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GFMEDC Smart Brief

Fargo Moorhead MSA has an unemployment rate of 2.2% (not seasonally adjusted) compared to the U.S. unemployment rate of 5.2%. To see the GFMEDC's latest economic indicators, please check out the following link.

September Economic Indicators

President's Report - EDC's core mission of business development remains strong alongside our efforts to attract and retain a qualified workforce

I had the opportunity to speak at a conference in Brookings, SD recently and during one of the breakout sessions, I spoke to Tim Reed, the Mayor of Brookings about current issues affecting their community.

It was no surprise that his first point was lack of workforce, followed by their goals in helping to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem for long-term growth. His next comments caught my attention. He was concerned that they were focusing so much on workforce that the process of attracting new businesses was being neglected.

It occurred to me while the Mayor was talking that I have spent a great deal of time talking about workforce and entrepreneurial issues and need to communicate more about our focus on our core mission of business engagement and attraction.

The EDC's focus is on our primary-sector businesses in the Cass/Clay region. During the first nine months of 2015, we made 117 business retention visits. This core program gives us the ability to understand the current needs of our industry sectors within our market.

The EDC also continues to work on targeted attraction opportunities. Due to the low unemployment in our region, we are conscious not to focus on attraction opportunities that could have a negative impact on our existing businesses. With this said, we have a clear and defined strategy in attracting new opportunities to our region.

We have identified the following sectors as attraction opportunities:

Distribution Facilities

Data Centers

UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems)

E-Commerce Companies

Software Development Companies

Precision Agriculture

Even though you might see more coverage on two of our other core focus areas, workforce and entrepreneurial development our business development process is alive and well and is the very foundation of our activities.

Three local ribbon cuttings reflect a strength in the FM economy

Despite declines in agriculture and oil sectors, three local expansions speak to the strength of our Fargo Moorhead metro economy. These three companies are the most recent examples of expansion activity and are part of several years' worth of steady growth and expansion in the region.

Evolution1 recently celebrated a new building adding 40,000 square feet to their overall footprint. The currently have about 150 employees in Fargo and expect to double within the next few years.

Bobcat Company recently doubled the size of it's West Fargo location bringing their facility to roughly 71,000 feet. They plan to add 75 new positions locally within the next few years.

Appareo purchased the former Alien Technology building and more than doubled the size of their Fargo headquarters. Now named the Appareo Horizon building, approximately three-quarters of the space is dedicated to manufacturing.

The GFMEDC's role

Through business retention visits, the GFMEDC meets with companies regularly. Our organization was able to work alongside the companies to connect them to state resources during their expansions.

Our "Build" Video shines a spotlight on some of the local construction in the FM area

What's the story of Fargo Moorhead? One story is of "building". Although it may not be quite as interesting as the fun restaurants, the many music and artistic venues or the excitement of sporting events, we have a lot of new construction going up in Fargo Moorhead. It's a story of growth and prosperity. This is a tiny glimpse of that. Enjoy (and share)!

Manufacturing tour exposes more than 240 students to metro area manufacturing companies in it's third year

More than 240 students recently got a firsthand look at what a career in manufacturing could look like.

Organized by the GFMEDC, students toured four of six companies that opened up their manufacturing floors for the one-day visitors.

The tours were organized by the GFMEDC as part of a larger strategy to educate and inform students about the opportunities in the manufacturing industry. Students got a firsthand look at the careers and learned about the potential wages in manufacturing.

Companies that took part in the tours were: John Deere Electronic Solutions, Caterpillar Reman, Trail King Industries, Integrity Windows Aldevron and Appareo

Participating schools were West Fargo Public, Fargo Public, Oak Grove and Moorhead Area Public.

The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) awards the EDC with a bronze award for our 2013 Annual Report

Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation received a Bronze Excellence in Economic Development Award for its 2015 project in the category of Annual Report for communities with populations of 200,000-500,000 from the

(IEDC).

The honor was presented at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, October 6, during the 2015 IEDC Annual Conference.

"From localized community projects, to large scale endeavors, economic developmentefforts have played a vital role in the global economy," saidJoAnn Crary, CEcD, Chair of the International Economic Development Council and President of Saginaw Future Inc. "As we address new and longstanding challenges, these efforts continue to take on even greater importance. The award serves as a salute to pacesetting organizations like the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporationfor leading the charge."

Recipients of IEDC's Excellence in Economic Development Awards demonstrate to an experienced panel of judges that they are at the forefront of the economic development profession. They are recognized as the world's best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year's most influential leaders. These awards honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities.

GFMEDC supports an FM Metro presence at the Tech.Co's Celebrate Conference in Las Vegas

The Fargo Moorhead entrepreneurial scene was well represented in Las Vegas at the 2015 Tech.Co Celebrate conference in October.

Local startups Botlink and Sky Blue Technology were s

Sky Blue Technology talking about their company at TechCo's Celebrate Conference in Las Vegas

elected as winners of the Tech.Co Fargo Startup of the Year online voting competition. The two competed against 50 other startups from around the country for the Startup of the Year title and a share of $250,000 in prizes. InnovativeMother and Medytex also attended.

As one of the featured event presenters, Greg Tehven, Emerging Prairie, talked about Fargo Moorhead's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem during his presentation "Create The Community You Want To Be Part Of".

To ensure Fargo Moorhead's representation at the national pitch competition, the GFMEDC facilitated Tech.Co's local voting poll for the second year in a row and assists the local startups with travel and accommodation expenses.

Tech.Co's Celebrate Conference brings together industry leaders, entrepreneurs, startup founders, creative technologists, designers, investors, community builders and media in an fun, intimate and interactive environment to learn, discover and engage.

We need your help!! We want a full house at our biggest party yet! Please encourage your new (and newish - 6 days or 6 years) employees to attend GFMEDC's upcoming Smart Connections Event. And join us yourself!

EDC sponsors documentary viewing "Code - Debugging the Gender Gap" at the Fargo Theatre

Girl Develop It Fargo, a local non profit organization, is bringing the documentary "Code - Debugging the Gender Gap". The documentary is intended to expose the lack of American female and minority software engineers and explore the reason for the gap.

"Code - Debugging the Gender Gap"

October 22, 2015

Fargo Theatre

Social: 6:30

Showtime: 8:00

It's free to attend.
Tickets

The GFMEDC is sponsoring the event.

Girl Develop It is a national nonprofit aimed at providing accessible and affordable web and software development classes to women as well as a community of support for women in technology.

The EDC is looking for a few good "Partners in the Classroom" (formerly Speakers Bureau)

In case you missed it, check out our GFMEDC Annual Meeting Video on YouTube

GFMEDC Annual Report

Our annual report is now available. Please request hard copies or check it out online.

If you would like to glance at our Annual Meeting Slides, click here.

A spotlight on our strategic plan...

Here at the GFMEDC, we recently took a little time to review challenges and opportunities within the regional economic landscape. We developed a five-year strategic plan that provides a framework for five new priorities. You can see the complete plan on our website under What We Do.

GFMEDC Strategic Plan

Priority 1: Facilitate the Attraction of Talent to the Region

Priority 2: Encourage the Expansion and Increase the Awareness of Technical Training, Higher Education, STEM Education and Associated Career Opportunities

Priority 3: Advance an Advocacy Agenda and Communicate Economic Impact

Priority 4: Leverage Existing and Emerging Regional Industry Base and NDSU Research and

Technology Park resources for Business Retention, Expansion and Start-up

Priority 5:

Continue the Development of the Region's Entrepreneurial Eco-System

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 Lisa Gulland-Nelson at lgnelson@gfmedc.com. Thank you!

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.