investorsin 2010:

265,400(2.3 percent increase from 2009)

Angel investor marketrebounds in 2010

The 2010 angel investor market saw a robust increase in investment dollarsfollowing a considerable contraction in investment dollar sin 2008 and2009, according to the 2010 Angel Market Analysis released by the Center

for Venture Research at the University of New Hampshire.

25

20

15

10

5

0

Total Investments(In Billions)

2009 2010Source: Newswise

12 PBRRV June 2011

Andwith that the state’s Center of Excellenceprograms have been funded for collaborationbetween universities and private sector entities,

which has impacted the ability to do work in life sciences.“This will have a significant impact in the life sciences,”

states Phyllis E. Johnson, Vice President for Research andEconomic Development at the University of North Dakotain Grand Forks, ND.Johnson adds that it is about jobs and it is about new

products. “In the end if a North Dakota business canproduce products that are sold out of state we areessentially bringing money from outside the state intoNorth Dakota,” she explains. “It is not just about creatingjobs, it is about creating product that is of interest to therest of the world.”In Grand Forks, the Center of Excellence funding

helped with the construction of the REAC facility thathouses the vaccine company, Novadigm, as well as Avianax(a life science company,) and other companies.Novadigm is currently in Phase 1 trials of a vaccine for

Staph aureus and Candida, two organisms responsible formany hospital-acquired infections. Novadigm provided agrant to UND to seed research in immunology that maylead to future potential products for the company.“Once we develop relationships they grow in many

ways,” Johnson says.Satish Chandran, who heads the new Center for

Biopharmaceutical Research and Production at NorthDakota State University in Fargo, ND, was brought in tohelp develop relationships to grow the life sciences field inthe Red River Valley Research Corridor.The Center will focus on identifying and producing

vaccines that can be brought to clinical trial. Chandranhopes to show one vaccine promise for clinical trials infive years. “We want to be able to put multiple vaccinesinto clinic and partner to move vaccine through theclinic,” he explains.One of those partners could be Altravax, Inc., a

privately held biopharmaceutical company located inFargo with research facilities in Sunnyvale, CA. Thecompany is focused on the discovery and developmentof new vaccines to fight infectious diseases.

“Our proprietary technologies offer uniqueopportunities to create novel vaccine or improvecurrently available alternatives to fill unmetmedical needs,” states Michael Jablon, Directorof Operations. “The company has a robust

pipeline of candidates at various stages of development.”Jablon adds that the support and assistance of the

Center for Biopharmaceutical Research and Developmenthas helped attract highly skilled talent that can provideadvice and support on key issues Alvatrax might otherwisehave to outsource out of state.“The specialized experience of the Center of Excellence

is a very important compliment to help Altravax bring ourproduct to market,” he states.Part of Chandran’s job is to set up an ecosystem that

flourishes. Right now many of the strategic pieces aremissing and that is being assembled.The impact of this ecosystem is that many companies

will start from the Center and bring companies to thearea. “All have aspirations to move into product,”Chandran says. “An ecosystem can meet the needs of all.We will work with multiple companies and drive productsforward.”There is a constant challenge of attracting the right

talent to drive the life sciences forward. Then there isfunding.“The State is participating in making it happen,”

Chandran states.Chandran states that it is going to take approximately

$8 million over the next three years to get the Center upand running and another $5 million to $10 million overeach of the next four years before it becomes self-sustaining.He adds that once it does get going as companies grow

and products move, there will be more high value jobsentering the region.As companies in the life science industry grow, this will

also create opportunities for businesses in North Dakotaproviding support services such as HR, IT, marketing, andaccounting.Jablon says that this is bringing yet another segment of

Silicon Valley to the region. “Where as the siliconrevolution spawned successful software and electronicscompanies, we’re predicting a major growth industrywhich spring from innovations in life science,” he states.“Akin to the rapid advancements in micro electronics andsoftware development, the life science industry is makingincredible advancements at the molecular level with arapidly increasing understanding of our own biologicalmachinery.” RRVPB

Alan Van Ormer - avanormer@prairiebizmag.com

The North Dakota State Department of Commerce has targeted life sciences as anopportunity to grow businesses and add jobs to the area.

Targeting life sciences forbusiness opportunities

RRV Business

PBRRV 13

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Two students from Valley City State University, inValley City, ND, have been selected to receive GraduateStudent Research Assistantship (GSRA) awards throughthe North Dakota Experimental Program to StimulateCompetitive Research (ND EPSCoR) program.The VCSU students receiving the awards are:Fakira (Soumaila) Borkovec (Rome, Italy): Fakira has

majors in Health Science and Biology. She will be workingin the North Dakota State University Department ofCereal and Food Science program, Pulse Crop Quality and

Nutrition, using crop breeding techniques to improve theirnutritional value and reduce malnutrition in the world.She will have the opportunity to travel to Sri Lanka towork in a children’s hospital analyzing the effect of variouslentils child blood chemistry.Jesse Martin (Valley City, ND): Jesse has a major in

Chemistry and Health Science and has consistently beenone of the top students in the Department. He will attendthe graduate chemistry program at North Dakota StateUniversity and conduct research with Dr. Mukund Sibibeginning Fall semester 2011.The awards recognize the academic achievement of

these students and provide significant financial support asthey pursue M.S. and/or Ph.D. degrees in science,engineering, and mathematics at the University of NorthDakota in Grand Forks, ND, and North Dakota StateUniversity in Fargo, ND.EPSCoR was established by the National Science

Foundation and is now a family of competitive merit-based programs spanning seven federal research anddevelopment agencies: the National Science Foundation;the National Institutes of Health; the Departments ofDefense, Energy, and Agriculture; the National Aeronauticsand Space Administration; and the EnvironmentalProtection Agency. RRVPB

VALLEY CITY STUDENTS RECEIVE GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANCE

FARIKABORKOVEC

JESSEMARTIN

ONJune 29,1956

PresidentDwight D.

Eisenhowersigned a bill

providing

$33.5billion

for highwayconstruction. It

was thebiggest public

worksprogram

in history.

14 PBRRV June 2011

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RRV Entrepreneur

NDSU RESEARCH &TECHNOLOGY PARK

CONTACTBRENDA WYLAND,

INCUBATOR MANAGER

WWW.NDSURESEARCHPARK.COM

UNDCENTER FOR INNOVATION

CONTACT:BRUCE GJOVIG, DIRECTOR

WWW.INNOVATORS.NET

SOUTHERN VALLEYINNOVATION CENTER

CONTACTDAN HODGSON, DIRECTOR

DAN@SVCENTER.NET

CERTIFIEDENTREPRENEURIALCENTERS IN THERED RIVER VALLEY

ENTREPRENEURIALCENTERS

FIRST STUDENTS IN NATION GRADUATE WITHUNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS DEGREEThe nation’s first graduates with degrees in the operation of

unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) were among 1,500 May graduatesat the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND.“It’s truly the first and only kind of its major program in the

country at this point,” said Kent Lovelace, chair of the aviationdepartment at the UND John D. Odegard School of AerospaceSciences. “These are the first graduates from anywhere in the countrywith a degree in UAS operations.”Among the nearly 1,500 graduates from UND during spring

commencement were five receiving Bachelor’s of Science degrees inUAS operations. They are Christopher Burger, Ritzville, WA.; JeremyDuke, Everett, WA.; Adam Julson, Flandreau, SD.; AlexanderGustafson, Vashon Island, WA.; and Brett Whalin, Rapid City, SD.“Unmanned aircraft are having a profound impact on aerospace,”

said Bruce Smith, dean of UND Aerospace. “We’re on the leadingedge of UAS development. We now have 44 students signed up asmajors and 78 students signed up for our UAS introductory course.”First offered in 2009 fall semester, the Bachelor’s of Science

degree aeronautics with a major in unmanned aircraft systemsoperations is built on the school’s commercial aviation program. Itincludes courses in the systems of unmanned aircraft, UAS groundsystems, UAS communications and telemetry, and UAS remotesensing. In addition, the major curriculum includes aviation safety,human factors, and crew resource management related to unmannedaircraft operations.

RED RIVER VALLEYRESEARCH CORRIDORADDS BOARD MEMBERPam Gulleson has joined the board of

directors of the Red River Valley ResearchCorridor. She previously served as statedirector and chief of staff for former U.S.Senator Byron Dorgan, where she wasactively involved in building North Dakota’sscience and technology-based economicdevelopment initiatives in partnership withfederal agencies. She is now advisor to thepresident for North Dakota Farmers Union.Gulleson served as a member of the North Dakota House of

Representatives, representing the 26th district from 1992 to 2008.During her tenure as a state representative, she focused on economicdevelopment, energy, agriculture and water issues.Gulleson grew up on a dairy farm near Oakes, N.D. She graduated

from North Dakota State University and spent years working as alicensed nutritionist. She and her husband live near Rutland, ND,where they are involved in the family farming business.

PAMGULLESON

TaylorButterfield,UND projectcoordinator inthe UNDUnmannedAircraft Systems(UAS) program,carries aScanEagle UASfollowing a testflight nearOslo, MN

EXPANDING BISEK HALLA higher education funding bill provides $10.5 million to

North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, ND, toexpand Bisek Hall. The facility houses the college’s dieseltechnology program.The expansion allows NDSCS to meet and exceed the

emerging workforce needs in the diesel industry. Withenrollment currently at capacity, this expansion will increaseenrollment and curriculum opportunities.

RENOVATING RHOADES SCIENCE CENTERA higher education funding bill provides $10.5 million to

Valley City State University in Valley City, ND, to expand andrenovate the Rhoades Science Center, which was constructed inthe early 1970s.The project will include renovating the facility’s existing

33,000 square feet and adding another 26,000 square feet toenhance the university’s science-based programs.

Grow anyway.

Media is flourishing. The world is engaged.The Internet is expansive. Magazines are captivating.

And both are growing.

The sun shines on Internet usage and among thebursting trends is magazine eReadership, whichengages 8.4 million adults.

However, even though this newmedia is expanding,traditional magazine readership is growing too.

The power of local reporting, photography andadvertising rises amidst the forces that say newmedia kills a traditional one.

Regardless of how you read Prairie Business, ourprint and online editions are advancing.

Thrive anywhere.701.232.8893

Wouldn’t it be great if the offerings of yourbusiness were perceived by your customers inthe same way when compared to your rivals?

The phrase derives from an invention by the notedAfrican-American inventor, Elijah McCoy, who wasawarded more than 57 patents during his lifetime. One ofhis inventions was a device known as a lubricating cup forsteam engines. He was awarded a patent for it in June of1872. This particular invention made it possible to keeplarge steam engines running smoothly without the need toshut them down periodically to lubricate key movingparts. Because these old steam engines were cumbersomeand difficult to restart, steam mechanics and engineerswelcomed the addition of the lubricating cup. Historiansresearching the era of the steam engine discovered thatpurchasing agents were being asked by mechanics for the“Real McCoy” when placing orders for lubricating cups –and by this they were referring to the McCoy brand oflubricators instead of inferior substitutes.This was one of the earliest and most successful uses of

a “tag-line” to promote a product or service. What wasunusual in the case of the McCoy lubricating cup is itappears to have been coined by the customers and not theresult of a marketing plan by the company.

TAG-LINE DEFINEDA tag-line is a short phrase used by a business to attract

the attention of its customers. It is composed in such away as to convey the “Unique Selling Point” or USP thecompany has to offer. The USP is a position in the mindof its potential and current customers that a businesswants to attain that is different and more inviting thanthat of its rivals. The tag-line is then used in all phases ofexternal communications put out by the business togenerate a consistent message to its customers. Theultimate goal for a business is to use this tag-line to be“the Real McCoy” of its industry in the minds of itscustomers.

WHAT MAKES FOR AN EFFECTIVE TAG-LINE?Several years ago a survey was conducted to see if

customers can readily connect a company with its tag-line.The companies ranked first and second in the survey wereboth insurance companies and they effectively connectedwith current and potential customers by emphasizing amessage of security. “You’re in good hands with Allstate.”and “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” bothconveyed a message of sanctuary and protection expectedfrom insurance providers. An effective tag-line connectsthe dots between the USP of the business and the needs ofthe customer. Tag-lines should also be short and to thepoint. A well known phone directory provider promotesthe use of its yellow page section with the simple but veryeffective two-word phrase “dex knows.”

TAG-LINES FOR SMALL BUSINESSBusinesses of all shapes and sizes can benefit greatly

from having an effective tag-line to enhance theircommunication efforts. The key element is accuratelydefining the USP of the business and crafting a shortmessage conveying this advantage. For example, a smallindependent floral shop delivers flowers to its customersthrough third party delivery services while its rivals allemploy company-owned delivery vehicles. At the sametime, this floral shop is the only one that grows its ownwildflowers and incorporates these into special and uniquefloral designs. A tag-line emphasizing “delivery” wouldeventually fall flat, but one focused on “fresh ideas indesign” would definitely help in connecting with itscustomers.Any business can use a tag-line in its marketing efforts

to tell the world about its offerings. However, if thedesired result is to be viewed as “The Real McCoy” of theindustry, the tag-line needs to effectively connect acompany strength with a customer need. RRVPB

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Tag-Lines and“The Real McCoy”We have all heard the phrase “The Real McCoy” used in reference to an item perceived tobe of the highest quality among an array of choices, some of which are poor imitations.

ERIC GILTNERSenior Area Manager

Small BusinessAdministration

eric.giltner@sba.gov

Concordia College inMoorhead, MN is thenew host of the WestCentral SmallBusiness DevelopmentCenter. The Center’spurpose is tostimulate the economyand promote new jobopportunities byassisting smallbusinessdevelopment.

UDid Know

SCHEELS FARGO MARATHON, FARGO,IN THE EVENT OF THE YEAR CATEGORY.Started in 2005 with 2,400 participants, the Scheels Fargo Marathon

has become one of the state’s biggest events, attracting a record-breaking 20,000 participants in 2010.“The success of North Dakota’s tourism industry can be attributed to

the hard work of our industry partners around the state,” Sarah OtteColeman says. “These award recipients share their passion and excitementfor North Dakota with visitors from across the world, and we’re gratefulfor their efforts to create legendary experiences for our visitors.”

RIVER KEEPERS: CANOEING, COOKING ANDCAMPFIRE; A WOMAN’S WEEKEND ON THE RED,FARGO, IN THE BEST PACKAGE CATEGORY.River Keepers grew from a desire to rediscover the Red River’s

heritage, and to teach people to again appreciate the Red as a livingRiver. In 1989, believing that it was time to promote a “new attitudeabout the River,” and explore ways to develop the River as arecreational site, a team of architects proposed the creation of anorganization to act in the position of River Keeper.

Tourism leaders honored with Governor’s Travel and Tourism awards