Talent Thursday with the Sioux Falls Development Foundation is a LIVE Facebook event at 3 PM Central every Thursday. During this 30-minute program, we share the career journey of Chelsea Brech.
Category: Community
Talent Thursday with Avera Health
Talent Thursday with the Sioux Falls Development Foundation is a LIVE Facebook event at 3 PM Central every Thursday. During this 30-minute program, we share the career journey of Mackenzie Haensel.
Groundbreakings: Sunnycrest Village
September 1, 2020
Sunnycrest Village Groundbreaking
Sunnycrest Village broke ground September 1st on a 60-unit addition to their current 223-unit apartment complex. This building will include modern, well-designed one- and two-bedroom apartments with attached garages, two elevators, and six resident lounges for independent seniors. The expected opening date is late 2021/early 2022.
‘The cyber state’ takes shape with first-of-its-kind research center
Think of the newly opened Madison Cyber Labs at Dakota State University as a big magnet.
“It’s going to attract people to come to work, new faculty who will be able to conduct research with federal agencies they can’t do on other campuses,” DSU president José-Marie Griffiths said. “And we think it will attract partnerships. We know it’s already attracting partnerships.”
The 38,000-square-foot building that opened in recent weeks already is fulfilling much of its promise.
As students move in, collaboration already is starting, those using the building said.
That was the idea when Griffiths proposed the concept to her campus and to the South Dakota Board of Regents just a few short years ago.
“We couldn’t have one lab per faculty member pursuing their individual research agendas. They had to be broader and involve others across campus and potentially involve external partners,” she said.
“The intent is not just research for the sake of research. It’s researching real problems, developing real solutions, but at the same time creating jobs for people who engage in that R&D and spin off companies that take that R&D and put it out into the real world.”
The Mad Labs are comprised of one dozen labs that mostly flow seamlessly into one enough throughout about half the building. Their focuses range from externally testing networks to determining vulnerabilities inside organizations, to studying security around the Internet of Things and connected devices ranging from thermostats to appliances to Alexa.
“Each of the labs will employ a good number of students,” said Dave Link, Mad Labs director. “One lab has five students actively working on projects right now. Another lab has a similar number. A third lab has eight students involved. So all these different labs provide opportunities for students to apply the knowledge they’re learning on a daily basis in their curriculum to actual real-world situations.”
Another part of the building is for classified research, and that’s positioning the Madison and the broader Sioux Falls region for more economic development, Griffiths said. The building can accommodate about 180 jobs – positions she expects will begin filling up as the center is accredited by the National Security Agency.
“This is opportunity then for our graduates who currently have to leave the state to do classified work, because they have to be in a facility that can accommodate it, to stay home,” Griffiths said.
“And a number of our graduates who have been gone for a while can come back. So the Cyclops lab is really a way for us to try and keep some of our graduates in South Dakota, attract some of our graduates back and attract people who want to come live and work here and have meaningful work they can do for federal agencies.”
There is enough potential that the classified work eventually could expand to Sioux Falls, she added. And the people skilled in cyber security work could be an impetus for other related businesses to relocate or expand in the area.
“There’s tremendous potential,” she said. “We could easily expand to well beyond 180 positions. And Sioux Falls makes sense. It’s a major city, it has all the amenities young people want to have.”
Sioux Falls could accommodate up to 1,000 industry workers, she predicted.
It would set the state into that ‘cyber state’ position. That’s really powerful.
Back in the Mad Labs, area businesses also are beginning to become involved with DSU and the opportunities that exist for cyber search.
The Digital Forensics for Cyber Enforcement lab is available as a resource for businesses, including those that have been victimized by cyber criminals and have a need for the extraction, preservation and analysis of data from digital devices.
East River Electric is partnering on a project in Mad Labs to study energy use related to connected devices in the home.
Sioux Falls-based SDN Communications has a presence there to support its internal cybersecurity efforts and those of its customers..
“I’m most excited about workforce retention potential,” said Mark Shlanta, CEO of SDN Communications, which is a partner in the Mad Labs project.
“Mad Labs will help bring new talent into the state or back to the state.”
The building also is home to the CybHER Lab, which builds on DSU’s success in attracting women into the cybersecurity field and supporting them as they pursue college degrees and professional development.
Its CybHER program was formally created in 2016 and has reached more than 14,000 girls in grades K through 12 with its programming, which includes the largest girls residential cyber camp in the country.
At Mad Labs, students in the CybHER Lab are working on developing curriculum and outreach efforts as well as collaborating with colleagues in the other labs and working on personal research.
“Our students now have a space where they can get together, brainstorm ideas and how they’re going to implement them. They’re already using it for that,” said Pam Rowland, assistant professor of cyber security, director of the CybHER Institute and co-founder of the CybHER program.
“I think we’re going to be pleasantly surprised by what they’ll come up with in this space.”
It all supports the larger goal of bringing more women into cybersecurity, Rowlands said.
“There is such a gap in the number workers we have, with 1.8 million job openings and so few women in the field,” she said, adding only 11 percent of current workers are women.
“So there’s just this great opportunity to bring more people into the field and have that whole diversity of thought and be able to work together to solve some of our very significant issues within the United States and the world.”
Students leave DSU “knowing how to do things,” Griffiths added. “That’s an advantage.”
And it shows. DSU students trained in cyber security have a 100 percent job placement rate, Link said.
And what we’re hearing from employers and government entities is they will take as many as we can produce.
Look at a map of the United States and the opportunity becomes even clearer, Griffiths added.
Cybersecurity companies and related startups are located mainly on the coasts. There are a few in Texas.
“And there’s nothing in the middle of the United States,” she said. “So there’s an opportunity here, because we’ve got good people, people who are able to do the work, people who want to do the work, people who prefer the lifestyle they can enjoy in this part of the world. And it’s a great place to do business. So to me, it just makes sense.”
Community Pride Drives Regional Development
Partnership is an essential element in the success of the Minnehaha and Lincoln County Economic Development Associations. Working together—combining our strengths to achieve growth in both counties—has served our regional economy well for almost three decades. But equally important are the unique elements that make each community, each utility, and each company different from every other.
Community pride is an essential part of that equation, expressed in community celebrations and—especially this year—the support of local businesses. The ownership and civic pride felt by citizen volunteers and elected officials keep our communities growing. We share good ideas with other communities in our region, and find new ways to express the strong sense of place that makes each community a great place to live.
Community pride is an essential part of that equation, expressed in community celebrations and the support of local businesses.
Just as diversity makes companies and states stronger, more innovative, and more successful, having distinctive communities makes regional economic development thrive. When corporate executives visit our region to explore locations for a business expansion, we can show them a range of options, with individual industrial park sites in a variety of different communities. Meeting with people who have invested in their hometowns and feel a strong sense of local pride encourages new companies to make that investment, too.
Communities that are distinct from each other also provide choices for the new families that move to our region each year. When new people explore our communities, they find local retail options, civic organizations, and consistently excellent schools that give them strong reasons to make a home here.
As we plan the future of regional economic development, we can depend on community pride in each LCEDA and MCEDA community. We celebrate the values we share, the ways in which we are similar, and the distinct qualities which make each community in our region unique—and how those things prepare us for even stronger future economic growth.
Story by:
Jesse Fonkert
LCEDA/MCEDA Executive Director
Sioux Falls Development Foundation sells 80 acres to Amazon.com
The Sioux Falls Development Foundation has completed its largest land sale to date at Foundation Park to Amazon.com Services Inc.
Amazon has purchased 80 acres at the corner of Foundation Park and Marion Road for future use.
“Their 80-acre purchase is the largest single purchase to date for Foundation Park and we look forward to watching the parcel develop as Amazon implements their strategy in South Dakota. This is the type of project City and civic leaders envisioned in 2015 when Foundation Park was started and we look forward to similar developments in the future.”
Additional details about the project will be announced by Amazon at a future date.
The Sioux Falls Development Foundation thanks the city of Sioux Falls and the state of South Dakota for their collaboration in this historic transaction.
“Their 80-acre purchase is the largest single purchase to date for Foundation Park and we look forward to watching the parcel develop as Amazon implements their strategy in South Dakota. This is the type of project City and civic leaders envisioned in 2015 when Foundation Park was started and we look forward to similar developments in the future.”
“We’re excited to finally announce that Amazon has selected Sioux Falls and Foundation Park as the site for a future facility,” Mayor Paul TenHaken said.
“This announcement that an innovative Fortune 5 company plans to open a site in Sioux Falls speaks to how our business environment and economic climate continue to be a great place for companies to do business. We look forward to working with them to ensure their operation in Sioux Falls is a success story for all.”
A $1.9 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance Grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration will support water, wastewater and roadway infrastructure to support the development.
The EDA grant, to be located near a Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Opportunity Zone, will be matched with $478,830 in local funds and is expected to create 1,000 jobs and generate $200 million in private investment.
We’re excited to finally announce that Amazon has selected Sioux Falls and Foundation Park as the site for a future facility,
“This investment comes at a crucial time for Sioux Falls’ and South Dakota’s economies to come roaring back and provide hard-working Americans with new opportunities,” said Dana Gartzke, Performing the Delegated Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development.
“EDA is pleased to invest this CARES Act funding to improve infrastructure to create an industrial mega-site to aid the region’s recovery. The project’s location near a Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Opportunity Zone will drive additional investment to the state.”
“South Dakota is open for business, and we’re excited that Amazon is joining our South Dakota community,” Gov. Kristi Noem added.
Foundation Park was announced five years ago as a partnership among the Development Foundation, the City of Sioux Falls and the State of South Dakota.
With the Amazon sale, about 180 acres have been sold so far, with tenants that include Win Chill LLC, Nordica Warehouses, Dakota Carriers and New Century Partners.
Spirit of Sioux Falls Award
The Spirit of Sioux Falls Award is presented to a person who has demonstrated leadership and commitment to the economic growth and development of our community.
The award honors the memory of David Birkeland, Angus Anson, and Roger Hainje, Development Foundation leaders who perished along with Governor Mickelson and other state officials and staff in 1993 as they returned from an economic development mission. These men were working to retain 2,800 jobs and secure the continued existence of our region’s largest food processing operation. Today, this facility employs 3,600.
2020 Spirit of Sioux Falls Award Winner
Steve Metli
The award was presented to the family of Steve Metli, former Director of Planning & Building Services for the City of Sioux Falls; honoring his legacy and vision.
The presentation took place at the 2020 Annual Meeting of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation and included a tribute to Mr. Metli.
Spirit of Sioux Falls
Past recipients
1994 AL SCHOCK
1995 RUSS GREENFIELD
1996 LYLE SCHROEDER
1997 CURT KUEHN
1998 CHARLIE KEARNS
1999 GARY OLSON
2000 DAVID CHRISTENSEN
2001 JACK WHITE
2002 TONY BOUR
2003 LINDA BARKER
2004 STEVE KIRBY
2005 GOVERNOR MIKE
ROUNDS
2006 TOM EVERIST
2007 T. DENNY SANFORD
2008 MARK GRIFFIN
2009 JIM WILCOX
2010 STEVE CRIM
2011 STEVE EGGER
2012 SYLVIA HENKIN
2013 LARRY RITZ
2014 DALE FROEHLICH
2015 DANA DYKHOUSE
2016 TOM WALSH
2017 CRAIG LLOYD
2018 GOVERNOR DENNIS DAUGAARD
2019 EVAN NOLTE
Career Connections Program Gets a Big Lift from the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation
The Sioux Falls Development Foundation was awarded a grant from the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation to help fund the Career Connection program launching this August. This talent development initiative is targeted to help incoming high school juniors and seniors in the Sioux Falls School District that are first-generation Americans, low-income, or otherwise under-represented.
Career Connections is launching in 2020 as part of the Development Foundation’s K-12 programming initiatives, which are supported by the Forward Sioux Falls Strategic Workforce Action Agenda. Career Connections is designed to address the shortage of skilled labor within the community by focusing on developing early career talent within our K-12 system with programming that includes business mentoring, early career exposure through a series of job shadowing experiences, and alignment of post-secondary curriculum to educate and equip these students with the skills that businesses need them to have.
We have tremendous support surrounding these 60 students involved in this first year and they will just be paving the way for many others to follow over the next five years
Considering the Sioux Falls School District has 600 seniors graduating annually from our public schools who don’t pursue any form of post-secondary education, the Development Foundation is committed to reducing this number by focusing on a group of 60 highly motivated students for the Career Connections’ inaugural year. First, the program will connect students with employers who will help students to determine the right pathway for them into the workplace. Then, the Career Connections program will assist students in pursuing some form of post-secondary education, such as a certificate program, a technical degree, or an associates’ or bachelor’s degree from one of the South Dakota’s Board of Regents schools.
“We have tremendous support surrounding these 60 students involved in this first year and they will just be paving the way for many others to follow over the next five years,” says Denise Guzzetta. “The community support and business engagement within Sioux Falls continues to drive our local economy and opportunities for everyone forward.”
The Career Connection program launches this August.
President’s Report: Time for a Statewide Economic Development Professionals Association
“South Dakota is Open for Business.” Governor Noem has made that her battle cry since taking office and over the past several months especially. As a low tax state and a state that is uniquely positioned as one of the best fiscally managed states in the nation, we have an opportunity to capitalize on potential development. And as a result of the pandemic and our state’s reaction to it, the Governor has brought national attention to the state as a place with limited government regulations, an aggressive response to COVID without shutting down the state and working with business and industry to minimize distress on the economy.
In response, the economic development community of South Dakota including economic development leaders from Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Pierre, Mitchell, Brookings, Watertown, Aberdeen, Yankton and several smaller communities are spearheading the organization of a statewide association of professional economic developers to assist the GOED and the Governor in growing South Dakota.
We’re all trying to grow our communities, grow our state and create the most efficient, effective and productive processes we can to maximize our efforts. The EDPA and the coordinated efforts of the state will help us do that.
The Economic Development Professionals Association of South Dakota (EDPA) will work cooperatively with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, South Dakota Chamber of Commerce, cities and counties to engage the private sector in building the economy of South Dakota. Through the coordination of lobbying efforts, marketing efforts, recruitment programs, workforce development programs and training opportunities for ED professionals, the EDPA will leverage local resources with those of the state to develop the most well-coordinated and effective programs possible resulting in more successes for South Dakota.
“The Economic Development Professionals Association of South Dakota is modeled after several successful associations in other states,” said Bob Mundt. “We’re all trying to grow our communities, grow our state and create the most efficient, effective and productive processes we can to maximize our efforts. The EDPA and the coordinated efforts of the state will help us do that.”
Story by:
Bob Mundt
President/CEO
SAB Biotherapeutics Confirms Neutralizing Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and Begins Clinical Manufacturing of Novel COVID-19 Therapeutic Candidate
SAB-185 is a human polyclonal antibody therapeutic that potently neutralizes live SARS-CoV-2 at titers 4X higher than convalescent plasma
Data suggests that SAB-185 may be an effective therapeutic against current and mutating strains of the virus
On-track to initiate clinical trials for potential COVID-19 therapeutic in early summer 2020
Sioux Falls, S.D., May 28, 2020 – SAB Biotherapeutics (SAB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a proprietary technology to produce fully human polyclonal antibodies without the need for human plasma donors, today announced in vitro data demonstrating that SAB-185, its COVID-19 therapeutic candidate, has highly-potent neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 that are four times higher than the most potent human convalescent plasma serum sample evaluated. The company also announced that they initiated manufacturing of SAB-185 on May 25 to support the next phase of clinical development for its potential COVID-19 therapeutic, still on track to begin human trials in early summer.
“These data indicate this human polyclonal antibody therapeutic has potent neutralizing activity against live SARS-CoV-2. The neutralizing titers of SAB-185 are significantly higher than those of the most potent plasma of recovered COVID-19 patients we’ve been able to source,” said William B. Klimstra, PhD Associate Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Associate Professor of Immunology and Member of the Center for Vaccine Research at The University of Pittsburgh. “We are still in the early stages of evaluating SAB-185, but the preliminary results are promising. My laboratory is conducting a series of studies to bring SAB-185 into clinical trials as soon as possible.”
“In just seven weeks, we’ve accelerated development of a specifically targeted natural human polyclonal therapeutic, without the need for human serum, and generated large volumes of highly-potent neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, to produce clinical lots of our COVID-19 therapeutic candidate, SAB-185,” said Eddie J. Sullivan, PhD, President, CEO and Co-founder of SAB Biotherapeutics. “Consistent with data across SAB’s platform in other indications, these data suggest that our potential COVID-19 therapeutic may remain effective even as SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve. SAB-185, which was developed from the original Wuhan strain sequences, demonstrated highly-potent neutralizing titers to the mutated Munich strain of the virus, believed to be most prevalent strain in the U.S.,” added Sullivan. “These data give us great confidence as we begin manufacturing clinical product and prepare to move forward in the regulatory pathway to provide a potential solution to combat COVID-19.”
SAB’s novel approach, leveraging genetically engineered cattle to produce fully human antibodies, enables a scalable and reliable production of targeted, higher potency neutralizing antibody product than has been previously possible. As a fully human polyclonal antibody, SAB’s novel therapeutic candidate for COVID-19 deploys the same natural immune response to fight the disease as recovered patients, but with a much higher concentration of targeted antibodies.
Data from SAB’s clinical trials in MERS coronavirus and other infectious disease targets have demonstrated the inherent optimal therapeutic properties of human polyclonal antibodies, including reduced immunogenicity and extended half-life, which point to the potential of this therapeutic approach for both treatment and prophylaxis.
“SAB Biotherapeutics has a successful preclinical track having developed more than a dozen effective antibodies from our DiversitAb™ platform in response to emerging infectious diseases during outbreaks of Ebola, Zika, Dengue, Hantavirus, and others,” said Sullivan. “A highly-potent, polyclonal antibody therapy for COVID-19, could prove critical in combatting this pandemic as it could potentially treat severely ill patients and provide protective antibodies for front-line responders, mission-critical staff, and high-risk populations, such as the elderly and immune compromised.”
About SAB Biotherapeutics, Inc.:
SAB Biotherapeutics, Inc. (SAB) is a clinical-stage, biopharmaceutical company advancing a new class of immunotherapies leveraging fully human polyclonal antibodies. Utilizing some of the most complex genetic engineering and antibody science in the world, SAB has developed the only platform that can rapidly produce natural, highly-targeted, high-potency, human polyclonal immunotherapies at commercial scale. SAB-185, a fully-human polyclonal antibody therapeutic candidate for COVID-19, is being developed in collaboration with CSL Behring and initial funding up to $9.4 million supported by the Biomedical Advanced Research Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through an existing Rapid Response contract with the Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense (JPEO – CBRND) Joint Project Lead for Enabling Biotechnologies (JPL-EB).The company is advancing programs in autoimmunity, infectious diseases, inflammation and oncology. For more information visit: www.sabbiotherapeutics.com or follow @SABBantibody on Twitter.
Contact: Melissa Ullerich Tel: 605-679-4609
mullerich@sabbiotherapeutics.com
CSL Behring and SAB Biotherapeutics Join Forces to Deliver New Potential COVID-19 Therapeutic
COVID-19 treatment candidate, a high-potency immunotherapy delivering human polyclonal antibodies targeted to SARS-CoV-2, generated from SAB’s novel platform technology, on-track for clinical evaluation as early as summer
King of Prussia, Pa. and Sioux Falls, S.D., April 8, 2020 – Global biotherapeutics leader, CSL Behring and innovative human antibody development company SAB Biotherapeutics (SAB) announced today their partnership to combat the coronavirus pandemic with the rapid development of SAB-185, a COVID-19 therapeutic candidate on track for clinical evaluation by early summer. The partnership joins the forces of CSL Behring’s leading protein science capabilities with SAB’s novel immunotherapy platform capable of rapidly developing and producing natural, highly-targeted, high-potency, fully human polyclonal antibodies without the need for blood plasma donations from recovered patients.
The therapeutic candidate, SAB-185, is generated from SAB’s proprietary DiversitAb™ platform producing large volumes of human polyclonal antibodies targeted specifically to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Driven by advanced genetic engineering and antibody science, SAB’s novel approach, leveraging genetically engineered cattle to produce fully human antibodies, enables a scalable and reliable production of targeted, higher potency neutralizing antibody product than has been previously possible. SAB’s approach has expedited the rapid development of a novel immunotherapy for COVID-19 deploying the same natural immune response to fight the disease as recovered patients, but with a much higher concentration of targeted antibodies.
Our targeted high-potency immunotherapies leverage the native immune response thereby providing a highly-specific match against the complexity, diversity and mutation of a disease.
“COVID-19 is a nearly unprecedented public health crisis,” said CSL Behring’s Executive Vice President and Head of R&D Bill Mezzanotte, M.D. “That’s why we’re combining our leading capabilities in plasma product development and immunology with external collaborators to help find multiple, rapid solutions. In the near-term, SAB Biotherapeutics’ novel immunotherapy platform provides a new and innovative solution to rapidly respond without the need for human plasma adding a different dimension to the industry-wide plasma-derived hyperimmune alliance effort we recently launched for the COVID-19 crisis. For future pandemics, SAB’s platform may allow us to even more rapidly respond to patients’ needs.”
“Our targeted high-potency immunotherapies leverage the native immune response thereby providing a highly-specific match against the complexity, diversity and mutation of a disease,” said Eddie J. Sullivan, PhD, SAB Biotherapeutics president, CEO and co-founder. “Our partnership with CSL Behring shifts our development trajectory to more rapidly scale-up and delivery of our highly targeted and potent COVID-19 therapeutic candidate, and deploy our unique capabilities to help combat this crisis. We have a successful preclinical track record for addressing infectious disease targets including Ebola, MERS, and SARS with our proprietary platform and appreciate that this collaboration with a global biopharmaceutical powerhouse will magnify the potential impact of a COVID-19 immunotherapy and provide an important framework for establishing sustainable solutions for the future.”
CSL Behring has provided seed funding to offset some initial development costs that were funded by SAB in good faith, responding to the global pandemic as quickly as possible. SAB has already secured approximately $7.2 million in funding through an interagency agreement with the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense (JPEO – CBRND) and Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to support SAB to complete manufacturing and preclinical studies. CSL Behring will then commit its clinical, regulatory, manufacturing and supply chain expertise and resources to deliver the therapeutic to the market as soon as possible, on terms to be agreed with SAB.
Earlier this year, the companies announced a collaboration to investigate SAB’s platform technology as a new source for human immunoglobulin G (IgG) and the potential for new therapies to treat challenging autoimmune, infectious and idiopathic diseases by leveraging SAB’s DiversitAb™ platform.
About CSL Behring CSL
Behring is a global biotherapeutics leader driven by its promise to save lives. Focused on serving patients’ needs by using the latest technologies, we develop and deliver innovative therapies that are used to treat coagulation disorders, primary immune deficiencies, hereditary angioedema, inherited respiratory disease, and neurological disorders. The company’s products are also used in cardiac surgery, burn treatment and to prevent hemolytic disease of the newborn. CSL Behring operates one of the world’s largest plasma collection networks, CSL Plasma. The parent company, CSL Limited (ASX:CSL;USOTC:CSLLY), headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, employs more than 26,000 people, and delivers its life-saving therapies to people in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.cslbehring.com and for inspiring stories about the promise of biotechnology, visit Vita www.cslbehring.com/Vita
About SAB Biotherapeutics, Inc.
SAB Biotherapeutics, Inc. (SAB), headquartered in Sioux Falls, S.D. is a clinical-stage, biopharmaceutical development company advancing a new class of immunotherapies leveraging fully human polyclonal antibodies. Utilizing some of the most complex genetic engineering and antibody science in the world, SAB has developed the only platform that can rapidly produce natural, highly targeted, high-potency, immunotherapies at commercial scale. The company is advancing programs in autoimmunity, infectious diseases, inflammation and exploratory oncology. SAB is rapidly progressing on a new therapeutic for COVID-19, SAB-185, a fully human polyclonal antibodies targeted to SARS-CoV-2 without using human donors. SAB185 is expected to be ready for evaluation as early as summer 2020. The company was also recently awarded a $27 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to leverage its unique capabilities as part of a Rapid Response Antibody Program, valued at up to $27 million. For more information visit: www.sabbiotherapeutics.com.
Media contacts: SAB Biotherapeutics Melissa Ullerich mullerich@sabbiotherapeutics.com +1 605.679.4609
CSL Behring Greg Healy greg.healy@cslbehring.com +1 610-906-4564
SAB Biotherapeutics Awarded $27M Contract to Develop Novel Rapid Response Capability for U.S. Department of Defense
Sioux Falls, S.D., March 31, 2020 – SAB Biotherapeutics (SAB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, advancing a new class of immunotherapies leveraging the native human immune response, announced today it has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to develop and test a Rapid Response Antibody Program, valued at up to $27 million.
This progressive and competitive, three-stage, multi-year contract calls for the development of a state-of-the-art, pharmaceutical platform technology capable of rapidly and reliably producing antibody-based Medical Countermeasures (MCM) for biological threats. The goal of the program, awarded through DoD’s Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense (JPEOCBRND) Joint Project Lead CBRND Enabling Biotechnologies (JPL-CBRND-EB), is to accelerate the delivery of potent, human, polyclonal antibody therapeutics to address known and novel emerging biodefense (viral, bacterial or toxin) threats.
Driven by advanced genetic engineering and antibody science, SAB has developed the DiversitAb™ platform to naturally and rapidly produce large amounts of targeted human antibodies, without human donors.
Stage 1 of the contract, totaling $3.4 million, began in September of 2019 and continues through May 2020; demonstrating the platform’s potential to meet the DoD’s requirements for producing safe and efficacious cGMP material in less than six months at current scale. Stage 2 increases the scale of production to meet the DoD’s target number of doses of prototype drug product and fully-implemented demonstration of readiness. Stage 3 calls for production of an antibody product to an unknown threat, selected by the DoD in a “live fire” exercise as well as clinical activity through a Phase 1 trial.
We have an obligation to apply our proprietary capabilities to produce high-potency immunotherapies to virtually any target on a large scale, to a rapid response capacity.
“We have an obligation to apply our proprietary capabilities to produce high-potency immunotherapies to virtually any target on a large scale, to a rapid response capacity,” said Eddie J. Sullivan, PhD, SAB Biotherapeutics president, CEO and co-founder. “Our therapies leverage the native immune response thereby providing a highly-specific match against the complexity, diversity and mutation of disease.”
The company has developed more than a dozen effective antibodies from its DiversitAb platform in response to infectious disease targets during outbreaks of Ebola, Zika, Dengue and others.
“For a new disease target, we’re able to move quickly to a proof-of-concept in about 90 days,” added Sullivan.
“Infectious disease has been a strategic proving ground for our platform,” added Sullivan. “If we can perform under the most demanding of scenarios to challenging targets, it builds confidence that translates to a broader array of therapeutic programs,” Sullivan said.
SAB is also advancing a therapeutic pipeline including potential treatments for autoimmune diseases, inflammation, infectious diseases and cancers. The company recently entered a research collaboration with CSL Behring to explore new innovative immunotherapies, including human immunoglobulins.
“This initiative is solidifying a place for targeted human polyclonal antibodies in the immunotherapy space, showcasing the power of the native human biological immune response,” added Sullivan. “More importantly, we’re providing an innovative new tool in the medical countermeasures toolbox.”
About the JPEO-CBRND
The Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense is the Joint Service’s lead for development, acquisition, fielding and life-cycle support of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense equipment and medical countermeasures. As an effective acquisition program, we put capable and supportable systems in the hands of the service members and first responders, when and where it is needed, at an affordable price. Our vision is a resilient Joint Force enabled to fight and win unencumbered by a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear environment; championed by innovative and state-of-the-art solutions.
About SAB Biotherapeutics, Inc.
SAB Biotherapeutics, Inc. (SAB), headquartered in Sioux Falls, S.D. is a clinical-stage, biopharmaceutical company advancing a new class of immunotherapies leveraging fully human polyclonal antibodies. Utilizing some of the most complex genetic engineering and antibody science in the world, SAB has developed the only platform that can rapidly produce natural, highly-targeted, high-potency, human polyclonal immunotherapies at commercial scale. The company is advancing programs in autoimmunity, infectious diseases, inflammation and oncology.
Media contacts: Melissa Ullerich mullerich@sabbiotherapeutics.com +1 605-679-4609
Development Foundation Connects Design Professionals with City Hall
City Hall Connections
The Sioux Falls Development Foundation, in partnership with the City of Sioux Falls, recently hosted two events targeting architects and engineers in the Sioux Falls area. These events were offered as part of the Development Foundation’s Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) initiative, which focuses on local economic development opportunities.
Architectural and engineering firms work day-in and day-out to help grow our community. These professions work to design neighborhoods, business parks, buildings and so much more that contribute to Sioux Falls. One area the Development Foundation is focused on is the importance of developing relationships and strong communication between our private sector companies and public sector officials.
During a BR&E visit with an existing company in Sioux Falls, the Foundation learned about the company’s frustration with City Hall due to imposed requirements associated with their expansion project. The Development Foundation discovered there was a miscommunication between the City, the contractor, the engineering firm and the company. As it turns out, the requirements that formed the basis of the company’s frustrations were in fact not required. This resulted in financial savings for the company and a better working relationship with City Hall.
On January 22 and February 11, architecture and engineering professionals were invited to attend an Open House event with the City’s Planning and Development Services Department to learn what’s new with permitting processes and plan reviews and to interact with the individuals that work at the City on these projects. These events marked one solid step forward in cultivating strong relationships between our business sector and the City of Sioux Falls, so that when companies make investments to expand, they have a great experience.
To learn more contact
Mike Gray
Director of Business, Retention & Expansion
Workforce development priorities focus on drawing talent, educating for future needs
Originally Published by SiouxFalls.Business
Kurt Loudenback knows what it’s like to have to hire dozens of people to keep a business growing.
That’s what success has meant for Grand Prairie Foods, the company he and his wife, Valerie, have grown into a national provider of food products to the hospitality industry.
About a year ago, there were 150 employees. Now, that number has grown to more than 200.
We believe we’ll be well over 225, maybe pushing 250 by midsummer,” Loudenback said. “We use many hiring methods, and we’ve been able to do it, but in today’s low unemployment environment, that’s not easy to do.
Grand Prairie could be a proverbial poster child, though, for workforce development efforts in Sioux Falls.
The company has been a leader in working to connect the refugee and immigrant population with job opportunities. In return, word of mouth has led to more workers. Grand Prairie also works closely with LSS to help build a pipeline of potential employees.
“My message is don’t try to do everything internally,” Loudenback said. “It’s important to be engaged in the community and important to understand the resources available.”
The Sioux Falls Development Foundation strives to be the place for businesses to connect to those resources, and with new leadership and a renewed focus on workforce development, it’s a significant priority for this year and beyond.
“Workforce development is the predominant discussion we hear from businesses, and it’s across the board from skilled trades to professional trades,” said Bob Mundt, the foundation’s president.
“Everyone needs workers: The service industry, manufacturing, processing, banks, insurance, everyone is looking for people.”
It can be a broad and daunting topic to tackle, but the Development Foundation is guided by a strategic action agenda set forth in the most recent five-year Forward Sioux Falls campaign.
These interlocking circles show how the foundation blends talent attraction and retention with talent development efforts.
Leading the effort is Denise Guzzetta, who joined the foundation in late 2018 as vice president of talent and workforce development. Her background includes two decades in the global finance and benefit industries with Fortune 50 companies.
“Denise has the credibility within the corporate arena to bring meaningful change. Her experience in creating new career development initiatives necessary for economic growth provides an effective platform to connect with the human resource community,” Mundt said.
“She’s aligning all of the pieces necessary to fully implement the strategic workforce action agenda. From students to educators to HR and business leaders, she has the background we need to connect with all those populations.”
In her first few months, Guzzetta has laid out a robust plan for advancing the strategic action.
“The Development Foundation’s role is to make sure that businesses have what they need in order to expand,” she said. “And the largest component of that is a very engaged, educated workforce. It’s critical. It’s the No. 1 need we have today.”
Dave Rozenboom agrees. The president of First Premier Bank also chairs the joint venture management committee of Forward Sioux Falls.
“As a banker, we have a lot of customers who are in business, and the No. 1 theme I hear is the single biggest limiting factor our customers have, and the business community has at large, to continue to grow and expand their business or own economy would be the labor shortages that we face,” he said.
“If you look at the Sioux Falls metropolitan area and you look back 25 years, you look back 50 years, clearly we’ve benefited from a rural-to-urban migration. And now as you look at the next 25 years, you realize that probably isn’t going to repeat itself, certainly at the same level.”
That requires the community to grow its population from alternative sources, including urban-to-urban migration and the immigrant and refugee population, he said.
The area also is challenged by its high labor force participation rate, which Rozenboom estimates is 74 percent to 75 percent of people age 18 to 65, compared with the national rate of 62 percent.
“We know we’ve got a population here that likes to work,” he said. “They’ve got a strong work ethic. The challenge is we’ve probably maximized as much of the labor participation rate as we can get, so we’ll really be dependent on population growth to provide that workforce for the future.”
Targeted approach
The Development Foundation’s approach to workforce development starts with the number 2,173. That’s how many post-secondary students have been identified in a 100-mile radius with education in fields where area businesses need expertise.
“They represent finance, general business, engineers, construction trades, health care trades, precision mechanical trades. We need those people here now to fulfill the needs of the community,” Guzzetta said.
“The No. 1 thing this year is to pull more talent into the area. We’re focusing heavily on bringing them in through talent tours, talent draft days, and we’re looking at targeting an expanded radius by working with our area colleges and technical institutes to reach out to their alumni about opportunities to come back to the area.”
The foundation also remains nimble in its approach to worker outreach. Grand Prairie Foods has seen the benefit of that firsthand.
When Gold’n Plump closed its chicken-processing plant in Luverne, Minn., in late 2017, the Development Foundation led targeted marketing efforts directed at displaced workers.
“We ended up hiring half a dozen skilled positions from that facility in our company,” Loudenback said. “I can’t say directly what brought us those people, but certainly the total campaign had a positive effect. That’s an example of what it’s done for us and what we believe is an opportunity to help attract talented folks in the region.”
Community effort
Achieving those big goals will take participation from across the business community and represents an opportunity for businesses to get involved.
Loudenback has stepped up already by chairing the workforce-talent committee for the Development Foundation, helping develop workforce strategies.
“There’s an internal and an external effort,” he said. “Internally, we want to make sure there’s engagement with businesses and the education community in Sioux Falls to ensure we’re meeting their future workforce needs. The external component involves outreach to education institutions in surrounding states and to individuals to essentially recruit from those communities.”
Guzzetta has formed a recruitment council with committees working on talent acquisition, talent incentives and career-based training. There has been strong interest from the business community, but others can still participate.
My message to businesses is to get your people involved with us, come work with us, be part of this community, and we develop talent programming and get engaged,” she said.
The Development Foundation will continue to share information, resources and best practices through its Workforce Information Now digital portal.
Achieving the goals of the strategic action agenda and building the pipelines necessary for best-in-class workforce development will take time, Mundt added.
“Be patient,” he urged businesses. “Get connected by participating in our talent programs, our recruiting programs, job fairs we’ll be having, our WIN content, and if you have questions or comments or criticisms, call us.”
It’s a collective, community effort to develop the future workforce, he said.
“It will take us doing our job at the Development Foundation but also will take companies doing their job to create the type of environment people want to be part of, remaining flexible in their benefits programs and hiring practices and being open-minded to new ideas and maybe new populations.”
Back at Grand Prairie Foods, Loudenback echoed that sentiment.
“There’s a vibrant process in place now to make sure the needs are defined, and there’s communication going on to make sure the workforce is educated to meet those needs,” he said. “Let’s continue to build Sioux Falls as a community together, and let’s not try to do it independently.”