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Volume 29, Number 6November-December, 2005

overnor Mike Rounds was honored for his part in the key economic development successes of 2005 with the presentation of the Spirit of Sioux Falls Award at the Sioux Falls Development Foundation’s annual meeting November 17. This year’s theme,

reflecting the record-setting growth of the Sioux Falls economy, wasCelebrating Success, Shaping the Future. During the past year, AutomatedData Processing began construction in Sioux Falls, John Morrell & Co.announced a $100 million expansion and regional construction activity andcapital investment once again reached historic highs.

“Governor Rounds has been our partner in growing Sioux Falls,” saidJim Wilcox, Development Foundation chair. “In each presentation and everyexpansion project, he has been there to assure business leaders that he willdo whatever it takes.”

In thanking the Development Foundation for the award,Governor Rounds pointed out that Sioux Falls is the economicengine that drives South Dakota. He said that the Sioux Fallsbusiness community makes success happen through their dedication to the prosperity of this region and their willingnessto work together to make Sioux Falls a great place to live.

The Spirit of Sioux Falls Award is given annually to aperson who has demonstrated excellence in leadership andcommitment to economic development and growth in SiouxFalls. Last year’s winner was Steve Kirby.

In addition to the presentation of the award, the meeting,attended by over 300 business leaders, featured a report byChairman Wilcox on the successes of 2005. He also introducedthe winners of the Development Foundation’s Spirit of SiouxFalls Scholarships. This year, Joshua Aberson, a student atAugustana College; Kira Lakner, attending the University of

South Dakota; Danielle Schmidt, a business major at Northern State, andSteven Woltjer, attending Dakota State University, each won a $2,500 scholarship for pursuing a course of study in business.

“2005 was unusual, with the three largest economic development projects in our history announced in the same year,” said Dan Scott,Development Foundation president. “We sold $4 million in developmentpark land, added 185 acres of new development sites and grew in everybusiness category. This was clearly a year for celebration!”

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Governor Rounds receivesSpirit of Sioux Falls AwardSpirit of Sioux Falls Award

South Dakota Governor Mike Roundsaddresses a group of over 300 Sioux Fallsbusiness leaders at the Sioux FallsDevelopment Foundation annual meeting.Development Foundation Chairman JimWilcox, right, presented Rounds with theannual Spirit of Sioux Falls Award forachievement in the area’s economic development efforts.

HHappyappyolidaysolidaysHH

May the warmth of family, friends and

traditions joyfully carry you into a

prosperous new year!

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www.siouxfallsdevelopment .com

Jim Wilcox, ChairDana Dykhouse,Vice ChairMark Shlanta, TreasurerDoug Johnson, SecretaryKelby Krabbenhoft,

Past ChairDennis AndersonTerry BalounHenry “Chip” Carlson IIICathy ClarkSteve CrimBruce HalversonMike HansonJohn Keilholz

Dan KirbyDavid KnudsonDon MarkerBarry MartinDr. Jim RoblJeff ScherschligtKendall Stork

Ex-Officio:Mayor Dave MunsonCommissioner

Jim ZweepMike Cooper

DirectionsDirectionsis published six times yearly by the

P.O. Box 907, Sioux Falls, SD 57101Phone 605-339-0103, Fax 605-339-0055

Dan Scott, President Karen Ruhland, Editor

SFDF Board of DirectorsSFDF Board of Directors

Working for regional economic Working for regional economic development in partnership with:development in partnership with:

Lincoln County Lincoln County Economic Development AssociationEconomic Development Association

Minnehaha County Minnehaha County Economic Development Economic Development AssociationAssociation

eta Payment Systems, a tenant in the South Dakota Technology

Business Center since June, 2004,has relocated to two floors of theMetaBank building at 57th andWestern. The company occupied3,500 square feet at the businessincubator, expanding from theiroriginal suite into three others. Thenew location gives Meta PaymentSystems 9,000 square feet.

“We started at the TechnologyBusiness Center with sevenemployees,” said Ron Butterfield,vice president of operations for thefirm. “We now have 28 and expectto expand to 46 within the firstyear in our new offices.”

First technology start-up firm “graduates” from SDTBC

MM Butterfield gives credit for therapid growth of Meta Payment tothe Technology Business Center.The company was created on May4, 2004, he said, and was operatingin its SDTBC offices by June 1.

“We were able to spend ourtime building the business,”Butterfield said, “rather than settingup the office.”

One big advantage to a computer-dependent company likeMeta Payment was the “plug andplay” aspect of the building,Butterfield said. The componentsfor rapid business use were all inplace, with a digital infrastructureto accommodate the most technicalof applications.

Another element to success atthe Technology Business Center,according to Butterfield, is theattractive environment and “bigoffice” perception it provides a tenant company.

“This facility is one into whichyou feel comfortable inviting clients,”he said. “We have major nationalcompanies as our customers, andthey have all commented on theatmosphere here. It puts a nice faceon your business.”

While the departure of MetaPayment Systems from SDTBC willleave some empty office space for ashort time, executive director RichNaser is happy about the move.

“Our job is to provide a placefor technology companies to growstrong enough to function withoutour infrastructure and businessservices,” he said. “It’s an excitingday to have our first start-up company graduate to their ownfacility. That says something veryimportant about this facility and itspromise for the other companieswho are our tenants.”

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he Minnehaha and Lincoln County Economic

Development Associationsheld their combined annual meeting on November 9 in theStarlite Room of the Holiday InnCity Centre in downtown SiouxFalls. The annual meeting focusedon the development achievementsof the past year in both countiesand a combined annual report wasdistributed at the meeting.

Bryan Hisel, executive directorof the Mitchell Area DevelopmentCorporation, delivered the keynoteaddress, sharing observations from30 years of economic developmentactivity in South Dakota. Hisel congratulated the two county organizationson setting an excellent example of successful collaboration in communitydevelopment.

MCEDA chairman Marv Wieman and LCEDA chairman Todd Nelsoneach provided a report from the county and Jeff Eckhoff, executive directorof both groups, addressed rural development accomplishments during 2005.

“We are seeing the results of many years of working together for prosperity,” Eckhoff said. “The economic successes of Sioux Falls are reflected in the continuing growth of the communities of Lincoln andMinnehaha counties.”

Rural development groups hold annual meeting

TT

Bryan Hisel gave the keynote address at thecombined LCEDA and MCEDA meeting.

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By Jim Wilcox

TTChairman’s Chairman’s ReportReport

Sioux FallsDevelopment Foundation

Chairman’s Report

www.siouxfallsdevelopment .com

Meeting spotlights strategy for successhis year’s annual meeting really was a celebration of success. Our record-setting numbers, our acquisition of new land for future development parks and our

announcements of expansions and new businesses made 2005 a year to remember.The annual meeting gave us the opportunity to share all that good news—and alsoacknowledge the contribution of one of strongest partners, Governor Mike Rounds.

Governor Rounds is one of the best spokespeople our community has ever had.When business leaders from anywhere in the US are considering expanding or locating in Sioux Falls, the Governor is the ultimate sales representative for our advantages. He is confident in his presentation, sincere in his conversation and passionate aboutbringing new business to South Dakota. It is very difficult for corporate leaders to say no to Mike Rounds. In the discussions which led to the major Sioux Falls economicdevelopment announcements this year, the Governor was there to say “What will ittake?” In fact, he has helped to write Sioux Falls success stories for several years, goingback to Hematech’s decision to bring their biotechnology business to our state. We’reglad to recognize Governor Rounds for his untiring efforts and we congratulate him onbeing this year’s Spirit of Sioux Falls Award winner.

This is my last report to you as Chairman of the Sioux Falls DevelopmentFoundation. It has been a privilege to lead this organization and advance the cause ofeconomic development in our region. To the staff of the Development Foundation andthe dedicated board members with whom it has been my honor to serve, I extend myheartfelt thanks. Because of the commitment of these individuals and our members, I know that Sioux Falls will continue to grow, prosper and create intellectually challenging and financially rewarding jobs for our grandchildren here in South Dakota.

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TThe Sioux Falls Development Foundation hostedgroundbreaking ceremonies for the new Volunteersof America Wildflower Estates Living Center forlow-income people with disabilities. The fifteen-unitcomplex will feature fourteen one-bedroom apart-ments and one two-bedroom apartment at 1111North Cleveland.While this construction is the firstfor Volunteers of America in South Dakota, thenational organization owns and operates more than250 affordable housing communities in 31 states,homes for more than 20,000 individuals with dis-abilities. The project will be completed early in 2006.

Volunteers of America to build Volunteers of America to build affordable living centeraffordable living center

HHHigh tech manufacturing firm Pulizzi Engineering,which has maintained an engineering and sales officein Sioux Falls for several years, has broken ground onPhase One of the company’s new headquarters here.The first step in a three-phase construction project is a 7,000 square foot facility for sales, purchasing,accounting, human resources and engineering func-tions as the company relocates from California. ThePulizzi staff in Sioux Falls should number nearly 30upon the completion of Phase One, with additionalemployees added with the construction of a 26,000square foot manufacturing expansion within two years.

Pulizzi Engineering to relocatePulizzi Engineering to relocatefrom California to Sioux Fallsfrom California to Sioux Falls

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A year end salute to those quiet achievers

By Dan Scott

Sioux Falls Development Foundation

P.O. Box 907Sioux Falls, SD 57101

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED.President’sPresident’s

ReportReport

Sioux FallsDevelopmentFoundation

President’sReport

WW■■Water■■Sewer■■Curb and gutter■■Hard-surface roads■■Prices start at $1.55/sq. ft.

Build-ready, affordable sites are Build-ready, affordable sites are available in the Sioux Empire available in the Sioux Empire

Development Parks. Prices include: Development Parks. Prices include:

Contact Dan Hindbjorgen, SiouxFallsDevelopment Foundation

Call 1-800-658-3373, e-mail danh@siouxfalls.com

or visit our Sioux Falls website atwww.siouxfalls.com

e’ve had lots of exciting news this year. The ADP construction, the announcement of the Morrell expansion and the growth of our medical

community by tens of millions of dollars have all made big headlines.But while these stories are crucial to the future of Sioux Falls, the truth is that what

has made our community the place it is today—which is the best place in America to dobusiness, according to Forbes magazine—is the smaller stories. Take a look at our annualreport—you can get one free at our office if you don’t have one—and you will see dozens of separate items, each adding to the overall growth of Sioux Falls and each contributing to our diversity and prosperity.

A new company bringing two hundred jobs to town makes headlines. But how doyou report a hundred established businesses each adding two new employees? The resultis the same—a broader tax base, new payroll dollars spreading through the economy,maybe some housing construction. During the past twenty years, Sioux Falls has grownconsistently, steadily and reliably. That’s one of the main reasons we’re a Top TenCommunity on nearly everyone’s list. And that growth has been fueled by the confident,measured expansion of small companies all around our area.

That kind of development doesn’t get coverage on the ten o’clock news. Those business owners don’t get profiled in the daily newspaper. But that “quiet achievement”by firms of all types in and around Sioux Falls has kept our economy strong when therest of the country was in recession. That quiet growth is one of the elements we celebrated at our annual meeting this year. To all of you whose business growth didn’tgarner headlines or camera crews, accept our congratulations—you are quietly makingthis community strong.

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Give your company Give your company the gift of build-ready the gift of build-ready land in the nation land in the nation’’ss

best business climate! best business climate!

Give your company the gift of build-ready land in the nation’s

best business climate!

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