1. Top 21 of 2021
The EDC looked back at the top 21 happenings in the region in 2021 and shared one highlight per day on our social media channels. In case you missed it, you can find a full list here.
2. Fufeng USA
Fufeng USA continues to make progress. Their pursuit of a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) was introduced to the Local Governmental Advisory Committee at City Hall on January 12. If a PILOT is extended beyond 5 years, it must be approved by all taxing entities including city, county, and school district. The first approval of these came on January 24 at the Grand Forks School Board meeting.
3. Agribusiness Tour
EDC President & CEO Keith Lund joined Mayor Bochenski and other city leaders for an agribusiness community tour in Nebraska and Iowa. Both cities they visited have corn-milling facilites, similar to the one Fufeng USA plans to build.
4. LIFT Funding
A Grand Forks company is among the January recipients of the North Dakota Department of Commerce’s Innovation Loan Technology Fund (LIFT). TruWeather Solutions was awarded $250,000. The company is developing a weather platform for the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry to offer weather forecasting with more local detail than what is currently accessible.
5. ISight Drone Services
The Grand Forks Herald had a nice write-up on the success of ISight Drone Services and the majority owner and EDC Advisory Board Member Tommy Kenville: “Isight saw a 47% growth rate in 2021 over the previous year, pulling in $3.2 million.” Read more here.
6. FAA Contract
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) nearly $1.5 million in contract funding to research Detect and Avoid (DAA) capabilities. This technology will enable unmanned aircraft to detect other aircraft flying nearby and maintain safe separation. GA-ASI will be conducting this research at Grand Sky.
7. Good Jobs Challenge
The EDC and City of Grand Forks are jointly pursuing an application to the Economic Development Agency’s Good Jobs Challenge grant. If successful, the grant would provide up to $10 million to create a system that links supportive services, job seeker assistance efforts, and training programs with employers who want underemployed, underserved people to succeed in the manufacturing industry.
8. Top 7 Workforce Funding Programs
When it comes to building a recruitment & retention strategy and a workforce pipeline, things can get confusing and expensive quickly. Check out this LinkedIn article on top funding programs that are available for tapping into the regional and national workforce pipeline written by our workforce development manager, Becca Cruger. Make sure to check out #2 on the list because applications for that funding open today.
9. Career Conversations
Every year, regional employers open their doors for one-hour conversations with students that include information about career pathways, company tours, and real-life experiences. Career Conversations will be held on March 29 & 30. If you’re interested in introducing secondary students to your company and career field, sign up to be a mentor by February 21.
10. Blizzard Becca
She’s unstoppable, a force to be reckoned with, and way cooler than you think! Earlier in January, the Herald named our second blizzard of the season ‘Blizzard Becca’ in honor of Becca Cruger, workforce development manager. The Herald has been naming blizzards since 1990, giving storms alphabetically alternating male/female names in an effort to honor local residents and also to log storms for the sake of history.