Prairie Business May 2022

WHAT ONE SOUTH DAKOTA BUSINESS IS DOING TO

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The Trailblazing Women of MMA Dakotas

“A career in the insurance industry is probably not top-of-mind for most women, especially those coming straight out of college and considering options for their first job. Some may be biased by the stereotype that the insurance industry is reserved for old men. Those in the industry today would disagree,” said, Tom Dawson, Chairman of MMA Dakotas.

Tom believes that “the insurance industry, at every level, needs more women with every skillset and personality trait. If your abilities or experience focuses on technology, insurance companies and agencies are constantly improving technology platforms and looking for ways to innovate. If you are a people person, there is a huge need in the industry for face-to-face interaction with clients and stakeholders. If you like

Penny Crowder

Private Client Advisor, Sioux Falls & Fargo

penny.crowder@marshmma.com

With more than 30 years in the business, Penny Crowder says she entered the insurance industry by chance, but would never leave now.

Penny specializes in Private Client Insurance (personal lines) and family life insurance. “I found that every time I worked with families on their insurance, I was completely energized. I love the personal side of insurance. I love learning more about their families and taking care of them,” she said. “It’s really fun! While there are elements of my role that are serious, many of my client interactions are fun and lighthearted. When a client calls

solving problems and working on process improvement, there is not an industry that needs your help more than the insurance business. There are positions at every level within insurance companies, national brokers, local agencies, reinsurance companies and the many other segments of the insurance world. Women (and men-alike) should explore the insurance industry as a career. You may find that your skills and talent are a perfect fit.”

The four women highlighted below represent different generations, backgrounds, and lines of business. But what they have in common is a passion for serving the community and partnering with their clients. They truly exemplify MMA’s mission statement: “Making a difference in the moments that matter for our colleagues, clients and communities.”

Teagan Molden

Employee Benefits Consultant, Sioux Falls

teagan.molden@marshmma.com

Teagan started working at MMA as an intern during college and now has been with MMA for 7 years, over which time she has evolved quickly. She has worked in various service roles to develop her technical skills and knowledge of the industry with the ultimate goal of moving into sales, which she did in January 2022.

Teagan specializes in Employee Health & Benefits. “What I really love about my career is the strategy involved in offering benefits to companies. Critical issues impacting my clients’ benefit programs that I enjoy helping with are financial implications, recruitment and retention challenges, and rolling out communication to their colleagues. I’m a people person so I also thought insuring people would be more fun than insuring buildings and cars,” Teagan said.

Teagan says that she feels most fulfilled by being a true business partner to clients. “I really enjoy learning about these amazing companies we have in our backyard but helping them achieve their goals is the best part of my job,” she said.

to add a ring because they got engaged, bought their first house or vehicle and for many of their other life changing events, I love being part of that big moment. It’s rewarding knowing you’re making a difference.”

“I feel most people think that insurance is a boring career when actually it’s quite the opposite. Part of why I love what I do is because it’s so fast paced, constantly changing and always a challenge. In my 7 years, I can’t think of 2 days that have been the same. It keeps me on my toes!”

Jennifer Ferris Risk Management Consultant/Attorney, Sioux Falls jennifer.ferris@marshmma.com

While practicing law allowed Jennifer to problem-solve after the fact, she feels that her move to the insurance broker side gives her the opportunity to be more proactive and hands-on with her clients.

“Knowing that you can alleviate someone’s problem or burden is so fulfilling and it allows them to focus on their business,” Jennifer said.

“My biggest challenge in insurance was to overcome and help change the perception of how the public views insurance brokers. Unfortunately, insurance and insurance brokers tend to have a negative connotation to the public as simply “sales” persons,” Jennifer said.

you insurance. Eight years later…I am still here, and I haven’t looked back!

“At Marsh McLennan Agency, it is our job to be a consultant and provide our clients with education regarding insurance market conditions, risk pertaining specifically to their industry, and changes in capacity from carriers so they can make educated decisions about transferring risk. We need to know our client’s goals and business operations so that we can meet them where they are and support them with any changes or growth. It is challenging trying to change mindsets which allow us the time to build the relationship needed for us to be a partner,” she said.

A self-proclaimed “farm kid” who grew up riding horses and playing sports, Brandi says she never would have dreamed she’d be working in insurance.

Prior to joining Dawson, her background was 7 years in B2B sales for a wholesale liquor distributor.

“Insurance wasn’t anything that I sought out, but rather it was Dawson, their culture, the people, and the opportunities that attracted me into this agency and the industry,” Brandi said. “I’ve always loved meeting new people and have developed a passion and appreciation for understanding peoples’ businesses, their stories and how they got there. I remember telling Tom (Dawson) that sales were for me, and I’ll talk to anyone! He said, we can teach

“As a business insurance advisor, clients are seeking guidance and expertise to help protect their business. Insurance is complexespecially in the ever-evolving cyber liability space. I’m so grateful for the resources that our agency invests in to help better serve our clients! My greatest rewards are the relationships that I have developed but also knowing my clients trust that I always have their best interest in mind.

“Challenges today look different for me than they did when I first started in this business. Early on, it was learning coverages, the sales process, and gaining an understanding of all things insurance. I very quickly learned that no one was going to do this for me, so I spent a lot of time “knockin and talkin”, building my pipeline and my network. I am often asked if being a woman in

this industry is difficult. I think women easily shy away from sales positions in insurance, more than they do any other roles in the insurance agency. There are far more men in sales - there’s probably a bit of an intimidation factor that goes along with it. I’ve always been super competitive and have embraced the challenge. I’m also very fortunate that my agency embraces diversity. You’ll find several women in leadership positions, not because they are a woman, but because they have earned it!” Brandi said.

Brandi Hedin

Business Insurance Advisor, Fargo

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Partner with Prairie Business

Prairie Business likes to explore trends in the region’s businesses and industries. It always feels good when we accomplish that goal in stories, taking a look at what companies are doing to innovate and grow.

Finding trends isn’t always easy, and we appreciate our business partners and other sources who make them known to us. Sometimes our partners give us news tips, and these are especially appreciated – but we always welcome more.

The reason news tips are important is because, like any publication with limited resources, we cannot be everywhere. You are the experts in your field, the eyes and ears at your place of business, and we like to hear what you have to tell us.

There are at least two stories in this issue that came about because of a news tip, and in next month’s issue, which we already are working on, there is another.

Keep them coming, please. We like to consider Prairie Business a partnership not only with our advertisers (though we especially thank them and always welcome and encourage new advertisers), but with companies and industries across the Dakotas and western Minnesota. We have a large following but are always trying to grow our readership and reader input.

What’s happening in your business? What is new in your industry? Tell us, we’d like to know. Also, we try to include employee announcements in our hardcopies whenever we can; but if they don’t make it into a hard issue one month, you can always find them on the Prairie Business website (prairiebusinessmagazine.com). These new hires, employee promotions and achievements we publish every Friday. Send your announcements to me at the address below.

Here’s one other way you can partner with us: subscribe, for free, to the digital edition of the magazine. We’ve been announcing on our social pages how potential readers can do this. It’s simple: go to grandforksherald.com/newsletter and click on the Prairie Business monthly e-edition. Bingo, just like that you’re signed up. All you have to do now is wait for the next issue to arrive in your inbox, which, as fast as time seems to pass, won’t be much longer at all. We’re working ahead, keeping busy planning our stories and other content for the next issue ... and the one after that. We can hardly wait to see it arrive at our own desks. For now, we hope you enjoy the May issue. There is plenty of good stuff inside, and we thank you, our partners and readers, for tipping us off to some of these stories.

Until next time, Andrew Weeks

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

PUBLISHER KORRIE WENZEL AD DIRECTOR STACI LORD EDITOR ANDREW WEEKS

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NICHOLE ERTMAN 800.477.6572 ext. 1162 nertman@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

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58203. Subscriptions are available free of charge. Back issue quantities are limited and subject to availability ($2/copy prepaid). The opinions of writers featured in Prairie Business are their own. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork are encouraged but will not be returned without a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

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When it comes to attracting talent,

By Andrew Weeks

When it comes to attracting and retaining employees in these momentous times of workforce challenges and demands, companies are doing what they can to stand out by offering an inviting work-life balance and culture experience.

Often, part of that equation is location – and for Dan Altenbernd, managing partner at H2M, that means downtown Fargo.

It’s a place that has worked well for business and is a place he intends to stay. One reason is because he believes the location of the company, an ad and marketing firm with clients across the upper Midwest, helps attract employees and motivates them in their creativity.

“The location actually is part of our culture,” he said.

WE THINK THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING IN DOWNTOWN FARGO, AND AS FAR AS CULTURAL AND SOCIAL EVENTS THAT TAKE PLACE IN THIS AREA, WE ARE AT THE CENTER OF ALL OF IT.

— TARA MAY, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS AT R.D. OFFUTT FARMS

Altenbernd, who has worked in some capacity downtown for about 20 years, likes promoting the area and in recent months joined the Downtown Community Partnership, a community organization that goes beyond promoting traditional retail and special events to take on development challenges facing downtown.

“I did that because I am such a proponent of what’s happening down here,” he said. “What I personally like about downtown Fargo is the vibrancy and vitality. It is the walkability (to other businesses and venues). That might seem cliche to many people, but I love the options that downtown has to offer the office worker.” Those offerings are much more than the nearby food and beverage amenities – though that’s a plus, too.

“I think food and beverage gets oversold when we talk about downtown,” he said. “There is so much camaraderie in the downtown community that I completely enjoy. I feel like it might cost me

IMAGE ABOVE: A VIEW OF THE FIFTH FLOOR MEETING ROOM OF R.D. OFFUTT FARMS IN DOWNTOWN FARGO, N.D. TARA MAY, THE COMPANY’S VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, SAYS DOWNTOWN ATTRACTS LIKE-MINDED INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES THAT ARE ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND CHANGE. PEOPLE ARE INNOVATIVE AND THEY ARE ABLE TO MEET EASILY AND FEED OFF EACH OTHER’S CREATIVITY AND AMBITIONS. IMAGE: COURTESY OF R.D. OFFUTT FARMS

downtown Fargo is part of some companies’ culture

a little more to be here, but that’s an investment I choose to make because I believe that being downtown actually attracts talent.”

Kilbourne Group has helped many businesses set up shop in the downtown area, including such projects as the Kesler and Mercantile, both high-brow multi-use projects at the heart of downtown.

Mike Peschel, Kilbourne’s managing broker and commercial asset manager, said anyone can create their own unique office setting and make it as inviting as they like, but a common theme he is noticing is that people are seeking built-in amenities close to the office.

“In the downtown setting, what people are showing a lot of interest in is the idea that all of the amenities are already around. They’re already there,” he said. “So when people are looking for an office, they’re saying, ‘Hey, we can make the office look like whatever we want. But we got 40 or 50 food and beverage coffee-shop type options surrounding us. We have the ability to network with people just on the streets, walking from meeting to meeting.’

“It becomes more of an opportunity for your business to thrive in a different environment than it would if it was in another area of town or a little farther away. When you’re driving from meeting to meeting you’re not interacting with people every day.”

Peschel said Kilbourne Group keeps tabs on what’s happening downtown, works closely with its clients, and is doing its part to keep Fargo an inviting place to live and work. With so many innovative minds downtown, he believes the vibrancy that many people mention will continue into the foreseeable future. And, he said, it will only get better.

That means it likely will continue to attract new businesses and talent to the scene.

“You can build an office in the middle of a farmstead and while there make it the coolest space in the world,” he said. “But you’re

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humanresources

continued from page 13

not surrounded by anything else that would be considered vibrant and walkable and cool.”

In Fargo, he said, a business gets all of that and more.

“You have all of these other amenities that are right around you,” he said. “I think there was a vision 20 years ago (of what downtown could be) and we’re trying to continue that vision and find out what the next project is that makes sense and to fill any voids, any gaps. We’re trying to see it all the way through: ‘Why does Fargo stick out from the next closest similar-sized town? Why would someone choose Fargo over that?’”

Tara May knows why: Not only is downtown Fargo vibrant with its array of shops, restaurants, and entertainment options, but it is attracting like-minded individuals, companies that are on the cutting edge of technology and change. People are innovative and they are able to meet easily, feeding off each other’s creativity and ambitions.

May is vice president of communications and external affairs at R.D. Offutt Farms, a family-owned and operated potato farm headquartered in Fargo but with stores in several states. The company is enjoying its new building downtown, where some 400 employees work. To make that happen, it consolidated four offices into one.

She said the company has always been a great place to work, but the new building and its downtown location helps cultivate an environment that encourages collaboration and teamwork.

“We’re located right downtown, so there’s a lot of vibrancy right outside,” she said, noting the building’s floor plan is one of transparency that is accentuated with conference rooms and smaller collaboration spaces. Technology plays a big part in its operations, and team members can virtually meet with colleagues farther away.

The building has a fifth-floor cafe and commons area “with beautiful views of the Fargo Theater and of downtown,” May said. “We think that there are a lot of exciting things happening in downtown Fargo, and as far as cultural and social events that take place in this area, we are at the center of all of it.”

Outside the office is Broadway Plaza, where programs of different varieties take place all year long. In winter there’s an ice skating rink, and in the summer it might be used for movies or live performances. “There are many nights out of the week where there’s something happening downtown and people are sort of excited and motivated by that energy,” she said.

That energy crosses into the daily grind at the office, making it not seem so burdensome or routine. It helps spark creativity just being in that environment, she said.

The draw to downtown Fargo has been happening for years, according to Joe Raso, president and CEO of the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation. But its popularity has only grown. He said it is a benefit for many businesses to have a downtown presence.

“Years ago, I had a CEO of a manufacturing company that was going to locate in the industrial park in the community I represented

IN THE DOWNTOWN SETTING, WHAT PEOPLE ARE SHOWING A LOT OF INTEREST IN IS THE IDEA THAT ALL OF THE AMENITIES ARE ALREADY AROUND. THEY’RE ALREADY THERE. ... IT BECOMES MORE OF AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS TO THRIVE IN A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT THAN IT WOULD IF IT WAS IN ANOTHER AREA OF TOWN OR A LITTLE FARTHER AWAY. WHEN YOU’RE DRIVING FROM MEETING TO MEETING YOU’RE NOT INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE EVERY DAY.

— MIKE PESCHEL, MANAGING BROKER AND COMMERCIAL ASSET MANAGER WITH KILBOURNE GROUP

TEAM MEMBERS GATHER IN A MEETING ROOM AT THE R.D. OFFUTT FARMS OFFICE IN DOWNTOWN FARGO, N.D. IMAGE: COURTESY OF R.D. OFFUTT FARMS

and he asked about the development in downtown, which was not where his business was locating,” Raso said. “I asked why his interest in downtown and he said, ‘Your downtown is the heart of your community, and it says a lot about how you feel about yourself if you focus on and take care of your downtown.’

“That has always stuck with me, and while we visit with companies in the greater Fargo-Moorhead area, I hear frequently the importance of downtown to their business even though most aren’t located downtown. They say it is hugely important to their recruitment of talent into the region.”

For Altenbernd and his team at H2M, being downtown helps feed the creative spirit, he said, and it attracts like-minded individuals and businesses where they can feed off each other’s energy. That’s a bonus for the ad firm and its clients.

As downtown continues to evolve, so does H2M. It is starting to attract clients closer to home.

“I would say 65% of our clients aren’t even in our area, but we make an impact,” Altenbernd said. “We’ve actually gained a lot of local clients here just in the first quarter of this year, which is really rare for us.”

Not all of H2M’s team works in the office; some still work remotely, and Altenbernd said plans are in the works to move into a smaller building. But he doesn’t expect to ever leave downtown. The location has become part of company culture, as much as it is for some companies to throw holiday parties.

“I’ve said before, I’ve said it for years, that to retain people – and when you bring people in if they happen to be from a different part of town or even out of town – downtown Fargo is attractive,” he said, noting the winters are not always fun “but we’ve got five and a half months that is quite enjoyable. And if you’ve had a hard day, you’re only 20 steps away from a cocktail.”

Pandemic prompts companies to revisit HR programs

By Andrew Weeks

Anumber of challenges for businesses came out of the pandemic, but there also have been some opportunities.

Just ask Renee Rice, senior director of communications and culture at Marvin, who has been an eyewitness to changes at the window and door manufacturer. She said the company – based in Warroad, Minnesota, but which has locations and employees in a number of states, including North Dakota – has been good at adopting and adapting to new ways of approaching the work-life balance.

“If the pandemic emphasized anything, it’s that work and life are interconnected and that balance looks different for everyone,” she said.

Rice, who is based in Minneapolis, said the company has revised programs to better serve employees when they need an extra boost.

“We’ve leaned into this notion and have reimagined many of our programs to allow more choice for our employees so they can take care of themselves in those times when they feel they need more balance,” she said.

Other companies say something similar, that there needs to be a defined balance between work and life outside the office – even when the office, for many people these days, are in their own homes.

Below are a couple of Q&As with two of the region’s expert and successful business leaders, Rice and Lindsay Mack, training director with Cornerstone Bank. Prairie Business thanks them both for taking the time to answer a few questions about the HR topic:

Renee Rice, senior director of communications and culture at Marvin

Q: What has been the biggest HR challenge over the past two years of the pandemic? And, in what ways did you meet those challenges?

Like many HR teams, we’ve primarily been challenged with hiring enough people to support higher-than-ever demand for Marvin products and retaining our valued employees in this increasingly competitive talent market. We’ve met these challenges by leaning into our purpose – to imagine and create better ways of living – and bringing that to life from the inside out for our employees. By thinking differently, we’ve re-imagined some of our legacy benefits and introduced new initiatives that support employee wellbeing – such as our Wellbeing Your Way fund, which gives every employee an allowance to spend on anything that supports their wellbeing. New in 2022, we introduced Better Living Week where the entire company will shut down to give our hard-working employees an extra week off with pay this year – a rare occurrence in our manufacturing industry.

Q: If you were to rate what attracts people to join the company, what rating would you give HR? Why?

We have a fantastic HR team at Marvin and despite the challenges the team has faced throughout this pandemic, their efforts have attracted thousands of new hires to Marvin over the past few years. Additionally, the areas where we consistently get positive feedback from employees are often areas led by our HR team members, such as our strong benefits and cultural programs that aim to support Better Living at Marvin. That validation from employees means a lot more to our team than any rating I’d give them.

Q: What does the company do to ensure culture is maintained and its employees are engaged during remote work?

We have a mix of employees who still work remotely, some who work in the office full time, and some in a hybrid model. Early in the pandemic we were intentional about never setting a “return to office” date because we knew that flexibility was here to stay, and that many of our employees were happier and healthier when they were able to design flexible work plans that balanced the needs of their team with their own personal needs. To that end, we’ve been intentional about maintaining a collaborative culture by bringing our teams together in person in the office when it makes sense for those individuals and their work – not just because it’s Wednesday. This has helped people get more value out of moments in-office with their teammates that are more purposeful and productive.

Q: What does the company do to ensure a positive work-life balance?

If the pandemic emphasized anything, it’s that work and life are interconnected and that balance looks different for everyone. We’ve leaned into this notion and have reimagined many of our programs to allow more choice for our employees so they can take care of themselves in those times when they feel they need more balance. Our Wellbeing Your Way fund and Better Living Week are two primary examples. We’re also piloting new mental health programs and flexibility initiatives to better support employees during those moments at work when personal needs come up.

Q: What programs are in place to help employees develop and grow into leadership roles?

We’ve been prioritizing leadership development and have several initiatives in place to promote development and growth for our employees. One exciting thing we’ve done this past year is to bring a coaching capability in-house to provide support and guidance to a much larger number of our employees. Another leadership devel-

opment initiative we’re excited about is a six-month program we’re prototyping called The Leadership Experience at Marvin. Employees participate in virtual workshops, complete online micro-learning modules, learn to understand their behavior through a new lens and see themselves as others see them via personality and emotional intelligence assessments, and join a cohort for guidance and support from a certified coach. Perhaps most impactful, they have an opportunity to apply everything they’re learning on the job and learn from the feedback they receive.

Q: What would you like potential hires, or even current employees, know about your HR program that perhaps they may not know? What is the best thing about your HR program?

The best thing about our HR program is our people, how they make other employees feel, how they welcome them and make them feel part of a work family, and support them if they’re struggling. Tangible things like benefits, experiences, programs are great and should be prioritized, but at the end of the day, it’s the people who matter most, the people who recognize and celebrate you, listen to you, and make you feel valued. Our HR team members do this day in and day out through their work and their genuine care for our employees. It’s a special thing to see and be a part of!

Lindsay Mack, training director at Cornerstone Bank

Q: What has been the biggest HR challenge over the past two years of the pandemic? And, in what ways did you meet those challenges?

The biggest challenge was all the unknowns that came with the pandemic. We had a number of team members who were juggling work and homeschooling or caring for their kids all while continuing to help our customers with exceptional service. We took it one day at a time. We made sure we communicated often with all team members and provided the flexibility they needed for their situation. We utilized Webex for meetings so team members could still see each other via video and feel connected.

Q: What ways does the company use its HR to attract and retain employees? Are there any new initiatives or tried-and-true ones that seem to work well?

Yes, we have felt a strain like most other businesses. We have a very generous benefits package that helps attract and retain team members along with our culture. We don’t just have values hanging on our walls. We live them each and every day incorporating them into everything we do.

continued on page 19

Renee rice

Lindsay Mack

Insurance policies for new businesses tick upward

By Sam Easter

Michael Conlan, an adjunct sculpture instructor at the University of North Dakota, decided to take a risk last year. In his younger days, he was a skateboarder, and now his 14-yearold son – headed to high school next year – is one, too.

So, in the fall, he opened Flow Skate Shop in downtown Grand Forks. He said his son didn’t want to be tethered to the nearby mall anymore, or have to make the long round trip to Fargo for its dedicated skate shop.

“We just said, hey, why not? We’ve got a little bit of time on our hands. It’s the middle of the pandemic, let’s give it a shot.”

There are countless people like Conlan, all making big changes as the pandemic has reshaped American life. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s count of new business applications, 2021 was a

record year in the upper Midwest, just like much of the rest of the country. Across Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota combined, application numbers jumped 11% between 2019 and 2020; they jumped another 22% in 2021.

It’s all made for an interesting two years for insurance providers, who have felt nearly every effect of the pandemic – including workfrom-home ripple effects to the far-flung influence of surging inflation. DJ Colter, an agency owner with American Family Insurance, points out that the change is notable.

“I had clients reach out to me here in the last week – she’s a psychiatrist, they’re looking to start her own practice (working) from home,” Colter said. “And she’s like, hey, I know that if I have someone come to our house, it’s a different liability if they get hurt.”

MICHAEL CONLAN, OWNER OF FLOW SKATE SHOP, WITH SONS LIAM, LEFT, AND CIAN ON 2ND AVE. N. IN DOWNTOWN GRAND FORKS.

IMAGE: ERIC HYLDEN/GRAND FORKS HERALD

Business Boom

New Business Applications

New business applications are booming in the upper Midwest. In Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, the total number of applications has grown nearly 70% since 2005 — with a sharp, mid-pandemic upturn that’s most notable in Minnesota.

Source: US Census Bureau | Chart by Sam Easter

Q: If you were to rate what attracts people to join the company, what rating would you give HR? Why?

Our team members and culture are what attract people to join our company and I would rate that very high. When you consider the amount of time a person spends at work, it’s really important to not only enjoy what you do but also who you work with – and we have some of the best!

Q: What does the company do to ensure culture is maintained and its employees are engaged during remote work?

Yes, we did have team members work remotely during the pandemic and we do have a few that are now working remotely permanently. We utilize Webex for meetings to ensure team members are still connecting and supporting each other if they cannot meet in person. During the pandemic, teams continued to have their weekly meetings to help maintain some sort of normalcy and to ensure we continued living our values.

It’s similar for Ryan Hoffman, managing director of Fargo operations for Marsh McLennan Agency, who said he expects new business contacts to pick up even more in the future.

“We do consult with a lot of startup businesses. We’re seeing a lot of immediate activity, because a lot of incubator businesses really start within a home,” Hoffman said. “And before they get off the ground, it will take some time before they develop into something more substantial to which they’re going to need a risk strategy.”

But new business starts are just one way the economy has radically changed over the course of the COVID pandemic – with droves of employees now working from home, not to mention the massive whipsawing in supply chains that’s now wracking markets.

That shift to work-from-home, which is remaking the nature of the office across the country, has helped soften cybersecurity defenses, say Matt Peterson and Thomas Tweten, both officials with Bell Insurance.

“The two claims that we see the most would be ransomware claims, where somebody makes a ransom demand after they’ve (passed) software into your system to lock information or locked systems,” Peterson said, and added that the other is “social engineering” – where a scammer spoofs a bill or an invoice for a service that a recipient regularly uses.

“When people are remoting in and working from home, we’ve certainly seen an uptick just in general of businesses that had ransomware incidents or social engineering (issues),” he said.

Inflation has driven an enormous amount of economic change, too, with the federally tracked Consumer Price Index jumping 1.2% in March, and food prices up 7.9% across 2022. That surge in prices is affecting auto parts, too, Peterson said, driving up automobile repair costs.

“What we’ve seen is the cost to get an auto repaired (has) significantly increased. So insurers are paying higher dollar claims today for the same claim happening now versus two years ago,” Peterson said.

And, he added, if things keep changing, the insurance industry will keep changing, too.

“If that trend continues, we would expect that there’s probably an auto rate increase of some sort in the future.”

Q: What does it do to ensure a positive work-life balance?

Work-life balance is very important to us. We allow our team members flexibility to ensure they are able to put their families first while still being productive and providing great customer service.

Q: What programs are in place to help employees develop and grow into leadership roles?

Part of our strategic plan is to ensure all team members have an active development plan. We want to ensure we are helping team members reach their career goals by enhancing their skills and knowledge that can lead to mastery of their current job, promotions or transfers to new or different positions or opportunities within their current position.

Q: What is the best thing about your HR program?

We have a great culture, a wonderful benefits package and awesome team members. I’m so fortunate to work for an organization that truly cares for their team members!

Streamlining patient services

By Andrew Weeks

Technology is supposed to make life easier. Case in point is what Jamestown Regional Medical Center is doing to streamline patient visits.

The medical center is adopting kiosks that will allow patients to check in for appointments, eliminating the task of having to wait in line to have office workers do it for them.

The goal is that the kiosks will streamline the patient experience and take some load off the shoulders of office staff.

mike delfs

Other hospitals in the region, such as Sanford Health, have already done something similar. “Many clinic locations feature kiosks or tablets to empower patients to check-in for appointments and update their information on their own, without waiting in line at the registration desk,” said Dr. Doug Griffin, vice president and medical officer at Sanford. “This same technology also enables patients to check-in online prior to their appointment and are then sent a barcode to simply scan at one of these kiosks to notify the care team that they’re here and waiting.

“We are working to expand this technology even further to include auto-arrival for those that opt-in, which leverages geolocation and a patient’s mobile device to automatically check them in once we recognize they’ve arrived at the clinic.”

Jamestown Regional will start with one kiosk, according to Presi-

dent and CEO Mike Delfs, but it likely will grow that number to several more over time. He said the adoption of the kiosks is the result of the hospital listening to patient requests.

In essence, patients have said they’ve experienced other places of business that provide self-check in, why doesn’t the hospital?

“The idea is we’re trying to meet patients based on their needs,” Delfs said. “We’re listening to the patients. That’s what really has gotten us to look at this.”

The kiosks, which are an entirely new venture for JRMC, will likely be placed first in its specialty clinic, an area that Delfs said is far less common to have kiosks, noting they’re typically more common in family medicine practices.

“Kiosks are far less common in specialty care areas,” he said. “And so that’s a little different. It’s not that we’re cutting edge, that we are the first one in the nation to be doing that, but it is less common to do that in specialty clinics.”

Besides helping patients, there is another benefit to installing the kiosks: It will help office workers, freeing them to take care of other matters.

“If they spend a little less time doing that (checking in patients), then we have more resources to devote to something else, whether that’s helping people with insurances or a variety of other things that desk does,” Delfs said.

It can especially be helpful during times of staff shortages, during a day when someone is out sick or over a longer period when positions are waiting to be filled.

“We’re like every other health care organization right now coming out of COVID,” he said. “Most health care organizations do have some struggles with staffing. We’ve been able to adequately get the work done, but we struggled with trying to get people in and being fully staffed. And so it certainly would help with that. But I think even more important for us, what this would help with is it would be able to give us a little more time with that core staff and get some of the things done that are a little bit slower getting done right now. What comes to mind for me is some of the insurance authorizations that we have to do. The benefit is being able to direct work far better and far more efficiently.”

Kiosk will work something like this: Once at the kiosk, the patient enters her or his name and date of birth, just as they would when speaking with a real person they’d be registering with. Once that information has been entered, the patient will have the chance to verify. It will then ask questions, such as if the patient’s address is correct, etc.

Also, once a patient’s insurance card has been scanned by a real

JAMESTOWN REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER SAYS IT IS TRYING TO STREAMLINE PATIENT VISITS BY ADOPTING KIOSKS THAT WILL ALLOW PATIENTS TO CHECK IN FOR APPOINTMENTS, ELIMINATING THE TASK OF HAVING TO WAIT IN LINE TO HAVE OFFICE WORKERS DO IT FOR THEM.

IMAGE: COURTESY OF JRMC

office worker, the patient can keep up on any updates through the kiosks. Delfs said they’re looking at the possibility of kiosks eventually being able to scan insurance cards during a patient’s first appointment.

He describes using the kiosks as a step-by-step process similar to what a patient would go through with a real person at the front desk.

“How do you get in to see the doc and how do you check all the boxes to do that?” Delfs said. “It’s very, very similar to the process that happens right now with a person; it’s just you get inquiries on the screen asking you to do each thing.”

Delfs said the first kiosk is already on order and he expects it to be installed and ready to use this summer.

Back at Sanford, Griffin said kiosks are one sampling of the larger technology suite that the caregiver utilizes for its patients and staff. Among the offerings are online scheduling, virtual care, self-rooming and real-time surgery tracking. And, “like most health systems these days, Sanford Health offers an online portal for patients to partner in managing their care. They can see lab results, view provider notes and visit summaries, message their care team, pay online and so much more.”

He said: “Investing in technology and creating digital strategies that support a higher level of service and exceptional patient care is very important to Sanford. For us, it’s not just about efficiencies gained and innovation for innovation’s sake, but rather more so about improving the experience for our patients, our people and our communities alike.

“Today’s patients expect health care to offer the modern technological conveniences afforded in literally every other area of their life. The difference in health care, though, is that we have the ability to use these otherwise novel technologies to relieve a very real burden – no matter how small – from those in our care.”

MARVIN,

IMAGES:

Marvin opens new distribution center in West Fargo

By Andrew Weeks

Marvin, a window and door manufacturer, opened a new distribution center in March in West Fargo, and plans to soon open another facility. Both will create more jobs in the area. The new distribution center adds 148,000 square feet to the company’s operations in the Fargo area, said Chris Barta, senior director of operations. The next facility, to open in May in Fargo, will be a 127,000-square-foot manufacturing plant.

“In total,” he said, “these two new buildings will add over 275,000 square feet to Marvin’s operations in this region.”

Construction got underway last summer, Barta said, noting the timing of its completion allowed the company to partner on the finishing construction to determine overall layout and interior spaces to fit its needs.

When Barta answered questions for Prairie Business in March, shortly after the celebratory opening of its new center, he said about 90 current employees were being transitioned into the new distribution center but that the company hoped to add another 150 by year’s end.

He said these two facilities are a nod to the bigger story that is Marvin right now. “Over the last two years, our story has been one of growth,” he said. “We’ve seen increasing demand for Marvin window and door solutions, which meant we needed to look at

expansion opportunities. We also have continued growth plans for the overall Marvin window and door portfolio.

The new distribution center adds loading capacity and improves loading efficiencies, doubling the amount of space and the number of dock doors. It also increases capacities in current plants by freeing up space currently occupied by loading docks.

A WINDOW AND DOOR MANUFACTURER, OPENED THIS 148,000-SQUAREFOOT DISTRIBUTION CENTER IN MARCH IN WEST FARGO. THE COMPANY PLANS TO OPEN ANOTHER FACILITY IN MAY.

What some might take granted, Marvin doesn’t. A standout feature in the new facility is its air conditioning.

“While we know there are plenty of months where we don’t need it, Fargo summers make for uncomfortably warm temperatures where air conditioning will be a huge asset and something not commonly found in manufacturing facilities due to size and cost,” Barta said.

“In addition, we’ve been investing in our breakrooms across all our Fargo and West Fargo facilities, including providing healthier on-site lunch options for our teams, which will also be available in the distribution center.”

The company’s manufacturing facilities concentrate on products that leverage its proprietary Ultrex fiberglass, Barta said, the back-

bone of the company’s Elevate and Essential product collections.

Marvin currently operates six facilities with more than 1,700 employees in Fargo and West Fargo. For those looking for work, Barta said now is a good time to apply, with positions starting at $20 an hour with benefits eligibility on the first day of employment.

“We continue to invest in the communities in which we do business,” he said. “We’re pleased to have secured additional space in the Fargo area to meet demand while continuing to grow the business in a thriving community.”

Memorializing memorials

Sioux Falls-based Stone Group Architects works on project

to

archive stories of veterans and their memorials

By Andrew Weeks

Stone Group Architects, based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is working on a project to draw attention to the country’s veteran memorials.

So far it has collected a number of images and stories about memorials, some close to home and others hundreds, even thousands of miles away.

The effort continues to grow as it seeks participation from the public and, once complete, will stand unique among other collections. As far as he knows, Todd Stone, founder and co-owner of the architecture firm, does not know of another such collection by another company or organization.

“It’s amazing how diverse these memorials can be, yet they have one common goal – to honor all men and women veterans,” he said. “We want to develop an archive where people can learn about these beautiful monuments all in one place. We are developing a resource where you can go to find those stories.”

Stone, who is a retired Army master sergeant, said once he returned to civilian life he wanted to find ways to honor veterans. He founded Stone Group in 2012 and calls it a service-disabled veteran-owned small business, which does a significant amount of architectural design work for Veterans Affairs hospitals and other military hospitals nationwide. Next, he started the memorial project in 2021, posting links to memorial sites on his company webpage, but over the past few months the effort has grown significantly. He said it is just the beginning to what he hopes will be a much larger database.

”The ultimate goal here is to create an archive that will basically last forever,” he said. “We hope to keep adding to it. In a utopian world, we’d have every single one of them documented, because there’s no place that really does that.”

While that might not happen, Stone and his team plan to keep adding to the archive by documenting as many memorials as possible.

A STATUE OF A SOLDIER, AS PART OF A MEMORIAL HONORING WORLD WAR TWO VETERANS, IS SEEN COVERED WITH FROST IN THIS IMAGE IN PIERRE, S.D. IMAGES: COURTESY OF STONE GROUP ARCHITECTS

To date 13 states and 41 memorials are depicted on the site, each with their own photos and history. Some of the photos have been taken by company employees as they work on projects across the country; others have been submitted.

Jordan Metzger, co-owner of Stone Group, said he is especially grateful to be able to document the smaller memorials, some which may be only a simple plaque because funds to do something larger is lacking in some communities.

“Some memorials are fortunate to have large businesses that are willing to back it, but you get into some of these small towns where there’s 250, maybe 300 people and it could be something as simple as a plaque on a wall,” he said. “They’re doing what they can do to recognize the veterans in their communities.”

No matter how large the memorial, Metzger said it is very pleasing to see what communities are doing to honor their former-servicemen and -women.

continued on page 26

Dacotah Paper Co. completed a 55,728 square foot addition to their primary distribution center in Fargo, bringing their total warehouse and office area in Fargo to 280,000 square feet. The Fargo-Moorhead Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors recently celebrated the event with a ribbon cutting.

Company president, Matthew Mohr, states, “The expansion project was completed with no interruption to Dacotah’s delivery or customer service.” Dacotah’s solid group of hardworking, dedicated, enthusiastic employees worked many extra hours to accomplish the product move.

Founded in 1906, Dacotah Paper co. is a fourth-generation familyowned wholesale distributor stocking over 8000 items consisting of a variety of business-related products, including janitorial supplies, janitorial equipment, cleaning & chemical solutions, foodservice supplies, packaging supplies, office supplies and safety/first aid products.

In addition to their primary distribution center in Fargo, Dacotah owns and operates 5 divisions in Minnesota. Products are primarily delivered via Dacotah’s fleet of 50 semi-trucks serving customers in a 7 state region encompassing North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, and parts of Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska.

continued from page 25

Not all of the memorials may be flashy, “but it’s something to give them (the vets) the recognition they deserve for serving the country – some of them who never made it back home,” he said.

Each memorial has a unique history. One small town carved its monuments into pink-colored quartz, derived locally. Another town struggling with a declining population, lost its post office and school, yet thought it was important to build and maintain a veterans memorial.

There also are large memorials listed from cities such as Honolulu and Gettysburg that host monuments and statues over a span of a hundred acres.

Cindy Bahe, graphic designer and administrative assistant at Stone group, has done a lot of the research and writing of the

THE MOORHEAD MEMORIAL BRIDGE CROSSES THE RED RIVER BETWEEN FARGO, N.D. AND MOORHEAD, MINN.

THE MONONA COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIAL MUSEUM AND FREEDOM ROCK, ONE OF 99 PAINTED FREEDOM ROCKS IN IOWA.

histories. With her journalism background, it is right up her alley. She also comes from a strong military family, and so the project has been an enjoyable and interesting one for her.

“I love writing about the memorials, but even better I like getting the human interest stories, the veterans themselves,” she said. “That being said, a lot of the veterans don’t want it, especially the ones from World War II and Vietnam. A lot of them don’t talk about their experiences, and so a lot of times I find information from their families or friends.”

The veterans won’t be around forever –many have already passed – and so Bahe said it is especially important to grab their stories while they are still alive.

Besides the company website, Bahe shares the stories and photos on its social media pages but would like to see more public participation in the project.

“I encourage people to either email me or pick up the phone and call if they have a story they’d like to share about a family member,” she said. “We very much encourage that. In fact, I would love to get more stories about the veterans.”

For those who have stories or photos of veterans or memorials they’d like to share, contact Bahe at 605-271-1144 or cindyb@ stonegrouparch.com.

STONE GROUP ARCHITECTS IS ARCHIVING STORIES AND PHOTOS OF VETERANS MEMORIALS FROM MANY PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. THIS ONE IS THE NEVADA STATE MEMORIAL IN LAS VEGAS.

A NEW ICE ARENA TO BE BUILT IN WATERTOWN, S.D., IS IN THE DESIGN PHASE AND WILL MOVE TO CONSTRUCTION THIS FALL. THE 94,000-SQUARE-FOOT FACILITY WILL INCLUDE TWO FULL-SIZE RINKS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A THIRD. THE ARENA IS SLATED FOR COMPLETION IN FALL 2023. IMAGES: COURTESY OF 292 DESIGN GROUP

Partnerships in Watertown bring decade-old ice arena plan to life

By Andrew Weeks

Along-awaited ice arena, first discussed about 10 years ago, is now closer to reality with the city of Watertown, South Dakota, joining forces with several partners to bring the facility to life. The ice arena, which will serve the community’s youth ice sports, is in the design phase by 292 Design Group, but other partners include RJM Construction, based in Minneapolis, and Crestone Companies, a commercial and residential construction company based in Watertown.

Brad Barickman, vice president of community at RJM, said local participation of any construction project is critical to its success, “especially understanding city and state regulations and the various community relationships that make projects like this succeed.” He said RJM and Crestone share similar values and that their combined effort on the project “will bring great value to the Watertown community.”

Construction on the 94,000-square-foot project, located on First Avenue and 31st Street Northeast in the town’s Willow Creek development, will get underway this fall with a tentative completion date of fall 2023.

The arena will include two NHL-sized ice rinks with the potential to include a third rink. The main rink will have capacity for 1,523 spectators, including executive club suites. The second, or practice rink, can accommodate 250 spectators. Public amenities will include a concession stand, skate rental, room for a pro shop and rentable spaces for conferences and private parties.

Barickman said he’s always been a big hockey fan and is excited to work on projects such as the arena, which will provide a venue for youth and adults to enjoy ice sports and other activities.

“I love the premier ice sheet,” he said. “I think they’re trying to draw a junior hockey team franchise into that location and the seating capacity is perfect for junior hockey. … I think it’s cool that this will have the seating capacity that can host South Dakota high school state tournaments, things like that. … I love projects like this that the community can use for years to come.”

Eric Skott, president and CEO of Crestone Companies, echoed similar sentiments, saying the project combines two of his life’s interests.

“The two great passions of mine are hockey and construction,” he

said. “I’ve been working on trying to help Watertown get this hockey arena done one way or another, in any capacity I could, really since I was Hockey Association president five years ago. I got really involved with that and as things progressed, our company also progressed and an opportunity arose to partner with RJM.” They put a proposal together and were awarded the project. He also praised 292 Design Group for the modern architectural design of the future facility.

Skott said the building, when finished, could be used for some other functions besides ice sports, but that decision ultimately is up to the city. He said there continues to be a lot of state and community support for the project.

“I think our leaders are buying into it,” he said. “When I’m out in the community talking to people about it, I always hear support for it, and the consistent message from everybody is if we’re going to do it, let’s do it right. Let’s make sure this is a good facility. We’re getting a lot of buy-in from the entire community, and the city and community has voted and supported that effort financially as well.”

The city of Watertown started talking about developing an ice arena about 10 years ago, but the project was placed on the backburner due to changing administrations and other, more immediate, needs. But an interest in the project remained. The City Council on March 14 approved a resolution authorizing the issuance of $20 million in sales tax revenue bonds for the project, finally putting the decade-old plan in motion.

The current city administration has “really been pushing hard to make it happen,” Barickman said. “And from what I understand, this new development area has grown quite a bit over the last couple of years. It seems like they have the right property, the right location now, and just the right team behind it. … I think they have the right people involved now and really have a desire to see this thing go forward.”

Something that is challenging, as it is with many construction projects these days, is getting building materials in a timely fashion.

Dick Strassburg, a partner with Tegra Group, which represents the city on the ice arena project, said city leaders are confident the project will be a success, noting the partnership it has with the various groups are especially important during supply-chain challenges.

In a statement sent to Prairie Business, he said: “Given complexities with construction materials, subcontractors, estimating and managing demanding timelines, we’re confident the collaboration between RJM and Crestone will ensure we meet our specific project objectives.”

American Family’s DJ Colter and his entire team has made the entire process of dealing with insurance very easy for Goldmark. They have worked tirelessly to understand the different insurance needs for each of our managed properties. When we have an incident he has an adjuster to the scene within hours. At Goldmark we view American Family as more than our insurance agency and as our partner.

- Goldmark Property Management

ARTISTICRENDERING

Fargo-based Burian & Associates envisions future growth

By Andrew Weeks

Starting a business early in the pandemic might not seem like an ideal thing to do. But for Steve Burian and his team, it has worked out quite well. Now with a few locations, he hopes to grow the company across the region.

Burian, president of the civil engineering consulting company Burian & Associates based in Fargo, said he was fortunate to have landed good projects early on in his business.

“It was a really bad time to try to be a new consulting firm, because all of the clients were preoccupied with their own pandemic worries,” he said. “It was not a time where they were going to take a risk on a new firm or a new relationship, and so they really doubled-down on their existing relationships. But we were fortunate to get some early work in January and February that was really good work.”

The company has since been able to secure contracts with a number of other projects across the state, including the Memorial Village and Wilkerson Commons Service Center projects at University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, and EPIC Companies’ The Beacon project, also in Grand Forks, among others.

Burian said another factor in his success so far are the people he’s added to his team. He said he had to curtail some of his hiring plans during the height of the pandemic.

“We were able to weather that storm too,” he said. “We’re on the good side of that now.”

Burian and his Fargo team moved into a larger office last summer, located at 4340 18th Ave. S., which provided them with 2,400 extra square feet of space. Because it was a complete remodel, they were able to design the space to fit an engineering firm.

“None of this is sexy, but we have really nice light all the way around and we put offices around the periphery,” Burian said. “And then we made sure we had glass shining through so the whole office is just super bright and welcoming from that standpoint.”

There also are self-serving kiosks, a large lunch room, joint conference rooms, and an outside patio.

Other Burian team members share space with another firm, Toman Engineering Co., a civil engineering and land surveying firm in Mandan, North Dakota, where the two teams share amenities and partner on some of the work coming out of that office.

In Grand Forks, team members use The 701, a coworking space. He foresees a time when a Burian office will open in Grand Forks, but for now the coworking space works well.

BURIAN & ASSOCIATES OPENED A NEW OFFICE IN FARGO, BUT ALSO HAS EMPLOYEE LOCATIONS IN GRAND FORKS AND MANDAN, NORTH DAKOTA. PRESIDENT STEVE BURIAN SAID HE EXPECTS THE COMPANY TO GROW INTO SEVERAL ACROSS THE REGION. HERE’S A PEEK AT THE NEW OFFICE OF BURIAN & ASSOCIATES IN FARGO. IMAGES: COURTESY OF BURIAN & ASSOCIATES

steve burian

Eventually, Burian would like to grow his business into the surrounding states, and with three decades of business experience under his belt, he is confident that will happen.

“Having been in the business for 30 years, that’s probably one of the benefits I brought to it, versus being a youngster – I have a little more stability to the network and a recognition that things have to be good for all (to be successful) and to look for some of those more creative approaches when you can,” he said.

That experience also has given him perspective for what might be in store for his industry in the region.

“Engineering, for the most part, is fortunate that it never gets too cold,” he said. It is a hot industry “because a lot of the municipalities and water districts and public transportation and all those entities that have to keep their infrastructure packed over time. We’re a little hedged from that standpoint, because infrastructure always provides a need for engineering services. We also have the benefit that when things are hot, the private sector is going like gangbusters. Private sector puts more demand on the public sector and so the public sector grows. I’ve always felt that engineering is pretty good during the colder times and awfully good during the hot times, and I think North Dakota is definitely in a hot time right now.

“From a fundamental standpoint, there’s a lot of optimism in North Dakota. Energy prices are kind of at that unprecedented high point again. They were headed that way anyway, and then this last deal with Ukraine really pushed them even higher. … I just think the leadership of the state of North Dakota is doing an awfully good job right now of creating an environment for opportunities. We’ve seen a lot of ag processing, a lot of business growth, a lot of new companies.”

He said the state may be restrained a little by the pandemic and workforce challenges, but if not for those two things the sky would be the limit.

“In addition to our basic industries doing well,” he said, “a lot of these new industries are doing well also, and so it’s a good time for North Dakota.”

Amanda Fish

Minnesota State University Moorhead

Major: Nursing

Graduation Date: Summer 2022

Career path: Critical Care Nurse

“I think nursing is a very welcoming career. ... I think there’s great reward in going to work every day helping people, whatever it is. There are so many facets in nursing. You can be a public health nurse, you can be an informaticist, you can be an ICU nurse.”

From veterinary medicine to human nursing

Minnesota State University Moorhead student finds new passion in the medical field

By Andrew Weeks

Amanda Fish, a second-degree student attending Minnesota State University Moorhead, said her journey to her future career is perhaps not typical. It nonetheless has brought her to a place in life that she is passionate about.

Fish currently works as a veterinary technician, but is set to graduate this summer with a degree in nursing. Her goal is to work as a fulltime critical-care nurse.

Where, she doesn’t know. But once she has a diploma in hand and with a number of health care facilities in the region, she’s confident she’ll be able to land somewhere. It helps that there remains a nursing shortage with health providers seeking educated, welltrained nurses.

Of her journey, Fish said she first pursued a vet tech degree and has enjoyed the experience, but she often felt a longing for something more. She didn’t know what that was at the time, but as she explored her thoughts further she eventually found out.

“Well, what are the things I like?” she asked herself, and then gave an answer: “I like the medical part of things, the science. It’s very interesting.”

She decided to become a CNA and after about a year of doing that, and while continuing to research the nursing profession and talking with friends and associates, she found what she wanted to do.

“I decided I wanted to go to nursing school,” she said.

When she found that MSUM had rebooted its nursing program, she felt she had her answer. She applied, took a class, and was accepted into the program.

The rest, as they say, is history. Well, almost.

Fish will graduate in July. After that, the world is her footstool, though she’d prefer to stay close to home. That’s one of the things she likes about MSUM – it’s just down the street from where she lives, she said.

Fish said she likely will always stay in touch with veterinary medicine, but eventually will transition fulltime to human nursing. Now that she’s been involved with her degree for a while, she has become even more passionate about nursing as a career.

“I’m just actually surprised I didn’t think about it sooner,” she said. “I feel every day, every class I take, every semester, and in the job I work now, I feel that this is the right decision. I just kind of wish it would have happened sooner.”

Something that attracted her to pursue a nursing profession is its diversity. She said it provides many opportunities and areas to work.

“There’s just so much to do in nursing,” she said. “There’s so many facets of it. Maybe you think you’re going to do one thing, and then you change your mind and you can do something else. It’s so diverse. There are so many opportunities and so many areas to work in. … I think that’s why it is so appealing to a lot of different people.”

Fish also likes helping people – a good trait for any nurse to have –and she has been able to do that in several capacities so far, including helping with COVID-19 testing at West Fargo Public Schools.

As if she didn’t have enough on her plate, Fish also is the current president of the university’s Student Nursing Association. This past fall the association hosted an event to make quilts for World AIDS

Day. To customize her quilt, she and her team got to know an AIDS patient and dedicated it to him.

Carol Roth, associate professor and co-chair of the School of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership, said Fish’s “passion for the university, community, fellow students, and nursing as a profession is very evident. She is caring, service oriented, willing to work with others to complete a common goal, responsible, compassionate, ethical, always thinks of others first, and has a sound moral compass.”

All are qualities needed to make a great nurse, she said.

“Amanda will be a great nurse because she understands that nursing is more than just a job; it is a profession,” Roth continued. “When I imagine the type of nurse I would want to take care of me or my family member, I think of Amanda.”

For others considering a nursing career, Fish recommends MSUM, saying it is an exceptional school with a qualified and diverse staff of instructors. She looks forward to graduating and becoming a full-time nurse, knowing it is right up her alley being able to help others.

“I think nursing is a very welcoming career,” she said. “It’s about helping people. That’s very general, but I think there’s great reward in going to work every day helping people; whatever it is, there’s so many facets in nursing. You can be a public health nurse, you can be an informaticist (developers of communication and information technologies), you can be an ICU nurse. You don’t have to work in the hospital at all. You can do telehealth.

“All of those reasons are why I would recommend nursing and why I recommend attending MSUM specifically; we have people from other countries coming to MSUM because of its programs. … They choose it because of the program and, for whatever reason, they come from a very long way away.”

AMANDA FISH IS A SECOND-DEGREE STUDENT ATTENDING MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY MOORHEAD. SHE WILL GRADUATE THIS SUMMER WITH A DEGREE IN NURSING. IMAGES: COURTESY OF DAVE ARNTSON /MSUM

Lydia Bruenjes Dustin Grandbois

Jacob Pederson

Essentia Health welcomes new faces

FARGO, N.D. • Essentia Health recently welcomed two to its Fargo team: Lydia Bruenjes and Jacob Pederson.

Bruenjes, a certified physician assistant specializing in walk-in care, is excited to join Essentia Health-Fargo.

One of her goals is to improve her patients’ quality of life, preferably through a non-pharmaceutical treatment first, such as lifestyle changes.

Bruenjes received her education at Augsburg University in Minneapolis.

Essentia Health also has welcomed advanced practice registered nurse and certified nurse practitioner Jacob Pederson, who will work as a hospitalist.

Pederson received his education from Walden University in Minneapolis. He is certified as a nurse practitioner in critical care medicine and gerontology.

Ackerman-Estvold welcomes civil engineer

MINOT, N.D. • Dustin Grandbois has joined the Ackerman-Estvold office in Fargo as a civil engineer.

Grandbois earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from North Dakota State University. He has experience in environmental design and review and in hydrology design. His main focus will be in transportation and water resources and will serve clients throughout the region.

Rachel DeHoogh

Essentia Health nurse advances to certified nurse practitioner

FARGO, N.D. • After working as a registered nurse at Essentia Health-Fargo for many years, Rachel DeHoogh has furthered her education to become an advanced practice registered nurse and certified nurse practitioner specializing as a hospitalist.

DeHoogh received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and received her doctorate from North Dakota State University in Fargo.

She said she will treat each patient as she would want her own family to be treated while hospitalized, and will advocate for patients and families each day.

Chris Schroeder

Moore Holding Co. names new chief financial officer

WEST FARGO, N.D. • Chris Schroeder, CPA, was recently named chief financial officer of Moore Holding Co. As CFO, Schroeder leads the finance team that serves the Moore Holding family of companies, including Moore Engineering Inc., Holly Beck Surveying and Engineering, Communication Network Engineering Inc., and the holding company itself.

Prior to Moore Holding Co., Schroeder worked in the industrial and agricultural machinery industry and in the auditing group of a public accounting firm. He is an NDSU graduate and earned his accounting certificate at the University of Minnesota.

Originally from Glenwood, Minnesota, Schroeder currently lives in West Fargo with his wife, Lindsay, and their four daughters.

Q.INSIGHTs & INTUITION

“What resources do you use to find talented job applicants?”

Central Region Director of Employment HDR Austin, Texas (but recruits for the Dakotas)

In the current market, it is vital that we connect with applicants quickly to share information about our company and our open positions. To do that, HDR continues to use several resources when looking for job applicants. They range from LinkedIn, job boards and college career fairs.

In addition, our employee referral program is key to our success in recruiting talent. In 2021, our employees referred over 1,850 individuals for positions available at HDR.

JLG Architects finds talent through several avenues – updating our website, holding open houses, attending career fairs and networking events, maximizing social media, and posting on job boards. We lead an aggressive employee referral program and hire external recruiters as needed to assist. Our application process is easy for candidates.

In filling near-term demands, it’s important to consider annual and long-range planning and forecasting; scanning potential candidates for opportunities beyond the positions applied for. We also continue to expand our collegiate recruitment efforts to increase our entry-level applicant candidate pool.

The key to securing talent starts with a good reputation, which we leverage with our culture. As an ESOP with a collaborative and transparent culture, we demonstrate value to our employee-owners by openly sharing the firm’s financial information, consistently obtaining employee insight, and identifying ways to make adjustments based on that feedback. Employee stock ownership is a major draw and helps us stay competitive with our compensation and benefits, assisting individuals with building wealth while providing stability.

Being a great place to work to recruit top talent is a never-ending effort. It requires consistently staying connected to staff to understand concerns, scanning the current marketplace, and evolving, which goes a long way to recruit talented job applicants.

Angela Bolonchuk Director of HR JLG Architects Grand Forks, N.D.

Brandon Salontai

At Gate City Bank, we’re honored to be consistently recognized as a top place to work with culture and benefits second to none. It’s no surprise that one of our best sources for finding talent comes from our very own team members, encouraging others to come work at a place they love. Roughly one-third of our new hires come from team member referrals! In this job market, it’s important to be proactive and always on the lookout for talent before positions open. Since giving back is such a big part of our culture, we stay actively connected with our communities and network at a wide variety of local events. Recently we also created “Join Our Team” business cards, so whenever we see talent or excellent customer service, we can give individuals a card right on the spot and encourage them to apply.

We are also involved with many colleges and high schools within our footprint through networking and volunteering. We attend job fairs throughout the year and post jobs on “Handshake” to connect with college students, as well as enjoy speaking to classes about Gate City Bank and conducting mock interviews. We love connecting with students and helping them find a career that fits, fulfills and inspires them.

Member FDIC

Betsy Alberty

AVP, Senior Human Resources Generalist Gate City Bank Fargo, N.D.

Brent Burgard Director of Finance/ Human Resources Ackerman-Estvold Minot, N.D.

We use a hybrid of traditional and innovative methods to find the next member of the AE family, using word of mouth, networking, radio, employee referrals, social media, and recruitment partnerships. As we continue to grow geographically it is important to assess each market to ensure we are using resources to find the best candidates for us.

One of the most effective ways we can stand out as an employer of choice is investing in staff from before they walk through our doors. We pride ourselves on building strong community relationships and ties to high schools and universities throughout the region, allowing us to recruit and hire top-notch interns. Our program is built around gaining real-life experience and taking learning beyond the classroom. Competitive labor markets and talent shortage requires us to be an employer attractive to applicants with competitive salaries, benefits, and growth potential. The second step is following through as an employer with a culture created with intention. We provide our employees with challenging and gratifying work and solid team support willing to jump in to assist and celebrate successes together.

HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS

Health care practitioners and technical occupations had employment of 8.8 million in May 2021, according to recent findings as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number represents 6.2% of total national employment.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 431,000 in March, and the unemployment rate declined to 3.6%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported recently. Notable job gains continued in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, retail trade, and manufacturing. In March, 10% of employed persons teleworked because of the coronavirus pandemic, down from 13% in the prior month. These data refer to employed persons who teleworked or worked at home for pay at some point in the four weeks preceding the survey specifically because of the pandemic.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

AVERAGE NUMBER OF JOBS

People born in 1980–84 held an average of 8.6 jobs from ages 18 through 34. Women held an average of 8.7 jobs, and men held an average of 8.5 jobs. Women with higher levels of education held more jobs than women with lower levels. Women with a bachelor’s degree or more education held 9.1 jobs from ages 18 through 34, compared with 6.8 jobs for female high school dropouts. Men held a similar number of jobs regardless of their level of education.

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX

The Consumer Price Index increased 8.5% for the year ended March 2022, following a rise of 7.9% from February 2021 to February 2022. The 8.5% increase in March was the largest 12-month advance since December 1981. Consumer prices for food increased 8.8% in March 2022, the largest 12-month advance since May 1981. Within food, prices for food at home rose 10% and prices for food away from home rose 6.9%.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Coming in June ... CONSTRUCTION

Prairie Business Magazine will share trends, projections and leaders working in the construction industry, as well as some of the major projects underway in our coverage area.

Advertising Deadline: May 13, 2022

For advertising information please contact our account manager:

NICHOLE ERTMAN

701-780-1162

nertman@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

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.

PRAIRIEBUSINESS202 2

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.

The nomination form is available on the magazine’s website, prairiebusinessmagazine.com

Nominations will close on Monday, May 9, 2022

Recipients of this year’s award will be announced in the July 2022 edition of Prairie Business Magazine.