1. Grand Forks Identified as Site for a $450 Million Potato Processing Plant
Agristo, a Belgium-based company, announced on January 10th that it intends to build a $450 million potato processing facility in Grand Forks that will create 250-350 new permanent jobs.
On January 21st, the Grand Forks City Council approved a memorandum of understanding, paving the way for the next steps. This is an important part of the process that paves the way for an anticipated 2025 groundbreaking.
“This is an exciting announcement for the Grand Forks region,” said Keith Lund, EDC President & CEO. “The Red River Valley boasts some of the most productive lands in the United States, which positions Grand Forks as an ideal location for value-added agriculture processing. I want to thank the local farmers and Mayor Brandon Bochenski for their leadership and support in expanding and diversifying the regional economy.”
2. Altru Cuts Ribbon, Opens New hospital
On January 9th, Altru Health System cut the ribbon on its brand new $500 million hospital! The event included comments from Mayor Bochenski, Altru CEO Todd Forkel, Altru President Dr. Josh Deere, and Mike McLean of JLG Architects and The Chamber. The new hospital officially opened on January 19th. The transition included opening the new Emergency Room and transferring patients. The new hospital is a vital part of the economy and provides a much-needed quality-of-life amenity. Congratulations to Altru on this historic event!
3.Grand Forks Receives $3.2 Million Federal Grant for Road Improvements for Epitome Energy Project
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced that Grand Forks has been awarded a $3.2 million grant for road improvements for the Epitome Energy soybean crushing facility! The funds, which were announced on January 16th, will be used to improve roads like 70th Avenue North. This funding is an important part of the overall project.
4. cirrus aircraft plans expansion, signs mou with city
Congratulations to Cirrus Aircraft as they plan an expansion! They will be expanding their facilities in Grand Forks by 30,000 square feet, which is estimated to cost $10.5 million. The Grand Forks City Council approved a memorandum of understanding with the company on January 21st. The memorandum lays out business support programs and specific agreements with the city. Cirrus is one of the leading aircraft manufacturers in the world. This expansion will be an important milestone for Grand Forks.
5. uas & manufacturing workforce action plan released
Initially announced in March 2024, the Chamber, Red River Regional Council, and EDC were awarded a grant as part of the Regional Workforce Impact Program. A portion of the grant dollars have been allocated to create a UAS & Manufacturing Workforce Action Plan and to pilot talent recruitment strategies. The key labor market analysis, employer survey results, student focus group results, potential relocators survey, and all other study action steps of phase one of the UAS & Manufacturing Workforce Action Plan were analyzed and compiled into a comprehensive report by consultants at SRI Global.
SRI Global presented key findings and recommendations to manufacturing and UAS industry and educational partners in industry-specific meetings held in January. The study’s key findings and consultant recommendations were reviewed, and follow-up meetings with each industry group will be held in early February to prioritize recommendations, create action steps, assign point agencies, and develop timelines.
6. grand forks-based acme tools ranked no. 1 in online shopping
Congratulations to Acme Tools, an EDC member company, for being awarded Newsweek’s number 1 online store of 2024 in the DIY, Tools, and Supplies Category! The award winners were identified after passing several tests based on over 50 types of criteria, competing with 500 other online stores, and by survey participants. This is the second consecutive year that Acme has been awarded this achievement!
7. grand forks leaders consider casino, resort, event center
The Grand Forks City Council moved to approve a letter of intent for a high-end, multi-use event center, casino, and resort with the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa at the regular meeting on January 27th. This resort is intended to attract people from other areas to the region with its many amenities and the hope of grabbing people driving through Grand Forks.
The Turtle Mountain tribe purchased land on the southwest side of Grand Forks along I-29. It would employ 800 people, making it one of the biggest employers in the city once operational. The letter of intent is asking for the city’s support as they ask other entities for approval. This is an exciting development for the region!
8. edc announces updated board for 2025
The EDC has announced several updates to its board of directors for 2025. Grand Forks County Commissioner Mark Rustad has assumed the responsibility of county representative on the board. At the end of 2024, the board officer positions ended and changed leadership beginning in 2025. John Oncken served as Board Chair in 2023 and 2024 and has transitioned to the Past Board Chair, Shawn Gaddie transitioned to the Board Chair, Meghan Compton transitioned to the Board Vice Chair, and Chris Wolf was elected as the Board Secretary and Treasurer.
The EDC advisory board has seven new appointees: Melissa Beach of Minnkota Power Cooperative, Mike Bibow of AE2S, Tal Elseth of J.R. Simplot Company, Kristin Hanson of Edward Jones, Sandi Luck of North Dakota Coffee Roastery, Curtis Regan of Dakota Commercial, and Ross Rivard of Rivard’s Turf & Forage. The new advisory board members began their first term on January 1st, 2025.
9. edc welcomes new staff & interns
The Grand Forks Region EDC welcomed four new faces into the office in January! Brendan Brustad, who goes by BRU, joined the team as the Operations Manager after a 20-year career in the United States Air Force; Kinley Anderson, a recent graduate from NDSU, started as the Temporary Workforce Development Specialist stepping in for Brenna Mathiason while she is on leave; Abigail Derouard, a student at UND, began as the Cooler Communications Intern; and Lauren Rusk, a business and marketing student at Northland, started as the Marketing and Communications Intern. Welcome to the team!
10. Cruger, hatcher complete economic development training
Director of Workforce Development Becca Cruger and Business Development Manager Kevin Hatcher have completed a virtual Economic Credit Analysis training through the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The training displayed effective credit underwriting processes and standards when working on financing packages in a community. The class is one of six trainings required to pursue IEDC’s Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation. Cruger and Hatcher are halfway through the required training.
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North Dakota colleges will dodge a predicted ‘enrollment cliff’ – for now
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UND professors receive NSF funding for national security research
Roundtable event highlights faculty research in national security
School districts, including Grand Forks, want state to cover cost overruns for training centers
Greater Grand Forks Community Foundation distributed nearly $1.39 million to organizations in 2024
Summer 2025 InternGF Funding Applications Open
Priority applications are due on February 1st!
Employers: do you want to offset the cost of a Summer 2025 internship by $3,500? Apply for InternGF internship funding program for your new and innovative internship by the deadline of March 1st!
Economy At a Glance
The EDC has a new, interactive Economy at a Glance dashboard that compiles key regional economic indicators.
Upcoming Events
Feb 1 Summer 2025 InternGF Priority Deadline
Feb 4 UND STEM Industries Career Expo
Feb 5 UND All Other Industries Career Expo
Feb 6 Board of Directors Meeting
Feb 13 Advisory Board Meeting
Feb 17 Presidents’ Day Holiday: EDC Office Closed
Mar 1 Summer 2025 InternGF Apps Due
Mar 6 Board of Directors Meeting
Mar 27 EDC Annual Meeting