The grand opening of Runnings in Miller, SD, from Thursday, October 24th through Saturday, October 26th, was a resounding success! A highlight of the event was the ribbon-cutting ceremony held on Friday, with FFA students, the Economic Development Director, a City Council member, and several Runnings employees all in attendance to mark the occasion. Their combined efforts helped make the three-day celebration a memorable and bustling event for the community.
Several smaller South Dakota towns are proving that economic development isn’t simply a tally of the number of jobs created.
For those hoping to bring new businesses to town or help existing businesses expand, it takes a toolbox that includes available workers, desirable housing, investment dollars, quality of life amenities and leadership. It’s thinking beyond the job count and smokestacks and offering what people are looking for when it comes to lifestyle, say economic development directors from numerous towns with fewer than 5,000 people.
“Traditional economic development doesn’t really exist anymore. It’s a lot about community development and economic development,” said Paula Jensen, vice president of program development with Dakota Resources. “It’s about developing the brand of a thriving rural.”
Dakota Resources is a nonprofit that helps member communities find capital to use for economic development goals. The 30-plus communities in South Dakota who belong also are able to access training, participate in a learning network so they are less isolated and grow their community’s capacity for development.
For the seventh consecutive year, the South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) is partnering with communities in an effort to grow South Dakota’s bioscience sector and help companies create jobs. Representatives from North Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Vermillion and Yankton will join the GOED in attending the Medical Design and Manufacturing (MD&M) Exposition in Minneapolis Oct. 29-30.
