Prairie Business November 2020

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A year to Remember

What’s in a year?

If it’s not a leap year, here’s to what it amounts to: 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 31,536,000 seconds.

The other question, which is perhaps a little tougher to quantify, is what did we do with the time allotted to us this past year?

Personally, let’s just say it’s easier for me to figure out the above than it is to count the words I have written and edited over the past year.

I moved to North Dakota one year ago this month. I can hardly believe 12 months have passed since I arrived, though I must say it hasn’t been quite the year I anticipated.

I was excited about my new position, my new community, working closely in-house with my publisher, being around other newshounds in the office, and visiting with sources in person.

I enjoyed all of this for a few short months – and then the world changed. The pandemic was declared and journalists in my company were sent home to work remotely. I don’t think any of us believed at the time that it would turn into a months-long adjustment.

But an adjustment is just what it has been for me. Not only was I still trying to learn my new duties and work routines, but all of a sudden I felt like I was cut off from the very community I was trying to get to know.

One of the things that has kept me grounded through all of this, however, is the magazine itself and the responsibilities that go with putting out a monthly publication.

Sandy Thompson, curator of the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, N.D., has experienced something similar – a setback to his plans that he never anticipated. Many others have experienced setbacks, too.

Earlier this year the museum had started a monthly breakfast for the business community, but the pandemic changed that and the museum closed its doors for three months.

He said the museum and its work in the community – and art itself –helps to ground him, like journalism does for me. The facility reopened this summer, and Thompson told us what’s in store for the museum and its monthly breakfasts. You can find out in our story on page 16. There’s more in this issue, of course, such as a look at what tools A&E firms are using to better collaborate with their clients; a peek at what’s trending in higher education; and a look at what some of the wearable medical technology is in the health care field. Each of these stories, in the larger picture, takes a look at how companies and their leaders have adjusted during these uncertain times and the work they do to bring balance to their lives and professions.

I hope you have something in your life that helps do the same for you.

What else is in a year? Several holidays, and as this year’s holiday season approaches, we at Prairie Business wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and much success for your business.

Until next time, Andrew Weeks

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

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AD DIRECTOR STACI LORD EDITOR

ANDREW WEEKS

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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. 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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On the same page

Tools that make collaboration easier among A&E firms and their consultants

By Andrew Weeks

This past summer during the coronavirus pandemic, engineering consultants were hindered to get on site to review work at a pump station near Dickinson, N.D. It didn’t take long for engineering firm Bartlett & West to solve the problem: it brought the pump station to its California-based partners – virtually, that is.

The tools used to make this happen went far beyond any Skype or Zoom meeting. By utilizing a program called Matterport, consultants in the Golden State were able to do a virtual, three-dimensional walk-thru of the North Dakota project almost as if they were onsite. This benefitted both parties in several ways: It saved time, travel expense, and allowed participants to remain in their home offices during the global pandemic.

“It’s really been a game changer,” especially during these times, said Mike Van Duyne, project manager with Bartlett & West. He said the company, which has 18 offices across the Midwest, including his office in Bismarck, adopted Matterport in late 2019 and his only regret is that his team didn’t start using it sooner.

That seems to be the consensus of several regional architecture, construction and engineering firms about the newer technologies they have adopted. That adoption rate seems to keep swinging upward as more firms discover the benefits of using these technological collaboration tools.

They say it is important that their team members and consultants and clients are all on the same page, and some of the newer technology programs aim to do just that.

Bartlett & West uses Matterport, while Hagstrom Engineering and Sandman Structural Engineers, for instance, use a program called BIM 360.

“I can’t see why people wouldn’t use it,” Van Duyne said of Matterport, explaining its benefits.

Matterport, a spatial data program produced by a company with the same name, utilizes smart cameras that capture 360-degree views of a project. Depending on how advanced the camera is that a user adopts, the more detailed images captured, even going so far as getting the measurements of a room.

“We can scan a site, do multiple rooms, multiple floors – there are all sorts of things within a scan that we can do – and once we upload that to Matterport it takes all of those photos and stitches them together in what’s called a digital twin,” Van Duyne said. “And that’s exactly what it is, a digital twin of the space we just scanned.”

He said the company uses the program for all types of building projects – industrial, institutional, and even residential.

Once the virtual twin has been created it is uploaded to Matterport, and 3D models with a web address are available within 12 to 24 hours. That hyperlink is then sent to team members to view the project. They can click around in various locations within the imagery, technologically moving about the building – a virtual walk-thru of the project.

“It’s the same old adage here: you’re utilizing technology to make things faster and more efficient, which is driving down costs for clients as well as making our projects more cost-effective and profitable,” Van Duyne said. “Bartlett & West prides itself on utilizing technology and staying up with the latest technology on behalf of efficiencies for our clients. I think that has always been helpful, and we’re utilizing those technologies to not only make our lives as design professionals easier but for our clients as well. It’s about helping our communities and clients improve for a better tomorrow.”

Patric McCoy, structural technician and computer drafter at Sandman Structural Engineers in Moorhead, Minn., said collaboration among team members and consultants is paramount in his work. That’s why he uses a program called BIM 360, which he said is all about making collaboration better.

A DESKTOP IMAGE OF BIM 360, USED BY HAGSTROM ENGINEERING. THE COMPANY ONLY RECENTLY STARTED USING THE PROGRAM, AND COMPANY OWNER MATT HAGSTROM SAYS IT HAS MADE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE AS FAR AS BEING ABLE TO BETTER COLLABORATE WITH CONSULTANTS. IMAGE: COURTESY OF MATT HAGSTROM

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continued From page 12

BIM 360, produced by AutoDesk, is a cloudbased program that promotes collabora tion through file sharing and task man agement tools. McCoy said Sandman started using it once the program started trending with other firms.

“Some consultants require it,” he said. “A lot of time we use soft ware that our consultants use and that’s why we started using it, because our con sultants were requesting it for model sharing. … It’s worked out really well.

“The new dynamic or trend is that people are upload ing their models every week and so it’s kind of regulating that share of information because you’re constant ly getting information from other trades,” he said. “It makes it more collaborative and opens dialogue.”

He said companies are shar ing more information, but cli ents are requesting more of it, too. “It goes two ways,” he said. “Not only are we talking more, but they’re asking more ques tions.” BIM 360 helps bridge that gap, and provides the information that clients and consultants are requesting.

Similar to Matterport, BIM 360 allows informa tion to be shared in real-time and provides 3D images of projects.

Matt Hagstrom, owner of Hagstrom Engineering in Alexandria, Minn., only recently started using BIM 360 but said he already enjoys how helpful it has been connecting with an engineering and surveying firm in Colorado, where he continues to work with consultants.

“It became kind of problematic for us where we’ve had different file structures,” he said, noting a multi-family development in the mountain state needed more collaboration than they were able to obtain through email and video meetings. He was introduced to BIM 360, and said he is glad he did. There is no looking back now.

“It is absolutely more collaborative,” Hagstrom said. “We’re not saving stuff back and forth, we’re actually opening it in the cloud. … It was one of the struggles I had here while trying to stay active working in bigger markets: I’m not there sharing data. Well, now we’re all sharing the same drive … we’re all working off the same base files; it’s all about collaboration.”

Something else he likes about the program: it backs up files automatically.

“We used to always keep archive folders. When we’d make a change I’d archive it in my folder, but now you can go right into the file in real time and see the revision level and grab an older one right

there, if you need it. That’s pretty cool.”

The software is geared specifically at architecture, construction and engineering companies, according to Jason Ziemann, strategic account manager with USCAD, which sells BIM 360 and other technology programs to companies. Ziemann, based in the company’s St. Paul, Minn., office, works with clients in the Prairie Business region.

“It does enhance collaboration because before this (came along) they would just be sending around these files and models back and forth through email or Dropbox, and the communication wasn’t very good,” Ziemann said, explaining that through the cloud-based program a model of a project can be viewed in three dimensions and “everybody can now collaborate, work on that model, and kind of keep an updated version of that model going at all times.”

Earlier this year Matterport said it integrated with AutoDesk’s BIM 360 so that engineering teams could use the full array of both programs for the job site.

While the basic format of BIM 360 hasn’t changed, the coronavirus pandemic has caused companies to look at new solutions, Ziemann said, and this one is a perfect fit.

“With this whole COVID thing, a lot of technologies – a lot of construction companies and architects were kind of half in half out,”

Zieman said. “They knew about the cloud, but they may not have gone fully on board with it, but with this whole pandemic thing this has really exacerbated it, basically pushed everybody toward that quicker.”

He said he views even more programs on the horizon that will continue to affect the industry, but because technology changes so rapidly who really knows what the next big thing will be?

For now, he said, “it was nice that AutoDesk was ready with this in case something like this ever happened. It’s been a great solution for people with work-from-home environments.”

ANDREW WEEKS

PRAIRIE

BUSINESS EDITOR

AWEEKS@PRAIRIEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.COM

701-780-1276 | @PB_ANDREWWEEKS

Plains Art Museum gets back to business while offering respite for visitors during pandemic

Monthly business breakfasts will resume virtually in November

By Andrew Weeks

FARGO, N.D. • Early this year the Plains Art Museum had a goal once a month to host a meet-and-greet breakfast in an effort to better connect with the business community.

It met just a couple of times – and then the pandemic was declared, putting an end to those plans.

The pandemic also affected the museum in other ways. In January and February the museum had record visitor numbers – more than 1,000 guests a month, said museum curator Sandy Thompson. But then March came along and it temporarily had to shut its doors, forfeiting additional plans and exhibits.

“We were down for about three months,” said Thompson. “It was very painful for us.”

But all of those setbacks are hopefully a thing of the past. The museum reopened on June 4 and, though it has scaled back some of its programs, is still offering the community something to enjoy during these unusual times.

“The fact is this is a place where people can come to find respite, it’s a calm place. It’s known as a gathering place,” Thompson said.

Thompson said it also has recaptured about 80% of its visitors count from last year at the same time. “That’s not bad,” he said. “At least we’re going in the right direction.”

Come Nov. 11, it also will bring back the Art & Business Breakfast. Thompson said he is extremely excited about that, even though it will be in a virtual format. Unless the pandemic gets worse, the museum plans to keep it going once a month, indefinitely.

Something else to look forward to this fall is an exhibition called High Visibility, which will open on Nov. 23 and run through May 30, featuring contemporary art created in rural communities.

“More often than not, the narrative around contemporary work is really established – or people think it’s established – in urban set-

AARON

SCULPTURE SERIES ON WOOD ARE SOME OF THE ART THAT WILL BE ON DISPLAY IN THE HIGH VISIBILITY EXHIBIT STARTING IN NOVEMBER AT THE PLAINS ART MUSEUM IN FARGO, N.D. THE MUSEUM ALSO WILL START HAVING ITS ART & BUSINESS BREAKFAST THIS MONTH, SOMETHING IT STARTED EARLIER BUT STOPPED WHEN THE PANDEMIC WAS DECLARED. THIS TIME IT WILL BE VIRTUAL. IMAGE: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST, VIA PLAINS ART MUSEUM

tings, in urban museums and galleries, in urban auction houses,” Thompson said. “But there’s a lot of really cool contemporary work being done in rural communities, and so we’re going to highlight that, particularly when there’s this very strong urban rural divide in the United States right now. It won’t be political, but it’ll draw attention to that schism going on right now.”

Thompson said art displayed will include pieces from the region – Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota.

Masks are required when visiting the museum, and social distancing is practiced, including allowing only five people at a time into the gift shop and 10 at a time in the galleries. To his knowledge, Thompson said there hasn’t been any pushback from the community about it. Visitors have been very respectful to follow guidelines. That includes out-of-towners, who also visit the museum, from Tennessee to California and many points in between.

“We’re clear about it (facility guidelines) on our website,” he said. “We’re clear about signage before you enter the museum. We have sanitizers all over the place. … We monitor it very closely. We have an amazing facility staff that sanitize every single day, except Sunday because we’re not open then. We’re doing a really good job and are very civically responsible.”

He calls these times not the new normal, but the “new abnormal.” It is the art – and the business of art – that helps ground him, keep him balanced. He believes it can do the same for others.

“It’s just been a joy to see who continues to understand that and want to be involved in the creative side of things,” Thompson said. “Whether it’s listening to music being played from the rooftop in Rome or a group of families on a cul-de-sac in Great Britain doing chalk art, it’s just all over and we are a part of that. We really believe that we’re part of the basic human need contingent.”

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Wearable Medical Technology

By Sam Easter / Special for Prairie Business

Browsing through the website for Minnetronix – the St. Paulbased medical tech designer – is like looking into the future of medicine. There’s a wearable nerve-stimulator that helps stroke survivors fire the muscles in their lower legs. There’s a wearable glucose monitor that’s not much bigger than a few quarters.

But to hear Jim Reed, a Minnetronix executive who works closely with wearable medical tech, talk about this stuff is to sense that the future is already arriving. Reed is a happy evangelist for Minnetronix and for the arriving medical future, which he foresees becoming so much cheaper, and so much more accessible, that it will start shifting the economics of medicine.

Reed offers the case of his own father, who recently died with a vascular condition. The promise of Minnetronix products – and the constellation of emerging new medical tech – is that easy-to-wear products can detect ailments early. That not only helps save lives, Reed said, but it drives down burdens on the health care system. More patients catching illness early means fewer occupied beds, fewer busy doctors, less overhead for health care companies.

“I think the whole industry has the tiger by the tail. It’s this whole area that didn’t really exist a decade ago, and now it’s booming,” Reed said. “Some people say the market’s going to be $18 billion to

RESIDEO REMOTE MONITORING EQUIPMENT ALLOWS HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AT ALTRU TO KEEP TABS ON PATIENTS AT HOME –WHETHER THEY’RE TRACKING NUTRITION OR VITAL SIGNS. IMAGE: ANDREW WEEKS/ PRAIRIE BUSINESS

the end user in a few years, or $20 billion. The details may not really matter, because fundamentally it’s a big market, it’s booming, and it’s going to become absolutely enormous. It’s absolutely hard to track.”

This is no surprise to anyone who’s been watching consumer electronics, which have conditioned consumers to use wearables –Apple Watches, Fitbits and the like – for years. Those devices can measure heart rate and steps, and (for now) are typically thought of as strictly fitness devices. But they’re already on the wrists of millions of Americans, and health care is ready to capitalize.

Apple, which is debuting a subscription fitness service by the end of the year, is poised to build on that premise even further, bringing the commercial gym (minus the heavy equipment) into the middle-class basement. Suddenly, a brick-and-mortar gym is becoming a kind of middleman.

With the right amount of money, some consumers can take this to the extreme. The New York Times reports on the homes of Miami architect Kobi Karp, filled with sensors that clock the health of its occupants (examples include mirrors that can check vision and floors that can detect falls). For now, this is the provenance of the hyper-wealthy, and the Times notes that Karp’s homes typically sell for eight figures.

But the arc of medical tech bends toward a future where everyone has a version of this, or at least some kind of access to it. Blood oximeters, a finger-worn device that detects blood oxygen levels, have surged in popularity as consumers realize their readings could help detect a severe case of COVID-19. New versions of the Apple Watch come with the feature installed (though reviews have panned the feature’s accuracy).

But this is the model for the medicine of the future. At Mayo Clin-

ic, doctors are already connecting with patients through a suite of at-home technology. When Dr. Deepi Goyal, a Mayo emergency medicine physician, got sick with COVID earlier this year, he joined what’s since become thousands of patients to pass through the clinic’s remote COVID monitoring program. Armed with tools like his own oximeter, thermometer and the like, he was able to virtually stay in contact with physicians at Mayo, who monitored how he felt day-to-day.

“I can’t even tell you what a sense of comfort having that program wrapped around me, when I was quarantining in a room by myself for two weeks,” he said during a recent Mayo virtual press conference.

Dr. Tufia Haddad, an oncologist at Mayo, describes this as the future of medicine: doctors sending home surgery patients, for example, and keeping tabs on their health from afar.

And it’s already arriving at hospitals beyond Mayo. For Altru Health System, headquartered in Grand Forks, N.D., specialists already rely on apps and bluetooth-capable devices to keep tabs on patients at home – whether they’re tracking nutrition or vital signs.

“I would say it would be very difficult if not impossible to do this 20, 30 years ago,” said Courtney Caron, Altru’s manager of case management. The analog version, with sheafs of paper and phone calls and in-person visits, would be far less efficient – and in a pandemic, far more dangerous.

For Reed, this is just the beginning.

A

PROMISE THAT MEDICAL WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY CAN PROVIDE FOR PATIENTS. AS TECHNOLOGY GETS SMALLER AND LESS EXPENSIVE, OBSERVERS SEE THEM BECOMING AN INCREASING PART OF DAILY LIVING. IMAGE: COURTESY OF MINNETRONIX

“If once a year, you got something in the mail the size of a postage stamp and you stuck it on your arm and you wore it a couple days, and it gave you a good picture of, how is your pancreas working? ... how’s your vascular health?” Reed said, imagining data instantly compared to other patients to predict trends in health. “If that cost you $25 a year, you’d probably do that.”

SARAH RASSIER, SUPERVISOR OF POPULATION HEALTH AND CASE MANAGEMENT, AND COURTNEY CARON, MANAGER OF CASE MANAGEMENT, DEMONSTRATE RESIDEO REMOTE MONITORING EQUIPMENT AT ALTRU HEALTH SYSTEM IN GRAND FORKS, N.D.

PATIENTS ARE LOANED BLOOD PRESSURE AND OXYGEN CUFFS TO KEEP TRACK OF THEIR VITALS, AND A TABLET TO USE TO RECORD AND SEND INFORMATION TO THEIR PROVIDER.

IMAGE: ANDREW WEEKS/ PRAIRIE BUSINESS

WEARABLE GLUCOSE MONITOR, PRODUCED BY MINNETRONIX, IS A HINT OF THE

A growing field of study

NDSU tackles new environmental engineering program as demand keeps growing

By Andrew Weeks

North Dakota State University was approached earlier this year by the state Department of Environmental Quality, asking for its help measuring COVID-19 in wastewater.

Dr. Wei Lin, civil engineering professor at NDSU, put together a team of civil and environmental engineers and microbiology professors, who then went into the field to take samples at wastewater treatment plants in Bismarck, Fargo and Grand Forks.

“You can measure COVID by the particulates that we breathe, but also in our wastewater streams,” said David Steward, chair of NDSU’s Civil and Environmental Engineering program in Fargo.

Later, the effort led to monitoring wastewater in dormitories at NDSU and in neighborhoods around campus in hopes of better ascertaining the count of COVID within the population.

Currently, Lin and his team are working with Gov. Doug Burgum’s office to get auto samplers in cities’ wastewater pipes to gauge the spread of the virus and what measures should be taken to help protect the population.

“This is an environmental engineering issue,” Steward said, and one students will be studying as part of a new program offered this fall at the university.

A growing field of study

The Environmental Engineering program aims to offer students experience in the classroom, laboratory and field as they find solutions to complex environmental issues.

Environmental engineering is a newer field of study that is gaining popularity in the region and across the country, according to Steward.

“There are a number of studies out there showing that this is one of the fastest growing engineering disciplines,” he said.

According to Forbes, for instance, the environmental engineering field is fifth on the list of most valuable college majors, with a starting median annual salary of $51,700 and mid-career median average of $88,600.

What’s more, this isn’t a male-dominated field, Steward said, noting it is popular among women. The school is honing its diversity initiative even further in the hopes of attracting more minorities to the program, including tribal students.

IMAGE: COURTESY OF NDSU

The process to get the program on campus started about two years ago, after NDSU received requests for bachelor degrees in the field. The program was approved this past March, and only this fall received its first batch of students.

Surveys the school conducted indicated a need in the job market for some 20 graduates a year and so the school is building the program with that in mind – “and that’s a program with 150 students,” he said, “a comparable size to other universities but, as I said, we’re just in the beginning phases of this.”

Some students have inquired about transfer opportunities, but since the program is very new it doesn’t have the option to do that just yet; but stay tuned, Steward said.

Of course, NDSU isn’t the only school that offers environmental engineering programs in the region. Western Dakota Tech, which overall experienced high enrollment numbers this fall, also offers a program. There also are several offshoot programs in which students can expand their learning and apply their skills, according to school President Ann Bolman.

“Interestingly enough,” she said, “it has applications into a lot of other fields as well. A lot of our students are hired to work for companies that work with water.

“Just about every municipality has a water group, for instance, and so a lot of our students go to work in those areas; but they also might

STUDENTS AT NDSU’S NEW ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING PROGRAM WILL PARTICIPATE IN CLASS LEARNING, LABORATORY WORK, AND FIELD STUDIES.

go to work for the Forest Service; they may go to work for people that are working on road construction or find other applications of their background fields.”

One of the offshoots, a beekeeping program, was started by a student organization called the Environmental Action Team and harvested its first batch of honey this year. There also are courses for controlled environment technicians in agriculture.

“Students in environmental engineering are learning, basically, about the different parts of the environment, such as how to sample, what the expected conditions need to be, and how to monitor and calculate; basically, how to make changes in the environment if they need to,” Bolman said. “It’s really a combination of chemistry and biology classes with heavy amounts of application, that’s really what the students are picking up on in that program. If I could, I would go take it myself.”

Tackling environmental issues

Environmental engineers are unlike other types of engineers, who solve problems that may arise during the construction and design of a building. Environmental engineers “design solutions to problems and environmental issues in three media: gas, liquid and solids,” Steward said, giving the example of the water project he mentioned above.

As another example, a senior class on gas takes a look at air pollution such as particulates. “For instance,” he said, “if you’re designing a safe environment for people in a painting facility, and you have particulates in the air, how do we make sure that environment is safe and the people who are there are protected? We design things for liquids. How do we make sure that the water we drink is safe?

continued on page 24

continued From page 23

We design solutions for solids. How do we handle the waste that we generate? How do we deal with recyclables, like microplastics that get into the environment? How do we deal with the long-term consequences of having plastics in the environment? How do we take solid wastes and turn them into energy sources? It’s a really broad range of problems that students become prepared to address.”

He said students will do a lot of field and lab work. Coursework will include the standard engineering science curriculum, such as math sequences and chemistry, including lab work, and then move through classes on microbiology and fundamental principles of engineering in the environment.

“There’s a wide range of courses they take to become prepared,” he said, noting the school also has a successful internship program.

NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY THIS FALL STARTED A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING PROGRAM

BECAUSE OF INCREASING DEMAND IN THE FIELD.

IMAGE: COURTESY OF NDSU

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING IS A GROWING FIELD, WHICH HAS APPLICATIONS THAT CAN BE USED IN OTHER ENGINEERING FIELDS. IMAGE: COURTESY OF NDSU

“North Dakota State University already has a reputation for producing hands-on, project-ready engineers,” Steward said. “We’ve had conversations with the advisory board and industrial representatives, putting into place the kind of internship experiences that our (environmental engineering) students will need so they can take what they learn in the classroom and in the laboratories into their field experiences, and then understand the practical applications of the design experience so they’re ready to hit the ground running when they graduate.”

Steward, an international expert in the study of groundwater depletion, said he is especially excited about the water aspects of the program. He’s worked in a number of countries studying groundwater depletion and finding solutions for this growing environmental problem. Eventually, he will help instruct the environmental engineering program and is excited to share his experience and expertise with students.

“One of my goals coming to North Dakota State University was to be able to share those experiences with the region as we prepare for how it is that we use our groundwater supplies now and in the future, to make sure that we plan for sustainable use of our water supplies for the benefit of society,” Steward said.

“It’s just been a wonderful experience working with people and putting the pieces into place for the successes of our students, figuring out the curriculum, figuring out the kind of laboratory experiences they would need, and working with the fundraisers of the region to be able to help support the environmental laboratory needs that our students have.”

He said the growing interest in environmental engineering comes perhaps at no better time.

“We live in a time of uncertainty,” he said. “We also live in a time of transformation, and environmental engineering is a transformative discipline. We have an opportunity now to help prepare the future of society by designing environments that are safer, both now and into the future, and it’s timely that we’re developing this program. It also is something that has the potential to become incredibly important for us as we move forward.”

ANDREW WEEKS PRAIRIE BUSINESS EDITOR AWEEKS@PRAIRIEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.COM

701-780-1276 | @PB_ANDREWWEEKS

Minot State introduces new leadership program

By Andrew Weeks

MINOT, N.D. • Students and those who work in business will be better prepared for leadership roles after participating in a new program at Minot State University.

The school started the Looyenga Leadership Program this fall, according to program Director Jim Sturm, and offers a certification and concentration of study for those enrolled in the program.

The program is made possible through a $1 million donation from Roger and Ann Looyenga, who wanted to offer leadership classes to area students and community members alike.

The program includes an introductory class and two advanced classes, which, among other things, will teach students about self-awareness, teamwork, organizational skills, and getting students into the community to gain real-life leadership experiences with a mentor. Those who already have a job may use that as their mentorship.

“If somebody who is already working, and who is just coming back because they want to get the certificate, they could actually do this at the place they’re working,” Sturm said. “If there is a business owner in the community, for instance, who wants to take this certificate program, they can apply what they’re doing in real life, rather than having to find an additional place to work for the class; they use the experience they’re getting on the job.”

THE NEW LEADERSHIP PROGRAM AT MINOT STATE INCLUDES AN INTRODUCTORY CLASS AND TWO ADVANCED CLASSES, WHICH AMONG OTHER THINGS WILL TEACH STUDENTS ABOUT SELF-AWARENESS, TEAMWORK, ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS, AND GETTING STUDENTS INTO THE COMMUNITY TO GAIN REAL-LIFE LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCES WITH A MENTOR.

IMAGE: COURTESY OF MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY

Sturm said the school is offering the introductory class this semester and will likely offer it again the following semester before adding the two other classes in fall 2021. The introductory class, which has around 50 students – though Sturm said it can be modified to accommodate more – currently is offered in a hybrid format, with students rotating between class and online in an effort to not overcrowd the classroom during the pandemic.

The program is not only new to Minot State, but unique in that it doesn’t focus only on business leadership but on principles that can be applied across a variety of platforms and professions. It is a multidisciplinary program because, Sturm said, leadership encompasses many aspects of life and career.

“Leadership goes across all different disciplines, and so that’s really how we’re looking at it,” he said. “We wanted it to be more than just for the School of Business. We wanted it to be something that every student could participate in because they’re all going to need it. Whether you’re a nurse or a teacher, all of those fields still require leadership. … This is a multidisciplinary program available to any student.”

In the future, the program will offer more workshops and on-campus opportunities, including additional mentor programs.

The class has personal meaning for Sturm, who arrived in Minot from Buffalo, N.Y., in September to lead the program.

“I’ve been teaching and running leadership programs for about 30 years,” he said, noting he’s held a number of administrative positions but “wanted to get back to what I like best, which is working on leadership development. And so this really was an opportunity to make a move and go back to what I’m most passionate about.”

There currently is one instructor for the introductory class, but Sturm said more instructors will be added as the additional classes come on board. He eventually will be one of the instructors.

So far the response has been positive, he said, and Sturm is both grateful to the Looyengas for making the program possible and is excited to see the program grow.

“I think when we talk with students about these types of programs, they get very excited,” he said. “They know that leadership is essential for them to be successful – whether it’s in their careers or making a difference (in other aspects of life) or helping people, they want the skills that they’ll need and they know that leadership is one of those skills. I think students get very excited about that.”

ROGER LOOYENGA IS SEEN HERE TEACHING A CLASS ON LEADERSHIP AT MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY. LOOYENGA AND HIS WIFE, ANN, DONATED $1 MILLION TO START A LEADERSHIP PROGRAM AT THE SCHOOL. IMAGE: COURTESY OF MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY

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Property Maintenance

A Fargo-based maintenance company keep busy year-long with outdoor projects

By Andrew Weeks

FARGO, N.D. • Growing up, Ryan Such was that ordinary kid down the street who’d mow lawns for neighbors during the summertime.

It served him well, sort of a prequel of what was to come.

Today, he is the owner of a popular grounds maintenance company that services commercial and residential properties in the Fargo-Moorhead and outlying areas. His company, All Terrain Grounds Maintenance, started in the 1990s and was incorporated in 1999 – the same year Prince sang about on the radio and that people looked forward to with fascination and trepidation as a new millennium approached and anxiety mounted about Y2K.

Looking back when he was given his first lawnmower and snowblower as a teenager, it’s been an adventure he continues to enjoy today.

Today the company, headquartered in Fargo, has about 30 year-round employees and just as many part-timers.

The business’s clientele is similarly split half-and-half, he said, with it servicing about 50% commercial properties and the other 50% residential. The company does not landscape properties – “we basically take care of things after they’re landscaped,” Such said – but maintains them, no matter the season, by mowing lawns, weeding flower beds and fixing sprinklers during the warmer months, and removing snow when Old Man Winter comes to town.

The seasons don’t necessarily change the company’s clientele dynamic, as it generally remains split throughout the year between commercial and residential.

Looking back over the past year, he said the company has remained relatively unaffected by the coronavirus pandemic.

“For us, we’re mostly exterior and so it hasn’t affected us that much,” he said, explaining staff members wear masks and social distance when appropriate; but for most part, the one and two-person teams work outside and are not in large gatherings.

“We’ve taken all the precautions that I think every other company has taken, but for the most part it really hasn’t changed much for us,” he said. “Some supply lines were disrupted a little, but we haven’t seen a huge issue with that either.”

RYAN SUCH USED TO MOW LAWNS AS A TEENAGER, WHICH SERVED HIM WELL FOR A CAREER IN THE WORLD OF PROPERTY MAINTENANCE. IMAGE: COURTESY OF ALL TERRAIN GROUNDS MAINTENANCE

He also said more people are better educated these days about their lawn care and maintenance needs, explaining education seems to be the main trend he is noticing.

“I think the trends in the industry are people are asking for more,” he said. “I think people are more educated about their lawn care and that people are asking for more detailed services than they used to in the past. If you look at a person’s lawn back in the 1900s, they probably didn’t do a lot of weed control and fertilizing. People have the means to do that now. They use social media, which helps to pass information along, and so I see where some people are just trying to keep up with the Joneses.”

It is the same for businesses as for residential owners, Such said – more people are taking pride in their properties.

That’s good news for all concerned, and Such said his company encourages and provides more education, both at work in the communities. It continues to train its employees about

new approaches to lawn care and other related issues, for instance, and offers advice to clients about self-maintaining their properties. The company also uses technology, including social media, and provides tablets in each of its vehicles to assist its employees.

“That’s the beauty of technology and the curse of technology, it’s like there’s always something (to keep up with),” he said. “We’re constantly evaluating the technology but we haven’t made any big changes to it. I mean, there are electric motors out there that are remote controlled and things like that, but we haven’t gone that route.”

As winter approaches, Such said, he doesn’t expect work to slow down anytime soon. The company, as it does every year, will keep busy with snow removal.

“We do a lot of snow removal,” he said, noting in the meantime he and his team are enjoying working outside while the temperatures are relatively warm.

FOR THE MOST PART, ALL TERRAIN GROUNDS MAINTENANCE WORKS IN SMALL TEAMS WHILE ONSITE AT PROPERTIES. HERE, TEAM MEMBERS WORK ON A LAWN PROJECT. IMAGE: COURTESY OF ALL TERRAIN GROUNDS MAINTENANCE

Western Dakota Tech breaks student enrollment numbers

By Andrew Weeks

RAPID CITY, S.D. • Instead of seeing student numbers drop, which might seem a more likely scenario during a worldwide pandemic, a technical college in South Dakota has instead seen a significant increase in student enrollment.

Western Dakota Tech, a technical college located in Rapid City, increased its student enrollment by 8.3%, according to President Ann Bolman. Or to put it another way, it broke last year’s record of 1,247 students for fall semester with this year’s number of 1,350 students.

Bolman said the school generally has a high placement rate, but she attributes this year’s success to at least a couple of things: an active and innovative advisory committee, and a track record of placing students in qualified jobs after they graduate.

The college offers an array of programs, including one on health care that she said is “pretty maxed out,” where students can learn such things as becoming a medical technician. It also offers courses in electrician, plumping, welding and environmental engineering, to name a few, as a well as computer-aided design and automotive courses.

Students know about the school’s reputation, she said, and it is appealing to them. Not to mention, there are many technical jobs ready to be filled in the region and attending the college is a fairly quick way of getting from the classroom into the labor market.

“You know, we have a really strong placement rate,” she said. “A lot of students have jobs before they even graduate.”

She said all of the programs experienced increased student numbers this fall, but most notably in the business and nursing programs, which coincides with a number of the jobs available in the region. The school provides the tools and instruction students need to find success both inside and outside the classroom. She also attributes the school’s popularity and success rate to something else: its advisory committee.

“I think the word is getting out that Western Dakota Tech takes very seriously the input from our advisory committee,” she said. “We have a really robust planning system. … I think people who live in western South Dakota, which is where most of our students come from, they really love this area and want to stay here. They know we’ve got programs that are in fields where there’s very high demand, that the careers pay well, and that employers have been really happy with the skills that our students learn while they’re here. I think it’s a winning combination that we developed over the last few years. … I think getting a tightened record with our advisory board is huge. And it really has been, I think, the key – the biggest key to our success.”

Success, of course, comes in many flavors and the school has enhanced aspects of the college experience, most notably reworking its financial aid process. It also has ramped up its scholarships opportunities, Bolman said.

She said the school is offering both online and in-person class schedules, rotating students so that they can practice social distancing. Mask also are required on campus, she said.

According to information from the school, Western Dakota Tech experienced a 25.4% increase in high school dual enrollment students – up 89 students from last fall with a total of 440 students. The college also saw an increase in surrounding area high school graduates enrolling at WDT this fall – up 17.% from fall 2019.

Western Dakota Tech graduates earn 10% above western South Dakota average earnings and its applied associate of science degree holders earn more than $12,000 above high school-only graduates in the state, according to information provided by the college.

One course that has struggled this fall, however, is the criminal justice and law enforcement courses, but given the current climate in the country it isn’t any wonder why, Bolman said, but noting the school is seeking accreditation of the program in hopes that it will help.

“This fall, really, our enrollment is (strong) across the board with the exception of criminal justice,” she said.

WESTERN DAKOTA TECH THIS FALL BROKE LAST YEAR’S STUDENT ENROLLMENT RECORD BY 8.3%. IT OFFERS A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS, INCLUDING WELDING, AS DEPICTED HERE. IMAGE: COURTESY OF WESTERN DAKOTA TECH

THE NURSING PROGRAM AT WESTERN DAKOTA TECH IS ONE OF THE SCHOOL’S MOST POPULAR PROGRAMS, ACCORDING TO PRESIDENT ANN BOLMAN. STUDENTS IN THE PROGRAM ARE SEEN HERE WORKING IN THE PROGRAM’S LAB. IMAGE: COURTESY OF WESTERN DAKOTA TECH

Hacks to accelerate your career

By WCCO Belting Inc.

To say the coronavirus crisis shook up the U.S. economy is an understatement. According to NPR, 38.6 million Americans have filed for unemployment since March.

Many Americans are on the hunt for new jobs and careers, especially those in essential industries where demand for product has spiked. Our team put together a second post in our Career Hacks blog series to help our family, friends, neighbors and community members accelerate in the workplace, whether it’s in a current role, with a new employer, or in a new industry.

While these organization skills may seem like no-brainers, they are often taken for granted or overlooked. If you aren’t utilizing these skills already, start to learn and use them now so you are poised and prepared for growth when the time is right.

Get your facts straight. Coworkers and customers may assume you lack capability simply because it’s early in your career, you are new to a company, or you just broke into a new industry. The best way to combat this is to do your research and justify your reasoning with facts. This rule applies across projects both big and small and is applicable at every level of the business. You can take a lot of risk, opinion, and emotion out of discussions by doing so. And with the power of search engines today, you can find strong evidence in a matter of seconds. Learn how to “make your case.” A business case answers the question, “What will happen if we proceed with this investment decision?”, defining investment as time and/or money. A well-documented business case provides confidence and a level of certainty that the proposal will be successful. Also, a business case isn’t just for your

ND Association of Realtors names new communications director

BISMARCK, N.D • The North Dakota Association of Realtors has hired Sarah Caldwell as the new Director of Member Services and Communications.

Sarah Caldwell

A native of Connecticut, Caldwell comes to the ND Association of Realtors from New York City where she worked as an associate manager with Bloomingdales, Inc. Her experience includes sales planning, communications, marketing, operational logistics and customer service. Her previous experience also includes working in the production department at Ralph Lauren and as an office assistant in the Honors Department for Liberty University.

Caldwell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Liberty University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude.

supervisor’s benefit, it’s to gain buy-in from the team members your project will rely on.

Gain project management skills and use them. A formal approach to project management is a skill that much of the workforce lacks experience with. To get a leg up, define the scope of the project, including your vision, to drive your goals. Your goals should tell you whose support you’ll need and the team makeup, among others. A simple “who, what, where, when, why, how” approach can help you plan projects, activities, and events, and determine whose buy-in and approval is required for you to move forward.

Learn process management skills and use them. You have your vision and goals, but how are you going to accomplish them? Process management ensures all the desired results of the project are achieved with all appropriate steps occurring throughout. Projects will become chaotic and unsuccessful if you don’t lay out the more detailed milestones and tasks people need to complete so your project can progress. A big part of the success involving process management is understanding how to run effective meetings.

WCCO Belting is a rubber belting manufacturer based in Wahpeton, N.D.

natalie Kollman

Essentia

Health welcomes new health care provider

FARGO, N.D. • Dr. Natalie Kollman has joined the Essentia Health team and is now seeing patients in dermatology at the South University Clinic in Fargo.

Dr. Kollman earned her medical degree from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Grand Forks, N.D. Her residency in dermatology was completed at MetroHealth System in Cleveland, Ohio.

Raised in Fargo, Kollman is looking forward to helping improve access for excellent dermatologic care in her hometown.

WCCO BELTING, IN WAHPETON, N.D., HOLDS A TRAINING COURSE, CALLED LEAN PRINCIPLES, WHICH IS TAKEN BY ALL EMPLOYEES. DURING THE COURSE, SMALL GROUPS PRACTICE ORGANIZING THOUGHTS AND DOCUMENTING PROCESSES.

IMAGE: WCCO BELTING

Pat Porter Phillip Miller

Houston Engineering welcomes several new team members

GRAND FORKS, N.D. • Pat Porter has joined Houston Engineering Inc.‘s corporate team as an accounting specialist and will serve all locations from Fargo, N.D.

Porter will support HEI’s accounting team by preparing invoices and reports, processing payroll, and monitoring project costs and payments as well as completing special projects to support staff, clients and vendors.

Originally from Breckenridge, Minn., Porter earned an associate degree in accounting from North Dakota State College of Science and will be earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting in December from the American Military University in Charles Town, W.V. He has managed million-dollar military budgets and coordinated more than 50 major construction projects, making him a great addition to HEI’s team.

Houston Engineering also has welcomed David Johnson as a client development manager. Johnson brings more than 29 years of experience in the architecture and engineering industry, developing strategies for market share growth in dynamic business environments for national and global firms. As a former public employee with both the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Board of Water and Soil Resources, he will help both HEI’s clients and staff coordinate with regulatory agencies more efficiently than ever before.

A Minnesota native, Johnson earned his master’s degree in environmental biology from the University of Minnesota and his bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from Gustavus Adolphus College. His passion for customer service will be valuable to both HEI’s clients and their employees as he leads processes and strategies across HEI’s firm.

Phillip Miller also joins Houston Engineering’s Fargo team as a CAD Technician I. He will assist project managers with preparing raw drawings and construction plans for project design plans and surveys.

A Fargo native, Miller earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial design from Iowa State University. He previously worked as a drafter, detailer, and estimator at Wrigley Mechanical.

NextBlue on a mission to promote Medicare Advantage in North DAkota

FARGO, N.D. • Beth West has spent more than two decades helping people with their insurance needs. As someone who knows the insurance business, she said there is some positive news for North Dakota.

For instance, more than one-third of Americans receive Medicare coverage through a comprehensive form of private insurance known as Medicare Advantage, or Medicare Part C, according to information from NextBlue. North Dakota, however, has been under-served with Medicare Advantage options. That’s about to change.

Beth West

NextBlue of North Dakota, an affiliate of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, is helping North Dakotans do more with their Medicare by offering education and Medicare Advantage options. This has the potential to affect many thousands of people, including retirees or those getting ready to retire. West said more and more people are retiring early and will need insurance options.

“I think COVID has definitely escalated folks looking at retiring earlier, or kind of being forced into that,” she said.

NextBlue plans, which are Medicare Advantage plans, offer a number of benefits such as pharmacy benefits, a national provider network, and comprehensive supplemental benefits.

“It’s basically really helping folks who are aging into Medicare or in a current Medicare beneficiary determine what their options are,” she said, noting some of the benefits include dental, hearing, vision, fitness membership and over-the-counter medications, among others.

West, who said NextBlue of North Dakota was formed late last year, answered several questions during an interview with Prairie Business, sharing perspective and insight on what is around the corner for North Dakotans looking for insurance options.

What resources are available to guide those who take an early retirement?

It really depends. If someone is working in an organization for a long time, many times the employer or HR department can give them some insight into what their options are, whether they can carry their insurance with them for a period of time or, if they’re of Medicare age, looking ahead and moving into some sort of Medicare-type of coverage as they move into retirement. In addition, medicare.gov has some great resources available to them. Local agents, health and insurance agents, licensed agents are good resources to help assess what options are out there to make an informed decision.

What are the biggest developments you’re seeing right now?

I think what we’re seeing is we’ve moved away from folks having retiree insurance coverage, like they did many years ago where you

would retire from a company and you could continue under the plan for the rest of your life. If you wanted to pay for the premium or part of the premium of the plan, the employer would help cover that. Now, many employers can’t sustain that coverage and so when you retire you’re kind of out looking for your own plans … you weren’t actively actually having to go out and find your own coverage, but that’s something that is definitely increasing.

What about Medicare Advantage?

Medicare Advantage has really become a lead product for Medicare for those retiring and becoming Medicare eligible because a Medicare Advantage plan has a lot of similarities to what people are accustomed to under traditional commercial-type insurance plans; they’re very similar in style, but Medicare Advantage plans tend to have a lot of extra benefits … so people can get things like dental coverage and eyewear and things like that. Medicare Advantage plans are becoming such a sought after type of coverage because they usually have a lower premium. And their design is something familiar to people and have all of these extra benefits. Nationally, about 33% of those Medicare eligible are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. In North Dakota we’re only like 18.5%, and so there’s not that many people taking advantage of it yet. That’s kind of my personal mission, to introduce the value of these types of claims to folks here in North Dakota.

When is open enrollment and when do plans take effect?

The annual election period starts Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7 for an effective starting date of Jan. 1.

Where will Medicare Advantage be introduced in North Dakota?

It will be available first in five counties – Burleigh, Cass, Morton, Richland and Stutsman counties. COVID played a little bit of havoc with us setting up our plans for the upcoming year. We work with a lot of providers, hospitals and physicians across the state to set that up. And with COVID, not being able to really get out there and have those discussions and dialogues, that’s part of the reason for our initial footprint in the five counties.

Is there any forecast when it will expand across the state? Also, about how many people

do you expect will sign up this first round?

I don’t know exactly how many counties will expand each year, but we’re on a pretty progressive track and we want to be able to offer this to anybody in North Dakota and not be limited by certain county areas. And so the quicker, the better. … I will just say, in the future we plan to expand and eventually have coverage across the state. In this initial year, and in additional years, we expect to have a couple thousand numbers. It will just continue to grow year over year.

You have some busy weeks coming up. What’s next?

Right now we’re really looking at ways in which we can get informa tion about NextBlue, the value of Medicare Advantage and the value of our products out into the community. It’s a little more complicated right now because of COVID, because you can’t really gather in big groups … so we’re doing a lot of advertising, a lot of direct mail, a lot of grassroots efforts. We’re trying to work with the senior centers and supporting them in whatever way we can. And we’re working a lot to virtually connect with people across North Dakota, in the five counties that we’re currently serving. So really, we’re just preparing to actually enroll our first customers … and then help them have a great onboarding experience. And then we’ll actually begin planning for the next year almost immediately.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about the insurance plan?

I think maybe the one thing I would mention: In addition to having their health care coverage and extra benefits, these plans almost always have their prescription drug coverage included. … They’re also very versatile, they can travel with you. I know folks here in North Dakota, a fair amount, tend to break (away for the winter). They like to get away, they like to go to the Caribbean or some place warm. These plans offer coverage for those things that are so important for folks, because otherwise with an original Medicare plan you really can’t travel outside the country. You only have coverage if you buy a separate insurance plan.

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Q.

INSIGHTs & INTUITION

What metrics do you use to measure the success of your employees?

Chris Zygarlicke Director of Employee Development and Engagement University of North Dakota Energy & Environmental Research Center Grand Forks, N.D.

The EERC takes pride in the success of its employees and measures that success through its five core values of being safe, ethical, engaged, effective, and professional. We use an employee review process that revolves around those core values, providing salary raises to reward successful performance along core value guidelines. This could include successful new energy and environmental innovations, project development, or internal systems that allow our organization to thrive ethically and safely.

Each year, through a peer-nominated process, the EERC recognizes five employees who have demonstrated the five core values in action and attitude, giving an award for each at the EERC annual meeting. Successful self-development is also recognized through an employee development program. Our annual employee engagement survey provides metrics on interpersonal connection, morale, and job satisfaction.

At Bismarck Aero Center, all employees are first measured on their alignment with company values. Our company values are paraphrased as being a problem solver, customer focus, coworker loyalty, and being a responsible steward of our community and our industry. Nearly 50% of our annual evaluation is based on values alignment.

Beyond our values, our co-workers focused in technical roles are measured on several factors. We measure efficiency, safety behaviors, quality, and attendance. In addition, we evaluate one’s technical abilities with respect to growth. If we are not seeing the desired skills progression with a co-worker, we try to recalibrate training needs and define matching training resources. We also evaluate if a co-worker exerts traits that bring out the best of others, initiative, and track record of “doing what you said you were going to do.”

My co-workers in leadership capacities measure success by their progress with company goals, performance metrics, and their individual growth goals. Our leadership team is responsible to balance driving performance to goals, and maintaining a high morale amongst co-workers. This starts with clear expectations communicated annually, coupled with periodic check-ins along the way. Company morale is measured through periodic surveys.

Lif eisd riven by purpose

Jon Simmers CEO Bismarck Aero Center Bismarck, N.D.

Teamwork. We are a small office and each person has a certain part they must accomplish to keep our foundation moving forward each day. Teamwork assures our contributions are recorded properly, the donor receives the proper recognition and the impact of their dollars.

Teamwork is a strong part of communicating with our board and all donors. This is the easiest way to evaluate employees, because if they are not willing to be part of a team it will be obvious to all involved.

Ty Orton Executive Director DSU Heritage Foundation Dickinson, N.D.

Performance metrics can vary widely by industry, company, and position. Finding the right set is a complex exercise because there’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all. At Houston Engineering, Inc., we primarily measure success as one company. We strive to collaborate with cross-office work sharing and leverage individual strengths as needed in our diversified service areas. As a result, a large part of our performance rewards focus on our group successes. However, to ensure we meet our commitments to our customers (and our colleagues), we also assess individual contributions. Specific metrics can vary widely among our staff and may focus on acquiring new clients, reducing expenses, or obtaining new skills through training. As a consulting firm, we also understand that many roles are not easy to quantify –particularly those requiring soft skills, such as good listening and presentation skills. We still try to capture these types of employee contributions, but it might not be through traditional quantifiable metrics.

People often want a way to measure their work so that they can gauge and understand their accomplishments. The key to establishing effective measures for a job lies in identifying those areas that an employee can directly influence and then ensuring that the specific measurements are tied to the client(s) or colleague(s) they are meant to serve.

Lois Erickson Human Resources Manager Houston Engineering, Inc. Fargo, N.D.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 661,000 in September, and the unemployment rate declined to 7.9%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Notable job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality, retail trade, health care and social assistance, and in professional and business services. Employment in government declined over the month, mainly in state and local government education.

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX

The Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.2% in September on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising 0.4%t in August, according to information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the past 12 months, the all items index increased 1.4% before seasonal adjustment.

PRELIMINARY AIR TRAFFIC DATA

U.S. airlines carried 70% fewer scheduled service passengers in August 2020 than in August 2019, according to data filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics by 21 airlines that carry more than 90% of the passengers. Despite the large annual drop from pre-pandemic numbers a year earlier, when compared to the previous month U.S. airlines carried 2% more passengers in August than in July. The 70% decline from August 2019 was the smallest annual decrease since March.

IMPORT PRICES

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said in a recent report that prices for U.S. exports rose 0.6%in September, after advancing 3.3% from April to August. In September, higher prices for both agricultural and nonagricultural exports contributed to the overall rise. Despite the recent upward trend, prices for U.S. exports fell 1.8% over the past year.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Shoulder Surger y Gets Doug Backto Farming

Shoulder Surger y Gets Doug Backto Farming

Farming runsin Doug Fjer st ad ’s blood As a thirdgenerat ion farmer in Foss ton, Minnesot a, he ’s proud to cont inue his famil y’s farming tradition. Earl y in his farming career, Dougran a milking operat ion. Year s of milking took atoll on Doug ’s shoulder and eventually, it wore ou t. “I thought this was the end of my career,” shares Doug. Af ter a visi tto his local clinic , Doug wasreferred to Es sent ia Heal th or thopedic sur geon, Dr.Pras ad Sawardeker, which ledtoatotal shoulderreplacement.

Farming runsin Doug Fjer st ad ’s blood. As a thirdgenerat ion farmer in Foss ton, Minnesot a, he ’s proud to cont inue his famil y’s farming tradition Earl y in his farming career, Dougran a milking operat ion. Year s of milking took atoll on Doug ’s shoulder and eventually, it wore ou t. “I thought this was the end of my career,” shares Doug Af ter a visi tto his local clinic , Doug wasreferred to Es sent ia Heal th or thopedic sur geon, Dr.Pras ad Sawardeker, which ledtoatotal shoulderreplacement.

“M y shoulder was basicall y wor n ou t,” Doug said. “I wasn ’t able to use myar m unless I li fted it up wi th my other ar m.” For Doug , this was not the qualit y ofli fe he wanted. He wanted toremain ac ti ve and hands- on in the famil y’s cow- calf operat ion.

“M y shoulder was basicall y wor n ou t,” Doug said “I wasn ’t able to use myar m unless I li fted it up wi th my other ar m.” For Doug , this was not the qualit y ofli fe he wanted. He wanted toremain ac ti ve and hands- on in the famil y’s cow- calf operat ion.

Dr. Sawardeker ex plains , “A rt hr it is in the shoulder canc ause ex t reme pain and st i ff ness. It can interfere wi th your daily ac ti vi ties , wor k ac ti vi ties and sometimes even disrupt sleep. When conser vati ve opt ions fail, shoulder replacement in an ideal option to relieve pain and sti ff ness relatedto ar thri tis.

Dr Sawardeker ex plains , “A rt hr it is in the shoulder canc ause ex t reme pain and st i ff ness. It can interfere wi th your daily ac ti vi ties , wor k ac ti vi ties and sometimes even disrupt sleep. When conser vati ve opt ions fail, shoulder replacement in an ideal option to relieve pain and sti ff ness relatedto ar thri tis.

Shoulder replacement involves removal of port ions of the shoulder joint and subsequent replacement

Shoulder replacement involves removal of port ions of the shoulder joint and subsequent replacement

wi th ar ti ficial implants It ’s a procedure that , when performed for thecor rect reasons, has show nto be very succes sf ul at reducing pain and res toringrange of motion and mobili ty Doug scheduled his shoulder replacement for June whenhe would be finished wi th calvingand could line someone up to help wi th haying. The timing worked ou t, even in the middle of a global pandemic , and Doug ’s surger y marked a new beginningfor him “I didn’ t wor ry abou t COVID or my safety at the hospit al,” says Doug. “I was concer ned abou t my wi fe, though , since she couldn ’t be there wi th me, bu tI knew the hospi tal would be safe.”

wi th ar ti ficial implants . It ’s a procedure that , when performed for thecor rect reasons, has show nto be very succes sf ul at reducing pain and res toringrange of motion and mobili ty. Doug scheduled his shoulder replacement for June whenhe would be finished wi th calvingand could line someone up to help wi th haying. The timing worked ou t, even in the middle of a global pandemic , and Doug ’s surger y marked a new beginningfor him. “I didn’ t wor ry abou t COVID or my safety at the hospit al,” says Doug. “I was concer ned abou t my wi fe, though , since she couldn ’t be there wi th me, bu tI knew the hospi tal would be safe.”

Doug said he hasa lotto the thankf ul for. Af ter surger y, a couplemonths of therapyfollowed to help him get back the func tion he had prev iously los t. Now, Doug is back to his old self, pi tchinghay bales, mow ing the lawn , riding horse and so much more.

Doug said he hasa lotto the thankf ul for. Af ter surger y, a couplemonths of therapyfollowed to help him get back the func tion he had prev iously los t. Now, Doug is back to his old self, pi tchinghay bales, mow ing the lawn , riding horse and so much more.

“Dr. Sawardeker gave me my li fe back ,” shares Doug. “I would recommend him to everyone! The care Ire ceived was just awesome. I’m look ing forwardto more year s of farming and just li ving li fe.”

“Dr. Sawardeker gave me my li fe back ,” shares Doug “I would recommend him to everyone! The care Ire ceived was just awesome. I’m look ing forwardto more year s of farming and just li ving li fe.”

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