Cover story: Changing technology requires security efforts to keep pace

Businesses are becoming more global and mobile in nature and data security efforts need to keep pace. As technology continues to evolve, threats to companies’ private and customer information are becoming more sophisticated.

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• Combating identity theft

Combating identity theft

According to the 2009 Identity Fraud Survey Report released by Javelin Strategy and Research, there were 9.9 million adult identity fraud victims in the United States in 2008, a 22 percent increase from 2007.

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• Cover story: Changing technology requires security efforts to keep pace

Company profile: Bremer Financial Corporation

Despite a wave of nationwide bank closures, new federal regulations and a prolonged recession, Bremer Financial Corporation has remained strong and true to its roots as a community bank.

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• Bremer Financial at a glance

Community profile: Fargo-Moorhead

While the national recession has led to layoffs and softening business conditions in some sectors of the local economy, Fargo has fared better than most metro areas nationwide.

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• Fargo-Moorhead: A growing health care hub
• Fargo-Moorhead: A strong higher education system
• Fargo-Moorhead at a glance

Fargo-Moorhead: A growing health care hub

Like many parts of the country, health care is one of the Fargo-Moorhead area’s growth industries.

• MeritCare

Fargo-Moorhead: A strong higher education system

North Dakota State University, Minnesota State University Moorhead and Concordia College give the Fargo-Moorhead area a strong representation of higher education offerings for a community its size.

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South Dakota company’s nutrition bars gain national distribution deals

Native American Natural Foods has secured agreements to supply national distributors with the Tanka Bar and the company’s full range of products.

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Federal loan programs ill-suited for cellulosic ethanol

Cellulosic ethanol has been viewed as the future of the ethanol industry. But producers have encountered challenges obtaining capital to finance the commercialization of new technologies.

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Firms prepare for new financial services legislation

Two pieces of legislation could have a major impact on financial institutions in the region in 2010.

Q&A: Mark Zarecky, Midwest Construction and Development, Pierre, SD

A Q&A with developer Mark Zarecky, the co-owner of Pierre, SD-based Zarecky’s Midwest Construction and Development

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• Mark Zarecky at a glance

Prairie News briefs

News briefs from around the region.

Prairie People

A roundup of promotions, new hires, awards and distinctions for business leaders in the region.

• David Martin

From the editor's desk: Things could always be worse

Three of the nation’s lowest four metro unemployment rates are located in North Dakota and five of the nation’s top 12 metro unemployment rates are in either North Dakota or South Dakota. Not bad considering the national unemployment rate is hovering around 10 percent with many metros even higher.

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Women in Business Q&A: Debbie Jacklitch-Kuiken

Q&A with the project manager of National Wind Assessments in Grand Forks, ND.

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Jack Geller: Joining the underserved

The Minnesota Ultra High-Speed Broadband Task Force presented the state legislature and Governor Tim Pawlenty with recommendations on how to improve rural broadband access in the state.

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Central Minnesota lefse bakery keeps hectic schedule

Jacobs Lefse Bakeri of Osakis, MN, keeps busy year round at a number of events.

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Energy conservation tips to improve your bottom line

Businesses looking to reduce costs and improve their competitive standing would be well served to examine their company’s energy use.

• Energy saving tips

Matthew Mohr: A primer on financial ratios

Although financial ratios are taught in basic financial management courses, they are important tools to use and understand, even when performing the most sophisticated financial analysis.

• Matthew Mohr

Mark Sheffert: Effective leaders use crisis to force change

Addictive behaviors start out casually, with minor unacceptable behavior. Over time, the behavior grows more and more out of control, but it is tolerated and eventually becomes the norm. Often, it takes a major crisis before the addict will attempt to change his or her ways.

Small businesses search for financing help

In Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis polls of businesses in six Midwestern states, between 25 and 43 percent said their access to credit deteriorated in the previous three months — up from 20 to 35 percent who said the same thing the previous year.

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Rural Minnesota may be reversing 'brain drain'

A new report from a University of Minnesota researcher has found possible evidence of a positive trend that may be reversing some of the “brain drain” in rural Minnesota.

Eric Giltner: Keys to a winning business partnership

Mutual interests and shared experiences do not guarantee a profitable working relationship. The partners in any organization need to have a shared vision of the position staked out for the business and intentions for the future for any business partnership to work.

• Eric Giltner

Lenders assist farmers with financing options

Stricter banking regulations are causing difficulties for some farmers and ranchers as they seek operating loans. But the region has a strong network of community banks that have continued to lend to farmers and ranchers.

Nicole Lipkin: Managing the 'Me First' generation

Generation Y comprises 73 million workers or soon-to-be members of the workforce – the largest influx since 78 million baby boomers entered the workforce two generations ago. It’s a new world and a workplace revolution is creating some friction between the new workers and their entrenched superiors.

• Nicole Lipken