EDC Hosts Annual Meeting Themed 'Groundbreaking Impact,' Features Local Companies and Releases 2025 Annual Report

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The event brought together business leaders, elected officials, and partners to celebrate transformative investments and highlight companies and programs.

GRAND FORKS, ND, UNITED STATES, March 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation (EDC) hosted its 2026 Annual Meeting on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at the Alerus Center. Themed Groundbreaking Impact, the event brought together regional business leaders, elected officials, and community partners to celebrate transformative investments, highlight the companies and programs driving economic momentum, and release the 2025 Annual Report.

This year’s event introduced a new format designed to shift the spotlight from the stage to the floor. Rather than a presentation-focused program, clients and ecosystem program partners hosted tables throughout the event’s pre- and post-program social hours, providing attendees the opportunity to hear directly from the businesses and programs that drive the region’s economic activity. Companies featured included Agristo, Cirrus Aircraft, Ideal Aerosmith, Johnstown Bean Company, Northern Plains Rail, Northern Tier Seed Company, Vertical Malt, and Vorbeck Materials. Partners of the workforce pipeline programs, including the Career Impact Academy, Northern Valley Career Expo, InternGF, and the InternGF Summer Internship Cohort Experience, were also represented.

“Groundbreaking Impact is more than a theme. It reflects where we are as a region,” said EDC Board Chair Shawn Gaddie. “The companies you see in this room, the projects in our pipeline, and the partnerships we’ve built, they represent a deliberate step toward long-term prosperity. With all of you as investors and supporters, this work could not happen. The success we’ve highlighted this evening is your success.”

The 2025 Annual Report, released at the event, documents a year of economic progress for the Grand Forks region. EDC client companies employed 9,152 people in 2025 at an average salary of $73,236, generating $669 million in total payroll. Combined with $71.4 million in regional expenditures by those same clients, the total economic impact reached $740.4 million. Over the past five years, EDC clients have grown jobs by 4.9%, raised average salaries by 16%, and increased total payroll by 21%.

Among the headline achievements documented in the report: the Grand Forks region was ranked number one in the nation for corporate facility investment projects per capita among tier three metros by Site Selection Magazine in 2025, and the EDC’s active project pipeline has more than $1.39 billion in prospective investment, representing 720 potential jobs. Forty-three businesses received support from EDC staff during the year, with $33.7 million in local and state support secured on behalf of clients.

“With our shortened program format, we won’t be walking through all of the numbers from the stage tonight, but I’d encourage everyone to take some time with the annual report,” said EDC President & CEO Keith Lund. “These numbers tell the story of what the region’s investment in economic development produces. The companies around this room, the leaders on that panel, and the collaboration that Grand Forks is known for. This is next-level economic development that’s driving our momentum.”

The program also included an EDC Impact Panel featuring City of Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski, County Commission Chair Kimberly Hagen, Grand Forks School Board President Dave Berger, and University of North Dakota President Andrew Armacost. Panelists discussed the collaborative culture that has become a signature of the region’s approach to economic development and a recognized competitive advantage.

The 2025 Annual Report is available at https://grandforks.org/annual-meeting.

Mark Maliskey
Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation
+1 701-738-0238
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