Prairie Business April 2024

HOW INDUSTRIES ARE LEVERAGING AI

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AnAnsweredPrayerforDayCare.

An Answered Prayer for Day Care.

When a couple suddenly felt called to open a local day care, a Gate City Bank business lender went to unimaginable lengths to bring their real-estate dream to life.

Whenacouplesuddenlyfeltcalledtoopenalocaldaycare,aGateCityBankbusinesslender wenttounimaginablelengthstobringtheirreal-estatedreamtolife.

StephenandDeeDecimusHolmesknowfirsthand howwhimsicallyinsistenttheuniversecanbe.Ithasa reputationforupendingourbiglifeplanstoclearthe wayforsomethingunexpected–somethingbetter. Attheendoftheday,onecan’tdismissdestiny;what’s meanttobewillsimply be

Andthemessageusuallycomesacrossprettyclear.

‘ThisNeedstoBeaDayCare.’

IntheyearleadinguptotheirmarriageinMay2021, theHolmesesbegantoexperiencesomethingthey couldn’texplain,anunrelentinginklingthatwould heighteneverytimetheydrovepasttheseemingly insignificantabandonedlotat624NWashingtonSt. Dayafterday,astheycommutedtoandfromwork, theimpressionplacedontheirheartswouldbe impossibletoignore– “Thisneedstobeadaycare.”

“Itstartedwithmyhusband.He’dbringupthis randomideaofopeningadaycareinthatspecific spot.I’drespondwith,‘OK,honey.Whateveryousay,’” Holmeschuckles.“We’rebusyentrepreneurswithtwo kids,sowewereatfullcapacity.Plus,weweren’teven sureifthepropertywasforsale.Evenifitwas,wedidn’t havethemoney.Itwastotallyoutofourwheelhouse, butGodkeptnudgingus.”

Littledidthecoupleknow,thatdivinepersistence wouldturnouttobeextremelygoodnewsfor GrandForks.Thecommunityhadbeenexperiencing anunprecedentedchildcarecrisisinrecentyears, withmultiplefacilitiesclosingtheirdoors–either temporarilyorforgood–duetoacripplinglabor shortage.Parentswouldsuddenlyfindthemselves withoutdaycare,andthey’dbeforcedtostayhome fromwork.

Asthemonthswenton,theconfoundingand unshakableimpulsetoopenadaycareonlyintensified fortheHolmeses.Thenoneday,theyreceivedasign–a“forsale”sign,tobeexact.Andforreasonsneitherof themcouldevenbegintofathom,theyturnedontothe property,shiftedintoparkandswitchedoff theengine.

FirstOrderofBusiness.

Tothisday,theHolmeseslaughandshaketheir headswhenevertheyreminisceabouttheirrational excitementtheyfeltwhiledraftingupabusinessplan. Intruedie-hard-entrepreneurfashion,itwasduring theirhoneymoon,whiletheyweresittingdowntowhat was supposed tobearelaxingdinnerattheirfavorite steakhouse.Butthisjustcouldn’twait.Theysnagged acornerbooth,pluckedanapkinandbegantoscribble ideas.Inbetweenbites,abeautifulvisioncametolife.

“Wesketchedoutthelogo,discussedthetimelineand evenregisteredthebusiness,”Holmessays,adding thatthebusinesswouldfeatureauniquehands-on learningmodelforkiddos.“Wealsolandedonaname –ElWayChildCareandLearningCenter. Thiswhole undertakinghadseemedsoimpossiblefromthevery beginning,butGodkeptshowingus‘theway.’We couldn’tthinkofmoreperfectwords.”

Beforethenewlywedspickedupthecheck,theyjotted downone finalreminderontheirnotesnapkin.And tothisday,theythanktheirluckystarsthattheydid–becauseitwouldultimatelyprovecrucialtomakingEl Waypossible.

“CallDarrylatGateCityBank.”

NearandDeartoaLender’sHeart.

DarrylJorgensonhadgrowntoknowtheHolmeseswell inrecentyears,whilehelpingthemsecureahandfulof loansfortheirotherbusinesses,All-EmbracingHome HealthCareandHorizonPropertyManagement.From dayone,hesawhowtrulysalt-of-the-earththeyare, andhehascherishedtheirfriendshipeversince.So whenthecouple’snamepoppeduponhiscallerID onceagaininspring2022,hecrackedawarmsmile.

“StephenandDeehavealwayswantedtohelppeople, andtheyknewtherewasahugeneedfordaycare,”says Jorgenson,AssistantVicePresident,BusinessLender atGateCityBank.“Whentheyreachedouttotalkabout potential financingoptions,Iwasblownawaybyhowon topofthingstheywere.”

TheHolmeseshadsecured$375,000ingrantfunds fromthestateofNorthDakota.(Just enoughto coverthedownpayment.)Theyhadconnectedwith theGrandForksRegionEconomicDevelopment Corporationtogetaheadofworkforceneeds.Theyhad evenopeneduptheirbusinessmodel–andtheirhearts –toincludeaspecial-needsandyouthfacilitythatwas unexpectedlygrandfatheredintothedeal.

Whenit finallycametimetogetestimatesonmortgage andrenovationloansforthedaycare,Jorgensonwas extraexcitedtohelp–becausethisonehit extra close tohome.Yearsback,asasingledaddoinghisbestto raisetwoboyswhileservingintheU.S.Navy,therewere oftendayswheredaycarewouldfallthrough,andhe wouldbeleftwithatornsenseofduty.Hedidn’twish thatonanyone.

GiventheHolmes’strainedcapitalsituation,Jorgenson knewtheyfacedafewinitialhurdlesintermsofthe loanapplicationprocess,butthatdidn’tfazehiminthe least.Thetaskwasanythingbutimpossible,andhehad unwaveringfaithinthecouple’svision.Hewasbound anddeterminedtoseeitthrough.

TheHolmeses(middle)poseforapicturewithDarrel Jorgenson,GateCityBankAssistantVicePresident, BusinessLender(right),andtheirrealtor,IzaiahReynolds.

BurningtheMidnightDarryl.

UponwrappinguphisinitialElWaycallwiththe Holmeses,Jorgensonpocketedhisphone,snatched upthekeystohispickupandboltedoutthedoorto visittheproperty–itwastimetogettowork.

Initially,everythingwentsmoothly.Thegoodnews wasthatcertainpartsofthelot–suchasanoutdoor playgroundareaandmostofthemainexisting building’sstructuralframework–couldeasilybe salvaged,whichhelpedcutcosts.Soon,however, theheadachesstartedtotricklein.Literally.

“Therewaswaterinthebasement.Theroofneeded attention.TheHVACsystemhadissues.Thewear andtearwasprettyextensive,”Jorgensonsays.“The deeperwedugintowhatitwouldtaketoremodel,the morewerealizedhowlarge theproject’sscopewould be,waymorethanwhatwehadthought.”

Theloanrequirementsnearlytripledovernight.And withtheHolmesesalreadystretchingtheirpersonal liquiditytoitslimitstocoverday-to-dayneedsfor theirotherbusinesses,moneywastighterthanever. Jorgensonwentoutofhiswaytocalmthewaters, offering flexibilityinmultipleareas,especiallywhenit

cametoadjustingtimelines.Hewasintheircorner constantly–alenderinsomuchwithanadded helpfultouch.

“Darrylisamiracleworker.He’samazing,”Holmessays, addingthatJorgensoneventookituponhimselftohelp handlecommunicationandlogisticswithcontractors, insuranceagentsandotherthirdparties,tokeep theloanapplicationprogressing.“Ican’ttellyouhow manyhoursheputintothisproject.I’dgetemailsin theevening,at5a.m.Hejustkeptgoingaboveand beyond.There’snootherpersonorbankwhowould havedonethatforus.”

Anditallpaidoff ElWayofficiallyopeneditsdoors onMay22,2023,theHolmes’one-yearwedding anniversary. Naturally,JorgensonwasJohnny-onthe-spottohelpthemcelebrate,asweremanyother communityfriendsandpartners.Therewasone particularguest,however,whowouldmaketheday extraspecial–andwhatshehadtosaywouldknock theHolmesesoff theirfeet.

OnMay22,2023,staff membersandcommunitypartners huddleforapictureduringthegrandopeningceremonyfor ElWayChildCareandLearningCenterinGrandForks.

AWarmOpening,andaColdApproach.

May22wasanespeciallybrightdayinGrandForks. Thesunwasshining,excitedcommunitymembers wereminglingandthehappycolorsofthenewly unveiledElWaylogowereglisteningforalltosee.On its firstday,thebusinesswasalreadyfullystaffedand at50%capacity,adreamevidencedbythelaughing childrenplayingblissfullythroughoutthegrounds. Itwasabeautifulpicture–almostperfect.

Overcomewithsheerjoyatthethoughtthattheir impossibledaycarehadactuallybecomeareality, theHolmesestemporarilysteppedawayfrom thecrowdtotakeeverythingin.Astheystood together,beamingatthesightofaonce-deadlot flourishingwithnewlife,agrinningchurchfriend

slowlyapproachedthemfromanearbygroupand extendedafriendlyhello.

AfterexpressingtotheHolmeseshowwonderful ElWaywasandhowgreatlysheappreciatedthem bringingittothecommunity,thewomanpaused brieflyandlookedoff towardtheproperty,asifin intensesearchoftherightwordstosaynext.She thenreturnedhergazeandsharedwiththecouple somethingthey’vemarveledateverydaysince,and willneverforgetfortherestoftheirlives.

“Shesaidshedidn’tmeantobotherus,butthere wassomethingweneededtoknow,”Holmessays. “Forthebetterpartoftwoyears,startingaround whatturnsouttobethetimemyhusbandandIgot engaged,shehadbeenprayingdiligentlythataday carewouldopenonthislot.Itbroughtmetotears.” Anansweredprayerfordaycare,nodoubt.

ElWay–Fora Better WayofLife.®

Nearlyayearin,ElWayandthebelovedchildren itservesarethriving.Thebusinesscontinuesto steadilygrow,andtheHolmesesexpectittobeat fullcapacityinnotime.Together,they’vediscovered anewkindofjoy,andanamplifiedappreciationfor thecommunitytheycallhome.

“WejustloveGrandForks.Ourheartbelongstothe peoplehere,”Holmessays.“Wealsocherishour closerelationshipwithDarrylandGateCityBank.It wasdefinitelyGod’splanforustopartnerwiththem.” ForJorgenson,thefeelingismutual.Whilehecan’t explainit,fromtheverybeginning,heknewinhis heartthathewasmeanttohelpwiththisproject. It’sgivenhimanewsenseofpurpose.

“Tohelpanorganizationlikethis,whichismeetinga direcommunityneed,isaprivilege,”hesays.“It’snot evenwork.”

Attheendoftheday,bothJorgensonandthe Holmesesagree:Whensomethingbetterpresents itself,nomatterhowunnervingornonsensicalthe undertakingmayseem,withjustaglimmerofhope anda littlebit offaith–there’salwaysaway.

TO WELCOME

AUSTIN JONES TO OUR WILLISTON, N.D. OFFICE

WILLISTON, N.D. • KLJ ENGINEERING LLC (KLJ), IS PLEASED TO WELCOME AUSTIN JONES TO OUR WILLISTON, N.D OFFICE.

JONES WILL SERVE AS AN ENGINEER IN TRAINING IN OUR OIL AND GAS TEAM AND HAS FIVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. HE HAS MANAGED AND COORDINATED THE INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE, AND FLOW OPTIMIZATION OF VARIOUS PIPELINE SYSTEMS, INCLUDING SALTWATER, GAS, AND FRESHWATER. HIS INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE ENRICHES HIS DESIGN WORK, APPLYING A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE AND MAINTENANCE INSIGHTS TO ENGINEERING DESIGN. HE EARNED A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING FROM NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY.

KLJ LOOKS FORWARD TO JONES’ CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMPANY’S CONTINUED SUCCESS.

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AI USED TO COMBAT LABOR SHORTAGES, SAVE TIME

THE MIDWEST IS BENEFITTING

FROM AND CONTRIBUTING TO ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY

In late February, Curtis Dubay, chief economist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said we will have worker shortages for the rest of our lives. It wasn’t the news we wanted to hear during the Midwest Economic Outlook Summit held in Fargo, but there is an upside.

Interest rates are predicted to be cut by the Federal Reserve later this year, easing inflation, and then we can look forward to a good period of growth, he said. The Midwest is benefitting from and contributing to advances in technology in sectors such as agriculture, aerospace, transportation and artificial intelligence. Implementing generative AI systems and platforms is helping companies continue producing goods and services with fewer workers.

Doosan Bobcat Co. is one of the companies leveraging AI for advanced technology development surrounding autonomy, electrification and advanced connectivity, among other areas. Whether using AI to manage data and analytics or to track inventory, the construction equipment manufacturer is using the technology to benefit its employees and its customers.

Health care is another sector employing artificial or augmented intelligence to help with patient care, medical record management and even staffing logistics. Two leaders at Sanford Health shared the ways the health care system is testing and employing advanced technologies to help their staff work smarter.

The housing market was another hot topic covered at the summit – home prices and interest rates are high, pricing some people out of the market. Low housing inventory means buyers may not have many options to pick from right now. In this edition, we look at real estate trends in our region, ask the experts what’s creating the housing shortage and figure out which direction the market is headed.

Finally, enrollments at higher education institutions in the region may be bucking the national trend of heading toward a “cliff” beginning in 2025. Experts predict the enrollment rates to drop due to the Great Recession, which began in 2008. It’s also when U.S. birth rates dipped. University leaders shared their thoughts on the prediction and how their institutions are planning for the future.

At Prairie Business, we also like to plan for the future. We’re heading to Bismarck in mid-April to meet with business and community leaders who can give us their take on economic development in that region, and we’ll gain insights to help with upcoming coverage.

The nomination window is now open for our annual Leaders and Legacies Award, which honors founders, owners and leaders of businesses in our region who have either had an incredible year (leaders) or who have made a lasting impact in their industries and communities (legacies). The nomination form is on the Prairie Business website. We’ll highlight those professionals in our July edition.

If you’ve got a story idea or tip for us, send it our way. We appreciate sharing your business news and covering the trends and topics that are important to you.

Enjoy your spring!

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

A LOOK INTO HOW INDUSTRIES ARE LEVERAGING AI ADOPTING

BY CARRIE MCDERMOTT

California’s Silicon Valley may be the tech hub of the country, but the Midwest is no slouch when it comes to innovation and advancing technology, including artificial intelligence. Global construction equipment manufacturer Doosan Bobcat, with American headquarters in West Fargo, North Dakota, has been using artificial intelligence (AI) for years. The company’s Rogers, Minnesota, facility implemented an AI visual inspection system four years ago. It tracks raw materials that are gathered into kits and then sent on to plants in Gwinner or Bismarck, North Dakota, for assembly.

Joel Honeyman, Doosan Bobcat’s vice president of global vision, said the facili-

ty has a nearly 100% accuracy rate since the AI-assisted visual inspection system was implemented.

“It’s phenomenal. It’s a very simple system and the system continually retrains itself to know which parts to look for,” he said. “It seems simple but was very profound, the impact it had by implementing this one AI system.”

Ryan Delahoyde, the company’s vice president of North American Strategy and OPEX/TQM, said at the highest level, AI is being leveraged to make the company more efficient. It’s being used to do tasks such as streamlining minor decision-making processes all the way up to creating digital

From a strategy standpoint, it comes down to efficiency, quality and speed of our decision making.

Ryan Delahoyde, Doosan Bobocat’s vice president of North American Strategy and OPEX/TQM

twins of equipment to test out virtually before putting machinery into the field.

“With AI, these models can run 24-7, they can do so much more simulation than individual people can do,” Delahoyde said. “It’s reducing a lot of the manual analytics research. It’s enabling us to make better decisions because it allows us to consume and collect significantly more information than we previously could. From a strategy standpoint, it comes down to efficiency, quality and speed of our decision making.”

Artificial intelligence is a technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human intelligence and problem-solving capabilities. AI is already embedded

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

RYAN DELAHOYDE IS DOOSAN BOBCAT’S VICE PRESIDENT OF NORTH AMERICAN STRATEGY AND OPEX/TQM. / COURTESY KOTH PHOTO LLC

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

on patients, as well as pulling all the data together to identify a patient’s fall risk, if there’s a risk for medication errors or medication interactions.

In addition to patient care, privacy and compliance are two critical areas healthcare systems manage. Sanford’s privacy and compliance teams work together any time a new technology is launched to help take care of patients, DeBoer explained.

“The way computerized vision technology functions is it does not record what’s happening in the room, it learns,” she said. “As it relates to how we propose this to our family members and our patients, it’s a tool we use to help keep them safe and help take care of them. It’s not about us spying on them, it’s really just a tool we can use to help us care for them.”

Experienced nursing staff are on-site in a hub to help observe and assist with not only documentation but watch for some of that fall risk, DeBoer said.

into our daily lives – think GPS guidance systems, Google Translate, digital assistants and generative AI tools like Open AI’s ChatGPT, initially released in late 2022. A year and a half later, generative AI can learn and synthesize human language along with other data types including images, video, software code and even molecular structures. AI is having transformational effects on education, government, business and industry, and is expected to dramatically change the way things are done.

Sanford Health is using artificial intelligence to its advantage. Erica DeBoer, RN, is chief nursing officer for the Sanford Health system and works in the Sioux Falls area. She said health care is a high-touch profession, and AI helps their employees work smarter.

“We use the term ‘augmented intelligence’,” she said when talking about AI. Sanford Health has a proof of concept up and running using computer vision technology as part of the virtual nurse program. It helps providers identify those patients who are at a high risk of falling.

“It has video cameras in our patient rooms and helps us to interact not only with the patient but AI is learning in the background to identify if the patient is at high risk. It’s

pretty exciting to see how that can help us work smarter,” DeBoer said.

The company’s electronic records management system also utilizes an AI platform in the way information is collected

“There are absolute curbs and gutters around how we implement these kinds of software solutions as well as that’s the value of doing proof of concept so that we can not only prepare our front line teams, but also prepare our patients to what this technology looks like and how can it help us serve them in a more effective way,” she said.

DR.

ERICA DEBOER, RN, IS CHIEF NURSING OFFICER FOR THE SANFORD HEALTH SYSTEM AND IS BASED OUT OF SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA. / SUBMITTED

DAVE NEWMAN IS THE MEDICAL OFFICER FOR VIRTUAL CARE AT SANFORD HEALTH IN FARGO AND AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA’S SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES. / SUBMITTED

Dr. Dave Newman is the medical officer for virtual care at Sanford Health in Fargo and an assistant professor at the University of North Dakota’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He said Sanford Health has a commitment to safety and is committed to working with government, vendors and industry to make sure any new technology they adopt is truly going to help patients and help providers.

“One of the things we’re most excited about is using artificial intelligence to decrease provider burnout. One of the biggest problems now is the volume of messaging, the volume of the things we need to get through on an average day. Where generative AI can help, it can be the initial contact for some of these messages and leave a message for the provider,” he said. “There is always going to be provider oversight. That’s one thing we’re committed to. This is a tool that we use. Like a physician has a stethoscope or a surgeon has a scalpel. For lots of doctors, artificial intelligence will be a tool that we partner with.”

AI is also helping to augment workflows in the operating rooms and ensure when providers are at work they are utilized most effectively, Newman said. Another AI tool, predictive analytics, is used for colon cancer screening.

“We know there are not enough providers to perform the amount of colonoscopies we need. Using AI we can look at someone’s risk and see if they’re more appropriate for a different type of colon screening,” Newman said.

Report generation is yet another way AI, such as machine learning, is helping in the health-care space.

“We have a care monitoring program now where we generate a report on how well someone is doing with their diabetes. It can alert us to trends earlier than a human can,” Newman said. “We have a nurse partner with that technology to talk with the patient to get them into an appointment here. Identifying trends is huge for us.”

The financial sector has been using artificial intelligence to help with fraud detection by using pattern recognition. If a consumer’s bank alerts them to suspicious activity on their credit card, for example, an AI application has identified a change in purchasing habits or amounts, which can trigger that alert.

Artificial intelligence is being addressed in higher education, too. Students are not only learning how it can be utilized, but also how to create AI applications and platforms.

Dr. José-Marie Griffiths, president of Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota, shared a few examples of how the university is using, implementing and managing AI, which is becoming its own discipline outside of computer science. For the past two years, the school has offered two degrees in artificial intelligence – a bachelor of science in AI through the Beacom College of Computer

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Creating Spacefor Your Vision

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DR. JOSÉ-MARIE GRIFFITHS IS THE PRESIDENT OF DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY IN MADISON, SOUTH DAKOTA. / SUBMITTED

VANCETHOMPSONVISION  WESTFARGO

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

and Cyber Sciences and one through the College of Business which is a bachelor’s degree in AI in Organizations.

“We’ve been teaching large language models in our computer science programs. We had used some level of artificial intelligence in other applications but as a group, the faculty got together after this explosion of generative AI, particularly ChatGPT 3, to talk about how we should address this?” she said. “There were concerns about plagiarism, non-attribution, concerns of people not being aware of when there were hallucinations, not being able to validate and verify and replicate because it’s constantly changing.”

The faculty came together for a series of discussions to address how to use AI in various curricula. The university then created a statement on the use of AI in teaching and learning, she said.

“We decided we will lean into it. We’re a technological institution, we need to understand the capabilities and limitations of any emerging technologies. That’s who we

are and that’s what we do. We said we’re going to think about using AI judiciously in the classroom, particularly in a way that stimulates and expands the capability of the individual student,” Griffiths said.

The intent is to start with the human – the student — to draft a paper, for example, developing the basic points, and then go into ChatGPT and see if it comes up with the same points or adds different points. Then the student can analyze what they wrote vs. what it gave them, and do a compare and contrast exercise, she explained.

“There’s a way of preserving critical thinking but then enhancing and augmenting your capability because the language models have access to much more information than you can retain,” Griffiths said.

There are precautions to take, as well, when considering new technologies to implement, including artificial intelligence

“We have to have an honest skepticism for all new technologies because the hype

is always there at the beginning and the promise never quite comes through immediately. It’s only really when you start using technologies, making it work for you, that you really begin to see the full potential,” she said.

As exciting and unlimited as artificial intelligence applications may be, some people aren’t ready to jump on the bandwagon quite yet. This is where a business can benefit by offering products and services on multiple platforms, such as Doosan Bobcat.

“Some customers want the advanced technology and there are others who don’t, and we’re there for both,” Honeyman said. “We’re going to make diesel hydraulic equipment for a really long time. If I get an email asking for a solution for something, that’s what we’re here for. I think you’ll see variants of both types of products. Bobcat has been around for 65-plus years, and we said, if we’re going to be relevant in the future we have to continue to advance these technologies.”

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TIGHT HOUSING MARKET EXPECTED TO LOOSEN HIGH INTEREST RATES, LOW INVENTORY AND ECONOMIC BARRIERS DEMAND CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR HOMEOWNERSHIP

BY CARRIE MCDERMOTT

Scott Meyer, a loan officer for Benchmark Mortgage in Grand Forks, North Dakota, thinks 2024 will be a strong year for firsttime homebuyers, but finding that house could be a challenge.

“Lack of inventory is a major concern,” he said in late February.

A lock-in effect is part of the lack of housing. Homeowners who had previously refinanced their mortgages at lower interest rates are seeing higher rates and prices today and are not willing to jump into a higher interest rate to purchase a new home.

“Those folks just aren’t putting their homes on the market,” Meyer said. “What we’ve seen is that inflation is not under control.”

Although still on the high side, mortgage rates have dropped significantly from their peak last fall, and homebuyers are beginning to come out of the woodwork, with the National Association of Realtors forecasting a 13% increase in existing home sales this year compared to 2023.

On Friday, March 8, a 30-year fixed loan was at 6.85%, a drop of .07%, and a 15year fixed was at 6.39%, a drop of .05%. A 30-year VA loan was at 6.4%, a drop of .11%.

”The latest data on inflation was not markedly better nor worse than expected, which was enough to bring mortgage rates down a bit, with the 30-year

fixed mortgage rate declining slightly last week to 7.02 percent,” Mike Fratantoni, Mortgage Bankers Association senior vice president and chief economist, told Mortgage News Daily. “Mortgage applications were up considerably relative to the prior week, which included the President’s Day holiday. Of note, purchase volume – particularly for FHA loans – was up strongly, again showing how sensitive the first-time homebuyer segment is to relatively small changes in the direction of rates. Other sources of housing data are showing increases in new listings, which is a real positive for the spring buying season given the lack of for-sale inventory.”

A VIEW OF RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, AND THE BLACK HILLS FROM DREAM DESIGN’S SHEPHERD HILLS DEVELOPMENT. / COURTESY DREAM DESIGN INTERNATIONAL

just needing more homes to become available – not just in Grand Forks, but across the country.

Vicki L. Fisher, community development director for Rapid City, South Dakota, agrees. She said building permit numbers are healthy in her state. The city issued more than 27,000 permits with a valuation exceeding $463 million, surpassing the previous record set in 2022 by more than $100 million. Part of that is increased construction costs, but continued growth is the driving factor.

“Rapid City is experiencing growth beyond typical growth patterns. The economy is solid, the location is beautiful and the quality of life is high. Many new businesses are coming in and that generates a demand for housing,” she said.

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As a loan officer, Meyer says mortgage loan rates are one part of the equation he talks about when advising clients.

“I’ll show them where it’s been and where it’s sitting. I want to focus on the payment-debt strategy and financial freedom. Right now, sellers probably have multiple offers due to lack of inventory,” he said.

He’s seeing more lake properties being listed now, which could be due to financial restraint. Property values continue to rise, which creates a unique situation, Meyer said, and suggests many people could be waiting for spring to list their homes.

“In 2023 we had a downturn, it was a 30-year low for home sales in the country. Grand Forks has a unique thing with job creation, Grand Sky and the airmen at the Air Force base. We have some unique situations here that incubate us from that.”

Loan applications have started to increase in the past few weeks, he said, and the biggest issue for the housing market is

Although the city is seeing an increase in the number of apartment projects going up, there’s a decrease of 14% in the number of single-family homes and townhome projects.

“It appears that the growing cost of construction along with high-interest rates to secure a mortgage have deferred some potential homeowners to stay as renters until the market right sizes. Many are deciding to stay in the homes they’re in or even waiting to downsize until their money will buy more,” she said.

Because apartment projects are commercial loans, the interest rates aren’t the deterrent they are for home mortgage loans, she said.

Rapid City’s biggest industry is tourism and it has become a mecca for shopping. In a five-state area, the city of about 80,000 is the largest city in the region and the retail outlets are very successful, Fisher said.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

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SCOTT MEYER, A LOAN OFFICER FOR BENCHMARK MORTGAGE IN GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA. / SUBMITTED

A NEW HOME FOR SALE ON THE SOUTH END OF GRAND FORKS. / CARRIE MCDERMOTT

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

Ellsworth Air Force Base is located about 10 miles outside of Rapid City, and is doing a large expansion for the new B-21 bomber

planes, which means more military families coming to town. In 2022, the base had about 5,600 service members, family members and civilian workers connected to it. That population is expected to grow by 3,0005,000 once the B-21s arrive.

A proposed theme park and resort – Libertyland USA – has been approved, which will have a large housing component and RV component, Fisher said. The first phase of that project should be completed in 2026.

All of this growth will require additional housing for the workforce the industries bring. But not everyone wanting a home can qualify for a loan.

The National Association of Realtors hosted a policy forum in February to come up with ways to keep homeownership within reach. In a panel discussion about meeting housing supply challenges, JP Delmore, assistant vice president at the National Association of Home Builders, said the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act can lower barriers to new construction.

”It is one approach to attempt to solve some of the financing problems that are out there. It is a bill that has a tremendous amount of bipartisan support,” he said.

Delmore noted that 70% of U.S. housing is completed by builders who qualify as small businesses. “So, looking at housing development and potential tax incentives, it has to be something that’s also accessible to a small business that may have five employees,” he said.

Delmore said more legislative solutions, specifically governments speeding up zoning and the approval process, could help. “About 25% of the cost of a new single-family house is due to regulation, and on the multifamily side, it’s nearly 41%,” he said.

The Realtor Association of the Sioux Empire (RASE) in South Dakota reports for February, new listings in the Sioux Falls region increased 10.9% to 456. Pending sales were up 20.8% to 267, and inventory levels rose 6.3% to 1,236 units.

VICKI L. FISHER, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR FOR RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA. / SUBMITTED

Sioux Falls area Realtor Melissa Merchant, with Merchant Home Group - Keller Williams Realty, said activity has picked up since Thanksgiving.

“The high point was in October with the interest rate over 8%, there seemed to be a stall in September-October. Those have come down considerably and the market has woken up. We’re seeing lots of new construction, builds under construction. My team of five signed 11 listings in the last two weeks,” she said in early March.

She said creative solutions are being offered to counter the higher interest rates and help buyers get into new homes.

“A lot of builders are offering concessions for paid upgrades, maybe paying closing costs, that has been something that was happening before the rates dropped. They’ve kept our market healthy. Those extra efforts on the builder’s part has really been something that’s kept people moving,” Merchant said. “We’re seeing lots of downsizing and new listings keep hitting the market.”

While potential buyers may have been hesitant to move forward with higher interest rates, it’s now a healthy time for sellers as rates are starting to decrease, experts say.

“One of the biggest drivers keeping business flowing is the changes the builders were able to make, teaming with lenders to offer interest rate buydowns and other incentives,” Merchant said. “Now the interest rate is a full percent lower, giving people confidence to start their plans. I’ve had 5-6 first-time homebuyers recently, buying new construction because of incentives back, and first-time homebuyer grants.”

In Minnesota, the West Central region saw a 41.7% increase in listings in January 2024 over January 2023. The median sales price was up 17.3% year over year and the number of days on the market until sale was up 4.7%, according to Minnesota Realtors, a nonprofit industry organization.

Statewide, new listing gains may indicate one or both things: sellers are more optimistic about getting a stronger offer and/or feeling better about their payments on the next home, given rates are near an eight-month low.

Market activity always varies across areas, price points and property types. The Detroit Lakes, Alexandria and Grand Rapids regions saw the largest gains in listing activity while pending sales rose the most in the St. Cloud, Willmar and Bemidji regions, the organization’s January housing report

SIOUX FALLS AREA REALTOR MELISSA MERCHANT, WITH MERCHANT HOME GROUPKELLER WILLIAMS REALTY. / SUBMITTED

AN OPEN DESIGN WITH NATURAL FINISHES AND TONES CREATES A FLEXIBLE LIVING SPACE

CUSTOM HOME BY EPIC HOMES OF FARGO. / COURTESY DAN FRANCIS PHOTOGRAPHY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

stated. Homes took the longest to sell in the Hibbing/Virginia, Mankato and Bemidji regions. The most balanced markets were Detroit Lakes and Bemidji, while the most undersupplied markets were St. Cloud, the Twin Cities, and Rochester.

March through October is the prime leasing season for apartments, and those who aren’t ready for homeownership have a number of options to choose from. McKenzy Braaten, chief communications officer for EPIC Companies, based in West Fargo, said her company has been busy with new mixed-use building openings, such as Spirit at The Beacon in Grand Forks, which opened at the beginning of March.

“We’re about 70% full,” she said. The Beacon district, situated near downtown, consists of three seven-story buildings featuring commercial space, apartments and condos. Spirit is a mix of condos and apartments.

She said there’s plentiful inventory now but prices are higher as is demand, and there aren’t as many special incentives for renters as there were just a couple of years ago.

Bill Rothman, president of the Building Industry Association of the Red River Valley (BIA-RRV), formerly known as the Home Builders Association of Fargo-Moorhead, said growth in the region requires a strong building industry and affordable housing. A study released by the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments in June 2023 projected that 16,000 more housing units will be needed in the next 10 years,

We have a really strong labor market, especially with the F-M Diversion Project, but we’re competing with those workers.

Bill Rothman, president of the Building Industry Association of the Red River Valley

and the biggest need is for “missing middle” housing, like townhomes and duplexes.

He said many factors go into determining where the housing market is today, and the first is the cost of construction – materials are still high in some areas, while others, such as lumber, are coming down significantly although Canadian tariffs can limit supply. Steel prices have come down the last couple of years but are on the rise again, which is a concern for the industry.

“We have a really strong labor market, especially with the F-M Diversion Project, but we’re competing with those workers,” he said.

At a national home builders convention Rothman recently attended, it was shared that for every new home built in the country, approximately $94,000 of the cost to build

is due to additional code requirements at all levels – local, state and federal mandates.

“That really drives the affordability issue. For every thousand dollars in increase on a house, that prices 103 households out of the market,” he said. “In our region, the average price of single-family housing is $442,000. Every time there’s some kind of code change, that costs us – the consumers – more.

“Things that help in this market are property exemptions for two years, on the intown apartments you have the five-year Renaissance Zone benefits and sometimes pilots and tax policies,” Rothman continued. “Sometimes people get really bent out of shape about them but they’re not only good for the consumer but they’re good for the cities.”

Developers may choose to build primarily on abandoned parking lots that don’t drive much tax value, he said. A tax incentive helps a project pencil out, and income is built up to service the debt, and the result is fully taxed properties after five years.

“It really adds to the tax base for the city and helps keep other people’s property taxes down,” he said. “That’s a really good public policy that benefits everybody in the community.

“We’re (BIA-RRV) very supportive of smart regulations that improve the experience for the consumer, but it is a lot of unnecessary things that create real problems that really don’t add value or provide additional safety to the product. We’re not anti-regulation, we’re for smart regulation, smart tax policy,” Rothman said.

THE ARCH IS A SEVEN-STORY MIXED-USE BUILDING LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN FARGO, RIGHT NEXT TO GATEWAY BY EPIC. THE ARCH HAS TWO FLOORS OF APARTMENTS, 3THREE FLOORS OF CONDOS, ONE FLOOR OF PARKING AND ONE FLOOR OF COMMERCIAL SPACE. / COURTESY EPIC COMPANIES

MCKENZY BRAATEN, CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER FOR EPIC COMPANIES, WEST FARGO. / COURTESY MCKENZY BRAATEN

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR BUSINESS FOR A SECURITY INCIDENT

BY MIKE PAGÁN

A data breach can have a significant impact on your business. They result in the loss of sensitive information, expose your customers to further exploitation, loss of productivity and they can also lead to legal and financial consequences. Some states now have laws requiring disclosure or restricting ransom payments. For example, North Dakota’s Century Code includes a section (Chapter 54-59.1) that lists requirements about disclosing cybersecurity incidents.

Besides state laws, federal laws are also in play. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury has warned against giving money to ransomware groups, as this can motivate more illegal acts and may also breach federal sanctions.

Security incidents are common in the world today. You should plan and prepare to reduce the impact on your business.

EMPLOYEES CAN BE YOUR STRONGEST OR WEAKEST POINT

The best place to start is by teaching your employees how to follow security guidelines. Your employees are your most important and effective protection against security risks. Therefore, one of the best things you can do is to educate them on security fundamentals (passwords, phishing, etc.) and urge them to inform IT (Information Technology) if something is wrong. Creating a culture where your users feel comfort-

able reporting something, even if they are responsible for it, is essential and can help you stop an issue before it escalates.

BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION

After your employees, the next best step is to build a solid foundation. This includes understanding your company’s data and environment, storing an incident response plan off-network, creating an incident communications plan and knowing the right contacts for cybersecurity insurance and law enforcement.

Also, consider having a cybersecurity incident response team on retainer. Having an incident response team on standby shortens the time from declaring a security incident to starting on recovery. Without one, precious time will be spent finding a security vendor, signing a scope of work, getting them up to speed on your environment and then they can start working.

TECHNICAL TOOLS, TIPS AND TARGETS

From a technical perspective, businesses need to follow good security practices. While this is obvious, have you implemented multi-factor authentication? Are your laptops encrypted? Have you tested your business continuity plan?

Some of the best security practices are using multi-factor authentication for all administrative portals and your Microsoft 365 users. Don’t skip updating your sys-

PAGÁN

tems regularly, checking vulnerability lists for your systems, filtering outbound internet traffic and following the modern backup strategy 3-2-1-1-0.

The 3-2-1-1-0 strategy is a great security target to set for your business. This 3-2-1-1-0 strategy means three copies of your data on two different pieces of hardware, one that is offsite and one that is immutable, with zero failed backups. This can be hard to achieve, but it is worth the effort.

Lastly, it’s important to test your backups regularly. Not only to ensure data can be restored if there is a breach but to confirm the data you restore is the data you need. For example, when you create a new server or shared folder, you can overlook ensuring the data is protected. It is important to take the extra step of verifying your backups protect the new data.

ENLIST EXPERTS

All this information can be very overwhelming and good security is a journey, not a destination. If you need help or advice, make sure you enlist experts you trust to help you navigate. If you have questions on how you can be proactive and prepared, or are looking for a partner on your journey, we are happy to help. Reach out to our team at www.netcenter.net.

Mike Pagán is a senior solution architect at Network Center, Inc. in Fargo.

MIKE

ENROLLMENT CLIFF LOOMS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, BUT SOME BELIEVE IT WON’T BE AS BAD IN DAKOTAS, MINNESOTA

BY CARRIE MCDERMOTT

University leaders throughout the Dakotas and Minnesota for years have known about a looming enrollment cliff – one whose roots are in the Great Recession of 2008 – that could lead to decreased enrollment, but some believe it won’t hit as hard in rural states.

In 2007, the U.S. saw a record-high number of births, at 4.316 million. But with the start of a national recession the following year, people began having fewer children. In 2010, U.S. births numbered just over 4 million, a decline closely linked to the downturn of the economy.

An article published last year on Bestcolleges.com notes that “the precipitous descent resembles a cliff beginning in 2025. Over the succeeding four years, the number of 18-year-olds will decrease by 15%.”

But it might not be as bad here, according to a handful of school leaders.

“We have been planning for the enrollment cliff since 2017. We know that the university doesn’t necessarily shift on a dime. It’s a pretty large organization and pretty complex overall,” said Janet Kilgore, University of North Dakota’s vice provost for strategic enrollment management. “We’ve been working through different strategies and ways to think about higher education in our current environment, which continues to move and evolve. Students’ needs and wants continue to evolve as well in this faster-paced world we live in.”

Fewer students attending college would mean less revenue from tuition, resulting in higher education institutions needing to adjust their business models. In some cases, Forbes reported earli-

STUDENTS ON THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA CAMPUS IN GRAND FORKS. COURTESY / SHAWNA NOEL SCHILL, UND

er this year, it could result in budget cuts, staffing reductions and the elimination of some majors.

The enrollment cliff does not impact all states equally. Some states are located in regions that are losing population the fastest and also seeing college-bound students choose schools in warmer states, for example. In addition to demographics and climate, Forbes noted a trend of students moving away from regional public universities and toward larger public flagship and land-grant universities, which have larger endowments for student support and can offer more financial assistance.

It has led to recruitment challenges, although they differ from state to state and vary by institution. For example, the number of high school graduates in Minnesota will likely decline in part due to the dip in birth rates after the Great Recession, so the state created the North Star Promise Scholarship Program – which provides tuition help for Minnesota residents who come from households that earn $80,000 or less – to help stabilize enrollment and make college more affordable.

The formation of the North Star Promise created a ripple in the region, and especially

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

in North Dakota, where universities heavily recruit Minnesota students. In response, some universities are offering their own programs to counter the North Star Promise. For instance, in November, North Dakota State University announced a new $3.5 million scholarship option.

Dr. José-Marie Griffiths, president of Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota, remains optimistic. She thinks the combination of workforce demands of specific skills coupled with the degree mix that DSU offers will help protect the college from the predicted enrollment cliff expected to start in fall 2025. The university has seen consistent growth for about 25 years.

“We have the benefit of DSU teaching online for some time so we have a reach that’s international and that also protects us. We’re not totally dependent on people coming to campus. I think in that sense we’re in reasonable shape. You can never quite predict what’s going to happen,” she said.

Last fall, South Dakota’s public university student count was up 2%, marking the second consecutive year of enrollment growth for the system, according to the South Dakota Board of Regents. The overall student body for South Dakota’s public university system equals 34,370 across the six campuses, a 2% increase from the previous fall.

The system had 5,341 first-time freshmen, up 2.6% over the 2022 class, which was up more than 6% from the 2021 class.

As South Dakota’s Morrill Act land-grant university, South Dakota State University had a fall 2023 enrollment of 11,505, with students coming from 48 states and 74 countries. Fall 2023 enrollment at the University of South Dakota was 9,868, almost the same as the previous year, which saw 9,856 students, but hasn’t quite reached 2019’s 9,920 students.

“This year’s first-time freshmen are part of the largest incoming class in the past decade, which is great news for our schools and our state,” Board of Regents Executive Director Nathan Lukkes said in a release.

North Dakota was theonly state to show even a slight increase (0.7%) in births from 2008 to 2009. All other states and the District of Columbia experienced either no change, or declines, in births during that period, according to a study by the Pew Research Center.

Dr. Mark Hagerott, chancellor for the North Dakota University System, believes the cliff likely will affect industrial states more than rural states. Closures across the country during COVID also had an effect on enrollments, but on the positive side for North Dakota.

“In the last four years, North Dakota (enrollment) has beaten the national averages. When everyone had a negative decline, we had less negative. We went positive before the country did,” he said. “North Dakota proved that our students, faculty, staff and campuses were more resilient and bounced back sooner than the national averages.”

Dr. Jennifer Weber, director of Institutional Research for the North Dakota University System, said 2011 was the high point of the state’s population, which aligned with the end of the Great Recession.

“When we had that Great Recession, it drove more people back to college probably than we’ve ever seen. If you look at our trend and draw a line where it should be, ignore the recession – our growth is pretty consistent. We only had that decrease because we had that huge influx of students during the recession period,” she said.

All industries and sectors are short on manpower and some companies are leveraging technology to backfill those spots.

“If there’s ever a time to go to school it’s now, during the rapid changes in the workforce, the artificial intelligence, the digitization that are upending things,” Hagerott said. “We have nurse shortages that they’re helping to mitigate, K12 shortages, so many opportunities if they come to school and get the credentials they need.”

Kilgore says enrollment numbers at UND have been fairly stable for the past seven years. In September 2023, the Grand Forks Herald reported UND enrollment had surpassed 14,000 students, an increase of just over 2% from 2022’s fall semester. Four other universities in the state also saw fall enrollment increases, including Bismarck State College (4,065 students, up 988 from last year); Dakota College at Bottin-

eau (1,180) students, up 100 from last year); Lake Region State College (1,810 students, up 131 from last year) and Valley City State (1,754 students, up 96 from last year).

The school’s student satisfaction surveys show that overall, students are very satisfied with their education at UND. Having flexible options for students is an added benefit to any university.

“We have a lot of transfer students or adults who may want to upgrade credentials, where they could fit an online class into their day. We also have this high-flex where students are physically in the area taking some of their classes on campus and taking some online. They’re creating a hybrid experience, which fits what they need for their work-school-life balance,” she said.

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JANELLE KILGORE IS UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA’S VICE PROVOST FOR STRATEGIC ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT.

DR. JENNIFER WEBER IS THE DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH FOR NDUS.

NDUS CHANCELLOR MARK HAGEROTT

BOBCAT COMPANY NAMED TO FAST COMPANY’S 2024 MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES LIST

WEST FARGO, N.D. • Bobcat Company (Bobcat), a global equipment, innovation and worksite solutions brand, has been recognized as one of Fast Company’s 2024 Most Innovative Companies. The Most Innovative Companies honor places Bobcat in the spotlight among other organizations that are transforming industries and shaping society.

“With innovation being at the core of our legacy, Bobcat is driving the industry forward reaching new heights,” said Joel Honeyman, Doosan Bobcat vice president of global innovation. “We believe that embracing technology and innovation is vital to long-term success, and we are thrilled to be recognized on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list.”

NOMINATIONS for Prairie Business’ annual Leaders & Legacies awards are now being accepted.

The magazine’s Leaders & Legacies awards recognize executives “for the great things they have done in business, whether in recent years (Leaders) or over a lifetime (Legacies),” said Publisher Korrie Wenzel.

Prairie Business is looking for business executives in North Dakota, South Dakota and western Minnesota whose high-level achievements make them truly stand out. Each nomination must include key details of candidate’s business accomplishments, civic leadership and career history.

Nominations will close on Monday, May 6, 2024

Recipients of this year’s award will be announced in the July 2024 edition of Prairie Business Magazine

With innovation being at the core of our legacy, Bobcat is driving the industry forward reaching new heights.

Joel Honeyman, Doosan Bobcat vice president of global innovation

Since 1958, Bobcat has been looking forward in all aspects of its business to transform how the world works, builds cities and supports communities for a more sustainable future.

ADVANCING MANUFACTURING FOR EFFICIENCY AND PRECISION

Bobcat is recognized in Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies’ manufacturing awards category. Bobcat has advanced its manufacturing facilities — both in terms of its footprint and the technology within its many global locations.

Recent updates to its facilities have included a $9.3 million automated press system in its Gwinner, North Dakota, manufacturing facility; technology in its Statesville, North Carolina, facility that streamlines component inspection; and a new robotic forming press in its Johnson Creek, Wisconsin, location that minimizes operators’ manual labor while improving precision.

All of these advancements have led to improved efficiencies, greater precision and more ergonomic worksites for its employees.

INVENTIONS FOR THE JOB SITE OF TOMORROW

With a focus on innovation, Bobcat is paving the way for electrification and autonomy in equipment design and development. Since 2022, the brand has launched several industry-first machines, including the all-electric T7X compact track loader, the all-electric concept S7X skid-steer loader, and the fully electric and autonomous concept pair of loaders, the RogueX and the RogueX2.

These new machines have garnered many new patents and patents pending, signifying how Bobcat is defining a new work experience while bringing sustainable solutions to the marketplace.

RECOGNITION, OPTIMISM IN MOVING THE WORLD FORWARD

This year’s Most Innovative Companies program showcases 58 industry categories — with manufacturing, health, climate, energy and AI among its popular categories. A panel of Fast Company editors and writers identified the companies driving progress around the world and across industries, evaluating thousands of submissions through a competitive application process. The result is a globe-spanning guide to innovation today, from early-stage startups to some of the most valuable companies in the world.

“Our list of the Most Innovative Companies is both a comprehensive look at the innovation economy and a snapshot of the business trends that defined the year,” said Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan. “We saw extraordinary innovation across the board in 2023, but we also saw a handful of clear patterns: the growing footprint and impact of AI, the triumphant return of live events, and great leaps forward in climate tech. We face daunting challenges on many fronts, but the solutions we celebrate in MIC give me plenty of hope about the future.”

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VAL JOHNSON AND PAUL MARVIN RECEIVE A 2024 PREMIER PARTNER DESIGNATION FROM NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT DAVE COOK AND NDSU FOUNDATION PRESIDENT/CEO JOHN GLOVER. / COURTESY MARVIN

MARVIN NAMED PREMIER PARTNER OF NDSU

BY PRAIRIE BUSINESS STAFF

WARROAD, Minn. — Marvin, a premium manufacturer of windows and doors and long-time partner of North Dakota State University (NDSU), has announced a significant philanthropic investment in support of fundraising efforts toward the new Richard Offerdahl ’65 Engineering Complex, formerly known as the Center for Engineering and Computational Sciences at the university.

As the sixth-largest employer in Cass County, North Dakota, Marvin has nine manufacturing facilities spanning more than 1.5 million square feet across Fargo, West Fargo and Grafton, where it employs more than 2,000 team members. Among them, 146 are NDSU alumni, and of those, 73% are engineers. An additional 40-plus NDSU students develop professional skill sets through internship opportunities with Marvin each year.

We are grateful for partners like Marvin who exemplify the ethos of ‘Better Together’ in making a positive impact in every endeavor.

NDSU President David Cook

“We’ve long valued the reciprocal relationship between Marvin and NDSU, where students, the community and our company collaboratively thrive,” said Marvin CEO Paul Marvin. “Innovation is critical to our long-term commitments and success, and graduates of NDSU arrive at Marvin with core competencies and the curiosity needed to create impact in modern manufacturing careers.”

As an NDSU Premier Partner, Marvin will have an executive representative on the College of Engineering Advisory and Advancement Board and will continue to build relationships with faculty in support of curriculum development.

“I am inspired by our partnership with Marvin. Together, we believe that we are stronger when we work hand in hand, committed to making a positive impact on our students, our campus, the workforce and the world. Our shared values of giving back resonate deeply through the transformative work of our university,” said NDSU President Dave Cook. “We are grateful for partners like Marvin who exemplify the ethos of ‘Better Together’ in making a positive impact in every endeavor. Their dedication to dreaming big and ‘doing the right thing’ reflects a profound commitment to driving positive change in our communities and on our campus. Together, we are redefining the boundaries between industry and education, leveraging our collective strengths to create innovative solutions that have a lasting impact.”

Marvin will continue to provide engaging, cross-collaborative learning opportunities for NDSU students, including classroom visits and field trips to area manufacturing facilities.

“Engineering classes at NDSU pushed me to learn new ways to solve problems and classes often used real-world examples to teach us how thinking differently can streamline existing processes,” said NDSU alum and Marvin Senior Director of Enterprise Platform Transformation Seth Johnson. “The mindset NDSU helped me build has allowed me to transfer my skills out of engineering and into logistics, distribution and now enterprise response planning system solutions.”

Connection to post-graduation career opportunities will be central to the company’s efforts with NDSU students and faculty.

“I believe in fostering environments where students can thrive and our students often express that success is not just about knowledge but about connections,” said NDSU Interim Dean of the College of Engineering Alan Kallmeyer. “These spaces will facilitate meaningful interactions among our diverse community of students, staff and faculty, nurturing invaluable relationships that will shape the workforce of tomorrow. By providing spaces for collaboration and connection, we are empowering our students to excel in the workforce and be the people that partners like Marvin desire to hire.”

AUSTIN JONES

AUSTIN JONES JOINS KLJ’S OIL AND GAS TEAM

WILLISTON, N.D. • KLJ Engineering LLC (KLJ), is pleased to welcome Austin Jones to our Williston, N.D office.

Jones will serve as an engineer in training in our oil and gas team and has five years of experience. He has managed and coordinated the installation, maintenance, and flow optimization of various pipeline systems, including saltwater, gas, and

freshwater. His industry experience enriches his design work, applying a unique perspective and maintenance insights to engineering design. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from North Dakota State University.

KLJ looks forward to Jones’ contributions to the company’s continued success.

GABE NYBAKKEN

ACKERMAN-ESTVOLD’S GABE NYBAKKEN RECEIVES SPECIALIZED DESIGNATION

MINOT, N.D. • Gabe Nybakken recently earned the Construction Documents Technologist Designation.

The Construction Documents Technologist (CDT) certification provides a comprehensive program of study that demonstrates knowledge of writing, interpreting, enforcing, and managing construction documents. Nybakken joins an elite group of professionals known for their comprehensive knowledge of the writing and management of construction documents.

Ackerman-Estvold is a professional engineering and architecture firm with corporate headquarters in Minot, ND with additional offices location in Williston and Fargo, ND and in Boise, Idaho. The firm provides planning, design, and construction services for public and private clients throughout North Dakota and surrounding states. For more information about Ackerman-Estvold, visit www.ackerman-estvold.com.

JENI BERGQUIST

DAKOTA APPRAISAL & CONSULTING, LTD. APPRAISER EARNS CERTIFICATION

BISMARCK, N.D. • Jeni Bergquist, real estate appraiser, has recently earned her certified residential appraiser license. Bergquist focuses on residential appraisals in the Bismarck/Mandan area and specializes in high-end and complex properties. Appraisers holding the certified residential appraiser credential have met rigorous requirements relating to education, experience, testing, and work product review.

Bergquist has a background in real estate sales and joined Dakota Appraisal in 2020. Creditors rely

on her value opinions in their lending decisions. Sellers gain confidence that they aren’t leaving money on the table when marketing their properties through her pre-listing appraisals. Buyers put their trust in her valuations when making purchase decisions. As an unbiased third party, Bergquist’s appraisals can also assist in estate settlement, division of marital property, tax appeals, real estate gifting tax filings, and establishment of just compensation due to public projects.

JOE SCHEIDECKER

ENCLAVE HIRES JOE SCHEIDECKER AS CONTROLLER

WEST FARGO, N.D. • Enclave is proud to welcome Joe Scheidecker as Controller to spearhead its construction division accounting operations.

In his role, Scheidecker will direct and organize accounting functions, activating a growing team in developing and maintaining financial reporting, planning and budgeting systems to drive improvements in business performance.

Scheidecker brings over 15 years of comprehensive experience, initially growing his career at

a work and safety gear company, rising from accounts payable coordinator to the associate financial planning, analysis and reporting manager. Most recently, he served as the accounting manager at a renewable biofuels producer company for over six years, exemplifying prudent and proficient financial management practices.

A graduate of North Dakota State University, Scheidecker holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

NEIL GUSH

EPIC COMPANIES WELCOMES NEIL GUSH

MINOT, N.D. • EPIC Companies is thrilled to welcome Neil Gush to the team. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Gush holds a Bachelor of Arts (with a minor in history) from Edinboro

University, Pennsylvania and a Master of Science in Management from Minot State University in Minot, North Dakota. Neil will be stationed in Minot, playing a vital role on our Capital team.

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33

PETER DIESSNER

KRAUS-ANDERSON COMPANIES’ YEARS-LONG SUCCESSION PLAN PROMOTES PETER DIESSNER TO CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. • Peter Diessner has been named chief executive officer of Kraus-Anderson Companies, Inc., the holding company for KA’s 127-year-old family of companies. Diessner has been chief operating officer of KA Companies since 2023. He succeeds Bruce Engelsma who has been CEO since 1997. Engelsma remains chairman of KA Companies and will continue to serve on various committees within the enterprise, which includes KA Construction, KA Realty & Development, KA Insurance and KA Financial Services Group.

Diessner’s appointment to the top leadership role is a seamless transition and natural progression of many years of intentional and thoughtful planning for the family-owned company.

“This third generation of leadership comes at a time of continuing prosperity at Kraus-Anderson,” said Bruce Engelsma, KA Companies’ visionary leader, who joined KA in 1975 and has served as chairman and CEO for 27 years. Engelsma’s father, Lloyd, led the company from 1937 until his death in 1997.

Each of KA’s family of companies works independently and together to achieve KA Companies’ continued growth and prosperity.

“You can see the results all around us,” said Engelsma. “New and growing regional offices and areas of expertise; a robust properties portfolio; redevelopment and new development activities; longstanding clients and tenants along with exciting new opportunities -- these are among the many synergies emerging as our people work together to build KA’s brand and the communities we serve.”

In his new role, Diessner will join and lead the executive leadership team at KA Construction, one of the nation’s premier commercial general contractors and construction managers, as it continues to strategically grow and expand. The company has operations in nine cities, including the opening of new regional offices this year in Fargo, N.D. and Phoenix, Ariz. Managing $1.4 billion in construction, its vast portfolio in numerous building sectors comprises education, healthcare,

commercial, hospitality, offices, retail, housing and mixed-use developments, as well as buildouts and special projects.

Diessner will serve as CEO and continue to serve as president of KA Realty & Development. KA Development provides comprehensive development services for KA’s real estate portfolio and thirdparty owners. In the past five years KA Development has completed over 700,000 square feet of development and multi-family housing, including 1,275 apartment units.

KA Realty owns and manages a portfolio of 5.73 million square feet of more than 70 commercial real estate properties throughout Minnesota and the Upper Midwest.

As CEO, Diessner will also oversee KA Insurance, the fifth largest privately held insurance brokerage in Minnesota and a national leader in risk management services; and KA Financial Services Group, which manages over $300 million in financing related to KA Realty’s portfolio of properties and provides treasury management for all the KA entities.

Diessner, an attorney, joined KA Financial Services Group in May 2018 as director and was named vice president in February 2019. In April 2019, he became president of KA Realty & Development to provide high level oversight of the company’s existing and prospective portfolio of real estate, as well as financial analysis for KA interests and partners. He was named COO of KA Companies in March of 2023. Prior to joining KA, Diessner was a Twin Cities real estate attorney first at Fredrikson & Byron and then at Speeter & Johnson. He focused his practice on transactions and disputes involving real estate.

Diessner received his J.D. from the William Mitchell College of Law and his B.A. in Financial Economics from Gustavus Adolphus College. He is on the board of the Children’s Theatre Company.

“Kraus-Anderson maintains an extraordinarily high level of collaboration and innovation throughout our companies and teams,” said Diessner. “I’m excited about new geographic horizons as we continue to grow and the opportunities for our people to engage in personal and professional development.”

PATRICK LEE

PATRICK LEE JOINS KLJ AS AN ENGINEERING TECH

PIERRE, S.D.

• KLJ Engineering LLC (KLJ), is pleased to welcome Patrick Lee to our Pierre, S.D. office.

Lee joins our team as an engineering technician within our construction services team. He has more than 30 years of construction and equipment experience. He has a strong work history of improving processes with the capability to adapt to an ever-changing environment as well as knowledge of 30 C.F.R regulations and current certifications.

KRYSTAL WHEELER DENNIS

Lee is AC certified in road inspection, aggregate, hot mix, and field testing. As well as certified in aggregates, concrete paving and plants, earthwork, erosion and sediment, soils and structures. KLJ is excited to welcome Lee to the firm and look forward to his contributions to the company’s continued success.

KRYSTAL WHEELER DENNIS PROMOTED TO VICE PRESIDENT OF PHARMACY OPERATIONS

FARGO, N.D.

• Krystal Wheeler Dennis has been promoted to vice president of Pharmacy Operations at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND).

In her role, Wheeler Dennis will oversee pharmacy operations for BCBSND and provide key leadership, direction and vision for the pharmacy division.  Wheeler Dennis joined the BCBSND team in 2018 as director of pharmacy consulting after nearly a

decade of working in long-term care and pharmacy retail across eastern North Dakota. She most recently served as the director of pharmacy operations for BCBSND where she guided the strategic decision of pharmaceutical initiatives across the company.

A native of Lakota, North Dakota, Wheeler Dennis graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

Q.INSIGHTS & INTUITION

What is the most rewarding part of working at your company?

Stefanie Gefroh Ellison, MD Associate Chief Medical Officer - West Market Essentia Health Fargo, N.D.

At Essentia Health, we are guided by our values of quality, hospitality, respect, joy, justice, stewardship and teamwork. For me, the most rewarding part of working at Essentia Health is our culture centered around these values and our commitment to making a healthy difference in people’s lives. The values of positivity and joy were some of the reasons I joined Essentia and, 20 years later, why I continue to stay.

I love to see the pride our providers and staff take in doing their part to serve our patients and communities. I firmly believe our positive culture promotes teamwork and a strong sense of value and belonging among our employees, which contributes to higher job satisfaction. I also believe that these feelings transfer to our patients and tie into our commitment to provide expert, compassionate and outstanding health care.

I enjoy coming to work each day and noting the warm greetings and smiles. Even during the most challenging times in health care, the weight feels lighter when you are surrounded by a team that loves what they do and takes pride in being a part of the Essentia Health family.

I’ve been on the Marvin team in Fargo for more than 10 years, and in that time, I’ve found the company’s commitment to innovation and growth very rewarding. In my role, every day is dynamic and challenging, and that has allowed me to grow my career with numerous opportunities across various departments and teams.

As a fourth-generation family-owned company, Marvin truly puts employees at the center when making decisions and considering long-term strategies. Working here, I’m grateful to know that I matter, my opinions are heard and considered, and the well-being of all us is a focus. It’s also really rewarding to work for a company that gives back to its community in the numerous and diverse ways that Marvin does here in the Red River Valley – I’m not only proud of what we make, but also how we share back throughout the Fargo area.

Mitch Havig

Director of Operations

Marvin Fargo, N.D.

Working at Midco is incredibly rewarding. Midco is a local company, with local leadership, supporting local customers. Our ethos centers around being a force for good. Whether you’re interacting with one of our team members in your home or business or over the phone, online, or in person at one of our retail centers, you can trust that they are committed to providing high-quality service.

We know how important it is for our customers to have a reliable and consistent internet connection, especially since we’re using the same network as the customers we support. But it doesn’t stop there.

We actively engage with the communities we serve. Midco encourages team members to get involved and make a difference. We offer paid time off for volunteering at community events, and our gift-matching program allows us to amplify giving up to $500 per team member. For me, this commitment to community is the most rewarding part of working at Midco.

Jon Bach, PE Supervisor and Senior Engineer KLJ West Fargo, N.D.

Bob Bartelt Senior Director of Customer Experience Midco West Fargo, N.D.

The most rewarding part of working at KLJ Engineering is I can use my skills and abilities to improve infrastructure that positively impacts the traveling public. The proposed designs I deliver for our clients and communities have a direct impact on the day-to-day operations of accomplishing the efficient and economical transportation of people and goods.

It is very rewarding knowing our design teams’ efforts are improving the lives of others. Each day, we have an opportunity to serve our communities. Our desire to serve motivates all of us to put our best effort forward every day.

Each project has its own unique needs and challenges. Our project teams work together to formulate solutions for each aspect of a project. KLJ Engineering employs numerous specialties that allow us to deliver solutions from start to finish including survey, environmental, design, public engagement, and construction. It is rewarding to work side-by-side with professionals and leaders in their respective fields to formulate solutions and assure our deliverables are of the highest quality.

I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to work on many challenging and impactful projects throughout my career. These opportunities have allowed me the honor to coordinate and build relationships with industry leaders and various project stakeholders. People matter. Building and fostering positive business relationships is very much a rewarding aspect of my position.

Rewards come in many forms. In my position at KLJ Engineering, serving, formulating solutions, and building relationships are my most impactful rewards.

OURBUSINESS

CIVILIAN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, SEASONALLY ADJUSTED

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 275,000 in February, and the unemployment rate increased to 3.9 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Job gains occurred in health care, in government, in food services and drinking places, in social assistance, and in transportation and warehousing. The number of unemployed people increased by 334,000 to 6.5 million. A year earlier, the jobless rate was 3.6 percent, and the number of unemployed people was 6.0 million.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

EMPLOYMENT AND AVERAGE HOURLY EARNINGS BY INDUSTRY

In February, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls edged up by 5 cents to $34.57, following an increase of 18 cents in January. Average hourly earnings were up by 0.1 percent in February and 4.3 percent over the year. In February, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees edged up by 7 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $29.71.

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR FEBRUARY

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.4 percent in February on a seasonally adjusted basis, after rising 0.3 percent in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.2 percent before seasonal adjustment. The index for shelter rose in February, as did the index for gasoline. Combined, these two indexes contributed over sixty percent of the monthly increase in the index for all items. The energy index rose 2.3 percent over the month, as all of its component indexes increased. The food index was unchanged in February, as was the food at home index. The food away from home index rose 0.1 percent over the month.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY, MONTHLY CHANGES, WITH CONFIDENCE INTERVALS

Health care added 67,000 jobs in February, above the average monthly gain of 58,000 over the prior 12 months. Government employment rose by 52,000 in February, about the same as the prior 12-month average gain (+53,000). Employment in food services and drinking places increased by 42,000. Social assistance added 24,000 jobs in February, about the same as the prior 12-month average gain of 23,000. Employment in transportation and warehousing rose by 20,000 and continued to trend up in construction (+23,000).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Flexibleworkarrangements

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Intoday’srapidlyevolvingconstructionindustry,accurate accountingpracticesandfinancialmanagementarecrucialfor sustainablegrowthandsuccess.AtBradyMartz&Associates,we understandtheuniquechallengesfacedbyconstructionbusinesses, andweprovidetailoredaccountingsolutionsthatempowerour clientstothriveinacompetitivemarketplace.

AmyHaagenson,CPA ConstructionandReal EstatePracticeSegment Lead Shareholder

Theconstructionindustryisnostrangertofinancialcomplexities.Projectbudgets, costtracking,payrollmanagement,taxcompliance,andcashflowoptimization arejustafewofthechallengesfacedbyconstructionbusinesses.Webelieveinthe powerofpersonalizedsolutions.AtBradyMartz,weofferacomprehensiverangeof accountingandconsultingservicesspecificallytailoredtotheneedsofconstruction companies.Ourteamofexperiencedaccountantspossessesin-depthknowledgeof theindustry,enablingustodeliveraccurate,reliable,andtimelyfinancialservicesand solutions.

ConnectwithAmytodaytodiscussyourjourneyto abrighterfinancialfuture.

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