10 Legendary ways to focus on family during the season of giving in North Dakota

The North Dakota Tourism Division of the Department of Commerce recently shared some thoughts about how to give to your family this holiday season. It had some great ideas and was definitely worth the share. Check it out below:

10 Legendary ways to focus on family during the season of giving in North Dakota

One way to show your family how thankful you are for them is to plan and spend quality time together as you head into the holiday season. Plays, concerts, sporting events, volunteer activities and parades will help you and your loved ones make lasting memories in North Dakota. Contact North Dakota Tourism at NDtourism.com or call 800-435-5663 or 701-328-2525 for more information on these, and other, activities.

 1.      Patriotic pride

Veteran’s Day is a day commemorating all veterans and thanking them for their dedicated service to our country. Events throughout North Dakota will be taking place, so go out and show your patriotic pride. Governor Hoeven will honor vets at a service at the state capitol, and a short memorial ceremony and parade will take place in Fargo. A soup and sandwich supper along with a short presentation will take place in Rutland, ND.

 2.      One last getaway

Leave the planning up to North Dakota Tourism by taking advantage of one of the many vacation packages available. Hiking, biking, quilting, horseback riding are just a few of the choices. So, round up the family and head out.

 3.      Tip it off and drop the puck

Its prime time for sports fans in North Dakota. Watch as high school football and volleyball teams are crowned champions. Catch the action of the UND hockey, NBA-D League Dakota Wizards, NDSU and UND football seasons roll on.

 4.      Still the great outdoors

Even though the weather is slowly cooling and the days are getting shorter, there’s still plenty to do outdoors. Hiking or jogging around state historic sites and state parks is breathtaking in the crisp fall air and there’s always a place to fish away an afternoon. 

 5.      Big timers in the house

November’s docket is loaded with big-time entertainment at venues all around North Dakota: Cirque Dreams Illumination at the Fargodome, Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks; and Bill Engvall at the Bismarck Civic Center are just a few.

 6.      Community pride

Don’t let this season get away without taking the family “downtown” to some of the activities in your town. From the Opera House in New Rockford to the Chester Fritz Auditorium in Grand Forks and all points in between, November has something for everyone in North Dakota.

 7.      A time for giving

During the season of giving, there is no better time or way to say thanks than by having the family volunteer to help those less fortunate. Many organizations will be looking for volunteer help during the holiday season. Contact the charity or organization of your choice today.

 8.      Light up the night

As we close in on the holidays, take advantage of beautiful lights parades that get the holiday season started. Cities and towns of all sizes gear up for Christmas and the holiday season with festival of lights and parades. Families will enjoy floats, shopping, a visit with Santa among many other activities.

 9.      Taste of the season

November isn’t just for turkeys anymore. Fargo and Langdon are among those cities offering art and wine walks or special events that bring people together for food and a good time. Pride of Dakota shows are just another way to enjoy foods of the season. Pick up something special for your family get-together.

 10.  Gifts galore

November is a time that people begin looking for those perfect Christmas gifts. Load up the family and search out that unique gift at the favorite regional arts and crafts show, The Big One. If you are still seeking that perfect gift, stop by the Wilton quilt show or, grab a North Dakota Legendary gift from our online store.

These are just a few of the events taking place in November throughout North Dakota. For more information, go to NDtourism.com or call 800-435-5663 or 701-328-2525.

Buying a Business in North Dakota

Creating opportunity is a great way to get your start in North Dakota, and what better way than by buying a business! Communities across the state have opportunities just waiting for the right person to come along. Stop wondering where they are and check them out at ExperienceND.com. You’ll find everything from a restaurant in New Rockford to a dental practice in Ashley.

Innovate ND Winner a Finalist in Newpreneur Contest

An Innovate ND winner has been selected as one of 13 finalists from 900 applicants nationwide in the “Newpreneur of the Year” contest sponsored by alibaba.com and Inc.com, publisher of Inc. Magazine. Competing for a chance to share in $100,000 in business grants is Paul Wolf of Mandan, whose Light Check device simplifies the process of testing trailer lights.

The 13 finalists, including Wolf, are profiled on alibaba.com and inc.com. Five finalists will be selected by online voting, which will run from Oct. 28 through Nov. 6 at www.inc.com/newpreneur/vote.html.

The top five Newpreneurs will be invited to the finale event in San Francisco on Nov. 18, where the grand prize winner will take home $50,000 to invest in his or her business. The four remaining finalists will receive awards totaling an additional $50,000.

At the regional competition in Chicago Oct. 8, he was named as one of two finalists to advance in the competition. “It’s further validation when people outside of the state believe Light Check is a viable product and business opportunity,” Wolf said.

Light Check is a self-contained, portable device that connects directly to the trailer light wiring and allows one person to quickly and easily check trailer lights without a towing vehicle or second person.
“Trailer lights have a high failure rate from exposure to harsh road conditions, corrosion and jarring,” he said. “The bottom line is they require frequent testing.”

After searching at local retailers and on the Internet, he found the only devices for testing trailer lights were expensive and designed for commercial trailers. In 2007, the Mandan man decided to build his own device, made of components purchased at an electronics supply retailer.

“After building one for myself, I started talking to others with similar situations,” he said. “Based on feedback from potential customers, I realized I probably had a good, marketable product.”
In 2009, he founded his company, Wolf Technologies, LLC to develop and market Light Check. Around the time he began working on the prototype, he decided to enter Innovate ND.

“I wanted to win the money, but entering was about more than that,” he said. “I needed guidance in developing a business plan so I could get into the market rapidly to generate sales and revenue. I left Innovate ND with a realistic, attainable business plan that incorporated information investors would require.”

Not only did he develop the business plan, he was also one of this year’s five winning entries.

“Winning Innovate ND gave me a huge boost of confidence that I’m on the right path as far as the product and also the marketing plan,” he said. “The money was incredibly helpful for off-setting expenses.”

Wolf has plans to market the current Light Check as well as develop an enhanced model which also tests reverse lights and brake lights in addition to trailer lights.

“People may have product ideas but don’t know how to structure a business around a product,” he said. “Others may have launched a business selling a product they shouldn’t because they didn’t study the market well enough. Innovate ND is a good process because you are forced to really think through all aspects, including your market research and business development.”

Registration for the next round of Innovate ND runs through Nov. 20 and is available online at www.InnovateND.com. The programs costs $100 ($50 for students) and includes online entrepreneur education, business planning tools, and coaching and mentoring from successful entrepreneurs and proven business owners.

The top 20 entries will get the chance to pitch their business idea to a panel of potential investors. Up to five $10,000 cash prizes are awarded, as well as a wide variety of business services and potential seed capital investments to launch their businesses.

To date, nearly 500 people like Wolf with 250 ideas have participated in the program and 70 new businesses are operational or in the development stage as a result.

Innovate ND Helps Move Your Idea

I’ve spend the day hanging out at the State Day of Innovation learning about how good ideas become successful ideas and the process from point A to B. How many of us have seen a product and thought … “I had that idea 2 years ago, but I didn’t do anything about it.”

A lot of the presenters at today’s Innovate ND launch event had the same message. Lots of people have good ideas. There are few who take action on those ideas, the true entrepreneurs. For those who are ready to take action and be a true entrepreneur, the state’s business competition, Innovate ND offers a great learning process for your business. It challenges you over a period of months to hone your business plan, product and marketing to get you closer to success. It works to connect you with the entrepreneurship support in communities to give you a network of people who can help grow your idea. Not just the people who love your idea, but those who will be honest, now worry about your feelings and help it grow.

Take a leap if you have an idea and consider entering Innovate ND’s competition. The deadline for entries is Nov. 20 and the cost is only $100 with a chance to win $10,000. Last year’s winner Nic Cruz of CinCity Designs in Mandan is a great example of entrepreneurship spirit. Check them out at www.citycitydesigns.com.

Centers of Excellence Having a Substantial Economic Impact on Our State

Shane Goettle, Commissioner, North Dakota Department of Commerce

You may have noticed some buzz around the Centers of Excellence program in North Dakota due to a recent audit of the North Dakota Department of Commerce’s processes. The North Dakota Centers of Excellence program combines education and economic development to create higher paying jobs and business opportunities for North Dakota citizens. The Centers are hubs of research and development on the campuses of North Dakota’s 11 colleges and universities. Their objective is to research, develop and commercialize products and services to create new jobs and other economic opportunities within the State of North Dakota.

In light of the attention, I thought it made sense to share an editorial from Shane Goettle, the North Dakota Department of Commerce’s commissioner, talking about some of the successes and improvements that have taken place since the audit’s timeframe. Read the complete article below, or view Centers of Excellence Having a Substantial Economic Impact on Our State on the Commerce web site. You can also view Commerce’s comments on the audit.

Centers of Excellence Having a Substantial Economic Impact on Our State by Shane Goettle, Commerce Commissioner

I appreciate this opportunity to respond to a recent article reporting on the state auditor’s performance audit of the North Dakota Commerce Department, and specifically, of the Centers of Excellence program.

Centers of Excellence are a partnership between North Dakota’s campuses and the private sector. Through research, development and the commercialization of new products, they are helping to create high paying careers for North Dakota citizens and new opportunities for our entrepreneurs. They have attracted projects dealing with energy development, aerospace technology, advanced electronics, workforce training, and advanced manufacturing in a range of fields.

Bismarck State College’s National Energy Center of Excellence; Dickinson State University’s Strom Center for Entrepreneurship and Rural Revitalization; UND’s Unmanned Aerial Systems Center; and NDSU’s Center for Agbiotechnology are only a few of the worthy projects across North Dakota creating good jobs, fresh opportunities and quality educational and entrepreneurial experiences for our young people.

The performance audit largely consists of recommendations for policies and procedures, which the Centers of Excellence Commission and Commerce Department are already addressing. The Centers of Excellence program has had a beneficial impact on our economy, and the data exists to show it. The numbers tell the story.

According to a 2007 economic impact study of the program by Dr. Larry Leistritz, a highly respected professor of economics at North Dakota State University, Centers of Excellence have already created more than 1200 jobs and helped to establish 16 new or expanded businesses. A total of 107 private-sector companies were participating in the Centers of Excellence program, leveraging $25 million in state funding into $125 million in total funding with private sector and federal match.

Dr. Leistritz, who has done economic analyses of the Red River Valley Research Corridor, North Dakota’s oil industry, and other notable components of the state’s economy, reported last year that: “With a direct economic impact of $59 million and a total impact of $169 million in 2007, the program’s contribution to the North Dakota economy is already substantial.” He concluded that “as the Centers become fully established and partner facilities are developed, the program’s economic contribution can be expected to increase considerably.”

The report for 2008 has not yet been completed, but when it is, it will show considerably more economic impact.

North Dakota has been doing new things in new ways, and Centers of Excellence are helping to drive economic growth in our state. Although we are not immune to the national recession, as recent layoffs demonstrate, it is clear that now more than ever we should be squarely focused on aggressive economic development efforts and creating the jobs of the future with programs like Centers of Excellence.

Expanding at Microsoft and Getting Recognized for it in Fargo

Fox Business News took a live look at Fargo’s Microsoft Campus from their new building. I could tell you the tale, but it’s best heard straight from them. Visit FoxBusiness.com to view North Dakota, Microsoft Rise Above the Recession.

Giant Structures of the Plains

Sandy the Sandhill Crane - Steele, ND (image property of Realnd.com)

This weekend was the opening of crane season in North Dakota, and while hunting has nothing to do with this post, crane season always reminds me of one of my favorite metal behemoths of the plains … Sandy, the sandhill crane in Steele, ND. I had just finished playing basketball for the Steele-Dawson Pirates when Sandy was erected. The fact that she and I shared the same name didn’t escape many of my friends, and a few years of good natured teasing has made her a forever memory I will not give up.

Sandy (the crane) isn’t the only structure I feel tied to in North Dakota. We’ve all grown up looking for the Buffalo as we passed Jamestown, or New Salem Sue going the other direction. These giant metal structures are part of our cultural landscape and I am challenging us all to embrace them. I’ve heard many talk down about these “crazy” structures, but is “crazy” really bad or “crazy” at all? I think not! It is a part of our history, our landscape and the memories we evoke in people tied to North Dakota and with that … I give you an Ambassadors Top 15 Prairie Giants in North Dakota list and challenge you to tell me where they are located or add any that I missed.

The first person to name their locations in an email to me at smcmerty@nd.gov wins a Lewis & Clark Bicentennial t-shirt.

Ambassadors Top 15 Prairie Giants in North Dakota (in no particular order)

1. The Enchanted Highway – 15 larger than life structures
2. Wee’l Turtle
3. Tommy Turtle
4. Wally the Walleye
5. Wheat Monument
6. Wahpper the Catfish
7. Salem Sue
8. Sandy
9. World’s Largest Buffalo
10. Seaman the Dog
11. Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and Mandan Chief Sheheke
12. Rusty the Turtle
13. Viking Statue
14. Northern Lights Tower
15. Zombie Golf Giant

Worth Checking Out: Little Boy Big Blades

Photo by Clint Fleckenstein, Bismarck-Mandan Blog

With photography like this, not to mention the cool story, I just have to recognize one of our Ambassadors. Clint Fleckenstein of Bismarck, has a regular blog in the Bismarck-Mandan area. His most recent post features the photographic (and journalistic) journey of he and his son checking out the progress on a wind farm.

I have to admit, I feel a little like a kid again looking at those giants of the prairie and Clint you captured it best out of all the perspectives I’ve seen so far. Thanks for being a great Ambassador! Go check out Clint’s post now at: http://bit.ly/2BsTsM

The Golfing Good Life in North Dakota

Golfweek Magazine

Golfing in North Dakota is a serious matter for all those who think otherwise. Golfweek Magazine featured a great story on North Dakota in its latest edition and highlighted 17-year old Amy Anderson of Oxbow, N.D.  Amy is the latest winner of the U.S. Junior Girls championship and a great example of what the good life in North Dakota can offer. Check out the story at:  http://bit.ly/1NpcZH

Why Does Leaving Always Bring Appreciation

I had the pleasure of driving to Wisconsin this weekend. It was a lot of driving and I must admit, much  beautiful scenery as the leaves are just begining to think about turning there. While I enjoyed the new scenery and the visit, I couldn’t wait to get home. It seems I always appreciate things more once I’ve left them behind for a few days … North Dakota, my family, my pillow, etc.

In the three days I was away, I missed many things, but the one that surprised me was not being able to see a mile on the plains. The fact that we could drive by whole towns and never see a watertower, church or school as they were blocked by trees was a little clausterphobic. I also missed familiar things, my home, family, friends, neighboors … and the other comforts that are often taken for granted. When your butt is numb from hours of driving, there are many things you miss.

The point of all this is, many people come home to North Dakota after leaving for the same reasons. They appreciate much more what our state has to offer, once they have left and seen what else is out there. Sometimes the experience of going somewhere new just reminds us how much we really loved what we already had. The less-is-more lifestyle, a slower pace and the closeness of family, the safeness of communities and quality of life become big wins for North Dakota.

If you are someone who has left and is looking for even more reasons to come home, or maybe you are just looking for a new place to be, see what others have had to say about North Dakota. Visit: http://bit.ly/3wlITY for great relocation stories from across the country for people who call ND their place to be.