Category: Directions Newsletter

I’ve asked myself the question several times about how such a strange year could be such a good year. While the Development Foundation has experienced the same challenges as most in 2020, I have been proud of the way City, State, civic and business leadership has stepped up to the challenge. Despite the environment, many of our businesses and our city have seen significant growth and the Development Foundation has moved forward with several key initiatives while also responding to the business community and the challenges of COVID. While I certainly understand that several sectors of our economy including retail, restaurants and hospitality are still feeling the pain, I believe recovery and renewal is on the way.

In 2020 the Development Foundation continued to market, promote and develop Sioux Falls and has been successful in selling over 165 acres in our industrial parks, creating over 1,300 jobs and expanding the tax base of the region. Work continues on grading of additional land to create build-ready sites and working with our partners to finance and construct needed infrastructure. Our work with Corson Development Park has concluded and we now look to begin the development and build out of North Foundation Park. In addition, we have worked with our existing industries to assist with expansion plans and in accessing assistance through the PPP program, the CARES Act, and State programs to get through these difficult times.

Our talent and workforce development efforts continue as we have adapted to virtual recruitment strategies gaining access to over 80 universities, colleges and tech schools to recruit new talent. In addition, we have created a talent pipeline through STEM Initiatives in our area middle schools, Career Connection in our high schools, and various talent recruitment for our higher education contacts. Over 6,000 contacts have been engaged through our Talent Development programs connecting with over 80 businesses.

We will continue to respond to the needs of the business community in building Sioux Falls and look forward to a great 2021. Thank you to all our Forward Sioux Falls investors, Foundation members and community partners for making our progress possible. Your commitment is appreciated.

It is a great time to be taking the chair position with the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. Despite the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the decisions of past chairs, board members and Development Foundation leadership have set the table for our continued success. We have much to be proud of when reflecting on 2020, and we are in a position to capitalize on significant economic opportunities in 2021.

Thank you to Todd Ernst for his leadership as chair during 2020. The board and Foundation staff have had to respond to many unique challenges, and Todd was an excellent resource. Whether helping to shape office protocols related to the pandemic, overseeing personnel changes, or his continued management of our financial model, the Development Foundation would not be in the position of strength it is today without him.

Thank you also to Pam Hanneman, Paul Hanson and Jay Rasmussen, who retired from the board in December. These board members, along with Tom Kelley who we lost in October, helped guide the Development Foundation through an extremely exciting and somewhat risky time. They made the decision six years ago to move forward with Foundation Park and initiated one of the biggest and most complicated investments in our history coordinating with several partners and investors to provide what we have today. It is because of their vision and foresight that we have Foundation Park and are now seeing the product of their vision. Thank you to all board members, past and present, that have paved the way for where we are today.

As we move into 2021 with a focus on recovery and growth, the Foundation is poised for success and is laying the groundwork for next level development. Working with the City and our partners, we will expand our efforts to ready Foundation Park North and Sioux Empire Development Park VIII for new development and opportunities while focusing on our mission of job creation and property tax base expansion. Our workforce development efforts will continue to expand to meet the growing needs of our employers through the recruitment of professionals, skilled laborers, and production workers. New programs will strive to connect our employers with the employees they need, the resources needed to get them here, and will help accommodate them when they arrive.

I am predicting 2021 will be a great year for Sioux Falls and I look forward to leading the Development Foundation as we capitalize on our opportunities. As always, thank you for your membership in and support of the Foundation. We could not accomplish great things without you, and I sincerely appreciate your involvement and dedication.

I wish you all the best in 2021 and Happy New Year.

The 8^th Forward Sioux Falls campaign is moving forward with the blessings of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation Board of Directors, the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the Joint Venture Management Committee. Board and committee members have given the green light to NCDS to begin the process of raising the necessary funds for our next five-year campaign.

The five-year campaign includes specific funding for the areas of Business Development & Retention, Talent & Workforce Development, Airport and International Trade services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship through the Zeal Center and the Discovery District, and Advocacy and Community Development.

Campaign organizers are forming the leadership structure of the campaign and are looking for leaders to participate in the fundraising efforts. NCDS will begin organizing these leaders into teams who will canvass Sioux Falls businesses for their participation in the campaign set to begin in early 2021.

During these difficult times of the Covid pandemic the business community has been forced to adapt and possibly change their approach. In the world of economic development that is no different. Our recruitment and attraction activities, and business retention and expansion projects, have been altered both in budget and execution. Governor Noem and Mayor Ten Haken have done an outstanding job managing the crisis, keeping people safe, and the city and state open for business. This has not gone unnoticed in the national media. Governor Noem received high marks and accolades from many outlets on her handling of the pandemic.

In normal times we would use budgeted dollars on marketing missions reaching out to site selection consultants in person to promote and sell the city, region, and state. Like most, we shifted our approach and adopted a virtual advertising campaign. We felt it necessary to leverage the good news and distribute the message electronically in a monthly e-postcard. Sioux Falls and the state receive plenty of accolades that need to be promoted. In addition, we must always tout our affordable cost of doing business and pro-business climate. This campaign will continue to promote and attract new potential opportunities for development.

Trade shows and conferences were another area where we were forced to pivot and identify viable marketing opportunities. For many years, the Development Foundation conducted a radio campaign airing in the Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota. Strategically, we felt it was a perfect time to resume radio ads, offering Minnesota business owners a distinct alternative — lower taxes and less red tape with a South Dakota location. The radio ads began airing the week of July 6^th and will run for the next three months.