Technology Steals the Spotlight

The scheduled feature topics in this issue of Prairie Business are banking/finance and health care, but the running (and unintentional) theme that emerged is technology. It’s fitting. Some of the most interesting trends in those industries right now center around advancements that make life easier for companies, manufacturers, doctors, patients, clients and customers.

3-D printing has made its way into many industries in the past few years, often impressing and surprising us with its efficiency and seemingly limitless potential. Now, it’s making an entrance into the prosthetic limb and supportive splint sectors. Companies in our readership area are on the cusp of this emerging market that not only carries promise for themselves, but also for people who need those products. Cooper Bierscheid, founder of Protosthetics in Fargo, N.D., and one of the sources for “On a 3-D Threshold,” starting on page 26, cites data showing 11.5 million people worldwide have had limbs amputated and that figure grows by 5 percent each year. In the U.S. alone, 507 amputations occur each day, he says, adding it’s a large industry most people aren't familiar with. Similarly, many people with mobility limitations need supportive devices like braces or splints to help offset a lack of muscle control or maintain muscle control against a progressive disease.

3-D printing of orthotics provides faster and simpler customization, according to a Sioux Falls, S.D.-based company that’s in the early stages of commercializing the concept. The test subject is so pleased with his device that he wants the company to make him a few more.

Meanwhile, technology in the banking industry has us making deposits, checking balances and transferring money between accounts, all through online apps continuously evolving as customer needs change. In the banking feature in this issue, we talk to a few banks in the region about how they decide which technologies to adopt and how they roll out those changes for customers. Enhanced websites and online services, as well as EMV chips on debit and credit cards, are leading the way and simplifying personal and business finances for even those who are not mathematically or technologically inclined. Read more about these new programs, starting on page 32.

In his 25 years in the banking industry, Darrell Lingle, audit partner for Eide Bailly, has seen his share of new technologies and evolutions. In this month’s Business Insider, Lingle discusses the factors that have changed the most, and shares advice for overcoming challenges as new issues arise. See what he has to say on page 24.

Finally, our construction corner highlights South Dakota’s first standalone emergency department, with an optimized interior design for ease of patient and doctor traffic. With varying severities of injuries and patient conditions, the “racetrack” design helps reduce the high-stress environment and avoids staff burnout, developers say. The story starts on page 36.

Our editorial staff learned a great deal while researching and writing to fill this magazine. These new technological enhancements of existing industries are fascinating and I admire the people behind them. PB

KORRIE WENZEL, Publisher

STACI LORD, Ad Director

LISA GIBSON, Editor

KAYLA PRASEK, Staff Writer

BETH BOHLMAN, Circulation Manager

KRIS WOLFF, Layout Design, Ad Design

Account Executive: NICHOLE ERTMAN

800. 477.6572 ext. 1162 nertman@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

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

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