Author: leahb

By: Ryan Boschee, 2024 Board Chair

I am honored to serve this year as the Chair of the Board for the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. Our organization has served as the catalyst for economic development efforts since the 1950s and will continue to be a valuable partner in development efforts moving forward.

As we enter 2024, Foundation Park continues to be the right decision for Sioux Falls. Conceived in 2015 as a partnership effort to lure a large manufacturing project to Sioux Falls, the Development Foundation worked with the City, the State and Forward Sioux Falls to develop the 1,000-acre industrial park. The purpose was to attract new companies and help existing companies to grow and expand, which would raise the tax base and create jobs and opportunities in the region. In 2017, we were able to attract our first tenant and the growth continued.

Today, Foundation Park generates over $6 million in property taxes annually, has contributed over $12 million in development fees and is home to over 2,500 jobs. With over 500 acres remaining to sell and with CJ Foods and Avera/Owens Minor preparing to build this summer, the growth and development continues, promising to double the jobs and continue adding tax base and fees for the community.

In addition, the Foundation continues to work with existing businesses in helping to grow their businesses; assisting 21 companies with growth and expansion plans last year. This has led to Site Selection Magazine ranking Sioux Falls #1 in the country per capita for new and expansion projects.

Workforce development has also been a key element of our efforts. Since 2018, the Development Foundation has led efforts to recruit and retain talent in the Sioux Falls region. Working with employers, universities, tech schools and local high schools, the Foundation has created a pipeline of talent for local employers and helped grow our labor and talent pool.

What our forefathers started over 60 years ago is thriving today, making Sioux Falls a growing and thriving metropolitan area now recognized nationally for responsible growth. The Development Foundation is in a good position to continue our progress and will look for new and creative ways to help the Sioux Falls region thrive. I look forward to leading the Board this year and to working with staff and community leadership to seek new solutions to our challenges.

By: Mitch Rave, Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Public Policy

During the 2024 South Dakota Legislative Session, the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber advocated on several exciting issues that continue to promote the business community by advocating for economic growth, education, workforce, and so much more. Below, you can read about a handful of initiatives that were passed by the 2024 Legislative body that the Chamber was actively engaged on this session.

Economic Growth

Infrastructure

One of the biggest wins for the Chamber this year was securing $10 million in funding for a grant program that will allow airports across the state to access dollars to improve and expand their current facilities. This is an exciting step, as the Sioux Falls Regional Airport is currently planning to expand their terminal and gate space to accommodate a continuously growing volume of flights.

There were also exciting developments regarding water and wastewater. Over $130 million in American Rescue Plan dollars were appropriated to update and expand wastewater and freshwater infrastructure across South Dakota. Thanks to this major investment, communities across South Dakota will be able to continue to accommodate the growth we are seeing both in the business community and with our increased number of residents.

Carbon Pipelines, Corn Producers, and Landowner Rights

During the session, there were over a dozen bills introduced on each side of the issue, and at the end of session three major pieces of legislation were passed and signed by Governor Noem. SB 201, HB 1185, and HB 1186. Together, these three bills create curbs and gutters around surveying regulations, landowner and county compensation for the project, and protections for private property owners as well. The goal of these pieces of legislation is to ensure that South Dakota remains open for business for large scale linear projects, especially ones that provide such a benefit to our agriculture industry, but also gives our private property owners the rights and protections they deserve. Thanks to these compromises, the agriculture industry may be able to see considerable increases in their products at market if the project goes through as planned.

Education and Workforce

A 4% increase in funding for our K-12 education system was approved for Fiscal Year 2025, along with SB 127 which provides a targeted ongoing benchmark for teacher salary increases. Together these two initiatives show continued support for both our educators and children in South Dakota.

SB 45 provides an appropriation to create a new curriculum for quantum computing at some of our South Dakota regental universities. This will allow our students to step into an emerging industry and be on the cutting edge of the next generation of computer sciences.

On the topic of the workforce, this year the legislature passed some additional licensure compacts in the healthcare industry to help garner more workforce in the long-term care space. Also, a deep dive into the issues surrounding available and affordable childcare will be addressed this legislative offseason. Legislators and stakeholders will get together to determine what steps can be taken to help alleviate this issue felt across the state and in every industry.

Closing

I want to thank all our members for being so vocal and engaged with our public policy team here at the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber during this legislative session. It is only with your continued input, engagement, and support that we can be effective advocates for the business community at every level of government.

By: Bob Mundt, President/CEO

According to the results of Area Development’s 38th annual Corporate Survey, the availability of skilled labor is still the number-one priority for corporate executives when looking to locate a new facility or expand an existing one. What has, however, increased dramatically in importance over the 38-year course of the survey is quality of life. This may be responsible for many companies choosing smaller cities with a good quality of life for their next location project rather than larger metro areas.

In fact, quality of life considerations, which are so important in attracting skilled labor, rank higher in this year’s Corporate Survey when compared to universally important factors such as labor costs and occupancy and construction costs. The focus on quality of life is likely to continue as companies reimagine their workplaces and seek to cater to a much more mobile workforce. Quality of life and “quality of place” are seen as an indicator of whether a new location will be a match for a company’s existing corporate culture and values.

The proposed Riverline District and the development of a new “City Center” anchoring downtown at that location combined with the proposal to transition the existing convention center into an indoor recreation space for children and families is truly visionary. This forward-thinking plan for the future addresses multiple factors in building that quality of life that is so important to corporate expansions and locations as well as helping to recruit more talent and skilled labor to our region.

The Sioux Falls region is ideally positioned to take advantage of these new trends as our communities do an excellent job of building quality of place while controlling other costs of development. With the creation of Foundation Park and the ability to live in the community of your choice, we are finding these new selling points to be in our favor. Keep up the great work everyone.

Since its inception in 2021, UPSKILL Sioux Falls has been at the forefront of addressing workforce challenges in our community. In a strategic partnership with Southeast Technical College, this initiative rolled out specialized training programs for Class A and Class B Certified Drivers Licenses, significantly bolstering the local talent pool to meet the evolving needs of Sioux Falls businesses.

As we navigate through 2024, the results of these efforts have been nothing short of transformative. Nearly 300 drivers and managers have benefitted from this targeted training, enhancing their skills and advancing their careers. Moreover, the program’s financial incentives have been a game changer for local enterprises. Eligible businesses can receive up to 50% reimbursement for the costs associated with both internal and external training programs. “The reimbursements have enabled us to cross-train our staff more effectively, allowing us to serve our customers with greater efficiency,” commented a local small business owner.

Expanding on its success, UPSKILL Sioux Falls has broadened its horizon to encompass additional critical sectors such as healthcare, construction, and building trades in 2024. This expansion not only diversifies the skill sets within our workforce but also opens up new avenues for employee development and business growth.

Denise Guzzetta, Vice President of Talent and Workforce for the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, emphasizes the program’s strategic importance. “By supporting our employers in their efforts to retain and enhance the skills of their workforce in key areas like construction, healthcare, and transportation, we are laying a solid foundation for the sustainable growth of our local economy.”

**A Call to Action for Sioux Falls Businesses**

We encourage local businesses to leverage this unique opportunity to upskill their employees, foster a more dynamic workforce, and contribute to the economic vitality of the Sioux Falls region. Together, we can achieve remarkable milestones in workforce development and ensure a prosperous future for our community.

For more information on how to participate in UPSKILL Sioux Falls and take advantage of training reimbursements, please contact Denise Guzzetta at 605-595-4355 or deniseg@siouxfalls.com.