Idle Chatter -- April 17, 2015

I'm not from the Jamestown area, so I don't know what's going on there, and I don't see much Jamestown news that hits the regional or national news media outlets.

In late 2006, or late 2007, I contacted Menard's by phone and by mail to talk to them about an opportunity for a Menard's in Williston. Whoever I spoke to told me "No, but thank you for calling." And some boilerplate that they continue to look for retail location operations.

It was about two to three years later before "we" heard that Menard's was considering coming to Williston; this was during the height of the boom. Regular readers know how long it took for Menard's to make the decision. We're eight years into the North Dakota Bakken boom, and 15 years into the Bakken boom (beginning in Montana) and Menard's is finally opening in the Bakken this summer.

I always thought Menard's was late to the game. Menard's had a store in Minot and that's probably what kept them in the Bakken game but nevertheless, it's always been my feeling that Menard's was late to the Bakken. Of course, at that time, their challenge would have been finding quality employees.

The fact that Menard's is moving into Jamestown tells me that the movers and shakers know something big is going to hit Jamestown. We all know about the proposed fertilizer plant, but I said I will believe it when I see it. There's a lot of issues, including water, and selecting Jamestown over somewhere closer to the Missouri / Mandan surprised me. It still baffles me and makes me wonder about the likelihood of this fertilizer plant in Jamestown becoming a reality.

But, the fact that a Menard's is opening in Jamestown at the same time it is opening a store in Williston speaks volumes. Is Menard's in Jamestown a confirmation that movers and shakers think the fertilizer plant is a "go"?