By CHRISTOPHER BJORKE

The grandparents of today’s North Dakotans knew how to harness wind to power water pumps.
The picturesque windmills that were fixtures on prairie farms are a far cry from the industrial wind turbines that have sprung up across the plains. Modern turbines dwarf their quaint forbearers and are larger and more powerful than the first generation of utility scale units build for large-scale power generation.
“They’re over 125 feet long and they weigh tons,” said Jay Haley, an engineer and partner with EAPC, an architectural and energy consulting company in North Dakota.
The wind-energy industry is a new one in North Dakota and still a relative newcomer to the country’s mix of energy resources, but in a short time the sight of blades spinning on top of high towers has become familiar across the state — but also one that has also received criticism from those who are skeptical of its cost and benefits.
Large-scale use of wind as a utility began in the early 1980s and was centered on the West Coast, according to Haley.

“Back in that day, (turbines) were 100 kilowatts in size and they were predominantly in California,” he said.
Today, the biggest turbines are rated from 1.5 megawatts (1,500 kilowatts) to 2.3 megawatts, and have spread to the blustery prairies of the plains and Midwest. Texas has the highest wind-energy production, while North Dakota ranks 10th at 1,200 installed megawatts at the end of 2009, according to the American Wind Energy Association. The state, though, is third in the proportion of its total electricity generation and has turned wind-generated power into an export to neighboring states.
The state’s first project went up around the towns of Edgeley and Kulm starting in 2003. Since then, developments have sprung up around North Dakota.
“I did over 200 landowner demonstrations,” said Haley, whose firm consults for energy companies, working with landowners and using wind and topographic data to site developments.
“We use area maps, topographic maps, aerial photos,” he said. “That’s how we make our living here at EAPC.”
Haley described the mechanics of the turbines and rotors as something similar to the reverse of how an airplane is able to fly using energy to turn its propeller to generate lift under the wings to bring it aloft.
“Those blades are somewhat like an airplane wing,” Haley said. “When in operation, those blades spin in the range of 15 to 20 rotations per minute.”
With a turbine, wind turns the blades and sets the rotor assembly into motion. That connects to a generator, making it spin at 1,800 rpm. The electricity that generates is carried by a large cable down the tower into a transformer. From there, the electricity travels by underground cables to a collector substation and then onto the main grid that wires the homes, businesses and offices of the end consumers.
Because the wind does not blow all the time, it is an intermittent energy source. A turbine with a “nameplate” capacity of 1.5 megawatts would generate that much electricity if it were turning for an hour.
“Statistically speaking, those towers will be generating power 80 percent of the time,” Haley said. “The typical capacity factor in North Dakota is around 40 percent.”
Even though the blades are spinning most of the time, usually they are generating below their full capacity. The capacity factor is the actual amount of energy generated over a year as a percentage of what it would produce if it were running at full capacity all the time.
According to the Wind Energy Association’s website, typical capacity factors for turbines are between 25 and 40 percent, while the capacity of a conventional power plant is usually between 40 and 80 percent.
While conventional power plants can adjust generation to meet changes in demand, wind generates power depending on the weather. For the electrical grid to accept wind-generated power it must balance wind-generated power with other power sources.
Haley said that it is misconception that every megawatt of new generation from wind that is placed in the electrical grid must be matched by the same amount of new generation from conventional energy source.
“It’s definitely over-simplistic and very misleading,” he said.
In reality, the grid has a 20 percent saturation level, meaning that as long as intermittent energy sources such as wind make up less than 20 percent of total generation, it has the ability to adjust to fluctuations, as it does already for coal-fired plants and other energy sources.
“We view it as a supplement,” he said. “It’s not intended to be a baseload.”
Critics of wind power also cite concerns about noise generated by the humming blades or the “shadow flicker” caused when the sun sinks behind a tower. Haley said that developers are mindful of such concerns during the siting process and work to minimize environmental effects.
Another concern is the amount of government subsidies that support wind development, which detractors say are not justified by wind’s contribution to the energy mix. Supporters argue that there is no part of the energy industry that does not receive subsidies in some form. While wind receives more tax money per unit of energy, coal receives more public money overall.
Despite some skepticism, renewable energy enjoys public support.
Basin Electric Power Cooperative uses more than 450 megawatts of wind generation. Spokesman Daryl Hill said that the cooperative’s members voted in 2005 to set a goal to get 10 percent of its electricity from wind.
“Our members are our owners,” Hill said. “When your owners speak, you listen.”
Today, wind accounts for 11 percent to 12 percent of Basin’s electrical generation, according to Hill.
“Wind is extremely popular with the general public,” Haley said. “It takes some political will to say that least cost (energy) is not necessarily the best choice.”

(Christopher Bjorke is the business reporter for The Bismarck Tribune. He can be reached at 250-8261 or chris.bjorke@bismarcktribune.com.)

It’s a marketing challenge unique to the 21st century: With the electronic saturation of American culture, brick-and-mortar businesses have found themselves competing for the attention of their targeted consumers — often facing off with a steady, unrelenting stream of information, images, sounds and interactive applications. It’s stiff competition, and the playing field seems to change daily.

But with that marketing challenge come opportunities; today’s local business owner need not sit in the corner, an economic wallflower. There are ways to join the fray, and the number of tools available to the average small-business owner is ever-growing. From social networking to targeted high-tech applications, the brick-and-mortar business is no longer tied to its storefront. A captive audience is tuning in — one Internet browser, one netbook, one smartphone at a time.

Today’s Marketing

KK Bold Conference Room

LaRoy Kingsley has seen rapid changes in the ways businesses market themselves. As president of KK Bold, he understands today’s marketing opportunities for the local business owner. In fact, his advertising agency is affected in many of the same ways its clients are affected. If the name KK Bold doesn’t ring a bell, maybe its predecessors will; KK Bold is the recently rebranded company that brings together the advertising agency formerly known as Kranzler Kingsley with its digital division, K2 Interactive.

Kingsley says KK Bold’s rebranding was precipitated in part by changes in the marketing world. The days of an advertising agency and its digital production company being different divisions are gone; the distinctions have vanished. “The name change was about having our company clearly positioned for the future,” he said. “Our industry has evolved significantly over the past 20 years, and our agency has had tremendous growth. Our rebranding was to make sure our name and position are reflective of where we are today and where we’re going tomorrow.”

Mirroring the changes in the way KK Bold brands itself, Kingsley said the company’s clients are also making fundamental changes to the way they present themselves in the marketplace. “When you talk about marketing today, you have to accept that the lines between traditional and new media are very blurred, and at some point they will — and should — come together and work together,” he said. “The term to describe this in our industry is integration. It is very rare in this day and age that we develop a media program for a client that doesn’t include both traditional and new media.”

Although the lines are blurring, there are still distinctions. “The biggest difference between the two, besides the obvious, is accountability and the ability to more thoroughly track results with online campaigns,” Kingsley said. “We can track our online campaigns in real time to the person, and we can make adjustments on the fly. Traditional media is much more cumbersome in that manner.”

Publisher Brian Kroshus of The Bismarck Tribune said the newspaper launched its new website in the fall of 2009 to augment the delivery of its news content and cater to consumers who are searching out more and varied ways to get information. The changes were “focused on improving site navigation and subsequently enhancing the user’s experience,” he said. “Overall, the Internet is something we embrace and are excited about here at the Tribune. It’s yet another vehicle in which we can distribute the good, quality editorial that we produce.”

The New Media

The hyperlinked icons are omnipresent, instantly recognizable and something of a revolution in the way people communicate on a daily basis. “Find us on Facebook,” the link says. “Share on Twitter.” In a way, the new world of social interaction on the Internet is one part organic word-of-mouth information and one part stealthy marketing. A business with a presence on Facebook or Twitter is entering the realm of the very consumers it seeks to reach. Facebook and Twitter are social networking sites, designed to help people get back in touch with friends from the past and stay in contact with a variety of friends, relatives, acquaintances and business contacts. They also allow businesses to maintain a site to pass along information to subscribers, who often pass that information along to their friends and family with the simple click of a hyperlink.

“The value in social marketing for a business is really right there in the name: social,” Kingsley said. “The reason why people flock to sites like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace is because they offer people a way to directly interact with the people they know on a daily basis. For anyone running a business, if you had a platform that allows you to not only deliver your message directly to the client, but also have them respond to it immediately, why would any business not want to do that?”

And local businesses have taken note.

Bob’s Photo in Bismarck has been on Facebook for about a year. The impetus for joining the social networking site came from others who were already there. “We were first made aware by photo industry peers that this was the best way to stay connected for the lowest cost,” said Jessie Dolajak, who administers the store’s Facebook interface. “Advertising is costly, and you’re never sure just who you are reaching.”

With Facebook, businesses know who they’re reaching: customers who have taken the step to sign up and follow the business. “We find it is a great, informal way to stay in touch with and on our customers’ minds,” Dolajak said.

With an attentive audience, marketing opportunities abound. “We like to share the new, exciting things Bob’s Photo is doing with digital imaging,” Dolajak said. “In the future, it would be great to do some Facebook exclusive deals; however, we have not tried any to date.”

Dolajak said she aims to update Bob’s Photo’s Facebook site at least three times per week, using the interface to promote new products and services, and to link to helpful photo tips. She said the company has also run a photo contest with the help of Facebook that has been a success.

Not far away in Bismarck, the Walrus restaurant is also embracing social networking sites in order to stay in touch with its customers. Owner Jill R. Sanford said the restaurant’s Facebook site has been a valuable resource that is proving to be an agile asset in its marketing portfolio.

“We do different things with it — we introduce (chef Kristin Sande’s) new menu items with it, and we put our Tapper Tuesday information there,” Sanford said.

The extra work in maintaining the restaurant’s social networking site is small compared to its benefits, Sanford said, and the feedback she gets from the site’s users is useful and nearly instantaneous.

The Walrus is also using Facebook to launch its newly created Golden Tusk Club. But Facebook is only one of the tools Sanford is using to grow the club.

Future Plans

Although social networking sites have represented a significant change in the way businesses communicate with their customers, there are a multitude of technologies currently available or in the works that will go a step beyond Facebook.

“It was natural,” Sanford said of the marketing strategy for the Golden Tusk Club. In addition to utilizing Facebook to interact, she’s going a step further. Instead of confining communications to the Internet, she’s taking the message straight to the customer — no matter if the customer is near a computer. Members of the new club can sign up for exclusive text message deals. “It only makes sense,” Sanford said. “People are so driven by their computers and their phones.”

So, at random times, Sanford will send out a message offering a deal to club members. All a member must do is come in and ask for it.

And it’s working.

“The response to the Golden Tusk Club is huge,” Sanford said. “It’s straight-up technology, and the technology is instant.”

What the Walrus is doing with the Golden Tusk Club is sometimes referred to as SMS — short message service. It’s an idea that’s been around for a while, and there are early adopters like the Walrus already running with it. But with the proliferation of the mobile phone, it’s a concept that is set to explode.

“When it comes to SMS, we are providing this for some clients,” said Kingsley of KK Bold. “One example would be Prairie Knights Casino and Resort. They have a good-sized SMS list that they use to provide information about upcoming concerts, promotions and giveaways. The market in this region is traditionally fairly slow to adopt new tech, but that said, the interest level in what Prairie Knights Casino has to offer has been quite high.”

Kingsley notes that success in SMS is dependent on demographics and the content a business has to offer. “We see it being used to great effect in the entertainment and tourism industry, especially in largely populated areas,” he said.

Another concern is that businesses send the messages somewhat infrequently, so as not to become a nuisance.

As it was launching its new website, the Tribune also was taking advantage of the new opportunities presented by technology. “Both social networking sites and SMS have and will continue to play an important role in the promotion of our site,” Kroshus said. “To a large extent, they provide a means to drive traffic to our website through news briefs. In the end, they can assist in supporting our core product, but certainly not replace it. The foundation and strength of any media site lies in the depth of unique, localized news they’re able to provide.”

Kroshus said even as the Tribune embraces the Internet in its publication process, his staff is looking beyond the computer. “Mobile applications, iPads and other devices certainly provide additional channels in which we can distribute our offerings, something we will certainly utilize in the future.”

No matter the technology a business uses to connect, however, one thing is certain. Today’s consumer is tuned in technologically, and willing and able to check out what a business has to offer through a number of sources. While there are many strategies a business might employ to capture the consumer’s attention, one empirical truth has emerged in the 21st century: Writing off technology as a fad, a nuisance or an insignificant marketing tool is the quickest possible way to lose customers to someone who is willing to embrace the opportunities.

By TINA DING

As North Dakotans, we know the foundations we put down today will lay the groundwork for future generations to build on. And Carrington townsfolk know their welcoming community offers a clean, safe and attractive environment for the young generation to call home.

When the VanBedaf family came to America from the Netherlands, they sought wide-open spaces filled with rich farmland for dairy cattle. “We simply fell in love with the town of Carrington,” Conny VanBedaf said. “This community felt like home right away.”

Conny and Corne VanBedaf started construction of the VanBedaf Dairy in 2008 and began milking in 2009. Today, employing eight staff, they milk 900 of their 1,000 cows before transporting a full semi-truck to Cass Clay in Fargo.

Similarly, Susan Stoddard settled in Carrington after moving to North Dakota from Kansas. She worked at the VFW as she catered events on the side. Gradually growing her business, she positioned herself to open a bakery with a small grant and low-interest loan through the Job Development Authority and Carrington Development Corp. “With the help of the city, we now have a larger kitchen facility and are able to offer seating and fresh baked goods, breakfasts and lunches,” A Catered Event & Bakery owner Susan Stoddard said. “Our catering side does it all, from graduations to weddings and retirements, holiday cooking and more. We also provide wedding rentals and décor.”

“At Carrington, we have a strong sense of community spirit,” Carrington Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Laurie Dietz said. “The town simply gets behind nonprofit groups and has helped make successes of openings on Main Street.”

Recent accomplishments include a new ambulance, a new city library and an 18-hole golf course, which spawned housing in the area. “Fundraising for the ambulance was well-received,” Dietz said, “and the Carrington City Library was made possible through an Otto Bremmer grant, along with community funds.”

Headquarters for Dakota Growers Pasta

Another rich example of folks working together is Dakota Growers Pasta Company. Built by durum growers as a value-added cooperative in 1993, the company is now the third-largest pasta manufacturer in North America. “Carrington is where the company is headquartered, with two manufacturing sites at both Carrington and New Hope, Minn., which employ approximately 430 employees between the two,” Dietz said. “Dakota Growers produces over 100 shapes of pasta for supermarket chains nationally.”

Further, Dietz said the company transitioned to a C-corporation in 2002 and was recently purchased by Viterra in 2010. A revolutionary new product for the company is the Dreamfields pasta – a diabetes-friendly pasta for healthy carb living.

Gently rolling plains surrounding Carrington grow ample fields of wheat, soybean and durum. The Carrington Research  Extension Center helps to both provide educational programs and conduct research in agriculture. From crops to livestock, NDSU research contributes to successful agriculture in North Dakota and continuously runs trials and experiments in Carrington’s backyard.

East of town, plunked between area crops, Dakota Sun Gardens provides a splash of color. Conversion of their farmstead to a massive garden by adding perennial beds, grasses, trees and shrubs sparked their enthusiasm to add a winery. In the works, the winery will utilize fruits grown and harvested on site – from blueberries and chokecherries to rhubarb, plums and more.

Wine connoisseurs may also participate in an Annual Wine Taste at the Putnam House. This American Foursquare home was built in 1907. Now owned by the Foster County Historical Society, the home offers visual and performing arts classes, exhibits, events and rentals. Book clubs meet regularly and musicians perform at the Putnam House.

“Our community spirit is strong, and we see a lot of overall support for area projects and growth,” Carrington Economic Development Director Lucinda Grandalen said. “Not only did we achieve a new library and assist with area businesses, but a new water plant is in the works.” Grandalen said this project became a reality with grant monies and a loan through USDA.

Consistent with other small North Dakota towns, Carrington faces a shortage of housing from time to time. However, their infrastructure remains constant with regular upgrades, fundraising and a focused attention to the future – a future for generations to come, from the youth to the elderly.

Golden Acres Manor not only provides 1oo local jobs, but offers a long-term skilled facility, comprised of 60 beds, offering physical and occupational therapies, speech and group activities, including: bingo, meals, trips to the casino and the local theater.

“Carrington, North Dakota. It’s not too small. It’s not too big,” Conny VanBedaf said. “It’s a place to call home.”

From her third-floor perspective, Kari Knudson, vice president of the new National Energy Center of Excellence at Bismarck State College, can almost see the future of the energy industry forming. The NECE has several expanded labs with state-of-the-art equipment.

Students get quality hands-on experience, preparing them to fill high-paying jobs with prominent energy businesses.

Partnerships between the college and those businesses have been in place for more than 30 years, but the training facilities at BSC had limited space for meeting the growing needs of the industry, Knudson said. Then the state invested $3 million in a new facility to house the college’s energy programs.

“That positions us to be the national leader in energy education,” Knudson said. “The Center of Excellence program was an integral part of building this facility and having this effect.”

NECE is one of the many successes of North Dakota’s Centers of Excellence program. With its state funding awarded in 2005, it’s also one of the first. Twenty-one projects have been approved so far, and another round is just beginning.

“The idea is to create better paying jobs and then to link our young people into those jobs,” said Gov. John Hoeven, who initiated the program.

Things have changed a bit since the first centers got their start. Shane Goettle, state commerce department commissioner said three centers were approved as individual projects before the process became competitive.

Now proposals for Centers of Excellence ideas compete against each other for grant money.

There were three rounds of applications in the 2005-2007 biennium and two during the 2007- 2009 biennium.Goettle expects there to be at least two rounds this biennium, as well.

Justin Dever, who oversees the Centers of Excellence program at the commerce department said the requirements used to be broad enough to include workforce development. The program has since been narrowed to focus more on pure research andcommercialization. Because of the narrowed focus, a separate program to provide workforce enhancement grants grew out of the Centers of Excellence program in 2007.

A more recent change for Centers of Excellence includes a state revenue trigger that will determine how much money the state can invest in centers this biennium. There will be $15-$20 million available, Goettle said.

A total of $39.4 million has been approved for the projects so far, with $25.4 million of that money already invested in projects. These are longterm investments that can take some time to get off the ground, he said.

“A big factor of ours is accountability,” Goettle said. “This is not necessarily set up to get an immediate return on investment. The role is to develop high-value jobs in North Dakota. We have some early indications that that’s happening in some of the centers that are further along.”

According to the commerce department’s 2008 Centers of Excellence Annual Report, the centers have already resulted in 493 new direct jobs and 771 indirect jobs. The $25.4 million that the state has already paid out has an estimated total economic impact of $169 million.

“We have had more money appropriated and approved into projects but you’ve got to feed it in and they have to meet all of these requirements,” Hoeven said. “It takes time to get going. We’re still on the front end of building this program and it’s something that will continue to develop and grow over time.”

As the program has developed, the proposals seem to be getting better, too. The economic plans behind them and the private partnerships both seem to be more solid.

“We hope that the program at the very least acts as a catalyst for partnerships,” Goettle said.

The partnerships are vital both for building a culture where new ideas can fl

ourish and for direct funding purposes. “We require a two-to-one match so that at least two dollars of private sector funding and funding from other sources match our state dollars and are invested in these projects,” Hoeven said. “It creates real leverage in terms of our investment as a state, but look at all the other leverages and synergies you create.”

Both Hoeven and Goettle said the centers build on North Dakota’s strengths through things like aviation and unmanned aircraft in Grand Forks, entrepreneurism in Dickinson, oilseed development, electronics and manufacturing in Fargo, and oil and gas training in Williston.

And of course, there’s the NECE in Bismarck. The $3 million in state money was leveraged with private partner donations and other funding, topping out at around $18 million. Knudson said while the interior of the fourth floor of the building isn’t yet complete, BSC was able to move into the new facility about a year ago.

It’s good timing because the energy industry continues to grow. There are students from all 50 states now as well as some new military partnerships, and the energy programs have experienced a 20-25 percent growth over the past four years, Knudson said.

If all the Centers of Excellence do that well, North Dakota has a bright future.

-Story by Gwen Bristol, Photo by Will Kincaid/Tribune

Unexpectedly, a rapid melt caused the grounds surrounding town to quickly saturate and area reservoirs to pool alarmingly fast. Overnight the creeks, rivers, dams and lakes were swollen with far too much water.

“At one point water splashed over the spillway as the wind blew,” Jamestown City Engineer Reed Schwartzkopf said. “We had problems with the dikes becoming waterlogged or tilted as the subsoil became saturated, forcing us to reinforce the existing dikes by adding clay behind them and sand in front as we constructed contingency dikes.”

Further, he said the accumulation of water became an issue for infrastructure breeches. “We had an issue where one of our large storm sewers broke loose,” Schwartzkopf said. “We were successful because we caught it quickly enough to destroy the infrastructure and stop the breech.”

Dikes and ring dikes emerged quickly as community volunteers, the Army Corps of Engineers and National Guard men and women assembled sandbags and shoveled sand into forms to fortify the town. Despite their efforts, two facilities were completely evacuated as a precaution: Anne Carlsen Center and South Central Human Service Center.

Neither flooded due to rising waters; both were able to continue daily operations from their temporary workplaces as a result of community support.

“We were displaced – however our student’s and young adult’s needs were met throughout,” Anne Carlsen Center Marketing and Communications Director Brenda Scholten said of the evacuation. “In so many ways the community helped – from sandbagging to the actual evacuation.”

Scholten said in just five hours the entire student population, their beds, medical equipment, medications and records were relocated to one of four community locations. She said the surroundings changed, but there was a continuity of care in staff, medications, education and dietary needs for these children who live at the center, receiving healthcare and educational instruction.

Likewise, South Central Human Service Center was evacuated greatly due to customer service and accessibility as dikes formed around them. For nearly 100 days, the facility moved into the vacant North Dakota Job Service building.

Because the building had previously housed a state department, similar wiring and technology was available to SCHSC. “We never missed a beat,” South Central Human Service Center Assistant Director Russ Sunderland said.

“Even when transitioning back to our own building, we were able to keep staff working the crisis lines.”

Sunderland said much of their staff worked elbow-to-elbow in a smaller setting, and reduced office space resulted in a handful of staff choosing to work from their respective homes. Jamestown Mayor Clarice Liechty said there are immediate problems as a result of the fl ood which are very costly.

“The flooding situation created a sense of urgency to repair the infrastructure of Jamestown [and Stutsman County],” Mayor Liechty said.

The dikes stayed longer than expected, as water maintained record levels. Fortunately, the waters running toward Jamestown were contained within the dikes this spring, but deep into summer, the community is still in the throes of cleanup, focused upon repairs to infrastructure and preparing for impending winter weather – as farmers look toward autumn for this year’s harvest.

This fall marks the fourth season of Farm Rescue’s planting and harvesting crops for those in need of volunteer assistance, as a result of major illness, injury or natural disaster.

Headquartered in Jamestown, Farm Rescue provides the equipment and manpower to plant and harvest a crop, free of charge, to qualifying families with viable farms in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana. A nonprofit organization, Farm Rescue is supported by both volunteer efforts and monetary donations of organizations, businesses or individuals.

“We recently re-launched our website at www.farmrescue. org so that farmers might see specifically what’s happening on the ground, answer questions regarding eligibility and to share stories of families that we are helping, firsthand,” Farm Rescue Director Pam Musland said.

“And our database is filled with volunteers prepared to work in the field or even help out in the office.”

Musland said with the help of over 100 sponsors, they have assisted with planting or harvesting 89 crops since 2006 and hope to reach their goal of duplicating last years’ efforts. Just 14 harvests are needed this fall to match 2008’s total.

Agriculture drives the economy at Jamestown, followed closely by manufacturing. The two balance one another as harvested area grains (soybeans, corn, wheat, barley and sunflower) provide the product for manufacturing plants.

Agricultural related production plants include both Cavendish Farms and Cargill Malt. Cavendish Farms processes frozen french fries from their Jamestown production plant, employing 250 people. Cargill Malt of Jamestown provides malt to breweries.

An expanded Cargill Malt processing plant resides within the new industrial complex east of Jamestown at the Spiritwood industrial park, and will operate with electricity provided by Otter Tail Power as well as utilize steam energy.

“Jamestown city wastewater will be treated at the wastewater treatment plant,” Jamestown City Administrator Jeff Fuchs said. “The water will then be turned to steam at Spiritwood Station and sold to Cargill Malt to be used as energy for the plant,” [electricity provided by Otter Tail Power].

“Any byproducts of that steam production will again return to the treatment plant for waste treatment.”

Currently under construction, Great River Energy’s Spiritwood Station will be the first coalbased combined heat and power plant in the state. Expected to go online in 2010, the station will be 40% efficient, initially, with gains of up to 66% effi ciency depending upon future occupants to the complex.

“State-of-the-art technologies make this plant highly efficient as it provides power generated through steam,” Great River Energy ND Communications Supervisor Lyndon Anderson said.

“The construction of the plant has resulted in more than 400 workers, making a good economic impact in the area.” As the industrial park and steam energy become a reality, so may wind energy.

“We are a desirable locale for wind turbine construction, due to our low population density,” Stutsman County Chief Operating Officer Noel Johnson said. “Wind energy activity is expected in our area, but we have nothing solid at this point.”

Johnson said their county offices recently completed a comprehensive re-write of the county zoning ordinance to accommodate industry, and are now prepared to welcome applications for wind turbine construction in the area.

“Business construction continues in the I-94 Business Park,” Jamestown Stutsman Development Corporation CEO Connie Ova said.

“The park is home to Stutsman Harley Davidson, Infinity Building Services and Ag-Country Farm Credit Services just moved into the park. We are finalizing plans to expand Buffalo City Diesel, too.”

The Jamestown community continues to grow area businesses as they work to attract new businesses. Additionally, there are opportunities for manufacturing and plant production, energy related business and rallies toward helping one another through crisis.

“We always knew the community was supportive,” Scholten said. “But it’s at times like this [evacuation] where the support is apparent.”

“The community is hosting a ‘flood party’ on August 28,” Ova said. “Held at ‘Sandbag Central’ [the civic center], we hired 32 Below and plan to serve burgers and brats to recognize those volunteers throughout our fl ooding experience.”

Story by TINA DING

About half a dozen workers sit around a table in the CiNCity Designs shop in Mandan, talking and laughing as they piece together the custom tail lights that the company is gaining global attention for.

According to Nic Cruz, CiNCity owner, there are reasons for the good feelings. Besides working on something he loves, the company recently won $10,000 through the most recent Innovate ND competition.

“It was pretty exciting,” he said.

The Innovate ND competition kicked off three years ago, but the idea for the program started in 2004. Bruce Gjovig, entrepreneurship coach and director of UND’s Center for Innovation, said he noticed several competitions across the nation for business plans, but none for complete ventures that would show how a company would implement a business plan.

He introduced the idea to the governor and others around the state. In 2005, the state Legislature funded the first Innovate ND program with $200,000 total for the first two years.

The competition was for the venture itself. It would be open to all people, from all ages, with any idea in any industry and from any location in the state. The first round of competitions began in the fall of 2006.

In early 2007, five winners were awarded $5,000 each for their venture proposals, which were judged by angel investors who had experience looking at possible deals. For the 2007-2008 competition, prize money doubled to $10,000.

This past year, a $500 People’s Choice Award was added. More than 4,200 online voters chose Forks Area Health and Wellness Center for the prize.

“We did not anticipate over 4,000 voters,” Gjovig said. “We were very pleased with the interest.”

The Legislature recently doubled the funding to $400,000 for the next two years, or $200,000 per year. This year, that money is matched with about $70,000 in cash from sponsors and around $200,000 worth of inkind matches from professionals willing to volunteer their services.

The idea seems to be catching on. Northwest Minnesota recently began a similar program, although it’s regional rather than statewide and isn’t as rigorous.

“We really expect a lot from our people,” Gjovig said. “We push them hard.”

Gjovig said the quality of marketing has gone up every year. He attributes it partially to the education participants receive.

For the $100 registration fee, participants receive software, a workbook and access to 40 podcasts designed to take them from the initial idea to a venture they can convince investors to invest in. Gjovig said some people register for the education alone but want to work at a slower pace than the competition allows.

For many of the participants, the education has been one of the most valuable pieces of the competition. “You’ve got a lot of interaction with professionals who have already been there and done that,” Cruz said.

“It really helps them know their innovation,” Gjovig said. “It’s really encouraging them to dig deep and dig hard.” The high expectations seem to be paying off. There were about 155 total participants for the fi rst two years. This past year, there were 93. “We’ve had a good 20 percent growth every year,” Gjovig said.

The real test of what Innovate ND can do is in the resulting businesses. Shane Goettle, state commerce department commissioner, said more than 25 percent of the 155 applicants from the fi rst two years have made money from their ideas so far. Including this past competition, there have been 16 cash prize winners.

For some of the fi rst winners, the competition made the difference in whether or not their idea would become a viable business. “It really allowed us to move from a couple of guys who had an idea for a product to a business,” said Dale Jensen, president of the software company Ntractive, one of the 2007 Innovate ND winners.

Jenson said without Innovate ND, the company would either not exist or he and his business partner, Justin Bartak, would still be working on the product instead of the business. Because of the competition, the company recently rolled out its fi rst product and is up to six employees.

Desert Don’s greenhouse, another 2007 winner that sells succulent plants like cacti online, has had a similar success story. Without the competition to get them started, “We probably wouldn’t have even pursued the idea,” said Phil Lowe, who owns the business with Don Vitko.

nnovate ND has certainly impacted CiNCity Designs. Cruz said he intends to use the money to hire more help, increase marketing and create an inventory so the company can sell products off the shelves.

From Goettle’s standpoint, it’s a refl ection of how the state’s emphasis on economic development is paying off. “The strength of these has just gotten better each year,” he said.

Photos courtesy of ND Chamber of Commerce. Pictured here is Gov. John Hoeven with Bruce Gjovig and Innovate ND winners.

Nikki Lamb and the FormulaNow team

We’ve all heard that famous quip about inventions being 99 percent perspiration and one percent genius – but a handful of area innovators recently honored by North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven can perhaps identify with Thomas Edison’s reasoning a little better than most.

On May 19, five people were named winners of the third annual Innovate ND competition, earning $10,000 in prize money as well as a package of in-kind services from area professionals to help establish and/or improve their fledgling businesses.

The winners are Nic Cruz of Mandan; Bob Heitkamp of Mantador; Nikki Lamb of West Fargo; Joe Williams of Fairborn, Ohio; and Paul Wolf of Mandan. Innovate ND was created in 2006 by Gov. Hoeven in partnership with the ND Department of Commerce, the UND Center of Innovation, and the UND Entrepreneur Department.

This year’s winners were selected from a fi eld of 95 entrants after providing a written summary of their invention or business and giving an oral presentation to the competition’s 12 judges.

“This program shows that innovators and entrepreneurs are alive and well and hard at work in North Dakota,” Gov. Hoeven said.

“These entrepreneurs are helping to build our future. They are innovative people who have a promising business idea and the desire to build that venture right here in our state.”

Here is a closer look at four of the winners from this year’s competition (Editor’s note: Nikki Lamb, creator of an infant formula dispensing system called FormulaNow, was unavailable to discuss her product by time of publication). Nic Cruz – CiNcity Designs LLC Two years ago, Nic Cruz says the idea for his business came looking for him – literally – over the Internet.

Cruz says while he was supporting his wife through chemotherapy sessions in Bismarck, he was surprised one day to open his e-mail inbox to fi nd a message from a man in Florida. The man had seen pictures online of a set of custom headlights Cruz had created for one of his old cars, and wanted to pay Cruz to do the same work for his own vehicle.

“That’s when the light bulb clicked on and I thought I might be able to do what I used to do for fun and make a little extra cash to make up for my wife not having work,“ Cruz said. And so, CiNcity Designs (the “N” is capitalized because he used his first name spelled backwards to create the title) was born after that first unintentional sale that ended with several thousand dollars in Cruz’s pocket and dreams of making his hobby his career.

Soon, Cruz was able to leave his private sector job and focus solely on growing his new company and expanding the product line.

Today, Cruz conducts his business largely on various Internet sites like MySpace and YouTube, where he posts photos and videos of custombuilt headlights and taillights. Cruz says for the most part, the business has grown simply by word of mouth and a large online presence.

He estimates just over 200 sets of custom lights have been assembled and shipped from his Mandan shop to customers in 21 countries – something Cruz says is a strong testament to his business.

“Having people contact us from non-English speaking countries to have a small shop from North Dakota do work for them speaks for itself,” Cruz said. “We must be doing something right!”

Cruz said the prize winnings from the Innovate ND contest will help cover costs to attend a large auto show in Las Vegas this year. He also plans to work on developing a line of LED home furnishings as well as a clothing line for the brand.

Bob Heitkamp – Site Saver

It was an extended hospital stay and an insurance form that combined to inspire Mantador entrepreneur Bob Heitkamp’s winning invention. During his 17-day hospitalization, Heitkamp needed to have an intravenous (IV) line inserted in his hand following two pulmonary emboli, and he found there to be problems with the stability and comfort of his IV.

So, Heitkamp sketched the first prototype of his Site Saver apparatus, which he said helps healthcare workers insert IV lines with more ease, provides more comfort for the patient and helps reduce the chance of the IV line slipping out of place.

The Site Saver is a small plastic support system, which Heitkamp says stabilizes and grips the tubing that delivers intravenous fluids into the body. Heitkamp, who lives in Mantador with his wife and two children, says creating the product was a new experience for him.

“I like trying new things and finding better ways to do things, but this is my first actual invention,” he said. Heitkamp has since started the company Midwest Applied Technologies and has trademarked the Site Saver name. He’s also filed necessary patents that would allow him to market the product to more than 180 countries.

The product is being tested by various medical personnel, but the feedback he’s already received has been “phenomenal.”

In addition to being named an Innovate ND Idea champion, Heitkamp also won the 2009 Marketplace for Entrepreneurs Northern Plains Invention Contest in January.

Paul Wolf – Light Check

Buying a boat gave North Dakota native Paul Wolf the chance to enjoy summers on the water – but it also introduced him to an irksome but necessary task: testing the lights on the trailer used to pull that boat behind a vehicle.

Making sure lights work on a boat trailer generally requires hooking the trailer up to a car and having one person sit inside it turning blinkers and brake lights on and off and having another person outside making sure all is working properly.

To Wolf, the process seemed a little too complicated. “I thought there had to be a simpler way to test trailer lights,” he said.

“I decided to purchase some sort of small device that could be connected to the trailer lights and allow testing them without needing a towing vehicle or second person. I was surprised that I could not find such a device, other than very expensive ones designed for large commercial trailers–so, I built one.”

What Wolf built is called the Light Check. The external, portable device works by connecting to trailer wiring and testing for shorts and failures in the trailer’s lights – no second person inside a car required. After he saw how well the device worked for his own situation, Wolf realized there were great possibilities for the product.

“After building the first one, I realized that there are millions and millions of trailers in use and that millions of people might be looking for a similar device,” he said.

Wolf is now hoping to develop and market the Light Check nationwide – and someday, worldwide. He’s also hoping to keep the development and manufacture of this and any other future products right here in North Dakota.

Joe Williams – Micro Systems Technologies

Developing technology is something Joe Williams is very familiar with. The Fairborn, Ohio, resident spent 23 years in the United States Air Force working to develop various technologies that are still being used by the USAF. But, after several years of working for other people, Williams decided he was ready to take on the risk of owning his own business, and started Micro System Technologies in hopes of bringing new and valuable technology from research to the market in a timely fashion.

Williams’ current project is a biosensor that can be used to detect low levels of chemical vapors. Williams said the major component of the biosensor is a biocartridge, which contains oceanic plant cells that can be modified to be extremely sensitive and react to small amounts of specific chemical vapors.

“Basically, the technology would detect very low chemical vapor concentrations that harm society and our resources,” Williams said. “[The sensor] allows a proactive response to eliminate or greatly reduce the effect the material would cause if undetected.”

Williams has high hopes that his technology could help save crops, water and even human lives because it would quickly alert its users of potentially dangerous substances that may be present.

“I believe this bio/nano technology will have a huge effect on today’s world and provide a means to limit loss of resource from chemical and biological agents,” Williams said. Williams is partnering with Dr. David Nivens to develop the technology, and is looking for investors.

In addition to being named a winner of the ND Innovators contest, Williams and Nivens were awarded the International Innovation Award from the Kuwait/Middle East Science community and received the Outstanding Inventor Award from the World Intellectual Property Organization, both in 2007.

Story by CAROLYN MOORE

Schultz’s pioneering work on building up local economies and revitalizing towns has been featured in publications such as USA Today, Forbes and BusinessWeek. Schultz, a Harvard MBA, established Boomtown Institute to better share his continuous research and knowledge. The Institute’s mission is, “To provoke innovative thinking, encourage leadership and foster investment in communities across the U.S.A.”

Schultz has spent much of his time over the past fi ve years on a speaking tour visiting 44 states and more than 400 communities, including about a dozen in North Dakota. A prolific writer, Schultz has written more than 1,800 blog entries (http://boomtownusa.blogspot. com) citing examples of rural communities that have excited and inspired him with their innovation and vision.

Improving a town’s entrepreneurial climate is paramount to its long-term viability. According to Schultz, status quo is not acceptable – small towns need to change or die. Unfortunately, too many will remain passive and age in place. He said, “Eventually a community will hit a tipping point where it is impossible to come back. That is the challenge for small towns. They need to reinvent themselves and that takes a signifi cant amount of effort and vision.”

Business Watch recently spent a morning with Jack Schultz talking about his newly released list, “Ten Things I’d Do in Every Town.”

BW: You are a list maker. In the past you have published an annual “Top 10 Trends List.” What led to this new list, “Ten Things I’d Do in Every Town?”

JS: I’ve been traveling and speaking for more than five years now and I felt it was time for some reflection. This list summarizes what I would do in small communities if I had a magic wand.

BW: What size of town are you speaking to?

JS: I work with communities under 52,000 in population, but I would say the sweet spot for me is fewer than 20,000. Each of the 10 concepts on my list could be accomplished by communities as small as a couple of thousand people. I admit, not all of the things on my list can be done in a town of 200 people, but they could be accomplished by a county, or by several small communities working together.

BW: You highlight community foundations. Tell us about how that might work in North Dakota?

JS: When I was in North Dakota, I talked to a banker who said that almost invariably when an older community member dies, the family comes home and after the funeral the heirs go down to the bank to cash out the CDs, they quickly sell the farm and all that money goes out of state. If community members would establish legacy funds that would donate 5 to 10 percent of their estates to their communities, think of how those communities could be bettered; if you get 20 people to give back even that small amount, suddenly you have $2 million dollars.

BW: Brain drain is a signifi – cant problem in the upper Midwest. You note that the North Dakota Ambassadors program is one of the best that you have seen in your travels.

JS: Communities need to stay in touch with their high school and college graduates who have moved away. The North Dakota Ambassadors program understands that. I recommend that communities stay in touch with former residents by e-mail or letter. There is a homing instinct that will take place when members of Generation Y, currently ages 12-27, get married and have children – they want to come back. Let them know what the opportunities are in their hometowns.

BW: North Dakota has many new young professional (YP) groups. Why are these important?

JS: I am seeing YP groups popping up all over. They are a way for young people to connect with each other. This is especially important when a community’s demographics are skewed to senior citizens. YPs don’t read the newspaper, for example; they are often not linked to their communities in a meaningful way. YP groups are one way to make that link.

BW: You write a lot about entrepreneurial education at a young age. Why is that important to a community?

JS: Entrepreneurial lessons and ideas should be taken into high schools as well as the lower grades. Research is showing that often kids are making decisions regarding their careers as young as third grade. We like to talk about the BYOB lesson: Be Your Own Boss. The good news is that this is the most entrepreneurial generation ever.

Story by DEB DRAGSETH

The resulting product must stand out in a crowd. “At United Printing, we strive to put together quality design, good copy and good photography – doing an all around good job, as we provide quality customer service with an intelligent, experienced staff,” Ken Bischof, president and CEO of United Printing said, United Printing is a recognized name in the Bismarck-Mandan community.

Founder and shareholder Joe Hauer opened United Printing in 1965, continually growing and changing up products, services, and technology to better serve clients and maintain a technological edge in the print arena. A provider of marketing, design, printing, binding and mailing services, the business leapt to include – and further develop – additional modern print services when it merged with Spit’n Image in 2002.

Today, United Printing provides immeasurable services and products in both print and communications, with print products ranging from business cards to full vehicle wraps. Everything from digital print, quick print and copying as well as other marketing, print and communications services bring new and existing customers to United Printing for a one-stop printing experience.

In order to provide this streamlined experience, the company first focuses on taking the time to sit down with clients to determine specific needs. Bringing a wealth of experience and an industry background to the table, client’s product needs are tailored specifi cally to their project.

Once personalized customer service is achieved, United Printing moves to production. Since they continually ramp up their production equipment, state-of-the-art presses bring them to the forefront in print technology.

“Over the last six months we added a new Heidelberg press,” Bischof said. “We are now able to provide cutting, binding and printing much more efficiently.The press runs twice as fast.”

Bischof said they have multiple presses on the floor, allowing different size and format options for print. Further, he said the varying presses allow a customer’s product to be coupled with the most economic printing option. And when selecting their newest equipment, United Printing chose the press that offered the latest in technology.

“This press sets up the print job for us – giving us a technology advantage – with no manual intervention,” Bischof said of the Heidelberg press. “Capable of calling up previous print jobs, the press runs highly accurate color and density, making printing adjustments as it deems necessary, creating quality results.”

Recognizing the ever-changing needs of both their new and existing customers, United Printing delved into online services. And it’s simple. The digital storefront is accessed from their homepage at: www.unitedprinting. com , followed by scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking on the ‘on-line u-print storefront’ space.

Three categories provide customers with options to price brochure jobs, gain access to current promotions or to delve into designing business cards online, independently. Utilizing the ‘business card builder’, an array of fonts, backgrounds and templates offer clients an opportunity to build personalized business cards at their convenience – ordering and paying online.

“We’re working more and more to develop options for customers to obtain price quotes for items such as fl yers – online,” Bischof said. “A goal is to facilitate orders through the Website, giving customers instant access, instant pricing.”

Businesses with multiple staff members (such as real estate companies) may choose to develop a unique storefront under the umbrella of the United Printing site.

Within their site, business owners may incorporate store approved business cards, brochures, letterheads, postcards or direct mailed pieces to be individually edited and submitted for print by each staff member, simplifying the company’s paperwork flow – particularly among new employees, for instance.

By striving to meet all customer needs, a professional marketing team of both graphic artists and sales consultants walk clients from design to production to create eye-catching products from fl yers to brochures and postcards or from vehicle wraps to wall murals.

Or by utilizing United Printing’s online shopping opportunities, customers may choose to create their pieces independently – encouraging individuality. Bischof said United Printing is all about putting products in front of their customer to provide them with a good marketing presence – to help their clients stand out in a crowd.

-By Tina Ding

A strong and independent business base is essential for building what economists call a “local, living community.” Although certainly not a new movement, a “buy local” philosophy becomes even more important during an economic downturn as economic growth is driven by small and startup businesses.

Gregg Vanourek, co-author of the popular new book, Life Entrepreneurs: Ordinary People Creating Extraordinary Lives, and keynote speaker at Dickinson State University’s recent Strom Entrepreneurial Conference, noted that many of today’s largest and most successful businesses began during The Great Depression.

Motorola, Xerox, Revlon, Converse and Hewlett-Packard are just a sampling of enterprises founded during an economic time that was much tougher than we are facing today. Vanourek told Business Watch that entrepreneurs should understand that industry opportunities are often countercyclical.

During times of economic malaise, essential consumables such as health care and groceries tend to be resistant to recessionary pressures while sales of luxury products such as European vacations, diamond rings and swimming pools tend to suffer.

“The entrepreneur should focus his or her radar on opportunity exploitation,” said Vanourek. “Large companies are complex. Small companies have the advantage of being more nimble and quick to respond to the needs of their markets.”

A recent national study found that only 17 percent of Americans, just one out of six adults, buy local “as often as possible.” North Dakota retailers, farms and manufacturers are the lifeblood of our communities.

Many are family-owned and have been in operation for generations. Business Watch would like to introduce our readers to four western North Dakota producers, who are all members of Pride of Dakota, a marketing program that showcases North Dakota-made products.

Catherine’s for Lamb

www.catherinesforlamb.com Native New Zealander Catherine “Kate” Monro came to North Dakota on a holiday. While here, she met and fell in love with Kent Pfennig.

“In New Zealand,” Monro said, “lamb is as popular as beef is here. I missed having access to high-quality lamb, so I started raising my own on our Driscoll farm.”

Fifteen years later, Monro has 350 breeding ewes and a growing business. Her dream is to be “the Omaha Steaks of lamb.” Marketing lamb has been a bit of an uphill battle in North Dakota according to Kate.

“On average, Americans eat less than one half pound of lamb a year; in New Zealand, that number is over 40 pounds per person.”

On the positive side, people are becoming more and more concerned about sustainability and where their food comes from, a plus for companies like Catherine’s for Lamb that provide all-natural, grass fed meat.

The company relies on the Internet to reach out beyond their small community to a larger market. “On a good Friday night, with all my family visiting,” according to Monro, “Driscoll may boast 100 people.”

Another challenge for the company is that there is no infrastructure for processing lamb in North Dakota. Catherine’s for Lamb uses a familyowned processing facility 140 miles away in Parshall.

Monro is about to release a line of mint sauce and jelly that will be manufactured by fellow Pride of Dakota member Mabel’s Taste of Home. She will also be offering frozen dinner kits for Irish stew and slowcooked pot roast.

Catherine’s for Lamb can be purchased in grocery stores in Bismarck, Dickinson and Fargo. It’s served at the Pirogue Grill and Mr. Delicious restaurants in Bismarck and 10 North Main in Minot.

Bessy’s Best, LLC

Blaine and Cathy Goetz are up and working most mornings by 4:00. After milking for 30 years on their second and third generation farm northeast of Sterling, the family decided in 2008 to start a processing plant, producing and distributing natural, whole milk.

The family’s motto is: From the cow, to the bottle, to the store, nothing is added or taken out. Marketing has not been a problem for the dairy.

Goetz said that local television interviews have helped get their product known, but the most effective marketing technique is taking the farm to the city by demonstrating the milk in grocery stores.

Bessy’s Best is priced comparatively to other milk brands, and has only 20 more calories per glass than 2 percent milk. The family noted that people are surprised at the freshness and quality of their product and often become fans after their first taste.

Bessy’s Best milk is sold at Dan’s Supermarkets in Dickinson and Bismarck and Cashwise Supermarket in Bismarck. Or, they invite you to stop out at the farm, grab a half gallon out of the refrigerator in the barn and leave your payment in the nearby can.

Badlands Brew Coffee Bar & Roasterie

www.badlandsbrew.com A former teacher looking for a new challenge, Dana Kostelecky knew that she also wanted to be home with her family on nights and weekends. Badlands Brew offered her everything that she was looking for in an entrepreneurial venture.

Located in a circa 1886 former Episcopalian church on Sims Street in downtown Dickinson, the quaint coffee and sandwich shop roasts coffee on site and offers house blends including Medora, Bully and Roughrider.

In fact, the shop’s entire menu echoes one of the Badlands most famous residents, Teddy Roosevelt, who was known to worship at the church. Kostelecky enjoys fostering partnerships with other local businesses.

“We use milk from Bessy’s Best dairy, baked goods from Baker Boy, and sell gift items manufactured by our fellow entrepreneurs who are members of Pride of North Dakota,” she said.

Lapp’s Bakery, LLC

www.lappskuchen.com Myron and Betty Lapp love to tell people that their popular kuchen recipe “takes over where Grandma left off.” Lapp’s bakery sells 30 flavors of kuchen, a German dessert, in retail outlets spanning five states.

Having been in the grocery business for 40 years, the Lapps knew they didn’t want to put their own product on the shelves unless it was the best on the market, and they believe that it is.

After experimenting with many different recipes and with area cooks of German descent, they finally hit on the perfect recipe. The Lapps have enlarged their bakery five times in the past 10 years to support the baking of their all natural, nopreservatives kuchen.

They deliver the product themselves within 100 miles of Hebron, but rely on distributors to take the product farther into the marketplace.

Myron noted, “Since we use distributors, we don’t always know where our kuchen will show up; once we shipped our kuchen to the Pentagon for a Cherry Blossom Festival—that was pretty neat.”