Cover Story: Region's exporters face obstacles getting products to market

The region’s producers have long faced obstacles to transporting their products to overseas export markets in a timely and cost effective manner. Much of the needed infrastructure is already in place, but geography, low traffic numbers and unfavorable market conditions have so far derailed attempts to expand the region’s rail cargo access.

• EXPORT INFRASTRUCTURE
• BNSF intermodal map
• Northern Passage: The Theodore Roosevelt Expressway

Retail's economic impact

Retail is becoming more of a dominant financial factor in many cities throughout the Northern Great Plains. A number of communities in the region even use retail sales as an indicator of economic growth.

• The Empire Mall

Company profile: MDU Resources

MDU Resources Group includes 11 companies involved in natural gas and electric distribution, construction services, materials and contracting, natural gas and oil production and pipeline and energy services.

• Image
• MDU Resources at a glance

Community profile: Huron, SD

After the Dakota Pork processing plant in Huron, SD, closed without warning in 1997, community leaders were faced with the daunting challenge of replacing the plant’s 800 jobs and its sizable economic impact.

• Dakota Provisions

Northern Passage: The Theodore Roosevelt Expressway

The Theodore Roosevelt Expressway, which runs from Rapid City to Canada through the Port of Raymond in Montana, makes up the northern third of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor.

• Theodore Roosevelt Expressway

McNeilus Steel continues to expand in spite of recession

McNeilus Steel Inc. is in the midst of a $16 million expansion project in Fargo.

• EXPANSION PROJECT

Minnesota organic certification program adopted nationally

A model program developed a decade ago by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to help organic producers in the state recoup certification fees is now being utilized in every state.

Q&A: Randy Schwartz, Dakota Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Schwartz says despite challenging market conditions, many manufacturers and individual plants are looking for ways to improve their processes, profitability and increase market share.

• Randy Schwartz

Prairie News

News briefs from around the region.

• Image

Prairie People

A monthly breakdown of hirings, promotions and awards in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

• Craig Whitney

Women in Business Q&A: Linda Anderson

Q&A with the executive director of the Rapid City Arts Council.

• Linda Anderson

From the editor's desk: The myth of multitasking

With the speed of business today and the many demands on our time, we are forced to do many things at one time. But are we really getting any more done?

• Image

Matthew Mohr: Persistence drives sales success

Statistics show most person-to-person sales representatives give up too soon. Many sales require up to five face-to-face interactions with a potential customer before the customer actually buys the product.

• Matthew Mohr

Jack Geller: Let's stop kicking the can on Minnesota's budget

Beginning with a large budget deficit after the dot-com bubble and the 9-11 attacks, the Minnesota state legislature has been regularly kicking our budget woes from biennium to biennium.

• Jack Geller