march 2014

Formation of New Regional Branding Campaign

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The Black Hills Business Council recently an‐nounced a branding and marke ng campaign to promote the region. The campaign targets expand‐ing and start‐up compa‐nies, as well as, site‐selectors with the ul ‐mate goal of a rac ng organiza ons and entrepreneurs to the Black Hills area. Atlas Adver sing, based in Denver, CO, was selected to re‐search and develop the new strategy. The or‐ganiza on has led the field in the applica on of strategic marke ng tac cs for the benefit of regions in over 40 US states. Interviews were conducted throughout the Black Hills in collabora on with com‐munity and business lead‐ers. That data was used to strategically develop a market posi on and brand iden ty for the Black Hills region.

The campaign will show‐case the state and region’s business‐friendly climate and high quality of living, in addi on to our area’s natural beauty and histori‐cal significance.

Such an effort will allow the region’s communi es to coordinate their mar‐ke ng efforts for a larger impact on the na onal lev‐el. Addi onally, the data gathered illuminated in‐dustries ideal for targe ng for reloca on or establish‐ment here. A regional website will launch in April reflec ng the branding used in the

adver sing materials. It will also link to a regional job site. Details on the job portal can be found on page 6. This project allows us to be inten onal with the direc‐

on and scope of our recruitment and economic develop‐ment efforts. This endeavor is made possible in large part by a gener‐ous contribu on by Black Hill Vision, a regional alliance of the private and pub‐

lic sectors with more than 115 investors working to‐gether for a brighter fu‐ture . The organiza on commi ed $500,000 over four years for the cam‐paign rollout. Both the Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce and Sturgis Economic De‐velopment, Inc are a part of the Black Hills Business Council. □

Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau

Membership

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

New Members

Renewing Members Bear Bu e Creek Campground Black Hills Pioneer Brosz Engineering, Inc Buffalo Chip Campground, LLC Dakota Financial Services, Inc Dan & Barb Moore Deadwood Elks Lodge #508 Eagles Landing Campground First United Methodist Church H&R Block Sturgis High Plains Western Heritage Center MidCon nent Communica ons

Montana Dakota U li es, Co Northern Hills Eyecare Prairie Hills Transit Quik Signs Sacrison Paving, Inc Short Construc on Signs Now Sturgis Area Arts Council Sturgis Chiroprac c Sturgis Physical Therapy, Inc Real Estate Center of Sturgis Town‐N‐Country Plumbing

United Country Bertolo o Real Estate & Auc on United Way of the Black Hills Veteran’s Club West River Founda on Western Dakota Insurors Western Resources for dis‐ABLED Independence Western Transporta on, Inc West River Founda on

Black Hills Federal Credit Union 2700 N Plaza Drive Rapid City, SD 605.718‐1818 BHFCU.com Commercial Kitchen Products 1161 Deadwood Ave, Ste 6 Rapid City, SD 605.716.1888 CommercialKP.com Fish N’ Fry Campground 21390 US Hwy 385 Deadwood, SD 605.578.2150 FishNFry.com Ivan’s Bed & Breakfast 12800 Larene Drive Black Hawk, SD 605.791.3273 IvansBedAndBreakfast.com

The Journey Museum 222 New York Street Rapid City, SD 605.394.6923 JourneyMuseum.org Oasis Bar & Fireside Lounge 1145 Main Street Sturgis, SD 605.347.3848 Prairie Emporium 1030 Main Street Sturgis, SD 605.415.5335 Prairie‐Emporium.com South Pine Motel 1051 Park Street Sturgis, SD 605.390.2520

Sturgis Transit (DaBus) 13326 Barry Lane Sturgis, SD 605.347‐3287 SturgisBus.com Val’s Hideaway 7219 Emerald Heights Road Black Hawk, SD 918.640.6830

Thank you. You make what we do possible.

Correc on: In the February issue, the cover ar cle stated that the bid for repairing Sturgis Williams Middle School was awarded to Iverson Construc on. This was incorrect. That bid was not for repairing, but for the demoli on below the damaged roof. The bid for repairing has not yet been awarded. Apologies.

Social Media

Chamber Closed March 5 Noon‐4:00 March 6,7 & 10

(Staff is a ending Fargo Outdoor Show.)

Leadership Sturgis

First Mee ng March 11

4‐6 Sturgis Chamber

See insert for details.

Young Sturgis Professionals Mixer

March 13 5:30‐6:30

Loud American Roadhouse Lo

Community Showcase

March 20 5:00‐7:30

Chamber Mixer

DaBus March 27

Pickups throughout Sturgis. Details soon.

Annual Banquet

April 11 Social 5:30

Banquet 6:30

You’ll no ce some changes in the next few months to our social media presence. Our current Facebook page is a “personal” one and, as such, it could be suspended by Facebook at any me. We don’t want that. So, we’re making a change to make sure that doesn’t happen.

A new business page has been created at: www.facebook.com/KnowSturgisSD Because of this change our ability to “share” some posts will be limited. We’re proud of the value we offer to our members and followers currently, and we’re working to maintain our role as an important informa on source in the community. Please visit our new page to “like” it. Also, if you’re on Twi er, you can find us at @KnowSturgisSD. Thanks for suppor ng and being a part of our Sturgis Online Community.

Ribbon Cutting Akela Spa February 11 11842 US Hwy 14A, Sturgis (1 mile east of Deadwood) AkelaSpa.com

Annual Banquet & Awards Ceremony

The 2014

April 11 · Social - 5:30 · Banquet & Awards - 6:30

Contact the Chamber for tickets or to sponsor.

Extreme winter weather has caused delays in construc on for area projects. Campbell Supply, Werlinger Auto Body Repair, The Knuckle Brewing Co., and Belle Joli Winery have all extended their an cipated opening dates. Sco Peterson Motors and UPS have not yet started reconstruc‐on following Storm Atlas.

Weather did not slow the demo‐

li on of the Exit 32 building recently purchased by SEDC. Bill Short and crew demolished and removed rubble within two weeks. SEDC is marke ng this prime site for commercial re‐development designed to generate increased tax revenues, as well as, ser‐vices for residents and guests. A comparative analysis shows Sturgis lags other communities of similar size in sales of lumber, building materials, furniture, apparel, general mer‐chandise, and pharmacy. A Buxton study also con‐firmed this retail leakage, as more local dollars are spent out of town for these goods and services. Alt‐hough SEDC continues to seek new regional retail‐ers, local businesses who want to expand their product or service, but are unable to due to current building/lot constraints, are encouraged to contact SEDC. Meade School District received an $89,967 Gover‐nor’s Grant for Career & Technical Education (CTE). The grant will allow development of a machinist program. Funds will be used to purchase a basic CNC machine, related tools, student manuals, and teacher training. Curriculum is being developed to provide internships with five Sturgis Industrial Park businesses beginning this fall. Businesses support‐ing this program are Legend Air Suspensions, Bar‐Sto Precision Machine, Horizon Machine, Dakota Arms, and BH Manufacturing Services. This work‐force training initiative involves a partnership among the Meade School District, Western Dakota Tech, private industry, and SEDC. On March 12, Sturgis Brown students and faculty will have an opportunity to tour five Sturgis Indus‐

trial Park manufacturers. They will meet with own‐ers and managers to gain a firsthand perspective on modern manufacturing processes, i.e. software and CNC programming and product development. Par‐ticipants will also learn about the coursework re‐quired for entry‐level success, aptitude and skill sets necessary for career success, and regional sala‐ry expectations and career development opportuni‐ties. This successful “reverse” Career Day concept would not be possible without the support of local educators and business owners who understand the importance of mentoring our youth for local career opportunities. SEDC continues to work with developers interested in filling the gap in our housing market. Site loca‐tions, site plans, room sizes/configuration, con‐struction costs, occupancy and vacancy rates are all part of the mix. The housing study commissioned by the City of Sturgis and SEDC should be complet‐ed within the next couple weeks and is expected to provide valuable insight and direction in this pro‐cess. According to City Manager Daniel Ainslie, 2013 was a banner year for housing as 40 new resi‐dential units received certificates of occupancy. This is equal to the previous 4 ½ years. It is encouraging to note that Sturgis posted a 6.8% growth in sales tax, and a 2.8% increase in BBB rev‐enues in 2013. Both are all‐time highs, and higher than the regional average. Also noteworthy, is that this increase was in spite of Storm Atlas, which dis‐rupted business much of the fourth quarter. 2013 was a record year for capital investment statewide as new and expanding companies invest‐ed $483.3MM in SD. This is the second highest year on record since the State began conducting the An‐nual Survey of Manufacturers in 1955. Meade County building permits totaled nearly $4.1MM. There are many expansion opportunities within our business community. SEDC encourages local busi‐ness owners and managers to contact us to discuss the local and state resources available. □

Pat can be contacted at 605.347.4906 or

[email protected].

Pat Kurtenbach, President SEDC

SEDC Update

As we write this newsle er, our Visitor Guide is being proofed and a new Sturgis map is being printed. This is earlier than previous years. We are a ending travel shows this Spring and wanted to have our most cur‐rent edi on in hand. It was extra work, but work that we hope will pay off with addi onal visitors to our community this season. Thank you. Many of you purchased adver sing and collaborated with us on the content. Others offered the use of photos. The City’s GIS office assisted with the map. We could not accomplish either of these im‐portant projects in isola on. Your contribu ons have not gone unno ced. The map is printed every other year and features our community’s key a rac ons, as well as, the map’s ad‐ver sers. These are given to everyone who calls or writes to request visitor informa on and to the hun‐dreds of tourists that visits the Chamber & Visitor Center each year. The Visitors Guide & Directory is a key tool in the work we do to promote and showcase our city. 35,000 are printed each year. We are literally hoarding the last box of the 2013 edi on in the back closet. They are used by many locals as a direc‐tory and distributed in informa‐onal racks in a 5‐state region,

to the I‐90 visitor centers, visi‐tors to the Chamber, and to those reques ng informa on on traveling or reloca ng here. We work hard to make sure that our publica on serves each of these diverse roles. The result is what we hope is a in‐forma ve and professional publica on on what makes Sturgis a great place to live, visit and work. Copies of each will be available mid‐March. Stop into the Chamber for a copy or to re‐quest some for your business or organiza on.□

Visitors Guide & Directory and Map

Chamber wins Recognition

For the second year, the Chamber & Visitor’s Bureau was awarded the Governor’s Great service Star Award. This award is given through the state Department of Tourism and recognizes organiza ons and a rac ons that exhibit consistent and outstanding service.

We are so proud to be recognized again for a component of our work that we take very seriously. Wheth‐er it’s our member businesses or a visitor to our community, we hope they always feel welcomed and heard walking through our doors. □

Governor's Great Service Star Award

Kathy Christenson was recently rec‐ognized with the Governor's Hospi‐tality Cer ficate. The Award is given to employees who demonstrate cus‐tomer service above and beyond

what is expected. Kathy was recognized for her work on events. Christenson is the Events & Mem‐bership Coordinator. Congrats! □

Christenson Recognized with Governor's Hospitality Certificate

Regional Job Network coming soon The Black Hills Business Council is comprised of area Chambers of Commerce and Economic De‐velopment organiza ons. That group has collaborated with Na‐on Job™, a regional job site

which for 20 years has demon‐strated a high return on invest‐ment, the ability to place quality job candidates, and subsequent community development. Because the region is working together to create a community‐based site, Sturgis Chamber mem‐bers and Sturgis Economic Devel‐opment investors with less than

20 employees can post jobs for no fee. Those over 20 employees can add posi ons for a reduced fee depending on their size. The site is known for its ease of use for businesses & seekers Job seekers can find these jobs in several ways: by looking in a cer‐tain region, looking for a certain type of job, or by se ng up a PJ Scout account which will allow them to automa cally send

appropriate jobs to their email accounts periodically. This is all done at no cost to the job seeker. South Dakota has one of the low‐est unemployment levels in the na on. This site will offer new ways to fill posi ons at every skill level of an organiza on. If your organiza on is interested in par cipa ng, please contact the Chamber. We’re excited to offer our Chamber members this new benefit. To see the na onal Na on Job site, visit Na onJob.com. □

Investors Raise Over $2.0M to Help Local Entrepreneurs Rapid City ‐ Entrepreneurs in the Rushmore Region have a new resource to help bring their con‐cept to reality. The Rapid City Economic Devel‐opment Partnership, in conjunc‐on with the South Dakota Enter‐

prise Ins tute (EI) and its regional economic development allies, is launching Black Hills Regional Angel Fund, LLC which will pro‐vide financial loans for local startup companies that exhibit poten al for growth and high economic impact. “This angel fund will al‐low us to provide local entrepreneurs with startup capital so they can secure addi onal funding resources to get off the ground,” said Benjamin Snow, President of the Rapid City Economic Development Partner‐ship. “We’ve operated our grant and loan program with much suc‐cess and this gives us another important economic develop‐ment tool to encourage the growth of small businesses.” Black Hills Regional Angel Fund, LLC is completely funded with local money from accredited pri‐vate investors in the Black Hills and will be used for companies wan ng to start in Rapid City and the surrounding Rushmore

Region. The South Dakota Enterprise In‐s tute, a South Dakota non‐profit entrepreneur development com‐pany, organized the fund and will help administer it. “These funds—o en referred to as angel funds—play an im‐portant role in the financing chain of start‐up companies in South Dakota,” said Enterprise Ins tute execu ve director Tim Weelborg.

“This is going to be a great tool for economic development in the Black Hills and the visionary lead‐ership and support of the Rapid City Economic Development Part‐nership and other business lead‐ers are what really made this an‐gel fund a reality.” "Having early stage money is one of the keys to spinning technolo‐gies out of the School of Mines and into companies that create good jobs," said Heather Wilson, President of the South Dakota School of Mines. "We are very pleased that there will be Angels

focused on the Black Hills." Dona Leavens, Regional Director of the Small Business Develop‐ment Center, said “This angel fund will provide another valua‐ble tool in providing strong sup‐port for local entrepreneurs and encourage company forma on in our own backyard.” Tom Eitreim, Angel Fund Manag‐er at the Enterprise Ins tute says, “These angel funds help to create new opportuni es and

broaden the entrepre‐neurial ecosystem in South Dakota, something that is vital to the con n‐ued growth of our state.” To date, Black Hills inves‐tors have contributed over $2.0M to the fund

but Snow is hopeful they will raise another $1 million in the coming weeks and months. Entrepreneurs in the region that need investment capital are en‐couraged to apply by contac ng the Rapid City Economic Devel‐opment Partnership at 605‐343‐1880, Small Business Develop‐ment Center at 605‐394‐5311 or the Enterprise Ins tute at 605‐697‐5015. Those in the Sturgis area can contact Pat Kurtenbach, President of SEDC, at 605.347.4906 or by email at [email protected]. □

Return Service Requested

U.S. POSTAGE PRESORTED STAND-

ARD RATE PERMIT NO. 10

STURGIS, SD 57785

Board of Directors President: Ken Meirose, Black Hills Power Vice Pres.: Heidi Richter, Richters Tire & Exhaust Treas.: Kelly Keffeler, Farm Credit Services of America Immed. Past Pres.: Jeremy Vliem, First Western Insurance Jerrid Goebel, Sturgis Chiroprac c Chad Legner, Owens Interstate Sales J.D. Williams, First Interstate Bank Brice Rock, Pioneer Bank & Trust

Ex-Officio Board Members Kris Hubbard: Meade 46‐1 Representa ve Bob Bertolo o: Meade Co Commissioner Pat Kurtenbach: SEDC Daniel Ainslie, City of Sturgis Rick Bush: City of Sturgis Tim Po s: City Council Liaison

2040 Junction Avenue - Sturgis, SD 57785 Phone - 605.347.2556 Web - SturgisAreaChamber.com

Staff Execu ve Director, Heidi Kruse Events & Membership Coordinator, Kathy Christenson Membership Services Manager, Rainee Lisko

Leadership Sturgis Young Sturgis Professionals This popular program is designed to

provide participants with a better understanding of the community, networking opportunities, and enhanced leadership skills.

YSP provides networking opportunities and chances for Young Sturgis Professionals to impact the community in positive ways.

Classes start March 11. Sturgis Chamber 2040 Junction Ave - 4-6pm See the insert inside for details and the application to participate.

Informational Mixer Loud American Roadhouse (Loft) Thursday, March 13 5:30-6:30 - Appetizers provided

Thank you to our 2014 Platinum & Premium Sponsors. Your support is essential to our work in the Sturgis Community.

march 2014

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