prairie business july 2011

www.prairiebizmag.com

July 2011

ARCHITECTS/ENGINEERSBeating the challenge pg .20

TRANSPORTATIONFostering Economic Development pg .26

MONEYpg 41

LEADERSHIPpg 40

TECHNOLOGYpg 43

SALES/MARKETING pg 18

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT pg 42

PRIDE OF THEPRAIRIE

Small businessescreating jobs

pg. 24

pg 32

4 Prairie Business July 2011

Volume 12 No. 7CONTENTS

16

20

24

26

28

6 From the Editor’s Desk

8 Professional Spotlight

9 Matthew Mohr

10 Prairie News

14 Prairie People

15 Midco Connections expanding

Company Spotlight:Talented, passionate employees pushIndigo Signworks to another levelDouble digit sales volumes, major acquisitions, and

doubling of manufacturing capabilities have helped

Indigo Signworks grow. However, company leaders will

tell you it is the 85 employees who have taken the Fargo,

ND-based company to another level.

18 Sales/Marketing -Tell Me What You Do

Cover Story: Architects and engineersbeating the challengeThe last few years have been challenging times for

architects and engineers across the region. It has caused

companies to take a look at the way they do business

heading into the future.

Cover Story: Pride of the Prairie:Small businesses creating jobsThere are business leaders quick to point out that most

of the job growth historically and currently comes from

small business.

Cover Story: Rail can fostereconomic developmentRailroads were critical to the development of the region.

Not only did they provide a way for settlers to reach the

area, but the rails also provided a way to transport crops

to distant markets. For a period, the rails were

abandoned. But now, rail use could be on its way back.

Community Spotlight: Marshall, MNBuilding the tools for success - Marshall, MN is ready to

be reckoned with in the southwest corner of Minnesota.

31 Q & A: Milton Morris

40 Leadership/Management -Leading the growth of a community

41 Money - Funds are availableto qualified borrowers

42 Economic Development - Small townsmake a big difference

42 Viewpoint

43 Technology – ‘To the Cloud’46 By the Numbers

Next MonthIn August, Prairie Business magazine will showcase what higher educationcollaborations do to meet the needs of tomorrow’s workforce. In addition, how willreal estate impact commercial building and how does the bidding process impactconstruction projects?

On the airJoin Prairie Business magazine Editor Alan Van Ormer and host Merrill Piepkorn onTuesday, July 12 at 3 p.m. on any Prairie Public radio station to hear more about theJuly cover stories. To listen to Prairie Public, visit www.prairiepublic.org/radio/hear-it-now.

Water project expected to assistwestern North DakotaA $150 million project is expected to supply northwestNorth Dakota with water to assist in regional growth.

Adding additional oil pipeline capacitySince 2006, oil pipelines have been at capacity andcompanies have been working to expand the pipelinesystem in western North Dakota since that period.

Greenhouse could lead to moreeconomic developmentBusiness leaders in Jamestown, ND are hoping that agreenhouse facility could lead to more economicdevelopment, as well as show that the community isbecoming an ‘energy center.’

32

36

38

prairiebizmag.com 5


Mike Jacobs, PublisherAlan Van Ormer, EditorScott Deutsch, Sales ManagerTina Chisholm, Production ManagerBeth Bohlman, Circulation ManagerKris Wolff, Layout Design, Ad Design

NNAATTIIOONNAALL AACCCCOOUUNNTT SSAALLEESS//GGEENNEERRAALL MMAANNAAGGEERR::Scott Deutsch 701.232.8893

Grand Forks/Fargo/Moorhead/northwestern MN

SSAALLEESS::Brad Boyd 800.641.0683

Bismarck-Mandan/ west central ND/north central SD

John Fetsch 701.232.8893Fargo/Moorhead/eastern ND/western MN

Jeff Hanson 605.212.6852Sioux Falls/southern SD/southern MN

EEDDIITTOORR::Alan Van Ormer 701.232.8893

[email protected] AAddvviissoorrss::Dwaine Chapel, Executive Director, Lake Area Improvement Corporation;Bruce Gjovig, Director, Center for Innovation; Lisa Gulland-Nelson,Communications Coordinator, Greater Fargo Moorhead EDC; Dave Haan,Director of Public Relations and Digital Development at Lawrence &Schiller; Dusty Johnson, Chief of Staff for South Dakota Gov. DennisDaugaard’s office; Brekka Kramer, General Manager of Odney; MatthewMohr, President/CEO, Dacotah Paper Company; Nancy Straw,President, West Central Initiative

Prairie Business magazine is published monthly by the Grand ForksHerald and Forum Communications Company with offices at 8083rd Ave. S., Ste. 400, Fargo, ND 58103. Qualifying subscriptionsare available free of charge. Back issue quantities are limited andsubject to availability ($2/copy prepaid). The opinions of writersfeatured in Prairie Business are their own. Unsolicited manuscripts,photographs, artwork are encouraged but will not be returnedwithout a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Subscription requests:Free subscriptions are available online to qualified requestorsat www.prairiebizmag.com.

Address corrections:Prairie Business magazine PO Box 6008 Grand Forks, ND 58206-6008 [email protected]

Online: www.prairiebizmag.com

An SBA Award Winning Publication

For daily business newsvisit prairiebizmag.com

For readers of this magazine, the zoned sections are great news.For instance, those receiving the western North Dakota sectionin this issue will read about the challenges that architects in

western North Dakota are facing, as well as understand what ishappening in the Great Plains Energy Park in Minot.

Readers throughout the region will continue to read about issuespertaining to the three-state region.

In the July issue, we are doing a segment entitled ‘Pride of thePrairie.’ Business leaders are quick to point out that most of the jobgrowth historically and currently come from small business. Thisstory talks to unique companies that have been in business for ashort time and provides some information for other businessesabout struggles and challenges that they may have faced as theycontinue to grow. Now each of the companies featured are primed togrow into the future. Not all of the articles written will be in theprint issue. You can read the rest of the stories on our web site atwww.prairiebizmag.com.

Continued business success is challenging and our regionalarchitects and engineers know firsthand what that is all about. Whilemany architects across the region have weathered the GreatRecession, they still have had to adjust the way they do business tocontinue to prosper. ‘Architects and engineers beating the challenge’points out some of these adjustments.

Finally, transportation issues have always been important to thisregion. In this issue, rail comes to the forefront. Historically, there isno question that the railroads were critical to the development of theregion. Not only did they provide a way for settlers to reach the area,but the rails also provided a way to transport crops to distantmarkets. Now, some people in business are realizing the importanceand potential of rail once again and are developing projects alongthe rail systems in our region.

In July, our last zoned issue will start in western North Dakota. Azoned issue is one that tells specific stories about a certain region –South Dakota, western North Dakota, and the Red River Valley.

From the editor’s desk

Zoned editions focusingon stories in certain areas

Scan this with yoursmartphone's QR Readerto visit our website.

prairiebizmag.com 7

! EHcient intermodal rail facilities and service byBNSF and UP railroads

! More than 20 transload/DC warehouse facilitieswithin minutes of Port terminals

! Named as one of the Green 50 Supply ChainPartners by Inbound Logisticsmagazine

Formore information, please contact:

Vince SullivanManager, [email protected]

Port of Tacoma:

AKey Part ofYourSupply Chain

Inbytners barPNamed as one!

eswithin minut20thaneorM!

BNSF and UP rmodalertt inEHcien!

magazinesgisticoound LInbeen 50 Supply Chainone of the Gr

minalsert tores of Pfacilitiesehousearwansload/DCtr

oadsailrrvicail facilities and sermodal r

Chain

facilities

ye bvic

op@navillusv5019-964-962enisuB,rr,eganaMavilluSecniV

roffonieromroF

moc.amocatfotr5

tnempooplevveeDssena

:tcatnocesaelp,noitam


For the past four years, Moser has been the Community BankingPresident, Retail District Manager for North Dakota, SouthDakota, and western Minnesota for Wells Fargo. She is

responsible for 80 community banking stores throughout the threestates.

In all, Moser has 37 years in financial services; the past 15 yearswith Wells Fargo. She received her Bachelor’s degree in BusinessEducation from the University of Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls, SD and is agraduate of the National Personnel School in Boulder, CO.

She was one of the first females in South Dakota’s banking industryto enter management in the early 1970s. “Because I was a formersecretary, it was very difficult to change the perception of (mostlymen) my new role. I was often asked to type letters and perform othersecretarial duties in addition to performing functions as a lendingofficer,” she explains. “I had to draw on my self confidence to politely

decline those requests (while offering others’ assistance to supportthem). Over time, my peers saw the value and expertise I brought intomy new role and things changed.”

The one thing that helped her was community involvement. “Whenyou help others, you get back far more than you give,” she states. “Forexample, I was involved with the United Way for more than 30 years.That experience helped me better understand the needs of thecommunity and see the bigger picture. It made me a better executiveand helped me put the most important things in life in perspective.”

Moser is also passionate about the need to have a healthy balancebetween work and life and she encourages young women to seek thatearly on and make it a priority.

“As a mother and a grandmother, I maintain that balance throughexercise and time with my family,” she states. PB

Alan Van Ormer - [email protected]

Moser went down anunexpected path PAM MOSER

Community Banking President, Retail District Manager, Wells Fargo

Professional Spotlight

Pam Moser will be the first to say that initially, her career path was unexpected. “Now, with the benefit ofhindsight and 37 years of experience, I know it was the right one from the start,” she says.

RenewableC e n t e r s f o r

E n e r g y& Biomass utilization

Renewable Power, Fuels, andChemicals Conferenceble uereee F, Frerrr,P wPoPable PenewR , an ChemicChemicChemic eenceronffendChemicals Cuelseee ble urerer F, Frr,P wPoPable PenewR , a ChemiChemChemi eenceronffeandChemicals Cuels

nnnRenn tn

Bioma&E n

nC e n

iltililiz

wwwwwanass ut

neeewewass utilass utilti

ablewtionmass utilizaat

rrre re re re r g y

rrr f o rr st et e

prairiebizmag.com 9

New equipment additions can beevaluated on a cost-benefit andnet present value basis rather

easily, but replacing what you already haveis not so straight forward.

A postage machine is a great example.When the decision to add a postagemachine with a meter is first made, laborsavings, potential postage saving, and pureconvenience can all be factored into thedecision. Once you have a postagemachine, replacing what you have with anew one is not so straight forward. Anewer model might be a little nicer andhave a few features, but will it save cost orimprove productivity to be cost justified?

Health care providers generally pursuethe newest technologies based on the belief

new technology will provide better care totheir patients. If older technology isfunctional, will new make any difference?If the old equipment has any chance oferror, the risks of malpractice, harm topatients, and similar effects can and shouldcontribute to the choice to replace the old.On the other hand, if the old equipmentprovides proper care and patients areserved in the best possible manner; thedecision to replace is clouded. Just buyingnew to have the newest does not translateto the best patient care.

Which ever direction a business ownertakes, use the old or purchase new, mustbe justified by profit/productivityimprovements over time. PB

Business Advice

Equipment replacement decisions

MATTHEW D. MOHRCEO,

Dacotah Paper [email protected].

One of the hardest challenges a business manager faces is trying to decidewhen to replace an existing piece of equipment used in the enterprise.

701.746.6820701.841.1000

CommercialHistoricalIndustrialEducationalResidential

heppero

lson.com

Grand Forks, ND

Buxton ND

esidentialRtionalducaEtrialIndus

oricaltHiscialommerC

om

colson.

hepper

0001.148.1070286.647.107

onuxtB

and FrG

ND

orks, NDF


Prairie News Press releases and photos about business news and events in North Dakota, South Dakota andwestern Minnesota can be e-mailed to [email protected] for consideration

HOMELAND SECURITY REGIONAL FACILITYTO BE CONSTRUCTED IN SIOUX FALLS

The Sioux Falls (SD) Development Foundation hassold 3.46 acres of land in Sioux Empire DevelopmentPark III for a new Department of Homeland SecurityImmigration and Customs Enforcement/Detention andRemoval Operations facility.

The 30,000 square foot building will include offices,detention areas, garage and storage facilities for regionalfederal operations. Homeland Security is currently basedin downtown Sioux Falls, but the new construction inPark III will give the government enhanced and greatlyenlarged space for combined federal duties.

2011 IDEA WINNERS ANNOUNCEDFour companies were winners at the IDEA

Competition held at the University of Minnesota,Crookston, MN campus.

Two of the winners – Craft Night Out and GrandSteer – are located in Thief River Falls, MN. The othertwo – EquipAll GrappleHoe and LaValley Industries, LLC– are located in Bemidji, MN. Each will receive $10,000 incash to advance their business idea, plus additionalspecialized assistance.

For more information about the award winners visitthe Prairie Business magazine web site atwww.prairiebizmag.com.

BISMARCK-MANDAN RANKED BY FOREIGNDIRECT INVESTMENT MAGAZINE

The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) magazineranked Bismarck-Mandan, ND as one of the top 10‘Micro Cities of the Future,’ and also one of the top eight‘Micro Cities with an FDI Strategy.’

FDI magazine annually ranks cities in the sizecategory of major cities, large cities, small cities, andmicro cities which are cities under 100,000 in population.The ranking for Bismarck-Mandan was the result of theBMDA submitting a very detailed report at the request ofthe staff of the Foreign Direct Investment magazine basedin the United Kingdom.

A&B TOPS IN THE COUNTRY FOR TECHNICALSUPPORT, CUSTOMER SERVICE

A&B Business, Inc., Sioux Falls, SD, has received theProMasters Elite Award, the highest achievement awardedby Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc. The award isgiven to honor the independent dealer with the mostoutstanding technical support and customer service inthe United States.

To be eligible for the award, dealers must havesurpassed 32 rigorous performance standards, an ongoingqualification process, and a solid commitment toexceptional customer service and support.

Northrop Grumman Corporation presented a RQ-4 Block 10Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS) full scale model tothe Northland Community & Technical College (Northland)Foundation.

The presentation was part of the Red River Valley ResearchCorridor Unmanned Aviation Systems Action Summit. The modelwas gifted to Northland Community and Technical CollegeFoundation in support of Northland and the University of North

Dakota’s (UND) unmanned systems educational programs. UNDprovides extensive UAS pilot training and Northland provides UASaircraft maintenance training.

The full-scale model will be displayed at Northland’s aviationcampus in Thief River Falls, MN. The RQ-4 Block 10 Global Hawkhas a wingspan of 116.2 feet, the length is 44.4 feet, and the height is14.6 feet. It can fly up to 65,000 feet and has a maximum enduranceof 32 hours.

PERCENTCHANGE INGROSS

DOMESTICPRODUCT,

2009 TO 2010

1 North Dakota 7.12 New York 5.13 Indiana 4.64 Massachusetts 4.25 West Virginia 46 Dist of Columbia3.57 Tennessee 3.58 North Carolina 3.49 Oregon 3.410 Vermont 3.211 Minnesota 3.212 Kentucky 3.213 Connecticut 3.114 Iowa 3.1 Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis

GLOBAL HAWK FULL SCALE MODEL GIFTED TO NORTHLAND COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE FOUNDATION

CHAMBERCHOICE AWARD WINNERSANNOUNCED

ChamberChoice Award winners for the FargoMoorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce havebeen announced.

The Small Business of the Year is Maxwell’s –Mosaic, Catering and Café, while Kadrmas, Lee &Jackson, Inc grabbed the Business of the Year honors.Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra was honoredas the Small Not-for-Profit of the Year, while Fraser,Ltd. is the Not-for-Profit of the Year. Joe Sandin, ofOnsharp, is the Entrepreneur of the Year.

The ChamberChoice Award finalists were selectedby a panel of independent judges from the regionalbusiness community, who evaluated accomplishmentsin the areas of business growth, innovation, creativity,community involvement, and unique achievementsrelating to a specific business or industry.

For more information about the award winnersvisit the Prairie Business magazine web site atwww.prairiebizmag.com.

EERC PROCESS FIRST TO PRODUCE JETFUEL FROM COAL AND BIOMASS

The Energy & Environmental Research Center(EERC) at the University of North Dakota, GrandForks, ND, has developed a unique refiningtechnologies that can produce jet fuel from acombination of both coal and biomass feedstocks.

The EERC technology centers on a unique directliquefaction process utilizing a coal–biomass feedstockand tailoring the product liquids for U.S. military jetfuel applications.

The new fuel is part of the EERC’s long-term effortto broaden the resource base for fuel productionbeyond petroleum. Enhanced operability, energysecurity, and reducing aviation’s impact on theenvironment are drivers toward the use of renewableand nonpetroleum sources for producing jet fuels.Utilization of biomass with coal simultaneouslyreduces the environmental footprint of the fuel, limitsland use in competition with food production, anddraws on the vast coal reserves in the United States.

ONJuly 30, 1863Industrialist HenryFord, whoseassembly-linemethod ofautomobileproductionrevolutionized theindustry, was bornat Wayne County,MI, on the familyfarm. In 1913Ford introducedthe assembly lineand massproduction. Thisinnovationreduced the time ittook to build eachcar from 12 ½hours to only 1 ½hours.

prairiebizmag.com 11

Did You Know that Dun & Bradstreet released a report indicating North Dakota has had the nation’slowest small business failure rate in each of the past three years. In 2010, North Dakota’s small business failure rate was67 percent lower than the national average. Dun & Bradstreet experts attributed North Dakota’s low small business failurerate to the state economy’s strong reliance on the energy and agriculture industries. The company also noted that thehousing and financial markets, which were hard-hit during the recession, have less of a presence here in North Dakota.Source: Bismarck-Mandan Development Association


Prairie News Press releases and photos about business news and events in North Dakota, South Dakota andwestern Minnesota can be e-mailed to [email protected] for consideration

AMERICAN BANK CENTER UNVEILS NEWBUILDING

American Bank Center, Bismarck, ND, has startedconstruction on a 21,000 square foot financial center indowntown Bismarck.

Loran Galpin of Galpin & Associates is developing thesite, former location of the Dakota Theater. Galpin expectsto incorporate many energy efficient features, includinggeothermal heating, geothermal cooling and high efficiencyglass windows. American Bank Center recently renovatedtheir main office on the opposite corner of theconstruction and incorporated several energy efficiencymeasures that resulted in 60 percent savings in natural gasusage.

The development is taking advantage of RenaissanceZone incentives. The Renaissance Zone program providestax exemptions and credits to both residents and businessesfor revitalization and redevelopment activities within theZone. Bismarck’s Renaissance Zone encompasses a 39-block area in downtown Bismarck.

ULTEIG MOVES UP ON NATIONAL TOP 500DESIGN FIRMS LIST

Ulteig, in Fargo, ND, was ranked 207 on the 2011 Top500 U.S. Design Firms listed by Engineering News-Record(ENR) magazine.

Ulteig has been consistently included on the annual list.The company was ranked at 223 on the 2010 list and 291 in2009.

ENR, a McGraw-Hill publication, is considered to beamong the industry’s preeminent U.S. trade publications.The top 500 U.S. engineering, architectural andenvironmental design firms list is released annually eachApril and ranks the 500 largest U.S.-based designs firms,both publicly and privately held.

CLARITY SERVICES, INTERCEPTEFT ANNOUNCEPARTNERSHIP

Clarity Services, Inc., a real-time credit services bureau,has selected InterceptEFT, Fargo, ND, to provide accounthistory data for Clarity’s Clear BankTM and Clear BankProfileTM reporting services offered to the financial servicesindustry.

With this partnership, InterceptEFT will deliver criticaldecision-making information about a specific bankaccount such as NSFs, closed accounts, frozen accounts andrelated data. The data offers Clear BankTM users a moredetailed review of consumers’ banking behavior, historyand reliability.

Clear BankTM and the Clear Bank ProfileTM module alsoreport known bank accounts, status information, behaviorcodes and related information to help banks and lendersmore accurately evaluate applicants.

ONJuly 1, 1968Medicare, the U.S. health insurance program for seniorcitizens, went into effect. The legislation authorizing theprogram had been signed by President Lyndon Johnson onJuly 30, 1965. Former President Harry Truman received thefirst Medicare card.

BRANDT HOLDINGS RECEIVES PRESIDENTIAL ‘E’ AWARD FOREXPORTS

Brandt Holdings, Fargo, ND, was awarded the Presidential “E” Award forExports by U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke at theDepartment’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The “E” Awards are the highest recognition any U.S. entity may receive formaking a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports.

Brandt Holdings owns and operates 23 John Deere dealerships in a 5-statearea, including North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska andCalifornia. Brandt Holdings exports pre-owned agricultural equipment.

U.S. companies are nominated for the “E” Awards through the U.S.Commercial Service office network in 108 U.S. cities and more than 75 countries.Criteria for the award is based on four years of successive export growth, usuallyaccompanied by a rising percentage of export sales within total sales.

SCHOLL NAMED DIRECTOR OFAGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTSTATION

Dr. Daniel Scholl has been namedassociate dean and director of theAgricultural Experiment Station in theSouth Dakota State University College ofAgriculture and Biological Sciences inBrookings, SD.

The appointment, effective Aug. 22, willallow Scholl to oversee the research of theAgricultural Experiment Station andfacilitate communication between SDSUresearchers, stakeholders, and clients.

Scholl completed three degrees from the School of Veterinary Medicine at theUniversity of California, Davis, including aBachelor of Science in veterinary science in1985, a Doctorate in veterinary medicine, in1987, and Master of preventive veterinarymedicine in epidemiology in thedepartment of epidemiology and preventivemedicine. He received his Ph.D. inepidemiology from the Department ofHerd Health and Reproduction StateUniversity of Utrecht, the Netherlands.

BLEHM JOINS BCBSND ASMEDICAL DIRECTOR

Dr. David Blehm has joined Blue CrossBlue Shield of North Dakota, Fargo, ND, asa medical director in the company’sMedical Management Division.

He has 27 years of experience as apediatrician, spending the last 12 years atSanford Health System, Fargo. As medicaldirector, he will provide expertise inchildhood and adolescent health carepractices.

Blehm was born in Mason City, IA, andspent his childhood in Denver, CO, andBismarck, ND. He earned his bachelor ofscience and medical degrees from theUniversity of North Dakota, Grand Forks,ND.

BCBSND is an independent licensee ofthe Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

WITTENBERG JOINS REGIONALMEDICAL CLINIC

Wayne L. Wittenberg, M.D., joinsRegional Medical Clinic, Rapid City, SD, asa neurosurgeon on the clinic staff.

A board certified neurosurgeon, Dr.Wittenberg earned his medical degree at theUniversity of Miami in Coral Gables, FL.He completed his residency in neurosurgeryat the University of Colorado School ofMedicine in Denver, CO., and conducted afellowship in spine surgery at the MedicalCollege of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, WI.

Regional Medical Clinic is the largestnetwork of primary and specialty clinics inwestern South Dakota, with multiplelocations. Services include Family Medicine,Internal Medicine, Obstetrics/Gynecology,Pediatrics, Adult & Pediatric Endocrinology,General Surgery, Hospital Medicine,Infectious Diseases, Nephrology,Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery,Otolaryngology (ENT), Podiatry,Pulmonology, Rheumatology, Radiology,Sleep Medicine, Travel Medicine, andUrology.

OLSEN PROMOTED AT FLINTGROUP

Maureen Olsen has been namedDirector of Motion and Sound for the FlintGroup in Fargo, ND.

Olsen brings more than 25 years ofindustry experience to this new position,where she will expand and drive innovationin audio, video and digital techniques forclients served by all the offices of the FlintGroup of agencies. Olsen’s previousposition was Associate Creative Directorand Director/Writer/Producer with FlintCommunications of the Flint Group.

The diverse clients she has servedinclude Alerus Financial, Blue Cross BlueShield of North Dakota, Blue Cross BlueShield of Wyoming, West Acres ShoppingCenter, Education Minnesota, NodakMutual Insurance Company, HectorInternational Airport and North DakotaState University.


Please e-mail photos and press release announcements of hirings, promotions, awards and distinctions received by business leaders in North Dakota, South Dakota and western Minnesota to [email protected] for consideration.

DR. DANIEL SCHOLL

Prairie People

WAYNE L.WITTENBERG

MAUREEN OLSENDR. DAVID BLEHM

ASSURITY NAMES WORKSITE REGIONAL SALES MANAGER FOR NORTH DAKOTAAssurity at Work®, the Worksite Sales Division of Assurity Life Insurance Company, headquartered in Lincoln, NE, has

expanded its Midwestern sales team with the addition of five regional sales managers, according to Chad Bodner, VicePresident, Worksite Sales. They will serve distributors and employer-clients throughout their regions in developingopportunities to provide voluntary benefits at the worksite.

Matt Jilek will serve worksite producers and employers in North Dakota. Jilek has a strong record of sales andmarketing leadership spanning more than 20 years. He consistently was a top producer and increased annual revenue inhighly competitive business and institutional markets in the health care industry, including pharmaceuticals and eye careproducts. Jilek began his career with one of the nation’s largest suppliers to the food service industry, where he wasnational accounts manager. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.MATT JILEK


MidcoConnectionsexpanding

Based on current projections,Midco Connections isexpected to bring as many as

300 new jobs to the Fargo area overthe next three years includingmanagement, training and servicerelated positions. It is anticipatedthat nearly 100 new jobs will becreated in the Fargo office beginningin the third quarter of 2011. “MidcoConnections is a strong companythat plans to create a number ofgood paying jobs for our residents,adding to our economic strengthand vitality,” said Kevin McKinnon,Greater Fargo Moorhead EconomicDevelopment CorporationPresident.

Midco Connections specializes inserving clients in the catalog and e-commerce industries with about 95percent of current businessfunneling through this channel. Inaddition, Midco also provides callcenter services for thepharmaceutical, legal and financialmarkets in a Payment Card Industry(PCI) compliant environment.

Midco Connections, a whollyowned subsidiary of MidcontinentMedia, Inc. and a sister company toMidcontinent Communications, hasa rich history of client retention andquality service to a national base ofbusiness customers. From itsinception as a business unit ofMidcoCommunications, thecompany has grown dramatically,attributable to its ability to delivercreative service solutions and meetclient needs. Midco Connectionscurrently employs a staff of 400 inits Sioux Falls location. PB

Midco Connectionswill expand itsoperations to asecond site in Fargo,ND in September.


We have a wonderful base of talented, passionateemployees,” states Bernie Dardis, CEO of IndigoSignworks. “We had a one-time infusion of

talent, and then came growth patterns where we purchasedother companies. By incorporating these families of

companies, we saw growth.”In 2005, the company opened an office in Bismarck,

ND, and also purchased Dickson Signs. The next year, theAlexandria, MN facility opened, followed by the purchaseof PRI Graphics Group in Fargo and the opening of an

Indigo Signworks

Talented, passionate employees pushIndigo Signworks to another level

Double digit sales volumes, major acquisitions, and doubling of manufacturing capabilitieshave helped Indigo Signworks grow. However, company leaders will tell you it is the 85employees who have taken the Fargo, ND-based company to another level.

Company Spotlight

- David Giovannini,General Manager,MFG-South Dakota

“


office in Grand Forks in 2007. In 2009, Indigo Signworksbrought Cook Sign Company on board.

“Each added different types of expertise and clientbase, which all led to why we are doubling our growtheach year,” Dardis explains.

Indigo Signworks is a sign company that providesarchitectural assistance, design and installation consulting,maintenance and repair, and design and layout services.The headquarters is in Fargo, ND, with other offices inBismarck and Grand Forks, as well as Alexandria. Theyalso have a working relationship partnership with St.Cloud, MN. The majority of the 85 employees are locatedin Fargo.

“Our clients have different levels of expectations intheir own organizations,” Dardis explains. “Some haveproject managers, architects on staff. Others don’t have anyof that. We have a diverse client base in which we eitherguide them along that process or we are expected to meetthe specifications set by the company.”

Tom Nelson, Vice President of Indigo Signworks, saysthe employees see a sense of ownership and have a talentpool of different abilities. “There is something unique andspecial about what we leave behind,” he states. “We have achance to leave our legacy behind every time we do aproject. There is that chance to bring that element ofartistic flare and creativity to the product.”

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES TO GROWIt has not always been easy for Indigo Signworks.When Dardis first came on board in 2004 he felt they

had the right partnership in place, unbelievable passion,and a desire to succeed, as well as a business partner whichwas exactly what the marriage needed. What was missingwas experience.

“We also needed a statement to the community that wewere ready to go to the next level,” Dardis states.

In addition, Nelson says as the market was changingand products and services were expanding, IndigoSignworks was reinventing itself again to meet itscustomers’ needs. “We keep pushing ourselves and that isokay,” he says.

The most challenging part is meeting the expectationsof those families associated with Indigo Signworks. “Wewant to keep them as employees and we are able toprovide them at the standard of living that meets theirneeds and their expectations,” Dardis explains.

Nelson adds the company takes that responsibilityseriously. “We’re not going to let any other influence, if atall possible, get in the way that these families are beingsupported,” he says.

Meeting those challenges has boosted Indigo Signworksinto the upper three percent of the United States in thetype of equipment that the company has. Both feel thatthe Indigo brand is a ‘signature service’ and is constantlyevolving.

Technology is another significant change that hashelped the company grow. “Being on the cutting edge ofdesign software allows us to do our job better and providea better finished product,” Nelson explains.

KEEPING UP ON ECONOMIC TRENDSDardis says that everyone has experienced such an

interesting 18-24 months. “It was unique,” he states. “Ihave been doing this for 30 years and not since interestrates were 17 percent did I see such a downturn.”

However, Dardis adds that North Dakota bucked thenational economic trends because of its vibrant economy,in particular commodity and farm pricing, as well as livingin the Red River Valley. Combined with what is happeningin western North Dakota, Indigo Signworks is seeingincreased growth.

Another reason for the growth is pent-up demand.Nelson states that everyone in the community relies on

what the public spends its money on. “People werespending money,” he explains. “We were pretty insulated toa lot of those trends. Now we have the pent-up demand.Being conservative, we’re going to be okay here and it istime to get back to work.”

INDIGO SIGNWORKS SEE FUTUREOPPORTUNITIES

A lot of this opportunity evolves around the businessenvironment being vibrant in the geographical locationsIndigo Signworks is located in.

“We have more people coming to us for our expertiseand our capabilities. I don’t see any limitations,” Dardissays. “We take pride in the fact that we have not onlygrown as a digital communication company, we have reallygrown as a corporate and a community partner.”

Nelson recalls that when the company started, it was“Indi who?” “Now they put their trust in our businesssignage,” he says. “If we can do something to return thatfavor, that would be great.”

Nelson adds that there is an addiction to the signindustry and the employees get attached to it. “There issuch a great pride in it,” he says. “They share their workwith their families because they are proud of it. There is anaddiction to the industry and it spreads beyond the doorsand the people who work in the field and in this buildingon a daily basis.”

Now many in the region look at the Indigo Signworks’product as a testament to the talent and the ability that isin this region, Nelson explains. “It shows we can competeon a national level,” he says. “The main focus is regional,but we also have the unique ability to create anything inthe country.” PBAlan Van Ormer - [email protected]

GROWTH OF INDIGO SIGNWORKS:FEBRUARY 2005 – OPENED AN OFFICE IN BISMARCK, ND

MARCH 2005 – ACQUIRED DICKSON SIGNS

JULY 2006 – OPENED AN OFFICE IN ALEXANDRIA, MN

JANUARY 2007 – ACQUIRED PRI GRAPHICS GROUP

JANUARY 2007 – OPENED AN OFFICE IN GRAND FORKS, ND

FEBRUARY 2009 – ACQUIRED COOK SIGN COMPANY

ONJuly 31, 1790

The first U.S.Patent Officeopened itsdoors andthe first U.S. patentwas issuedto SamuelHopkins ofVermont fora newmethod ofmakingpearlashand potash.The patentwas signedby GeorgeWashingtonand ThomasJefferson.


Sales/Marketing

Tell me what you doHow to talk about your B-to-B company in the public arena

JASON JACOBSON

WriterAbsolute MarketingGroup, Moorhead, [email protected]

From time to time, I run a trivia night at a localpub. It’s great because you have all these people witha wide range of careers, skills and education all vying

to be the best at general, random knowledge.Since then, I’ve had the chance to meet and mingle

with a few of the regular players. The other night, I spoketo a young guy who has been playing for a while. We gottalking and it turns out, he’s a chemist. You don’t meet achemist every day, so I asked him, “What do you do?”

I can tell he gets this question a lot because he had ananswer prepared.

He said, “I put molecules together and see how theyreact to light.” At this point, he could probably sense that Iwasn’t too marveled at his description, so he went on.

“Imagine trying to meet a girl. We could put her at oneend of the bar and wait for you to go over, talk to her andsee if you two hit it off. Or, we can do what I do andput you two in a phone booth and see what happens.The result might be the same, but we’ll know if thingswork out a lot faster.”

Blamo!Remember that old expression, “it’s not rocket

science” as a way to poke at people who didn’t getsomething. Well, this was quantum mechanics! AND Iunderstood it. In one simple analogy, I was able toidentify what he did and why it’s important. Best ofall, his job sounded like the sweet gig I thought being achemist would be.

The story he told me was some of the bestadvertising I’d heard in months. There was nogimmick. There was no hype. There was no spin. Therewas no generic, empty language. You can sell anythingand tell any marketing story - no matter howcomplex your industry is- by answering thequestion “what do I do?” After that, pretendyou’re talking to a five-year-old and keepasking the what’s, why’s and how’s until youcome up with a simple visual that’s ready for adinner conversation.

That’s integrity in advertising. You don’t need spin,buzzwords or heavy amounts of Photoshop to tell a goodstory and make people interested in yourcompany. Sometimes all you need is a concise, clear visualto help people see the world from your point of view.

This is especially true when a business-to-businesscompany wants to have a public presence. Go back to thechemist. When he’s talking shop in a B-to-B publication,he’d probably talk in angstroms (units of length), but inthe public arena, he’d be wise to use nanometers as themeasurement or try to explain how small something is

with a visual concept like he did with the phone boothanalogy.

Maybe the bigger moral is this: Don’t be shy aboutwhat you do. Everything is interesting.

Another one of the regulars at the trivia night makeswindows. Another is in human resources. Another is aprofessional pool player. Another works in billing. My co-host works with the mentally disabled. I work inadvertising.

Every story is cool. Each business has a reason forbeing. Forget the fluff. Forget walking on eggshells. Forgetthe political agendas. Tell your story in a way that anyonecan understand and your business will have a publicaudience that thinks what you do is exciting, engaging andworth paying attention to. PB


“Dacotah Paper CompanyDelivering Value for 105 years”

Call us at 800-323-7583www.dacotahpaper.com

Cole Keith

PaulDarrell31 YEARS 30 YEARS

28 YEARS 26 YEARS

Dacotah Paper Co. has been part of our area business community for over100 years. We are committed to serving customers through out theregion. Our objective is to help solve your problems and meet your needs.Dacotah Paper employees are dedicated to their jobs and our customers.

Twenty-Nine Experienced DriversDelivering to Your Door.


ARCHITECTS/ENGINEERS

Competition is fierce!” exclaims Kevin Donnay, Vice President forWidseth Smith Nolting, a company with a footprint in threestates in the region headquartered in Crookston, MN. “We have

seen Twin Cities firms branching out to greater Minnesota and theDakotas much more than ever before. In some cases clients areexpecting low fees to match the tough economy, but they think servicesshould remain consistent. So our challenge is to help clients scale theirexpectations to what they can afford and make sure they receive realvalue in the end rather than simply a lowball price today anddisappointment down the road.”

Bob Ames, President of Foss Architecture and Interiors in Fargo,ND, sees major changes in the way technology is used not only in theworkplace, but also the technology that go into the buildings. “Buildingshave become much more advanced,” he explains. “We are preserving thelife of the building.”

Chad Mason, Corporate Communications Manager for HR Greenwith offices throughout the country including Sioux Falls, SD, SiouxCity, IA, and St. Paul, MN, believes that architecture has taken on “thechin” harder than engineering.

“The Design industry struggled nationwide in 2009-2011, seeing a12 percent decline in revenue,” he states, however, adding that HRGreen has seen a 13 percent increase in revenue during that period. “Itis partly due to our diversity.”

HR Green’s architectural services had specialized in buildingrenovation. The firm was never an industry-leading architecture firm.They do have architectural services, but that has been downsized due tothe diminished demand and the tightness in lending that has impactedthe market. Now, HR Green has reorganized its company over the past

year into five businesses in response to industry trends.The two major businesses are transportation and water, services in

which the company has specialized for most of its 98 years of existence.HR Green has added governmental services, in particular, programmanagement and public-private partnerships. A fourth trend is energy,which is predicted to be a strong portion of the economy. The fifth issenior living, which Mason says is unique among engineeringcompanies.

“This is one way we are able to grow revenue in a down economy.We are more involved in the life of the project,” Mason explains. “Wedesign, build, own, and operate senior living facilities.”

FOSS ARCHITECTURE MAKES A LIVING ONINSTITUTIONAL PROJECTS

Foss Architecture and Interiors, Fargo, ND, originally started in 1898in Elbow Lake, MN, and has made its living on doing institutionalprojects like health care, education, and civic government.

However, the last few years because of the recession, Ames admitsthat there are fewer projects and agrees that more architects arecompeting for fewer projects. “(For us) a lot of our business we have ismaintaining relationships we have with clients, making sure we aremeeting their expectations, as well as staying abreast of technology anddesign trends,” he explains. “We need to provide them with anincreasing level of expertise.”

Many of the new projects that Ames is seeing deals with college’sand universities’ upgrading facilities. “Building technology has changedin the last few years,” he says. “Colleges and universities designed in the60s and 70s have to be updated.”

Architects and engineersbeating the challenge

The last few years have been challenging times for architects and engineers across the region.It has caused companies to take a look at the way they do business heading into the future.

“

CS1

Julie Rokke, Architect and Principal,YHR Partners.

Holy Redeemer, Marshall MN Bob Ames, President, Foss Achitecture and Interiors

Bobbi Hepper Olson, Owner, Hepper Olson Architects

Copiers & MFPs

Printers

Wide Format

Managed Print Services

Bottleless Water

LibertyLibertyFor Business

Fargo l Grand Forks l Bismarck l Minot l Fergus Falls

800-998-7519LibertyBusiness.com

S ince 1986 when we opened our doors, Liberty Business Systems,Inc. has been providing high quality document imaging equipment,technology solutions and award winning service to business customers.-*. !332'/+!'% 2$)(% 1.2&*(+!'!+" ,24*+!23, !3(.%/,% %$)(!%3("0 ,/'!3#time and money for our customers.



ARCHITECTS/ENGINEERSCS1

In addition, Ames states that wellness centers have been anew trend on campuses, as well as the medical field’scontinuing change of how medical services are delivered.

REDOUBLING EFFORTS TO STAY IN TOUCH WITHCLIENTS AND PROSPECTS

Like Foss Architecture and Interiors, Widseth SmithNolting makes it a point to continue connecting with clientsand prospects. “We have challenged our project managers—and in fact, all our staff—to pay close attention to theirrelationships with clients, and keep their ear to the groundconstantly. We are pursuing a wider variety of projects nowand focusing on the client-types that have funding for capitalimprovements,” Donnay explains. “The fact that we have sevenlocations and multiple disciplines has allowed us tocompensate for slower sectors with healthier ones. We held theline on our marketing budget throughout the recession andthat has paid off: we’ve taken a hit like everyone else, but itcould have been a lot worse.”

The firm has also expanded its services, acquiring a waterresources consulting company in 2010. “This is a niche marketthat also provides work for our other divisions,” Donnay states.“We also added a landscape architecture unit and that hasopened some new doors for us. We have expandedgeographically, taking our project expertise to other states.”

TECHNOLOGY CHANGES ASSISTING YHRPARTNERS

Julie Rokke, Architect and Principal for YHR Partners inMoorhead, MN, says the biggest changes in how business isdone is the result of technology that is available. “There aremany new tools that assist us in illustrating our solutions. Thisin turn has sped up the process and the expectations,” sheexplains. “Another change is the variety of materials availablefor projects. Products come from all over the world and offera huge variety of options for our clients.”

YHR Partners, established in 1983, is an architectural firmthat has six owners. The firm provides planning andarchitectural services in the upper Midwest. YHR Partnerswere the architects for the Good Samaritan Center project inFargo-Moorhead, as well as the Aurora Elementary School inWest Fargo. They are also working with Holy Redeemer inMarshall, MN to restore the interior of the historic church.

Trends the company is seeing are tighter schedules, energyefficient design, and more technology in buildings.

Some of YHR Partner’s clients have found financingdifficult affecting work flow in the office. “We had severalclients wanting to go forward but they could not findfinancing,” Rokke explains. “It appears that some of thosedifficulties are going away.”

Even though things have changed, YHR Partners is stillfinding work in the areas they are experienced in includinginstitutional work, schools, health care and religious facilities.

! Adjacent to Unique Shops& Restaurants

! Located along the RedevelopedRiver Greenway & Bike Path

! Skyline Views! Covered & Underground Parking! Multiple Outdoor Patios & Balconies! Large Conference & Exercise Rooms! Underfloor Air Distribution! LEED-NC Silver! Up to 55,000 leasable sq ft! Building Signage Available

LLOYD CONSTRUCTION SIOUX FALLS SD www.lloydcompanies.com

BE A PART OFDOWNTOWN.

NOW LEASINGSpaces Available June 2012

Call for more information.


HEPPER OLSON INTERESTED IN HISTORICPRESERVATION

Bobbi Hepper Olson, the sole-owner of a woman-ownedarchitectural firm headquartered in Buxton, ND, would like today’sdesign trend to shift toward the preservation and reuse of historicbuildings. Hepper Olson would rather see buildings brought backto use instead of being torn down and rebuilt. Many buildings justneed a “little TLC” and some deferred maintenance addressed.“Tearing a building down is not always the best solution,” HepperOlson says. “Even new buildings require maintenance andupkeep.”

Hepper Olson Architects, Ltd has designed solutions for a widevariety of building types. Along with their passion for historicpreservation and adaptive reuse, the firm’s scope also consists ofthe new construction of affordable housing, educational facilities,retail, industrial, and commercial facilities.

Hepper Olson feels the architectural and engineering designprofessions continue to change with advances in technology.“Computers and 3D imaging have expanded the parameters fordesigning new facilities and renovating the old,” she explains.“The ‘Green’ movement has engaged a more environmentallyresponsible method of design, incorporating recycled content andmaterial reuse in new and historic buildings.”

INTO THE FUTURETeaming with specialty firms is a growing trend throughout

our business, Donnay says. “Getting a piece of the pie is betterthan nothing. Sometimes it’s a pretty big pie,” he explains. “We arecurrently teamed with some very large players—firms with anational or international presence—on projects that we mighthave had a hard time bringing in on our own. Assembling the bestpossible team is critical to landing projects, and we are quitecontent to fill whatever role it takes to get the work.”

Widseth Smith Nolting has also shared more work amongoffices, which Donnay says helps keep our labor utilization ratesfrom tanking when things slow down in a certain area. “Our waterresources division has been at capacity for some time,” he adds.“Our bridge work has remained steady throughout the recession.We are seeing signs that manufacturing, industry, and large retailare on the uptick.”

Ames believes the economy is generally turning around. “A lotof clients who have been holding off, are thinking about gettingcaught up with projects that had been put on hold,” he explains.“Green design continues to be a trend. Clients are being morefocused and more aware of Green designs and energy efficiency.”

Then there is the building information modeling (BIM.)Traditionally, we generated all drawings in a two dimensional

format,” he says. ‘Now, we are modeling three dimensional; theidea being eliminating some of the conflict that might occurduring construction. The reason we are changing is because we canbe more accurate in the product we are producing.” PBAlan Van Ormer - [email protected]

DesignFor The Test Of Time.

P h o n e : 7 0 1 . 8 3 7 . 8 7 3 7w w w. a c k e r m a n - e s t v o l d . c o m

Engineering affects everything from thewater that flows from your kitchen faucet tothe roads you drive on to the buildings whereyou live, work and shop. We provide a fullline of high quality engineering services:

. *,-1+/0,*-*!01 -1& *,-$$!( %1"!1%%,!1"

. 3-1& /3-11!1" -1& &%'%30/2%1*

. 2)1!(!/-3 %1"!1%%,!1"

. #-*%, ,%+0),(%+

. +*,)(*),-3 %1"!1%%,!1"

. (01+*,)(*!01 %1"!1%%,!1"

Our experienced team delivers engineeringservices designed for the test of time.

ONJuly 26, 1990President George H. W. Bush signed theAmericans with Disabilities Act, which went intoeffect two years later. It required that publicfacilities be made accessible to the disabled.

PRIDE OF THE PRAIRIECS2

Tim Weelborg, Director of Enterprise Institute in Brookings, SD,states that small businesses are a catalyst for job growth and areable to respond to their customers and adapt to change quickly.

Along that theme of small businesses creating jobs, in this issue of PrairieBusinessmagazine, we talked to several unique businesses in the region.

PEDIGREE TECHNOLOGIES SOLVING THE UNIQUEQUESTION OF WHAT TECHNOLOGY CAN DO

Pedigree Technologies, in Fargo, ND, is finding answers totechnology questions.

“We provide system software that enables our customers to connectto their fixed or mobile assets and equipment in “real-time,” states AlexWarner, CEO and Founder, Pedigree Technologies. “Organizations thatstay connected to their people, plants, and equipment – even the servicevendors they use, can create tremendous operational efficiencies, whichis a great message in a down economy. The technical category oftenused to explain what we do is called “Machine-to-Machine”communications.”

When the company commercially launched in 2006, the first realstruggle was to understand the technology’s real-business value. “If youcannot correctly gauge what the technology can or cannot do you aregoing to have some unhappy customers early,” Warner says. “We’vebecome very good at bringing new technology to our customers andgiving them the peace of mind and support that works for them.”

Pedigree Technologies sees potential growth in industries with heavyoperations such as oil and gas, production agriculture, construction,rental equipment, and buildings and facilities management.

The company likes to say that they are building software for“Operations People.” For example, they believe you can remotelydiagnose what’s wrong with a piece of HVAC equipment before youdispatch someone and communicate with a field service rep. “Weprovide solutions for industries that are looking to streamline theiroperations,” Warner states.

FRESH PRODUCE: MODERN AGE, MODERN THINKINGMARKETING FIRM

During the downeconomy, marketingdollars were held ontotightly so it was importantfor Fresh Produce, in SiouxFalls, SD, to prospect newbusiness actively and at thesame time make sure everyconcept delivered toexisting clients maximizedimpact and justified theinvestment, says MikeHart, President of FreshProduce.

“It was challenging, but it strengthened Fresh Produce and set us upfor the success we are experiencing now,” he states.

Fresh Produce is a full-service advertising agency that is focused onideas. The agency has the ability to purchase media, create, and produceprint, radio, television, outdoor, guerilla, interactive and directmarketing campaigns.

“We’re confident in our ability to put all of our ‘full-service’ disciplinesto work generating ideas for any marketing campaign,” Hart states.

Hart admits that the marketing world is constantly evolving, andfeels there is growth potential. The firm values the creative process anddeveloping lasting relationships with clients.

“Technology can make long distance relationships a lot easier, but Idon’t ever want it to replace the authenticity of a handshake,” he says.“That kind of relationship, one of true collaboration, is what we’recommitted to.”

THE WILD TRIVIA TOUR IS UNLIKE OTHER BAR-STYLETRIVIA CONTESTS

The Wild Trivia Tour, in Bismarck, ND, is a product of Wild Inspirea brand of team trivia in which a unique scoring system rewards teamsfor their depth of knowledge instead of just one point for a correctanswer.

“Our scoring system (and custom developed software for the host)keeps all teams in the hunt for the top spot even right down to the lastquestion of the night,” states Scott A. Wild, President of Wild Inspire, Inc.

The Wild Trivia Tour can be found at bar leagues, corporate parties,conferences, family and high school reunions, as well as any otheroccasion where large groups gather and want to be entertained.

The main struggle for Wild as a sole entrepreneur is writing all thequestions. On the other hand, Wild sees growth potential. “We hostapproximately 75 trivia events per year and will be branching ourservices into an online membership site that will allow others to startand run their own trivia hosting business with our software and blueprints,” he says. “We also offer question subscriptions to help reducesome of the time and stress on other hosts.”

For more ‘Pride of the Prairie’ visit the Prairie Business magazineweb site at www.prairiebizmag.com. PBAlan Van Ormer - [email protected]

Small businesses creating jobsThere are business leaders quick to point out that most of the jobgrowth historically and currently comes from small business.


Alex Warner, CEO/Founder, Pedigree TechnologiesMike Hart, President, Fresh Produce


TRANSPORTATIONCS3

Chuck Jepsen, President of Harrold, SD Terminal, saysthat businesses are realizing the importance andpotential of rail once again. He is currently negotiating

with three businesses that would build along the rail linebecause of the building loop track structure he is devising incentral South Dakota.

“It does foster economic development,” he states.Jepsen had been operating a bird food packaging facility in

Harrold, but sold out because customers were demandingmore corn be handled. The new facility opened in the fall andin the first five weeks, 4,000 trucks went through.

“There is that type of demand to move grain,” he says.“Now, the railroads are working with us to build facilities tomove grain to the West Coast.”

Not only is it transporting the grain, but Jepsen says it isadding 15-20 cents additionally to each bushel that goes intothe farmer’s pockets. “This led to the conclusion that there areopportunities out there,” he states.

He then decided to develop two shuttle projects along therail line. The first is a 1.5 million bushel facility near Harroldthat will load up to 70,000 bushels an hour. The secondproject is near Miller. It has just received approval to moveahead. A 2.5 million bushel facility with the capability to placebunkers and at least two pits that can dump 25,000 to 30,000bushels an hour is now being designed.

And there is possibly a third project being conceived nearKimball. This would include a $20 million grant package thatwill connect Mitchell and Chamberlain by rebuilding that rail

Railroads were critical to the development of the region. Not only did they provide a way for settlers toreach the area, but the rails also provided a way to transport crops to distant markets. For a period, therails were abandoned. But now, rail use could be on its way back.

Rail can foster economic development


line for a shuttling service. It would include four million bushelfacilities, four dump pits, allowing 100,000 bushels an hour. It will alsoinclude an up to 25,000 ton fertilizer plant.

At least two companies are vying to build in Kimball.Jepsen says these opportunities will continues as long as China,

India, and countries along the Pacific Rim stay hungry for what theUnited States can provide in corn and beans. “This trend is going to goaway from traditional products like wheat and sunflowers,” he says.“Someone has to handle grain. It wills others to come in and buildadditional shuttle facilities.”

Rail has always been an important component for American CrystalSugar Company, located in Moorhead, MN. The company ships 70percent of its products by rail. Rail is important in getting products tothe customer, as well as coal from Montana.

Frank Latta, Packaging Warehouse Manager for American CrystalSugar Company, states that the company feels that the rail service is oneof those relationships we view as critical to being successful in the RedRiver Valley. “As long as rail is the least cost of transportation, it willremain a critical component for us,” he explains.

Many agree that rail is much cheaper than trucks in transportinggoods. “Just the efficiency of moving it by rail is so much cheaper if youare close to the rail,” states Ron Martin, Vice President, InternationalLogistics, Midwest Motors Express, Inc. in Fargo, ND, who works withexports and imports to bring products in from around the world byocean or by air.

“Now the railroad has become more centralized and efficient,” he says.Martin states the trend is that railroad is being as efficient as they

can and move as fast as they can. “In the future there are just going tobe larger hubs,” he says. “Rail still has an impact on the way we dobusiness. Rail is hugely important because it is so efficient.”

Latta says that from the railroad side, that streamlining and wantinglarger quantities would be their desire, because that makes them moreefficient. “For us, we need more flexibility,” he states. “We havecustomers constantly changing their demands.”

Service is always a critical component, Latta adds. “Trying to get atrain into the Red River Valley when there is a blizzard or out when thearea floods is difficult,” he explains. “It takes a great deal ofcommunication working with rail to get service because we need theright kind of food grade rail cars to get our products shipped on timeand to our customers when they need them. Sometimes that can be atough job for this region.”

Jepsen believes a main challenge is continuing to find capital. “For$20 million to $30 million projects it is difficult to find a large enoughbank that is willing to understand the grain business,” he states. “Theother challenge is getting the towns to realize the opportunities thisrepresents and being able to source employees in a rural area.” PBAlan Van Ormer - [email protected]

Prairie Engineering, P.C. recognizes the importance of energy conservation and environmental friendly constructionpractices and continues to be a leader in designing energy efficient mechanical and electrical systems. Innovativeenergy design is incorporated in all types of design including business, institutional, industrial, and educationalfacilities. Prairie Engineering, P.C. utilizes modeling software to design efficient lighting systems, geothermal wellsystems and ventilation heat recovery systems. Prairie Engineering, P.C. maintains an active membership with theUS Green Building Council regularly attends energy conservation programs.

• Geothermal Well Field Systems

• Water to Water Heat Pump Systems

• Heat Pump Hybrid Systems

• Variable Flow Pumping Systems

• Domestic Water Heat Pump Preheat

• High Efficient Heating Systems

• Heat Recovery Ventilation Systems

• Energy Efficient Lighting Systems

Randy J. Axvig, P.E., LEED AP, Mechanical EngineerJeremy J. Butman, P.E. Electrical Engineer619 Riverwood Drive, Suite 205Bismarck, ND 58504-4304Phone: (701) [email protected]

Lon E. Drevecky, P.E. Mechanical EngineerJason L. Hunze, P.E. Electrical Engineer720 Western Avenue, Suite 204Minot, ND 58701-3700Phone: (701) [email protected]


Marshall, MN

Southwest Minnesota State University has invested inmore than $100 million in facilities over the last 10years. Highway 23 is an interregional corridor that

was originally constructed as a bypass that has since drawncommercial and retail activity on both sides of thethoroughfare. Menards has opened its newest and largestsupercenter floor plan that business leaders believe willeven add more economic development in the region. AveraMarshall has announced plans for the construction of a22,500 square foot medical clinic.

“I have seen a lot of changes in the community,” statesBill Mulso, Associate Vice President for Advancement atSMSU, who has been at the university for 18 years. “It ispretty exciting to see the investments in differentpriorities.”

Marshall School Superintendent Klint Willert says he isseeing a business community partnering, being creativeand innovative and the school district is using that to buildawareness among students about career opportunities thatexist.

“(Now) they know they have opportunity to come backto Marshall and have a quality job and wage,” he says.“We’re embracing the talents of our community andaligning our efforts. It doesn’t happen everywhere. Wehave been able to do that because of partnerships andcollaboration.”

Cal Brink, Executive Director of the Marshall AreaChamber of Commerce, who has recently taken the lead ofthe region’s economic development group, says Marshallhas the ability to attract companies because of its uniquework force and small town atmosphere.

We can provide a taste of both,” he explains.Marshall is also doing things to involve not only the

people in the community, but those living in outlyingcommunities within Lyon County.

In May, the first Lyon County Business Summit washeld at Marshall High School and more than 250 peoplegathered in the Schwan’s Performing Arts Center to learnmore about ‘My Marshall,’ a Lyon County BusinessRetention and Expansion Survey, as well as increased

Building the tools for successMarshall, MN is ready to be reckoned with in the southwest corner of Minnesota.

Community Spotlight

Population:

13,680Labor Force Size:

7,555Bachelors Degree or Higher:

36.72%Household Median Income:

$48,151Job Growth Rate: -

1.93%Source: Department ofEmployment and EconomicDevelopment (DEED)

Snapshot


activities of local businesses.“This is about telling the public what we are going to do to ensure

that our best days are ahead,” Brink states. “My Marshall is all abouteconomic development and betterment of the community.”

Ben Martig, City Administrator for the City of Marshall, whoprovided a presentation on the business retention and expansionsurvey, adds that the community needs to work together. “We need towork towards solutions and come to agreement on priorities.”

In order to continue growing a vibrant business community, Brinkhas added to his job by leading the local economic development groupinto the future. “We think this will be the right mix,” Brink says, addingthat the city, Chamber and county are all trying to accomplish the samething and this will allow the three entities to grow as responsibly as it can.

TRENDS THAT BOOST MARSHALLAccording to the 2010 Census data, Marshall’s population is now

13,680. Marshall grew by 945 people from 2000 to 2010, a 7.4 percentincrease from the 2000 Census. Marshall’ population increase iscomparable to the Minnesota statewide average in growth andsubstantially more than seen in the southwest Minnesota region thatoverall is seeing population decline.

Consistently low unemployment rates have kept Marshall growing.There is also a strong concentration of manufacturing, retail trade,finance and insurance, as well as public administration employment.Marshall is the largest city and largest employment center in southwestMinnesota. The community is also a labor importer drawing workers

from surrounding cities and counties.The low unemployment rate has helped The Schwan Food

Company, which has been a fixture in Marshall for many years. Thecommunity is where its roots are located and where its largest employeebase exists.

“A primary factor that sets Marshall apart from many ruralcommunities is its commitment to the concept of growth,” states GregFlack, President of The Schwan Food Company. “I think it starts with awill and plan to move forward into the future. That vision is thenbacked up with the investment necessary to support future growth. “

The Schwan Food Company is launching new product lines andcontemporizing the business model of the Schwan’s Home Service in2011. In addition, the company is pursuing acquisitions and jointventures to accelerate growth, which will expand the business andcreate more jobs and opportunities in locations where the companyoperates.

Since 2010, Schwans has hired 170 new corporate-level employees inMarshall.

Marshall is also in the heart of agriculture country. This not onlyhelps the local economy, but also allows SMSU to develop programsassociated with agriculture that help retain young talent. Theuniversity has ag programs relating to ag and food sciences, naturalsciences, and environmental sciences. SMSU has also developed aunique four-year Culinology® program that blends the culinary artswith the science of food.

In addition, SMSU joins the Marshall School District as pillars to


develop an educational presence that retains that youngtalent. In addition, the two educational entitiesdeveloped a safe pedestrian passage under Highway 23that connects the university and high school.

“It shows the foresight to see how the twoinstitutions work together and how everything needs tobe connected together,” Mulso says. “It could be a hubright there that connects everything going multipleconnections.”

Highway 23 is a hub for development. Menardsmoved in next to Wal-Mart on the east side of Highway23 and more is expected.

Restaurants are being planned, as well as departmentstores, more clothing stores, and an amateur sportscomplex that will include a hockey facility, restaurant,hotel development, and other retail shops.

Harry Weilage, Director, Marshall CommunityServices, states Marshall is perfectly positioned in thearea for volleyball, hockey, and amateur sportstournaments. “Sports tourism is economic developmentand parents continue to invest in their kids’ activities,”he explains. “I don’t care how bad the economy is. Wecontinue to have successful tournaments in thiscommunity.”

Brink adds that everyone wants more places to shopand more places to eat. “I think we’re starting to see atrend that the community is starting to understand themore they support local shopping and eating, it greatlyenhances the odds of helping bring new businesses totown due to our spending more dollars in Marshall,” heexplains.

In addition, Brink states that Menards openingstarted a snowball effect. “Many businesses in town haveseen an increase since the day Menards openedincluding some competitors,” he says.

A COMMITMENT TO A HEALTHIERCOMMUNITY

Developing the Highway 23 pedestrian underpasswas one way that the community shows its commitmentto a healthier community. Marshall has also developedsafe trails in the community and expanded the bike trail.

“We talk about we are the biggest small town,”Martig says. “We have a lot of strong assets in thecommunity that helps us to grow.”

In addition, Marshall is developing a downtownMemorial Park that includes a beam from the WorldTrade Center from 9/11 that was brought to thecommunity in 2002. The steel beam will be thecenterpiece of the park, which includes a pedestrianbridge over the Redwood River and memorial pavers,and will be formally dedicated on the 10-yearanniversary this September.

In March, Avera Marshall decided it would build a22,500 square foot medical office building. The newfacility will be adjacent to the hospitals existing clinic andwill provide 40 additional exam rooms, testing, and labspace. Completion date is expected by December 2012.

REGIONAL CENTER IN SOUTHWESTMINNESOTA

While Marshall’s economy suffered during the recent

recession (losing -4.1 percent of covered employmentfrom 2005 to 2010), it also saw an increase of 13.9percent of construction jobs during that same period.The state lost nearly a third of its constructionemployment (30.9 percent.)

Marshall also saw an increase of 12.2 percent(compared to a -5.9 percent statewide decrease) inwholesale trade employment. Also, health care and socialassistance gained 6.9 percent between 2005 and 2010.

The statistics are important, because Marshall pridesitself on being the regional center in southwestMinnesota strategically located between Minneapolis-St.Paul and Sioux Falls. It allows the community tomaintain its rural character, but also be in closeproximity to larger areas, Martig says.

It also means that the community has to develop alabor pool that includes those between 19 and 30 for anypossible business expansion or relocation.

“When you have businesses coming in it is aboutlabor s hare, labor trainable; it’s about jobs,” Weilagestates. “To have that type of age group with that kind ofeducation attainment is a critical factor whennegotiating.”

In addition, Weilage says young families moving toMarshall want everything. “An educated labor force willnot sacrifice their children’s education for jobs,” heexplains.

The City of Marshall is opening up new developmentand infrastructure in the community’s industrial parks.“I am amazed in local companies and the interest inexpansions,” Martig says. “Getting infrastructure in willgive us an advantage.”

Investments are being made at the local airport, aswell as growth opportunities in manufacturing andbuilding the assets of the ag companies for developmentopportunities.

SEEING A CHANGING LANDSCAPEThe one change Weilage has seen is a commitment to

quality. “The community finally understands curbappeal is critical to recruitment. Marshall is a workingcommunity, now we have understood it is not just goodenough to have a job. There is a job, there is aconnection, and there is an education. Expectations haveincreased in this town.”

Willert has been in Marshall for seven years andbelieves the community has a much stronger,collaborative focus than before. “”We have moved tostronger sense of regionalism,” he says. “As Marshall goesso goes the region. As the region goes so goes Marshall.That has been a real significant change that has occurredover the last several years.” PBAlan Van Ormer - [email protected]

Marshall, MNCommunity Spotlight

The Schwan Food Company

US Bancorp

Avera MarshallRegionalMedical Center

Turkey Valley Farms

Southwest Minnesota State University

Hy-Vee

WalmartSupercenter

ADM

Marshall PublicSchools

CustomerElation

Top 10LargestEmployers

Greg Flack, President, TheSchwan Food Company

Ben Martig, CityAdministrator

Harry Weilage, Director,Marshll CommunityServices

Cal Brink, ExecutiveDirector Marshall AreaChamber of Commerce

Bill MulsoAssociate Vice Presidentfor Advancement,Southwest MinnesotaState University

Source: Reference USA and www.MnProspector.com


Q & A Milton Morris

Business continuesto changeMilton Morris, President and Owner of Morris, Inc., in FortPierre, SD, continues to focus on diversification in buildinghis business in central South Dakota.

Milton Morris, President and Owner of Morris, Inc., in FortPierre, SD, continues to focus on diversification in buildinghis business in central South Dakota.

“The departments feed off each other,” Morris says. “The downsideis that you have to be an expert in different fields.”

Morris Inc. started as Morris Irrigation in 1970. Morris expandedhis service by installing pivot irrigation systems. Then in the 1980s,Morris started installing sewer, water, and utility services, later adding aconcrete redi-mix plant. In the 1990s, the company expanded intosurface mining of aggregate materials and asphalt production.

Recently, Morris, Inc. started production of personally engravedlandscaping boulders, granite counter tops, rock fire tables, andmemorials, along with adding a full-service manufacturing facilitywhere crews fabricate equipment for the coal and aggregate miningindustries.

In 2010, Morris, Inc. celebrated its 40thanniversary.

The business environment has changedover the 40 years that Morris has beenrunning his company. For example, 20 yearsago he did not know what Human Resourceswas. Now he has fulltime personnel inhuman resources. In addition, he has one fulltime person that handles IT.

“You have to be on the leading edge tokeep up with the changing world intechnology,” he states.

One trend that Morris is seeing in theconstruction business that operates is theimportance of training and working with hisemployees.

Morris is also finding that the work inSouth Dakota continues to be steady. “Wenever have a slow time and we are able to

keep quality people,” he says.In the past, a lot of people came off the farm, raised in the

environment, went to work, and were not afraid to work. Now, it haschanged where high school and college students are not standing in lineto get the jobs.

Morris feels that the company’s success comes from the premise of ifsomebody else can do the job, why can’t his business do it. “I wasn’tgrowing earlier because we didn’t have quality people,” Morris explains.“I’m not also afraid to take chances. I understand what it takes to dothe job and get them up to the next level.”

Morris, Inc. is one of the largest employers in the Fort Pierre area.“We do all the little things well,” he says. “We like a challenge. Ifsomeone says we can’t do it, we find a way to do it.” PBAlan Van Ormer - [email protected]

117 23rd Street N • Fargo, ND 58102www.abbusiness.com

701-235-5217 • 800-477-2425

MILTON MORRIS

ONJuly 16, 1997The Dow-Jones Index of30 major industrialstocks topped the 8,000mark for the first time.

32 Prairie Business Energy July 2011

Gene Veeder, Executive Director for the McKenzie County JobDevelopment Authority, says the project will help the regionfind an economic way to get quality water from the Missouri

River for rural and city residents.Charles Vein, President for AE2S in Grand Forks, ND, adds it will be

a domestic water supply system that will meet the peak demands of thedomestic users. “The unique feature of this is that we are also going tobe selling extra capacity water to the oil industry,” he states. “Most ofthese systems already do this individually. Now it will be a centralizedsystem.”

Earlier this year, the North Dakota State Legislature passed a law thatwould fund $110 million of the total project. A water treatment plant,that is headquartered in Williston, ND, currently has a 10 milliongallons a day water capacity and will have additional filter systemsadded that will increase that to 14 million gallons a day in the next two

Water projectexpected to assist westernNorth DakotaA $150 million project is expected tosupply northwest North Dakota withwater to assist in regional growth.

AE2S honoredfor work onWestern AreaWater Supplyproject

AE2S (Advanced Engineering and EnvironmentalServices, Inc.) has been honored for its work on theWestern Area Water Supply (WAWS) project.

The Williston Area Development Foundation presented a regional achievementaward to AE2S and the water boards that helped turn WAWS into legislation.

WAWS is a project that will deliver high-quality drinking water from the MissouriRiver to people who live in Williams and McKenzie counties in North Dakota, as wellas the communities of Williston, Ray, Watford City, Stanley, Wildrose, Alexander, andTioga, ND. Inadequate water supplies have led to water quality issues that areplaguing the region.

On May 3, 2011, following intensive work and discussion by AE2S and the waterboards, Gov. Jack Dalrymple signed a bill allocating $110 million in state financingfor the newly-created Western Area Water Supply Authority.

In addition to providing drinking water to rural areas in northwestern NorthDakota, the water system will bring excess capacity water from the system closer tothe area’s booming oil fields, which will in turn help pay for the system and have

(comtinued on page 34)

(comtinued on page 34)


Northern Plains Commerce Centre

North Dakota’s PremierTransload Facility

The Northern Plains Commerce Centre is aRail to Truck transfer facility offering long haul costefficiencies of the rail in combination with the shorthaul flexibility of trucking.

Operated by Mallory Alexander International Logistics

Daily rail service with access to the BNSF Railwayand Canadian Pacific.

Services include• Rail to Truck Transfer • Secure Storage• Order Management • Inventory Control• Origin and Destination Trucking

Construction ready building sites from 10-180 acres.

1901 Northern Plains DriveBismarck, ND701.255.6700www.npccbismarck.com

• Forest Products• Construction Materials• Wind Farm Components

• Pipe• Culvert• Equipment and Machinery

additional benefits such as lessening wear and tear on roads. Water iscrucial to the technologies that help extract oil from the Bakkenformation.

The award presented to AE2S recognizes the firm for its “foresight,vision, determination, drive and enthusiasm in improving the quality oflife and diversifying the economic base of the region.” Sharing the honorwere the boards involved in the legislation of WAWS: R&T Water SupplyAssociation, McKenzie County Water Resource District, Williams RuralWater District, and Burke Divide Williams Rural Water.

“During slower economic times, the respective boards acted quiteindependently,” says Tom Rolfstad, Williston Economic Director. “Theseboards all rose to the occasion to find a comprehensive solution to a veryunique set of problems. It has been a real case of teamwork and AE2S isalso recognized for bringing these groups together, developing thevision, and making the project saleable to the Legislature and therespective partners.”

Denton Zubke, McKenzie County Water Resource District Chairman,agrees. “There are too many people to thank, but AE2S deserves a largeamount of the credit, as without them, we would not be where we aretoday,” Zubke states. “Investment in infrastructure such as water will paydividends for decades into the future. We have been very pleased withthe progress to date.”

AE2S specializes in water, wastewater, stormwater, municipal,geomatics, structural engineering, electrical engineering,instrumentation and controls, and financial services. AE2S has officeslocated in Williston, Watford City, Dickinson, Bismarck, Fargo, andGrand Forks, ND; Great Falls and Kalispell, MT; and Moorhead, MapleGrove, and Eagan, MN. For more information, visit www.ae2s.com. Alan Van Ormer - [email protected]

years. Future projections are that the project couldproduce 28 million gallons of water a day.

AE2S is currently designing the project that isexpected to start later this year and completed in2012. It will include pipelines that will transportwater to the communities of Williston, Watford City,Stanley, Tioga, Wildrose, Ray, Crosby, and Alexander.

The Western Area Water Supply (WAWS)Authority, consisting of the City of Williston,McKenzie County Rural Water District, WilliamsRural Water District, R&T Rural Water Association,and the legislative-appointed BDW Rural WaterSystem, will own and operate the supply andtransmission system. The WAWS will make directsales to different entities, who in turn will sell waterto individual homeowners and businesses.

The project is being funded from the State WaterCommission, State General Fund, and the Bank ofNorth Dakota. Water sales to the oil industry areexpected to pay for 80 percent of the project.

Veeder explains that the project is needed because ofthe shortage of groundwater, low quality water in theregion, and the oil industry’s use of water.

“We are all competing for the same groundwater,”he states. “The Missouri River just makes sense.”

Veeder uses the example of his home communityof Watford City. “We have doubled in size,” he states.“The growth patterns show that these people want tolive in outlying areas and they are restricted on wherethey live because of the availability of water.”

Over the next 20-30 years, Veeder expects that anadequate water supply will attract other industry. “Wesee this as part of our economic developmentportfolio,” he explains. “The importance of gettingthis rolled out in the next two to three years can’t beunderestimated. It is unbelievable the type of growthout here and you have to respond to it. It is one of theamazing projects I have worked on.”Alan Van Ormer [email protected]

City of Williston

Williams RuralWater District

BDW Rural WaterSystem

McKenzie CountyWater District

R&T Rural WaterAssociation

Project Sponsors:

(Water project - continued from page 32)

(AE2S honored - continued from page 32)


Enbridge is committed to

to our pipeline hostcommunities and thestate of North Dakotathrough increased jobopportunities, retailpurchases, propertytax payments, and

community investmentpartnerships.

At Enbridge, we aredelivering pipeline

solutions for theWillistonBasin today, while

working to build a strongfuture for our host

communities throughoutNorth Dakota.

Enbridge:A Partner in Creatinga Brighter Futurefor North DakotaCommunities

itted tmmcosse iggeEnbrid

lretaistunitieroppobojreasedcthrough inaotkkoaDthroNtate ofseand thsunitiemmoctsine holto our pipe

o

elwhiyaayin todsaBtosliliWor theffosutionlos

einlivering pipeldeewe arre,,eggeAt Enbrid

.tnershipsrpatenmtsvenunity immoc

dan,,senttsmyaaypxxtayttyrprope,,seshacrrcpulretai,,stunitieroppo

no

.North Dakotacommunities throughou

uture for our hostffugtronsorking to build aw

elwhi,,yy,aayin todsaB

ut

g

Meets the regional energy and domestic water needs

Delivers water into the oil fields:Reduces trucking road milesReduces road operations and management costsReduces accidentsSaves lives

Financially responsible project ...that will use revenues from bulk sales to pay for a majority of the project without increasing the rates of existing residents

Flexible phased plan...can be implemented quickly

Serves...the best long term needs of the state and region

Estimated project... is three years from the start date to being fully operationalSource: North Dakota Oil Country Water Plan

Benefits to the plan


Addingadditional oilpipeline capacitySince 2006, oil pipelines have been atcapacity and companies have beenworking to expand the pipeline system inwestern North Dakota since that period.

“

It is very important to add additional pipeline capacity,” statesEnbridge spokesperson Kesley Myhre. “It is important forproducers and our customers to get the oil to market.”Justin Kringstad, Director of the North Dakota Pipeline

Authority, adds that in order for the oil industry to keep growingthere are two questions that must be answered:

HOW DO WE GET THE OIL OUT OFWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA?

HOW DO WE MOVE OIL WITHIN THEWILLISTON BASIN ECONOMICALLYAND SAFELY?

The North Dakota Pipeline Authority works with the companiesto help them understand the oil play, as well as offer supportthrough the state and federal government. The North DakotaPipeline Authority is a state agency that started in 2007.

At that time, the Authority was seeing transportation constraintsand the way those constraints were suppressing oil price in theBakken, Kringstad explains. “It has a negative effect on the mineralowner, well operator, and the state,” he says.

Currently, there are three major options for pipelines in theBakken. One is the Enbridge System that transports approximately210,000 barrels of oil per day. The Tesoro pipeline transports 58,000barrels of oil per day, and the Butte Pipeline from eastern Montanato Wyoming transports 118,000 barrels of oil per day.

Kringstad says he does not have any hard data, but estimates that60,000-70,000 barrels per day extra needs to be transported by rail.

There are at least four different pipeline projects being proposedor underway to help meet those and future oil needs.

The TransCanada Bakken MarketLink is expected to start mid tolate 2013. It will allow oil producers to ship up to 100,000 barrels ofoil per day from the Williston Basin to major market hubs inOklahoma and Texas.

A second is the True Company ‘Baker 300.’ This will help increaseoil pipeline capacity into Wyoming. Currently, it handles 118,000. Bythe end of 2011, that oil flow will increase to 150,000, and in 2012,will increase to 200,000 barrels of oil per day.

The third is the Plains Bakken, which will ship up to 75,000barrels of oil per day 100 miles from Trenton, ND to an existingpipeline along the Canadian and Montana border.

Then there is the Enbridge Bakken Expansion Program.Currently, the company is shipping 210,000 barrels of oil per day. Bythe end of 2013, the company expects to add another 120,000 barrelsof oil per day.

“The demand for space on our pipeline system has exceeded ouravailable capacity,” Myhre says. ‘There is an increasing amount of oilproduction in the state. Pipelines are the safest and most efficientway of transporting that oil. The more pipeline capacity we can add,the less trucks we will have on the roads, which makes it safer it forall of us living and driving in the oil patch.”

Enbridge has two projects under construction. The first is the

1. 2.


Beaver Lodge Loop project. This will loop an existing pipeline or placeanother pipeline adjacent to the existing pipeline system. It will runfrom Enbridge’s Beaver Lodge Station through Stanley to the BertholdStation. It will also include an upgrade of the existing stations.

The Bakken Expansion Project will replace 11 miles of a newlyreactivated pipeline, which runs from Berthold to the Canadianborder. Enbridge is putting in a pump station at Lignite, ND andanother pump station at Kenaston, ND. Total cost of the projects onthe United States side of the project is $370 million. There will besome expansion work on the Canadian side of the border at a $190million investment.

When asked if more oil pipelines are needed, Myhre states thatEnbridge builds pipelines to meet the demand of projects. “We arecontinuing to explore opportunities and the needs of our shippers,”she says. “We will continue to explore opportunities and build projectsthat meet the shippers’ needs.”

Kringstad says challenges remain. “It takes three to five years for a major pipeline system to get up

and running,” he says. “Everyone is working hard to better understandwhat North Dakota’s petroleum industry will look like in the comingyears to ensure transportation keeps pace with production growth.”

Then there is the gathering side and the number of wells beingdrilled. “Will we have enough pipeline crews?” Kringstad asks. “Whatabout the winter weather challenges?”

Kringstad adds that some uncertainty has been removed since2008. “We understand the play a lot better now. Alan Van Ormer - [email protected]


Whatever works in North Dakota will workeverywhere,” states Lance Brower, North DakotaState University Extension Agent in Jamestown.

“If we are able to pull off something like this in NorthDakota, the world can learn from it.”

The original concept was to have a 100 acre facility thatuses steam from the Great River Energy plant near

Spiritwood, ND. Now, the idea is to start with 10-acrefacilities and build upward.

“This could be a huge business,” states Jim Boyd, PastPresident of the Board of Directors ofJamestown/Stutsman Development Corporation. “Thevision is still there.”

A $150,000 feasibility study is being considered todetermine location, finances, marketing, and the businessside of the greenhouse facility that would producedifferent vegetables and fruits.

The original location of the greenhouse was near theGreat River Energy Spiritwood Station, which would allowthe facility to use some of the plant’s steam for heat.

“Now we have a lot of questions and not a lot ofanswers,” explains Connie Ova, Chief Executive Officer ofthe Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corporation. “Wehave to make a decision on what, where, and how we aregoing to do this project. We are planning for a first of itskind in the world.”

One portion of the development corporation’s strategicplan involves alternative energy projects. Along with thegreenhouse, it includes electric generation at theSpiritwood Plant, as well as the construction of a cornbioenergy plant.

The plant started out as a 20 million gallon cellulosicproject. Studies showed that corn might be the most costeffective feedstock for a plant that large because wheatstraw is not the prevalent in that area of North Dakota.Farms have gravitated toward row crops, mainly corn andbeans, Ova states.

Now the JSDC, along with its partners – Great RiverEnergy, North Dakota Department of Commerce, Inbicon,Blue Flint Ethanol/Headwaters Inc., Fagen Engineering,PowerStock, and North Dakota Farmers Union – arelooking at a two-phase project that includes a 50 milliongallon bi-energy plant fueled by corn and an 8 milliongallon cellulosic biofuels plant.

“The greenhouse concept came about from all of this,”Ova says.

Brower adds the greenhouse or what he prefers to call

Greenhouse could lead tomore economic development

Business leaders in Jamestown, ND are hoping that a greenhouse facility could lead to moreeconomic development, as well as show that the community is becoming an ‘energy center.’

800.632.2277 www.barr.com 701.255.5460

Barr’s 500 engineers, scientists, and technicalspecialists provide engineering andenvironmental consulting services to clientsin industries such as power, mining, refining,and manufacturing, as well as with governmentagencies, attorneys, and natural-resource-management organizations.

North DakotaMinnesotaMichiganMissouriAlberta

resourceful. naturally.


the project ‘controlled environmental agriculture,’ would give Jamestown another brand. “We areknown as the Buffalo City,” he states. “Controlled environmental agriculture is an extreme safesource of food. The potential is phenomenal.

“It would also be great if they come here for a Center of Excellence for ControlledAgriculture,” he continues. “That is what I am envisioning.”

Boyd adds that it started out as a plan to locate the greenhouse next to the bioenergy plant.“We were thinking that steam would heat the greenhouse,” he explains. “It has not been thatattractive right now, but we are not ruling it out.”

The greenhouse project will not only provide fresh produce, but it will also save on energy andtransportation costs. “There is a lot of fuel costs transporting the produce from areas such asMexico and California,” Boyd says.

Brower adds that the group envisions using much less energy that is constructed on the samekind of scale in the world. “To be energy conscience and be able to feed people at a lower cost iswhat we are interested in,” he states. “It would allow us to save energy if we produce it locally.North Dakota is poised to do great things with energy just because of our cost.”

Then there is the water issue. It is estimated that one head of lettuce grown in a field takes 150gallons of water, Ova says. “It a greenhouse one lettuce takes one gallon,” she explains. “This issignificant. It is time for all of us to realize that water is a huge issue.”

For Brower, this is a huge concept. “Economically, tourism, energy, safe foods – Centers in theworld for Controlled Environmental Agriculture is the direction we want to go with this,” hestates. “It is also going to be synergetic. Not only will it create jobs for Stutsman County, it willalso be advantageous for other growers who are either doing or wanting to do the same type ofconcept.

“We are not here to compete against them,” Brower explains. “We are here to help them. Theproject is not geared to take away markets from anybody.”Alan Van Ormer - [email protected]

Proposed Jamestown/StutsmanDevelopment Corporation

Controlled Environmental Agriculture FacilityThese are conservative estimates of economic effect from the yearlyoperations of the controlled environmental agriculture business:

Direct impact: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -$11,549,158

Indirect impact: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -$1,135,906

Induced impact: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -$2,329,384

Total impact: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -$15,104,448

Direct jobs: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -62

Indirect jobs: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -58.9

Induced jobs: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -24.2

Total jobs: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -145Source: North Dakota State University Extension Service


Leadership

Leading the growth of a CommunityThere’s noshortage ofadvice onhow to lead.Amazon.comlists over66,000results underbooks about“leadership.”

SLATER BARRPresident

Sioux Falls DevelopmentFoundationSioux Falls, SD

[email protected]

If you digest even a small fraction of theoverwhelming amount of research and advice onleading, you quickly become aware that much of it is

contradictory and conflicting. Even a cursory reflectionon history’s great leaders reveals widely differingapproaches, with equally successful results. Contrast thedefiant determination of Winston Churchill with thepassive resistance of Mahatma Gandhi, for example. Bothwere able to lead their nation through extremely difficult,dangerous conflicts – but with completely different stylesand strategies.

Part of my job is to lead communities, at least withregard to growing their local economies. Significantprogress in economic development only comes throughsignificant changes in the community’s approach toeconomic development. The old adage holds true here, “Ifyou always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always getwhat you’ve always got.” So I’ve spent a great deal of timepondering how to get a community to adopt new,aggressive marketing programs; to invest in expensive,but needed infrastructure; to set aside individual agendasand focus on a common goal. In short, a substantialportion of my time is devoted to figuring out how tolead. Every time I think I have it down, some completelyunexpected obstacle presents itself, showing me just howmuch I have yet to learn. Regardless, here are a fewobservations on the topic of leadership that I believe areuniversally true.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE We’ve already talked about the myriad different styles

of leaders. But did you also know that the differing styles,and therefore differing leaders, are best suited to differentsituations or even for different phases of the same issue.I’ve used Winston Churchill as an example because mostpeople will have him at the top or near the top of theirlist of great leaders. Yet, pri or to WWII, Churchillstruggled for relevance among his peers, often takingunpopular political stances that relegated him to thesidelines of political power. This perceived weakness, aninability to compromise during times of peace, wastransformed into his greatest strength as he vehementlywarned of Hitler’s rise to power, culminating withEngland’s entrance into the War following the Germaninvasion of Poland. In other words, no one has all of theanswers and no one is the ultimate leader, with all thetools, skills, and personality to deal with every issue. Divein, and if you aren’t the best leader for a given situation,have the maturity to acknowledge that and enlist othersthat are more appropriate at that specific time.

COMMUNICATE COMPULSIVELY A wise mentor once told me, “If they’re not in on it or

up on it, they will be down on it.” Successful communityleaders share as much infor mation as they possibly can.The more people understand the issues, the more likelythey are to support intelligent, progressive solutions. “Justtrust me” doesn’t really work. Give them the informationthey need in order to support your position.

BE PREPARED The old Boy Scout motto still holds true. You earn the

right to lead by doing your homework, studying thevarious options and their consequences. Then, when youare asked the hard questions, you have credible answersreflecting the thorough nature of your analysis. In turn,this adds to your ability to influence and strengthens yourstature as a leader. No matter how brilliant the orator,people quickly separate empty rhetoric from facts. So, justas your Mom always said, “Do your homework!” PB


Money

Hard to believe it has been three years since thecollapse of Lehman Brothers, the consolidation ofBank of America and Merrill Lynch and the

government takeover of AIG. Since then we have been livingin a business environment of credit tightening and theperception that banks don’t borrow money anymore. It leadsto the question, “Is this really what is happening or is ourregional environment different than rest of the country?”

In comparing business regionally to the rest of thecountry, a little background is necessary. Outside of thisregion, banks and financiers are historically moreaggressive in their lending practices. Home equity loansup to 125 percent of appraised values were commonplacein the “hot” markets of Florida, Phoenix and Las Vegas.Closer to home, 110 percent loans were available in theTwin Cities marketplace. These loans were made onappraised values that were not necessarily real, but inflated

in themselves. As a result, when home values collapsed,original loans quickly became upside down without takinginto consideration the 125 percent loans.

This type of aggressive lending was commonplace inraw land, speculative commercial property, and multi-family residential complexes as well. One hundred percentfinancing, cash out financing on properties (puttingnothing down and getting money back at closing,) andother creative financing were commonplace 3-5 years ago.

Where this region fared better, and in some regardsprospered, is the fact they did not aggressively lend onthese models. Although asset values did increase, the paceof this increase in the Prairie Business trade area was not asfast as the rest of the country. Local financial Institutionswere more apt to require real cash equity, versus equitybased on an appraisal higher than purchase price.Additional safeguards included extra collateral as security,shorter loan terms, and quarterly reviews of loans, amongothers. The result of these lending practices allowed for lessfinancial distress for the borrower and the banks.

The national talk is that banks aren’t lending. Bankersin the region will tell you they are looking for borrowers.Funds are available to a qualified borrower. The borrowingmay appear more cumbersome since due diligence by thebanks has increased (bank regulators are requiring it) andmore information may need to be provided by theborrower, but the result is similar to 3-5 years ago. If youhave good credit quality and a well capitalized project,money is available. PB

KENT BUSEKOwner

Busek Olsen andAssociates, Inc., Fargo, ND

[email protected]

Funds are available toqualified borrowersWe’ve all seen and heard about the near collapse ofthe banking and finance industry.


ViewPoint

What goes around really does come around

Modern day South Dakota is a direct product ofrail road development in the 1880s. When therailroads arrived, towns sprouted across the

prairie every 15 to 20 miles. These towns were basedaround refueling stations required to keep the trainsrunning.

One of the more dynamic businesses that developed ina railroad town was the country elevator. Early settlers fedtheir grain to livestock. However, as technology andfarming practices improve, excess grain was produced andmarketed at the local elevator.

Elevators would aggregate grain then move it tomarkets in urban areas. Railroad was the most efficientmethod of grain transportation. Elevators would handload “box cars” with 800 to 1,000 bushels of grain fortransport. It would take several employees many days toload a car. Thus country elevators became one of thelarger employers in railroad towns and the hub of manycommunities.

Leap forward to today and one can witness theresurgence of the railroad and railroad towns. This

resurgence is led by the railroads program of shuttle trains.A shuttle train is dedicated to hauling grain from theMidwest to Pacific Northwest shiploading facilities. Upondelivering its load, the train remains intact and deadheadsback to the Midwest for another loading of export

Country elevators participating in a shuttle programcan load 450,000 bushels in less than 15 hours. Just a fewyears ago this would take a month or more. This speedhelps an elevator handle huge amounts of grain annually.

Producers receive the greatest benefit. They now havedirect access to export markets. Speed of the “shuttleelevator” allows the producers at harvest more in a day asthey can quickly unload grain and get back to thecombine. Shuttle elevators offer more storage space toproducers allowing greater flexibility in marketing grain.This access, speed, and space puts as much as $.20 perbushel directly on a producer’s bottom line. Much of thisincreased money goes directly back into our localeconomy creating prosperity for all. From the land rush ofthe 19th century to the “grain rush” of the 21st, what goesaround does come around. PB

CHUCK [email protected]

- sometimes.

Rail still part of development

Communities across the region are discovering just how important it is to market themselves

Economic Development

Small towns make a big difference

Akey difference between communities that aregrowing and those that are staying stagnant or evenshrinking is whether they’ve discovered how to

market themselves to the right people and to tell thosepeople what sets their community apart from othercommunities who are targeting the same demographic.Each community, no matter how small, has a uniqueselling point. They just need to discover what that sellingpoint is and build a brand around it.

Success in marketing your community requiresresearch and a firm grasp of the basics.

First, determine what makes your community standout. How does it differ from other communities? What doyou have that other communities do not? What do you dobetter than other communities?

Second, define the target audience. Who will be mostattracted to living or starting a business in yourcommunity? Who do you want to live in your community?How old are they? What do they like to do? What are theirvalues and interests?

Third, through differentiation and having a solid graspon the target audience, determine how to position yourself

in the mind of the target audience. What should peoplethink about when they hear the name of your town? Aquiet bedroom community? A bustling city? Proximity to alarger community?

From there, set realistic goals which are measurable. Ifyour goals are too lofty, public perception and enthusiasmquickly fades. Remember that one of your target audiencesis the people in your own community. Keep them excitedand engaged.

Finally, determine what strategies to incorporate forreaching your realistic goals. What type of medium willyou use? What is the message you want to send?

Branding your community takes time, money, andpersistence. It is important to have a group of people inyour community dedicated to the success of your brand.You probably won’t be able to put in place all themarketing strategies you wish to implement right away,but if you are consistent and use a building blockapproach, you will be successful!

Oftentimes, economic development, especially insmaller communities, requires years to achieve results, butit is important to start. PB

BETH CHRISTIANSON-

MELBYGeneral ManagerHometown Aditude

[email protected]


Technology

It’s all over print and the television. For many, the term is nebulous. Forothers, it raises fears about security and reliability. However, it’s hardto ignore the savings and/or increased value that many businesses areseeing from moving to the cloud.

What is the cloud? The term has evolved to describe free orsubscription-based services delivered in real time over theInternet. Cloud computing can refer to software as a service

(SaaS), such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online for customerrelationship management; to file storage, synchronization, backup,email, and to infrastructure as a service, including Amazon’s ElasticCompute Cloud.

Cloud-based services can help small businesses reduce costs. Look atthe example of Microsoft Exchange Online. A company of 20 employeeswould pay thousands of dollars for hardware and software alone to hosttheir own Microsoft Exchange Server. Add to that the cost ofmaintenance, power, backup solutions, and the inherent risk ofmanaging this internally. Compare that to $5 per user per month forMicrosoft Exchange Online. Fewer headaches, no server, large amountsof storage, unlimited 24x7 support, guaranteed uptime, and notworrying about upgrades - for $1,200 a year.

Most people cite security as the top reason for not using cloudservices. It is not difficult to find instances of security breaches ordowntime in cloud computing. On the other hand, risk of any kindcannot entirely be eliminated from any computing environment. Thequestion to ask is - Who can manage it better and more cost effectively?

HERE ARE A FEW TIPS TO CONSIDER.Start small, but think big. An organization may only move a single

solution to the cloud. Can the service considered be expanded to meetfuture needs as the organization grows?

Make sure data can be exported. An organization’s data needs to beexported in the formats used by other programs; allowing for a moveon premise or to another service later if necessary.

Read the agreement closely. A service agreement or other contractwill likely need to be accepted. Read it carefully to ensure understandingof what is being paid for, what the provider’s privacy policy is, and anyfees for early termination.

Finally, don’t be afraid. It makes sense to cautiously approach anybig change in how business is done, and this certainly applies to movingto the cloud. But, ignoring the cloud could mean a missed opportunityto prepare the organization for the future. PB

Connect your businesswith decision makers and political leaders of theNorthern Plains. PrairieBusiness is the only re-gional business magazinethat reaches over 60,000readers every month.*

prairiebizmag.com

(*According to standard industry pass-along ratesfor business to business publications)

Scott DeutschSales Manager

Grand Forks/Fargo/Moor-head

northwestern MN701.232.8893 p 701.280.9092 f

[email protected]

Brad BoydAccount Manager

Bismarck-Mandan west central ND/north cen-

tral SD800.641.0683 p 701.751.3773 f

[email protected]

Jeff HansonAccount Manager

Sioux Fallssouthern SD/southern MN

605.212.6852 p [email protected]

John FetschAccount Manager

Fargo/Moorheadeastern ND/western MN

701.232.8893 p 701.280.9092 f

[email protected]


‘Low stress’ in Aberdeen pg. 28

Hebron Brick Company –Bricks across America pg. 16


PRSRT STDU.S. Postage PaidFargo, NDPermit #684

PRAIRIE BUSINESS MAGAZINEPO BOX 6008GRAND FORKS, ND 58206-6008

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

HIGHER EDUCATIONHigher Ed and businesses working together pg 28

MARKETINGWhat’s Next (in Technology?) pg 34

TECHNOLOGYFinding a Company that Best Fits your Needs pg 26

LEADERSHIPCreating and Sustaining

Change pg 16

MONEYWhat is the Velocity of Money pg 59

pg 48

SALES/MARKETING5 Rules for Branding

in the Digital Age pg 22

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTThe Value of Higher-Wage Jobs in the Local Economy pg 24

March 2011

BUSINESS LAWIntellectual Property pg 38

Community Spotlight: Young West Fargo community

growing quicklypg 42

Company Spotlight: TEAM Industries

pg 18

Put Your BusinessFirst

ERIC GJERDEVIGPresident

Summit Group SoftwareWest Fargo, ND

[email protected]

“To the Cloud!”

RATES: $125 (2.312 x 1.2) includes color

$250 (2.312 x 2.55) includes color

CONTACT: Phone 701-478-1139 or email: [email protected]

Prairie Business to BusinessPPrraaiirriiee BBuussiinneessss ttoo BBuussiinneessss

www.eapc.net

ar

ch

ite

ct

se

ng

ine

er

s

eapc.net.www

ar

ch

ite

ct

se

ng

ine

er

s

)))*:2=A;?*$#'.;>'1@$4 3 -A"1@ 81!;"> 3 +A%7A@ 3 +A=@#;= 014A>91@?# 3 6@1%" 9#@4> 3 /;%%A1!#2;> 3 5;#:( 9122>

<%?;%AA@;%?, 5:@7A&;%?,1%" -#%>:2=;%? 5A@7;$A>

.;>'1@$4 3 -A"1@ 81!;"> 3 +A%7A@ 3 +A=

)))*:2=A;?*$#'

91@?# 3 6@1%" 9#@4> 3 /;%%A1!#2;> 3 5

<%?;%AA@;%?, 5:@7A&1%" -#%>:2=;%? 5A@

A=@#;= 014A>5;#:( 9122>

A&;%?,@7;$A>


www.innovators.net

YEARS25CELEBRATING

RATES: $125 (2.312 x 1.2) includes color

$250 (2.312 x 2.55) includes color

CONTACT: Phone 701-478-1139 or email: [email protected]

The Financial Link

PPrraaiirriiee BBuussiinneessss ttoo BBuussiinneessss


Prairie Business to Business


EMPLOYMENT (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED)

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE EMPLOYMENT

Apr 2010 Apr 2011 Apr 2010 Apr2011North Dakota 3.2% 4.1% 359281 354408Fargo MSA .7 4.2 113865 115644 Bismarck MSA 2.9 3.9 59509 59647 Grand Forks MSA 4.3 4.7 51872 52387Minot MiSA 2.9 3.8 31895 32345 Dickinson MiSA 1.7 2.8 16342 14754 Williston MiSA 0.9 1.9 20797 16230 Jamestown MiSA 3.2 4.7 10894 11512 Wahpeton MiSA 3.5 4.4 13450 11694 South Dakota 4.7 4.8 426160 423095Sioux Falls MSA 4.7 4.9 123905 123040Rapid City MSA 5.0 5.2 62610 62728 Aberdeen MiSA 3.7 3.7 22935 22665 Brookings MiSA 3.9 3.7 18620 18485Watertown MiSA 4.8 5.0 17850 17840 Spearfish MiSA 4.9 4.3 12795 12890 Mitchell MiSA 4.0 4.3 12615 12465 Pierre MiSA 3.7 3.4 12070 11995 Yankton MiSA 3.7 4.9 11330 11290 Huron MiSA 3.6 3.9 9570 9415 Vermillion MiSA 3.8 3.8 7670 7560 Minnesota 6.6 7.4 2751924 2768659 Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA 6.3 6.7 1726621 1736027 Brainerd MiSA 9.3 9.3 43009 42348Winona MiSA 5.7 5.7 27325 26746 Fergus Falls MiSA 6.8 7.3 28707 27389 Red Wing MiSA 6.3 6.8 24219 24027 Willmar MiSA 6.1 6.1 22839 22113 Bemidji MiSA 8.8 8.4 20148 19412Alexandria MiSA 6.5 6.3 18787 18978Hutchinson MiSA 8.2 9.8 18348 17053 Marshall MiSA 5.4 5.2 14429 13940 Worthington MiSA 5.0 4.6 11140 11698 Fairmont MiSA 6.3 6.8 10845 10686

MSA — Metropolitan Statistical AreaMiSA — Micropolitan Statistical AreaSources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Minnesota Department of Employment and EconomicDevelopment, Job Service North Dakota, South Dakota Department of LaborNOTES:Employment data is based on formulas. Each February formulas are “benchmarked” to correctany economic or cultural changes that may make current formulas inaccurate. At that time figures forprevious months may change. North Dakota oil data is also preliminary data and changes may bemade at later dates.

CANADIAN EXCHANGE RATE

NORTH DAKOTA OIL ACTIVITY

Sweet Crude ProductionPrice/BBL Oil-BBL/day

MAR 2011 $95.51 359,589FEB 2011 $78.19 348,400JAN 2011 $78.59 342,100DEC 2010 $79.10 344,100NOV 2010 $73.68 356,500MAR 2010 $71.20 277,400

Drilling Producing Rig Permits Wells Count

APRIL AIRLINE BOARDINGS

Minneapolis-St. Paul 1230067 - 0.02Fargo 26148 - 3.99Sioux Falls 29464 12.10Rapid City 17815 - 14.70 Bismarck 14417 - 0.89 Duluth 12387 - 4.80 Grand Forks 8282 - 7.68 Minot 10871 100.00 Pierre 1066 8.22

Source: US Customs and Border Protection

Source: Bank of Canada Data provided by Kingsbury Applied Economics

05/26/10 04/26/11 05/26/11

U.S. to Canadian Dollar $1.0651 or $0.9389 $0.9507 or $1.0519 $0.9809 or $1.0195

U.S. to Euro $0.8180 or $1.2224 $0.6838 or $1.4625 $0.7098 or $1.4088

U.S. to Chinese Yuan $6.49 or $0.1540 $6.53 or $0.1532 $6.49 or $0.1540

U.S. to Japanese Yen $90.26 or $0.0111 $81.96 or $0.0122 $81.47 or $0.0128

U.S. to Mexican Peso $12.99 or $0.0770 $11.57 or $0.0864 $11.69 or $0.0855

BOARDINGS % CHANGE/2010-2011

MAR 2011 149 5,439* 171FEB 2011 155 5,324 167JAN 2011 142 5,315 163DEC 2010 134 5,331 163NOV 2010 245 5,331 158MAR 2010 120 4,736 102

APR % CHANGE APR % CHANGE 2011 /MAR 2010 2011 /MAR 2010

CANADIAN BORDER CROSSINGS

Source: US Customs and Border Protection

AUTOMOBILES TRUCKS

MINNESOTAIntl Falls-Rainer 35394 11.02% 1815 - 17.24% Grand Portage 23671 26.25 1271 10.14 Baudette 12829 -10.29 687 - 6.78Warroad 10069 13.35 1208 33.63Roseau 3012 3.26 715 3.17

NORTH DAKOTAPembina1 6064 - 32.63 16336 - 6.04Portal 8782 1.29 7615 2.81 Neche 3821 - 6.21 557 - 60.40 Dunseith 4409 4.70 1852 - 32.16 Walhalla 4173 40.27 1083 -27.94 Noonan 2972 2.31 184 -69.89

By the Numbers

Current Rig Count:

Producing wells-all time highSource: NDOMB 178

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION INSTITUTION

Ne LEED® Green Building Rating System TM

is the national benchmark for design,construction and operation of high-performance “green” buildings. It promotesa whole-building approach to sustainability.Visit the U.S. Green Building Council’s Website at www.usgbc.org to learn more aboutLEED rankings and standards.

Rendering courtesy of JLG Architects Ltd., Grand Forks.

Ne College of Education and HumanDevelopment is proud to have workedon the project with these North Dakotabusinesses:

JLG Architects

AE2S Engineering

Heyer Engineering

Obermiller Nelson Engineering

Peterson Construction

Grand Forks Heating Air Conditioning

Bergstrom Electric

A new day is dawning for the College of Education andHumanDevelopment atPe University of North Dakota. Pe 2011 fallsemester will Ond the College occupying a fully renovated andexpanded Education Building that is setting standards for mergingenergy eMciency with environmental protection.

LEED Silver means GREENfor UND and North DakotaPis LEED® Silver-certiOed project was designed for optimized energyeMciency— up to 24 percent less energy use than other buildingsof comparable size and type. Pat means better stewardship of stateresources, lower water use, environmental protection, and improvedclimate controls for comfort and economy.

Learn more about this project at:

edbuilding.UND.edu UND.edu

prairie business july 2011

Documents

salesmarketing pg

fromsmall business

business leaders quick

prairie public radio

challenge pg

company leaders

regional growth

community spotlight