Expanding to Accommodate

National Information Solutions Cooperative expands its Mandan, N.D., campus, adding office space, a fitness center and dining hall in a new employee building

BY KAYLA PRASEK

In response to an ever-expanding member base, National Information Solutions Cooperative continues to see its number of employees grow. As a result, the company is in the final stages of expanding its campus in Mandan, N.D.

NISC, an information technology organization that develops, implements and supports software and hardware solutions for its members, has another primary campus location in Lake St. Louis, Mo., as well as additional office locations in Iowa and Wisconsin.

In Mandan, NISC is completing its 33,000-square-foot employee building. The $7.5 million project “will allow us to grow our presence in Mandan with about 75 additional positions over the next five years,” says Jasper Schneider, vice president of member engagement.

“We currently have 400 employees at our Mandan campus, with just over 1,100 employees overall.”

NISC formally broke ground on the project in summer 2015. The project, which was designed by Al Fitterer Architect of Mandan, is in its final stages, and the company expects to hold a formal grand opening with its national board of directors at its spring board meeting in April. while Prairie Engineering of Minot, N.D., provided engineering services.

The new employee building “will tie our campus together by connecting a building that currently houses one of our subsidiary companies, Capturis, which is a utility bill pay company that serves Fortune 500 companies, and the rest of the NISC campus,” Schneider says. The two-story employee building will provide additional office space, common areas, training space for members, a new gym to complement NISC’s wellness program and an employee cafeteria.

As for the design of the employee building, the exterior is primarily stucco. The building lobby is open ceiling to both floors and features floor-to-ceiling glass. The employee cafeteria and back entrance also feature open ceilings with floor-to-ceiling glass on two sides of the building. The building will have LED motion-activated lighting throughout, and the second floor has several solar tubes, which look similar to LED lighting, Schneider says, but use reflective glass materials to provide natural light.

NISC took on this project because of the company’s continued growth, Schneider says. The employee expansion building “was necessary to accommodate NISC’s employee and member growth. As a technology cooperative, our customers are also our owners. Serving primarily the telecommunications and utility industries, as our membership has grown, so has our employee base.”

Schneider says the expansion shows NISC’s dedication to the state of North Dakota. “We are committed to Mandan and North Dakota. Because we are a technology company, our jobs also help diversify North Dakota’s economy,” Schneider says.

While parts of North Dakota’s economy are experiencing a slowdown, Schneider says it’s the complete opposite for NISC right now. “At a time when North Dakota is seeing some economic slowdown because of low commodity prices in the agriculture and energy industries, NISC continues to grow,” he says. “NISC serves utilities across the United States and some international markets. These jobs could be located elsewhere, but NISC has had a presence in Mandan for nearly 50 years, and the work ethic and talent of our North Dakota employees are excellent.” PB

Kayla Prasek Staff Writer, Prairie Business 701.780.1187

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Data provided by David Flynn, chair of the University of North Dakota Department of Economics. Reach him at david.flynn@business.und.edu.

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