It is certainly an honor and a privilege to serve as the chair of the Minot Area Chamber EDC Board of Directors.  A big thank you goes out to past chair, Jonn Knecht, for his leadership in merging the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce and Minot Area Development Corporation into the Minot Area Chamber EDC over the past year.  It’s easy to talk about merging two existing organizations but it certainly is hard to accomplish.  As they always say the “devil’s in the details” and I can assure you there were many details that needed to get worked out.
 
Today we have a successfully merged new organization that we should all be proud of.  We have a large diverse membership, an excellent staff and we’re financially strong. We are respected by the leadership of the region as experts on business and we have the opportunity to provide more services to you the investors.  I see a very bright future for the Minot Area Chamber EDC.
 
I am also super optimistic about Minot.  We have so many great things moving forward in the Minot region.  The Logistics Park of North Dakota has now been in operation for over one year and we are close to the finish line of having contracts in place for a long term operation of the port by Rail Modal Group or RMG.  To accomplish the long term operation of the port we do need to complete a track expansion project this year.  Everything with the track expansion is moving in the right direction.  We also have a new program in place to help entrepreneurs, start-up companies and anyone with an idea for growing their business called Start up Minot.  Entrepreneurs and new start up small businesses are what we need to continue to diversify the Minot economy.
 
You don’t have to look too hard to see why I’m so optimistic about Minot’s future.  We have the new $500 million Trinity hospital under construction, new large developments like Epic’s Tracks project, approval by voters to build a second high school, city hall will soon have a new home, the M building will be remodeled, the Magic City Discovery Center, the completion of NAWS, the continuation of the flood protection project, new super Scheels, a revamped Norsk Hostfest and so many other things moving forward that it is impossible to list them all.
 
I also have to mention our neighbors to the north, Minot Air Force Base, MAFB. MAFB has over a $600 million impact on the Minot region each year.  I’m happy to report that there are great things going on at the base.  Late last year a new $30 million indoor firing range opened and soon a new helicopter storage/maintenance building will be under construction.  You will also continue to hear about the minuteman missile replacement project called Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, or GBSD, and the installing of new engines on the B-52 bombers.  We have a great team at the Minot Chamber EDC that works closely with MAFB to make sure the $600 million annual impact to Minot’s economy continues.
 
If you’re already a Minot Area Chamber EDC member investor, I would encourage you to become more involved with the Chamber EDC by signing up for committees or attending Chamber EDC events.  If you’re not a Chamber EDC member investor, I would encourage you to become one and help us continue to make Minot a place that we are all proud of each and every day.  Thank you for supporting the Minot Area Chamber EDC.