The 2022 membership renewal effort is underway, and support remains strong within the community. Our renewed emphasis on talent attraction, retention, and workforce development, in addition to business retention assistance, and property tax and quality job growth resonate with our current members. A number of growing organizations have signed on in support of our economic development and community building efforts, joining the Foundation for the first time.

Membership billing will continue over the next few months as renewal dates come up. We invite you to renew your support of our efforts as we continue to carry out our mission of improving the regional economy. Thanks to your financial support, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation has led the way in creating one of the most vibrant, growing economies in the nation.

Thanks for investing in the economic future of our area.

If your organization is not yet a member, we invite you to contact us. We’ll answer questions and provide the information you need to become a member of our organization.

No organization or business can survive without valuable partnerships that help them succeed in accomplishing their goals and objectives. Each of us have those critical partners that provide products, services, consulting, and advice to help us sell, market, manage, and succeed in our business.

The Sioux Falls Development Foundation is no different, and we’d like to give a shout out to some of our critical partners.

City of Sioux Falls – The City of Sioux Falls, including the Mayor, City Council, and staff, are instrumental. They provide guidance, funding, and approvals for a lot of the projects we undertake. Their expertise in infrastructure, incentives, planning/zoning, permitting and resolutions/ordinances help us comply with local laws.

Governor’s Office of Economic Development – GOED provides data and information for our prospects, guidance on funding sources and incentives, permitting assistance, and legislative involvement. The State also coordinates coop advertising and marketing programs to stretch our local dollar and expand our market reach.

Broker Partners – Our broker partners, NAI and Bender Commercial, help market our industrial property, identify local companies looking to expand, and keep us abreast of the latest trends in commercial and industrial real estate development.

Greater Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce – The Chamber allows us to participate in key areas including public policy and advocacy, Leadership Sioux Falls training, the Young Professionals Network, community development, housing and airport improvement efforts, as well as general quality of life programs.

Startup Sioux Falls – SUSF partners with us to build and promote the entrepreneurial community in the Sioux Falls region. By supporting SUSF through the Forward Sioux Falls initiatives, Sioux Falls has become a rising star in the national entrepreneurial scene.

Local School Districts – Leveraging our Career Connections program as well as our STEM initiatives, local school districts play a vital role in engaging students in career exploration, job shadow, apprenticeship and internship opportunities available with local companies. This allows us to keep our kids here and employ them early.

Higher Education – Partnerships with STC, Augustana, USF, SDSU, USD, and DSU have supported our Talent Recruitment Programs as well as STC’s Health Sciences Clinical Simulation Center, the DSU Cyber Campus, the USD Discovery District Bio-Sciences Center and internships from SDSU, Augustana, and USF.

Sioux Metro Growth Alliance – Serving the regional communities outside of Sioux Falls, SMGA provides support and guidance, connecting them to valuable resources they need to capitalize on the growth and success of the region.

There are, of course, many individuals and business leaders that play a critical role in forming our boards and committees; providing valuable guidance and expertise. Without these valued relationships, we could not be where we are today.

On behalf of the Development Foundation Board of Directors and staff, we say thank you to our partners and the individuals who contribute their time, talent, and treasure to our organization. You are all awesome.

With the change of the weather comes our favorite season: groundbreaking season.

For the nearly seven decades, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation has hosted groundbreakings and helped organizations in our community commemorate new chapters of growth and success.

As 2022 kicked off, we’ve already held nine groundbreakings. Learn about each project and groundbreaking below!

By: Bob Mundt, President/CEO

Workforce and talent development, land development and housing are key focus areas for the Sioux Falls Development Foundation in 2022. These three areas define our road ahead and create our work plan as we continue to lead the economic development efforts of the region.

While we will continue to grow our current programs targeted at recruiting young talent — including Talent Draft, Talent Tours, Talent Thursdays and Talent Rebound; we will add to the mix with a new and expanded INTERN Sioux Falls initiative targeting internships at local companies with a goal of attracting over 1,000 interns to the region annually. In addition, we will expand the WORK Sioux Falls electronic marketing campaign to metropolitan areas around the Midwest to attract more workers to the region by connecting them directly with company employment pages. With the support from the State, we will initiate a new UPSKILL Sioux Falls program to assist existing firms with upskilling current employees into higher paying positions within their company, filling critical positions.

We’ll continue working with our middle schools in the STEM initiatives and our high schools with the Career Connections program connecting juniors and seniors with local jobs and advanced training opportunities. The recently announced Health Sciences Clinical Simulation Center on the campus of Southeast Tech will substantially increase the number of health care graduates available for our medical community.

Grading and developing our industrial parks will result in more build ready property and create the critical infrastructure we need to land new and expanding companies. Additionally, we will be exploring the expansion of our parks to include additional land to serve the needs of the future.

Working with the State of South Dakota, the City of Sioux Falls and our housing partners, we will explore our role in addressing the career housing shortage in the region. With the critical need for housing as it relates to the job creation and workforce development initiatives of the Foundation, it is imperative that we find solutions to build more affordable housing. This may include redevelopment initiatives or partnership arrangements with the City, the Development Foundation and private sector developers.

The road ahead is being paved today, literally and figuratively, and the Sioux Falls Development Foundation is proud to be a leader in this growth. We appreciate your support and look forward to a great 2022.

The Sioux Falls Development Foundation added five local business leaders to the organization’s board of directors. Elected through a vote of the membership, board members began their terms of service on January 1, 2022.

Newly elected members are Clint Ackerman, Signature Companies, Randy Knecht, Journey Group, Dave Link, Dakota State University, Karla Santi, Blend Interactive and Al Spencer, Parks Ltd.

Ackerman is the owner of Signature Companies LLC, a diversified company involved with land development and the construction of single-family homes, condominiums, townhouses, villas, office buildings, and multifamily commu­nities. Since the company began in 1997, he has guided the construction and development of over 5,000 units. Signature Companies LLC has developed over 2000 acres of property. Ackerman is a licensed South Dakota real estate broker.

Knecht has been involved in the construction industry for more than 25 years, joining Journey Group in 1994. Serving as President & CEO, he leads an outstanding group of dedicated and talented construction professionals. Duties also include developing and maintaining client relationships and overseeing overall corporate risk strategy. Prior to being appointed President and CEO, Randy served as CFO from 1994 – 2010.

Link has more than three decades of experience in strategy, planning and financial operations, previously serving as senior executive vice president and chief strategy officer for Sanford Health. He served in numerous leadership positions and launched the Sanford Initiatives—a series of innovative global health care concepts. He oversaw Sanford Health Plan, Sanford Foundation and Sanford Research. Under his leadership, the initial Sanford Clinic was created as well as the development of Sanford World Clinics. Currently, Link serves as an appointed program director in the President’s Office at Dakota State University. In this role, he leads the strategy, development, operational and financial plans for the DSU Rising Initiative encompassing the development of a new research and development programs and facilities.

Santi is CEO and founding partner of Blend Interactive, a firm that guides teams through complicated web and content problems. She is an active member of the business community, currently serving on the board of directors for Startup Sioux Falls, where she aims to meet the changing needs of the entrepreneurial community. Santi has served on the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the Chamber’s Business Leadership Council. An active mentor in our community, she strives to encourage young women to explore STEM programs and pursue careers in technology.

Spencer’s journey of business ownership spans 35 years, but he is most proud to have owned and operated Dakotaland Homes, the region’s premier sales center for manufactured homes. Not only is he a proud business owner, but he’s also helped to pass laws or fight against legislation that would have negative impacts on the industry or consumers in South Dakota. In addition, he’s volunteered with numerous state and national trade organizations, as well as non-profits in the Sioux Falls community.

The Board of Directors of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation elected Kurt Loudenback, Grand Prairie Foods, chairman of the board for 2022, with Steve Kolbeck, Xcel Energy, as chair elect; Ryan Boschee, Great Western Bank, as treasurer; and Kent Cutler, Cutler Law Firm, as secretary. Pat Costello, Schoeneman’s, completes the executive committee as past chairman.

Strong support from our members has been the “foundation” of our organization for decades as we continue to carry out our mission of improving our regional economy. Thanks to your financial support, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation has led the way in creating one of the most vibrant, growing economies in the nation.

2022 brings a renewed emphasis on talent attraction, retention and workforce development; business retention assistance; and property tax and quality job growth. With Sioux Falls’ business climate attracting expanding and relocating companies we must continue to build our workforce, increase our marketing efforts and be an even stronger advocate for the economic prosperity of our region and we can’t do it without you!

Along with March Madness came March Membership – the start of our 2022 membership renewal efforts. Membership billing will continue over the next few months as renewal dates come up.

This year, our membership mailing includes information outlining the purpose, function and assistance provided by the Development Foundation. The publication is available online.

We invite you to review the information and renew your support of our efforts. If your organization is not yet a member, we invite you to contact us.

Thanks for your financial support and investment in the economic future of our area.

As we get closer to spring, we will begin to see an abundance of activity in both Foundation Park and Sioux Empire Development Park VIII West. The lifeblood of any industrial park is infrastructure. This includes graded sites, roads, water, sewer, utilities, and fiber connectivity. To keep up with the brisk demand and growth of Sioux Falls its’ paramount to stay one step ahead by providing build ready sites.

The Sioux Falls Development Foundation has been in the land development business going back 50 years. Most of that activity has taken place North of downtown and around the airport. As the community continued to grow, the Foundation acquired land on the outskirts of the community. Foundation Park is located at the northwest quadrant of I-29 & I-90, whereas Sioux Empire Development Park VIII is located near 60^th Street North just east of I-229.

Foundation Park is the largest industrial park developed by the Foundation to date. In total it includes 900 acres and is served by BNSF rail. In just a handful of years Foundation Park has attracted large tenants in Amazon, FedEx, Lineage Logistics and CJ Foods. In total there has been 375 acres sold to date, which includes nine tenants.

As the southern portion of Foundation Park continues to fill, the primary focus for 2022 will be providing infrastructure north of the tracks. This will include a three phased grading plan that was bid and awarded to Riley Brothers. This mass grading plan will include 1.6 million cubic yards opening 270 acres of build ready sites. There will also be a bid going out to contractors in the spring to provide, roads, water, sewer, utilities, and fiber. All the underground work will be complete by summer/fall of 2022. The roads are planned to be paved in the spring/summer of 2023.

Moving over to the east side of Sioux Falls we have Sioux Empire Development Park VIII West. Most of the land in this industrial park runs adjacent to and east of I-229 between 60^th Street North and Benson Road. This large parcel of land represents 152 acres. A mass grading plan was developed and bid last fall with Runge Enterprises being awarded the bid. Grading for this project will begin right away this spring and will be complete by mid-summer. To provide access to all this land the Development Foundation will be installing Bahnson Avenue. This stretch of Bahnson will run north and south from 60^th Street North to Benson Road. Bid earlier this year and awarded to Runge Enterprises, paving is scheduled to be wrap-up by October.

Both projects in Foundation Park and Sioux Empire Development Park VIII West represent sizeable investments. However, they represent tracks of land that are becoming more in demand. As the Sioux Falls population has exceeded 200,000 and the MSA creeps closer to 300,000, it’s crucial to have larger tracts of land that have the necessary infrastructure and are plug and play build ready. Our pipeline is full, and we expect to see positive growth and more activity in both of these parks in the coming years.

By: Kurt Loudenback, President – Grand Prairie Foods 2022 & Chair of the Board – Sioux Falls Development Foundation

As Sioux Falls and the region continue to grow and experience record setting numbers in key areas, we recognize the changes and challenges this creates. While City leadership works to respond to what this growth means to future policy, the Development Foundation is working to identify the next phase of development as it relates to planned sustainable growth within our region.

There is little doubt Foundation Park is accomplishing what our past leadership had planned. And in that vein, I would like to extend a special thank you to Pat Costello, our past Chair of the Board, for his leadership throughout 2021. His past economic development experience and direction was invaluable and allowed the Board and staff to make critical and tough decisions to set us up for what comes next. We have tremendous momentum, and we will capitalize on that momentum.

New and expanding firms are finding their home in Foundation Park; substantially adding to the tax base and the quality job growth we see today. Creating nearly 2,500 new jobs and millions of dollars in new taxes, the tenants in Foundation Park and the Sioux Empire Development Parks are adding to the diverse mix of businesses calling Sioux Falls home.

As a Board, we have spent time looking ahead to the next phase of development for the Foundation. We know that talent, workforce housing, childcare, and continuous improvement of our quality of life are critical to sustain our controlled growth. With the successful conclusion of our Forward Sioux Falls campaign last fall, we have allocated the resources necessary to address these issues.

Expanded talent and workforce recruitment and development will continue to assist our business community in filling their talent pipeline. We are exploring our role in the development of workforce housing options while working with our partners to find a solution to childcare that will allow more people to rejoin the workforce. In addition, we are working to identify additional land for the next phase of industrial development. We are working on all these within the resource constraints of our organization, and in cooperation and coordination with the City of Sioux Falls and regional partners.

It is an honor for me to serve as the 2022 Chair of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation as we chart a course for the next phase of our development. I look forward to working with our members, our partners and our city leaders to continue to build this great City. Thanks for your membership, your partnership and your support. Here’s to a great 2022.

As we transition to 2022, new leadership will be installed on our Board of Directors. Kurt Loudenback, President/CEO of Grand Prairie Foods, will assume the Chair position of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation to lead a talented group of your peers in moving the Foundation forward. Additional new leadership will include:

Kurt Loudenback – Grand Prairie Foods – Chair

Steve Kolbeck – Xcel Energy – Chair-Elect

Ryan Boschee – Great Western Bank – Treasurer

Kent Cutler – Cutler Law Firm – Secretary

Pat Costello – Schoeneman’s Building Materials – Past Chair

I’d like to thank and recognize the Members who are leaving the Board after completing their terms. These Members have led the Board and the Foundation over the past six years and were directly involved in the creation of Foundation Park, the development of the Strategic Workforce Action Agenda and the transition of staff leadership. Their skills, talents, and passion for the growth of Sioux Falls and the Foundation are deeply appreciated.

Holly Brunick

Sean Ervin – TSP, Inc.

Michelle Lavallee – Children’s Home Society

Betty Oldenkamp – Lutheran Social Services

Bob Thimjon – Ramkota Companies

Mike Van Buskirk – Van Buskirk Companies

I’d also like to welcome our new Board Members and I am excited to see what the future holds.

Clint Ackerman – Signature Companies, Inc.

Randy Knecht – Journey Group

Dave Link – Dakota State University

Karla Santi – Blend Interactive

Al Spencer – Parks Ltd

I have thoroughly enjoyed my service as the Chair of the Foundation during 2021 and know our new Board under Kurt’s leadership will continue to accomplish great things. The Foundation is on a good path and our leadership is committed to work with our partners to move Sioux Falls and the region forward.

Thank you for allowing me to lead this organization. It has been an honor I will always treasure, and I look forward to 2022.