Impact Dakota offices will be closed from December 22nd through January 1st. 

We look forward to connecting with you in 2024! 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 

The North Dakota Department of Commerce recently announced the application program is now open for primary sector businesses wishing to utilize the Automation Tax Credit for automation equipment purchases made during the 2023 calendar year. Applicants are required to submit applications by Jan. 31 but are encouraged to begin preparing applications early.

Under the Automation Tax Credit program (N.D.C.C. § 57-38-01.41), certified primary sector businesses stand to benefit from a tax credit of up to 15% for the acquisition or capital lease of machinery and equipment designed to automate manufacturing or animal agricultural processes within North Dakota. Should applicants require clarification on their primary sector certification status, assistance is available via email at ndedf@nd.gov.

To be eligible, applicants must have taken ownership of the automation equipment during the 2023 calendar year. Additionally, businesses applying must have held primary sector certification both at the time of purchase and throughout the application process.

LEAN ENTERPRISE HIGH PERFORMANCE MANUFACTURING TRAINING

The Impact Dakota LEHPM training helps businesses achieve higher profitability by building internal capability and capacity to improve QUALITY, COST, and DELIVERY. This training is based on the Lean Enterprise Certification (LECP) body of knowledge and uses standards developed and judged by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) in partnership with Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) and the Shingo Institute. 

Next Course Starts: January 16, 2024. Click below for details and registration.

Additional 2024 sessions have been added; visit www.impactdakota.com/events.

LEAN 101 WORKSHOPS

During this one-day Lean overview, you will learn about the Top 10 Lean Tools, C4/A3 Idea Generation, Problem Solving, and participate in a Lego simulation. 

Click below to register for upcoming workshops: January 18 (Cavalier) & January 25 (Devils Lake)

ISO9001:2015 and AS9100D

In these training sessions, participants will gain the knowledge and skills needed to audit your company’s quality system to the ISO9001 and/or AS9100 standards, the requirements, auditing principles, how to establish an audit program, gather

objective evidence, and prepare audit conclusions. In addition to the lecture, participants will get to do experiential activities and gain hands-on auditing practice. There will be ample time throughout the training for questions and answers. For information and registration, please click on the buttons below. 

February 6-7 • Fargo, ND (ISO9001:1015 is 1-1/2 Days | AS9100D is 2 Days)
Click below for more information and to register.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) training is required by USDA-FSIS for its inspected facilities and many food manufacturers and wholesalers require their suppliers and vendors to have a working and audited HACCP plan.

February 14-15 • Bismarck, ND
Click below for details and registration.

ExporTech™ is a structured process designed to accelerate export growth for small- to medium-sized manufacturers and service providers. 

The program is specifically targeted at the executive leadership of forward-looking companies that want to develop and execute a strategic growth plan to expand international sales. 

Most participants already export, and are either inexperienced, reactive exporters looking to become more proactive, or are experienced and want to get to the next level by developing a strategy for growth.

Impact Dakota and the North Dakota Trade Office are partnering to offer ExporTech™ beginning in March of 2024. 

Click below for specific dates, details, and registration!

Our Impact Dakota Team is seeing some of the most incredible innovative teams throughout North Dakota manufacturing facilities that are using process efficiencies to eliminate waste and automation to fill in for the dull, dirty and dangerous jobs unfilled due to contracting North Dakota labor pool.

To some of us this article is going to feel like a look into the future…  But my North Dakota friends and neighbors- this is today’s manufacturing reality.  We need to engage the accelerator more than we really want to be to survive and thrive.

Click Here to read this article written by Impact Dakota CEO/President Jodie Mjoen.

Impact Dakota’s board of directors recently had our annual long term planning meeting. Part of that meeting is evaluating our current programs and deciding on key initiatives for the upcoming year and beyond.

Impact Dakota continues to offer services including training and evaluations in all the areas we have in the past. These include Lean Manufacturing (which we built our reputation on) and others such as business assessment, Food Safety training, Cyber Security, and a few other services. 

Click here to read this article written by Impact Dakota Board of Directors member Les Knudson.

Impact Dakota is partnering with NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP) and our nationwide network of 50 other MEP Centers across the U.S. and Puerto Rico to help solve supply chain gaps encountered by manufacturers, government entities, and critical service providers. 

DO YOU HAVE A GAP? ARE YOU ABLE TO FILL A GAP?

— Open Opportunities —

Impact Dakota Board of Directors met at the beautiful North Dakota Heritage Center to network and plan for the upcoming year. During their time, they were able to break away and enjoy the beautiful exhibits, including the wall panels built by TMI Systems Corporation of Dickinson, ND.

Michael Gallagher, Gerson Santos-Leon – NIST MEP, Dave Lehman – ND Department of Commerce, Les Knudson, Erika Bauer – Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing, Inc, Tom Krank – TMI Systems Corporation, Jodie Mjoen – Impact Dakota, Jeff Edberg – Spectrum Aeromed, Fred Kainz, Holly Anderson – Elinor Coatings, DeAnn Berg – Impact Dakota