- Senator Hoeven met with Mayor Bochenski and the Grand Forks Base Mission Committee on October 8 to discuss efforts to bolster Grand Forks Air Force Base including the Global Hawk fleet, future unmanned aircraft missions, opportunities in the Arctic and with Space Force.
- EDC Workforce Development Manager Becca Cruger was the featured speaker at the October 15 EDC Advisory Board meeting. Becca spoke about the region’s comprehensive workforce programs that have been developed over the last 10 years.
- Speaking of workforce programs, InternGF applications are now being accepted. The program is designed to increase the number of local internships, and offers up to $3,500 to offset an intern’s salary.
- Our skies are open for business. The 14th annual UAS Summit & Expo took place on October 28 & 29, where the Northern Plains UAS Test Site announced Vantis, the nation’s first statewide UAS beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) network.
- Congratulations to Grand Forks-based SkySkopes who was recently named the top US drone service provider in the country by market analyst Drone Industry Insights.
- More good news for another one of our member companies. The North Dakota State Mill and Elevator will be completing a $23.5 million expansion that will increase the Mill’s grinding capacity by almost 20% annually.
- The Grand Forks City Council recently reviewed proposals for three redevelopment projects in the City. The Beacon, Block V, and Memorial Village redevelopments are collectively valued at over $80 million. These investments demonstrate private sector confidence in the Grand Forks market.
- Due to continued growth, Countrywide Sanitation was awarded a Flex PACE loan through the Grand Forks Growth Fund and a property tax exemption from the City Council to support their refuse and recycling enterprise expansion. Countywide is a great example of a locally-owned company that has realized steady growth and success over 20 years. The EDC thanks Countrywide Sanitation for its continued investment in our community.
- Nodak Electric Cooperative officials held a ribbon cutting ceremony on October 1 for the first level 3 charging station in Grand Forks for electric vehicles (EV). The station is located in the parking lot of Wendy’s on 32nd Avenue South, and is completely powered by wind energy.
- The EDC recently completed phase one of a communication audit. A big thank you to the EDC stakeholders who gave input, which will help Atlas Integrated craft our strategic communications plan to market the Grand Forks region’s business-friendly atmosphere for years to come.