Bobcat In Bismarck: Investing $350 Million in Addition/Renovation In Bismarck; Steffes Expands In Grand Forks; Menard's Looking At Manufacturing Site in Bismarck

Updates

May 21, 2013: The Bismarck Tribune is reporting that Menard's, a Minnesota company is looking at building a manufacturing plant in western North Dakota.

Midwest Manufacturing, a Menard Inc. subsidiary, would use the facility to manufacture trusses and paving stone, said Russ Staiger, president of the Bismarck-Mandan Development Association.

Staiger said the BMDA helped Midwest Manufacturing find the location at the corner of Highway 10 and 249th Street in Burleigh County. He said the company looked at a variety of locations, including the Northern Plains Commerce Centre in Bismarck.
“They wanted a rural location,” he said.

Staiger added that the company also wanted rail access and didn’t want to pay higher prices associated with land around Bismarck had any lots been available there.

The company is still exploring opportunities; it is not committed to the location or a ND manufacturing plant. 

Again, fits with my thinking that companies need to be looking at Fargo and Bismarck, Minot and Grand Forks if they want to participate in the Bakken boom.
 

May 21, 2013: North Dakota Oil Can is reporting --

In 2012, our city welcomed the Grand Forks expansion of Steffes Corp., a long-time Dickinson, N.D.-based manufacturer of residential off-peak, oil field and renewable energy products.

Soon after, Grafton, N.D., welcomed Diverse Energy Systems, a company with rapid expansion plans for their area.

These investments into our region revealed that the boom of the Williston Basin is unique opportunity to further grow the economy of northeast North Dakota.

To better identify and grow our opportunities in the energy industry, the “Access the Bakken” campaign was launched. It’s a collaborative initiative of Grand Forks, Grand Forks County, Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corp., The Chamber of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, the Greater Grand Forks Convention and Visitors Bureau and more than a dozen private businesses.

Exactly what I've been saying. Companies supporting the oil patch might do better looking at opportunities in Bismark, Grand Forks, Minot, and Fargo.
 

Original Post

The Dickinson Press is reporting:

Bobcat Co. is investing $35 million in an expansion and renovations in Bismarck, about 3 ½ years after closing its manufacturing plant and laying off nearly 500 workers.

The compact construction equipment maker broke ground Monday on a $20 million research-and-development facility at its existing site at the Northern Plains Commerce Centre. Construction is expected to be done in about a year. The company is spending another $15 million on renovations to the existing facility, which had served as a warehouse.

Bobcat has hired an additional 135 people for the expanded facility, bringing its workforce in Bismarck to 625. 

West Fargo-based Bobcat bills itself as North Dakota's largest manufacturer, and also has sites in Fargo, Gwinner and Wahpeton. It closed its manufacturing plant in Bismarck in December 2009 but later opened a support center in the city and announced plans for the new facility, dubbed the Acceleration Center.  

For the past few days, I've been posting about the need for investors in the Bakken to think outside the Bakken, and invest in Fargo, Bismarck, Minot, and Grand Forks, and in that order.

Good on you, Bobcat. Thank you. You've created a lot more jobs than a lot of other folks I could name.