December 2014

Volume 14- Issue 12- December

The Road Map

Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau

Shop local, give local this holiday season Shop Local This holiday season, please remember to shop close to home and in the wonderful small businesses of our community.

Shopping small keeps those dollars close to home and working in and around Sturgis. Those effects reach far beyond the holidays.

It may seem like a small thing, but it has a big im‐ pact on our local retailers and our town.

ginning at 9am. Their re‐ quest is that you fill those bags with food items to stock their shelves for those in need. The bags will be picked up on December 13.

In this issue:

Page 2 ‐ Indian Motorcycle Ground Breaking ‐ Sturgis Chiroprac c expands ‐ ABC Coali on recognized

Give Local There are more opportuni‐ es to give in our commu‐ nity than can possibly be listed here. As you consider making a contribu on this holiday season, please look to the need and causes close to home. From the arts to youth causes, shel‐ ters and elder care ‐ there is an opportunity to enrich the lives of those we live among.

On December 6, volunteers for the Kiwanis Food Pantry will be delivering bags be‐

food being purchased local‐ ly.”

Finally, remember that the Chamber is once again host to a Salva on Army Angel Tree. Stop in to choose a tag and give a local child in need a gi this holiday.

Have a wonderful season and please remember those in need here in the Sturgis.

According Kiwanis member Rich Deaver, “This year, more than ever, we are try‐ ing to get the word out as our shelves are in great need of resupply. The num‐ ber of people who visit the Food Pantry has increased significantly. Average monthly food distribu on is 4,500 pounds with nearly all

Page 3 ‐ New membership er for home‐based businesses ‐ Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame & Freedom Fighters ‐ Eddie Heisinger Agency Relocates Page 4 ‐ SEDC Update Page 5 ‐ County Connector Road Page 6 ‐ Bush Founda on recogni on ‐ Jake’s Auto Body Reloca ng to Sturgis Page 7 ‐ Main Street Reconstruc on

Page 2

Indian Motorcycle Sturgis Ground Breaking On Thursday, November 20, Indian Motorcycle Sturgis broke ground for their new facility.

Earlier in the week, owner Bruce Eide announced plans to build a 22,000 square‐foot showroom direct‐ ly south of the current loca on on Lazelle Street.

That's more than double the size of the current showroom. Since its opening last year, Indian Motor‐ cycle Sturgis has ranked as the top dealership for Indian Motorcycles.

Eide noted that he does have plans for the current building, but he is not yet ready to release them.

Courtesy Photo Indian Motorcycle Sturgis

Courtesy Photo Indian Motorcycle Sturgis

Membership News Sturgis Chiropractic Expands

ABC Coalition Recognized

Congratula ons to our member business Sturgis Chiroprac c. They have expanded to Central City with addi onal satellite offices in Buffalo and Newell.

Ribbon Cu ngs with the Lead and Dead‐ wood Chambers were held in October to celebrate the opening.

Sturgis’ ABC Coali on was one of just three included in the Community An ‐Drug Coali‐ ons of America annual report to Congress.

In recent years, the organiza‐ on has helped to cut instances of drunk driving nearly in half.

That success was born from collabora ve efforts with the local police department, local schools and the state a orney’s office.

Thanks for all the good work you do in our community ABC! We appreciate your efforts.

Check out the full ar cle at www.CADCAAnnualReport.org under “2013 Highlights.”

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Page 3

Membership (continued) New Member

Renewing Member

Dakota Hardware 2222 Junction Ave Sturgis SD 605-347-4031

Norma Allen (Associate)

Thank you.

You make what we do possible.

Don’t forget to reserve your sponsorship and advertising opportunities for 2015.

Need another kit or forms? Call 347-2556 or email Info@SturgisAreaChamber.com

New Membership Tier for Home-Based Businesses Chamber, call 347‐2556 or email A new membership er has been added info@sturgisareachamber.com. for 2015 for home‐based businesses.

These businesses are an important part of many household incomes and the local economy. The $100 membership will in‐ clude the opportunity to a end a series of talks star ng this spring designed to edu‐ cate and help these business owners grow their business and overcome challenges.

For more informa on or to join the

Sturgis Motorcycle Museum seeks Nominations for Hall of Fames The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame is accep ng nomina ons for the 2015 Hall of Fame and the 2015 Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame.

Individuals, organiza ons and businesses considered for induc on into the Hall of Fame will have made a posi ve and sig‐ nificant impact on motorcycling.

Individuals considered for the Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame will have made a significant impact through their work in grassroots rights efforts.

Anyone interested in submi ng a nomi‐

na on form can download it online or by calling the Museum at 605.347.2001 or email info@sturgismuseum.com.

Upcoming Events (for full list see the enclosed insert)

12/5‐6 ‐ Winter Fros val

12/5 ‐ Prairie Emporium Ribbon Cu ng 1030 Main Street ‐ 5:30 pm

12/9 ‐ Black Hills Power Opera on Center Ribbon Cu ng 1251 O er Road 11:30 am

12/18 ‐ Scrooge Day

12/25 ‐ Chamber Closed ‐ Christmas

1/1 ‐ Chamber Closed ‐ New Year’s Day

Eddie Heisinger Agency Relocates The Heisinger Agency will start 2015 in a new loca on. Beginning January 2, you can visit them in their new office located at 2275 Lazelle Street, Suite E in Sturgis.

The office is located just down the hall from Sturgis Coffee Company.

Congratula ons on the move!

Page 4

SEDC Update Jake’s Auto Body, current‐ ly in Spearfish, will relocate to 2416 Junc on Avenue, Stur‐ gis. Jake’s owners Aaron and Megan Schoon pur‐ Pat Kurtenbach, chased the President SEDC building from Sco Peterson Motors in Novem‐ ber. Iverson Construc on is con‐ duc ng renova ons to the exis ng storm‐damaged structure, as well as, adding 2,000 sq. . to the north side. Schoon’s expect to be open February 2015.

Jake’s President Aaron Schoon states, “We are really excited to come to Sturgis. We see a lot of exci ng things happening in Sturgis and want to be a part of its growth.”

Schoon’s started Jake’s Auto Body in 2009. They employ four full me and expect that to grow to six when they relocate. Jake’s specializes in collision repair and automo ve restora on services.

Their new loca on will offer eight bays.

Jake’s Auto Body has proven to be a successful startup company.

SEDC is pleased to partner with them to assist in their expansion and con nued growth in the Sturgis market.

Indian Motorcycle Sturgis host‐ ed a groundbreaking ceremony November 20 at the construc on site of their new Main Street deal‐ ership. The two‐story, 22,000‐sq. . building will sit in the heart of their campus and showcase their

impressive product and service capabili es. It will more than dou‐ ble their current space and should be completed mid‐June.

The dealership is owned and operated by Vern Eide Motorcars in conjunc on with Polaris Indus‐ tries. Bruce Eide, partner of Vern Eide Motorcars, states, “We are grateful for the overwhelming wel‐ come we have received from the Sturgis community. The first six months have truly been exci ng.

This new building is another way we can con nue to partner with Sturgis to grow both the Indian Motorcycle and Sturgis brands.”

Indian Motorcycle Sturgis opened mid‐May and quickly be‐ came part of the business commu‐ nity. Since bringing Indian Motor‐ cycle home to Sturgis, Bruce and his staff have not slowed down. As their momentum con nues to grow, so does their commitment.

SEDC thanks them for their community investment and congratulates them on their con nued success.

At SEDC’s Semi Annual October luncheon, the Board sought input to assist in our 2015 planning re‐ treat. Par cipants engaged in shar‐ ing their opinions, making it a very produc ve mee ng. When the Board met the next day, they had an arsenal of great ideas. Below are some of SEDC’s 2015 priority goals.

SEDC is commi ed to con nued growth and partnership opportuni‐ es to create housing for all age groups. Great strides in housing development were made in 2014.

In 2015, Sturgis should see several new market rate housing starts

offering a variety of op ons – mul ‐family rental units, along with townhomes and single family units priced under $200K. More early childhood daycare and Pre‐kindergarten program‐ ming remains a community need.

SEDC ac vely seeks a building and/ or land to make this service availa‐ ble by August 2015.

Recognizing that agriculture is a major economic driver for our ar‐ ea, SEDC is commi ed to growing agricultural services and value‐ added produc on as part of our industrial base.

It has been four years since the SEDC website and community vid‐ eos were created. So much has happened since then! They will be updated with a fresh look to assist in overall community marke ng plans for Exit 32, downtown, and the Sturgis Industrial Park.

Much has changed from SEDC’s 1970’s origin as an industrial ex‐ pansion corpora on. Today, our mission to “ac vely pursue economic development by assis ng new or expanding business and industry in Sturgis and the greater Meade County” has philosophically expanded to include our commit‐ ment to embrace development ini a ves that enhance our overall quality of life.

Thank you for being our development partner.

Pat can be contacted at 605.347.4906 or pat@sturgisdevelopment.com.

Page 5

Meade County moves forward with road connecting I90 to Hwy 34 Meade County Commissioners are moving forward with a new road that would connect 131st Street to Cardinal Place at Pleasant Val‐ ley and , effec vely, Interstate 90 to Highway 34,

Similar projects have been dis‐ cussed previously, but have never come to frui on.

Opponents are concerned that the route will encourage travelers to bypass the Sturgis business community. Several homeowners on Cardinal Place also have con‐ cerns about the effects of the road on their proper es.

Commissioners and proponents, though, stress that the road has always been part of the County’s long‐term plan. The plan has be‐ come imminent with increased truck traffic from the North Dako‐ ta Oil Fields and Meade County producers. Representa ves of the Black Hills VA Medical Facility at Fort Meade have also stressed the need for an alterna ve route to Interstate 90. Addi onally, the Commissioners believe the road is an important component in en‐ couraging economic growth in the County.

Recently, commissioners ap‐ proved preparing a preliminary cost es mate and right of way acquisi on for the new road. The commission also wants a cost study done on three types of sur‐ faces – gravel, chip‐seal and as‐ phalt. The report would be made

by the county’s engineering firm, Brosz Engineering.

A TIF district would help to pay for the project.

The county is also accep ng public input on giving the road a name.

The public can vote on their web site at www.meadecounty.org

The Chamber Board is watching the issue carefully, but has not taken a posi on.

If you’d like to weigh in, please email info@sturgisareachamber.com or call 347‐2556. Your comments will be given to the Chamber Board of Directors.

We always appreciate receiving our members’ opinions on these important issues.

Page 6

Sturgis gains recognition from Bush Foundation for second time Recently, the Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau collaborated with Sturgis Economic Development Corp and the City of Sturgis to apply for a significant grant from the Bush Founda on.

While we did not claim the top prize, we are proud that our efforts were named among the top appli‐

cants of hundreds. This is the sec‐ ond me we’ve reached this final selec on er.

The recogni on was based en rely on Sturgis’ recent innova ons in working to revitalize the down‐ town core.

The group was especially im‐ pressed with the collabora on between organiza ons, local gov‐ ernment, business owners, non‐ profits, and private ci zens. Many of these same stakeholders were a part of the grant interview process.

To learn more about the good work the Bush Founda on is doing in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and within the area Na ve Na ons ‐ visit their website www.bushfounda on.org.

The Founda on is based in Saint Paul Minnesota.

Jake’s Auto Body Relocating to Sturgis - Opening early 2015 ons to the exis ng storm‐damaged structure, as well as, adding 2,000 sq. . on the north side of the build‐ ing. The Schoons expect to be open for business in February 2015.

Schoon started Jake’s Auto Body in Spearfish in 2009. They currently Jake’s Auto Body, currently located employ four full me staff and ex‐ in Spearfish, will relocate to Sturgis pect that to grow to six when they in the former Jacobsen Ford building relocate to Sturgis. at 2416 Junc on Avenue.

Jake’s specializes in collision repair Jake’s owners Aaron and Megan and automo ve restora on services.

Schoon purchased the 6,000 sq. . building from Sco Peterson Motors Their new loca on will offer eight bays for enhanced customer service in November.

and feature state‐of‐the art equip‐ General contractor Iverson Construc‐ Photo: BHBLment in their environmentally‐ on is conduc ng extensive renova‐ conscious shop.

Jake’s President Aaron Schoon states, “We are really excited to come to Sturgis. We see a lot of ex‐ ci ng things happening in Sturgis and want to be a part of its growth.”

Pat Kurtenbach, SEDC President, states, “Jake’s Auto Body has proven to be a successful startup company.

The Sturgis Economic Development Corp is pleased to partner with them to assist in their expansion and con‐ nued growth in the Sturgis mar‐ ket.”

Welcome to Sturgis Aaron and Me‐ gan! We look forward to working with you and wish you the best with your new business.

Main Street to be reconstructed 2016-17 Via the City of Sturgis - The Main Street Reconstruc on Project will provide the total reconstruc on of Main Street be‐ tween Middle Street and 4th Street.

Improvements will include drainage improvements, pavement removal and replacement, sidewalk removal and re‐ placement, new street ligh ng, water main replacement and streetscap‐ ing. Es mated Total Project Cost $3,417,578.

In the fall of 2013 the project was fully programmed into the STIP and showed a construc on start date of 2016. In the spring of 2014, the SD DOT began nego‐ a ons with FourFront Design, Inc. for the engineering and design of the pro‐ ject.

In August of this year, the City entered into an agreement with the DOT to al‐

low FourFront Design, Inc. to complete the plans for the project.

The project will be constructed in two phases with the first taking place on Main Street from Junc on to Middle Street star ng in May of 2016.

Phase II will include the remainder of the street from Junc on to 4th Street. Phase II will begin in the fall of 2016 and will finish in the spring of 2017.

The Project is one of many downtown improvements that came about from efforts of Future Sturgis, the Sturgis Comprehensive Plan and many other commi ee recommenda ons over the past few years. The adjacent Plaza on the corner of 2nd and Main Street is expected to start construc on in the Spring of 2015.

Send your events to Events@SturgisAreaChamber.com.

Page 7

Return Service Requested

U.S. POSTAGE PRESORTED STANDARD RATE PERMIT NO. 10 STURGIS, SD 57785

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 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, Wells Fargo Bank J.D. Williams, First Interstate Bank Brice Rock, Pioneer Bank & Trust Adam Mar n, SD Oil & Gas Associa on

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 Tacy Langemeier: Ag Representa ve Tim Po s: City Council Liaison

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

May your holiday season be joyful, & the new year one of prosperity.

- The Chamber Staff & Board of Directors Photo courtesy of Johnathan Karol & BH Trails.