Minot brought home two awards at the Economic Development Association of North Dakota fall conference. From left to right are, 2022 MACEDC Board Chair Randy Hauck, Economic Development Specialist Mark Lyman, President/CEO Brekka Kramer, N.D. Dept. of Commerce Commissioner Josh Teigen, and Ryan Ackerman and Jessica Ackerman of Aksal Group.

2022 marked the second full year of existence for the Minot Area Chamber EDC (MACEDC), which was formed by a merger of the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce and the Minot Area Development Corp. on Jan. 1, 2021. The year brought major milestones for the organization — from new leadership and long-term strategic goals to major statewide recognition and local projects.

New Leadership

In May of 2022, Brekka Kramer became the Minot Area Chamber EDC’s next president/CEO, succeeding L. John MacMartin, who retired after a 32-year career with the Chamber. She brings more than 20 years of experience in leading community initiatives and moving public policy forward at a local, state and national level.

Prior to becoming president/CEO, Kramer served on and chaired both the former Minot Area Chamber of Commerce and Minot Area Development Corp. boards of directors. A Grand Forks business magazine named Kramer one of the Top 40 Under 40 in 2008 and Top 25 Women in Business in 2017. She also brings experience and leadership to efforts to maintain and expand the missions at Minot Air Force Base as a Civic Leader with the Air Force Global Strike Command, a member of Governor Doug Burgum’s North Dakota Military Commission, and as an Honorary Commander with Minot Air Force Base.

Five Strategic Pillars

In 2022 the Minot Area Chamber EDC’s Board of Directors approved and adopted a five-year strategic plan, which outlines the organization’s vision through Dec. 31, 2027.

The plan is centered around five key strategic pillars, all of which support MACEDC’s vision to be the go-to organization for our business community to drive key initiatives that build and strengthen our economy. Those pillars of focus are:

–Economic Development

–Community Development

–Workforce Development

–Member-Investor Services

–Military Support

“We believe the Minot Area Chamber EDC plays a crucial role in our community,” said Kramer. “And each of our five pillars is truly important. By defining those pillars, tracking our progress, and reporting back to the community regularly, we believe MACEDC and Minot as a whole will flourish in the next half-decade and beyond.”

Two Major Economic Development Awards

Minot was well-represented at the 2022 fall conference of the Economic Development Association of North Dakota (EDND), bringing home two major accolades:

–The Minot Area Chamber EDC was presented the EDND Project of the Year Award for the Intermodal Transportation Facility at the Logistics Park of North Dakota, which provides producers, processors, and other businesses with a direct rail route from Minot to ports on the west coast.

–Aksal Group, founded by Jessica and Ryan Ackerman, received the 2022 Community Development Award for its efforts to develop and improve quality of life in downtown Minot.

Even More Successes

The Minot Area Chamber EDC noted several more successes in 2022.

Ground was broken at the site of the new Minot North High School and Minot Area Workforce Academy in October of 2022. The groundbreaking came after voters in Minot approved all three questions on a bond referendum to create a new high school in northwest Minot and convert Central Campus into the city’s third middle school. The Minot Area Chamber EDC Board of Directors had passed a resolution of support for the bond referendum and was a part of the Yes for Students campaign.

Significant progress was made to expand rail capacity at the Logistics Park of North Dakota’s intermodal rail facility in 2022. The project involved about 4,300 feet of new rail, as well as modifications to utilities, drainage, and roadways to accommodate the growth. As a result of the project, the process of receiving train cars, loading containers on wells, and shipping North Dakota products to market can be done more effectively and efficiently.

And a statewide initiative to attract people to live and work in the state found its first success in Minot. Travis High, now a technician at ProIT, came to Minot from Washington state via the Find the Good Life Campaign, which connected him with job opportunities and community members who answered questions and helped him plant roots in the Magic City.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead to the rest of 2023, the Minot Area Chamber EDC looks forward to doing even more to advocate for and invest in business activity in Minot. The organization launched new tiers of support for member-investors, offering greater benefits to businesses and organizations. And more time and staff has been invested in solving the ongoing workforce shortage facing our communities. Our efforts are all in service to our mission to improve quality of life for everyone in the Minot area.