North Dakota's State Flour Mill In The Dough

The Dickinson Press is reporting:

Running the nation’s only state-owned flour mill appears to be no grind for Vance Taylor.
In his 14th year as general manager of the North Dakota Mill and Elevator, Taylor just reported to his bosses in Bismarck — three top elected state officials who as the Industrial Commission act as board of directors — the mill netted $11.9 million in profit in the fiscal year that ended July 1.

That’s the third-highest net in the 90-year history of the mill. The record was $16 million in 2011.

“The past four years have been the four highest-profit years” in mill history, Taylor said Tuesday.

The state will see almost $6 million added to its balance sheet:

Not only do 52 percent of the past year’s profits go into state coffers — $5.63 million to the general fund plus $595,361 to the farm fuel tax fund — but the good results will mean bonus checks averaging about $10,000 soon to be cut to the mill’s 132 employees, Taylor said.

$10,000 is not chicken feed in North Dakota. That's just the bonus.