Involvement in Grand Forks Region EDC on the rise

Community commitment to the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is surging as the local economy experiences consistent growth.

“Economic development efforts are working in our region,” said Klaus Thiessen, Grand Forks Region EDC president. “The membership increases we are experiencing are a testament to the value our city, county, and business community place on continuing to diversify our region’s economy.”

Of the organization’s 110 members, 26 have joined for the first time as a result of the 2011-12 membership drive.

In addition to founding funding partners the City of Grand Forks and Grand Forks County, 108 area businesses are also now member partners. Additionally, during the most recent membership drive more than 15 percent of members increased their financial support from previous years. Since 2004, membership investments from the business community have increased by 49 percent.

Xcel Energy, an EDC membership partner, invests in the communities it serves in many ways, says the company’s community relations manager, Judi Paukert.

“The Grand Forks Region EDC and Xcel Energy both want our communities to be healthy, vibrant, and successful. The work the EDC does to attract businesses to our region, to support local business start-up and expansion, to retain jobs, and grow our talented workforce leads to the quality of life we all enjoy in our area,” said Paukert. “Xcel Energy is very proud to be a member and support the great work the EDC does.”

The EDC, a private non-profit organization, is the first point of contact for private sector companies interested in establishing or expanding operations in the Grand Forks region. The EDC’s successful efforts help expand the economy, create new jobs, and improve the quality of life.

EDC also works with local companies to support expansions resulting in job growth and new wealth creation.

Target sectors for the EDC’s recruitment and retention activities are: aviation and aerospace, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAS); energy and environment; life sciences; technology; and value-added agri-business.

With the support of its members, the EDC is able to aggressively promote the competitive advantages of investing in the region.

In 2011, the EDC worked with 10 client companies that added more than 480 new jobs in the region. Six clients made combined capital investments in the region of $43.3 million.

A full list of EDC members is available at www.grandforks.org. For more information on how to become a member, contact the EDC office at 701-746-2720.

North Dakota listed as most competitive

An interesting report posted by Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. (EMSI) details job growth, ranking states by competitiveness. North Dakota tops the list. According to their statistics, the state’s actual job growth exceeded expectations in 17 of 20 industry categories.

Commutes shortest in Grand Forks

A recent study of commute times for residents in U.S. cities of 50,000 – 100,000 people reveals  it takes less time to get around in Grand Forks than any other city of our size.

The Business Journals reported an On Numbers breakdown showed that 68.5 percent of people arrive at work less than 15 minutes after leaving home. And only 2.4 percent have a commute of 45 minutes or more.  This compares to national averages of 28.7 and 15.5 percent respectively.

UND research has growing impact in Grand Forks region

An article in Saturday’s Grand Forks Herald highlighted the rising impact research is having throughout the Grand Forks region. A few interesting facts the Herald reported:

• UND research had a $175.5 million economic impact in Grand Forks County in FY11, up 6.1 percent from 2010.
• In Grand Forks County, 1,608 jobs are attributed to research – 990 of those at UND – an increase of 10 percent from 2010
• Outside Grand Forks County, UND research endeavors spurred 151 new North Dakota jobs and 262 jobs in the North Central region of the United States. Economic impact in other North Dakota counties increased by 6.1 percent in FY11.

Among factors UND Vice President for Research and Economic Development Phyllis Johnson cites is campus-wide involvement in UAS related research.

 

Local businesses open in new locale

Two Grand Forks businesses have space for a bit more elbow-room when they open their doors today in a new location.

Express Employment Professionals and Global Safety Network Inc. relocated from their offices along 32nd Avenue to a new, 10,050 square foot building at 3590 South 42nd Street adjacent to the Grand Forks Industrial Park.

Chris Greenberg, owner and chief executive officer of both companies, says the building will provide the combined 35 employees an environment to increase efficiency. There is room for as many as 15 additional employees, which he anticipates growing to in the next few years as demand for employment services and safety services continues to grow.

Expanding in the city is a natural evolution for Greenberg, who grew up in the community.

“The Grand Forks region has a very good business environment,” he says. “It’s conservative enough but forward-thinking. You never really feel the highs and lows. There have been very few years we’ve gone backwards.”

Greenberg added, “We want to continue to have our main footprint in Grand Forks. We’re hoping to grow our company to great heights.”

Express Employment Professionals is the region’s leading staffing firm, with about 500 clients in the Red River Valley.

Global Safety Network Inc. is a burgeoning company that started as a drug testing company. In its 10 years, it has grown to become a comprehensive risk mitigation service provider.

Serving 2,000 client companies across the nation, Global Safety Network will soon be adding a safety training line to its portfolio of services that also includes safety policy and employee manual development, new employee screenings, and file management.

Greenberg is acquiring an Oklahoma-based company that provides safety training to the oil and gas industry. With the demand for similar services booming in Western North Dakota, Greenberg is poised to meet this need.

Greenberg says the Grand Forks Region EDC helped him identified business support programs that will not only support his companies during their expansion but help them grow in future years.

Express Employment Professionals and Global Safety Network will host a ribbon-cutting and open house at their new location this spring.

NCTC showcases UAS program to community mayors

Last week, Grand Forks and East Grand Forks Mayors Mike Brown and Lynn Stauss, accompanied BRIC and EDC staff to Northland Community and Technical College’s Thief River Falls aviation campus for a first-hand look at its new UAS maintenance program.

The program, which launched in August, is a regional asset, says Eric Icard, senior business development officer with the Grand Forks Region EDC. “We wanted to see how Grand Forks and East Grand Forks can help support the program.”

NCTC describes its UAS certificate program as one “designed to create a skilled UAS Maintenance Technician with a broad understanding of commonly used UAS platforms at the functional level.” Northland received a $4.9 million grant in 2010 to establish the program, which is the nation’s first Unmanned Aerial Systems Maintenance Training Center.

Sheila Bruhn, Base Realignment and Impact Committee (BRIC) coordinator, said, “Having these skilled individuals trained locally through this program is certainly an enhancement to our region.”

Both Icard and Bruhn are optimistic about the enhanced regional business development opportunities that are possible because of the program’s proximity.“We’d like to see a maintenance level depot company operating here,” said Icard. “Having that available workforce gives us a leg up.”

“I was most impressed with the professionalism of the UAV maintenance program and the vision that you could see embodied in the leadership and faculty. What a wonderful asset to the region! The sky truly is the limit,” said Brown.

Bruhn organized the tour and came away equally impressed with the program’s caliber and potential for the graduates and region. “How great would it be to have these technicians trained and hired here?”

NCTC officials, too, are excited about the collaboration and spirit of cooperation in the region.

“We are so pleased to have Mayor Stauss and Mayor Brown visit Northland. Their leadership to the Grand Cities, and the greater area, has made the Red River Valley a vibrant place to live and work, said Dan Klug, NCTC chief development officer. “We are fortunate and grateful to have mayors who are supportive of Northland Community and Technical College and realize its importance to the regional economy.”

Stauss added, “I had the pleasure of going to the NCTC tour and I never dreamed they were this advanced in aviation maintenance.  They have a future plan to expand, which I totally support.” He stressed, “It is necessary that we all talk to our legislatures and explain to them that both UND and NCTC needs to work together to ensure that the northwestern part of Minnesota and northeastern North Dakota will jointly take the lead in future aviation projects.”

In September, NCTC President Anne Temte announced a Department of Labor grant award to develop an imagery analyst certificate program as part of Northland’s unmanned aerial systems (UAS) program.

Northland has operated a certified Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation maintenance training (AMT) program for more than 50 years. The AMT and UAS maintenance training programs, and the new imagery analyst program make up Northland Aerospace.