Our job is f inding people jobs … We love what we do!

Ironically, this issue of the magazine covers the Affordable Care Act, which was the crux of the shutdown. In preparing for this article I attended informational meetings hosted by private industry and spoke with several health reform experts who know the ins and outs of the law and have been explaining the details to businesses and private individuals for the past year. They all said they still come across business owners who, either due to wishful thinking or misinformation, don’t believe that the new law will go into effect. The shutdown didn’t help matters. So, to be clear, the ACA is happening and will go into effect on Jan. 1. That’s the simplest part of understanding the law. For answers to some of the other commonly asked questions and concerns, read, “Health Care Reform 101.”

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If all this talk of shutdowns and health care policy makes you thirsty for an adult beverage (I know it does to me) then you’ll certainly want to check out our cover feature, “A Brewing Industry.” We all know it’s not uncommon for states in this region to regularly appear on lists that tally the number of drinking establishments or drinks consumed per capita, so it is somewhat of a mystery that the number of craft breweries in these states has been few or none. That’s beginning to change. In the past year, a number of microbreweries have been established throughout our readership area and are quickly becoming known as unique places for locals to gather and as attractants for outof-town guests and tourists. The independent, unique vibe of these breweries meshes well with downtown redevelopment efforts and we expect they will play a hefty role in the rejuvenation of downtown economies throughout our region in coming years. Cheers to that.

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 P.R., 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