Trending topics

It’s tough to believe August has arrived. An oft-repeated question is: Where does the time go? It is a question I have asked myself more than once this year. In the blink of an eye the holiday season will be upon us. But let’s stay grounded in August for now – Christmas will be here before we know it.

August, for Prairie Business, means manufacturing – one of the topical highlights of this issue. Sam Easter does a fine job of reporting about what’s new and trending in the industry.

There also is a story about trends in the architecture profession, namely the technology that has shaped – and continues to shape – the industry for many businesses and clients. Experts from the firms AckermanEstvold and EAPC Architects Engineers share their perspectives about some of those trends.

Women engineers and their contributions to the engineering field is another story topic in which four women from the industry answer questions about what it is like for them working in a male-dominated profession. They also discuss how that perception – of the industry being male-dominated – is changing.

I love this quote from Jessica LoBello, an engineer with Sandman Structural Engineers in Maple Grove, Minnesota: “Don’t be intimidated by male counterparts around you. Women are just as capable, technically, as men are. There shouldn’t be anything that holds females back from pursuing something they’re curious or passionate about.”

Life experiences watching the important women in my life – my wife, daughter-in-law, mom and mother-in-law – succeed have ingrained within me deep respect for the talents, determination, high work ethic and many more admirable qualities that many women bring to the professional table. The women I work with on staff at Prairie Business, from sales to design, are exemplary business leaders who contribute much to the publication and this industry.

As we work our way through August, pay tribute to the many women who have impacted and continue to influence your life, both personally and professionally.

I hope you enjoy this issue. As always, thanks for reading!

Andrew Weeks

I look forward to hearing from you at aweeks@prairiebusinessmagazine.com or 701-780-1276.

PUBLISHER KORRIE WENZEL

AD DIRECTOR STACI LORD EDITOR

ANDREW WEEKS

CIRCULATION MANAGER BETH BOHLMAN

LAYOUT DESIGN JAMIE HOLTE

ACCOUNT MANAGER

NICHOLE ERTMAN 800.477.6572 ext. 1162 nertman@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

Prairie Business magazine is published monthly by the Grand Forks Herald and Forum Communications Company with offices at 375 2nd Avenue North, Grand Forks, ND 58203. Subscriptions are available free of charge. Back issue quantities are limited and subject to availability ($2/copy prepaid). The opinions of writers featured in Prairie Business are their own. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork are encouraged but will not be returned without a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

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ADDRESS CORRECTIONS

Prairie Business magazine Box 6008 Grand Forks, ND 58206-6008 Beth Bohlman: bbohlman@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

ONLINE www.prairiebusinessmagazine.com

ONE BIG CHANGE IN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IS A REDESIGNED HIRING PORTAL, ACCORDING TO KATHLEEN BRENK, A SENIOR HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICIAL WITH MARVIN, A DOOR AND WINDOW MANUFACTURER. ‘WE GET BACK TO APPLICANTS IN ABOUT FOUR TO EIGHT HOURS, FROM THE MINUTE THAT THEY CLICK APPLY.’ SHE SAYS. ‘WE DON’T HAVE THE SPACE TO (WAIT FOR DAYS) ANYMORE, WHEN THERE ARE LOTS OF CHOICES.’ IMAGES, LEFT AND TOP: COURTESY OF MARVIN