Moving Sioux Falls Forward: Design Tanks offers best-in-class products made in Sioux Falls
- June 19, 2024
From its relatively low-profile location in Sioux Falls, Design Tanks aims to be the nationwide leader in fiberglass tank manufacturing.
“Our mission through modern design, engineering and manufacturing processes is to create the highest-quality fiberglass tanks in the industry while bringing outstanding value to our customers,” president and CEO Bret Vanden Bosch said.
Located at 612 W. Blackhawk St., Design Tanks manufactures custom-engineered FRP — fiberglass-reinforced plastic — tanks that store corrosive liquids. The company’s products support a range of industries, including ag, food and beverage, energy, industrial chemical, water, wastewater and air pollution control.
“This is advanced manufacturing at its best,” said Bob Mundt, president and CEO of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.
“Design Tanks has a nearly 70-year history, and in that time, they have evolved and enhanced their business to become an industry leader. These are excellent careers, and we’re eager to do what we can to support this company’s growth.”
Here’s a closer look at the business, courtesy of Vanden Bosch.
Business name: Design Tanks.
Year founded: 1956.
Year operations began in Sioux Falls: 1956.
Total employees in the Sioux Falls area: 80.
CEO/lead executive in Sioux Falls: Bret Vanden Bosch.
What are the top three reasons you continue to locate in the Sioux Falls area?
We take great pride in being a Sioux Falls-based company, and I think our reasons come down to our dedicated employees really representing the best of the “Midwest work ethic”: working until the job gets done, staying humble through success and remaining community-focused. We’re all from here; it’s a great state and city to do business in, and we want to make sure we give back to our communities through our success as a company.
What are you most proud of within your business in the past year?
Design Tanks had a record-breaking year in 2023, making more tanks of all sizes than we ever have before. And we’re on track to do it again in 2024. Our team continues to perform at such a high level that we’re able to produce quality products with both exceptional efficiency and employee safety standards.
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing your business?
With Design Tanks’ rapid growth and plant expansions, we’re always looking to add new employees to the team. New members are critical for us to continue advancing and keeping up with new demand, so it can be tough if there’s an employee shortage. We’re actually hiring right now for a few entry-level roles.
How would you describe the culture of your business in three words?
We are family. Design Tanks prioritizes a family culture when bringing in new hires and looking out for veteran employees to make sure everyone succeeds both on and off the job. We look after our own.
Why does your business choose to invest in Forward Sioux Falls?
Forward Sioux Falls is diligently working to help bring in new employees to help counteract any shortage we have, and bringing in new employees means bringing in new community members, which inherently enriches the Sioux Falls community and economy. We want Sioux Falls to not only continue being a great community for our employees to live in, but to expand it for future generations to come.
What specific advantages or values have you found to partnering with Forward Sioux Falls and its programs?
Partnering with Forward Sioux Falls can align us with a strategic vision for economic development and community growth, providing access to resources, networks and opportunities that can drive success and sustainability. By providing high-quality jobs that require talented, upstanding people, Forward Sioux Falls will help us fill those roles, and inherently the community, with people who fit the bill.
What are your expectations for your business in the year ahead?
Continue to focus on what we do best: customer service, best-in-business delivery times and high-quality products. If we keep this course, there’s no telling what we can achieve.
To learn more about Design Tanks, click below.
Forward Sioux Falls is a joint venture between the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce and the Sioux Falls Development Foundation and is widely respected as the premier economic driver for the Sioux Falls region. To learn more and connect, click here.