November 2015
THE
Official Publication of The Chamber - GF/EGF Official Publication of Grand Forks -
East Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce
2015 Eggstravaganza On December 3rd start your day off right with breakfast at the Blue Moose It is time for the most fun and delicious breakfast of the year. Have your Chamber leadership cook and serve you breakfast? You bet! Reservations are now available for this widely popular Chamber fundraiser to be held at the Blue Moose Bar & Grill in EGF.
28th Annual EGGStravaganza December 3rd, 2015 7:00am – 9:30am Blue Moose Bar & Grill – EGF $10/person Treat your employees, family, clients & customers to the best breakfast in town at the 28th Annual Chamber of Commerce EGGStravaganza! A delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, hashbrowns, pancakes, juice and coffee will be cooked and served by your Board of Directors, Committee Chairs and past & present Chamber Leadership.
Best Way to Get Your Tickets? Register online by clicking the button below. Benefits of registering online: *Easily add as many people to your registration as you’d like *Click to add the event to your outlook calendar *Print your own tickets from your registration confirmation *Fast check-in with your tickets QR code
Or contact us to get your tickets at info@gochamber.org or call 772-7271. Tickets for EGGStravaganza will go fast, get yours today. •Meet your Board Members & Leadership •Network with other business people •Hold your staff or board meetings at the Blue Moose •Treat your staff and clients to breakfast with The Chamber! Sponsored by: The Blue Moose ~ Hugo’s ~ US Foodservice ~ JR Simplot ~ ND Mill & Elevator Agri Valley/CHS Ag Services ~ Altru Health System ~ Dean Foods Cancellations not made 3 business days prior to event will be billed.
202 N. 3rd Street Grand Forks, ND 58203 (701)772-7271
(701)772-9238 Fax
info@gochamber.org
www.gochamber.org
Chamber News Officers Chair: Kristi Magnuson Nelson Hugo’s/Hugo’s Wine & Spirits Chair-Elect: John Oncken - True North Equipment Past Chair: Chris Wolf Alerus Financial Secretary: Ron Galstad Galstad, Jensen, McCann PA Matt Walkowiak - Ground Round Amy Haagenson- Brady Martz & Assoc. P.C. Barry Wilfahrt The Chamber - GF/EGF
Directors Josh Brown - Thompson Insurance Dan Dahl - Dahl Funeral Home Tom DiLorenzo - UND Kellee Fisk - Altru Pete Haga - City of Grand Forks Bonnie Haley - Bon Voyage Travel Brady Hansen- Verizon Wireless, BeMobile, Inc. Jason Heintz - Scheels Kenny Holweger - Kenny’s Music Curt Kreun - GF City Council Pat McLean - Clear Channel Comm. Bob Moore - River Cinema Tom Rosendahl - Dakota Supply Group Brian Rydell - Rydell Auto Center Cheryl Swanson- Alerus Center Klaus Thiessen - GF Regional EDC
Sr. Military Advisor to the Board Colonel Rodney Lewis - GFAFB
Staff Barry Wilfahrt
President/CEO barry@gochamber.org
Lisa Swanson
Vice President of Operations lisas@gochamber.org
Kimberly Strom
Program/Event Director kimberlys@gochamber.org
Carla Younce
Finance Director carlay@gochamber.org
Emberly Lietz
Membership Director emberlyl@gochamber.org
Rena DeSautel
Administrative Coordinator info@gochamber.org
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EGF Votes - Vote Yes on November 3rd
The Chamber Board urges East Grand Forks voters to vote yes for the addition and renovation of East Grand Forks High School. The $20.6 million project is clearly the most cost efficient option and will meet the needs of EGF students for 35 plus year. According to Chamber President, Barry Wilfahrt, “With the “border cities” tax law in place most EGF businesses will see little or no change in their commercial taxes.”
Grand Forks and Fargo Leaders Look to Future Missions in the Red River Valley
ND Governor Jack Dalrymple recently appointed four people from Grand Forks and four people from Fargo to review current missions, explore future missions and develop a shared pathway as we move forward. Chamber President, Barry Wilfahrt will serve on the committee along with fellow BRIC (Base Realignment Impact Committee) Members Bill Lee, Tom Faulk and Keith Lund.
Chamber Board Talks Grand Forks to Host Infrastructure and Legislative Sales Tax Committee City Administrator Todd Feland participated in The Chamber Board’s strategic planning session recently. He detailed the city’s needs for infrastructure including 42nd and Demers grade separation and a new interchange at 47th ave S, a new water treatment plant among others. He also detailed various sales tax options and comparisons with other cities in ND.
The Board talked about the importance of keeping Grand Forks’s Sales tax at or below Fargos. Currently we are .75% lower than Fargo. The Board also suggested the city have a clear definitive list of project in mind before they take any proposed tax increase to the voters. From the tone of the conversation it seems like The Chamber will support up to a 3/4 of a cent sales tax increase as long as the projects are clearly defined.
The Interim Economic Impact Committee of the ND Legislature will meet in Grand Forks November 19th. Senator Connie Triplett who chairs the committee has worked with the Chamber’s Government Affairs committee and the EDC to set the agenda. Grand Forks will certainly thank the legislators for their generous support last session. Grand Sky, the water treatment plan, aprons for the airport and medical school funding were all funded in 2015. We hope to provide the group with a tour of GFAFB so they can see firsthand what their investment in economic diversification is doing at the Grand Sky Business Park and the many opportunities there and with missions at GFAFB. Cont. on pg. 3
Chamber News
Membership Renewals - Through September 25th The following businesses know the value of their Chamber Membership and have renewed their membership in The Chamber - GF/EGF. Please visit them for your purchasing needs.
Aflac - Shari Hanson Asche Insurance Agency Bank Forward - Columbia Rd Becker Marketing Consultants Bud & Ralph’s Appliance Service Championship Tae Kwon Do Dell-Comm, Inc. Enbridge Grand Forks Park District Green Mill Restaurant HB Sound and Light Henningsen Cold Storage Co. HotSpring Spas & Pool Tables 2 KLJ La Quinta Inn & Suites Lifetime Vision Center Mary Kay - Roberta Turney Mary Kay Cosmetics - Jane Brueske, Sales Director Minn-Dak Growers, Ltd.
Monarch Travel & Tours Morning Star Ranch National Car Rental National Car Rental ND Youth Entrepreneurship Education Program Orchard Oil Pita Pit Polar Communications Prairie Public RE/MAX Grand Rubicon Mortgage Advisors, LLC Sherwin Williams Company Staybridge Suites Grand Forks T-Global, Inc. Thrivent Financial - John Halstenson Total Relaxation Wakefield Hearing Center WDAZ TV Wild Hog Smokehouse Bar Grill
Cont. from pg. 2
Workforce Development Intern Joins Chamber Staff
Jill Leverty, a UND Business Administration Major has joined the Chamber team to work on the continued implementation of the Workforce Development Task Force Plan. Jill is a senior at UND, majoring in Business Management. She will be graduating in May. Prior to shoulder injury, Jill played on the Women’s Softball team at UND .Jill is from White Bear Lake, MN.
Jill will be working with the 6 sub-groups to help complete their action plans.
printing copying direct mail imprinted apparel advertising specialties 910 central avenue | egf mn 56721 | 218.773.2577 402 hill avenue | grafton nd 58237 | 701.352.0640 morganprinting.com 3
2015 Farmer’s Appreciation Banquet
On behalf of the The Chamber’s Ag Committee and our sponsors, we invite area farmer’s and a guest to a FREE “Farmer’s Night Out” on us! Please join us for an evening of food, fun and socializing at the 15th Annual Farmer’s Appreciation Dinner.
Thursday, November 19th, 2015 Ramada Inn, Grand Forks 5:30pm - Social
6:30pm - Dinner & Program
Tickets are available for pick-up only at The Chamber, 202 N. 3rd St. downtown Grand Forks. Tickets are limited to 2 per person and must be picked up, no tickets will be mailed. Request tickets by contacting us at 701-772-7271 or info@gochamber.org. Deadline to request tickets is November 13th. We are looking forward to another great event this year. Call to reserve your tickets soon, limited tickets are available.
Lots of Great Door Prizes...
Featured Entertainment:
Mylo Hatzenbuhler Mylo Hatzenbuhler, the
Strasburg, ND farmboy who has found his second calling in rock & roll music, has been thrilling fans everywhere with his latest tour, the 2015 International World Tour of North Dakota and South Dakota. Mylo continues to delight crowds all over the Midwest with his much loved hit songs like “We Couldn’t Start the Tractor” and “My Dog’s Got Rabies”. Holding true to the principle crop of rotation, he regularly offers new songs to his public. New hits like “I’ve Sprayed Everywhere” and his latest “Who Let the Hogs Out?”. If you want to hear the latest from this home grown superstar who makes the ladies swoon and the cows moo, don’t miss your chance to see Mylo Hatzenbuhler, the rock & roll farmer who is truly larger than life!
SPONSORS
SND Mill & Elevator
Alerus - BNSF - Bremer Bank - Altru Health System Agribusiness Committee
American Crystal Sugar - Choice Financial CHS, Inc/Agri-Valley/CHS Ag Services
Ag Country Farm Credit Services - AgriData, Inc. - Betaseed - Brady Martz - Farmer’s National Co. First State Bank - Frandsen Bank & Trust - GF County Soil Conservation District - Nodak Electric True North Equipment - Wells Fargo American Federal Bank - Bergstrom Electric - Citizens Community Credit Union RML Trading - Zimney Foster PC 5:30pm - Social 6:15pm - Welcome 6:25pm - Mike Hergert, Red River Farm Network “A Look Back at Our Year in Agriculture” 6:40pm - Dinner 7:30pm - Mylo Hatzenbuhler, Entertainer
Feel free to share this information with your farming friends and family.
Chamber News Hosted by
Hot Springs Spas & Pool Tables 2 1884 S. Washington St. Grand Forks
Thursday, Nov. 19th, 2015 4:45pm - 7:00pm Free Admission • Complimentary hors d’ourvres, drink ticket & cash bar • Great Door Prizes • Progressive cash drawing is at $1700! Hot Springs Spas & Pool Tables 2 invites all Chamber Members and their employees to join them for a fun Business After Hours. Enjoy the fun and take advantage of great networking opportunities. You might even win $1700 in our progressive cash drawing! We’ll draw the name of one Chamber Member business. If someone from that organization is present, they win!! Business After Hours is a great time to network, catch up with friends, coworkers and clients in a fun and casual way. Spread the word and plan to attend the next Business After Hours.
thankful_square.pdf 1 10/9/15 9:44 AM
There is great savings and nice selections at the
Home Place Thrift Store
Thursday, schedule permitting)
* Furniture * Appliances * Electronics * Household Items * Clothing * Books All Proceeds Benefit:
cats
coffee
fresh air trees
light breeze on a hot day
art
ability to give
cheese
(Available Monday, Tuesday or
smiles tea
dogs paper & ink
jobs
Call us to pick up your donations!
good naps neighbors
good food
1811 S. Washington, Grand Forks, ND www.prairieharvest.net
books
701-795-9704
A FEW THINGS WE ARE THANKFUL FOR AT freedom KNIGHT PRINTING...
seasons
music
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701.235.1121 • 888.526.1121 apple butter 16 South 16th Street • Fargo, ND wives Passion. Quality. Innovation. children www.knightprinting.com education 5
Gearing Up for Worksite Wellness Training Sponsored by:
Presented by:
WHEN:
Tuesday, November 17, 2015 (8:30 am – 4:30 pm) & Wednesday, November 18, 2015 (8:30 am – 12:00 pm)
WHERE:
Choice Health & Fitness, 4401 S 11th St, Grand Forks
Who should attend? The Gearing Up training is designed for anyone wanting to start a worksite
wellness program or enhance an already existing worksite wellness program.
What you will learn: This interactive workshop will teach you how to design and implement a successful and sustainable wellness program for your worksite using our step by step guide. We will seek to identify and offer solutions to making healthy choices in the workplace. Why Worksite Wellness:
At least 50% of an organization's health care costs are driven by modifiable lifestylerelated behaviors such as smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise. Estimated costs associated with lifestyle risk factors incurred by employees with risk factors including smoking, poor diet, high blood pressure and obesity: No Risks - $3,094 1 Risk - $4,415 2 Risks - $5,286 3 Risks - $6,275 4 Risks - $7,405 Reverse the trends with a worksite wellness program.
What participants have to say: “This training exceeded my expectations - presenters were amazing - totally enjoyed group activities and interaction” “I would recommend this training to all wellness committee members” “Class size was just right-not too big where I felt lost in the crowd, big enough to create a fun, dynamic group.” “I feel much more comfortable in my role with this program. Thank you!” “Great examples and healthy discussions were allowed to occur.”
To register for this training go to: http://www.ndworksitewellness.org and click on Learn More and Register. Registration fee is $149.00 - There are a limited number of scholarships available to attend this training free of charge. Enter promotional code healthychoices to receive a scholarship. For questions, please contact Machell Thompson at 701.787.4216; Healthy Choices @ Work committee member
Chamber News
Welcome New Members Inspire Pharmacy
Lynnell Popowski 360 Division Avenue Grand Forks, ND 58203 (P) 701-757-1119 (F) 701-772-1269 Lynnell@thirdstreetclinic.org www.inspiregf.com Inspire Pharmacy is a full service downtown pharmacy with a unique commitment to giving back to the Grand Forks community. Do Good, Feel Better. Coming soon to Division Avenue!
Arc United Thrift Store
Angie Morken 404 2nd Ave NE East Grand Forks, MN 56721 (P) 218-399-2009 amorken89@msn.com www.thearcunited.org
We offer “Great Deals for a Great Cause!” We accept donations of household items, furniture, decorations, small appliances, books and clothing. Proceeds are used for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Contact us if you are interested in volunteering at the store or have something to donate.
East Grand Forks Heritage Village
Kim Nelson 20th Street NE P.O Box 281 East Grand Forks, MN 56721 (P) 218-779-3034 kim.nelson3034@gmail.com www.egfheritage.com/ East Grand Forks Heritage Village is a Non-Profit all volunteer organization.
We strive to educate the public about the history in the Red River Valley. We have events throughout the year, with our main event, Heritage Days, the third weekend in August.
Prairie Health Partners
Ken Hall 215 North 3rd St. STE 208 Grand Forks, ND 58203 (P) 701-203-3810 contact@prairiehealthpartners.com www.prairiehealthpartners.com Whether it be providing education, identifying community health needs, ensuring meaningful compliance, or facilitating solutions, Prairie Health Partners works alongside individuals, organizations, and businesses to achieve better health and sustainability.
Henry Havig Nominations Now Being Accepted To: Members of The Chamber – GF/EGF From: Kristi Magnuson Nelson, 2015 Board Chair Re: 2015 Henry Havig Award For Community Service
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2015 Henry Havig Award for Community Service. This is The Chamber’s most prestigious award and is given annually to those special individuals who stand above the crowd by their dedication to our community through community service in multiple volunteer leadership roles. It is an award that recognizes individuals who have provided exemplary voluntary leadership service to our community over a long period of time and in a broad spectrum of community activities. Nominees must be at least 36 years of age and have proven leadership qualities, commitments to communitybased organizations and the desire to improve the quality of life in our community. The Havig Award for Community Service is given in memory of a great community leader. He was president of the board of the chamber in 1955-1956 and was a long time successful businessman who contributed greatly to our community as a member of the Grand Forks City Council and a life-long contributor to the YMCA. Please complete and return a nomination by Friday, November 20th, 2015 to: The Chamber 202 N. 3rd St. Grand Forks, ND 58203 or email to info@gochamber.org. Additional information regarding the nominee may be included when submitting the nomination. The Selection Committee is comprised of the past recipients of the award. This award will be presented at The Chamber’s Annual Dinner and Banquet on January 29th, 2016 at The Alerus Center. Nominations shall include: 1. Nominee’s Name 2. Leadership qualities, organization memberships, Youth involvement, community service and other pertinent and relevant information 3. Name and signature of person submitting the nomination 7
NCTC State of College Lunch Ambassador of the Quarter Kally Rosencrans
Ambassador Committee Tour of Heritage Village
NCTC State of College Lunch
NCTC State of College Lunch
October Brown Bag Seminar
Chamber News
Text Marketing & Loyalty Programs How are you engaging your customers? Have you considered adding a Loyalty program or Text Marketing to your business but do not know where to begin? This seminar will cover how both SMS (Text) & Loyalty Marketing methods can help grow your small business! With the vast improvements in technology, these are both great ways to help you compete with the same types of marketing methods that big corporations are using to engage their customers.
Presented by: Jake Kvasager Owner/Operator RRVRewards
Wednesday, November 18, 2015 11:30am – 1:00pm The Chamber Board Room $20/person ~ Member (Includes Lunch) $30/person ~ Non-Member (Includes Lunch) Registrations are available online only. To register and add the events automatically to your calendar click the register button below.
Seating is limited to 30 Attendees. Sign up soon! Reservations not cancelled 3 days prior to event will be billed.
Chamber Ambassador Ribbon Cuttings
To schedule a ribbon cutting for a new business, new location, remodel or dedication, contact Emberly at emberlyL@gochamber.org
Fairfield Inn & Suites - EGF 9
Simonson Lumber & Design Center
Business Briefs Welch Promoted at Bremer Bank
Bremer Bank is proud to announce the promotion of Brice Welch to the position of Branch Manager at the Grand Forks North location. Welch has his bachelor’s degree in Investments from the University of North Dakota and began in the Financial Services industry in 2011. Welch joined Bremer Bank in July, 2013 where he was most recently a Personal Banker. As an active volunteer in the community, Welch serves as a Board Member for Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals, the Altru Corporate Board, and a as a volunteer for UnitedWay and Junior Achievement.
Hugo’s Announces Major Store Remodels
Company wide remodels of the Hugo’s Family Marketplace and Hugo’s Wine & Spirits stores have been in progress for the past several years and continues yet today. “In the past 5 years, our direction has been company growth and refreshing our longtime stores”, said Kristi Magnuson Nelson, Hugo’s President. Hugo’s has built or acquired five Hugo’s Wine and Spirits stores in Grand Forks, East Grand Forks, Jamestown and Grafton and has purchased additional grocery stores in Grafton, ND and in Park Rapids, MN. In 2013, the store on South Washington in Grand Forks was completely remodeled. The remodel included replac-
ing everything in the interior and exterior of the building; expanding the produce, bakery, bulk foods and deli and adding a woodstone pizza oven, sushi, and a self serve salad and entrée bar. 2014 and 2015 has seen updates to the interior and exterior of the North Grand Forks store; including acquiring and demolishing Schumacher Tire to add options for future development and beautification of the north end location. Additionally, the Grafton store has been fully remodeled to include a self serve salad and entree bar, new cases and a Caribou Coffee. Over the past year, Hugo’s has added Caribou Coffee shops to their stores in Grafton, Park Rapids, Jamestown and Crookston. In the coming weeks, there are Caribou Coffee Stores scheduled to open in the 32nd Ave South Grand Forks, ND and Thief River Falls locations. East Grand Forks, MN will open a Caribou early next year. Hugo’s on 32nd Ave South is currently under process of an interior and exterior remodel that includes expanded bakery, deli, produce and organic sections. A Caribou Coffee shop will also be added. Hugo’s continues to plan their new development on 47th Ave s in Grand Forks. The townhome portion has been completed and they are now finalizing plans for the supermarket.
on their annual 2015 Best Small & Medium Workplaces list, published today in Fortune magazine. Ranked #14, this is the second consecutive year Marco has received this honor. Divided into two categories, Small (25-250 employees) and Medium (251-999 employees), the list has recognized companies with exceptional workplace cultures for the past 11 years. Competing against hundreds of companies across the country, Marco participated in a rigorous selection process, which included an employee survey and an in-depth questionnaire about benefits programs and company practices. Great Place to Work® evaluates each application using its unique methodology based on five dimensions of a great workplace: credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie. In compiling the list, Great Place to Work® has found that employees believe they work for great organizations when they consistently trust the people they work for, have pride in what they do and enjoy the people they work with. Organizations named on the list see many benefits that include better financial performance, less employee turnover, higher levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, more innovative and creative thinking, higher productivity and enhanced public perception.
Marco Named Great Place to Work
Marco was named by Great Place to Work® as one of the best small and medium workplaces in the United States 10
Business Briefs First Class Mortgage Hires Betting
First Class Mortgage, a locally owned home financing brokerage, welcomes Deanna Betting to its team. Betting will help support business growth by assisting the company’s consultants and customers. Betting joins First Class Mortgage as a mortgage processor. Her primary responsibilities include processing mortgage applications, assisting mortgage consultants and working with customers. Prior to joining First Class Mortgage, Betting worked in the service industry for ten years at Parrot’s Cay, where she worked in managerial and serving roles.
Pearcy Named Director of Riverview Health Emergency Department Crookston native Kristin Pearcy says she’s been in nursing for as long as she can remember and enjoys that the fact that being a nurse means “you truly never stop learning’’.
Pearcy started as a certified nursing assistant, worked her way through being an LPN, ADN (Associates Degree) RN and a BSN (Bachelors of Science in Nursing) RN – many of those positions held at RiverView Health over the years. Now Pearcy will once again add a new title to her list of services with RiverView Health, as she’s been named the Director of RiverView’s Emergency Department. Starting her RiverView career in 2000, Pearcy has worked in RiverView’s Inpatient Unit, Same Day Surgery and Emergency Department – where she has remained in an on-call position for many years even through her recent employment with Sanford Health in Thief River Falls where she worked in Utilization Review/ 11
Case Management. In the past, she has also taught in the LPN program at Northland Community and Technical College, where she received her Associates Degree in Nursing. Pearcy also has a BS in Criminal Justice from the University of North Dakota and a BS in Nursing from Minnesota State University, Moorhead. “I am so excited to get to return home and for the opportunity to start in the position of ED Director,’’ she shared. “My true love has always been working in the ER and being an ER nurse. It is a fantastic place to be and a great place to work. Pearcy lives outside of Newfolden with husband Darin; son Ethan (17); stepdaughter Raquel (12); daughter Kate (10); and dogs Duke, Sasha and Daisy. Her Crookston ties remain with her parents and grandmothers residing in town.
WGA Presents Sen. Heitkamp With Award
The Women Grocers of America (WGA) presented U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota with its inaugural Legislator of the Year Award in recognition of her work to support the independent supermarket industry and sustained commitment to women entrepreneurs. WGA, an affiliate program of the National Grocers Association (NGA), was formed to advance women in the supermarket industry by recruiting and retaining the next generation through scholarships, awards, and professional development opportunities. “North Dakota’s businesses, including its independent grocers, help boost our state’s economy and feed our state’s growing population,” said Heitkamp. “It’s an honor to receive this award, and it’s particularly meaningful since the award is presented by a group of women leaders. We’ve seen a great deal of growth of women-owned businesses
across the country, and North Dakota is leading the way. With the help of organizations like WGA, we can enable more female entrepreneurs to get the support and encouragement they need to build and expand businesses that create good jobs and support local economies.” Presenting the award to Senator Heitkamp was Kristi MagnusonNelson, president of Hugo’s Supermarkets based in Grand Forks, ND. “Independent grocers are an important part of the backbone of North Dakota’s economy, responsible for over 4,000 jobs, and nearly $95 million in wages paid. Senator Heitkamp has been a strong supporter of North Dakota’s independent and family-owned supermarket industry. On behalf of WGA, and my family-owned business, which has been serving North Dakotans for over 75 years, I am pleased to present Senator Heitkamp with this award,” commented Magnuson-Nelson.
Vigen Joins Altru’s Interventional Pain Management
Rebecca Vigen, Certified Nurse Practitioner, joins the interventional pain management team located at Altru Professional Center. Rebecca will also provide care throughout the region via telemedicine. She is committed to finding solutions to patient problems through listening closely to their needs. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from University of North Dakota and later received her Master of Science in Nursing from University of North Dakota. She enjoys the challenge of pain
Chamber News management, as pain is complex and affects many different parts of the body. “Pain is multifaceted and affects every person differently. It is not just a number or one dimensional.” Rebecca is also a clinical instructor of nursing at Lake Region State College, online nursing tutor for tutor.com and a member of the American Nurses Association Nursing Fatigue committee. She is passionate about helping others with pain management, and is developing a support group for young adults who live with complex chronic conditions. In her free time, Rebecca enjoys cooking, knitting, traveling, spending time with her family, and going to University of North Dakota hockey games. She also speaks to her daughter’s class about different bodily systems and her role as an advanced practice nurse.
Vigen Joins Altru’s Interventional Pain Management
Alerus Financial, N.A. (“Alerus”) (OTCQX: ALRS), announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Alliance Benefit Group North Central States, Inc. (“ABGNCS”). With locations in Albert Lea and Eden Prairie, Minn., ABGNCS provides recordkeeping and administration for 900 retirement plans,
75,000 participants, and $6 billion in plan assets. ABGNCS also brings new employee recordkeeping and benefit services to Alerus including payroll, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, health reimbursement arrangements, and COBRA services. Those services will complement the range of retirement planning and recordkeeping services currently offered by Alerus. The acquisition will increase Alerus’ assets under administration to $23 billion. As of September 30, 2015, Alerus’ retirement division, operating as Alerus Retirement Solutions, had approximately $17 billion in assets under administration. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2016 and further supports Alerus’ national presence in the retirement plan industry. “The acquisition of ABGNCS is a strategic investment that strengthens our diversified business model and continues to position us for long-term growth,” said Alerus President and CEO Randy Newman. “This is the largest retirement transaction we’ve entered into – not only will it enhance our national presence in the retirement plan industry, but the purchase also allows us to add new benefit and payroll services which we can soon offer to our existing clients.”
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Business Briefs
“Defending Freedom...Preserving the American Dream “ State of the Base Breakfast”
Tuesday, November 10, 2015 7:00am ~ Ramada Inn $20/person (includes a delicious breakfast)
Join featured speaker Col. Rod Lewis, Wing Commander at GFAFB for breakfast and his “Defending Freedom…Preserving the American Dream” State of the Base presentation. Col. Lewis will brief the community on what is happening at Grand Forks Air Force Base. Reservations are required. To reserve your seats online and add the event automatically to your calendar click HERE -orMake your reservation via email HERE. Reservation deadline is November 2nd. Reservations not cancelled 3 business days prior to event will be billed.
Sponsored by: City of Grand Forks, CPS, IRET Properties, Lithia Ford Lincoln, Northland Community & Technical College, Strata Corporation, University of North Dakota, AE2S, Bremer Bank, GFK Airport Authority, Grand Forks Housing Authority, Grand Forks Region Economic Development, ICS, J & G Landscaping, Nodak Electric Cooperative, Praxis Strategy Group, Excel Energy
STAND OUT in The Chamber’s 2016 Membership Directory
You can make your directory listing in the 2016 Community Profile/Membership Directory stand out with BOLD or RED print! Included with your membership is a listing in the back of the Communtiy Profile book. You have the opportunity to make your listing stand out by purchasing with BOLD or RED for your listing.
The 2015 edition has been selected as chamber Publication of the Year by Mid-America Chamber Executives (MACE) organization! An online version of the book can be found HERE
Your listing the diContact Emberly for details! for rectory is emberlyL@gochamber.org taken from 701-772-7271 13
our member database. Please check your listing on our website HERE. If there are changes to the contact person, email address, phone, address or website, contact Emberly to make the change.