Prairie Business September 2015

BY KRIS BEVILL

MATTHEW D. MOHR

2015 top

in the northern Plains

A rendering looking down onto the green roof of the parking structure of The Banks in Sioux Falls, S.D. IMAGE: PERSPECTIVE

KRIS BEVILL Editor

Let the games begin

I’d like to see a reality TV show called “Culture Wars.” In it, we could watch as the out-of-touch manager brags to potential new hires about how the atmosphere is so relaxed that staffers occasionally break out in song and play guitars that are scattered throughout the office just for that purpose. We could see how, in reality, that manager doesn’t actually even know the company’s values or notice that employees are too overworked and disgruntled to ever play the guitars, except for one episode when someone strums a few strings as a sarcastic response to a co-worker’s comment.

We could indulge our tendency toward voyeurism with a bird’s eye view of meetings in which leadership decides that the new retention policy will do away with the offer of bonuses. Instead, they decide to install mini-trampolines in the break room so workers can connect with their inner child while they wolf down a microwaved meal over lunch because - culture. We, the viewers, will shake our heads in bewilderment and fast-forward through the commercials because we can’t WAIT to see how the employees react to that decision.

And we can collectively “aww” and feel wonderful for the employees whose boss tells them to take time during the afternoon to attend their daughter’s t-ball game or leave a little early one day to catch the school play because, “I had four sons and I know that when they grow up, it’s over. You don’t get a second chance to have those moments.” So she encourages them to do what they need to do and doesn’t make them feel guilty for it later. She also knows they will be grateful and will make up the time, because they’re adults and they appreciate being treated that way.

It won’t be hard for viewers to guess which companies will win the culture wars, capturing the grand prize of happy, productive, long-term employees. But we’ll watch anyway because so many of us will be able to relate.

When I joined Prairie Business three years ago, employee retention and satisfaction were certainly on people’s radars, but “culture” wasn’t the buzzword it is today. Over the past 36 months or so, however, the region’s economy has boomed and a severe worker shortage has struck many of our employers, ramping up competition for employees and making it more important than ever to create environments that make workers want to stay put. Last year, we launched an annual “50 Best Places to Work” contest, hoping to draw attention to some of the companies in the area that have done it right. We were pleasantly surprised with the results - more than 1,000 employees from about 100 companies submitted employee satisfaction surveys to tell us what they think their employer is doing well and why they like working there. This year, the response rate doubled. The resulting list of this year’s 50 top workplaces have found ways to keep their workers happy in a highly competitive environment, and while many of them offer fun perks like complimentary snacks, company trips and free beer Fridays, the resounding reason employees listed as a reason why they like working somewhere is more basic: respect. Workers told us they most appreciate open communication, acknowledgement for a job well done and the understanding that if they do well, they will be rewarded financially and with opportunities for advancement within the company. It’s basic, yes. It’s also overlooked far too often.

And yet, sometimes it’s time to move on regardless. This is my last issue as editor of the magazine. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with so many of you and can honestly say I learned something new every single day. I have been inspired by the entrepreneurs and leaders of the area who continue to innovate and drive our region forward through new and exciting opportunities. You’ve left us with no shortage of business news to cover and I expect the magazine will continue to highlight your hard work and dedication far into the future. Thank you for reading. PB

KORRIE WENZEL, Publisher

KRIS BEVILL, Editor

KAYLA PRASEK, Staff Writer

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

NICHOLE ERTMAN

eastern ND/western MN 800. 477.6572 ext. 1162 nertman@prairiebizmag.com

Editor: KRIS BEVILL 701.306.8561 kbevill@prairiebizmag.com

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

Non-disclosure agreements

BY MATTHEW D. MOHR

When buying or selling a business, one key document is a non-disclosure agreement. Well-written non-disclosures make it clear the parties involved are limited or prohibited from sharing information gained during the evaluation process. Some go much further to include broad language which may or may not be beneficial to both parties.

Recently I was offered a business which another entity I’m involved with competes against. I was identified as a buyer due to my having competing interests. The non-disclosure included language which effectively disallowed pirating information to compete against the business being sold. Naturally, I contacted the representative and explained their broad language would prevent me from moving ahead with any acquisition analysis. The language in this non-disclosure was included to prevent someone from sharing trade secrets but it effectively eliminated many potential buyers.

At one time a business owner contacted me to purchase his business right at the time he was selling

to someone else. I had moderate interest, but it quickly became evident he wanted to use me to get a better price from his current buyer. What he didn’t know was that the other buyer, who lived outside our region, was a personal friend of mine. They had no non-disclosure. It didn’t take long to recognize this ploy to use me as a negotiating tool. My friend called me asking why I was trying to take over the business, or push him out of the deal. After informing my friend I was not an active buyer and the seller was trying to push the price up by using my name as leverage, my friend quickly closed the deal at a favorable price. As you might suspect, other parts of the business were found to be somewhat misrepresented by the seller as well. Well-written non-disclosure agreements are good for both buyer and seller and are an essential part of most business acquisitions. PB

Matthew D. Mohr CEO, Dacotah Paper Co. mmohr@dacotahpaper.com

‘Media Malpractice’

BY STEVE EICKMAN

Picture this: you have a few aches and pains that are getting consistently worse so you call your doctor to make an appointment. On the phone, you describe your shoulder pain and your physician immediately recommends surgery. “Surgery?!” You exclaim. “But you haven’t even seen me yet!”

You and I would run from any physician who prescribed a cure for us without first performing a thorough examination. We might label it negligence, incompetence or even malpractice. Yet, every day, in organizations all over the world, marketing professionals practice what I like to call “Media Malpractice.”

Media Malpractice happens every time you select a medium to communicate your message, with-

out first considering the person(s) you want to receive the message. Media Malpractice happens unintentionally; imagine that your sales manager reports that the competition has a new television commercial and proclaims, “We need one of those to increase sales.” That day, the owner goes to a seminar and a futurist proclaims that social media will take over the world. Consequently, he pushes for 50 percent of the marketing budget for social media. An email from a board member suggests you buy radio spots from her golf buddy. Now you feel the need to buy a variety of media to keep everybody happy. Just like your doctor recommending surgery without thoughtful and professional analysis, purchasing media without giving

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consideration to your target audience will never garner the results you’re looking for.

As the number of options to communicate brand messages continue to increase, the best way to select the correct media is to follow a TAMM Strategy –Target, Action, Message, Media:

Target: Always start with the target group and develop a solid mental picture of who those people are. Go beyond general demographics like “adults 18+” or “men in a three-state area.” Do a deeper dive. What do they like to do? What does their day look like? How do they spend their time? What community issues influence them? What do they spend their hard-earned cash on, and how did they find out about it?

Action: Next, determine what action you want them to take as a result of your communication. Again, try to be specific about the action step and skip vague, oversimplified goals like: Increase sales.

Message: The most important step in this process is the message. This is hard work and a common mistake is to not take enough time to craft a great message that connects with the target and is compelling and believable. It should leave them in a state of mind that supports the action step you’re after.

Media: Ah, finally to the fun stuff: Choosing media to deliver your message. How does the media fit with your target and your message? For example, if you have a lot of information to share, a billboard might not be the best media choice to deliver the message. On the same note, if you are trying to reach young active, people under the age of 30, you might want to reconsider a printed newspaper and opt for the digital version.

The TAMM Strategy may seem simple, but it acts as an important reminder to:

1. Put strategy first in your communication –a key for success.

2. Help you focus your message.

3. Select the best media from the masses available.

4. Reduce the amount of Media Malpractice happening at your organization.

If you would like to learn more, go to www.tammstrategy. com. PB

Steve Eickman Partner, Anchor Marketing stevee@anchorwebsite.com

Effective managers: A critical link to great culture

BY MIKE MEAGHER

Managers get a bad rap. Is it deserved? They are the most-often cited reason great people leave their organizations. Managers are the biggest driver or suppressor of employee productivity and happiness. Most managers get only a fraction of the talent, loyalty and spirit of their team members. However, effective managers find a way to get the most from and for their employees. These managers are the backbone of strong cultures.

We can all agree that people and culture drive bottom-line performance. Strong cultures, like those highlighted in this issue of Prairie Business, depend on great managers. Managers abound, but effective ones — those who bring the best out in their people — are elusive. When strong managers are in place, they make their team’s culture and work experience meaningful.

They receive greater productivity, loyalty and respect from their employees in return. Effective managers use the following skills:

Lead with Vision and Strategy

An effective manager has a vision for what he/she wants the team to achieve. Great managers help employees embrace an optimistic vision that is clear, concise, aligned, and achievable. Employees want to achieve ambitious goals and achieve a compelling vision. That starts with making a game plan.

Great managers understand the importance of strategy and planning. By involving their team in the planning process, managers increase understanding and commitment to the strategy. This shared focus and accountability positions the team for success.

Communicate and Listen

Effective managers set themselves apart with excellent communication skills. They ensure the entire team knows what it means and what it takes to win. They keep employees abreast of all team and organizational priorities.

Active listening and feedback show teammates genuine care. The steady, two-way flow of feedback fosters innovative environments. People feel safer and perform better when they know where they stand. When honest feedback is the norm, people offer their creative ideas. Teams then rally around solving problems.

Tap Into Human Motivation

Effective managers know how to motivate their team. They understand employees need to experience significance and appreciation. Purpose and meaning are powerful drivers of behavior for employees. Skilled managers reinforce the reason each role is important and the impact it creates.

Skillful managers also find out the personal driving forces of each team member. They make small tweaks to roles to ensure they are as rewarding as possible. They show personal and sincere interest each person’s wellbeing and happiness.

Hire Right

Even the best managers see engagement and performance erode when they mis-hire. Selecting and developing the right people should

be every manager’s first key accountability area. We have seen success using these four steps:

1. Benchmark and define the position. Clarify the purpose, goals, responsibilities, competencies, major challenges, driving forces, ideal personality and qualifications.

2. Build authentic relationships with candidates.

3. Use science and thorough evaluation. Make sure anyone hired has the right talent to do the job well.

4. Once hired, coach them to excellence. Coaching enables managers to optimize teamwork and maximize the individual contributions, which is good for customers and the bottom line. Engaged employees create competitive advantages that are hard to copy.

Managers have a more difficult job today than ever. They have shifting mandates from the C-suite and are expected to increase engagement and productivity. Acquiring and keeping great people in a changing talent landscape is crucial to sustained success. Effective managers realize that a vibrant culture helps them achieve goals and that their behavior sets the tone for better or worse. Strong managers are critical to success. After all, employees leave managers, not their organizations. PB

Mike Meagher Founder, Sagency mike@sagencytalent.com

USE US

Here in North Dakota, Xcel Energy is committed to being a reliable energy provider and a good neighbor as well. In partnership with local organizations and nonprofits, Xcel Energy supports the events and initiatives that make our hometowns better places to live and work. After all, we don’t just work here…we live here, too.

as a community partner.

5 key components to becoming a ‘Best Place to Work’

BY ERIC NEWELL AND LEAH BAKER

Becoming a ‘Best Place to Work’ doesn’t happen by accident. The CEO doesn’t send out a memo saying “you must enjoy your job.” HR doesn’t wave a magic wand and make it so. But, company leadership has everything to do with creating a positive environment and attracting and hiring a team with not only the right skills, but also people who are a good fit to the company culture.

A great work culture can vary from place to place. What works at one company might not fly at another, but there are a few factors put in place by our founders that can be universally applied to any workplace. These are the components that have helped propel us to the top of the list in “Best Place to Work” contests six times, in three separate regional publications over the past two years. As a young company, less than three

years old, this recognition has been very rewarding as a team and even more so for the company founders who made it a priority. The company’s infancy included fast-paced growth, evolving processes and course corrections. Despite all the changes during this time, there are a few things that have stayed the same. Here is a five-ingredient recipe to put your company on the path to being a “Best Place to Work.”

1. Be Visionary - Our company leadership set out to create not only a successful, profitable company with good benefits and competitive wages, but a place that has the intangibles that attract quality people and make them want to stay. The company has not lost sight of that goal. It is a continuous thread every day. When we started the organization we set out to be the best in our field and set a mission and values that align with that

goal. Continual efforts are taken through communication and action to ensure it’s truly a shared vision amongst all members of the organization.

2. Be Authentic – Whether it is client interaction or internal initiatives, our company has a unique personality that relates back to our roots, mission and values. What you see on the website or through the window is the same thing you would see behind a closed conference room door. Being authentic is knowing who you are as a company, and going through efforts to make sure the team dynamic is reflective of your brand, internally and externally. Be who you are, and be good at it.

3. Be Egalitarian - Though there is an organizational chart, there still exists an egalitarian feel, where the entire team is asked for feedback and people have an opportunity to voice their opinions. Great ideas can come from anywhere, team members are encouraged to be innovative. Leadership is approachable to anyone. Even when an employee might not agree with a decision, there is value in just having the opportunity to be heard.

4. Be Transparent – Stoneridge Software has always made a good faith effort in the workplace goals it sets forth. Leadership continually communicates the current state of business, and where things are headed. This provides a clear view forward and gets everyone moving in the same direction.

There isn’t ever the feeling that management is hiding anything. If there has ever been an initiative that hasn’t been successful, or a ball that gets dropped, it’s relayed honestly. There is always an undercurrent of looking at what we can do better. This goes a long way in establishing trust between leadership and employees, and creating overall team cohesiveness.

5. Be Consistent – The answers submitted through these contests are anonymous, but there is one thing that’s obvious. We all want the same thing. From leadership down, everyone in the company is pulling for success and everyone believes in our values of integrity, technical excellence, tenacity, being client centric and enjoying our work. No matter what the values are at your company, when employees are consistently treated like they have value, they are empowered to contribute to its success and in turn, make it a great place to work. PB

Eric Newell President Stoneridge Software eric@stoneridgesoftware.com

Leah Baker Marketing and Communications Manager Stoneridge Software leah@stoneridgesoftware.com

Spearfish couple launches tour business

Spearfish, S.D., residents Jon and Mary Pochop have launched Spearfish Canyon Tours, a tour service focused on providing customers with a history of the city and surrounding area. The company utilizes a 14-passenger bus for the daily tours, which include stops at Black Hills State University, the downtown area, Spearfish’s gravity-fed irrigation system, the former Black Hills Passion Play Amphitheatre, Spearfish City Park and Creek, the D.C. Booth Historic Fish Hatchery, the 1911 Homestake Power Plant and Bridal Veil Falls. The couple collaborated with BHSU for resources including marketing research, which was conducted by a masters of business administration class.

Black Hills State University staff member Cami Dohman (far right) serves as a Spearfish Canyon Tours guide. The touring company provides visitors and locals the opportunity to experience the beauty and history of Spearfish.

PHOTO: BLACK HILLS STATE UNIVERSITY

Sanford opens Watford City clinic

Sanford Health has opened a 1,900-square-foot clinic in the resource-taxed Bakken community of Watford City, N.D. The clinic will offer cardiology, podiatry, orthopedics and free injury screenings. Physicians will travel from Bismarck and Dickinson, N.D., each month to see patients.

Sanford Health also recently became the official sports medicine provider for Watford City’s public schools.

First International Bank & Trust expands to Bismarck

First International Bank & Trust has opened its first Bismarck branch at a temporary location, 1533 North 12th Street. The bank intends to break ground on a permanent location later this year. David Mason has been named president of the Bismarck branch.

The bank now operates 24 locations throughout North Dakota, Minnesota and Arizona.

Click Rain acquires second company this year

Click Rain has acquired Sioux Falls, S.D.-based web development and interactive storytelling firm Rive Immersive. The addition follows Click Rain’s acquisition of Paragon Videography earlier this year.

Rive Immersive was formed in 2013 by Jordan Loftis and Paul Lexen, along with two other partners. In addition to the firm’s work with a variety of clients, it has developed an app and iBeacon technology called Localized, which Click Rain intends to bring to market and utilize for its clients.

Midco to deploy Cisco tech

Midcontinent Communications says it will deploy Cisco’s latest cable access platform throughout its network footprint as it prepares to offer gigabit-level Internet speeds throughout its network by the end of 2017. The Midcontinent Gigabit Initiative will make high-speed Internet available to about 600,000 homes and 55,000 businesses throughout an 8,100-mile fiber network in the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The company also expects Cisco’s technology will better prepare the network for massive performance improvements anticipated in early 2016 when gigabit modems become available to residential and small business customers.

According to the company, its customers’ bandwidth consumption is already doubling every 15 months.

Arvig acquires North Star Fiber

Perham, Minn.-based Arvig Enterprises has partnered with North Star Fiber, a Twin Cities-based venture with expertise in delivering gigabit Internet services to multi-dwelling buildings. The partnership will enhance Arvig’s services in the Twin Cities, St. Cloud and Rochester areas.

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North Dakota takes the top in wheat production

North Dakota produced 17.1 percent of the total wheat production in 2014, according to the USDA’s Agricultural Statistics Service. North Dakota produced 347 million bushels of wheat. Kansas, which previously held the top wheat-producer status, produced 246 million bushels last year. Drought was a contributing factor in the state’s lower production.

Other top wheat producers in 2014 included Montana at 209 million bushels and South Dakota at 131 million bushels.

Sioux Falls doctors donate land to Avera

Sioux Falls Surgical Physicians LLC, a group of doctors and surgeons who own Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital, has donated four properties to Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center. The group has also sold a substantial amount of property to the organization at an undisclosed price. The affected property is located south of the hospital campus and is comprised of 69 homes and vacant residential lots. The sale will make it possible for Avera to expand its services in the future and will be integral to the long-term growth of Sioux Falls’ medical community, according to the group.

Advance Health expands to SD

Virginia-based Advance Health has announced plans to expand to Ellsworth Air Force Base in Box Elder, S.D. It will be the home health care provider’s third location and the first one located outside of Virginia. The company expects to create 200 jobs in South Dakota over the next three to five years.

The expansion to Ellsworth makes Advance Health the first company in South Dakota to partner with the Air Force base under the federal government’s Enhanced Use Lease Program. Company CEO Brian Wise said Advance Health chose the location after a nationwide search due to its “talented workforce, a great cost of living and beautiful site to expand.”

XTO Energy gives $5M to ND housing fund

XTO Energy Inc, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil, has contributed $5 million to North Dakota’s Housing Incentive Fund to support affordable housing projects in western North Dakota. The donation is the single largest contribution to the fund since its inception.

Killdeer Employee Housing, Wolf Run Village II in Watford City, the Watford City Apartments and Williston Station will benefit from the contribution. More than half of the combined 287 units in these developments are designated for essential service workers, according to the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency.

North Dakota produced 347 million bushels of wheat in 2014, according to USDA statistics.

PHOTO: FORUM NEWS SERVICE

Tri-College University adds members

The Tri-College University, a collaboration among Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., Minnesota State University Moorhead and North Dakota State University, has expanded to include two two-year schools - Minnesota State Community and Technical College (M State) and North Dakota State College of Science. The TCU agreement allows students at any of the participating institutions to take courses at any of the campuses without paying additional tuition fees.

“This expansion agreement gives the TCU partnership the equivalent size of a Big 10 campus in our area, and one that will be of vital importance as we continue to focus on a diverse knowledge based economy,” said TCU Provost Tim Flakoll.

M State has campuses in Moorhead, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls and Wadena, Minn., but the TCU partnership will focus on the Moorhead campus. NDSCS has a main campus in Wahpeton, N.D., and a smaller campus in Fargo. While the TCU now includes more than three campuses, the name will remain the same, according to the group.

Research proposals sought for ND grape, wine industry

The North Dakota Department of Agriculture has been allocated $80,000 for the biennium to distribute for grape and wine industry-related research and promotion and is currently seeking grant proposals. Grant applications and further information is available at www.nd.gov/ndda/program/grape-wine-andfruit-promotion. The deadline to apply is Sept. 15.

Hub International acquires Bank of the West Insurance

Chicago-based global insurance brokerage Hub International Limited announced it has acquired BW Insurance Agency Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of the West. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

BWIA operates more than 40 offices in eight states including Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota Nebraska, the Dakotas, Oregon and Wyoming. BWIA employees will either remain at existing locations or be offered the opportunity to relocate to a nearby Hub office.

Muth Electric promotes Muth, Sabers

Muth Electric Inc. has promoted Paul Muth and Terry Sabers to co-presidents of the company. Dick Muth, a company founder who had served as president of the company since its inception 45 years ago, has moved to the position of CEO and chairman of the board.

Paul Muth has worked for the company for 37 years, serving most recently as vice president of operations. Sabers has been with the company for 40 years. His most recent role was as vice president of finance.

Eide Bailly adds to technology team

Zachary McBeain has joined Eide Bailly LLP’s technology consulting team as a business development associate. He has one year of experience in the telecommunications industry. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Valley City State University and is a Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce public relations ambassador.

Chuck Laschkewitsch has joined the firm as a business applications senior associate. He has more than 15 years of experience in the technology industry and has expertise in solution implementation, client relations and technical account management. He holds a bachelor’s degree in management information systems and a master’s degree in software engineering, both from North Dakota State University.

Startup Bismarck hires community director

Startup Bismarck has hired Hannah Haynes as a startup community director. In this role, she will help lead the effort to establish the startup community organization’s goals, including pursuing a coworking space in downtown Bismarck.

Widseth Smith Nolting adds Schrader, Hermes

Alex Schrader has joined the architecture department of Widseth Smith Nolting’s Grand Forks, N.D., office. She has experience working under the direction of registered architects on a variety of project types including residential, office, commercial, justice, building renovation, historic preservation, downtown redevelopment, educational and religious facilities. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from North Dakota State University.

Ryan Hermes has joined the Grand Forks office as an intern landscape architect. He previously worked as a zoning and sign inspector for the city of Fargo. He holds bachelor’s degrees in landscape architecture and environmental design from NDSU.

Paul Muth

Terry Sabers

Hannah Haynes

Zachary McBeain Chuck Laschkewitsch

Alex Schrader Ryan Hermes

The only place where SUCCESS comes before WORK is in the dictionary

Basin Electric names new HR leaders

Diane Paul has been selected to serve as Basin Electric Cooperative’s newly created position of senior vice president of human resources and development. She previously served as the cooperative’s vice president of human resources. That role has been filled by Ted Cash, who previously served as manager of media support services. According to Basin Electric, the change in HR reporting structure is in response to a desire to continue improving the cooperative’s culture and to better manage its growing workforce.

Doran named dean of Offutt School of Business

K. Brewer Doran has been named dean of the Offutt School of Business at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. She has 30 years of higher education experience, serving most recently as dean of the Bertolon School of Business at Salem State University in Salem, Mass.

She succeeds founding dean Greg Cant, who accepted a position as dean of the School of Business at Montclair State University in New Jersey.

designing

Karvakko hires Tompkins

Karvakko Engineering has hired Paige Tompkins as business development coordinator. She joined the firm in 2014 as an intern and accepted a full-time position after graduating in May from Bemidji State University.

Diane Paul Ted Cash K. Brewer Doran

Paige Tompkins

Gate City Bank hires Alberty, Walters

Gate City Bank has hired Betsy Alberty as the human resources generalist for the bank’s corporate office in downtown Fargo. She has 10 years of HR experience and earned a bachelor’s degree in management and marketing from the University of North Dakota.

Jon Walters has been hired as the performance strategist. He has seven years of professional experience and serves as host and co-organizer of Fargo’s 1 Million Cups in addition to participation in other community-driven events.

Iverson joins Dacotah Paper

Jim Iverson has joined Dacotah Paper Co. as a sales manager. He previously served as a territory sales representative for Aurora Casket Co. and a sales manager for Pitney Bowes.

Betsy Alberty Jon Walters

Jim Iverson

Dave Anderson, public affairs director at Sanford Health, sits in his office in downtown Fargo.

PHOTO: KENSIE WALLNER

From downtown with love

Fargo’s former downtown leader

Dave Anderson sees new potential in metro

BY KRIS BEVILL

It’s been nearly two decades, but Dave Anderson still likes to tell the story about how he and his family first met Fargo.

The Iowa native was working in downtown economic development in Sioux City and was perfectly content where he was, until a colleague began lobbying him to consider taking on the leadership role for Fargo’s Downtown Community Partnership. He’d never been to Fargo and initially balked at the notion of relocating, but eventually became intrigued by the possibility of helping a passionate group of people rebuild a downtown that had deteriorated badly.

“Downtown then was really not much to talk about,” he says. “It had declined about as much as it can decline.”

Taking a chance, the Anderson family piled into their vehicle one Friday evening in February 2000 and made the trek north to see Fargo for themselves. The introduction was “classic Fargo” in late winter, he says - cold, snowy and windy. “But we woke up the next morning and discovered this beautiful blue, sunlight sky.” Anderson, his wife, Linda, and their three kids explored the town and liked the neighborhoods they discovered. However, downtown definitely needed some work, and they decided it could only be improved from its current state. He agreed to take the job and Anderson returned to Fargo in July that year- just in time for the downtown street fair - this time for good.

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Anderson says his initial goal as CEO of the Downtown Community Partnership was to bring life back into something lifeless. As in many cities, Fargo’s mall had damaged the health of its downtown and something new needed to be done to repair the city’s heart. Anderson says he was fortunate to work with a supportive community and people who were willing to collaborate to achieve that goal. “There was already really good energy and people were doing what they needed to do to be inclusive and collaborative and get lots of ideas,” he says. “As I started to insert some of my notions and ideas, I encouraged everybody to not think about this as bringing it back to what it was. ...It needed something that was going to be a discovery for a new generation. I think more than anything, now, 15 years later, what’s really fun is that it really is that.”

To be sure, Fargo has become a hotbed for millenials and its blossoming startup community. The kids who really were just kids when Anderson arrived with his family have grown into the young adults who are launching tech startups and organizing community events at any of the many trendy new businesses that have set up shop downtown. And when work and play is done, a growing number of resi-

“We’reassemblingwhatIthink willbeaninterestingnewvision, notthesameasFargo,butsimilarinrespectto‘Whatisitwecan dothatwillcreateadiscovery?”

dents return to their homes -- in downtown, a concept which would have been laughable 15 years ago.

Anderson credits a large number of people for downtown Fargo’s revival, including pioneering property owners like Doug Scraper, who helped develop one of downtown’s first fine dining establishments; Karen Stoker, the daring and innovative owner of the Hotel Donaldson; Greg Danz of Zandbroz variety store; and the Olson family, who maintained their Royal Jewelers’ location in downtown through thick and thin. Others, like Margie Bailly, who served for years as executive director of the iconic Fargo Theatre, set a strong leadership example for fellow downtown lovers. Anderson also notes that creators and proponents of the state’s Renaissance Zone tax credit program had a significant impact on the area’s rebirth and made sure that economic developers would have a “really big hammer in the toolbox” as they worked to attract new businesses.

Of course, not every new business has worked, and not all businesses that were in place when Anderson rolled into town remain, but the vibe of downtown has become very organic in recent years and continues to roll on strong. Anderson himself moved on five years ago to become public affairs director for Sanford Health, but he remains “Downtown Dave” to most people, including Sanford’s leadership.

And while his new role has been “a wonderful learning experience,” and downtown Fargo’s continued evolution gives him great pride, the civic-minded, downtown-loving part of him continues to attract him to new projects and people. He’s actively involved with the Moorhead Business Association’s efforts to revitalize its core. In early August he expected ideas to be revealed within the next two months. “We’re assembling what I think will be an interesting new vision, not the same as Fargo, but similar in respect to ‘What is it we can do that will create a discovery?’”

And as businesses continue to confront the struggle of attracting and retaining employees, Anderson and his family also relish their role as examples of transplants who have set roots and flourished on the northern Plains. Now, they’ve become the locals who love to show newcomers the area’s potential. “It’s fun to bring people here and watch the light in their eyes go off when they realize what a great place this is,” he says. PB

Kris Bevill Editor, Prairie Business 701-306-8561, kbevill@prairiebizmag.com

Best Places to Work

This year’s 50 top employers in the northern Plains

Netflix nearly broke the Internet a few weeks ago when it announced a plan to offer unlimited paid parental leave for new moms and dads during the first year of a child’s life. In a blog post, Tawni Cranz, Netlix’s chief talent officer, said parents can return to work part-time, full-time, or leave and come back as needed during that year, which, especially when combined with the company’s existing unlimited time off policy, is part of the company’s “freedom and responsibility” culture designed to help staffers achieve that coveted work-life balance.

“We want employees to have the flexibility and confidence to balance the needs of their growing families without worrying about work or finances,” Cranz said in the blog, adding that employees also have been proven to perform better at their jobs when they aren’t worrying about their home life.

The day after Netflix announced its policy change, Microsoft said it, too, was “enhancing” its parental leave policy to allow new dads to take 12 weeks of fully paid leave. All new moms will now receive 12 weeks of paid leave; birth mothers are able to take 20 weeks full paid. The company announced other new perks as well, including additional paid holidays and increased 401k matching, all in an effort to boost the company’s culture.

“When I look at how rapidly the traditional workplace is changing, not just at Microsoft, but throughout business in general, I see a tremendous opportunity for companies to put a stake in the ground around what they believe in and what kind of culture they want to build together with employees,” Kathleen Hogan, Microsoft’s executive vice president of human resources, said in a blog post, adding that Microsoft’s culture is evolving to embody a mindset that embraces diversity and inclusion.

Microsoft and Netflix most definitely have bigger piggy banks than the vast majority of companies in the northern Plains, but that hasn’t stopped many of our area’s businesses from making culture initiatives a major part of their budgets and daily focus. A few years ago, “company culture” was rarely mentioned as a reason why employees would consider working somewhere. Now, it’s part of the initial conversation with most employers.

Why the switch? Simply put - there aren’t enough workers to go around. And when salaries have been matched and hours and workloads are similar, company culture will be how employees decide where they want to work every time. Add to that the commonly held notion that millenials, who will comprise the majority of the workforce for the next few decades, won’t settle for anything less than jobs with flex hours, brightly colored workspaces and company-backed kickball tournaments (or another comparable mix of perks) and it’s easy to see why executives and HR teams are

creating culture clubs faster than you can say “pitch!”

Last year, we launched our annual 50 Best Places to Work contest and were thrilled to receive about 1,000 employee satisfaction surveys from approximately 100 companies in the region. This year, those numbers doubled. It’s clear that competition is high, and while we didn’t notice anyone mention unlimited PTO or paternity leave (although we hope that soon becomes the norm), we did notice a growing number of perks that also address work-life balance. One employee said they appreciate being able to work remotely from Arizona in the winter; another expressed her gratitude for being allowed to bring her infant to work.

“Everyone is so accommodating and helpful and it’s so nice to be able to have her with me and not in daycare,” the employee wrote.

No doubt the business may also be benefiting by retaining an employee who otherwise might not be able to work due to a critical shortage of daycare in the region.

Another employee stated that her office of young professionals is about to experience a baby boom. In response, forward-thinking company leaders created a nursing/pump room for new mothers to utilize when they return to the office, before anyone even thought to ask for it. “The leadership team is so responsive to what could make the office a better place that they’re actually anticipating employees’ needs. It’s seriously impressive,” the employee wrote.

We did notice a few changes this year in what employees appeared to value most about their workplace. While many of last year’s employees touted fun perks like foosball tables, picnics and other items, the majority of employees this year credited managerial styles that allow for personal and professional growth, open communication among team members and appreciation for a job well done as reasons why they think their workplace is the best. In fact, several employees specifically stated they’d prefer those types of culture elements over free snacks or inter-office games hands down. And while experts often stress that pay isn’t a deciding factor in where people work, the one comment employees most often offered when asked what their employer could do to improve was - better pay.

Following are the winners of this year’s top 50 employers in the Dakotas and western Minnesota. Companies were selected based on employee satisfaction surveys submitted voluntarily by employees throughout the region. Survey comments were reviewed by Prairie Business staff and consideration was given to the number of surveys submitted for each company. Companies were divided into large (100 or more employees) and small (99 or fewer) categories.

Digi-Key Electronics

Headquarters: Thief River Falls, Minn.

Employees: 3,100+

Description: Digi-Key is one of the fastest growing distributors of electronic components in the world. Since its founding in 1972, Digi-Key has been committed to offering the broadest selection of in-stock electronic components, as well as providing the best service possible to its customers, aiding engineers through the entire design process, from prototype to production.

Website: digikey.com

At Digi-Key Electronics, a number of programs lay the groundwork for employee involvement and philanthropy, while helping to maintain a small company atmosphere at the large, continually expanding company, says Rick Trontvet, vice president of administration and human relations.

“We want to make sure our employees are trained as well as possible for the jobs they perform,” he says. Employees can take part in Digi-Key University, which is held through Northland Community & Technical College in Thief River Falls, and scholarship programs are also offered. All open positions are posted internally first to give current employees the chance to continue moving up or into a position more suited to their interests. “We want to make them want to stay,” Trontvet says.

In addition to empowering its employees through education, Digi-Key also focuses on giving its employees the chance to make changes within the company. Trontvet says the company is focused on continuous improvement with several newer programs. One of them invites employees to suggest ideas for improvement, while another brings in a consultant who meets with employees. “We’re learning how well we’re engaging with our employees and how we can make our processes better,” Trontvet says. “We’re putting the power back in employees’ hands.”

The Digi-Key Cares program, which was started in 2011, encourages employees to give back locally. More than $90,000 was raised and 3,500 volunteer hours were logged in 2014, as employees gave back to five Thief River Falls charities. Digi-Key President and CEO Dave Doherty says that philanthropy has become part of the company’s DNA and is almost entirely employee-driven.

Doherty says the challenge now is maintaining the company culture that its employees have worked hard to build. “It’s not perfect, and we’re always striving to be better. The goal is to keep that small company feel and continue to empower our employees.”

PRAIRIE

BUSINESS MAGAZINE

NAMED US ONE OF THE REGION’S 50 TOP PLACES TO WORK.

WE THINK YOU’LL NAME US #1.

To learn more, or to apply, visit gatecitybank.com.

Arvig Enterprises, Inc.

Headquarters: Perham, Minn.

Employees: 700+

Description: Established in 1950, Arvig has grown from a small, family-owned telephone company into one of the largest independent telecommunications and broadband providers in the nation. Today, Arvig’s diverse product portfolio includes broadband and broadband-related services, traditional and managed voice services, hosted PBX, security systems and home automation, television service, construction and digital media services

Website: arvig.com; arvigbusiness.com

In 2012, Arvig took a vested interest in becoming the best possible place to work. The company hired the Disney Institute to come in and show the process of helping its leaders learn to lead better. Out of that grew the Arvig Advantage, which consists of teams of employees who lead the company in different areas, such as communication and improvement.

Arvig also stepped up its investment in its employees, by putting in workout rooms at some locations, encouraging employees to walk on their breaks and rolling out a wellness program that includes incentives for participating. Arvig also has an employee stock ownership program, which gives its employees a stake in the company. “We care about our people, and we want them to stay with us for a long time,” CEO David Arvig says.

The company also focuses on giving back to the communities it is located in, budgeting about 5 percent of its net income to donate to local charities in those communities. The company also pays employees’ dues for service organizations and doesn’t require them to use vacation time for those organizations’ meetings and events. Employees are also encouraged to work as volunteer firefighters and police officers, which they aren’t required to use vacation time for either.

Arvig says the company constantly reviews what it learned in 2012 and evaluates where it is currently. “It all goes back to the culture change. We go back and re-evaluate frequently to see how we’re doing, and are constantly improving. We want to be the best place to work in this region.”

First International Bank & Trust

Headquarters: Watford City, N.D.

Employees: 525

Description: First International Bank & Trust has been banking locally and responsibly for more than 100 years with 24 locations across North Dakota, Minnesota and Arizona. As a full-service financial institution, it’s a one-stop shop for all of its customers’ banking needs. Website: firstintlbank.com

At First International Bank & Trust, each branch is considered a community bank, where the employees know and participate actively in their communities. As part of that, First International has created an environment where employees are easily able to participate in service organizations and attend their children’s daytime events, CEO Steve Stenehjem says.

First International pays for its employees’ memberships in service organizations and allows them to attend those organizations’ meetings and other community service events without having to use vacation time. The bank itself sets the first example of community service by giving back to the communities it has locations in. For example, Stenehjem says in Watford City, where the bank is headquartered, First International led the way in fundraising for a new hospital.

In addition to charitable giving, First International works hard to continue being a place where people want to work. Stenehjem says the bank continually re-evaluates its employee benefits, including funeral and maternity leave and vacation days. “We do our best to work with our employees. We try to offer flexibility so parents can go to their children’s events that are held during the day, so they don’t have to make the decision of work over their children.”

Stenehjem says the culture at First International is built by every employee. “Our two greatest strengths are communication and leading by example. We encourage management to lead how they think will work best for their branch while inspiring their employees to provide the best service possible.” As a continually growing and financially stable organization, Stenehjem says the company has tried to leverage those characteristics to become a place where people want to work. “It’s helpful when a business has success. People like to work for places that have a good future, so we’ve tried to use that to our advantage.”

Border States Electric

EAPC Architects Engineers

Headquarters: Fargo, N.D.

Employees: 2,000+

Description: Border States supplies products and services to construction, industrial and utility customers. Our 100 percent employee-owned company is the eighth largest electrical distributor in the U.S., as rated by “Electrical Wholesaling” magazine, with more than 2,000 employees and 81 branches in 16 states.

Website: borderstates.com

Fisher Industries

Headquarters: Dickinson, N.D.

Employees: 1,100

Description: Fisher Industries serves all aspects of the aggregate processing industry, from the design and fabrication of aggregate equipment to processing and end use of aggregate materials. The Fisher Industries portfolio currently includes concrete, asphalt, drilling, blasting and paving services, along with selling various aggregate products, but the foundation and heartbeat of Fisher Industries has been, and will always be, mining aggregate materials.

Website: fisherind.com

Headquarters: Grand Forks, N.D.

Employees: 150

Description: EAPC is a multi-discipline design consulting firm that helps to prepare its clients for the future. Their design solutions result from a collaborative process that encourages multi-disciplinary professional teams to research alternatives, share knowledge and imagine new ways to solve the challenges of the built environment. For over 48 years, EAPC’s experts in strategic practice areas have created design solutions that bring great value to their clients across North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, Colorado, Vermont and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Website: eapc.net

Gate City Bank

Headquarters: Fargo, N.D.

Employees: 525

Description: At Gate City Bank, community, commitment and a better way of life are more than just words; they are actions which bring the bank’s mission to life. With deep roots in North Dakota since 1923, it’s been a privilege serving the state’s communities. Everything the bank does, through all the products and services offered, is designed to meet the individualized needs that combine the values of a traditional hometown bank with the strength and resources of the 21st century. Gate City’s tradition is to be the bank of choice, an employer of choice with employees of choice.

Website: gatecitybank.com

Houston Engineering Inc.

Headquarters: Fargo, N.D.

Employees: 172

Description: In 1968, George Houston began Houston Engineering Inc. as a small civil engineering and surveying firm with fewer than 10 employees. Now, headquartered in north Fargo just a few blocks from where it began, HEI employs nearly 180 professionals in offices across North Dakota and Minnesota. Local and national clients alike seek HEI’s creative and lasting solutions in the areas of water resources, environmental issues, water supply, municipal, transportation, surveying, land and site development, waste management, urban planning and GIS.

Website: houstoneng.com

Headquarters: Fargo, N.D.

Employees: 127

Description: Intelligent InSites develops operational intelligence software for health care that improves care, enhances the human experience and increases efficiency. By automating manual processes and eliminating wait times, Intelligent InSites is reinventing how health care systems operate.

Website: intelligentinsites.com

BUILDING A STRONGER COMMUNITY SINCE 1976

Mortenson Construction is a family-owned organization built on strong values and a commitment to making a di erence in our communities. With a presence in North Dakota for the past 39 years, we are honored to be recognized as one of the 50 Best Places to Work

did.

“Your online magazine is stellar.”

- Mike Hammerberg, retired Cooperstown, N.D., educator.

Headquarters: Grand Forks, N.D.

Employees: 107

Description: JLG is a 100 percent employee-owned full-service architecture firm, founded in Grand Forks in 1989 by Lonnie Laffen and Gary Johnson. Today, the firm has grown to nine offices with over 100 employees, and has been named one of the top architecture firms in the United States, one of the fastest growing architecture firms in North America and a best place to work, by numerous different magazines and organizations.

Website: jlgarchitects.com

John Deere Electronic Solutions Inc.

Headquarters: Fargo, N.D.

Employees: 1,000

Description: John Deere Electronic Solutions is a principal global provider of high-value electronic solutions for use in harsh physical and electrical environments. JDES is dedicated to meeting its customers’ needs through innovative technologies, unsurpassed engineering design capabilities and comprehensive support services. As a supporting business of John Deere, JDES strengthens Deere’s global business by developing and/or partnering for solutions that provide reliable and rugged electronic components and systems that function under the most extreme conditions. These components and systems provide differentiating advanced technologies for Deere equipment, which increase the end customers’ productivity. To enhance innovation, expertise and competitiveness, JDES also provides custom and off-the-shelf electronics and power electronics for original equipment manufacturers worldwide.

Website: johndeere.com/jdes

Headquarters: Bismarck, N.D.

Employees: 750

Description: Since 1938, KLJ has provided engineering and planning solutions for local, regional and national infrastructure projects. The company provides knowledgeable, experienced support for engineering, planning and surveying projects of all sizes in a variety of market sectors. As an employee-owned firm with a focus on innovation and hard work, KLJ helps clients succeed by developing lasting infrastructure that responds to the social, civic and economic needs of communities. KLJ currently has 24 office locations spanning six states -- North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming and Florida.

Website: kljeng.com

Lloyd Companies

Headquarters: Sioux Falls, S.D.

Employees: 170

Description: Founded in 1972 by Craig and Pat Lloyd, Lloyd Companies is a family-owned, community-oriented business which has evolved from a single apartment property to a collection of real estate companies focused on promoting well-maintained and profitable investments for our clients. Its specialized divisions -- development, construction, commercial real estate, property management and residential real estate -- lead the way with flexible and creative solutions designed to get the job done.

Website: lloydcompanies.com

Kupper Automotive

Headquarters: Mandan, N.D.

Employees: 312

Description: Kupper Automotive is a best-price dealership group with four locations in Bismarck and Mandan, N.D. Owned and operated by Bob Kupper, the company’s goal is to be an industry leader in providing unmatched quality automotive products and services. Kupper Automotive offers six new vehicle franchises including Chevrolet and Subaru under the Kupper namesake and Honda, Nissan, Hyundai and Volkswagen under Bismarck Motor Company. Each facility operates as a standalone dealership, offering large selections of new, used and certified preowned vehicles, each with parts, service, quick lube and accessory departments. Kupper Automotive also operates a standalone body shop facility in Mandan.

Website: kupperautomotive.com

Marco Inc.

Headquarters: St. Cloud, Minn.

Employees: 900

Description: Marco is a leading technology services company that specializes in business IT services, hosted/cloud services, managed services, telecom carrier consulting services, copiers/printers/phone systems, document management and audio/video systems. Marco serves over 25,000 customers throughout the Upper Midwest and nationally with offices in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska.

Website: marconet.com

MetroPlains Management LLC

Midcontinent Communications

Employees: 1,300

Headquarters: Devils Lake, N.D.

Employees: 285

Description: MetroPlains Management is a property management firm managing multi-family and commercial real estate located in North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, Kansas and Oklahoma.

Description: Founded in 1931, Midcontinent Communications is the leading provider of Internet, cable TV, phone, home automation and advertising services in the Upper Midwest. More than 300,000 residential and business customers count on Midcontinent services in 335 communities in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. In September 2014, PCMag.com named Midcontinent the fastest Internet in the country. Midcontinent is investing in even more advanced gigabit Internet technology, which will be delivered to most customers by the end of 2017.

Website: metroplainsmanagement.com

Mortenson Construction

Website: midco.com

National Information Solutions Cooperative

Headquarters: Minneapolis, with a regional office in Fargo

Employees: 882

Description: Mortenson Construction is a family-owned organization built on strong values, family heritage and a commitment to making a difference in the communities in which we work. Established in 1954, it has built a reputation for being a solid and progressive company and a trustworthy leader in the construction industry. The firm operates as a diverse construction organization, involved in a wide variety of project types including health care, higher education, sports, renewable energy, cultural/public, corporate and hospitality.

Website: mortenson.com/north-dakota

Headquarters: Mandan, N.D.

Employees: 1,000+

Description: NISC is an information technology cooperative that delivers advanced solutions, services and support to more than 750 rural utilities and independent telephone companies in 49 states, American Samoa, Palau and Canada.

Website: nisc.coop

North Dakota Guaranty & Title Co.

RDO Equipment Co.

Headquarters: Bismarck, N.D.

Employees: 133

Description: Founded in 1955, North Dakota Guaranty & Title Co. provides complete residential and commercial land title and real estate closing services across North Dakota and into western Minnesota. Dubbed “The Title Team” -- the company boasts experienced professionals offering the most comprehensive land title services in the region. NDGT is comprised of 13 offices located in North Dakota and Minnesota.

Website: thetitleteam.com

Schuneman Equipment Co.

Headquarters: Fargo, N.D.

Employees: 2,457

Description: Founded in 1968, RDO Equipment Co. sells and supports agriculture, environmental, positioning, surveying and irrigation equipment from manufacturers including John Deere, Vermeer and Topcon. With more than 75 locations across the United States, including partnerships in Russia, Ukraine and Australia, RDO Equipment Co. is a total solutions provider.

Website: rdoequipment.com

Steffes Corporation

Headquarters: Dickinson, N.D.

Employees: 320

Headquarters: Milbank, S.D.

Employees: 190

Description: Schuneman Equipment is a family-owned, authorized John Deere dealership with six stores in South Dakota and Minnesota. The company offers sales, service and parts for a variety of agriculture, lawn and garden and home workshop products, including John Deere, STIHL, New Leader, Brent, Unverferth, Kuhn/Knight, Frontier, Summers, Top Air, J&M, Wishek, Meyer, Gates, Degelman and Notch.

Website: schunemanequipment.com

Description: Steffes Corporation began in the 1940s as a small manufacturing operation and grew into a steel fabrication business, manufacturing replacement snowmobile skis, hopper-bottom storage bins, furniture frames and a variety of custom-designed equipment. In 2007, Steffes entered the oil and gas industry, starting in the Bakken Shale formation, and quickly became a leading manufacturer. Steffes provides manufactured products and technical services in areas such as flare systems, automation and control systems, treater and separator systems, steel berms, walkways, staircases, cattle guards, berm walkovers and various other accessories.

Website: steffes.com

WCCO Belting Inc.

3M Brookings

Headquarters: Wahpeton, N.D.

Employees: 200

Description: WCCO Belting, a family-owned business and nationally recognized exporter, manufactures custom rubber products for every major agricultural equipment manufacturer in the world. Known for its high-quality belting, WCCO’s dominance in the agricultural market has led to growth in the industrial industry and the company continues to expand after 60 years in business.

Website: wccobelt.com

Headquarters: Brookings, SD

Employees: 1,000

Description: 3M Brookings is the first and largest manufacturing plant supporting 3M’s worldwide health care business. For more than 44 years, the facility has applied 3M science to produce complex medical dressings and tapes, surgical drapes, biological indicators and food safety products. The plant currently produces more than 1,700 different products.

Website: 3m.com

Midwest Bank

Headquarters: Detroit Lakes, Minn.

Employees: 85

Description: Midwest Bank is a locally owned, independent bank with offices throughout west-central Minnesota. Since being founded in 1998, its rapid growth has allowed the bank to develop the financial and technological resources to meet the needs of small and large customers, while its independent status and top-notch customer service has helped to maintain a quality banking atmosphere customers appreciate.

Website: midwestbank.net

With success comes growth, and Midwest Bank is indeed growing. The locally owned, independent bank has a current asset size of $360 million, up from $60 million when it opened in 1998, and has grown from a handful of employees at its Detroit Lakes, Minn., headquarters to 80 staffers at seven locations throughout Minnesota Lakes Country.

President Steve Daggett credits all of that success to the bank’s employees. “No one has ever banked with us because [we have] a cool sign or they like our building,” he says. “People bank with people.”

Midwest Bank has taken steps to ensure its employees stay happy and stay working there, chief among them being financial rewards. The bank offers a profit-sharing program as well as cash bonuses for stellar financial performance. It also emphasizes internal promotions and encourages employees to pursue training that will allow them to advance through the ranks. “I think people like that if they prove themselves and want to advance their careers they’re going to get opportunities to progress,” Daggett says.

The bank’s leadership also enables staff to answer questions and make decisions without running everything up the ladder, which results in happier employees and better customer service, he says.

The bank’s efforts certainly seem to be working. In the last 17 years, Daggett can remember only four loan officers who have left the bank. “I think it’s a combination of all those things that makes the culture great,” he says. “I’m not saying we’ve got utopia because of course we have days that can get quite stressful, but when you look at it from a global basis we have a group of employees that really have great attitudes and I think part of that at least is a function of the culture.”

Epicosity

Headquarters: Sioux Falls, S.D.

Employees: 18

Description: Founded in 2008 as Epic Multimedia and rebranded as Epicosity in 2013 the agency has grown from a local video production firm to a full-service international agency with clients in 22 states and three countries (and counting) in just a few years. The firm’s team is a tight group of creative, idea people who can execute client-driven work nimbly and effectively. Blending traditional services with a strong digital footprint for brands with purpose, the firm excels at creative development, digital strategy, video production, website development, public relations and media buying and planning.

Website: epicosity.com

Craft Beer Fridays and daily games of PIG around the office basketball hoop are just two of the ways Epicosity is interjecting fun and camaraderie into its office environment. Since launching the firm a few years ago, partners Eric Sivertsen and Justin Smorawske openly admit they’ve kept a low profile locally. Meanwhile, they’ve captured an international client base and carefully amassed a team of professionals who fit the company’s culture ideals and contribute immense talent to the company. They’ve done so well that the company earned a rank on the Inc. 5000 list this year. It has also outgrown its current office space and will soon move into a newly renovated 10,000-square-foot space in downtown Sioux Falls, complete with a miniature golf course and a built-in bar to take Craft Beer Fridays to the next level. Smorawske says perks like the bar are an attempt to show they’re willing to make investments in creating a space where employees enjoy spending their time. It also illustrates the leaderships’ commitment to openness and teamwork.

“It’s not our way or the highway,” Smorawske says. “You really have 18 leaders on our team who own their own success.”

Team spirit and communication is prized by staff and ownership alike at Epicosity, which Sivertsen says outweighs any of the other perks. “As much as the fun things are important, I think what employees really want to know is - what does success look like for the organization as whole and what does it look like for me,” he says. As the company continues to grow its culture will continue to evolve, but Sivertsen and Smorawske intend for employees to have a hand in shaping those changes. After all, better teamwork leads to better collaboration, which is the ultimate goal in creating a successful company culture in the first place.

Nexus Innovations Inc.

Headquarters: Bismarck, N.D.

Employees: 16

Description: A strategic technology consulting firm, Nexus Innovations delivers tailored solutions that are designed, built and deployed with the finest methodologies, technologies and professionals in the industry. A Microsoft Certified Partner, the company has emerged as one of the leading strategic IT consulting firms in the region not just because it delivers an outstanding product, but because of the people who work there. The team is highly proficient and certified across a variety of technologies, consulting disciplines and project management strategies, and the company considers employees its No. 1 asset. Website: nexusinnovations.com

Lorie Pope, co-owner and executive vice president of Nexus Innovations, gets almost giddy with excitement when she talks about the importance of company culture. Her passion for culture began a few years ago when Nexus began developing its own culture plan, using material from The Table Group, Patrick Lencioni’s leadership and management teachings, as guidance. She’s since become such a proponent of developing and implementing a culture strategy that she has become a certified John Maxwell coach, earned additional certification in team behavior, and offers culture consultancy services through the company.

“People don’t understand how much culture is the rudder that steers the big ship and will get you the results that you want,” she says. “Culture is that foundational piece that provides the platform to execute a successful strategy for business.”

Nexus Innovations implements a culture plan which includes behavioral values and rules of engagement so that employees know exactly what is expected of them. Paramount to those rules is the commitment to open communication. Pope says everyone is encouraged to share their opinion, even if it is a negative comment, and leadership is taught to value every employee’s thoughts. The result is an environment that is fun, comfortable and collaborative, which carries over into customer relations and ultimately positively impacts the bottom line.

Pope says building great relationships is at the heart of the company’s philosophy, and while the company still provides fun perks like free snacks and sodas and company get-aways, an open line of communication trumps any other culture offering out there. “You can have the latest and greatest in decorating and ping-pong tables and all that, but that’s not going to do it,” she says. “People have to know they’re valued and they have a voice.”

Ackerman-Estvold

All-Terrain Grounds Maintenance Inc.

Headquarters: Minot, N.D.

Employees: 78

Description: A professional civil engineering and architectural consulting firm, Ackerman-Estvold serves clients in the areas of planning, design and construction services in both the public and private sectors throughout the upper Midwest. Offices are located in Minot and Williston, N.D.

Website: ackerman-estvold.com

Headquarters: Fargo, N.D.

Employees: 45

Description: All-Terrain Grounds Maintenance was established in 1999 by Ryan and Jennifer Such and is the largest full service lawn/snow company in the Fargo area. Its four company values are team, giving back, customer experience and being real.

Website: allterrainfargo.com

Applied Engineering Inc.

Blend Interactive

Headquarters: Bismarck, N.D.

Employees: 95

Description: Founded in Fargo in 1986, Applied Engineering is an employee-owned engineering and technology company that combines talent and technology to offer custom solutions to customers’ unique challenges. In addition to engineering and manufacturing consulting services, the company offers IT and customer programming services, large-format digital printing, and sells and supports design and manufacturing software.

Website: go-applied.com

Bismarck Aero Center

Headquarters: Sioux Falls, S.D.

Employees: 22

Description: Since 2005, this content, design and development shop has helped institutions and agencies with complicated web problems, from implementing dynamic content for banner ads to major content management system installs and migrations. The team is content-focused, future-friendly and process-driven.

Website: blendinteractive.com

Click Rain

Headquarters: Bismarck, N.D.

Employees: 45

Description: For 25 years, family-owned Bismarck Aero Center has been a one-stop destination for aviation needs, offering 24/7 aircraft fueling and topnotch flight instruction, pilot services, aircraft rental and charter brokerage. After the completion of the company’s newest hangar, Bismarck Aero Center will have eight aircraft hangars and two offices on the Bismarck Airport. Sister company Mandan Aero Center adds two more aircraft hangars and an office at the Mandan Airport. The company’s strong commitment to its employees, customers and community helps it continue to grow and stay successful.

Website: bismarckaero.com

Headquarters: Sioux Falls, S.D.

Employees: 30

Description: Online marketing firm Click Rain provides expertise in web design and development services, online marketing and digital video, as well as public speaking and consulting services to more than 100 clients in 25 states. Clients range from hospitality management companies and health care systems to colleges and manufacturers. Click Rain has been recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest growing companies in the United States two years in a row and was the 2015 recipient of the EmBe EmBeliever Award.

Website: clickrain.com

DFC Consultants Ltd.

H2M

Headquarters: Fargo, N.D.

Employees: 18

Description: DFC Consultants offers sales, implementation and support of Microsoft Dynamics GP, Dynamics CRM and Office 365. As a Wennsoft Executive Partner, DFC also specializes in assisting companies with job cost and field service solutions. DFC Property Management, a software solution that integrates with Microsoft Dynamics GP, allows Native American Housing Authorities to track tenants, work orders, wait lists and rent programs. Along with providing software solutions for small- to medium-sized businesses, DFC offers accounting services, website design and implementation, custom programming and DFC Cloud. Website: DFCconsultants.com

Headquarters: Fargo, N.D.

Employees: 16

Description: A full-service marketing agency well-known for having some of the most unique advertising on display, H2M is also steeped in developing strong, objective-based marketing strategies that deliver results while always providing proof of performance. The firm’s work can be seen throughout the region and includes clients like Essentia Health, Lund Boats and Vogel Law Firm.

Website: h2m.biz

High Point Networks

Headquarters: West Fargo, N.D.

Employees: 62

Description: As a value-added reseller of IT, providing solutions to both the SMB and enterprise-level markets in the upper Midwest, High Point Networks offers best-in-class solutions in the areas of infrastructure, unified communications, data center and security. The company employs the best professional services team in the region who solve real challenges and provide measurable ROI.

Website: highpointnetworks.com

ICON Architectural Group

Headquarters: Grand Forks, N.D.

Employees: 48

Description: One of the premier architectural and engineering firms in the upper Midwest, ICON works closely with its clients to deliver successful designs while creating value for the owner. The firm’s portfolio includes education, municipal, sports and recreation, commercial, hospitality and master planning. The firm is also partnering with unmanned aerial systems (UAS) industry leaders to help make North Dakota the place to do business for the rapidly expanding global UAS market.

Website: iconarchitects.com

Karvakko Engineering

Liberty Business Systems Inc.

Headquarters: Bemidji, Minn.

Employees: 25

Description: Established in 2006, Karvakko Engineering was founded on the principles of integrity and communication and strives to maintain a level of professional fun throughout its offices. Clients and employees mold the company culture and the energetic staff makes every effort to provide extraordinary services while maintaining the utmost professional experience, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life now and into the future through innovative solutions and fresh ideas.

Website: karvakko.com

Midwest Fire Equipment & Repair Co.

Headquarters: Luverne, Minn.

Employees: 22

Description: A woman-owned business, Midwest Fire designs and manufactures high-quality, multi-purpose, customized, cost-effective fire trucks. To date, the company has delivered more than 700 trucks throughout North America. Midwest Fire employs a small team of skilled, loyal professionals who are committed to producing highly reliable, durable, functional, innovative and safe fire trucks. The company’s core values set the course for how the team works and achieves high quality results. Those values are: expertise and knowledge; passion and positive attitude; teamwork and fun; flexibility and responsiveness; customer-focused products and solutions, and quality, continuous improvement and safety.

Website: midwestfire.com

Headquarters: Fargo, N.D.

Employees: 55

Description: Since being founded in Fargo in 1986, Liberty Business Systems has grown to include offices in Fargo, Grand Forks, Bismarck and Minot, N.D., and Fergus Falls, Minn. Proud to be locally owned, the company believes its growth and success is a result of the world-class service and commitment it offers to all clients.

Website: libertybusiness.com

Network Center Inc.

Headquarters: Fargo, N.D.

Employees: 57

Description: Since 1986, Network Center has been providing technology solutions and support across the Midwest for virtualization, VoIP-communications, mobility, disaster recovery, cloud computing, network infrastructure, 24x7 help desk, website development and more. The company’s mission is to deliver proactive technology solutions and support that ensure customers achieve the highest level of business success.

Website: netcenter.net

Norby’s Work Perks

Odney

Headquarters: Grand Forks, N.D.

Employees: 20

Description: From initial contact to installation, Norby’s Work Perks is a service-based company, providing a single-source solution for all interior design and office furnishing needs.

Website: norbys.comv

Headquarters: Bismarck, N.D.

Employees: 49

Description: Odney is in the business of persuasion. The full-service agency offers marketing, advertising, public relations and government relations services, creative design, research, interactive services, media placement and digital strategy services. Offices are lcoated in Bismarck, Minot and Fargo, N.D., and Couer d’Alene, Idaho.

Website: odney.com

Where Possibility, Experience and Technology Meet

Posi Lock Puller Inc.

Preference Personnel

Headquarters: Cooperstown, N.D.

Employees: 45

Description: Established in 1974, Posi Lock Puller is known throughout the world as being reputable, hard-working and dedicated to the quality of its innovative products and services. Posi Lock recognizes its 45 employees not just as valuable assets, but as an integral component of the company’s global success. Without them, Posi Lock couldn’t maintain its exceptional customer service or exceptional products.

Website: posilock.com

RealTruck Inc.

Headquarters: Jamestown, N.D.

Employees: 90

Description: An online retailer of aftermarket pickup truck accessories, the company’s humble beginnings date back to the late 1990s, when Scott Bintz began selling items from his duplex basement in Spokane, Wash. Since then, the company relocated to Jamestown, N.D., added a satellite office in Fargo and has been included on the Inc. 5000 list for the past three consecutive years. Driven by a set of principles that include “take risks,” “include fun” and “be humble,” the company’s mission is to improve people’s lives and their vehicles.

Website: realtruck.com

Headquarters: Fargo, N.D.

Employees: 16

Description: This employee-owned employment firm offers businesses access to great talent, speeding up their time-to-hire and reducing their hiring risk with help from experienced staffing consultants. Customized service plans, employment law certifications and niched staffing consultants add extra value for employers. Job seekers enjoy free assistance, confidential career searches and exposure to reputable employers.

Website: preferencepersonnel.com

Spectrum Aeromed

Headquarters: Fargo, N.D.

Employees: 34

Description: Founded in 1991, Spectrum Aeromed operates in a 17,000 square-foot stateof-the-art facility at Hector International Airport.

Spectrum Aeromed has designed and developed air ambulance medical interiors for hospital programs, military branches around the world, multi-mission charters and private operators, as well as custom VIP emergency medical interior suites for executive aircraft and heads of state.

Website: spectrum-aeromed.com

Stoneridge Software

Strider Sports International Inc.

Headquarters: Barnesville, Minn.

Employees: 46

Description: A Microsoft partner, Stoneridge Software sells, implements and services Dynamics AX and NAV accounting software for mid-market and large businesses. The company has broad expertise in business technology solutions, from development to finance and project, manufacturing, supply chain, and system and project management.

Website: stoneridgesoftware.com

Headquarters: Rapid City, S.D.

Employees: 34

Description: Founded in 2007, Strider Sports designs no-pedal balance bikes, simplifying the bicycle to its essence to eliminate any fear of riding and instill confidence in young riders. The company is filled with passionate riders of dirt, mountain, street and road bikes who have helped grow the brand to include riding events and competitions that attract participants from around the world.

Website: striderbikes.com

Sioux Falls takes a dive

City’s first indoor aquatic center to open next fall

BY KAYLA PRASEK

When the Midco Aquatic Center opens in Sioux Falls, S.D., in fall 2016, it will mark the opening of the first public indoor swimming pool in the city. In spring 2014, Sioux Falls residents voted against replacing the old outdoor pool at Spellerberg Park in favor of an indoor pool in the same location that wouldn’t put the city in more debt.

“The city did a survey a few years ago, and the citizens said an indoor aquatic center should be the top priority,” says Sean Ervin, senior architect at Sioux Falls-based TSP Inc. and lead architect for the Midco Aquatic Center project. “It’s unique that a city our size doesn’t already have a public indoor aquatic center, so this project will really fill that need.”

In a 2011 survey, 60 percent of citizens said Sioux Falls needed an indoor pool and 70 percent of voters rejected a petition-led plan to build a new outdoor facility at Spellerberg in 2014. The city is

building the entire $20 million project without loans or tax raises, instead relying on private sponsors, surplus sales tax revenue and Capital Improvement Plan funds. Construction on the project, which is being led by Sioux Falls Construction, started in April.

The goal of the city and TSP was to design an aquatic center every citizen could use. Within the 61,000-square-foot facility, there are three bodies of water - a 50-meter competition pool, a zero-depth entry recreation pool and a therapy pool. The competition pool will be used for programming, swim meets, lap swimming and swim team practices. The pool will also have a pair of bulkheads, which can be used to split the pool into two separate areas if necessary, and two three-meter diving boards and two one-meter diving boards. There will be seating for 500 above the pool in a mezzanine level. “Because events such as swim meets or synchronized swimming shows could be held there, spectators will be

A rendering of the exterior of the Midco Aquatic Center in Sioux Falls, S.D. The $20 million project will be the city’s first public indoor swimming pool and will open in fall 2016. IMAGE: TSP

A rendering of the interior of the Midco Aquatic Center in Sioux Falls, S.D. IMAGE: TSP

able to look over the pool and watch everything going on down there,” Ervin says.

The recreation pool will feature zero-depth entry, a lazy river, a slide which will drop into a plunge pool, additional lap swimming lanes and numerous play features, particularly in the zero-depth area. “We tried to put in multiple venues for lap swimming,” Ervin says. “Even if the competition pool is closed to the public, we retain public lap swimming at all times, which is something we’ve seen support for in the past. The extra lanes can also be used as warm up and cool down lanes during swim meets.”

The therapy pool, which will have warmer water than the other two pools, will be available for those who feel ongoing water therapy is helpful for their health, Ervin says. “Most therapy pools are at health care facilities and require a doctor’s prescription for use, so putting a therapy pool in isn’t that typical in an aquatic center. If you need to loosen up your joints a little or have a child who could benefit, then we want you to come use this pool. Its purpose is to promote a healthy lifestyle.”

The aquatic center will also have men’s, women’s and family locker rooms, as well as a multipurpose room available for event rental. The front lobby will have concessions and an office area. As part of the construction, Spellerberg Park itself will also receive a facelift, making it more accessible to users.

Additionally, in June, the city of Sioux Falls announced Midcontinent Communications would be the naming rights title sponsor for the aquatic center. “We’re excited to see this indoor aquatic center finally be built,” says Tom Simmons, senior vice president of public policy at Midcontinent Communications. “Voters had been promised the city wouldn’t see increased debt because of this project, and we’re excited the city can continue to move forward.”

Simmons says Midcontinent strives to be a community-minded organization, which is where projects like the aquatic center fit in. “This project was very attractive to us. It’s in the center of the city and is important to the people. It’s been designed for the people and will be the year-round facility this city needs.” PB

Kayla Prasek Staff Writer Prairie Business

701-780-1187, kprasek@prairiebizmag.com

Live, Work, Play ... Park

Downtown developers devise mixed-use plans with parking in mind

BY KAYLA PRASEK

When the city of Sioux Falls announced this spring it had plans to build a new parking ramp in downtown Sioux Falls and it wanted local developers to partner with the city to create a mixed-use development around the ramp, the city was stepping into a concept generally seen in larger cities. The trend, however, has spread to both Sioux Falls and Bismarck with recent project announcements.

The Banks

In Sioux Falls, the city has known it needs another parking ramp downtown to help spur continued downtown development and alleviate parking needs for some time, says Darrin Smith, director of community development for the city of Sioux Falls. “We didn’t want to build just a generic parking ramp. We felt Sioux Falls was ready for mixed-use development.”

The city opened up for bids from local developers, and ended up choosing the project dubbed “The Banks,” designed by Bender Midwest Development, U.S. Hotel & Resort Management and Minnehaha Properties, all based in Sioux Falls. The project will consist of a 600-plus-space public parking facility with underground parking and a green roof that integrates with an 80-unit upscale boutique hotel and a 45-plusunit apartment project. The development will also include a first-class restaurant and potential space for retail and/or office uses. The project, which is expected to cost $40 million, is on track to break ground in spring 2016.

“This project will be the first of its kind downtown,” Smith says. “We expect it to be the impetus for more mixed-use projects. We’re also adding a significant amount of public parking to support continued downtown development.”

A rendering of The Banks, which will be located in downtown Sioux Falls, S.D. The $40 million project is expected to break ground in the spring. IMAGE:

-Doug and Sandy Norby

Tom Biegler, president and CEO of The Ramkota Companies/ Regency Hotel Management, says its parent company, U.S. Hotel & Resort Management, wants to have a presence in downtown Sioux Falls and has considered locations there since 2007, but nothing was quite right until now. “There isn’t another location we would entertain at this time,” Biegler says. “We want to be in downtown Sioux Falls for a long time. Fargo has done it, and Bismarck is working on it. It’s time for us to do it.”

Michael Crane, president of Bender Midwest Development, says the overarching goal of the project is to attract young professionals to Sioux Falls. “They want to live downtown and have all of their amenities right there, and this project is the first step in that direction. You only get so many chances to develop an area like downtown, so this is our opportunity to make a change and enhance the viability of downtown for years to come.”

Biegler says the core of most cities took a hit with the development of shopping malls, but those downtown areas are now the areas developers see the most potential in for compact growth. “This will be the most vibrant project in downtown Sioux Falls at this time,” he says. “We hope it will spur more development and will help downtown strive to what it can become.”

FiveSouth

In Bismarck, the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce and Bismarck-Mandan Development Association put together a

strategic plan a year and a half ago that identified the need to attract young talent to the city. The city of Bismarck then called for a study of its downtown area and identified items that could be game changers for the city. The potential of downtown Bismarck interested Don Cardon, CEO of Cardon Development Group, a Phoenix, Ariz.-based company.

“I had been looking for projects, and Gov. Jack Dalrymple told me about the needs in Bismarck,” Cardon says. “That led to meetings with Bismarck Industries and the chamber of commerce and found they were endeavoring to do a downtown project.” Cardon previously led the creation of CityScape, a mixed-use project in downtown Phoenix in which the private sector takes the front-end risk and asks the public sector to take on a minor role. As Bruce Whittey, president of Bismarck Futures and board member of Bismarck Industries, says, Bismarck Industries liked what Cardon proposed and Bismarck Futures, which is the funding source for the privately funded project, was formed.

The project, called FiveSouth, would include a 200- to 250room, seven- to eight-story hotel with rooftop and ground floor restaurants, 90 to 95 units of affordable housing with ground floor retail, nearly 200 units of market rate housing with ground floor retail and a mixed-use office building, along with two parking garages, street level parking and extensive green space. The project, expected to cost $150 million, was recently granted approval by the

A rendering looking down onto the green roof of the parking structure of The Banks in Sioux Falls, S.D. IMAGE: PERSPECTIVE

Bismarck City Commission to draft a development agreement. Bismarck Futures put together the money to fund all of the studies that go with the project and is providing the seed money, but individual owners and developers are needed to see the project to completion, which the developers anticipate could take five years.

“FiveSouth may not be the answer to everything, but it should inspire other investment and development, while also helping existing businesses flourish,” Cardon says. “We have a lot of faith in its success.”

Downtown Parking

Smith says lack of parking hasn’t yet become a deterrent to development in downtown Sioux Falls, as there is still room for parking to support development. However, “we’re trying to stay ahead of the growth. If you get behind and then you build, the damage is already done.”

In Bismarck, there’s currently plenty of parking near the downtown area, but the FiveSouth project provides several parking solutions. Whittey says parking is always an issue and structured parking is expensive to build, which is why the vision for the project is to have several public and private parking structures in addition to street parking. “Any future development could have a very serious roadblock in front of it without these parking options,” he says.

In downtown Grand Forks, Brad Gengler, director of planning and community development for the city of Grand Forks, says there’s a perception that there isn’t enough parking. In reality, Gengler says, there’s still plenty of room in downtown parking structures. However, Ryan Brooks, deputy city planner for the city of Grand Forks, says any new development downtown would be required to have some type of parking structure.

The goal currently for Gengler and Brooks is to continue getting the word out that there’s still room in city-owned parking ramps and to install way-finding signs around downtown.

In Fargo, development company Kilbourne Group hasn’t faced any issues with lack of parking downtown, General Manager Mike Allmendinger says. “Parking has not stopped us from doing a project yet, but looking at future projects, parking will have to be part of it.”

Allmendinger says Kilbourne Group sees parking in downtown Fargo as infrastructure. “We believe in mixed-use structures and in locations that have apartments and offices nearby. We envision a mixed-use ramp with retail at street level to keep the sidewalk activated and housing on top of the parking structure.”

Continued Downtown Development

Smith says Sioux Falls has an interest in helping its downtown continue to be developed because “if the city doesn’t have a healthy core, there can be a negative effect on the city. We want to avoid that by being engaged with what’s happening downtown. I expect you will continue to see us invest in public-private partnerships to encourage that development.”

As Crane says, “strong communities have viable urban cores. We’ve seen a lot of development through the entirety of downtown Sioux Falls, but The Banks carries that development to another level.”

Cardon says downtown areas need to continue being developed in order to “activate the younger generation and keep them in the hometowns they were raised in. Younger professionals are creative and we’re seeing developers starting to make a move to fresh downtown urban renewals, but that needs to continue to be pursued.” Whittey says Bismarck has a “very active, growing downtown that, if developed in the right way, could bring the young talent we need.”

Bismarck’s downtown needs to continue developing because “an active downtown is a trademark for how people look at your city,” Whittey says. “It seems people want to live in a downtown environment. Mixed-use development is very important because you can live there, work nearby and have social interaction there. Young people want to do all those things in one confined area.”

In Grand Forks, there’s limited space for new construction downtown, so Gengler says there have been numerous rehabilitation projects. Brooks says the city is expecting a second wave of downtown development within the next several years, which could mean expanding what is considered the core of downtown. “We’re already working with developers to develop that fringe area of downtown,” Gengler says.

Gengler and Brooks say the biggest success they’ve seen from continued downtown development is in events that have been attracted to the downtown area. “As downtown has continued to be revitalized, more groups have come in and there’s more going on,” Gengler says. “As that activity keeps increasing, it encourages more businesses to establish themselves downtown because it’s the place to be and the place everyone goes.” PB

Kayla Prasek Staff Writer Prairie Business 701-780-1187, kprasek@prairiebizmag.com

A rendering of The Banks, which will be located in downtown Sioux Falls, S.D. The $40 million project is expected to break ground in the spring. IMAGE: PERSPECTIVE

Working Together

Collaborative spaces provide variety of opportunities for startups

BY KAYLA PRASEK

Within the last five years, northern Plains cities have seen more and more entrepreneurs take the leap and start their own businesses. While some of those businesses have grown to include a whole roster of employees, many still have just one employee and are based out of the founder’s home. In cities like Fargo and Bismarck, N.D., Willmar, Minn., and Sioux Falls, S.D., entrepreneurs have banded together to form co-working spaces.

These spaces are usually high-tech, open spaces with a variety of different work areas, conference rooms and offices, available for local entrepreneurs to have a real work space with low overhead and the ability to network with other entrepreneurs. The spaces operate on a subscription basis, usually with different levels of membership available.

Regional Spaces

WORKUP in Willmar is a “destination-style space,” says Betsy Bonnema, owner of REDStar Creative, which operates WORKUP. WORKUP is located in a historic building on the MinnWest Technology

1. The Prairie Den conference room is available to members for meetings and collaboration. PHOTO: EMERGING PRAIRIE

2. Start Bismarck’s co-working space will open to co-founders Sept. 1 and to the public Oct. 1. PHOTO: START BISMARCK

3.WORKUP is located on the MinnWest Technology Campus in Willmar, Minn. PHOTO: REDSTAR CREATIVE

4.Technology-based and design businesses are some of the top users of co-working spaces, like Willmar’s WORKUP. PHOTO: REDSTAR CREATIVE

Campus, in a building that hadn’t been used for 15 years. “We opened it up so it’s more conducive to co-working, but we also retained the historic architectural elements.”

Bonnema says REDStar has been in Willmar for 25 years and “has a history of being collaborative with our clients. We wanted to create a space so other people could have that environment.” Willmar’s Vision 2040 committee also identified co-working as a good way for Willmar to expand its economic growth. Already, WORKUP’s membership consists of a diverse cross-section of entrepreneurs, ranging from yoga instructors to digital media companies and other technology-related businesses. “We’re really looking to support startups,” Bonnema says.

In Fargo, Emerging Prairie recently opened the Prairie Den, a co-working space designed to look like a student union. Prairie Den has no dedicated desks; instead, open seating allows members to interact and feel welcome. “They can do work that matters while interacting,” says Annie Wood, director of community programs at Emerging Prairie. Prairie Den also acts as a meeting and event space for members.

Wood says Emerging Prairie wanted to create something the community could find value in when they decided to open Prairie Den. “We see it as a place to give people the chance to build their businesses. That community aspect is what makes co-working work. This is an opportunity to create a stronger community in Fargo for a lot of people who don’t have that community because of their type of work.”

The Bakery in Sioux Falls features a library that doubles as a quiet place to work, an open collaborative space, a classroom, a photo studio, three offices and a conference room, in addition to a gym, basketball

court and rooftop patio. “People come here for one of two reasons: to get away and hide or to collaborate and network,” says co-founder Brian Rand. “Here at The Bakery, we focus on three things - helping build businesses, education and community. We’ve really created a culture that is like a family.”

Members at The Bakery range from high school students to retirees, bringing in a wide range of people and talents. Many of The Bakery’s members don’t have businesses but want to be “part of this community of people doing bigger things,” Rand says. The Bakery is currently building a nonprofit called The Exchange, in which they’ve partnered with 27 university professors to teach classes. “We want to build a model where you are able to take courses here and leave with college credit.”

Start Bismarck’s co-working space is set to open to co-founders Sept. 1 and to the public Oct. 1. “The entrepreneurial community has really started thriving here in the past five years,” says Hannah Haynes, startup community director for Start Bismarck. “It’s really still in its beginning stages, so this is the next step. We have all these entrepreneurs, and our downtown needed a hub for those people to work.”

In Grand Forks, Evolve ND is a nonprofit working to bring a co-working space to the city. “In addition to giving life to ideas, the Evolve ND co-working space intends to create ideas,” says Evolve ND co-founder Brandon Baumbach. “The space will provide deliberate intra-industry connections, leading to innovation. The co-working space cross-pollinates between industries. These new intersections

of experience and expertise can lead to some interesting new products, events or programs.”

Grand Forks needs a co-working space because it would help foster and develop new industries by helping them plug into the local community, says Nick Jensen, who has been involved with bringing a co-working space to Grand Forks. “Grand Forks stands at a crossroads. Brand new industries, new ways of working and expanding horizons have combined to make this a time of great opportunity for Grand Forks, but this moment won’t wait and needs to be embraced by our entire community. We see a functional and active co-working space as one part to ensure Grand Forks can seize on this potential.”

A New Way to Work

As the younger generation enters the workforce, more workers are interested in a different culture than what’s offered in the corporate world. At the same time, more entrepreneurs want to have an office space but can’t afford the typical costs associated with one. “The workforce and culture of work is really changing,” Bonnema says. “People want to do meaningful work, so they are starting business, freelancing and working remotely. They have a desire to have inspiration around them, and co-working is the answer to that.”

The growth of co-working also goes back to people wanting to help others succeed. “Successful entrepreneurs share their ideas, experiences and tips with others in our space,” Wood says. “There’s no competition against each other. They just want to see each other succeed, which I really value.”

The way people can communicate in different environments has also helped co-working grow, Haynes says. “Co-working brings all these diverse people into one room where they can collaborate even though they’re all working in different fields. There really is a need for these types of spaces.”

When it comes to nurturing startups, Bonnema says co-working spaces can be very important because those spaces “support and accelerate the process. Our goal is to provide those startups the resources they need to get off the ground. They can connect quickly and efficiently to those resources, which can be time-consuming and expensive for a new business.” Some of those resources include giving a business owner trying to meet with a client a more formal place to meet, being able to plug into a network of other people and giving a sense of belonging in the business world, Wood says.

The need for immediate feedback makes co-working spaces vital for startups, Rand says. “If you have an idea, you can send it out to your network at the co-working space and they can respond immediately to let you know what they think. If you need something designed, you have probably five people right there who would be willing to do it. Everything can be handled right away within that community, which is highly important for new businesses.” PB

Kayla Prasek Staff Writer Prairie Business 701-780-1187, kprasek@prairiebizmag.com

Minot—North Dakota’s Gateway to the Bakken™.

Minot investment opportunities are smart, grounded, and proven.

That’s what happens when a city has added more than 10,000 residents in the last several years. And is home to 53 energy and oil companies with almost 3,000 employees—in a city where more than half the business community is affected by the oil industry.

Because of energy’s impact on Minot, we have more than $350 million slated for improvements to roads, our airport, water and sewer mains, the landfill, buildings, and more. There’s no better region in the nation to put your investments. As a city, we're doing our part to keep pace, and continued state investment feeds an economic engine.

To learn more on the amazing potential of Minot, please email madc@minotusa.com or call us at 1-701-852-1075 to sign up for our comprehensive e-newsletter to stay informed on all of our latest news.

One of the nation’s most promising investments isn’t a company, but a city.

New Minot International Airport Terminal

Home-court advantage

MHA Nation plans to ramp up wells on tribal land

BY KAYLA PRASEK

When Missouri River Resources first drilled four tribally owned oil wells in March, it was a momentous occasion for President and CEO David Williams. Prior to drilling the wells, which are located near Mandaree, N.D., on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, MRR was only a working interest partner with several oil companies located in the Bakken.

“Our historical four-well project had been in the planning stages since we first acquired some acreage in 2012,” Williams says. “We said we’d eventually drill, but it was a little bit nerve-wracking because of how much money it costs to drill. I talked to the Three Affiliated Tribes council about it, and they gave me their blessing to drill. The Mandan-Hidatsa-Arikara Nation had never been a producer of any oil wells since the ’50s, so it was a big step.”

Multiple oil well sites are seen on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota, in a Nov. 1, 2014, file photo. REUTERS/Andrew Cullen/files

New Town, N.D.-based MRR drilled two wells in the Bakken and two in Three Forks. Williams says his biggest goal in drilling the wells was to prove to the MHA Nation and to the oil industry that a tribally chartered energy company could successfully drill. MRR is averaging 2,500 barrels per well.

MRR was established in November 2009 “out of necessity,” Williams says. “A lot of things had been happening on the Fort Berthold Reservation, as far as production, drilling and leases.”

Williams had worked in the oil industry for 20 years up to that point, and he knew the Three Affiliated Tribes needed to be part of the production side, which led him to start an exploratory production department at MRR in late 2010.

“A lot of companies were leasing from (the tribe) and sometimes we’d get $50 an acre, sometimes we’d get $1,000 an acre. We needed some sort of strategy,” Williams says. “I talked with a lot of people to develop a business plan. We started up with zero leases. A lot of land had already been leased out to the bigger oil companies and we decided that if there was anything out there that could be salvaged, we would do it so we could jump on this Bakken bandwagon. We went to the council and we established a first right of refusal with our company.”

With that first right of refusal came MRR’s decision to become a working interest partner where it could. Since that decision, MRR has entered into partnerships with companies like Enerplus, ConocoPhillips, Marathon Oil and Halcon Resources and is participating in 51 wells as

Seeing Through to the End

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a working interest partner. “Having had that opportunity to get a 25 percent working interest with these companies, we realized the benefit of participating at a high level, which ultimately led to MRR’s other endeavors,” Williams says.

Before MRR made the move to drill, it set up Grey Wolf Midstream in 2013. “We were looking at some niche out in the oil patch that we could jump into,” Williams says. “We thought it was a great opportunity to have our own pipeline on the reservation. We were working with Paradigm Energy Partners and then we partnered with Phillips 66, and what we ended up with is the Sacagawea Pipeline project. Running right through the reservation works to our advantage, and this is a great way to move product. This process is in the approving stage, but by next spring we should be getting in the ground. It’s a great project and we’re looking forward to it.”

The Sacagawea Pipeline will be a 76-mile pipeline to deliver crude oil from various points in and around Johnson’s Corner and the Paradigm CDP, located in McKenzie County, to points across Lake Sakakawea.

As for the future, Williams has two major goals, starting with workforce development. “Seventy percent of

the industry is over 50 years old, so we’re focusing on the younger generation to make sure that somebody can move the industry forward and pass the baton,” Williams says. “Because we’re near the Bakken, we feel there’s a great need for this and we want to be the ones leading the way. We want to be in position to give back what we can, and we want to see our kids take over and run an oil company on the reservation and capitalize on the natural resources we have.”

Finally, even though there has been a slowdown in drilling and he’s hesitant to keep moving forward, Williams still has lofty goals for MRR. “Looking ahead, we have two more four-well projects we want to complete by the end of the year and a 32-well project by the Little Missouri. That gives us the ability to show investors and the tribe that we can do this at a huge scale. I envision us having at least 200 wells, 100 percent owned, by 2021-22. That’s my goal. It’s conceivable, and we’re looking forward to that.” PB

Kayla Prasek Staff Writer Prairie Business 701-780-1187, kprasek@prairiebizmag.com

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Drilling Productivity Report

Drilling Productivity Report Year-over-year summary

New-well gas production per rig

New-well gas production per rig thousand cubic

drilling data through July projected production through September

BakkenEagle FordHaynesvilleMarcellusNiobraraPermianUtica

Indicated

through July projected

September-2014

through September

September-2014

September-2014

Indicated monthly change in gas production (Sep vs.

September-2014

U. S. Energy Information Administration | Drilling Productivity Report

Interest Rates

Employment

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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