Top 10 | June 2025 | Grand Forks EDC

1. Cirrus breaks ground, receives pilot approval

On June 25th, the EDC staff joined Cirrus Aircraft to celebrate the groundbreaking of their 30,000-square-foot expansion, which supports increased production and future growth. EDC President & CEO Keith Lund delivered remarks at the ceremony, including the community’s 30-year relationship, which began in the mid-1990s.

Lund shared, “To think that a young general aviation company has gone from starting production in 1997 to becoming the global leader in their class in 8 years is remarkable. Every single composite component on every aircraft manufactured by Cirrus was produced in Grand Forks. That is quite a legacy for Cirrus and the community!”

On June 2nd, the Grand Forks City Council provided the final approval for the 10-year payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) to help secure the expansion in Grand Forks. Congratulations to Cirrus Aircraft!

2. altru sports complex break ground, progresses

The Altru Sports Complex hit a major milestone with a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, June 27th! The EDC staff attended the ceremony alongside other community leaders and members. The complex is anticipated to cost around $110 million and will include a 50-meter competition pool, a 25-yard instructional pool, full-sized indoor turf facilities, pickleball courts, and an elevated walking track. With the first bids for the project coming in $20 million under budget, the Grand Forks City Council approved moving forward with a second bid package on Monday, June 23rd. The project is bond-funded through a 0.75% sales tax and partially funded by city infrastructure funds, donations, and naming rights secured by Altru Health System.

3. agristo project progesses

The Agristo potato processing facility continues to make great progress! On Monday, June 16th, the Grand Forks City Council voted to move forward with a payment in lieu of taxes, PILOT, for Agristo at 20 years, 90%. This was needed to secure the investment because of the highly competitive nature of this project with other potential locations. This is an important first step in the PILOT process. Any PILOT lasting longer than 5 years requires the approval of the Grand Forks County Commission and the Grand Forks School Board.

The Local Government Advisory Committee, LGAC, met on Monday, June 23rd, to consider the PILOT application and set a public hearing. LGAC unanimously voted to move the project forward to the school board and county commission for consideration and action. The public hearing and final action are set for July 21st.

Agristo is currently in the process of acquiring the land currently owned by Fufeng on the north side of town. They hope to close by this fall.

4. und deploys two satellites from space-x rocket

On June 22nd, UND launched two satellites commissioned in North Dakota for the ROADS mission (Rendezvous and Operations For Autonomous Docking and Servicing)! The launch took place out of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The low Earth orbit satellites are slightly larger than half-gallon milk cartons and will be controlled and operated from the top of UND’s Odegard Hall. The satellites operate at an altitude of 1,200 miles or less, drifting apart to perform the ROADS mission.

UND students will access Doppler tracking experiential learning opportunities through radio signals and digital repeaters for the amateur radio community.

5. johnstown bean company, northern plains rail receive jda approval

Congratulations to Johnstown Bean Company and Northern Plains Rail for approval of FlexPACE and PACE loans, respectively, through the Jobs Development Authority on June 2nd!

Johnstown Bean Company is located north of Gilby in Grand Forks County. The company processes raw agricultural products like pinto and black beans from local and regional growers into high-quality food products for wholesale and worldwide retail markets. The company is enhancing the efficiency of bean processing operations through a robotic palletizer, replacing the need to transport heavy product bags manually.

Northern Plains Rail is a private railroad business headquartered in Grand Forks, assisting with the transport of farming commodities and products for regional grain handlers and elevators. The company is expanding its fleet of locomotives and investing in new equipment to improve the durability of its services.

6. edc releases new mapping tool for expanding businesses

We’re excited to announce the launch of a powerful new interactive mapping tool to help businesses, developers, and site selectors easily explore available buildings and land throughout the Grand Forks region!

Accessible at GrandForks.org/buildings-and-sites, the tool features real-time commercial and industrial property listings powered by the Grand Forks Area Association of Realtors. Users can browse through an interactive map or a detailed property list, and filter results by type, size, zoning, and other criteria, making it a one-stop resource for site selection and investment opportunities.

A key advantage of the tool is its integration with LocationOne.com, a national site selection platform used by economic developers and businesses across the country. This connection significantly increases the visibility of Grand Forks listings to a broader audience. Beyond property data, the platform also includes demographic overlays, workforce statistics, infrastructure proximity, and other insights that help businesses evaluate the region’s strengths and suitability for growth.

7. interngf summer cohort experience showcases volunteering opportunities, local industry

The InternGF Summer Cohort Experience continued in June with session two on June 12th and session three on June 26th.

Session two focused on volunteering opportunities in the region. Interns split into groups and volunteered their time at three nonprofit organizations in the morning and three different nonprofit organizations in the afternoon. They also received information from Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals on joining a board of directors. Session two photos are available.

Session three included industry tours, introducing interns to potential employment opportunities. Interns split into groups and toured GE Vernova, True North Equipment, RealTruck, Steffes, EERC, Minnkota Power Cooperative, and The HIVE. Session three photos are available.

Sessions four and five will take place in July, focusing on sports and recreation, and arts and entertainment activities.

8. lift opens for the 2025-2027 biennium

On June 16th, the Legacy Investment for Technology (LIFT) program applications reopened after receiving a $10 million appropriation for the 2025-27 biennium. LIFT is a program that supports technological advancement by providing financing for the commercialization of intellectual property.

The program is open to North Dakota companies working in advanced computing and data management, agriculture technology, autonomous and unmanned vehicles and technologies, energy, health care, value-added agriculture, value-added energy, and any area specifically identified by the LIFT committee as contributing to the diversification of the state’s economy. LIFT loan terms include 0% interest for the first three years of the loan, 2% interest for the next two years, and an interest rate equal to a standard Bank of North Dakota loan for all subsequent years. Applications are currently open until July 25th.

9. chamber, und, and edc host uas webinar

In collaboration with UND, the Chamber, and UAS Magazine, the EDC presented a free webinar, Elevating Talent: Workforce Development and UAS Careers in Grand Forks, on June 25th! The webinar featured representatives from the local Grand Forks UAS ecosystem, including UAS Magazine, Meadowlark, General Atomics, and Northrop Grumman. A recording is available.

The webinar is the second in the series featuring the Grand Forks UAS ecosystem. The first webinar was hosted on May 29th, Airpower Evolution: CCA, the Golden Dome, and Regional Defense Innovation in Grand Forks. The series is a result of the workforce recruitment action plan for UAS and manufacturing announced in 2024 from the regional workforce impact program funding.

10. lund attends air service expansion conferences

EDC President & CEO Keith Lunded attended the JumpStart Air Service Development Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, from June 9th through the 11th with the City’s air service consultant, The Meehan Aviation Group, and Grand Forks Airport Director Ryan Riesinger.

The group connected with airline schedulers and representatives from Delta, United, SkyWest, and Allegiant. The conversations were positive about new or expanding services in the Grand Forks market. With United and SkyWest, the conversations were on new direct service to Denver, enhanced by the Small Community Air Service Development Program Grant received earlier this year. With Delta, it was about adding a fourth flight. Allegiant was about reestablishing routes to Orlando and other destination locations.

The group reported that the airlines responded positively to Grand Forks’ business case for additional service, and we hope to see momentum in the near future. Thank you to the City of Grand Forks for their leadership and financial support, and to the many businesses that pledged financial support to expand air service.

11. edc staff attend ednd, cruger presents

EDC Director of Workforce Development Becca Cruger and Business Development Manager Kevin Hatcher attended the Economic Development Association of North Dakota Summer Conference in Fargo on June 4th and 5th.

The conference featured various sessions on community collaboration, workforce, site selection, media relations, legislative updates, and more. Cruger was a featured speaker in two sessions where she spoke on workforce recruitment and retention and the InternGF program.

InternGF fall applications are open! InternGF is a program that connects businesses with talented UND students to provide internships. Receive up to $3,500 to offset the cost of an intern’s wages. The deadline is August 1st.