Prairie Business August 2023

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To allthe movers,shakers,and difference makers —J LG Architects takesyour stor y beyo nd thebuild ingtoempower thepeople whoref lect yo ur passionatejour ney.

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General Steel & Supply Company is the manufacturing division of Fisher Industries. We have over 55 years of experience designing and fabricating high-quality aggregate processing equipment, which is being used by companies all over the world.

We strongly believe in inspiring the next generation of manufacturers. We do this by providing handson shop tours to area students, donating materials to area welding programs, and sponsoring local Manufacturing Day events.

Learn more about us at: www.fisherind.com.

13 Million U.S. Jobs

Supported by Manufacturing

$95,990

Average salar y of manufacturing workers (including pay and benefits)

4 Million

U.S. manufacturing jobs to fill between now and 2030

Is National Manufacturing Day Oc tober 6, 2023

MARCUS MOREHEAD & LIZ GARCIA

KLJ HIRES TWO NEW BISMARCK EMPLOYEES

BISMARCK, ND • KLJ ENGINEERING LLC (KLJ), IS PROUD TO WELCOME MARCUS MOREHEAD AND LIZ GARCIA TO OUR TEAM. BOTH MOREHEAD AND GARCIA ARE BASED IN OUR BISMARCK OFFICE.

MOREHEAD JOINS KLJ AS AN ENGINEER IN TRAINING (EIT) WITHIN THE CIVIL TEAM. HE IS CURRENTLY PURSUING A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY. MOREHEAD HAS MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH DATABASE MANAGEMENT, INSPECTING AND REFURBISHING CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT, OPERATING HEAVY MACHINERY, AND UTILIZING CAD SOFTWARE.

KLJ HIRED GARCIA AS A PROJECT SPECIALIST WITHIN OUR OPS PLANS AND PERFORMANCE (OPP) TEAM. SHE HAS MORE THAN 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN FINANCIAL TRACKING, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, INVENTORY MAINTENANCE, AND PROCESS IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES. GARCIA EARNED AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE FROM JOHNSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN KANSAS.

CARRIE MCDERMOTT EDITOR

EDITOR’SNOTE

TRENDS AND IMPACTS OF INDUSTRIES

How many people can say they love their job and truly mean it? I can and I do. I am privileged to learn from many business leaders in a variety of fields each month and bring their stories to you. For Prairie Business, August is a time to explore trends and opportunities in the fields of manufacturing, architecture and engineering. As one who has spent an entire career in the news industry, I can say I went into this edition knowing very little about all three of these sectors. I’m excited to announce I know a tiny bit more now after interviewing close to a dozen professionals who also love the work they do.

I hope you can learn a bit more, too, by reading this month’s edition.

I learned that engineering is an expansive field and to get there, you need to have math and science fundamentals. Perhaps that’s why I shied away from it - the furthest I got with math in school was plane geometry. Science fascinates me but also overwhelms me, so it’s good I decided to work with words rather than numbers and formulas.

Every professional we spoke with was interesting and passionate about their work. They are problem solvers, designers, artists, craftsmen and educators. They are working with cutting-edge technology to find solutions to the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Because I believe that business news need not be boring, I’ll leave you with some fun facts about this month’s topics. Architecture was once an Olympic competition – it was part of the arts component starting in 1908 and its exhibits were paired with sporting events in the Summer Olympics for decades to follow. A civil engineer created the slippery part of the water slide by designing a pumping system to circulate just the right amount of water to the flume - without the correct flow of water, there’s no ride. Manufacturing plays a key role in the health of our economy - for every $1 spent in manufacturing, there is a total impact of $2.60 on the overall economy. That sector employed nearly 13 million workers in May 2023.

Until next time, Carrie McDermott

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KORRIE WENZEL

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STACI LORD

EDITOR

CARRIE MCDERMOTT

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BETH BOHLMAN

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Prairie Business magazine is published monthly by the Grand Forks Herald and Forum Communications Company with offices at 3535 31st St. S., Suite 205, Grand Forks, ND 58201. 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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Be manufacturing experience networking and place, Get DONE RIGHT.

IMPROVING EFFICIENCY AND RESILIENCY BY DESIGN EXPLORING ARCHITECTURE’S IMPACTS ON COMMUNITIES

CARRIE MCDERMOTT

Awell-designed space has the power to impact lives in ways that are both conscious and subconscious, tangible and intangible. Michelle Mongeon Allen, FAIA, CEO of JLG Architects, Minneapolis, said there’s a “renewed appreciation for the impact of design to elevate the human experience beyond just operations.”

Gone are the days of designing a building purely for utilitarian purposes. Today’s architects are creating living and working spaces that meld soft and hard surfaces, bringing the textures, colors and openness of nature to the indoors. They’re also designing buildings that are more cost-efficient to run, that use sustainable resources and are less impactful to the environment.

JLG Architects focuses on high-performance buildings, Mongeon Allen said. Factors they consider include the types of materials used and how those materials impact the well-being of the users and stakeholders.

One of the crown jewels for the firm is the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, which broke ground June 12. North Dakota-based JLG is the architect of record, working alongside the Norwegian and U.S. firm Snøhetta, the design architect for the project. The library is designed to be Living Building Challenge certified, which is one of the highest and most difficult certifications to achieve in terms of sustainability. One of Roosevelt’s core beliefs was conservation, and the design solution for this project is all about conservation, Mongeon Allen said.

ARTIST’S RENDERING OF THE THEODORE ROOSEVELT PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY, WHICH BROKE GROUND JUNE 2023 IN MEDORA, NORTH DAKOTA. COURTESY SNØHETTA

The structure and the natural site on which it sits in western North Dakota will be interwoven so closely that it will be hard to distinguish between the two.

“From a conversation standpoint, the land and what we are doing to preserve and restore what is there is as important to the building and the exhibits. They all really work together. That was really what Theodore Roosevelt was all about,” she said.

In addition to creating high-performance buildings, architects are designing for new manufacturing technologies, such as modular construction. North Dakota-based Artekta is one of the nation’s top modular architects.

Artekta founder and Senior Principal Jeffrey Morrau said he first learned about the fast turnaround times of modular construction about 12 years ago when working with Detroit Lakes, Minnesota-based Dynamic Homes to provide small units on a rural and isolated reservation. The units are manufactured in a factory, delivered to the construction location and over a weekend can be assembled on site with just five or six people, Morrau explained.

“It really opened my eyes,” he said.

In 2008, his firm worked on its first podium project with a precast concrete first

floor and modular boxes set on top to create a four-story apartment building above ground-floor office space in Williston, North Dakota.

“It was a solution to a problem. I didn’t realize at the time, but it made a splash,” he said.

PAVE YOUR OWN CAREER PATH AT MOORE

After designing more modular buildings over the next few years, Artekta started to design the factories that manufacture the “mods.” One of those is a 180,000-squarefoot facility on the outskirts of Minneapolis. More recently, Marriott Hotels built a hotel using modular construction.

UND NISTLER COLLEGE OF BUSINESS & PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. COURTESY JILL OCKHARDT BLAUFUSS

PROJECT MANAGER

SECTOR OR MARKET LEADER

SENIOR DESIGN ENGINEER

GROUP LEADER

ENGINEERING INTERN

PROJECT ENGINEER

PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER

GRADUATE ENGINEER

ARCHITECTUREINDUSTRY TRENDS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

“That really moved the needle in the industry,” Morrau said. “All of a sudden, Marriott Hotels were being built across the U.S. with a modular component. One is now being built in Pierre, South Dakota.”

Artekta is working on modular projects across a handful of states from Oregon to Florida and even into Mexico.

The Midwest is being impacted by the same factors that are driving the coastal and metro regions to gravitate toward modular construction – a shortage of dependable labor and the inability to get materials developed and constructed that meet quality standards. Morrau said there are now seven modular factories within 400 miles of Fargo. Developers are recognizing the consistent quality control, reduction of time, reduction of waste and the energy-efficient benefits of modular construction. The cost to build may be the same, but material waste is cut down exponentially, from 2025% in conventional construction to 3-4% in modular construction. The construction timeline is also shorter with mods, he said.

The Modular Building Institute reports the permanent modular construction industry topped $12 billion in North America in 2022, accounting for just over 6% of all new construction starts. The market share has nearly tripled since 2015.

MICHELLE MONGEON ALLEN

JEFFREY MORRAU DAVID CRUTCHFIELD

David Crutchfield, assistant professor of architecture at North Dakota State University, said today’s architecture students are learning everything from the continuation of sustainable design to new technologies and construction methods. The focus is on the three Ps – people, profit, planet.

“We need to be able to accommodate everyone, but not damage the environment,” Crutchfield said.

He’s interested in how buildings reflect a culture’s values.

“When you look across a cityscape or suburban landscape and you might ask yourself, how does that reflect our values? Is this what we are? Does this say something about us that we may not think about ourselves? That’s where my research is oriented, considering those questions,” he said.

Crutchfield doesn’t only teach his students in the classroom, but takes them out into the community to hear from people in the architecture and construction fields as part of his graduate seminar. They visit city halls, fire stations, interior design and architecture firms,

planning departments and construction sites. The experi-

FIRST INTERNATIONAL BANK & TRUST, SIOUX FALLS, S.D., DESIGNED BY JLG ARCHITECTS. CHRISTIAN HOLMAN, DVI MEDIA

TOP LEFT: MODULAR WORKFORCE HOUSING IN FACTORY PRODUCTION. TOP RIGHT: SIXTY MODULAR UNITS WERE SET WITHIN THREE WEEKS IN ONAMIA, MINNESOTA. ABOVE: A 30-DWELLING MODULAR DEVELOPMENT WAS COMPLETED IN NINE MONTHS. PHOTOS COURTESY ARTEKTA

ence and conversations with professionals help give the students a better understanding of the work they are doing and get ideas for what’s possible.

A building’s exterior, or envelope, is one focus of an architecture student’s attention. Students must learn to design for that barrier between exterior and interior, an often six-inch space that will keep an interior environment at 72 degrees when it’s 20 below outdoors.

“Along with that, all kinds of amazing new technologies have come out – manufacturing processes, 3D printing, insulations, really exciting things are happening,” he said. “It comes from research, manufacturers and engineering processes,” Crutchfield said.

He’s seen many advances in the field during the nearly 30 years he’s been working, whether as a licensed architect or as an educator, from the way designs are drawn –moving from pencil and templates to computers – to the new smart materials used in construction.

“From those computer designs we can do simulations, we can determine how much energy a simulated computer-drawn design will utilize over the course of a year. We can determine costing, that tech allows us to do really amazing things,” he said.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to impact all industries and will become a factor in building design in the near future.

“I’ve seen programs that will develop 200 options for a building in five minutes. You program in your site location, parameters of the site, how many units or options you want, you program in what emphasis you want, and you get so many options,” Crutchfield said.

Studying the past and history of architecture is crucial to understand where communities are going and how they will progress, along with what their priorities will be for living and working spaces.

Heading further into the green era of construction, designers and engineers are wrestling with how to support a power grid across the country to allow for electric vehicles. Morrau said he’s seeing more individual solar panels and power generation or community-based power generation rather than relying on a major industry. One project his company is working on is with Habitat for Humanity on the development of twin homes in Boulder, Colorado. The housing stabilization project to help address the homeless crisis features solar panels on each unit, he said.

Homelessness is an issue that’s close to his heart. Morrau serves on the executive board for Churches United for the Homeless. He said the topic gets a lot of lip service but very little appears to be done in terms of real funding to support meaningful change and growth for those experiencing homelessness.

“To Minnesota’s credit, they just released $93 million for an RFP (request for proposal) for homeless shelter construction, that’s driven toward the outstate area,” he said. “The ability to see funding coming from the federal and state sides to address homelessness that’s rampant, that’s something the world of architects and engineers would be better to do more action and talk less.”

The economic climate presents challenges to all industries, whether it’s workforce shortages, supply chain issues or other factors that affect the price of construction. Near-term challenges are always a priority when designing, but long-term effects may not always be considered. Mongeon Allen said it’s important to maintain that nearterm lens but also imperative to step back to make sure a long-term lens is used to address the impact on communities and the clients’ business interests.

“That’s what we bring to the design table – the ability to process many, many inputs of information and be able to sift through all of that to get to a solution that satisfies and, we hope, delights, and not just for the near term but the long term,” she said. “It’s a lot of hard work and a lot of challenges for 30-plus years, but I get to get up every day and get paid to do something that inspires me and that I love. I don’t think everyone gets to say that, so I feel really fortunate.”

RENDERING OF THE THEODORE ROOSEVELT PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY IN MEDORA, N.D. FROM A CONSERVATION STANDPOINT, PRESERVING AND RESTORING THE LAND AT THE SITE IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE BUILDING AND EXHIBITS. COURTESY SNØHETTA

THE NEW WATER TREATMENT PLANT IN PIERRE, S.D. IN DECEMBER 2022, THE FACILITY STARTED DISTRIBUTING POTABLE WATER, AND BY MID-JANUARY 2023 THE TRANSITION FROM GROUNDWATER TO TREATED MISSOURI RIVER SURFACE WATER WAS COMPLETE. COURTESY AE2S

FINDING NEW WAYS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS

HOW TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING THE FACE OF ENGINEERING

CARRIE MCDERMOTT

Mike Van Duyne, an architectural engineer in Bismarck, entered the industry to scratch an itch.

“I love the jigsaw puzzle a building brings. It’s never the same, never cut and dry. It’s that creative problem solving that that project has. Every day is different, every project is different,” he said.

The greatest thing about engineering is the variety of career paths it offers, Van Duyne said, and the growth path is wide.

“I don’t think that’s well discussed in college and I think it should be,” he said.

Van Duyne works for Bartlett & West, a Topeka, Kansas-based company whose motto is, “We want to make our communities a better place to live.” Engineers are doing just that, day in and day out, using new technology to upgrade infrastructure, using renewable energy sources to convert to clean energy, and increasing sustainable transportation and fuels, among other initiatives.

Jame Todd, a civil engineer with Bartlett & West and leader of its Bismarck office, said having a strong connection to higher education programs has helped fill open positions. He estimates be-

MIKE

VAN DUYNE

JAME TODD

tween 80-90% of their engineers are graduates of North Dakota State University’s engineering program. And the University of Mary in Bismarck has a new engineering program which his office has benefitted from – some of their first engineering graduates are now working there.

Todd enjoys the industry because he can see the fruits of his labor, whether that’s a water treatment plant or roadway construction.

“As a civil engineer, it’s pretty cool to say, ‘Hey, I worked on that project, or I helped design or build that very thing.’”

One of the technological developments that grows more popular by the day is the use of drones in engineering. Drones are equipped with high-quality cameras that can shoot photos from many angles and elevations, allowing engineers to create three-dimensional models of an area. In addition to flying drones, there are also underwater drones, which can assist in inspections of potable water storage tanks, for example.

Todd said his office has picked up more work because of their underwater drone, which is safer and more efficient than sending personnel into a tank that first must be drained of hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. The unique tool has helped to ensure successful project completions with no surprises, he said.

Advancements in mobile apps are also driving changes in engineering, allowing surveyors to use their cell phones on site for projects. The data collected is not as hightech as LIDAR (light detection and ranging) or survey-grade, but can collect enough data, in addition to photos, for certain projects such as sidewalk assessments.

Scott Schaefer, practices director at AE2S, Maple Grove, Minnesota, has been incorporating energy efficiencies into projects for some time, with the primary motivation being renewable energy and gas generation, as well as solar power. The company is currently in the design phase of the Grand Forks wastewater treatment project, and was part of the completed drinking water treatment facility in the city.

“It (energy efficiency) generally makes economic sense. That’s where we find the most adoption, when the dollars make sense, and you’re also doing good by the environment, finding those win-win spots. There are times when we’re doing energy reduction for the sake of energy reduction, but that’s a minority. The efficiency part is a fabric of what we do,” he said.

On the wastewater treatment side, he is seeing more membrane bioreactor projects

over the last five years, noting membranes aren’t new but are more thoroughly being adopted, in part due to regulatory demands.

“New is a relative term, things change very slowly in our industry and most of our large projects are on a five-year time cycle,” Schaefer said.

His team is involved in a large PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) -reduction project in Woodbury, Minnesota, primarily using activated carbon. It’s not a new technology, but it’s a newer application of that technology to remove PFAS.

“A lot of piloting work went into that to verify effectiveness and now we’re just presenting the design for that project,” he said. Just as in most industries, workforce shortages are affecting the engineering sector. Rising costs of material and equipment coupled with extended lead time for delivery of material and equipment is causing a crunch. Some firms are a year or two behind in projects due to either lack of engineers or lack of skilled construction labor, even with ample infrastructure funding. Being in demand is a good problem to have,

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

A “DIGITAL TWIN” OF THE MORTON MANDAN PUBLIC LIBRARY IN MANDAN, N.D., CREATED BY ENGINEERS AT BARTLETT & WEST. A DIGITAL TWIN IS A VIRTUAL MODEL DESIGNED TO ACCURATELY REFLECT A PHYSICAL OBJECT OR SPACE.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

but if shortages are threatening clients to go elsewhere, it’s a hindrance to business. The hope is that the delays and shortages are short-term, but if not, industry advancements will find a way to keep business moving forward.

Bob Schlieman, a civil engineer with APEX Engineering, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, said technological advances in materials are giving longer life to infrastructure systems, the foundation of all communities.

“On the construction side, it affects the way we look at projects and design things –trenchless technologies that weren’t around 20-30 years ago, for example. They keep getting more and more advanced. We’ve got directional drilling, jacking and boring, slip lining, cured in place pipe. It just allows us as engineers to look at projects in different ways,” Schlieman said.

Even the way information is stored is changing, allowing for more detailed and accurate records. GIS (geographic information systems) technology allows engineers to store and access information more efficiently than past record-keeping practices.

SCOTT SCHAEFER

BOB SCHLIEMAN

“A lot of the technology we use for design, whether it’s CAD MicroStation, things like that, keeps advancing and making our practices and efforts a lot more efficient,” he said.

Trending alternative delivery methods for projects include the design-build model. Jon Markusen, associate vice president of transportation with KLJ Engineering’s Grafton, North Dakota, office, said design-build isn’t new but is becoming more common. It allows collaboration between the engineer and the contractor at a different level and allows for more innovation to be seen, which ultimately saves the client money in the end, he explained.

An aspect of project planning that’s gained traction over the past few years is the public involvement and engagement piece. The way engineers are presenting the information is also evolving.

“Project owners want to gather public input early in the process to avoid having projects that won’t meet the needs that people are looking for and then carry that out through construction,” Markusen said. “They really want to keep the public engaged through the entire project. To do that, we’re seeing a lot more visualizations and renderings of how it will look. We’re using interactive maps during public meetings. In some projects we’re getting actual animations.”

The better the input up front, the better planners can address issues or concerns of a project.

Improving safety is always at the forefront of civil engineering design, and can be as simple as better reflectivity on highway striping paint to advanced warning systems that are safer for pedestrians.

“Technology is a big driver of safety,” he said. Before any technology gets to commercialization and adoption, it goes through research and development, which can often happen at higher education institutions.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

AE2S DESIGNED THE REHABILITATION AND PROCESS MODIFICATIONS FOR FOUR 100-FOOT FINAL CLARIFIERS AT THE SIOUX FALLS WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY. COURTESY AE2S

A STREET CORRIDOR IN THE CITY OF ORTONVILLE, MINN., AFTER AN UNDERGROUND UTILITY AND STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT WAS COMPLETED. COURTESY APEX ENGINEERING GROUP

A PRE-FABRICATED BRIDGE IN GRAND FORKS COUNTY. COURTESY KLJ ENGINEERING

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Perfectly designed to thrive in its environment. Adaptable enough to evolve with the times. Buildingsmar tfor asolid future. It’s second nature at KLJ.

Perfectly designed to thrive in its environment. Adaptable enough to evolve with the times. Buildingsmar tfor asolid future. It’s second nature at KLJ.

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ENGINEERINGINDUSTRY TRENDS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

Adam Gladen, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at North Dakota State University, Fargo, is leading a Department of Energy grant of approximately $1.74 million to develop a novel thermochemical adsorption material for energy storage. The research team is working to embed a framework of nanocellulose with hygroscopic salt, according to NDSU. The material will be the basis for economical and highly efficient thermal energy storage systems. These alternative energy storage technologies are driven by the need to diversify.

“There’s a real strong push to diversify our energy portfolio,” Gladen said of North Dakota. In March, the state produced 4045% of its electricity from renewable energy sources, much from wind energy. Wind and coal are the state’s two biggest energy producers.

“I feel that we’re task people, tasked to be good stewards of what we’ve been given and that includes our energy resources – natural gas, petroleum, coal, solar, biomass – and using those effectively to help,” Gladen said. “In North Dakota, we see it in our economy – commodity prices go up, it’s booming. Commodity prices go down, North Dakota is hurting. If we can diversify that, it helps mitigate those risks. It’s like diversifying your portfolio.”

Thermal energy storage and electrical energy storage at larger scale are investments that individual states and the country as a whole are investigating. With the explosion in popularity of electric vehicles, engineering students are learning about the need for energy storage and what that could look like.

Another area of Gladen’s research is getting funding for studies on more ambient energy – utilizing low quality, low temperature energy for things like passive energy design and new building envelopes (walls and windows), he said. The intent is to make the envelope retain heat when it’s wanted and let that heat out when it’s not needed.

“The Department of Energy just set up a new thermal energy consortium to try to push that, just set up this year, for transfer of thermal energies,” Gladen said.

With technology advancing at such a rapid pace, engineering students may encoun-

ADAM GLADEN JON MARKUSEN

ter challenges in the profession they didn’t have practical experience with in school.

Sanjeev Kumar, dean of engineering at South Dakota State University, has the answer to that. Although students are being trained for future industries and occupations that may not even exist yet, the key is to teach them critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This way, no matter what they encounter, they will be able to break down the problem into smaller parts and work their way through to a solution.

“Engineering is something you can apply to any field – genetics, health care, whatever the topic we can bring engineering to it. It’s already being applied,” Kumar said.

SANJEEV KUMAR

Kumar sees the workforce shortage as temporary, and emphasizes the importance of partnering higher education with industry.

“Industry needs to collaborate and we need to collaborate with industry to train our future engineers to take care of the short term issue of the labor force and not lose the focus of the future,” he said.

For those wondering if engineering is the career path for them, Kumar advises students to take math and science courses, as they will open up a world of job opportunities.

“You just bring your passion and if you want to be an engineer, we’ll make sure you become an engineer,” Kumar said.

MANUFACTURING AFFECTED BY SUPPLY CHAIN ‘HANGOVER’

LABOR SHORTAGES, DELIVERY DELAYS CONTINUE TO HAMPER PRODUCTION

SAM EASTER

The pandemic is safely behind manufacturers, but the after-effects haven’t faded just yet. That’s especially true for Eureka Manufacturing Co., the swimming pool product and custom manufacturer. Manager Cathryn Binstock said the labor market is as tight as she’s seen it.

“I mean, people will contact you looking for a job,” she said. “You’ll set up an interview, and they just won’t show up.”

Right now the company’s manufacturing facility in Eureka, S.D., has an open welding and office manager position open. In a rural area, it’s always harder to come by work, but right now it seems especially hard to find help.

“We always are open to talk to anybody interested in working at any time, just because we know that it is hard to find someone,” Binstock said.

Though the labor market is cooling, it’s still one of the most marked reminders of a pandemic-era economy that’s only now giving way to a new economic cycle. Manufacturers around the upper Midwest note rising inflation and a few remaining snaggles in supply chains — all signs that, while the tumult of the last three years has subsided, it hasn’t disappeared completely.

Inflation is slowing, for instance, with June inflation figures showing a 3% year-over-year increase in prices – or a 4.8% increase, excluding energy and food. That’s a dramatic drop when overall rates were at about 9% last year.

But at Grand Forks’ PS Industries, Inc., Sales and Marketing Director Mark Haaland notes that some materials costs are still significantly higher than pre-pandemic. He noted that one kind of steel saw prices jump to more than double their pre-pandemic prices; that’s now faded back to about 50% higher, but it’s still nowhere close to 2019 levels.

“Everything has gone up,” he said. “just from material parts to labor costs, they’ve gone up.”

Perhaps the most famous issue of the pandemic-era economy was the supply chain, which became a tangled mess as supply and demand whipsawed global networks. Haaland said that PS Industries still sees some shortages.

“There are still items out there that are unreasonable ... .a lot of stainlesses are getting really hard to find, especially some of the higher-grade stainless,” he said, owing to a trace element used in production that’s become scarce.

Supply chain issues have persisted and shifted, Reuters reports, enough that Dean Croke, principal analyst for DAT Freight and Analytics, told the

MATT KROKE POWDER COATS PARTS AT PS INDUSTRIES IN GRAND FORKS MONDAY, JULY 10, 2023. ERIC HYLDEN FOR PRAIRIE BUSINESS

news service that supply chains are in the midst of a “long-term hangover.”

At DigiKey, the electronics components distributor headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., many of those supply chain tangles became apparent quickly. President Dave Doherty became intimately familiar with the “golden screw” effect — in which all the components for a product might be available save just a few, which were bottlenecked during the pandemic.

The company has grown its inventory significantly since then, Doherty said.

“We’d like to have in stock at any given time 95%-plus of what we advertise,” Doherty said. “And so you’re really trying to look at your rearview mirror to see what you’re going to need and project it forward. And there were times at the pandemic at its peak … the parts that were really popular to a high number of customers, the stock was down at the 60%-type of level.”

That’s rebounded back into just under 90%, Doherty said.

“So it’s still not at the 95%-plus, but we’re making gains each month to get some of those hard-to-get products back in stock,” he said.

The future, though, looks brighter. At Eureka, there’s a strong sense that things can’t continue the way they are — the labor market has to change for the better eventually.

“There needs to be change,” she said. “And I think it’s inevitable that it’s gotta happen.”

MARC STENNES WORKS ON SHEETING A HINGE-SWING FLOOD BARRIER AT PS INDUSTRIES IN GRAND FORKS, N.D., FOR A CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL IN NEW YORK. ERIC HYLDEN FOR PRAIRIE BUSINESS

COLLABORATION IS KEY TO ENHANCING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

BRIAN TANDE

As the Dean of the College of Engineering and Mines at the University of North Dakota, I’m excited to see the growth in career opportunities for our students. Nearly every week, we are contacted by companies who need more engineers and are looking to find ways to connect with our students. Things have changed significantly over the past 30 years, as an alum of our program recently mentioned to me. Not that long ago, most graduates needed to move to Minneapolis or another large city to find employment. Today there are a wealth of opportunities across the region for our graduates, and almost anyone who wants to stay in the region will likely be able to do so.

At the same time, I do have some concerns about our ability to meet that growing demand. As a native of North Dakota, I see our role in supporting economic growth as a critical part of our mission. I worry that challenging demographics and shifting attitudes toward higher ed will make it harder for us to attract students to our programs and produce the graduates our region needs. Advances in AI create additional challenges, as we work to figure out what impact these new tools will have on engineering education and practice. Ultimately, we need to approach these problems as engineers and find solutions in spite of new and uncertain sets of constraints.

It is my belief that those solutions must include increased collaboration both within and between institutions of higher education. Here at UND, we’ve worked hard to eliminate the silos that often exist between departments and colleges. The collaborative environment we’ve fostered makes it easier to work across campus to enhance educational opportunities for students and teach them how to work on multidisciplinary teams. One recent product of that environment is our new aerospace engineering program, which will launch this fall and be offered jointly between our college and the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences.

When it comes to collaboration between institutions, I’ve found our colleagues at North Dakota State University to be very receptive to thinking about new ways of working together to help meet the needs of students and employers. I’m hopeful these discussions will lead to a seamless state-wide approach to engineering education and the creation of a more robust pipeline of engineering talent that also includes our high schools and other NDUS partner institutions. A great example of how to work between institutions is the joint UND-NDSU biomedical engineering graduate program, now in its sixth year. Programs like that can lead the way toward working more closely together to ensure North Dakota has the engineering workforce it needs to continue to grow.

We are also looking for new ways to deepen our relationships with our corporate partners and employers. Going beyond the traditional sponsored design projects and advisory boards, we are currently experimenting with an approach in which companies have a presence within our facility to work directly with students on projects. If successful, this approach could be incorporated into the design of a new engineering and science facility being planned on the UND campus. We are also exploring new ways of working with industry to decrease the cost of higher education for students through an apprenticeship-like program with manufacturing companies in our area. We are confident that increasing connections to employers and providing opportunities to learn engineering by working on real-world problems will help attract more students into the profession.

While the future of engineering education has its challenges and uncertainty, we remain optimistic about our ability to support the needs of the region and continued economic growth.

SHUTTERSTOCK

BRIAN TANDE

Brian Tande, PhD, is the dean of the College of Engineering and Mines and professor of chemical engineering at the University of North Dakota.

ADDITION ON TRACK FOR GROWING RESPEC CORPORATE OFFICE

CARRIE MCDERMOTT

An addition to the corporate headquarters of RESPEC, a global leader in geoscience, engineering, data, and integrated technology solutions for major industry sectors, is underway in Rapid City, South Dakota. The expanding company has more than 500 employees across the United States.

The 17,000-square-foot addition will house both open and private offices, a training room, break room and restrooms, along with a lab and storage space. Jeremy Altman, principal architect at Architecture, Inc., Rapid City, gave an update on the project, which is being built by Dean Kurtz Construction, also of Rapid City.

“This building is a result of their growing staff,” Altman said of RESPEC.

The two-level addition connects to the existing building with an elevated walkway or “skybridge.”

“The client RESPEC provided the engineering – it was an unusual situation. Normally the consultants work for us,” Altman said. “In this case the owner also provides structural mechanical engineering. High-performance systems are very important to them.”

The acoustic systems in open areas are high performing and more insulation was used than code requires, he said.

Recognizing natural light as important to the client, architectural elements were designed that will block the sun when it gets low but will still allow indirect lighting that employees can get benefits from without having to draw the blinds.

The foundations were about finished by mid-July, and then steel framing columns and beams will be brought in and installed.

“They hope to be mostly, if not fully, enclosed by winter and then can start on the interior,” Altman said.

This is the first project between RESPEC and Architecture, Inc., but both have the contractor in common, Altman said.

Architecture, Inc. specializes in schools and health care facilities, but works on a range of projects primarily in South Dakota, and does some work in surrounding states.

Altman said what differentiates Architecture, Inc., from others is that they’re very good at listening to their clients and being able to bring suggestions and ideas the clients may not have thought of. That collaboration between client and architect can often bring about new solutions.

The best part of his job is helping people in the community through design, he said.

“So often they’re telling us they’re making things work but don’t realize how much they’re fighting against their spaces, so to speak. Good design really makes a difference,” he said.

Driving around town and seeing the projects he’s worked on and understanding how it’s helped the people who work in that space is rewarding, he said.

The RESPEC office addition is expected to be completed in May 2024.

ARTIST RENDERING OF THE ADDITION TO RESPEC’S CORPORATE OFFICE IN RAPID CITY, S.D. COURTESY ARCHITECTS INC.

ENCLAVE EXPANDS EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM, NAMES MARK KALVODA CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

ACKERMAN-ESTVOLD WELCOMES NEW PARTNERS

Minot, ND • Ackerman-Estvold is pleased to announce the addition of four principals to the organization. Paul Kramer, Antonio Conti, Aaron Fornshell, and Brent Burgard have been added to the ownership team as vice presidents of the organization.

MARK KALVODA

West Fargo, ND • Enclave is proud to welcome Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Mark Kalvoda to its team. As CFO of Enclave, Kalvoda will lead the areas of finance, accounting and IT. His position oversees all financial operations for the company, including financial planning and analysis, accounting and treasury.

A proven executive leader, Kalvoda brings more than 30 years of finance and accounting experience. Most recently, he served as CFO of Titan Machinery, where he supported an initial public offering (IPO), a catalyst that transitioned the private company into a $2 billion global organization.

“This new role of CFO reflects Enclave’s commitment to the success of our partners, team members and communities,” said Eric Christianson, Chief Operating Officer of Enclave. “Mark’s demonstrated experience scaling a company, navigating financial complexity and strategic leadership will bring new capabilities to achieve Enclave’s long-term goals.”

A unified real estate investment firm with in-house development, construction and management, Enclave has deployed more than $1 billion in real estate assets across the Midwest. Specializing in multifamily and build-to-suit industrial, the company has grown to more than 200 team members with over 100 successfully completed projects since its founding in 2011.

“I am impressed with Enclave’s track record of performance and dedication to creating value that exceeds expectations through a dynamic integrated business model,” said Kalvoda. “As CFO, I look forward to supporting the firm’s vision alongside an incredible team. Together, we will create a bright future for Enclave and our stakeholders.”

“There are a number of exciting things occurring in the organization, the disciplines we support, and the communities we have the privilege of working in. These gentlemen have proven to be leaders for our team and support our clients with integrity, hard work, and creative solutions. “We are proud to have them join the ownership group of Ackerman-Estvold,” said Ryan Ackerman, CEO.

Paul Kramer is a Senior Designer in our architecture group with over 30 years of experience in a large variety of projects, project management, and client relations.

Antonio Conti is a civil engineer with 28 years of experience and leads the firm’s operations in Idaho.

Aaron Fornshell is a civil engineer with 14 years of experience and works with clients on water, wastewater, and complex construction projects.

Brent Burgard has 14 years of finance experience and will assume the role of Chief Financial Officer for Ackerman-Estvold.

Ackerman-Estvold is an engineering and architecture firm headquartered in Minot with three additional office locations in North Dakota and one office in Idaho. The firm provides planning, design, and construction services for public and private clients throughout North Dakota, Idaho, and surrounding states. For more information about Ackerman-Estvold, visit www.ackerman-estvold.com.

JALEN HAM JOINS ALERUS AS SENIOR BUSINESS ADVISOR

West Fargo, ND • Alerus is pleased to announce Jalen Ham has joined Alerus as a senior business advisor. Ham specializes in serving clients in the agriculture sector, providing personal and business financial guidance to help them navigate the complexities of their industry to achieve and maintain financial wellness. He serves as his clients’ trusted financial partner and aids with growth and longterm planning, including lending and depos-

PAUL KRAMER ANTONIO CONTI BRENT BURGARD AARON FORNSHELL

its, retirement planning, estate planning, and wealth management.

Ham has five years of financial industry experience, and previously worked in the agriculture industry. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Minnesota State University Moorhead and is a graduate of the Dakota School of Banking, where he received the Outstanding Banker award in 2022.

Ham is based in West Fargo, North Dakota.

JALEN HAM

ISABEL JOHNSON

INTERSTATE ENGINEERING ANNOUNCES NEW HIRES

ND/SD • Interstate Engineering is excited to announce the addition of team members to the firm.

Isabel Johnson recently joined the Horace, North Dakota, team as an administrative assistant. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Science from North Dakota State University. Isabel brings energy and excitement with her as she joins the Horace office. Her experience along with her knowledge will complement Interstate Engineering’s growing team.

SOPHIE CALDWELL

Interstate Engineering is pleased to welcome Sophia Caldwell to the Spearfish, South Dakota, office. As a CADD technician, she joins the team with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Engineering Science from Dordt University. Her knowledge and drive to continue learning will make her a valuable addition to the Interstate Engineering team.

LANG JOINS APEX FULL TIME

Fargo, ND • Paige Lang has been part of the Apex Water Group as an intern since the Spring of 2021. She recently completed her bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Mary and now joins Apex fulltime. As a graduate engineer, she will assist the water resources team with a variety of urban and rural design projects.

PAIGE LANG

ACKERMAN-ESTVOLD WELCOMES GRACE DIETZ AS A PROJECT DESIGNER

BAILEY GOSCHKE

Bailey Goschke expanded the Spearfish team by joining as a survey technician. Goschke holds an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Land Surveying and Civil Engineering Technology. As a recent North Dakota State College of Science graduate, she brings energy and enthusiasm to the Spearfish team. Her knowledge, along with her drive to continue to learn, will make her a valuable addition to the firm.

GRACE DIETZ

Fargo, ND • Grace Dietz has joined the Ackerman-Estvold Fargo office as a project designer. Dietz earned Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degrees from North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota. Grace will bring a fresh perspective to the team with the most up-to-date skills in program design. Her responsibilities will include drafting, conceptual design, and design development on architectural projects throughout the region.

LINDSAY HAGERTY LOGAN SMITH

Interstate Engineering is pleased to welcome Lindsay Hagerty to the Wahpeton office. After testing the waters as an intern, she recently joined the team full-time as a staff engineer. As a North Dakota State University graduate, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. Her knowledge and education will complement the growing team. “I hope to make an impact at Interstate Engineering by contributing to the improvement of the communities we serve,” says Lindsay of her goals in her new role.

Logan Smith recently joined the Fergus Falls office as a Project Technician. He holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in Civil Engineering Technology from Minnesota State Community and Technical College. His knowledge, along with his drive to continue to learn, will make him a valuable addition to the Interstate Engineering team.

ACKERMAN-ESTVOLD WELCOMES JETT SKAR AS CIVIL ENGINEER

Minot, ND • Jett Skar has joined the Ackerman-Estvold Minot office as a full-time civil engineer. He recently earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND. Skar has worked in the Minot office as a seasonal intern for the last two summers, gaining experience in construction engineering and job site inspection. Jett will be working with the construction engineering group providing assistance to projects during the summer season and then focus on design for municipalities in communities throughout the region.

JETT SKAR

Q.INSIGHTS & INTUITION

Chad Dustin Senior Project Manager, Construction Engineers Grand

How do you unlock the untapped potential of team members at your organization?

Unlocking untapped potential is an ongoing process that takes continuous adjustments to get the most from each employee. A few ways that we have been able to accomplish this are by utilizing the following:

• Recognizing an employee’s strengths: By spending time with employees, you get an understanding of what they are good at and can use these strong points to help each employee grow within the company.  By using their strengths to their advantage, it allows all to feel empowered and more confident in specific tasks.

• Setting clear goals:  Working with each employee to set clear and attainable goals assists each of them in recognizing their individual strengths to be more confident and gives a greater desire to develop their skill set.

• Encouraging open lines of communication: Spending time in the field with each crew is a great way to open these lines of communication.  Knowing that our field staff has the support from the top down gives them the confidence to succeed knowing that there is always someone to talk to as projects progress.

• Supporting a team philosophy: No project can be completed by a single person; it takes a full team that is working as one.  It takes cooperation from the whole team to be able to work together and have a successful project and constant communication at all levels throughout a project is key to a successful team culture.

• Offering Learning Opportunities: We currently utilize an internal carpenter training program to increase the knowledge base of our employees in the field.  By utilizing this program, we can use this curriculum as well as in-person training courses and on-site testing taught by our skilled workforce to provide real world, in-person trainings.

By utilizing the items listed above as well as many others, we can unlock the untapped potential in each of our team members.

Forks, North Dakota

The most valuable resource any organization has are found in the human component – its team members. Tapping into everyone’s fullest potential is a labor-intensive process but Ackerman-Estvold knows it reaps many rewards from investing in our staff and it is always a high priority.

We facilitate growth and look for ways to support our professionals by fostering a culture of learning and offering opportunities for growth and development in a multitude of ways. We promote continuous learning within the organization by creating opportunities for employees to pursue professional development; some examples are workshops, conferences, training programs, and one-on-one coaching.

Trying to think proactively we like to identify growth opportunities within our team, providing cross-functional training and experiences, creating career development pathways, and providing constructive feedback. We know an environment of true collaboration is based on trusting one another; by encouraging our employees to interact with each, share knowledge, and practice open communication our team is better rounded having a more complete picture of the whole process. We are open to innovative strategies from all members of our team, giving each person room to try new things and creating a collective environment feeling comfortable sharing ideas and suggestions.

We strongly believe in empowering staff to make decisions, take ownership of their work, and give them a platform to showcase their skills and ideas; in turn, creating satisfied and confident team members. Because of how fast the world moves, one thing frequently overlooked is taking time to celebrate successes. We have taken a concentrated approach to intentionally celebrate both individual and team accomplishments, as our company is only as good as the sum of its individuals and by celebrating each person’s accomplishments we celebrate the culture A-E has created.

Rachel Stevenson Director of Human Resources, Ackerman-Estvold Minot, North Dakota

Sanford Health has always believed that our most important asset is the Sanford Family – each one of our 47,000 employees. Our employees are encouraged to share their voices which help drive improvements, create engagement and build a trusting culture.

Sanford Health ranks in the top 25% among peers in the health care industry for meaningful work and inclusiveness as a strength based on employee experience survey results. We have significantly grown our diversity council and employee resource groups with supporting initiatives that ensure representation, creating awareness, driving inclusivity and a feeling of belonging in the workplace.

You don’t have to look far to see the impact Sanford Health has on our community – from our sponsorships of events and activities that brings families together and enhances the quality of life to the relationships we proudly have with education institutions in our footprint that support professional development and growth. Our employees lead projects and teams that bring life-saving treatments to our patients through clinical research, and our innovation unit continues to discover new bedside clinical support opportunities. Our people, patients and residents and community are at the heart and focus of everything we do.

Sanford Health has also created a variety of honor and recognition awards for employees that are making a true difference in the lives of those around them. Several award examples include Employee of Year, Brand Ambassador, HERO awards and various service awards.

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Tiffany Lawrence President and CEO, Sanford Fargo Fargo, North Dakota

PERSONAL TAX LIABILITIES AND INCOME BEFORE TAX LIABILITIES, 2013–20

Before 2020, personal tax liabilities and average annual income trends moved together, both exhibiting strong upward trends through 2019, with a dip in 2017 in current U.S. dollars. Personal tax liabilities rose steadily from 2013 to 2016, with a total increase of 41.1 percent over this period. During this same period, average annual income increased 17.1 percent. In 2017, the year of the TCJA enactment, personal tax liabilities fell by 4.8 percent while average annual income fell by 1.5 percent, likely the result of the TCJA’s policies, such as the doubling of the standard deduction.

EVEN THOUGH TAX LIABILITIES DECREASED FOR ALL INCOME GROUPS, THE LOWER INCOME GROUPS SAW A MUCH LARGER DECREASE

Even though personal tax liabilities decreased for all income groups, these decreases were unequally distributed. The lowest two income groups had larger percentage declines, compared with the higher income groups. Between 2019 and 2020, personal tax liability of the lowest group decreased by a considerable 828.0 percent and the second lowest income group decreased by 943.5 percent. The higher income groups reduced their personal tax burden by a comparatively small 61.1 percent and an even smaller 4.1 percent for the second highest income group.

THE TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT INCREASED PERSONAL TAX LIABILITIES FOR CONSUMER UNITS WITH A REFERENCE PERSON OVER 65

In 2017, personal tax liabilities increased by 25.5 percent for consumer units (CUs) with a reference person 65 years and older because of rising income.7 However, for CUs with a reference person under 65, tax liabilities fell by 7.9 percent.

PERSONAL TAX LIABILITIES INCREASED FOR RENTERS BUT FELL FOR HOMEOWNERS IN 2017

In 2017, trends in personal tax liabilities differed for homeowners and renters. While personal tax liabilities for homeowners decreased by 11.3 percent from 2016 to 2017, they increased by 28.7 percent for renters. These different trends occurred despite the TCJA’s capped mortgage itemized deduction (increasing tax liability burden for homeowners) and increased standard deduction (lowering tax liability burden for both homeowners and renters).

The trends of personal tax liabilities for homeowners and renters likely went in different directions due to different income levels. Average annual income for homeowners decreased by 3.8 percent, while the average annual income of renters increased by 5.3 percent, and these changes in income affected personal tax liabilities more than the TCJA’s tax code changes.

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