March 2024 Chamber News

2023-24 Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce leadership

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Chair Scott Lawrence Lawrence & Schiller, Inc.

Chair-Elect Miles Beacom

PREMIER Bankcard

Vice Chair Tamien Dysart

Think 3D Solutions

Treasurer Dr. José-Marie Griffiths

Dakota State University

Immediate Past Chair

Paul Hanson Sanford Health Chamber President & CEO

Jeff Griffin

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Joe Bunkers

Gage Brothers

Catherine Dekkenga

JLG Architects

Jason Herrboldt

First Bank & Trust

Derrick Larson

Eide Bailly LLP

Jeff Lautt

POET

Tim Meagher

Vanguard Hospitality

Matt Paulson

MarketBeat

Dr. Ronald Place

Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center

Ryan Punt

SDN Communications

Jacob Quasney

Lloyd Companies

Nancy Savage

Child’s Play Toys

Vicki Stewart

Employment Disability Resources

Amy Stockberger

Amy Stockberger Real Estate

Selene Zamorano-Ochoa

SD Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

EX-OFFICIO

Kyle Groos

Bishop O’Gorman Catholic Schools

Dean Karsky

Minnehaha County Commission

Tiffani Landeen

Lincoln County Commission

Dr. Jane Stavem

Sioux Falls Public School System

Mayor Paul TenHaken

City of Sioux Falls

Chamber

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Chamber News

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For editorial information, call (605) 336-1620

Chamber News is published by the

Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce,

N . Phillips Ave , Suite 200, Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Postmaster please send address changes to:

Sioux Falls

of Commerce 200 N Phillips Ave , Suite 200, Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Phone: (605) 336-1620

Email: gsfcc@siouxfalls com

Read online or find archived issues: issuu.com/siouxfallschamber chambernews.com

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Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce

@GreaterSFCC

siouxfallschamber

Jaci Pieters

CHAMBER STAFF

Jeff Griffin President & CEO

Jill Blom Graphics & Communications Manager

Cory Buck Vice President of Finance & Accounting

Jennie Doyen

Vice President of Member Services

Becky Griebel Administrative Assistant

Brooke Hendrickx

Agribusiness Manager

Pat Lund Member Relations Manager

Mike Lynch

Program Director, Forward Sioux Falls

YPN Manager

Holly Rader Vice President of Member Relations

Mitch Rave

Vice President of Public Policy

Carly Reinders Member Services Specialist

Teresa Schreier Events Coordinator

Susan Seachris Administrative/Accounting Assistant

Eric Siemers Sales Manager

Aaron Vlasman

Public Policy Manager

Message from the Chair

It seems like we just turned over the calendar to 2024, and here we are already three months in. With so much happening in our community, businesses and families, time flies quickly. It is no different at the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce. Here are some updates:

It seems that you cannot escape discussions on artificial intelligence. It has become a very hot topic and it is here to stay. How we utilize or embrace AI is up to each of us…it requires time to see how it can work within your business and your life. Information is power, and the more I learn about various AI tools, the more I see new applications and possibilities. The feature article in this issue of the Chamber News will give you a few more ideas about ways you could utilize AI, as well as some pitfalls to avoid.

Speaking of pitfalls…cybersecurity is a topic that should be of concern for all individuals and businesses. You’ve heard the news stories of systems being hacked or scammers taking advantage of individuals. Cyber threats to businesses can cause major problems in productivity and profitability. Once again, the more you know, the better you can be prepared to protect yourself and your business. The Chamber’s annual Cybersecurity conference will be held April 23, 2024. It is a great chance to learn about the latest in the cybersecurity landscape and is sure to benefit businesses of all sizes.

The Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce hosted another successful Sioux Empire Livestock Show in late January. I had the true pleasure of spending time at the Expo building talking with young producers, watching the judging of various classes, and attending the Mayor’s Roundup & Sale of Champions. I heard people from around the country say our show is one of the most well organized you will find anywhere.

Finally, the 2024 Legislative Session will draw to a close this month. The Chamber team has been diligently monitoring bills, testifying in committee and advocating for business-friendly policy. They are watching out for your business, so that you can focus on your work. It is an incredible benefit of your Chamber membership!

I thank you sincerely for being a member of the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce. Working in concert, we can make Sioux Falls an even greater place to live, work and play.

Scott Lawrence Lawrence & Schiller, Inc. 2023-24 Chair of the Board

Membership

Member Anniversaries

Congratulations to these businesses that have achieved milestone anniversaries of their Chamber membership. These milestones represent a continued commitment to building our community through their investment in the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce.

Founding Members

Billion Automotive Auto Sales billionauto.com

Member since 1935

South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation Employment Agency dlr.sd.gov

Member since 1936

45 years

Tri-State Neighbor Publications tristateneighbor.com

40 years

EmBe Associate Member embe.org

Volunteers of America, Dakotas Associate Member voa-dakotas.org

30 years

Batteries Plus Bulbs Retail-Specialty batteriesplus.com

25 years

The Luke Society Associate Member lukesociety.org

20 years

Sioux Falls Food Co-op Grocery Stores coopnaturalfoods.com

15 years

Family Visitation Center

Associate Member fvcenter.org

10 years

LaQuinta Inn & Suites Hotels & Motels lq.com

Primerica Financial Services Financial Services primerica.com/tonykayser

5 years

Alpine Real Estate Companies Property Management alpinepmsd.com

Jer Events Entertainment jerevents.com

Puetz Design+Build, Inc. Contractors puetzdesignbuild.com

First year reinvestors

American Cancer Society Associate Member cancer.org

Blue Haven Event Venues bluehavenbarn.com

Dental Care Associates

Dental Care & Orthodontics siouxfallsdentalcare.com

A complete list of Chamber members can be found in the Member Directory at siouxfallschamber.com

Elevate Drone Services, LLC

Marketing/Advertising Agencies southdakotadrone.com

Graybar Electric Company, Inc. Electricians & Electrical Contractors graybar.com

Hammerstone Insurance Group Insurance & Benefits hammerstoneinsurance.com

Independent Order of Odd Fellows Sioux Falls Lodge No. 9

Nonprofit-Community southdakotaoddfellows.org

Maribella Ristorante Restaurants ciaomaribella.com

Miller-International Associate Member cinchjeans.com

Ponderosa Lodge

Nursing Home, Assisted & Independent Living sinceriseniorliving.com

Roger’s Plumbing & Heating Heating & Cooling rogersplumbingandheating.com

Veterans Community Project Sioux Falls Associate Member veteranscommunityproject.org/siouxfalls

New Members

These businesses and individuals have recently joined the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce. We welcome them to Chamber membership and encourage you to do the same.

Agtegra Cooperative

Agriculture

Brianne Sprenger, (605) 846-1061 3805 S. Kiwanis Circle 57105 agtegra.com

Avel eCare

Hospitals

Barb Bruhn, (605) 606-0132 4510 N. Lewis Ave. 57104 avelecare.com

The Brothers That Just Do Gutters

Exterior & Roofing

Jenna Harris, (605) 601-8050 5516 N. 7th Place 57104 brothersgutters.com/sioux-falls-sd

ContractorWay

Business Support Services

Toni Connors, (605) 881-4504 4800 S. Louise Ave., #502 57106 contractorway.com

Dvorak Law Group

Attorneys

Seth Moen, (605) 271-4386 110 S. Phillips Ave., Suite 201 57104 dvoraklawgroup.com

The Good Earth Farm

Animal Sanctuary

Associate Member

Nancy Kirstein, (605) 929-7394 28318 466th Ave., Lennox, 57039 happyfarmanimals.org

Mapletøn Golf Club

Sporting Clubs & Associations

Kristen Kuchta, (605) 759-3985 2601 S. Minnesota Ave., Suite 105-154 57105 mapletongolfclub.com

Northwestern Mutual

Affiliate-Insurance

Nate Algood, (605) 691-5239 northwesternmutual.com/financial/advisor/ nate-algood/

Precision Garage Door Service of Sioux Falls

Garage Doors

Kayley Anthony, (605) 202-5561 3712 N. 10th Ave. 57104 precisiondoorsiouxland.com

Quiet Lawn, LLC

dba Electrified Equipment

Retail-Specialty

Tyler Carroll, (605) 323-7053 2905 W. Russell Ave. 57107 electrifiedequip.com

Raymond James & Associates, Inc

Financial Services

Jennifer Sherman, (605) 910-7955 5800 S. Remington Place, Suite 100 57108 raymondjames.com/wealthsageadvisors

If you are interested in joining the Chamber, call us at (605) 336-1620. We’d love to add you to our list of members!

Rock Star VOIP LLC

Telecommunications

Jason Seel, (605) 951-9151 3600 W. Westport Ave., Suite 110 57106 rockstarvoip.com

The Sonography Studio

Health & Wellness

Lily Frank, (712) 587-7131 2520 S. Lorraine Place 57106 thesonographystudio.com

South Dakota Education Equity Coalition (S-DEEC)

Education-Specialized Learning

Billie White (605) 641-4030 201 Main St., Suite 204 Rapid City, 57718 sdeducationequity.org

Chamber Event Calendar

For a current listing of all Chamber and YPN events, visit our website or read the weekly Quickly email from the Chamber. To register and pay for events, visit siouxfallschamber.com or siouxfallsypn.com.

FEATURED EVENT

Membership Mixer

4:30–6:30 p.m.

Augustana University Midco Hockey Arena 2510 S. Grange Ave.

$5 OR USE YOUR MIXER PASS

Expand your professional network at the March Membership Mixer. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and beverages.

SPONSORED BY:

MAR

YPN

A Seat at the Table with Mark Nelsen

Noon–1 p.m.

Chamber of Commerce, 200 N. Phillips Ave.

Join us for a seat at the table with Mark Nelsen, owner & CEO of Maximum Promotions. A Seat at the Table is reserved for YPN Members only. You must register in advance.

YPN Morning Buzz

7:30–9 a.m.

Zooks Coffee Bar, 815 Gateway Lane, Tea

MAR 13 WED FREE MAR 14 THU FREE MAR 18 MON $30 MAR 21 THU FREE MAR 26 TUE FREE MAR 27 WED FREE

YPN Focus Workshop: Volunteering

Noon–1 p.m.

Zoom

YPN Focus Workshops are virtual learning opportunities for YPN Members that are held monthly. Pre-registration is required.

City Council Candidate Forum

5:30–7:30 p.m.

Carnegie Town Hall, 235 W. 10th St.

Candidates seeking election to Sioux Falls City Council will share their positions and perspectives on business and community issues. Join us in person or watch the broadcast on CityLink.

ChamberHood – Southwest

11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Join us for an informative luncheon and a chance to meet some people from your neighborhood. If you live, work or do business in southwest Sioux Falls, this event is for you! Registration required.

Morning Mingle

Hosted by Oh My Cupcakes!

7:30–9 a.m.

Oh My Cupcakes!, 5015 S. Western Ave.

Start your day by making a new connection. Drop by for a cup of coffee and conversation with other members of the business community.

YPN Community Connections Tour

4–5 p.m.

Thornton Flooring, 27106 Independence Ave.

YPN Community Connections Tours provides the opportunity to get an inside look at a local business. On this tour, you will view the Thornton Flooring building. Registration is required.

YPN Speed Networking

5:30–8 p.m.

Interstate Office Products, 228 S. Main Ave.

8 Chamber News | March 2024

Calendars

APR 9

TUE

$5

OR USE

YOUR MIXER

PASS

APR 19

MON FREE

Membership Mixer

Hosted by Sanford Health

4:30–6:30 p.m.

Sanford Pentagon, 2210 W. Pentagon Place

Expand your professional network at the April Membership Mixer. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and cash bar.

YPN A Seat at the Table with Vance

Noon–1 p.m.

Thompson

Chamber of Commerce, 200 N. Phillips Ave.

Join us for a seat at the table with Vance Thompson, director of refractive surgery at Vance Thompson Vision. A Seat at the Table is reserved for YPN Members only. You must register in advance.

APR 23 TUE

$75

2024 Cybersecurity Conference

8 a.m.–1 p.m.

Sioux Falls Convention Center, 1201 N. West Ave.

Explore the evolving threat landscape and industry best practices for protecting your organization.

APR 25 THU FREE

Morning Mingle

Hosted by Bank Midwest

7:30–9 a.m.

Bank Midwest, 225 S. Minnesota Ave.

Start your day by making a new connection. Drop by for a cup of coffee and conversation with other members of the business community.

Check out our social media channels for event photos and information on upcoming events!

@GreaterSFCC

/siouxfallschamber /siouxfallsypn

/siouxfallschamber /siouxfallsypn

Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce

Sioux Falls Young Professionals Network

Community Calendar

Visit siouxfallsevents com and experiencesiouxfalls com/ events for details on the events listed here and more happening in the area .

Planning an event? Let us help you promote it! Submit your event to siouxfallsevents .com . All events welcome – business workshops, retail events, entertainment, education and more

March

1-2 Sioux Falls Snocross National

1-3 National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic

2-5 NSIC Basketball Tournament

3 SDSO: Chamber Music at Augustana University

3 Sioux Falls American Legion Post 15 Pancake Breakfast

7 EmBe’s In Her Shoes Empowerment Breakfast

7 Chase Matthew at The District

7 SDSO: American Masters

7-9 SDHSAA Girls State Basketball Class AA Tournament

8 iNSPiRE By Omnitech

8-12 The Summit League Basketball Championships

9 Sounds of Silence Tribute

10 Sioux Falls Skyforce vs Salt Lake City Stars

12 Sioux Falls Skyforce vs Mexico City Capitanes

12 The Price Is Right Live!

12 Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives

14 Dylan Scott at The District

14 Sioux Falls Skyforce vs Mexico City Capitanes

14-16 Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility

14-16 SDHSAA Boys State Basketball Class AA Tournament

14-17 57th Annual Sioux Empire Sportsmen’s Show

15 Monroe Crossing at the Washington Pavilion

15 The Premiere Playhouse presents: The Glass Menagerie

15-16 Sioux Empire Arts & Crafts Show

16 St Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Sioux Falls

16 Jo Dee Messina at Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort

17 Sioux Falls Skyforce vs College Park Skyhawks

17 Sioux Falls Stampede vs Omaha Lancers

21 Live & Local presents: Jefferson Steel and Xavier Pastrano

23 Ag Day 2024 at the Washington Pavilion

23 SDSO: Brahms A German Requiem

23 Habitat for Humanity’s Raise the Roof Roundup

23-24 Sioux Falls Skyforce vs Cleveland Charge

26 SME Women in Business

28 Ceili Dance at Old Courthouse Museum

28-30 DI Men’s Ice Hockey Regional

29-30 Jesus Christ Superstar at Washington Pavilion

29-30 Sioux Falls Skyforce vs Stockton Kings

30 Downtown Sioux Falls Easter Egg Hunt

April

2 Puppy Pals Live! at Orpheum Theater

4 McCrossan’s Wildest Banquet Auction in the Midwest

5 Fool House - The Ultimate 90s Dance Party

5-6 The Cher Show at the Washington Pavilion

5-7 PBR: Unleash The Beast

5-13 Downtown Sioux Falls Restaurant Week

7 SDSO: Chamber Music at Augustana University

9 Hippie Sabotage at The District

11-14 The Premiere Playhouse presents: Oklahoma!

12 Breaking Benjamin at Denny Sanford PREMIER Center

12-13 Doktor Kaboom at Washington Pavilion

13 Sioux Falls Stampede vs Fargo Force

13 SDSO: American Masters

13 Nick Swardson at Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort

14 Sioux Falls Storm vs Tulsa Oilers

15-17 Mean Girls at Washington Pavilion

18 Bennie and the Jets at Washington Pavilion

18 Live & Local presents: Jordan Jaacks and Rich Show

18-21 The Premiere Playhouse presents: Oklahoma!

19 Junkin’ Market Days

20 Men Are From Mars - Women Are From Venus Live!

25 Ceili Dance at Old Courthouse Museum

26 Tracy Byrd at The District

26

Tim Hawkins at the Washington Pavilion

27 SDSO: Delta David Gier Conducts Mahler

27 Kameron Marlowe at The District

30

Annie at the Washington Pavilion

All events are subject to change. Please check the online events calendars for the most recent updates.

end events

Economic Indicators

Tracking trends in business is just one way that the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce is looking out for our members. Sioux Falls is a great place to do business, in part because of its diverse economy. Check here for economic indicators that help show growth and development.

Source:

Faces & Places

Recognition of Chamber Volunteers

This month’s featured volunteers are Monica Huether, Peska Construction, two years as an ambassador; Darci Hustrulid, Don Dunham III Real Estate, three years as a diplomat; and Tammy Beintema, American Heart Association, 24 years as a diplomat.

The ACE Award is presented to one ambassador recognizing their efforts to recruit and support new Chamber members. Jordan Huisman, First PREMIER Bank, received the ACE Award for December and April Meyerink, American Bank & Trust, received the ACE Award for January.

The ambassador team of the month for both January and February was Jennifer Hoesing, Girl Scouts-Dakota Horizons; April Meyerink, American Bank & Trust; and Jay Soukup, Stifel

The diplomat of the month for December was Cody Papke, City of Sioux Falls Ryan Donovan, Avera Health, received the honor for January. Event Champion honors went to Carol Woltjer, Family Visitation Center, in December and Brian Sittig, CNA Surety, in January.

Team Carstensen won diplomat team of the month honors for both December and January. The team includes Captain Andrea Carstensen, Minnwest Bank; Cindi Johnson, Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort; Bethany Buitenbos, Chick-fil-A Empire Place; Paige Short, LSS of South Dakota; and Alissa Sendelbach

Our volunteers are a key part of how we carry out our mission. Visit siouxfallschamber.com to find opportunities and ways to get involved in bettering our community.

Chamber Mission

As the leading Sioux Falls area business advocate, the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce represents its members by advancing and promoting the economic health and quality of life of the region .

Monica Huether Peska Construction

Ryan Donovan Avera Health

Darci Hustrulid Don Dunham III Real Estate

Cody Papke City of Sioux Falls

Carol Woltjer Family Visitation Center

Tammy Beintema American Heart Association

Jordan Huisman First PREMIER Bank

April Meyerink American Bank & Trust

Brian Sittig CNA Surety

New Faces & Promotions

Lauren Gilbertson has joined The First National Bank in Sioux Falls as an institutional trust officer on the wealth management team. Prior to joining the bank, Gilbertson worked at Farmers Business Network and the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce.

The First National Bank in Sioux Falls has promoted nine staff members. Joe Miller and Drew Woelfel were each promoted to executive vice president. Miller is the chief credit officer and has been with the bank for nearly 11 years. Woelfel is the chief operations officer and joined the bank in February 2023. Those promoted to vice president are Matt Adamson, Michelle Bunkers, Joanna Portice, Derek Simonsen and Scott Speer. Adamson is a portfolio manager and has been with the bank for 12 years. Bunkers is the branch manager for the bank’s Dell Rapids and Baltic locations and has been with the bank for nearly eight years. Portice is a team lead and the branch manager for the bank’s downtown Sioux Falls location. She has been with the bank for nearly 10 years. Simonsen is a business banker and has been with the bank for nearly 10 years. Speer is a business banker and has been with the bank for nine years. Sam Minor, an ag banker, was promoted to assistant vice president. Mya Bunker, investment analyst, was promoted to officer.

JLG Architects in Sioux Falls promoted Karst Way to job captain, a role responsible for leading project

teams and working with clients throughout a project. Karst has years of focused experience in higher education and development work spanning South Dakota and North Dakota.

Caliber Creative welcomed Kaitlyn Berens as account coordinator. Berens is a SDSU graduate with experience in social media content and email/text marketing campaigns. She will support both the account services and leadership teams, coordinating day-to-day needs, progress and timelines.

Rhonda Toft joined Alternative HR, LLC as HR consultant. Toft has thirty years of high-level human resources experience, including positions with international corporations. Her skills areas of expertise include executive leadership, employee relations, national and global HR management, workplace investigations, and negotiation and dispute resolution. Toft has a BA in business management with an emphasis in HR from the University of Sioux Falls.

Heidi Aderhold, Ed.S., has joined the Center for Disabilities, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota as an education specialist. She will teach, assist in diagnostic clinics and provide technical assistance to teachers, parents, schools and community members. Aderhold has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, a master’s degree in special education and an educational specialist degree.

Vishnu Bunny Tattoo & Piercing collected 382 new toys through their Toys for Tats drive during the 2023 holiday season. All the toys were donated to Family Visitation Center to be distributed to children at Christmas and birthdays.

Kaitlyn Berens

Lauren Gilbertson

Rhonda Toft

Heidi Aderhold

Leadership

West Plains Engineering (WPE) named Marty Christensen, P.E. as company president, succeeding Doug Feterl, P.E. Christensen has been with the firm nearly 30 years. He joined the firm as a mechanical designer and grew into leadership roles as a principal, office manager, and most recently served as the firm’s building services division manager. Feterl had served as president since 2014. He was one of the first employees hired after WPE was founded in 1984 and helped guide the firm through more than 30 years

of growth to include four regional offices and more than 50 team members.

Sanford Health has named Tommy Ibrahim the new president and CEO of Sanford Health Plan. Ibrahim most recently served as president and CEO of Bassett Healthcare Network in Cooperstown, New York. Ibrahim received his Doctor of Medicine degree from St. Christopher’s College of Medicine and completed his internal medicine residency at Greater Baltimore Medical Center, an academic affiliate

of Johns Hopkins. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia University and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a Fellow in Hospital Medicine. Ibrahim succeeds John Snyder, who is retiring this year.

Hank McCall is the new market president at Central Bank in Sioux Falls. McCall’s professional experience includes positions in the insurance and health care industries, prior to transitioning to banking and financial services. He is a graduate of South Dakota State University.

Honors & Awards

The South Dakota Retailers Association recognized Oh My Cupcakes! with their Community Service Award for its support of local activities and causes.

Black Hills Federal Credit Union (BHFCU) received the 2023 South Dakota District Leadership Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The award recognizes the lender making the highest number of SBA 7(a) loans in South Dakota. The 7(a) loan program is the SBA’s primary program for providing financial assistance to small businesses. In 2023, BHFCU helped 27 South Dakota businesses secure $4.6 million in SBA 7(a) loans. This work supported 253 jobs ranging from manufacturing and construction to retail, accommodation and food services.

Marty Christensen

Be Seen

Montgomery’s welcomed Chamber members to their Sioux Falls showroom for the February Membership Mixer President Eric Sinclair welcomed guests, who enjoyed networking and refreshments .

Be Seen

Chamber members enjoyed networking over coffee and breakfast at the newly remodeled WP Café in the Washington Pavilion during January’s Morning Mingle .

A recent YPN Off the Clock combined the monthly social hour with Say It Loud, a design exhibit from AIA South Dakota .

Be Seen

The 71st annual Sioux Empire Livestock Show was held Jan . 23-28 at the W H Lyon Fairgrounds Livestock producers and buyers from across the country traveled to Sioux Falls to attend the show . At the Mayor’s Round-Up & Sale of Champions, the top market livestock are auctioned off for a premium This year’s event generated more than $120,000 in premiums for producers .

Be Seen

State legislators representing the Sioux Falls area discussed state-level policy issues with Chamber members at the annual Good Morning Sioux Falls legislative preview . Approximately 200 people attended the 2024 breakfast, which was moderated by Corey Brown, Sanford Health .

One of YPN’s most popular events, A Seat at the Table, features local business leaders sharing their personal career journey . Current Chamber Board Chair Scott Lawrence, CEO of Lawrence & Schiller, Inc ., was the featured guest in January .

Morning-minded YPN members take advantage of the monthly Morning Buzz events to network before starting their workday . In January, Tre Ministries hosted the event and in February, members met at Coffea’s Louise Avenue location .

Be Seen

At a recent Business Sense Workshop, Jackie Payne, FranklinCovey, taught participants strategies they can use to maximize the potential of their teams .

Young professionals took advantage of the opportunity to visit with South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson in a small group event hosted by the YPN .

YPN’s Our Sioux Falls event offers members a chance to learn more about a local nonprofit or community organization . Active Generations welcomed YPN members to their new east side location in January

GREATER SIOUX FALLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 71ST ANNUAL SIOUX EMPIRE LIVESTOCK SHOW JAN. 23-28, 2024

More than $124,000 in premiums was paid out to exhibitors at the Mayor’s Round-up & Sale of Champions auction held Friday, Jan. 26, 2024.

Thank you to the following area businesses for their support:

GRAND CHAMPION MARKET BEEF

Exhibitor: Cannon Reimann, Ree Heights, SD

Buyers: First PREMIER Bank/ PREMIER Bankcard

RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET BEEF

Exhibitor: Creighton & Thatcher Werning, Emery, SD

Buyers: Sioux Falls Regional Livestock, Klein Chopping, and The First National Bank in Sioux Falls

GRAND CHAMPION MARKET LAMB

Exhibitor: Paityn Peterson, Rhodes, IA

Buyers: The First National Bank in Sioux Falls

RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET LAMB

Exhibitor: Paityn Peterson, Rhodes, IA

Buyers: U.S. Bank and Knife River

GRAND CHAMPION MARKET HOG

Exhibitor: Ella Weisinger, Fort Madison, IA

Buyers: First Ag Risk Management and Dakota Ag Center

RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET HOG

Exhibitor: Rylee Rodgers, Searsboro, IA

Buyers: Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort, Dacotah Bank and SD Corn

GRAND CHAMPION MARKET GOAT

Exhibitor: Kylie Beare, Estelline, SD

Buyers: DEKALB/Asgrow, Estelline

Community Oil, Millborn Seeds,Bayer Crop Science, NK Seeds, Winfield United Croplan Seed and Helena

RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET GOAT

Exhibitor: Jacob Lyons, Lisbon, ND

Buyers: Sanford Health

Featuring $12,000 Supreme Row Purse: $3,500 to consigner; $2,500 to buyer of Supreme Champion Bull and Supreme Champion Heifer

SUPREME CHAMPION BULL (AOB)

Consignor: PGC Cattle, Pipestone, MN

Buyer: Western Cattle Source, Crawford, NE

SUPREME CHAMPION HEIFER (Angus)

Consignor: Bullerman Angus, Adrian, MN

Buyer: Jadyn Lee White, Waseca, MN

Thank you to the following businesses who also paid premiums at the Mayor’s Round-Up & Sale of Champions

Baete-Forsethe HVAC

Bayer Crop Science

Beal Distributing

Jo Beal & Scott Wick

Billion Automotive

Cindy Christensen

Daren Corcoran

Dacotah Bank

Dakota Ag Center

Dakota Beverage

Dakota Buyers Club

DEKALB/Asgrow

Denny Sanford PREMIER Center

Estelline Community Oil

Farm Credit Services of America

First Ag Risk Management

First Bank & Trust

First Dakota Title

First PREMIER Bank/PREMIER Bankcard

Larry & Kristie Healy

Getty Abstract & Title Company

Ann & Brian Gilbert

Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort

Greater Sioux Falls Chamber Ambassadors, Diplomats & YPN

Cory Groenwald

Helena

Hoffman Feedyard

Sandy Johnson

Journey Construction

Klein Chopping

Knife River

Darrell & Jan Larson

Lawrence & Schiller

Millborn Seeds

NK Seeds

Nordstrom’s Automotive Inc.

Patin Construction

Pfiefer Implement

Plains Commerce Bank

POET

Reaves

Risty Benefits

Sanford Health

SD Corn

Sioux Falls Farm Show

Sioux Falls Regional Livestock

South Dakota Pork Producers

South Dakota Soybean

The First National Bank in Sioux Falls

Tiger Corporation

Tony’s Catering/Sunshine Foods

U.S. Bank

Westra Land & Auction

Wieman Land & Auction

Winfield United Croplan Seed

Woltman Group

Community Appeals

GREATER SIOUX FALLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Community Appeals Scheduled Fund Drives

The purpose of the Community Appeals Committee is to qualify and provide orderly scheduling of capital fund drives to the business community .

By vetting capital fund drives, the objective of Community Appeals is to affirm the project is a sound community investment and worthy of donor consideration .

It is the intent of the Chamber to encourage every business to carefully consider such requests . However, we also acknowledge that many businesses have limited resources for capital fund drives, both in an ability to properly evaluate them and a sufficient budget to contribute . Our Community Appeals process is intended to provide our members with assurance that a Community Appeals campaign is worthy of investment .

Veterans Community Project

Nov. 1, 2023 - March 31, 2024

To build a village of 25 tiny homes for homeless veterans in the Sioux Falls area . A Village Center will also be constructed to facilitate behavioral/physical wellness, serving to link to other services

LifeScape Hospital & School

April 1, 2024 - July 31, 2024

To construct a new campus to increase residential service capacity, specialty school capacity and outpatient services

Butterfly House & Aquarium

Nov. 1, 2024 - March 31, 2025

To merge with the Great Plains Zoo and establish a visionary public aquarium and butterfly habitat .

AI at Work Balancing Innovation and Challenges

By Jill Callison For the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce

It’s been well over a decade since the team at Blend Interactive first used Artificial Intelligence, or AI.

Blend Interactive, a web strategy, design and development firm employing 25 people, started using AI as many businesses—and individuals—did, said Karla Santi, the firm’s CEO and founder.

“We’ve been using AI in some form for several years now, starting with rudimentary AI for search completion and results personalization by predicting keystrokes, words, products and phrases,” Santi said.

“We’ve been using content recommendations and personalization on websites for many years. It analyzes user behavior, preferences and past interactions to display personalized content and product recommendations.”

Whether we recognize it as AI or not, it is prevalent in our daily lives through voice assistants and smart home devices like Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant. Smart homes and smartphones simplify people’s lives, Santi said. Thermostats learn to predict when residents are home

or routinely away, and devices are given permission to listen to predict user preferences and estimate commute times.

But as AI becomes more ubiquitous, alarms have been sounded about the future, about the good and bad, the benefits and fearfulness of a world it seems to control.

Dr. José-Marie Griffiths describes AI simply as “a computer program that performs humanlike tasks.” She is president of Dakota State University in Madison, a school which states on its website that its online or on-campus courses have put AI at the core since the fall of 2021.

“Businesses are using AI in a number of ways,” Griffiths said. “It allows businesses to better interact with their customers, it allows them to plan resource allocations, it can make them more efficient. There are lots of special things—health care will have very different applications than financial services like banking.”

Dr. José-Marie Griffiths Dakota State University

In and of itself AI is getting better and more efficient. As that happens, it will be applied more extensively in areas such as manufacturing, telecommunications, health care, retail and education. A recent Forbes magazine report showed the biggest spending in the United States comes in the retail sector, followed by telecommunications, Griffiths said. Both of those have a strong influence in South Dakota, she said.

In May 2023, U.S. Senator Mike Rounds was named co-chair of a bipartisan AI working group to pursue the opportunities and tackle the threats presented by AI. The working group facilitated briefings to expand the Senate’s knowledge of AI. Last September, Rounds moderated a high-level discussion that featured top tech leaders such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates.

Rounds compared the average person’s knowledge of AI to the watch they may be wearing on their wrist. The user doesn’t know how a watch works, he said. They just know how to tell time using it.

“AI will help people make decisions at a pace they never had in the past,” the senator said. “But wherever AI can be seen for a common good, we can use it as a threat to the

public. I’m trying to make darn sure that the tools we’re going to need to defend countries against adversaries, that the American people will support the costs.”

Rounds, who says he is fascinated by AI, also concentrates on how it will improve the lives and businesses of the average South Dakotan. Major financial services providers in South Dakota must continue to compete, using AI to speed up the decision-making process, he said.

“It impacts literally every single business you can imagine,” Rounds said. “Farming is a good example. You will use AI in the biology of creating better plants and the creation of

U.S. Senator Mike Rounds

All the images on pages 28-32, except for individual headshots, were generated through artificial intelligence using Image Creator from Microsoft Designer powered by DALL-E 3.

tasks” for brainstorming innovative ideas, among other tasks.

“I may need a title for a workshop or say give me 10 ideas for such and such, then give me 50 more or 10 more,” said DeLange, director of operations and HR senior consultant.

“What we don’t use it for is, say, research and things like that. We have found that it has some errors. I can’t personally use it for ‘give us a policy for this’ or ‘give us an answer for that.’ I might use it to wordsmith. Personally, I use it a lot for writing … It will rewrite what I want to say in a clearer way.”

Alternative HR has experimented with other programs but has found ChatGPT easy to use. DeLange has led a companywide workshop where employees download the program, then practice on it. She stresses to the inexperienced users that it’s important to write a good prompt that will help the ChatGPT share the most useful information.

There are cautions.

“You don’t want to rely on the information if you don’t know it to be true,” DeLange said. “It’s a tool like anything else. It makes us more effective; it makes us more efficient with our time. It may not be accurate … ChatGPT doesn’t give you sources. I think Microsoft does. I would still always check. You don’t know where the information comes from.”

Her field, human resources, relies on the personal touch, DeLange said. An AI tool like ChatGPT can’t replace that.

“It can take the busywork out of any job,” she said. “It can give me an itinerary for travel, but it can’t make decisions for me, it can’t give personal recommendations. The personal touch for us will always be there. We see that with young adults who spend a lot of time chatting online, then they get to work and they’re uncomfortable with conversation. You send an email; it creates friction because you can’t tell tone. You need people to communicate with each other.”

Blend Interactive tends to avoid being what Santi calls the bleeding edge of modern technologies while carefully adopting change as quickly as possible.

“We consider how adjusting our process or tools affects the team, work and clients,” she said. “We’ve put together policies on how and when to use AI, so we’re leading our efforts strategically yet excitedly.”

Santi has not found a specific percentage for how many web-development firms use AI. It varied widely based on factors such as the size of the firm, the project they undertake and their technological orientation.

“However, it’s clear that AI usage in web development is on the rise,” Santi said. “AI is increasingly being used for tasks like automated testing, personalized content creation, user experience optimization and even in some aspects of design and development through tools like AI-assisted coding. Larger firms or those specializing in cutting-edge web technologies are more likely to utilize AI in their workflows.”

Karen DeLange Alternative HR, LLC

While AI is a powerful tool, it is not flawless. One of the commonly known weaknesses of AI image generators is poor depiction of human hands. The image above was generated by AI based on the prompt “a customer interacting with a chatbot.” The resulting image is a woman with three hands.

The benefits of AI are multiple. Santi finds ChatGPT helpful when creating outlines for talks and presentations. She doesn’t enjoy creating outlines, and ChatGPT has helped her with well-planned outlines with time considerations included.

Many of Blend’s team write in an app called Grammarly, a cloud-based writing assistant that helps them improve their writing in various ways—like having a grammar checker, editor and writing coach all rolled into one. A team account at Blend ensures that the words are being written in the firm’s tone of voice with consistent punctuation.

“Lastly, image generation is a whole other ballgame,” Santi said.

“Midjourney allows you to explore creative ideas in a visual format. You can experiment with concepts and see them come to life, which is both exciting and rewarding. And you don’t need to be a designer.”

What should users be aware of? Santi lists the following cautions:

• Privacy and security: What is put into ChatGPT is not private. These interactions can be stored and potentially reviewed for training and quality improvement purposes. Avoid sharing sensitive personal or confidential information in these conversations, especially anything regarding client names and information.

• Bias and inaccuracy: AI systems may reflect and amplify biases present in their training data, leading to inaccurate or unfair outcomes.

• Regulatory challenges: The rapid development of AI technologies poses challenges for regulation and governance, as existing laws may not adequately address current issues arising from AI use.

• Deepfakes can be used to create false narratives or misleading content, which is a significant concern in the context of misinformation and manipulation in media.

Anyone at DSU who has used ChatGPT in a project acknowledges those pitfalls, Griffiths said. There is particular concern in the creative areas where artists, photographers and musicians are involved.

Deepfakes, or videos that are altered usually to spread malicious or false information, are of great concern currently, Griffths said. Examples have ranged from the Pentagon being bombed to Pope Francis wearing a Balenciaga coat. While the latter may be harmless, deepfakes can lead to grandparents being swindled out of funds to election malfeasance. All such actions can affect businesses.

Discover the most impactful artificial intelligence statistics that highlight the growth and influence of artificial intelligence on various industries, the economy and the workforce.

• AI is expected to contribute a significant 21% net increase to the United States GDP by 2030, showcasing its impact on economic growth.

• A significant 64% of businesses believe that artificial intelligence will help increase their overall productivity, as revealed in a Forbes Advisor survey. This demonstrates the growing confidence in AI’s potential to transform business operations.

• AI continues to revolutionize various industries, with an expected annual growth rate of 37.3% between 2023 and 2030, as reported by Grand View Research. This rapid growth emphasizes the increasing impact of AI technologies in the coming years.

• As labor shortages become a pressing concern, 25% of companies are turning to AI adoption to address this issue, according to an IBM report. AI helps businesses optimize operations and compensate for the lack of human resources.

• According to World Economic Forum research, AI is projected to create around 97 million new jobs, potentially countering workforce displacement concerns.

• Forbes Advisor reports that 64% of business owners believe AI has the potential to improve customer relationships, indicating a positive outlook on the role of AI in enhancing client interactions.

• Over 60% of business owners believe AI will increase productivity. Specifically, 64% stated that AI would improve business productivity, and 42% believe it will streamline job processes.

Source: Forbes Advisor

Karla Santi Blend Interactive

Most businesses will use AI programs developed by others, Griffiths said. Users need to find out how it was developed and how it was trained. Without the proper data to train the AI program, the system can develop an implicit bias.

One of the largest I.T. companies used an AI program to scan résumés from job applicants, Griffiths said. The AI program looked at the data it had on positions within the organization, then scanned the résumés. Because most current employees were young white men, the AI program screened out women and people of foreign birth.

“There was a complicit bias in the system,” Griffiths said. “They had to retrain the program. Be careful about what you’re really using. Be a little bit aware—what you see may not be what you’re getting.”

Griffiths hopes a business should not hesitate to share the information that a work product is AI generated, even providing some information on how it is generated.

AI is part of the everyday business world, Griffths said. A big-box store uses AI to inform managers what is being sold, what is on the shelf or when a new shipment of coffee or apples must be delivered. It is used for allocating retail, optimizing service and minimizing waste, she said.

Banks and credit card companies are monitoring purchases, sending out alerts when an out-of-the-ordinary sale is made. AI is not new, Griffiths said, although programs like ChatGPT have made the news more frequently.

“Businesses should think of where best to apply AI,” Griffiths said. “Customer service is an obvious place, managing resources, managing the workforce to make it

more efficient. Lots of things can come from the patterns of usage, traffic management, high peak times, helping manage the signals to traffic lights to make sure you have optimum flows of traffic.”

Griffiths knows that the workforce is concerned about displacement and losing their jobs. It’s unfounded, she said.

“I think we can find ways AI can help people do their jobs better and take over some of the routine tasks,” Griffiths said. “In health care, there’s a tremendous amount of transcription of information. AI is good at capturing that, freeing up professionals to do what is more satisfying for them. I think AI can be a help for decision making. Are there times we should let AI make decisions and rely on it completely? Only if we have complete trust in the system and healthy skepticism.”

There is no need to fear AI, Rounds said, returning to his watch analogy. Just know its benefits.

“You don’t have to know how the clock works in order to tell time, but you have to know how to set your watch. You need to know which time zone you’re in, but you don’t need to know the insides, most people don’t know how it actually works,” he said.

“One of the comments I heard early on, if you don’t figure it out as a company what it can do and what it can’t do and you’re not part of this, you’re going to be left behind,” DeLange said. “The rest of the world is moving forward with this. It’s out there. We need to know what this is so we can help our clients.”

Local election day is April 9

The election for positions on the Sioux Falls City Council and Sioux Falls School Board will be held Tuesday, April 9, 2024. This is the first time that the City of Sioux Falls and the Sioux Falls School District will hold their elections jointly.

Four seats on the City Council are on the ballot this year: the Northwest District, Southwest District, Northeast District and one At-Large position. Current Councilors Greg Neitzert, Marshall Selberg and Pat Starr are term limited. Current Councilor Alex Jensen is not seeking reelection.

As of press date, the candidates seeking office for Sioux Falls City Council are:

• Southwest District: Ryan Spellerberg

• Northwest District: Jennifer Sigette

• Northeast District: Miranda Basye, Tarek Maalouf

• At-Large: Jordan Deffenbaugh, Allison Renville, Richard Thomason

The Sioux Falls School Board will elect members to fill two seats. Current board member Marc Murren is seeking reelection, while current member Kate Serenbetz has declined to run again.

As of press date, the candidates seeking office for Sioux Falls School Board are: Marc Murren, Pat Starr, Gail Swenson and Bobbie Tibbetts.

Information on all the candidates that meet the filing deadline will be available at siouxfallschamber.com after March 1, 2024.

The deadline to register to vote in this election is Monday, March 25, 2024. On that same date, absentee voting will begin. More information on the 2024 election, including an interactive map showing districts and voting precincts, can be found at siouxfalls.gov.

A 2050 vision for the Riverline District

A visionary plan unveiled in February would boost Sioux Falls’s capacity to host conferences and events, while also supporting the well-being of kids and families in our community.

The City of Sioux Falls and Friends of the Riverline District outlined a vision for the future development of the land located near 10th Street and Cliff Avenue. The future Riverline District could include a newer and larger convention center and full-service hotel to serve Sioux Falls for the next 30 years.

Plans were also announced to repurpose the existing Sioux Falls Convention Center into a publicly accessible indoor recreation and playground center, addressing the community’s identified needs for year-round recreation and programming, indoor play and fitness facilities.

“While we have a lot of work to do before it becomes a reality, it is a vision for future generations, and I’m proud to stand alongside so many community leaders and help kickstart the work. The work to get us to this point has been collaborative—a real One Sioux Falls effort,” said Mayor Paul TenHaken.

The existing convention center was built in 1996 to accommodate a city with a population that was less than half of what it is today. Leaders recognize the need for a new convention center to meet current demand, stimulate economic growth and maintain Sioux Falls’ competitive edge in the convention center industry.

“We know public access to indoor recreation and play space is critical to the quality of life in Sioux Falls, and we also know that our community needs a modern and appropriately sized convention center,” said Lynn Forbes, Friends of the Riverline District co-chair. “This opportunity will drive growth with a full-service hotel, necessary to continue to attract business and family-friendly events to our community.”

Over the past year, the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce was proud to engage in the visioning process with Friends of the Riverline District. Initial funding partners include Forward Sioux Falls, Downtown Sioux Falls, Experience Sioux Falls and Dakota Business Finance.

True to Sioux Falls’s reputation for collaboration, 12 banks participated in funding: American Bank & Trust; American State Bank; Bank Midwest; CorTrust Bank; Central Bank; First Bank & Trust; First Dakota National Bank; First Interstate Bank; The First National Bank in Sioux Falls; First PREMIER Bank; Plains Commerce Bank; and Reliabank.

While specific details about the scope and scale of investment are pending further studies, the City of Sioux Falls plans to engage the public in the ongoing decision-making process. For more information, visit riverlinedistrict.com.

An artist’s rendering of what the Riverline District could look like in 2050.

Business Briefs

Milestone achieved

Sioux Falls based Expansion Capital Group (ECG) has achieved a funding milestone, reaching its billionth dollar in support of the expansion of America’s small businesses.

Since inception in 2013, ECG has provided services to over 20,000 small businesses across multiple industries nationwide. The company works directly with small business owners and with hundreds of referral partners. They utilize proprietary data, analytics and systems to provide access and capital in a timely manner.

ECG’s core solution, a six to 11-month working capital product, meets the needs of small business owners that are not in a position to wait for a traditional bank loan.

Chief Strategy Officer Tim Mages said, “During the last three years, inflationary pressures combined with a postcovid economy have negatively impacted many hardworking small business owners. ECG has continued to be a reliable partner and a key resource as business owners navigate these headwinds.”

Acquisition

A&B Business Solutions has acquired Robert Sharp and Associates (RSA), a Rapid City-based advertising and marketing agency.

A&B Business is a recognized leader in the office solutions industry, with 14 locations and a strong presence across 6 states in the Midwest. They offer copiers, printers, managed print services, specialization in IT security and support, office furniture and supplies, purified water, coffee products and more. A&B Business also contains a group of finance companies, providing ease of funding for all its clients. The acquisition of RSA adds another dimension to their diverse portfolio.

“ This strategic acquisition aligns seamlessly with our commitment to delivering top-notch marketing and office solutions to our customers,” said Dennis Aanenson, owner of A&B Business and RSA. “The collaborations between our companies will enhance our ability to provide comprehensive services, and we look forward to leveraging our expanded portfolio to benefit both existing and new customers.

Service expansion

Levo Credit Union has expanded its service area to 29 counties stretching along the I-29 corridor from Sioux City, Iowa to Fargo, North Dakota.

Levo has served four counties around Sioux Falls since 1934: Minnehaha, Lincoln, Turner and McCook. The expansion of its service area means that individuals, businesses and legal entities in 25 additional counties are now eligible for membership in South Dakota’s oldest credit union.

“Levo means ‘to lift up’, and we are excited to lift up an even larger group of people with our great services, products, rates, and resources,” said Fran Sommerfeld, President/ CEO of Levo.

To expand its field of membership, a credit union must file an extensive application demonstrating to the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) that it will bring value to the new community it wishes to serve. Levo’s new field of membership includes counties in eastern South Dakota, southeast North Dakota, northwest Iowa, and west central Minnesota. Currently, the expanded area can access services through online applications. Eventually Levo plans to open branches in several communities.

Ownership transition

Sioux Falls-based Midwestern Mechanical, Inc. transitioned to a fully employee-owned entity, as of Dec. 31, 2023.

By establishing an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), Midwestern Mechanical solidified its commitment to its employees, corporate stewardship and community investment.

Founded in 1983, Midwestern Mechanical has grown to be a regional leader in plumbing, fire protection and HVAC services for residential, commercial and industrial clients. Today, they employ 330 people at locations in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Sioux City and Spencer, Iowa.

CEO and President Ken Amundson said the company had been working toward an ESOP for more than a decade. The move reflects a belief in employees’ ability to drive future success, ensuring long-term viability for the company and creating substantial financial security for employees.

“This move not only rewards the dedication and hard work of employees but also ensures that the legacy of Midwestern Mechanical will continue to thrive under the stewardship of those who have contributed the most to its success,” said company founder Dwayne Klarenbeek.

Denise Ferrie to lead annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade

By Larry Fuller

The St. Patrick’s Day Extravaganza Committee has named Denise Ferrie as Grand Marshal of the 2024 St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The event will be Saturday, March 16 through downtown Sioux Falls. Ferrie will lead up to 100 parade entries in the annual “people’s parade” celebrating Irish heritage.

Denise Ferrie’s Irish roots reach far back into Glencolumcille, in County Donegal, Ireland. The community is often described as a living history museum that provides insights into the country’s past.

Ferrie’s grandmother, Ann Cannon, and mother, Rose Cannon Dunn, were born in Glencolumcille and she still has many relatives living there. Ferrie has visited her homeland four times. In 2018 she and a sister, Maggie, got together with about 20 cousins and spouses. One cousin brought them to the home that has been in the family for 400 years. “Every time I have gone to Glencolumcille, it was like our mother was with us,” said Ferrie.

Ferrie and her husband, Terry, moved to Sioux Falls, his hometown, in 1978. She soon was involved in private banking and the trust department at Norwest Bank and its successor, Wells Fargo. Her career concluded as office manager for Elgethun Capital Management. Terry and Denise have two daughters, Andrea McIntyre and Colleen Ferrie. They were involved in the burgeoning soccer community, both as coaches and leaders in the organization. They also were active in the Cathedral of St. Joseph and Cathedral School. Denise also served for 23 years as a eucharistic minister at Avera Health.

The annual St. Patrick’s Day parade brings the regional community together to celebrate. Anyone can participate in the parade, but registration is required and each person must wear an official St. Patrick’s parade button, which costs $3. Registration, which closes March 6, is available at https://dtsf.com/event/44th-annual-st-patricks-day-parade/.

Buttons are available in advance at 605 Running Company, the Cookie Jar Eatery and other downtown businesses. They also can be purchased the day of the parade at the start of the parade. St. Francis House, a non-profit agency that ministers to the homeless,

will be selling buttons and receives a portion of button sales.

Expenses for the parade are deferred through contributions from sponsors: Avera Health, Sanford Health, First PREMIER Bank, Security National Bank, The First National Bank in Sioux Falls, Cutler Law Firm, LLP; Boyce Law Firm, LLP; Hagen, Wilka & Archer LLP; Davenport Evans Law Firm; Dakota Beverage Company; and Lloyd Companies.

Other St. Patrick’s Day activities include:

• The traditional painting of the shamrock will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 16, in front of The First National Bank in Sioux Falls.

• The Vanguard Squadron will have a flyby at the start of the parade, weather permitting.

• The falls of the Big Sioux River will be lit green on March 16 and 17.

• The Lucky 7’s will host a one mile, five mile and 5K run on parade day. Information at https://runsignup.com/Race/SD/ SiouxFalls/Lucky7sShuffle

St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal Denise Ferrie with her family in downtown Sioux Falls.

The 2024 Market Outlook

Bender Commercial shares insights on the year ahead

Contributing authors:

Reggie Kuipers, SIOR; Nick Gustafson, CCIM; Bradyn Neises, SIOR; Andi Anderson, SIOR; Rob Kurtenbach; Rob Fagnan; and Alex Soundy, SIOR.

As the year 2024 unfolds, Sioux Falls stands at the intersection of local economic dynamic forces and national trends within the commercial real estate market. Bender Commercial hosted their 2024 Market Outlook on Feb. 22. The presentation dove into the local economic landscape and explored key sectors within the commercial real estate market. Here’s a recap of insights shared.

Economic Overview

The Sioux Falls commercial real estate market should expect solid activity and a modest tailwind in 2024. The fact is there are a lot of outside factors coming into play this year, such as the Presidential election, presumed Fed funds rate cuts, geo-political issues, employment and more. Credit has tightened as banks went from being saturated with deposits to now relying on borrowing from the Fed or paying the consumer 4-5.5% for CD’s and money market accounts. We do expect inflation to be sticky and have tempered expectations (we believe 50-75 basis points) on the Fed cutting rates as much as the prognosticators anticipate (75-125 basis points). Despite these factors, we anticipate another solid year and Sioux Falls is poised to continue to push forward with large projects and more announcements. We are all blessed to do business in this community!

Capital Markets

National and local real estate investment markets experienced a significant drop in transactions volume from 2022 to 2023. This sharp pullback was due to exponentially (and historic) rising costs of debt colliding with high seller expectations on value and low motivation levels. National and local economies remain robust, and investors are sitting on record levels on cash collecting healthy risk-free yields. We expect transactions levels in 2024 to have a modest increase over 2023 sales volume due to shifting seller expectations. Transactions that will occur this year will be driven by

Quarterly change in national bank deposits

seller profit taking and refinancing avoidance at higher debt costs. The pullback in transactions is a healthy reset versus a liquidity or credit crisis. Local and regional lenders will lend conservatively in 2024 as deposits chase money market yields and bankers quote borrowing costs based on high federal funds rates plus a profit/safety delta. Buyers, sellers and bankers will watch the Federal Reserve closely all year.

Land Market

The Sioux Falls metro land market shows signs of slowed development from a historic high in Sioux Falls area. Despite the lower numbers there are still signs of confidence in our metro area. The unimproved land market was down slightly but shows continued interest from developers in the growth of our communities. A trend that may be emerging is developers looking closer at opportunities in our neighboring communities with opportunities getting harder to find in Sioux Falls. Improved land sales were on pace from the previous years. Retail sales are the steady performer with convenience stores being a large contributor to those sales. Industrial sales are down, but not for a lack of demand. The past few years we have had record sales of industrial land, which has absorbed a large majority of the supply. We expect private developers and community economic development groups to add more supply into our industrial land market and take advantage of

the imbalance in the market. All in all, the land market in 2023 has shown that there is confidence in investing in our community and in 2024 we are likely to see the same confidence in our Sioux Falls metro.

Office

The national and local office market has been experiencing some challenges over the past several years. There are large blocks of office space sitting vacant that were built in the 80s and 90s. These pose a challenge since to retrofit or renovate these properties is very expensive. Between the low ceiling heights and aged buildouts, owners will need to get very real with their pricing structure to attract buyers. It will be interesting to continue to watch the work environment for employees. There continues to be a large number working a hybrid schedule, as well as 13% working fulltime from home. This will be an interesting trend to watch over the next several years as it has certainly changed how employers operate their businesses. Sioux Falls has such a great quality of life that even though people no longer need to work where they live, our community will likely be less impacted by this trend than the national market.

Retail

Retailers continue to explore shrinkflation in more ways than one. In 2023, they hit the lowest average size of new retail leases in the last 20 years. The average new

lease footprint is now down to 3,200 square feet, compared to nearly 5,000 square feet during that same period. Are large regional retail centers a thing of the past? Trends are suggesting that retailers and consumers are preferring neighborhood retail centers instead. Locally, Sioux Falls continues to be a strong retail market with vacancies remaining steady at just over 8%.

Industrial

The industrial market nationally is starting to reveal some cracks in the foundation. Sales and new construction starts plummeted in 2023 as a result of higher interest rates and market normalization. However, the greater Sioux Falls industrial market saw some resiliency in 2023 with a slight increase in sales from 2022. New construction, vacancy rates and lease rates have remained stable, which is the cause for continued expansion.

Multi-Family

After a record stretch in multi-family sales transactions (2020-2022), both the

Improved land sales volume and transactions

national and local multi-family markets saw a pullback in 2023. This pullback was not due to a lack of interest from multi-family investors, but rather a limited number of deals that penciled with current seller expectations on value, higher interest rates, and significant increases in property taxes and insurance premiums. Despite the drop in multi-family sales transactions, both the national and local multi-family markets had

a very strong 2023 for new development. With the cost to own remaining significantly higher than the cost to rent, we will continue to see developers bring new units to the market to meet demand. As for 2024, there’s enough buyer demand for a robust year in the multi-family market, but will the deals pencil? All eyes will be on the Federal Reserve in 2024.

How an established brand offers an AI advantage

Creating a consistent, recognizable brand is good for building a strong business.

Beyond the logo, a brand consists of all the various elements that define the essence of a business including its voice, personality, values, market fit, target audience, vision, mission, visual design and more.

With the emergence of new artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, it’s even more imperative for businesses to invest time and resources into building a strong and unique brand. AI, while smart and efficient, lacks the spark of human ingenuity, creativity and strategic thinking. It is missing that special touch that draws people in and encourages them to engage with a brand. People naturally gravitate towards businesses they know, like and trust. That’s where the magic of the human element comes in – it’s the secret sauce for building trust, brand loyalty and standing out in a crowd.

Now, with user-friendly programs like ChatGPT and so many others, it has become tempting to whip up large quantities of copy for things like social media, email and blogs with a few clicks.

However, doing so without a deep understanding of your brand may result in sounding like just another business using generic, computer-generated words. Quantity does not necessarily equate to quality. To preserve the unique voice and essence of your brand, it’s important to understand the power of a solid brand strategy.

Using brand specific prompts

For savvy business owners, crafting prompts specific to their brand provides a clear AI advantage. A well-written prompt may include a brand’s voice, personality, values, and/or insights into their target audience. Doing this will help AI to generate content with a voice, a personality and a set of values created for a specific audience that generally can’t be replicated by just any robot on its own. The more detailed brand information that is fed to AI, the better and more unique the resulting content will be.

Voice

Describing a brand’s voice with simple words like positive, inspiring, strong, assertive, elegant, sweet, humorous, warm, welcoming, edgy or irreverent adds layers to the brand’s personality. It gives the brand a distinctive tone that speaks directly to the audience, ensuring that the generated copy sounds authentically aligned with the business.

Melissa Heckel Branch Creative Co.

Values

Knowing the brand’s values is like setting a moral compass for AI-generated content. This ensures that the content aligns with the ethical principles of the business – principles that echo across every aspect from branding and marketing to team building and customer service.

Audience

Understanding the business’s target audience helps in prompting AI to generate content that resonates deeply with them. Some questions to ask when evaluating a target audience include:

1. What does the audience value?

2. What are their goals?

3. What pain points do they have?

4. How does the business help them?

A well-crafted brand strategy equips businesses with the ability to tailor AI-generated content specifically for a target audience in a way that is relatable, authentic and trustworthy.

Compare the difference between a basic prompt and a branded prompt in this example:

Basic AI Prompt: Write five social media posts for a residential realtor in South Dakota.

Branded AI Prompt: Write five social media posts for a residential realtor located in South Dakota who values connecting with clients and providing a warm and personalized experience. Keep the wording simple and write it in a voice that is welcoming, calm and poised. Write posts geared towards helping Midwestern families with young children who value style and functionality.

Instead of thinking of AI as a replacement for human efforts, think of it as a techy sidekick enhancing those efforts. As a business owner juggling multiple hats, AI can be an ally in handling routine tasks, freeing up mental bandwidth for critical decisions and creative sparks. AI can become a great tool when used well.

The magic lies in the specificity of AI prompts, and those specifics can be guided by the direction of a well-defined brand. The business owner who invests in their brand strategy, ensuring it is fully aligned with their voice, personality, values and audience, can then fully use AI to their advantage, feeding it with the unique brand qualities that they now understand and can articulate for AI prompts.

Melissa Heckel is the owner of Branch Creative Co. She has a heart for entrepreneurship and serving business owners—bringing their passion and purpose to life through strategic business branding, web design and graphic design services.

Tuesday April 23, 2024

8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Sioux Falls Convention Center

Explore the evolving threat landscape and industry best practices for protecting your organization.

Details and registration at siouxfallschamber.com/cybersecurity

Sponsored by

Ribbon Cuttings

Ribbon Cuttings

The Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce offers a ribbon cutting ceremony or member spotlight video for members to celebrate joining the Chamber, milestone anniversaries, expansions or remodels. The public and all Chamber members are invited to share in the celebration. Call (605) 336-1620 for more information or to schedule your event.

Health Connect of South Dakota

320 S . 3rd Ave ., Suite B healthconnectsd.org

Health Connect is a medical library that serves all South Dakotans with resources to help make healthy choices and to live an addiction-free, health-enriched life. L to R: Irene Arango Gomez, April Schulte, Vicki Stewart, Richard Thomason, Fran Rice (executive director), Jay Soukup, Cindi Johnson and Shelby Kommes.

Principal Financial of the Dakotas

4910 S Isabel Place, Suite 100 principal.com/dakotas

Principal® Financial Network of the Dakotas helps individuals, businesses and their employees build, protect and advance their financial wellbeing. L to R: James Gaspar, Jay Soukup, Ryan Anderson, Dan Frasier, Tamien Dysart, Cindi Johnson and Amanda Waddell.

Raeco Builders

2219 E . Benson Road raecobuilders.com

Established in 2009, RAECO Builders, LLC, recently moved into a new, larger headquarters. The 20,000 square foot building allows for continued growth in their team and company. L to R: Mike Deelstra, Lynda Billars, Tom Jurgens (owner), Cole Jurgens, Jennifer Hoesing and Melissa Dellman.

Milestone Anniversary

Expansion

Ribbon Cuttings

Selah Space

117 W 39th St

selahspacesd.com

Selah Space is a holistic wellness cooperative dedicated to serving providers and their clients on their healing journey. L to R: Audrey Dobesh, Laycee Kluin, Scott Lawrence, Witt Dobesh, Jada Dobesh (owner), Cindi Johnson, Jennifer Hoesing and Katrina Yde.

Sioux Empire Livestock Show

W .H . Lyon Fairgrounds

siouxempirelivestockshow.com

The Sioux Empire Livestock Show seeks to strengthen the ties between the urban and agricultural communities, support livestock producers, provide educational programs and promote the importance of agriculture in our region. L to R: Brooke Hendrickx, Abby Bischoff, Adam Buss, Austin Luecke (event chair), Scott Lawrence, Jennifer Hoesing, Cindi Johnson and Holly Rader.

New Member Chamber Event

The Sonography Studio

2520 S Lorraine Place

thesonographystudio.com

The Sonography Studio is an all-in-one pregnancy, postpartum and women’s wellness studio. It offers a relaxing spa-like experience with an array of services in state-of-the-art studios. L to R: Alissa Matt, Melissa Dellman, Mitchell Vos, Lynda Billars, Lily Frank (owner), Lux Voss and Lori Carpenter.

New Member

Top Cleaning Solutions LLC

119 W . 41st St .

Now under new ownership, Top Cleaning Solutions is a locally owned, reliable commercial cleaning business that can handle all your office cleaning needs. L to R: Cindy Pesicka, Ryan Donovan, Paul Sylvester, Jeremy Pesicka, Laycee Kluin, Vicki Stewart, Kristin Hoefert-Redlinger and Destinee Miller.

New Member

questions with

5 Stacy Kooistra

Colonel Stacy Kooistra wears many hats: lawyer, U.S. serviceman, basketball player and family man. One year ago, he took on his latest role as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for Dakota State University Applied Research Corporation (DARC). A 26-year member of the military, Stacy also serves as State Staff Judge Advocate for Air–South Dakota Air National Guard and is the Chair of the South Dakota Military Heritage Alliance. Stacy and his wife, Anna, have four children: Isabel, Oscar, Owen and Emmett.

How did you choose your profession?

Honestly, I’ve had a few, and I’ve just chased my heart for each – and tried to blend them as my career unfolded. Basketball was my first passion and I was blessed with an opportunity to play in Sweden, which led me to my wife, Anna. I then felt a calling to serve our country and to become an attorney, which led to opportunities in Army Military Intelligence, the private practice of law, the Air Force JAG Corps and becoming the Sioux Falls City Attorney.

What is your favorite tech tool or app?

I rely heavily on the basics: email, the Microsoft suite of products and, of course, the supercomputer each of us carries around every day.

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What is the best piece of advice you have received?

When, at age 25, I was concerned about being too old to join the Army, my dad simply pointed out that I was going to get older either way, so I might as well pursue what I felt called to do. Simple but great advice that I am glad I followed!

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What is a skill that you’d like to learn and why?

I would like to learn to fly a fighter jet because who wouldn’t?

5

What is your favorite way to spend a day in Sioux Falls?

Falls Park in the morning, an afternoon of fun and games with the family at the South Dakota Military Heritage Alliance, then dinner downtown and one of the amazing Washington Pavilion shows with Anna that evening.

The Kooistra family