WAHPETON — North Dakota Department of Commerce staff visited Wahpeton on July 7 to lay out assistance the state can provide as the community seeks investment and job growth. The meeting, held at the Optimist Shelter in Chahinkapa Park, brought state officials together with local leaders and members of the Wahpeton Community Development Corp.
State tools, local control
Rich Garman, director of economic development and finance for the Department of Commerce, led the session alongside Kevin Sonsalla, the agency’s value‑added agriculture business development manager, and Nigel Haarstad, a data analyst. Garman emphasized that the department intends to support local efforts rather than replace them.
"We're not here from Bismarck to take over,"
The state representatives described services intended to reduce the workload for communities that rely heavily on volunteers and part‑time volunteers instead of a full‑time economic development director.
Tools to market and manage sites
Two of the tools Garman highlighted were LOIS, an online listing platform to promote industrial and heavy commercial sites to site selectors globally, and LASSO, a system for tracking and managing inquiries about projects. Officials encouraged Wahpeton to get its available properties entered into those systems as an early, practical step.
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| LOIS | Market available industrial/heavy commercial sites to site selectors |
| LASSO | Manage and respond to incoming project inquiries |
- Pre‑zoning and site identification: State officials urged Wahpeton to pre‑identify and pre‑zone parcels for specific industries to avoid costly permit delays.
- Cluster focus: The state recommended building on Wahpeton’s strengths in value‑added agriculture and manufacturing, and on business retention strategies.
- Workforce and incentives: Discussion included workforce data, small‑business loan options from the state development fund and sales‑tax exemptions on processing equipment.
Speed to market and permitting
Garman pointed to North Dakota’s relative speed in permitting as a competitive advantage for communities courting projects, saying the state’s faster timelines can be worth more than incentives to some companies. He noted for certain developers, delays in approvals can translate to very large financial losses, underscoring why ready‑to‑build sites matter.
Local implications
For Wahpeton, a city whose economic base includes agriculture processing and light manufacturing, the state’s assistance could mean a lower barrier when pursuing new plants or expansions. Entering key sites into LOIS and equipping local leaders to use LASSO may streamline outreach to site selectors and speed the response to inquiries.
Officials also discussed workforce sources and data — including regional education institutions and other labor pools — that can support planning for any prospective employer. The state’s non‑primary‑sector loan program and targeted sales tax exemptions for processing equipment were mentioned as possible supports for businesses considering expansion or relocation.
State staff framed their role as providing staff capacity, data and marketing tools while leaving final decisions and local land‑use planning to Wahpeton leaders. That approach aims to help smaller communities be prepared when companies begin serious site selection.
The Wahpeton Community Development Corp. and city officials will likely weigh the next steps for cataloging sites and identifying parcels to pre‑zone. Those actions — combined with state tools and data — form the immediate, practical agenda items discussed at the July 7 meeting.
