Latest news with #GrandForks-based
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Acme Tools opens store in Twin Cities suburbs; first new MN location since 2008
For the first time in more than a decade, Acme Tools is expanding in Minnesota. The tools and building equipment retailer has opened a new outpost in Eagan at 1271 Town Centre Drive, its fourth Minnesota location and second in the Twin Cities suburbs. The new shop offers almost 16,000 square feet of showroom, as well as a warehouse, offices, and a service department in the 41,000-square-foot building. "Acme Tools is pleased to be adding a second Twin Cities location in Eagan to better serve our customers in the St. Paul area," said Steve Kuhlman, president of corporate operations for Acme Tools. Steve is the latest member of the Kuhlman family, along with Paul Kuhlman, to run the company, which was founded in 1948 by George Kuhlman. The Eagan location adds 40 new jobs to the Grand Forks-based company's roughly 600-person workforce across 12 stores in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa. In addition to the new hub in Eagan, Acme Tools has stores in Plymouth, Duluth, and Bemidji, the latter of which was its most recent Minnesota store, opening in 2008. Additionally, the Acme Tools store locator also says that it will soon open a location in Rochester.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stalled downtown Beacon development in Grand Forks potentially to be back on track this fall
May 3—GRAND FORKS — With Epic Companies dealing with bankruptcy, another company — Grand Forks-based Dakota Commercial — hopes to have the Beacon public plaza back on track by this fall. "We're working through the ownership group to find a solution for financing for getting the center area done," Dakota Commercial President Kevin Ritterman said. "There have just been a lot of things in the last year; we just keep knocking off (to-do items) every day." The mixed-use Beacon development in downtown Grand Forks broke ground at the site of the former Townhouse Hotel in 2021. The original proposal had three buildings surrounding a public plaza that included a stage and an ice skating rink. To date, the plaza's stage structure has been completed, and two of the buildings are finished and have tenants living in them. The third building has not been completed, and was likely going to be delayed given market conditions, Epic told the city in 2024. The development is still owned by Epic, according to Grand Forks property records. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2024 and has been mostly silent since. Dakota Commercial took over the management of the Beacon development in 2024, but doesn't own the land. Ritterman said he hasn't heard directly from Epic representatives; Dakota Commercial representatives only speak to Epic's attorneys. The city also hasn't heard much from Epic. The last official action the City Council took was in May 2024, when it approved a second amendment to the development agreement. "A $100 million-plus-revenue-a-year company (is now) like nothing," Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski said. "Ritterman and (Community Contractors President Craig) Tweten are trying to right this thing. They're trying to fix it." The city would have reimbursed the company for the construction of the public plaza when the city assumed ownership. Two amendments to the development agreement laid out that set-aside beautification funds, around $1.1 million, would be given to fund t he construction of the plaza ahead of schedule. The city has not given Epic funds to date because the company has never met the conditions of a $2.5 million deposit, a sworn statement from the contractors, and loan paperwork being finalized. There are still many unknowns, given that Epic is still going through bankruptcy proceedings. Likely, changes to the agreements would have to be brought forth depending on future ownership, and changes would be subject to City Council approval. Epic still owns a number of other properties in Grand Forks, including at 301 N. Third St. and 22 S. Third St. Those properties are also now managed by other companies.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Grand Forks-based Acme Tools recognized in national conference
Apr. 9—GRAND FORKS — A Grand Forks-based company has been recognized by the Evergreen Supply Network as a member of the year. Acme Tools was recognized as a Tier 1 2024 Distributor Member of the Year. Also recognized were Darragh Company of Little Rock, Arkansas, (Tier 2), Carson's Nut-Bolt and Tool of Greenville, South Carolina, (Tier 3), Witehead Hardware Co., a division of Miller Hardware, of Valdosta, Georgia, (Tier 4), and Beerman Precision, Inc., of New Orleans (Tier 5). The awards recognize top distributors and manufacturers, according to a release. Companies were distributed into tiers based on size, and within each tier companies were ranked on contribution to the group, growth, participation and member and supplier input. Paul and Steve Kuhlman accepted the award on behalf of Acme Tools during the general session of Evergreen's conference held in Dallas, Texas, on March 25, the release said. The Evergreen Supply Network is a member-owned cooperative founded in 1989 and made up of 40 distributors with more than 300 locations in North America. The group is "focused on driving growth and profitability of its members and preferred suppliers through an on-going program of training and education, business development and partnering," according to the release.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Using local grain, Dakota Don's Artisan Waffle Mix finds niche in the marketplace
Mar. 17—GRAND FORKS — Don Miller and Deb Glennen have spent the better part of the past four years tempting and tantalizing people with the aroma, taste and texture of a waffle they developed in their home kitchen. Frequent vendors at Pride of Dakota events, the married couple have introduced thousands to the Dakota Don's Artisan Waffle Mix and generated a fan club of loyal aficionados. "People sometimes ask if you can use it for pancakes," Miller said. "You can. But pancakes are just food. Waffles are a party." Miller and Glennen have been convincing customers that Dakota Don's waffle mix produces waffles that are superior to the "cardboard waffles" they've tried in the past, he said. Their business's website distinguishes the product as "truly a unique spin on the classic waffle" and a "gourmet breakfast treat you'll want to shout about!" On Instagram, a loyal customer is seen urging visitors to a past Pride of Dakota Showcase to "Come and get it. Dakota Don's waffles are the best. You'll never find anything this light and fluffy." The original mix is made with flour produced by the North Dakota Mill and Elevator in Grand Forks. It is sent to a co-packer in Red Wing, Minnesota, where it is made into the mix and returned to Grand Forks for shipping. The Grand Forks-based Home of Economy was the first to distribute the product across the state, Miller said. Thanks to the help of a Fargo-based distributing company, the product can be purchased in 45 locations throughout North Dakota — including all of the major communities in the state — and a few places in South Dakota and Minnesota. Miller recalled that, after sampling the waffles at a Pride of Dakota Showcase, a representative of the distributor walked away from the booth and phoned his company, saying, "I think I found a product we should be distributing." Teaming up with Bischof Distributing has led to access to grocery stores the couple may not have attained on their own. "It's not easy getting six inches of shelf space in a grocery store," Miller said. The product has also been sold, in 30-pound packages, to restaurants, including a Waffle House in Sioux Falls and Makers Exchange, which offers artisan coffee and waffles in Tea, S.D. As the business grows slowly and "organically," Miller said, he and Glennen are embarking on the first variation, a gluten-free version. They have taken to heart input from people they meet at events, such as the Pride of Dakota Showcases that are held around the state. The couple have met "a reasonable number of people who say, 'my wife is gluten-free' or 'my son is gluten-free,'" Miller said. So, for the past three or four years, they have been searching for a gluten-free flour that would yield a "premium product," Glennen said. Searching nationwide, they found a "very good flour" that is produced, surprisingly, not far from home, Miller said. Ardent Mills in Harvey, North Dakota, is one of the company's "six to 10 locations." "They sent me five pounds of flour and I tried it," he said. The next step was to find a gluten-free — not gluten-friendly — co-packer to package the mix, he said. And they found one in New York. The new business venture, which has been supported with a $12,000 grant from the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, opens another market for Dakota Don's Artisan Waffle Mix. For 25 to 30 years, Miller has been making waffles for family, friends and students. It wasn't unusual for them to host a sizable number of people in their home for a brunch with waffles as the star. They even host regular Waffle Wednesdays and make waffles for the daycare at their church, Zion United Methodist. The success of their business is founded on the detailed records that Miller kept as he tweaked recipes. He compiled "dozens of notebooks" and conducted an untold number of tests, he said, with input and advice from friends who are scientists. (A retired UND art professor, Miller is a founder of Muddy Waters Clay Center in Grand Forks. Food science was a new post-retirement adventure.) Friends and family members would request — or clamor for — his waffles, Glennen said. That enthusiasm spurred his decision to produce the mix as a business. "He's puttered around for 10 years," she said. In developing the product, "the magic was 'easy gourmet,'" she said. "You don't have to have Don (there) to do it." What Miller enjoys most about the business is the opportunity it presents to "feed people," he said. "It makes people happy. It's fun." For Glennen, there's satisfaction in "giving the money away," she said. "We've been purpose-driven from the start." She and Miller commit a portion of the profits from product sales to support independent-living programs, with a focus on young adults with autism and the housing insecure. The winning elements for the business are based on the fact that the waffles "taste good," Glennen said. "It has honest ingredients — good clean ingredients. No preservatives. No sugar. "When people taste it, they'll buy it."
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Yahoo
North Dakota AG Drew Wrigley supports increase in funds to prevent human trafficking, assist survivors
Feb. 10—EDITOR'S NOTE — If you or someone you know is experiencing interpersonal violence, visit CVIC's website at or call the 24-hour crisis line at (701) 746-8900. GRAND FORKS — Attorney General Drew Wrigley recently was moved to make a late addition to his budget proposal that would provide additional funding for human trafficking awareness, prevention and support for survivors after speaking with advocates from Youthworks, 31:8 Project and YWCA. "They came in and asked for a meeting, and advocated strongly for additional resources and what they could leverage — both in federal resources, but also the good that they can do in the communities across the state," Wrigley said during a recent meeting with the Grand Forks Herald. "We were moved to say, 'We're going to back that.'" His office's budgetary bill, HB 1003, originally asked that $1,110,614 be appropriated from the general fund to human trafficking victims grants — the same amount appropriated during the last legislative session. As of Wednesday, Feb. 5, an additional $656,900 was being considered, which would bring the total to $1,767,514. "We're definitely excited that the Legislature is looking at increasing the funding for the human trafficking victims grant program," Sheila Morris, vice president of advocacy at CVIC — a Grand Forks-based nonprofit that has benefited from this funding since 2017 — told the Herald. Claire Ness, chief deputy attorney general, said recipients of these grants may use them for anything that assists survivors of human trafficking, from personal needs like housing and medical care to expanding the organization's services and staff. There are six pieces of legislation this session that address human trafficking, whether to provide guidelines for training law enforcement to deal with crimes of exploitation (which failed) or setting mandatory minimum sentences for human trafficking offenders (which passed in the House 70-23 and has now been handed over to the Senate). There are a number of bills related to this issue each session, Wrigley said; this year's number is not necessarily indicative of a worsening issue. Instead, he believes it's because people have broadened their understanding of what trafficking looks like. "It's bad enough when people think of it as simply the trafficking of human beings for sexual purposes," he said. "There's work, there's immigration — there are a whole bunch of different components that combine to human beings being forced to conduct beyond what they would do by people leveraging them for dollars, for threats, for drugs, you name it. So I think we've got a really strong advocate community in the state of North Dakota, and they've got some good, strong legislative backing, too." Morris agreed that there are misconceptions of what trafficking looks like; it isn't always someone being abducted off the street and sold through a large, organized network. "Human trafficking can also occur when a loved one convinces you, or grooms you, into a servitude where the individual is maybe using online platforms to sell sexual services, and then they're giving the money to their partner," Morris said. "There's a wide range of what human trafficking can look like for survivors." Sometimes, survivors don't realize what they're going through until they encounter a resource like CVIC, she said. Putting additional funding forward is a way to help get these people out of very difficult circumstances, and help them move on with their lives, Wrigley said. It can also prevent more victims, according to CVIC's CEO and President Coiya Tompkins Inman. She testified in support of the budget increase, noting that, within the last biennium, CVIC has been able to assist nine survivors and 10 people who were able to flee from a potential human trafficking situation. The work CVIC staff does with human trafficking survivors is very similar to the work they do with other types of survivors, but it can often be more complex, Morris said. Due to their significant trauma, they may require more time and resources. Regardless of what type of trafficking they were subjected to, CVIC offers resources for all trafficking survivors, including safe housing at its 36-bed shelter and advocacy as they learn how to move forward. "We try to provide them that emotional support, the resources and the information," Morris said. "We try to meet the survivors where they're at, and just one step at a time." For anyone in the Grand Forks area experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking or any other form of interpersonal violence — or aware of someone who is — Morris reminds them CVIC is here. The nonprofit accepts walk-ins 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, at 211 S. Fourth St. Its crisis line is open 24/7. "We are available to help," Morris said.
