New year, new additions

There is no better time to make a change than at the beginning of the New Year I’ve never been a stickler for resolutions, they just don’t last, but I do believe that the start of a new year is a great time for change things like a product launch, a new job or a fresh outlook. So we ’ re happy to direct your attention to several changes we ’ re making in the magazine, beginning with this first issue of 2014

Each issue will include a short list of upcoming area events, which you will see on the contents page There are many high-quality, unique and interesting events in our region every month and we know what a great opportunity in-person events provide to learn about specific topics and connect with other business people We want to help keep you informed on the growing number of great business-related events in the area, so be sure to check out the list each month. And if you are planning an event, let us know so that we can help spread the word. We also post a full list of upcoming events on our website, prairiebizmag.com.

This year also brings new faces to our line-up of columnists I’m happy to welcome John Girard to our fold as a monthly columnist Girard is the founder of Sagology, a firm dedicated to the art of connecting people, and is a professor of management at Minot State University. His monthly column, Management Matters, will provide words of advice and encouragement specifically for business leaders in our region We’ll also be rotating in several new columnists to our monthly finance, research and technology, and economic development columns. I’m particularly excited to learn more about the goings-on at the Sanford Underground Research Facility, located deep below the Black Hills of South Dakota, in the May issue, but I truly look forward to reading the varying viewpoints of all of our columnists, whether they are new to the magazine or old friends

Finally, you’ll notice that our energy section includes a new page of data generated by the U.S. Energy Information Administration In October, the agency updated its approach to assessing the productivity of drilling operations in the country’s producing regions and launched a new monthly report to relay those updated statistics The agency says new technology for drilling and producing oil and natural gas has rendered obsolete the traditional method of counting drilling rigs to estimate future production, so the updated data takes into consideration production rates from the first month of well operation, when production is typically higher, and estimated changes in production from existing wells We’ll provide you with some of that data specific for the Bakken each month, as well as the EIA’s comparative data on all oil and gas-producing regions of the country

We will continue to deliver additional content through the magazine’s digital edition and provide you with business news from the region on a daily basis through our website and our weekly e-newsletter, Talking Points. We also recently began offering sneak peeks of our upcoming issues in a video post that we share online about a week before the issue becomes available Stop by the website or interact with us via social media to check it out Looking ahead, we ’ re unveiling the magazine’s first-ever Top 25 Women in Business in our March issue. Nominations are due Jan. 17.

It’s been a busy time as we have prepared these additions and changes for you and we hope you enjoy them Also, staying busy keeps us warm

MIKE

JACOBS

, Publisher

RONA JOHNSON, Executive Editor

KRIS BEVILL, Editor

BETH BOHLMAN, Circulation Manager

KRIS WOLFF, Layout Design, Ad Design

Sales Director: JOHN FETSCH

701 212 1026 jfetsch@prairiebizmag com

Sales:

BRAD BOYD - western ND/western SD 800 641 0683 bboyd@prairiebizmag com

SHELLY LARSON - eastern ND/western MN 701.866.3628 slarson@prairiebizmag.com

Editor: KRIS BEVILL 701.306.8561 kbevill@prairiebizmag.com

Editorial Advisors:

Dwaine Chapel, Executive Director, Research Park at South Dakota State University; Bruce Gjovig, Director, Center for Innovation; Lisa Gulland-Nelson, Vice President, Marketing and PR , Greater Fargo Moorhead EDC; Tonya Joe (T.J.) Hansen, Assistant Professor of Economics, Minnesota State University Moorhead; Dusty Johnson, Chief of Staff for South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s office; Brekka Kramer, General Manager of Odney; Matthew Mohr, President/CEO, Dacotah Paper Company; Nancy Straw, President, West Central Initiative

Prairie Business magazine is published monthly by the Grand Forks Herald and Forum Communications Company with offices at 375 2nd Avenue North, Grand Forks, ND 58203

Qualifying 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

Subscriptions Free subscriptions are available online to qualified requestors at www prairiebizmag com

Address corrections

Prairie Business magazine PO Box 6008

Grand Forks, ND 58206-6008

Beth Bohlman: bbohlman@prairiebizmag com

Online www.prairiebizmag.com