NOVEMBER 2003

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CONTENTS

The city of Rugby, the Devils Lake Region Partnership, Grizella Corporation of Hebron and the NDSU Research Technology Park in Fargo are the recipients of the 2003 Governor's Choice for Economic Development Awards. Lt. Gov. Jack Dalrymple presented the awards on Oct. 20 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks during the fall meeting of the Economic Development Association of North Dakota.

The Volunteer Developer of the Year Award was presented to the city of Rugby. The Devils Lake Region Partnership received the award for Professional Developers of the Year. The partnership includes Jim Dahlen, Forward Devils Lake; Carol Goodman, Cavalier County Jobs Development Authority (JDA); George Youngerman, Rolla JDA; and JoAnn Rodenbiker, Towner County Economic Development Corp.

Grizella Corporation of Hebron received the Project of the Year award. Grizella is a software development company that assists the trucking and shipping industry. It relocated from Denver to Hebron, and will provide up to 20 jobs over the next 24 months with a salary range from $25,000 to $85,000. The North Dakota State University (NDSU) Research Technology Park, Inc. received the Visionary Economic Development Project award. North Dakota Ambassador Bob Challey from Walnut Creek, CA, nominated the tech park for its significant impact on the North Dakota economy.

Minnesota Manufacturer Relocating to Finley

Northland Products is relocating its manufacturing facility from Winona, Minn., to Finley, N.D. Northland Products will move into a 12,050-square-foot facility under construction at the Finley Industrial Park. Production is expected to begin in January. The company manufactures wood stakes used in the construction and surveying industries. Northland Products will start with six employees with the potential for at least four more jobs to be added in the near future.

The entities involved in bringing Northland Products to Finley were the Finley Economic Development Corporation, the Finley City Council, the Griggs-Steele Empowerment Zone board, the Steele County Job Development Authority, Otter Tail Power Company, Citizens State Bank, the Bank of North Dakota and the North Dakota Department of Commerce, including the North Dakota Development Fund.

Minot Milling Co. Announces Expansion Plans

Minot Milling Company plans to expand its milling plant located in Minot. The company is adding two new mills to its current durum mill - a $7.9 million investment. The new mills will process 13,500 bushels of hard red spring wheat a day into 600,000 pounds of bakery flour. The company currently grinds 24,000 bushels of durum wheat into semolina daily. Minot Milling employs 23 people. The new mills, expected to be operational by July, will add eight new jobs at the plant. Minot Milling began operation in Minot in November 1998. It sells semolina to pasta plants nationwide, including a sister plant, Conte Luna Foods, in Grand Forks.

Department of Commerce awards local grants

The North Dakota Department of Commerce has approved $64,000 in grants to four local economic development organizations. "The Partners in Marketing grant program gives local economic developers additional resources to customize their marketing activities. This program is another way we are working to form strong partnerships with local communities and local economic developers. It's one of the things we are doing differently to get the job done," said Linda Butts, director of the Economic Development & Finance Division at the Department of Commerce (DOC).

DOC approved $5,000 for the Carrington Jobs Development Authority. The Williston Area Development Foundation received $15,000 to be used in partnership with the Tioga Economic Development Corporation and the McKenzie and Divide County job development authorities for the Ag Open. The Southwest Region Developers Network was approved for a $9,000 grant. The network includes the Stark Development Corporation in Dickinson, Prairie West Development Corporation in Beach, the job development authorities in Bowman, Slope, Hettinger, Dunn and Grant counties, and the Roosevelt Custer Regional Council in Dickinson. The Devils Lake Region Partnership was approved for a $35,000 grant. The partnership includes Forward Devils Lake, the Rolla Job Development Authority, the Cavalier County Jobs Development Authority and the Towner County Economic Development Corporation.

For information on the grant program, contact Tracy Metzger, vice president of marketing, Economic Development & Finance Division, by calling 701-328-5300 or e-mail [email protected].

Five national journalists tour North Dakota

Veteran's Day was a state holiday, and several North Dakota Department of Commerce staff started it with breakfast and discussion about why businesses are growing and prospering in North Dakota. Their audience: four editors and one assistant editor with national industry publications. The journalists represented The Manufacturer, Advanced Manufacturing, Site Selection, Food Product Design and Baking Management. "In September, just two months after visiting the state on a media tour, Shane Whittaker of Baking & Snack wrote a four-page story on North Dakota and its food processing industry. The advertising impact of that story alone was over $75,000."

North Dakota makes the news