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New Investors
PRACS Institute, LLC
The Marvin Companies
NAU Country Insurance Co.
Gremada Industries
Wanzek
The Title Company |
Thank you to our new and current investors for your commitment to the Greater Fargo Moorhead EDC and economic development. | |
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Photo Courtesy of Fargo Moorhead CVB |
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Greetings!
Fargo Moorhead MSA has an unemployment rate sitting at 2.8% (not seasonally adjusted) compared to the U.S. unemployment rate of 7.6%. To see the GFMEDC's latest economic indicators, please check out the following link.
October Economic Indicators
The GFMEDC also participates in the collection of data related to cost of living. Information for the ACCRA survey is compiled three times per year. The average cost of living index is 100. Fargo Moorhead MSA's cost of living index is 95.2 well below New York, the city with the highest cost of living index at 229.6.
Third Quarter ACCRA
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President's Report - Putting the board of directors to work!
The organization has received numerous offers of assistance from board members and investors over the past several months, and the organization continues to benefit from great advice, direction and support.
Last summer, the organization began forming advisory committees to draw on the incredible knowledge of board members and investors. These committees would support and advise staff both strategically and operationally allowing greater involvement in our regional economic development process.
The following Committees are being formed and hopefully will be operational in January 2013.
- Administrative - Finance and fundraising, staff support Jim Gartin/Libby Larson
- Municipal - Fostering collaborative process between business and government, staff support John Machacek
- Business Development - The expansion, retention and attraction process, staff support Don Berg
- Workforce Development - The development of comprehensive Workforce strategies, staff support Tifanie Gelinske
- Entrepreneurial Development - Fostering a climate for entrepreneurial success, staff support Jim Gartin
- Marketing - Establishing/implementation of our regional brand, staff support Lisa Gulland Nelson
The process would ask each GFMEDC Board member to participate in one of the six above outlined committees and additional members will be filled in from our EDC investor list.
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The Red River Valley Research Initiative names Tammy Miller, Border States Electric CEO and Steve Burian, President AE2S as co-chairs
The initiative is aimed at bringing together universities and economic development organizations in the Red River Valley along both sides of the river. It promises to be one of the most comprehensive strategic plans the region has seen.
The idea was initiated by Bill Marcil Sr., Forum Communications, who committed $100,000. Marcil Sr. also committed to raising additional funds to support an economic development study evaluating strengths and challenges along the Red River Valley.
The group is soliciting proposals from consulting firms with extensive experience providing strategic planning services to economic development organizations. The effort will lead to the development of a comprehensive economic development plan for the Red River Valley region of North Dakota and Minnesota.
The group expects the consulting work to be completed by August 2013 resulting in a document that lays out a three to five year strategic plan. |
Western Oil Boom "in the first inning" according to panelists at a recent Bakken Infrastructure Conference
Roughly 150 people attended a conference in Denver focused on opportunities related to oil production in Western North Dakota.
GFMEDC staff attended the conference which highlighted potential investment opportunities, challenges related to the growth and the impact of planned infrastructure upgrades.
According to some figures, North Dakota's population could swell to somewhere between 800,000 and one million people over the next ten years. The 2011 Census estimates put the state's population at roughly 680,000.
Here are a few other notable conference comments:
$94,000: The average salary for an oil worker out west.
$215 million: Amount of building permits in Dickinson within the past twelve months.
45,000: Dickinson's expected population in the next ten to twelve years. The city's current populations is roughly 18,000. |
American Airlines adds non-stop Dallas/Fort Worth Service
American Airlines announced that starting February 14, 2013, it is adding non-stop service between Fargo and Dallas/Fort Worth.
"We are very excited about American Airlines decision to add Dallas service and increase their presence in Fargo with the additional route," said Shawn Dobberstein, Fargo Municipal Airport Authority Executive Director. "The Dallas route will bring significant benefits to area leisure and business travelers and is consistent with our community's economic plan."
"In today's global economy, air service is and will continue to be critical business infrastructure. It is a major factor in our community's efforts to retain and grow jobs. It also affects the quality of life for residents, and we are excited about the opportunity for this additional route to Dallas." said Jim Gartin, GFMEDC President.
FMAA was able to secure a $750,000 Small Community Air Service Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. That grant along with contributions from the GFMEDC, the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce Fargo Moorhead West Fargo helped secure American service to Dallas/Fort Worth.
"We believe the addition of American Airlines will immediately benefit area businesses with better access to international markets and potentially serve as a springboard to additional hubs in the future," said Brad Schlossman, GFMEDC Board Chair.
American Airlines began service between Fargo and Chicago in April 2010. |
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IdeaOne is now Enventis, adds cable lines in Moorhead
IdeaOne recently became Enventis serving the greater Fargo-Moorhead area with voice and data services to businesses and residential customers. HickoryTech (Nasdaq: HTCO), a Minnesota-based communications provider, acquired IdeaOne earlier this year and recently rebranded the Fargo operations as Enventis. A local team of approximately 40 employees will continue to provide quality support to Fargo area customers and the community.
"As a long standing local, communications provider serving Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo, we are excited to announce expanded services through Enventis," said Bob Johnson, director of sales at Enventis. "Enventis has a strong commitment to the Fargo area and business community. With a five-state, regional fiber network which directly connects to our Fargo metro network, we are well positioned to provide advanced communication services that will help businesses grow and enjoy the many benefits of broadband services. Enventis is proud to be a part of this community and help bring advanced broadband and data services to this region."
Enventis is expanding its regional fiber network by way of its Greater Minnesota Broadband Collaborative Project, which includes a 155-mile fiber build from Brainerd, Minn. to Moorhead, Minnesota which is currently under construction and planned to be completed by next summer. This project will enable long-haul fiber services and benefit public service agencies such as libraries, police departments, city governments and the citizens they serve. It also has the potential to link universities together, and to link various community health care clinics and hospitals advancing telemedicine and lowering health care costs. The $24 million project is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration as well as an investment by Enventis.
A ribbon cutting will take place on December 4 at 4 p.m. at Enventis' Fargo office, located at 3312 42nd Street South. To learn more about Enventis, visit www.enventis.com or call 701-356-6000. |
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In the news...
The Fargo Moorhead MSA makes #12 on the list Top College Towns in the United States by the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER). The publication lists the top 75 college destinations grouped by total residential populations.
Read more |
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CareerFM wants your jobs
Please remember that your investment includes the opportunity to post your jobs on CareerFM.com. We ask that you limit the jobs to degree-required positions in the Fargo Moorhead Metro.
Your jobs enhance our website and allow us to better market the region to potential residents. We appreciate your help! |
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Do you have news to share?
If you have news items you would like included in an upcoming newsletter, please send the ideas or articles to lgnelson@gfmedc.com. Thank you! |
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The mission of the GFMEDC is to grow and diversify the economy in Cass County, ND and Clay County, Minn. through the attraction, retention and expansion of primary-sector employers.
A primary-sector company is one that brings new wealth into the community through the sale of its goods and services outside the trade area. This new wealth circulates and supports all other sectors of the local economy, thus making the primary sector the principle driver of economic growth.
Thank you for your continued support of the Greater Fargo Moorhead EDC and economic development. We look forward to your feedback.
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