Author: meganjansick

Builders Bringing 70 New Home Lots to Valley Springs

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A (17 residential lot) development that hadn’t seen action in seven years, and we filled that up.

The plan was that builders Ron and Lori Kuipers would move to Valley Springs, build a house as part of a larger development and call it home.

“That was the intention,” Ron Kuipers acknowledged. “But everything we’ve built has sold.”

So for now, the owners of Homestead Construction are living in what he calls a “shous” – a shed converted into a house – while helping their new community take shape around them.

“When we came five years ago, there was nobody building here,” he said. “That’s either a good thing or a bad thing.”

They quickly found out it was an opportunity waiting to be seized.

They purchased 17 residential lots on the southwest side of town from “a development that hadn’t seen action in seven years, and we filled that up,” Kuipers said. “It was either leave town or keep going.”

They decided to keep going.

Their new 30-acre development, Homestead at Valley View, is just to the south of where they were building, and they hope to build on their success.

“We’ll have about 70 homes,” Kuipers said.

“We decided to start one over the winter, and we’re close to having it done, but that’s the only inventory available, so there’s definitely a need.”

You read that right: It’s the only available home in Valley Springs.

The community of about 760 people as of the 2010 census has grown steadily in recent years, with demand from residents looking to take advantage of more affordable living and a small-town feel within the Brandon Valley School District.

Valley Springs is absolutely a community on the rise

Jesse Fonkert, SMGA Executive Director

“Valley Springs is absolutely a community on the rise,” said Jesse Fonkert, executive director of the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.

“The investment that Homestead Construction is making to bring much-needed homes to this area is such a win – for them, for residents looking to move in or move up and for overall economic growth of the community.”

Valley Springs “is just a tight-knit, close, friendly community,” Kuipers agreed. “You’re five minutes from Brandon, 15 minutes from the east side of Sioux Falls and about 20 minutes from the west side. It takes you longer to get across Sioux Falls.”

The Kuipers also are setting aside 6 acres of their development for commercial use.

“The intention is to draw a convenience store or Dollar General or something like that,” he said. “And the property is along the highway, so as even more people move in, we think it will be an attractive commercial location.”

Homestead Construction has finished water and sewer infrastructure, and the plan is to build streets and be ready for curb and gutter this spring.

There are 25 lots ready to sell now, ranging from $40,000 to $48,000. There are options for twin homes as well as single family.

“We have one sold, and we’re starting construction in April, so we’ll probably see three houses going up in April because we’re planning a spec house and working on plans with another client to start.”

Buyers can work with any builder, he said. Homes likely will range from $300,000 to $600,000.

“We’ve specialized in the move-up or second home,” Kuipers said.

As for their own home? That’s still in the plan too.

“Builders are always the last ones to get their house. But we do have intentions on building our house this year,” he said. “We’re just enjoying being part of the community and going about it having fun.”

Sioux Metro Growth Alliance Hires Ryan Solberg, Launches New Service

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The Board of Directors for Lincoln and Minnehaha County Economic Development Associations (LCEDA/MCEDA) approved a new service at their March board meeting. Starting in May, investor communities will be able to contract with the newly consolidated Sioux Metro Growth Alliance (SMGA) for economic development management services. This new service is designed to compliment the existing support offered by the SMGA and is available for an additional fee for investor communities.

How does this service work? An investor community economic development organization would contract with the SMGA to offer direct economic development management support. The SMGA would offer an economic development specialist to execute a pre-determined scope of services for the contracting entity. The contracting entity (economic development organization) would provide office space in their community for 10-20 hours per week and the SMGA would receive a management fee.

To provide this service, Ryan Solberg will be joining the SMGA as the Economic Development Specialist. As a Mitchell, SD native and Augustana University graduate, Solberg brings unique perspective thanks to past experience in the Planning and Development Services department at the City of Sioux Falls. Solberg most recently worked as a Loan Administrator at Builder Finance in Sioux Falls. The Lennox Area Development Corporation (LADC) has enlisted the SMGA in providing economic development management services. Solberg will work closely with the LADC to help them achieve their organizational goals and execute their economic development strategy.

If your economic development organization is interested in further assistance, contact Jesse Fonkert at jessef@siouxmetro.com for more information about this new, innovative service.

SMGA Website to Launch in June

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Sioux Metro Growth Alliance is dedicated to telling the story of each of its investors and we feel this website will help in that effort

Work is well underway on the creation of the SMGA’s FIRST website. SiouxMetro.com will launch this summer as another benefit to SMGA’s investors. Designed for both talent and business attraction, this new portal will have information about available building sites, residential developments, taxes and incentives along with profiles for each community. “We’re excited to build a digital platform to showcase each of our community’s and their asset,” shared Jesse Fonkert, Executive Director. “Sioux Metro Growth Alliance is dedicated to telling the story of each of its investors and we feel this website will help in that effort.” SiouxMetro.com will also be able to handle event registration, post sponsorship information, and share news stories about the metro.

Watch social media for the official launch date!

Partners in Progress Award Winners

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The Sioux Metro Growth Alliance has named multiple organizations and individuals winners of its 2020 Partners in Progress Awards. The awards were presented at our annual meeting on February 25, 2021.

Regional Economic Development Champion: Dennis Olson, City of Brandon

This award is given to an individual living in or working in Minnehaha or Lincoln counties who has shown active support for community development through recent or cumulative past service to economic development and community enhancement.

Dennis Olson has an accomplished career in economic development, including a partnership to bring businesses together with public sector partners to create the Corson Industrial Park. His long-term economic philosophy has created hundreds of jobs in the Brandon area, with thousands of dollars of property taxes.

“It was an emotional night for me,” Olson said. “I don’t get very emotional, but it was a surprise. I started out here in 1986, and receiving this award showed me that they – this group of people – appreciate what I do.”

He’s also a willing mentor, helping others understand what goes into economic development and thinking regionally in his approach.

“I’m a firm believer that you build communities by providing primary jobs – that’s what economic development does, and that’s one of the reasons why we’ve been as successful as we have in Brandon,” Olson said. “We have the amenities of the big community in Sioux Falls right next door, but we still feel like small-town South Dakota.”

Business Partner of the Year: Corson Development Association

The Business Partner of the Year is awarded to a company, enterprise or entrepreneur doing business in the Sioux Falls metro area that has shown outstanding community development support or regional economic development partnership activity during the preceding year.

The Corson Development Association, comprised of private and quasi-governmental organizations, helped support the creation of 451 primary jobs and nearly $30 million in taxable property.

Together, the partners contributed almost $1 million in the early 2000s to purchase and develop 117 acres in the metro area. Thanks to a strong economy and willing partners, this group was able to close out the partnership late in 2020.

After creating jobs and tax base, the goal was to return 1.5 times the initial investment to each of the shareholders, which it did.

The partners that helped make this group possible are:

  • Alliance Communications
  • Brandon Development Foundation
  • The First National Bank in Sioux Falls
  • Great Western Bank
  • Sioux Valley Energy
  • Sioux Falls Development Foundation
  • Minnehaha County Economic Development Association

Community Innovation: Canton

This title is awarded to an investor member community that has demonstrated new ideas in community development or achieved a community goal through partnership and community effort.

The community of Canton identified a need for housing years ago and came together to help address it.

“The city of Canton is essentially out of space when it comes to incoming residents seeking either single-family or multifamily homes,” said Scott Larson, CEO and Senior Director of the Sanford Canton-Inwood Medical Center in Canton. “The 62 acres of housing development that we’ve worked on has been nearly 30 years in the making, has taken an enormous team effort, and will be a big win for the Canton community as a whole.”

The local economic development group worked with a health foundation to incorporate parks and green space into a preliminary plan for a housing development that would address the shortage in the community and create active, healthy lifestyles.

This economic development group was able to secure an option on the property owned by the health foundation, which then allowed it to start pitching the site to interested parties.

After a competitive selection process, one developer, ISG out of Sioux Falls, was chosen, and dirt should be moving in 2021 or 2022 for Canton’s next single-family and multifamily housing development.

“The progressive leaders of the Canton Economic Development Corporation recognized they needed to take a different approach to addressing their housing needs, and with the help of ISG, we have a thorough analysis of several prospective housing development options throughout the community,” said Steve Watson, Development Strategist at ISG. “Canton’s recent Partners in Progress Award is a recognition of the Canton Economic Development Corporation’s (CEDC) willingness to roll up their sleeves, use their resources, and tackle a challenge that will help propel the community forward.”

And according to Watson, the economic growth of the Sioux Falls metro area will only continue. “The Sioux Falls Metro is the economic engine in the tri-state area. The region will continue its strong growth, and I believe has already reached an inflexion point – which may be truly unprecedented growth for the next several years. Communities in the Metro that are willing to make the necessary investments in their infrastructure to capture this growth potential, like Canton, will rise to the top.”

A New Season for Economic Development

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SMGA Director’s Report

Our work has always been collaborative, and it will continue to be so under the leadership of our board and our investors.

The temperatures have us thinking spring around the office, and nothing says ‘spring’ in South Dakota quite like a flurry of building permits and the advent of the construction season! Business inquiries to expand or to relocate, including those fielded by our office and by others in the four-county radius, continue to climb, and that’s certainly reflected in the tally of building permits in the Sioux Falls MSA; per a March report in SiouxFalls.Business, new commercial activity in and around the metro area amounts to nearly triple ($39.6 million) the amount just one year ago ($14 million). In other words, the spring season is a great time to embark upon new journeys and start new projects here in the greater Sioux Falls region.

We’re also experiencing feelings of renewed energy and dedication as we embark on a new season for the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance. While we continue to be proud of our legacy and our work in the communities that comprise Lincoln and Minnehaha counties, it’s my honor to lead our former organizations, LCEDA and MCEDA, as we merge our efforts to develop and improve the economy in and around the greater Sioux Falls region. Our work has always been collaborative, and it will continue to be so under the leadership of our board and our investors.

I’d be remiss not to thank former executive directors Jeff Eckhoff and Nick Fosheim, as well as the work of all of our board members as well as our respective LCEDA and MCEDA board presidents, Eric Pauli (Xcel Energy) and Mike Wendland (Grant Park Capital). Thank you all for your support and excitement, which has bolstered our efforts to continue to serve our communities as we merge.

And while we eagerly welcome this new season in our work, what remains the same is our commitment to economic development across the metro area. Please do think of us as you look forward and plant seeds of growth for your business; we’re excited to help you to accomplish your goals.

Jesse Fonkert
Story by

Jesse Fonkert

Executive Director, Sioux Metro Growth Alliance

Filmmaker Moved Here During Pandemic, Thinks He’ll Stay

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When 2020 started, John Larson planned on spending much of the first quarter in Kenya, Africa, shooting a project for Netflix.

Working from a refugee camp in what he calls “a very remote place,” he was putting in 14-hour days and didn’t have much internet access.

Flying into Nairobi in March, “I remember landing at the airport and seeing everybody had face masks on,” he said.

“We got our stuff off the plane, and they took our temperatures, and we found out COVID was happening.”

When he returned to New York City, where he had lived for nearly a decade, film work he’d lined up “was like cancel, cancel, cancel,” he said. “It was the week they were shutting down the city, and you felt like you were in a zombie movie. It would be noon, and there were no cars on the street.”

He’d planned a trip back to his native South Dakota for a family memorial service, so he flew out, and when he landed, his business partner called “and said ‘you might as well just stay in South Dakota because we’ve had every job cancel until August.’ This was in March,” Larson said. “And that’s when I came back to South Dakota, and I haven’t really left since.”

It has been an unlikely homecoming for Larson, who grew up in Chamberlain and graduated from USD, but one he’s enjoying.

As a kid, he never saw a job as a filmmaker as a career path. But working on a documentary during college sent him in that direction.

While studying film and journalism at USD, he began as a production assistant for “Warrior Women,” a documentary featuring the story of Madonna Thunder Hawk, an early American Indian Movement organizer, and her daughter Marcy and their nearly 50 years of activism.

“And I ended up working off and on for a good three or four years, first as a PA and then doing additional camera work, and eventually I was credited as a cinematographer and associate producer on the film,” he said.

“It was shot in South Dakota but brought me to New York City because that’s where they were editing the film. Half the film team was from New York City, and they needed help with the initial editing, and it just lined up.”

It was shot in South Dakota but brought me to New York City because that’s where they were editing the film. Half the film team was from New York City, and they needed help with the initial editing, and it just lined up.

John Larson, Filmmaker

The documentary was nominated for a prestigious Peabody Award and led Larson to a yearlong fellowship in Brooklyn, N.Y., at UnionDocs, a center for documentary art.

“After that, I basically had to start over at square one, first as an assistant, then a production assistant, then I gradually was able to work my way up,” he said. “Eventually, I became a director of photography, but it was very hard coming from the Midwest and not knowing anybody out there. Many people go to school there and have family in the industry, so they have a built-in network, and I had to build it from scratch.”

It led him to a variety of corporate work and commercials, along with work on the documentary short “Edith + Eddie,” the story of 96-year-old Edith and 95-year-old Eddie, who are America’s oldest interracial newlyweds. Their love story is disrupted by a family feud that threatens to tear the couple apart.

“We ended up working on it two years thinking it would be a long feature film, and it ended up being a short,” he said. “And they didn’t really need anything I shot after my first day, so it was a crazy thing.”

But it was successful, winning multiple film festivals and even being nominated for an Academy Award.

“For me, the coolest thing was it got into a pretty prestigious cinematography festival in Poland, and they actually flew me out to be at the festival and talk to people,” Larson said.

Back in Sioux Falls, he sees opportunity to build on his filmmaking career.

“There’s a lot of things I’d like to do in South Dakota, film-wise,” he said. “South Dakota is a very interesting place, and I don’t think it gets the attention it deserves. I would like to try and see if I can do some more projects here.”

He has been splitting time between Sioux Falls and family in Chamberlain but is trying to relocate to Sioux Falls on a more full-time basis.

“I used to see Sioux Falls as like a suburb without the city – I felt like the whole town was a suburb – but now it feels like it’s starting to have that city part,” he said. “I was never that into the restaurant scene before, but now I feel like it’s very up there and diverse.”

While he has been limiting exposure to the city during the pandemic, he can tell already “life is a lot easier here,” he said.

“One of the reasons I left New York is I was paying $2,000 a month for a one-bedroom apartment, and it was not a nice place. For half that, you can get a really nice one-bedroom apartment here. You can actually go to the post office and leave in under half an hour. So there are conveniences to life you can have here that are really nice and you can’t quite get in the city.”

Creative workers like Larson increasingly are finding a fit in Sioux Falls, said Denise Guzzetta, vice president of talent and workforce development for the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

“As a filmmaker with his experience and achievements, it’s going to be exciting to see where John decides to focus his talent,” she said. “But there absolutely will be interest in working with him, and he’ll also find it’s very easy to travel from Sioux Falls when his work takes him elsewhere, while taking advantage of everything that makes this such a desirable place to live.”

More affordable housing and a supportive arts community are helping the community stand out when photographers and other artists look for a home base, she added.

“Like John said, you can afford to live here, you can still have an urban-feeling environment, and you can grow your career without feeling like you need to constantly be working a second job or going into debt,” Guzzetta said.

For Larson, the move has allowed him to consider branching out with his career and inspired him to start work on a new documentary.

“I would really like to be able to start making my own films here – about South Dakota,” he said. “For now, I’m staying.”

Want to learn more about life in Sioux Falls?

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Sioux Falls a Best Performing City

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Milken Institute’s Best-Performing Cities 2021:

Sioux Falls No. 7 Best in the Small City category

The Milken Institute’s Best-Performing Cities index tracks the economic performance of approximately 400 US metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) split between large and small cities. It uses an outcomes-based set of metrics—including job creation, wage gains, and high-tech GDP growth—to evaluate the performance of these cities relative to one another. Sioux Falls ranked No. 7 in the small city category.

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Forward Sioux Falls Launches Five-Year Campaign with Focus on Future

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For nearly 35 years, every five years, Sioux Falls has brought an unparalleled partnership together to invest in moving the community forward.

Forward Sioux Falls is unique in the nation, bringing together the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, the public sector including the city of Sioux Falls and a broad cross-section of private investors from the business community.

This platform — Forward Sioux Falls — has become nationally recognized for creating decades of economic growth and corresponding quality-of-place enhancements, making Sioux Falls the envy of many communities across the country.

But 2020 wasn’t like any other year.

So as community leaders contemplated the next Forward Sioux Falls program, there were decisions to be made.

Co-chairs Dave Flicek, regional president and CEO of Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center; Paul Hanson, president and CEO of Sanford Sioux Falls; and Dave Rozenboom, president of First Premier Bank; started having conversations.

“They went out and talked to our top 20 to 25 investors, along with community leaders, and said: ‘What do you think? Do we start planning to go forward or look at asking everyone to extend one more year on their five-year investment?’ ” said Tom Micelotta, who facilitated the feasibility study for the campaign through National Community Development Services.

The answer was resounding: A one-year extension wasn’t the answer.

“They said, no, we can’t think of a better time given all the uncertainty to make sure Forward Sioux Falls stays in place,” Micelotta said. “For 34 years, it’s been a great balance between creating jobs, retaining jobs, quality-of-place and workforce development, and we wanted to keep our foot on the gas.”

By July, conversations grew to include 65 companies as a preliminary Forward Sioux Falls plan was in place.

“There was overwhelming support for the plan being exactly what was needed and also that we need to launch the campaign now,” Micelotta said.

Forward Sioux Falls then assembled a record 40-person leadership Cabinet, a diverse group that will help move the process forward with a goal of $15 million in cash investments over the next five years.

40-person leadership cabinet

“There’s always been a balance with Forward Sioux Falls between job creation, diversification, the corresponding population growth that needs to occur and the quality-of-place investment necessary to support that,” said Rozenboom, who also helped lead the previous Forward Sioux Falls campaign.

“We need to be a place where people want to live, and I think Forward Sioux Falls has done an excellent job supporting that and supporting initiatives that make this a place not just where people want to live but work and raise a family as well.”

Since its origin in 1987, Forward Sioux Falls “has helped us chart our course to building a strong community,” said Mayor Paul TenHaken, honorary co-chair.

“The 2026 campaign initiatives will set us up for future success over the next five years in key areas for our community, including housing and workforce development, which remain critical to our continued growth.”

The community has enjoyed a robust and resilient economy for many years and is poised to emerge in a position of strength post-pandemic, TenHaken added.

“To continue that growth, we need to focus on the right investments at the right time for Sioux Falls.”

Here’s a look at some of the key investments proposed by the upcoming Forward Sioux Falls program:

For 34 years, it’s been a great balance between creating jobs, retaining jobs, quality-of-place and workforce development, and we wanted to keep our foot on the gas.

Tom Micelotta

Talent attraction, retention and development

Internal talent training, external talent recruitment and nontraditional workforce recruitment are all strategies currently undertaken by Forward Sioux Falls that will continue in the new five-year program.

Additionally, the Forward Sioux Falls program will partner with the city of Sioux Falls and local and federal housing organizations to establish a fund that will provide resources to address accessible workforce housing needs.

“Accessible housing is on everyone’s list,” Hanson said. “As we look at our employees, and within the community, we’ve had a lot of internal discussions about it.”

Sioux Falls can continue to attract jobs, “but if we don’t have places to live, it will be hard to support people to be employed in them,” Flicek added.

Business retention, expansion and attraction

Forward Sioux Falls also invests in supporting business retention, assisting local companies with expansion opportunities, including state programs, international trade, licensing, workforce and financing programs.

Additionally, it pursues a comprehensive marketing program to target industries, companies, site selectors and other professionals.

“One of the things I heard overwhelmingly in conversations leading up to this campaign was that our investors support aligned strategies for growth and development, for workforce and for bringing more people to our service area,” Hanson said. “There isn’t one item we’ve talked about that doesn’t benefit all of us.”

Innovation and entrepreneurship

A signature project to drive innovation in the coming five years is a proposed cyber/IT park, which will receive seed funding from Forward Sioux Falls.

It’s envisioned as a partnership between Dakota State University and the city of Sioux Falls to create a cyber/IT campus.

“We’re really excited about exploring that relationship, and I think we’ll be good for each other, and there’s significant need in our community to build out those resources,” Rozenboom said.

Forward Sioux Falls also will continue to assist with operating support and, more importantly, to provide funding to target bioscience firms to locate in the USD Discovery District.

Additionally, program support for the entrepreneurial community and funding to expand initiatives for the Zeal Center for Entrepreneurship are planned.

Business advocacy, airport and quality-of-place enhancement

Forward Sioux Falls historically has supported quality-of-place initiatives and the continued effort to market and attract air service in Sioux Falls – both priorities that continue in the new plan.

Additionally, an Innovation Center of Excellence is proposed as a new center within the Chamber of Commerce to deliver programming through public-private partnerships focused on diversity, equity and inclusion.

“The workforce of tomorrow in Sioux Falls will look different than the workforce of yesterday,” Rozenboom said.

“It’s important we continue to embrace the diversity occurring in our community, with a focus on our K-12 schools and those pursuing post-secondary education. Exposing students and adults to opportunities that prepare them for their next step in life allows them to contribute most productively to our community.”

The outcomes

How will the next Forward Sioux Falls program measure success? Here’s a look at some of the key outcomes by 2026:

  • 1,000 new housing units from the Housing Fund.
  • 25,000 new residents.
  • 12 ongoing talent/workforce recruitment programs.
  • 250 post-secondary recruitment partners.
  • 1,000 apprenticeships/internships/job shadows.
  • 4,500 new direct jobs at above median wage.
  • $500 million in new capital investments.
  • $250 million in new property tax revenue.
  • 300-plus acres sold and developed.
  • 300 existing companies assisted.
  • 30 foreign trade relationships formed.
  • 35-plus site selector/broker events.
  • 75-plus companies hosted.
  • 30,000 direct workforce contacts.
  • 250,000 electronic workforce exposures.

The current program also includes a refreshed Future Sioux Falls strategic plan, which will take a comprehensive, long-term look at the metro area’s needs and opportunities.

“This will be a really energizing look at our future, and there will be an opportunity for broad-based community input,” Rozenboom said.

Forward Sioux Falls has a record to show it can achieve ambitious goals.

Since 1987, the number of jobs in the Sioux Falls MSA has increased from 67,100 to 159,900 in 2019 – 238 percent growth. During that same time period, the metro area has experienced a population growth of 143,000 net new residents, a 215 percent increase.

Sioux Falls has been named the No. 1 small city for business and careers by Forbes 12 of the past 20 years.

“This is a true example of a partnership between public and private, and it works very well,” Hanson said.

Businesses told the campaign leaders what makes Sioux Falls unique is “we don’t build a moat,” Flicek added. “We allow other businesses to come in, and expand and grow the whole pie.”

There was overwhelming resolve that Sioux Falls always moves forward, no matter what’s happening elsewhere, he continued.

“What’s unique about Forward Sioux Falls is it’s a central repository of ideas, as opposed to each of our businesses making up our own ideas. Paul and I are professional colleagues. We compete for health care, but we want to prosper Sioux Falls. So organizations like Forward Sioux Falls bringing common solutions to our problems is what makes it so successful.’

And the current campaign already has attracted one new resident – consultant Micelotta, who moved to Sioux Falls from Florida during 2020.

“I drank the Kool-Aid,” he said. “I live here now. So I’m a big proponent of it all. People ask me what’s so special. It’s the people. Look at our three leaders and honorary chair, the mayor. I wish I could bottle it and sell it to other communities.”

Businesses will be hearing directly from Forward Sioux Falls in the weeks ahead, but to get connected right away, contact Mike Lynch, director of investor relations, at 605-373-2008, and visit forwardsiouxfalls.com.

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Winning in the Workforce: Strategy Shift Pays Off with Record Results in 2020

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2020 A Talent Year in Review

As 2020 showed, strengthening the current and future Sioux Falls workforce can take many shapes.

The year that started with massive crowds at the Summit League basketball championships and classrooms filled with hands-on activity ended with hybrid events and virtual talent spotlights.

But while the strategy shifted, the storyline remained consistent: Sioux Falls is laying a foundation at all levels for the talent needed now and in the future.

“Economic development in 2020 challenged us to think and act differently,” said Denise Guzzetta, vice president of talent and workforce development at the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

“Innovative programming and technology turned lessons and challenges into advantages. Achievements in business attraction and talent management programming established new records for our team in Sioux Falls, although no one may entirely predict the future.”

Connecting organizations with top talent

now and in the future

While events were structured differently, they reached more people than ever.

The Development Foundation tripled its programming events in 2020, resulting in 48 percent more talent engagement programming participation.

From talent tours of businesses to the launch of Career Connections for high school students to monthly Recruitment Council meetings, the Development Foundation hosted 68 individual programming events throughout 2020.

Nearly 5,000 people were introduced directly to educational and employment partners and opportunities using different techniques to connect and continue the conversations beyond initial introductions.

In November, the second annual Talent Draft Day drew more than 1,900 people into the Sioux Falls community using a hybrid combination of virtual attendance and on-site attendance at Southeast Technical College. The Talent Draft Day telecast started the day with interactive training camps for middle and high school students to demonstrate first-hand the value of technical, practical and hands-on learning.

“Students demonstrated technical and hard skills to prospective employers during morning sessions, and we engaged middle school students directly about 11 industrial and health specialties’ technical skills,” Guzzetta said.

Sessions were livestreamed to five school districts on multiple social media platforms, bringing students inside hands-on programs at Southeast Tech and offering live employer discussions focusing on culture, professional development and accessible housing.

The Talent Draft Day telecast moved into afternoon sessions using employer commercials and live social media discussions to connect 1,251 college students from 87 schools to employers, sharing their own decisions about why they continue to live and work in the Sioux Falls region.

The Development Foundation focused its engagements by targeting key college majors from those 87 colleges located throughout 11 states. By concentrating on crucial areas such as computer science, engineering, finance, industrial trades and skilled health care, the Development Foundation connected talent to interested employers.

“We are continuing to see people move to South Dakota due to our higher quality-of-life standards,” Guzzetta said.

That’s likely to continue. A report from United Van Lines showed that of its recent moves involving South Dakota, 62 percent were people moving into the state, while 38 percent were people moving out.

That ties the state for third among the top inbound states with Arizona and just behind South Carolina and Oregon.

We are continuing to see people move to South Dakota due to our higher quality-of-life standards

Denise Guzzetta, Vice President of Talent & Workforce Development

The Development Foundation also launched Career Connections, an initiative focusing on the talent available within community high schools. Combining career awareness and exposure to multiple industries, mentorships and post-secondary education options are used to “up-skill” and supply more available talent in the marketplace.

“With the support of our employers and school districts, Career Connections is a game-changer for our students and our community,” Guzzetta said.

The program launched in August 2020 with 59 students and five organizations and has grown to more than 450 students from six area school districts for August 2021.

“Throughout 2020, our partners responded positively to our new and innovative programs,” Guzzetta said. “They gained very tangible outcomes in terms of reduced costs and lower administrative burden involved in talent recruitment. At the same time, some reported greater participation leading to organizational diversity and inclusion goals.”

Attraction in 2021 and beyond

The year ahead will build on the success of 2020’s workforce development programming, with particular attention to engagement events that attract top talent and build trust.

“Whether we’re reaching them digitally or in person, it’s critical to meet talent where they are at,” Guzzetta said. “For college students, this could mean continuing to leverage digital platforms like Handshake, where we are actively engaged with thousands of students already. Or as we target specific industries, we’ll be reaching out to trade organizations such as HOSA-Future Health Professionals or Programmers Guild.”

As South Dakota companies continue to expand their geographical footprints to support existing and new customers, the Development Foundation has a variety of available resources to support growth initiatives, including:

  • Talent attraction programs to engage skilled, technical and professional early- to mid-career workers to organizations. These include Talent Tours, Talent Now, Talent Thursdays, Talent Rebounds and Talent Draft Days.
  • Talent development programs to support early-career awareness about the industries and occupations available within the Sioux Falls region. These programs include job shadows and internships, creating more skilled and productive labor. The programs encourage various educational and employment pathways to provide more significant support and guidance essential to managing a productive labor force. Examples include Your Future STEM for middle schools and Career Connections for high schools.

“We have the framework, the experience and the relationships to help businesses meet their workforce needs,” Guzzetta said.

“We encourage any businesses looking to attract or retain talent or to increase community partnerships to reach out to us. We know we have ways to support you.”

Get connected

Mark your calendar for noon Feb. 25 when the Sioux Falls Development Foundation presents “Talent Lessons 2021.” This virtual session will cover the top five talent branding tips to make organizations more authentic, memorable and attractive to early-career talent.

Click here to learn more and register.

And tune in on Facebook every week for Talent Thursday, when SiouxFalls.Business and the Sioux Falls Development Foundation partner to highlight talent in the Sioux Falls area. Click here to find the videos.

WIN Events Talent & Workforce

Sioux Falls No. 10 in Economic Strength Rankings

Posted on by meganjansick

POLICOM analyzes local and state economies, determines if they are growing or declining, identifies what is causing this to happen, and offers ideas and solutions to improve the situation.

From its research and educational programs, community and government leaders discover what is driving their economy and what the community will have to do to enhance the “economic quality of life” for the people living and working in the area.

In their most recent study, POLICOM, ranked Sioux Falls as the 10th out of 384 Metropolitan Statistical Areas for our economic strength in 2021.

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CJ Foods Selects Sioux Falls and Foundation Park

Posted on by meganjansick

The Sioux Falls Development Foundation is very pleased to welcome CJ Foods USA, a global market leader in food production, to Foundation Park, Sioux Falls and South Dakota for their next major expansion. The announcement was made by the company on Monday, January 11.

“We are excited to continue working with them to finalize their project here in Sioux Falls,” said Bob Mundt, President & CEO of the Development Foundation. “This is the latest example of the vision that elected and community leaders had when they created Foundation Park in 2015 and the concept of a mega site for large scale development. We will continue to diversify our economy with clean, high tech manufacturing generating new high skilled living wage jobs in the region.”

The new facility will result in more than 600 new full-time jobs by 2025 and include automated state-of-the-art food production lines, a warehouse and distribution center, shipping and receiving docks, and office space. The project will represent an overall investment of nearly 500 hundred million dollars over the course of construction. Additional investments in the facility’s capabilities will be made as demand increases over the next several years.

Adding this world-class Asian food plant in South Dakota will help us lead the fast-growing Asian food category in North America and achieve our long-term growth plans.

Dimitrios Smyrnios, Executive Chairman of CJCJ Food, Americas and Schwan’s Company CEO

“This strategically important new investment represents an extremely exciting time for both CJ Foods and Schwan’s Company,” said Executive Chairman of CJCJ Food, Americas and Schwan’s Company CEO Dimitrios Smyrnios. “Adding this world-class Asian food plant in South Dakota will help us lead the fast-growing Asian food category in North America and achieve our long-term growth plans. Ultimately, this plant will meet the increasing needs of our retail and food-service customers by creating significant production capacity, fueling Asian food category growth, and enabling future innovation.”

To help facilitate the project, company leaders from CJ Foods and Schwan’s Company worked with state and local public agencies and officials in South Dakota, including: Gov. Kristi Noem; Governor’s Office of Economic Development Commissioner Steve Westra; Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken and Sioux Falls Development Foundation President & CEO Bob Mundt.

South Dakota is open for business, and we’re excited for this tremendous investment in our state.

Kristi Noem, South Dakota Governor

“South Dakota is open for business, and we’re excited for this tremendous investment in our state. The Sioux Falls community will benefit greatly from the new full-time jobs that this facility will provide,” said South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem. “I want to thank Dimitrios and everyone at CJ Foods and Schwan’s who worked with us to make this happen.”

More details about the specific products and brands that will be made at the facility, as well as renderings and more specific construction timelines, are expected to be shared this spring.

Business Executives Join Development Foundation Board

Posted on by meganjansick

The Sioux Falls Development Foundation added four local business executives to the organization’s board of directors. Elected through a vote of the membership, the board members began their terms of service on January 1, 2021.

Newly elected members are Julie Lautt, Avera Health, Clark Meyer, Concrete Materials, Tony Nour, First PREMIER Bank and Keith Severson.

Our Board

Julie Lautt

Lautt is Chief Financial Officer for Avera Health. Named as Avera’s senior financial steward in 2020, she leads the Finance, Revenue Cycle and Information Technology (IT) divisions, Supply Chain Services and Managed Care Services. Lautt previously served as Vice President of Operational Finance. From 1999 to 2017, the USD graduate served Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center as Controller of Managed Hospitals, Vice President and Corporate Controller, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Committed to community involvement, Lautt has served as chair of the Bishop O’Gorman Catholic Schools Board of Trustees, the Sioux Empire United Way Board of Directors and Sioux Falls Area CASA. She served as treasurer for the Ronald McDonald House Charities, an officer for the South Dakota Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) and is a current member of the Principles and Practices Board for National HFMA. She also serves as board member for the USD Foundation Finance Committee.

Tony Nour

A native of Armour, SD, Nour is a graduate of Dakota State University and the University of South Dakota (MBA). Nour enjoys serving the community through board roles with Volunteers of America, Southeast Technical College and Sioux Falls Downtown Rotary, where he currently holds the position of Program Chair and President-Elect. He also serves on the South Dakota Bankers Association (SDBA) Legislative Committee and is currently Chair of the SDBA Emerging Leaders initiative. In his role as Senior Vice President – Relationship Banking, Nour is responsible for the overall growth, support and leadership of the Wealth Management, Private, Business, Retail, and Mortgage Banking teams in each of the markets First PREMIER Bank serves.

Clark Meyer

President of Sweetman Const. Co. doing business as Concrete Materials, Ellis & Eastern Company, and Rail to Road, Meyer has worked with the company since 1994. He started as a Computer Systems Manager and advanced to managing Aggregate Sales & Transportation. In 2005, he led the acquisition of the Harrisburg block plant and led the block division. He created the Hardscapes Outlet business model, and under his tenure, the block division grew to three block plants and six Hardscapes Outlet locations. In 2012, he created and became president of Rail to Road that specializes in transloading with five locations now. In 2016, he was named president of Ellis & Eastern Company, a shortline railroad. In 2017, the Ellis & Eastern acquired an adjacent railroad adding 41 miles to the network. In 2018, when Knife River Corporation, an MDU Resources Company, purchased all three companies, Clark was named President.

Keith Severson

A retired CPA, Severson remains active within the area serving various non-profit and community organizations. His professional career includes over 40 years in public accounting. He retired from Eide Bailly as a partner after having served a large concentration of clients in the construction, real estate and land development industries, and the wholesale and medical community. He is a former Board Member and Chairman of the Greater Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce and continues to serve on their Community Appeals Committee and Issues Management Council. He is active in Downtown Rotary and a Forward Sioux Falls and United Way volunteer.