Update provided by GNDC

HB 1168 was amended to include animal agricultural machinery equipment with total allowable tax credits of up to $1.5 million per calendar year. It passed out of the House as amended and has been assigned to the Senate Finance and Taxation Committee.  We anticipate that the hearing will be held in early March. You can find more details about the bill at HB 1168 - Overview | North Dakota Legislative Branch (ndlegis.gov). 
If you’re interested in testifying in support of the Automation Tax Credit, please contact Amanda at Amanda@ndchamber.com.

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. 

Employees from Vanna Adventure Vans attended a recent LEHPM training. The Lego simulations were their favorite part.

We agree - we like them too!

“Wendy has been a tremendous help in teaching Vanna how we can implement lean manufacturing tools within our company to drastically reduce waste and increase our production efficiency to meet our demand!”

— Jason Gilbraith
Co-Founder & CTO
Vanna Adventure Vans

The JREC is hosting a free series of online workshops during the week of March 6th. This event is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development agency.

March 6 - March 10

Presented by North Dakota APEX Accelerator (formerly ND PTAC)

Want to expand your sales into a new market sector? Interested in understanding the requirements to sell to the government? Join the Procurement Specialists from the North Dakota APEX Accelerator (formerly PTAC) as they provide why, what, and how to sell to a local, state, or federal government agency. This is a virtual session and part of the March 6-10, 2023 Virtual Women's Business Conference hosted by the Jamestown Regional Entrepreneur Center.

Tuesday, March 8 from 9:00-10:00 a.m. CST

Presented by the North Dakota Trade Office

The Riddle of the Exporter is an engaging program to help you learn the necessities of exporting. But this isn't your average training, no! Meet Elyse Eriksson, or should I say, Betty Sue, she is the queen of exporting and will introduce you to her friends and serve as your guide to learning the exporting process.

Thursday, March 23 from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CST

PREVENTIVE CONTROLS FOR HUMAN FOOD - PCQI

One of the most significant new FDA rules is the Preventive Controls for Human Food rule. This rule states that every human food manufacturer, except for the very smallest who will have modified requirements, must have somebody on staff who has completed a Preventive Controls for Human Food class.

March 27-29 • Fargo

BASICS OF HACCP

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

April 26-27 • TBD

This annual government procurement fair will offer workshops you can learn about the local, state and federal government market sector. In addition, you will learn how to complete registrations, available solicitations, doing business with federal agencies, and more.

Tuesday, March 28 — Memorial Union, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks

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.

May 24-25 • ISO9001:2015 is 1-1/2 days | AS9100D is 2 days. 

Many manufacturing companies, in North Dakota, are having record sales and deliveries as we are digging out from under the last few years.  They are getting back to “Normal”, but many still struggle with supply chain issues, workforce issues and fighting fires every day.  Some we have heard from are sleeping in their offices and spending 50 or 60 hours trying to get everything done.  When you are that busy, you often spend most of your time mopping the floor instead of turning off the faucet. 

Click here to read Transformational Change article.

For most businesses, 2022 has required increased operational and financial discipline. Business leaders across the country have had to navigate a historic environment of rising costs and tightening labor markets, and this has been no less true in the Upper Midwest. Even as sectors such as tech experience significant layoffs, many other areas of the economy, including commercial and manufacturing businesses, continue to hire (if they can find qualified workers). What perspective on the economy do business leaders need in order to prepare for the year ahead?

Click the button below to read this article written by Impact Dakota Board of Directors Treasurer, Julie Whitney - Bremer Bank, SVP, Fargo/Moorhead Market President. 

Imagine your business as a vehicle. Your vehicle is purposely built to reach a destination carrying goods and services. The business leader is the driver who must have a destination of where they are driving the vehicle, that destination is the strategy. The managers are the mechanics. The passengers are the employees.

Everyone has a role for the organization to get to its destination (strategy). Your vehicle's engine is a straight six-cylinder engine. Each cylinder must be timed perfectly,or your engine won't run efficiently. Each cylinder represents different business needs.

Please contact Gordon if you have any questions, or if you would like to take action on the Business Excellence Optimization offering. Click here to schedule your no-cost assessment. 

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 —