Grand Forks Economy

[gfhockey]

https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/government-and-politics/4514316-fargo-seeks-land-usda-research-offices-hundreds-jobs

 

the gobc tried to get the city of gf to go after this as we are more ag dominated then fargo

 

really missed the boat on this 

[SiouxVolley]

So Grand Forks may be getting a lithium ion battery plant:

http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/government-and-politics/4514811-battery-maker-plans-factory-grand-forks

The business for lithium auto batteries is very tough, but making niche ones like for bikes may have opportunities for expanding into others smaller uses.

Lithium batteries needs large amounts of lithium, cadmium and graphite with current technologies.  Those prices have skyrocketed over the past few years. Lithium is mostly mined in Chile and Argentina, but increasing amount are mined and refined in Quebec, N Carolina and Nevada.  The Chinese, Koreans and Japanese are mostly the lithium battery makers not but Tesla and the Germans are trying to muscle in.  Cadmium mostly is mined in the Congo, but other mines have been started in Idaho and Australia.  Graphite is mostly mined in Mozambique, but smaller amounts are found in many countries.

There is a big push for batteries in the solar and wind energy fields too.

[The Sicatoka]

On 10/16/2018 at 6:22 PM, SiouxVolley said:

There is a big push for batteries in the solar and wind energy fields too.

The problem with solar and wind is they may not be producing when the demand for energy is there.

Better battery storage technology, to store the energy produced at peak production times for later use during peak demand, would be a massive leap forward. 

[NoiseInsideMyHead]

Losing Hornbacher's means less grocery competition AND more vacant prime real estate.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/business/retail/4536609-grand-forks-hornbachers-close

Anyone think another grocer will roll the dice here?

And will Hugo's ever get off their duff and develop S Washington?

[gfhockey]

Do we need a new economic development person? Lost wdaz and hornbachers today 

[Cratter]

46 minutes ago, gfhockey said:

Lost wdaz and hornbachers today 

The Grand Forks Herald is next.

[JohnboyND7]

On 10/15/2018 at 1:47 PM, UNDBIZ said:

Alerus, Bremer, and Gate City all have a good presence.  Alerus is headquartered in Grand Forks though, so I'd give them the nod.

First Community isn't going to take over Grand Forks or anything but it's no secret credit unions are lit.

[darell1976]

1 hour ago, NoiseInsideMyHead said:

Losing Hornbacher's means less grocery competition AND more vacant prime real estate.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/business/retail/4536609-grand-forks-hornbachers-close

Anyone think another grocer will roll the dice here?

And will Hugo's ever get off their duff and develop S Washington?

Maybe GF can get an Aldi. They are building their second one here in Fargo. Keeps competition going here, GF needs competition with just Hugo’s, Target and Walmart for groceries. 

[JohnboyND7]

1 hour ago, NoiseInsideMyHead said:

Losing Hornbacher's means less grocery competition AND more vacant prime real estate.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/business/retail/4536609-grand-forks-hornbachers-close

Anyone think another grocer will roll the dice here?

And will Hugo's ever get off their duff and develop S Washington?

Grand Forks is such an odd place.  Really like it up there, but man, weird.  I was working up in GF after I graduated and when the Hornbacher's opened, the ladies at work were asking me about it.  I told them that's where I shopped in college and I thought it was great but the Hugo's was closer to where I lived in GF so I was going to stick with them.

Fast forward a week and these women were complaining about how uppity Hornbacher's was relative to Hugos, kinda a Walmart vs. Target type thing.  Not surprised it didn't stick in GF.  Y'all love your hometown brands up there, not necessarily a bad thing.  Just unique.

[sioux24/7]

Feed me HyVee please. 

[SiouxVolley]

Kroger rocks!  Good prices on “expensive”groceries.

Ingles isn’t bad but on the opposite side of town.

[SiouxVolley]

28 minutes ago, darell1976 said:

Maybe GF can get an Aldi. They are building their second one here in Fargo. Keeps competition going here, GF needs competition with just Hugo’s, Target and Walmart for groceries. 

Aldi’s has opened up in each of the Tri Cities for three years now.  Saw a Wall Street Journal article at how that German chain is so efficient.  Need a quarter to get a cart, but it’s mechanically refunded once you return the cart to its store spot.  Hardly any employees needed to man an Aldi’s as has limited selection but the price advantages are passed on.  Have to use store boxes as they don’t give bags for free.

Trade Joes has a similar German corporate history but they have since separated.

[darell1976]

10 minutes ago, SiouxVolley said:

Aldi’s has opened up in each of the Tri Cities for three years now.  Saw a Wall Street Journal article at how that German chain is so efficient.  Need a quarter to get a cart, but it’s mechanically refunded once you return the cart to its store spot.  Hardly any employees needed to man an Aldi’s as has limited selection but the price advantages are passed on.  Have to use store boxes as they don’t give bags for free.

Trade Joes has a similar German corporate history but they have since separated.

I went to the one in Dilworth and the prices are low due to most of it being generic brands, but it still gets a lot of business and the quarter thing is pretty cool. The second one in Fargo will give Target and Walmart on 13th a run on their grocery business.

[siouxjoy]

I would LOVE to have an Aldi in Grand Forks!! 

 

[forksandspoons]

Looks like LM will add 200 jobs 

LM Wind Power to expand production in $2.5 million project

https://www.grandforksherald.com/business/manufacturing/4538337-lm-wind-power-expand-production-25-million-project

[UNDBIZ]

15 minutes ago, forksandspoons said:

Looks like LM will add 200 jobs 

LM Wind Power to expand production in $2.5 million project

https://www.grandforksherald.com/business/manufacturing/4538337-lm-wind-power-expand-production-25-million-project

Great news!  It must be really nice to rent space for $4.90 per square foot though.  Is that typical in Grand Forks?  Or a nice deal through the JDA?

[northernraider]

On 11/30/2018 at 5:23 PM, NoiseInsideMyHead said:

Losing Hornbacher's means less grocery competition AND more vacant prime real estate.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/business/retail/4536609-grand-forks-hornbachers-close

Anyone think another grocer will roll the dice here?

And will Hugo's ever get off their duff and develop S Washington?

This is just me guessing but Marketplace Foods out of Bemidji might be a strong contender. They have grocery stores in Bemidji and Minot, so certainly on the distribution route. However, their private brand is same as Hugos, not sure that is a factor. Maybe Leevers, but they focus on smaller communities.  So is Hugos back to being the official UND Sponsor? Although, you couldn't really tell much on the Hornbacher sponsorship. 

[SiouxperDave]

On 11/30/2018 at 6:45 PM, JohnboyND7 said:

First Community isn't going to take over Grand Forks or anything but it's no secret credit unions are lit.

 

The FCCU Kasasa Cash checking account is legit.

[southpaw]

On 10/18/2018 at 3:38 PM, The Sicatoka said:

The problem with solar and wind is they may not be producing when the demand for energy is there.

Better battery storage technology, to store the energy produced at peak production times for later use during peak demand, would be a massive leap forward. 

It's why Germany is dropping 3 billion euros to try and get solid state batteries developed. They know the future is not in lithium and don't want to be reliant on Asian companies creating batteries for all of the electronic vehicles. 

On 12/1/2018 at 2:15 AM, SiouxVolley said:

Aldi’s has opened up in each of the Tri Cities for three years now.  Saw a Wall Street Journal article at how that German chain is so efficient.  Need a quarter to get a cart, but it’s mechanically refunded once you return the cart to its store spot.  Hardly any employees needed to man an Aldi’s as has limited selection but the price advantages are passed on.  Have to use store boxes as they don’t give bags for free.

Trade Joes has a similar German corporate history but they have since separated.

The quarter thing, or euro in Germany, is nice but it's hardly a mechanical refund. When you lock the cart to the one in front of it, you're manually pushing the coin back out with the "key."

As for shopping at Aldi, it is great except when they don't get a shipment for a month of something you're used to buying. They get massive shipments of stuff and once it's gone, you may never see it again. Im sure there is a system but it's pretty random. 

[GDPritch]

On ‎11‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 5:44 PM, gfhockey said:

Do we need a new economic development person? Lost wdaz and hornbachers today 

And halfway (or a third?) lost the GF Herald recently.

[GDPritch]

On ‎11‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 6:57 PM, JohnboyND7 said:

Grand Forks is such an odd place.  Really like it up there, but man, weird.  I was working up in GF after I graduated and when the Hornbacher's opened, the ladies at work were asking me about it.  I told them that's where I shopped in college and I thought it was great but the Hugo's was closer to where I lived in GF so I was going to stick with them.

Fast forward a week and these women were complaining about how uppity Hornbacher's was relative to Hugos, kinda a Walmart vs. Target type thing.  Not surprised it didn't stick in GF.  Y'all love your hometown brands up there, not necessarily a bad thing.  Just unique.

Somewhat in line with what you say, my mother lived in GF early 80s to 99 then moved to Rochester (MN), where' she's lived ever since.  She gets up here once a year to visit and 3 things (economically, with #3 being no surprise) always stick out to her.  One; it always surprises how high priced housing is in GF in comparison to her expectation (keep in mind/comparing to Rochester, which is a Midwest "boom-town" akin to Fargo and Sioux Falls).  Two; Hugos is high priced.  Three; how high priced gas is (Linbergh baby!).   

[JohnboyND7]

11 hours ago, SiouxperDave said:

 

The FCCU Kasasa Cash checking account is legit.

I'll pass that message along to my people.  gfhockey has the %gobc, JohnboyND7 has friends in banking/finance.

[The Sicatoka]

On 12/5/2018 at 10:56 AM, southpaw said:

As for shopping at Aldi, it is great except when they don't get a shipment for a month of something you're used to buying. They get massive shipments of stuff and once it's gone, you may never see it again. Im sure there is a system but it's pretty random. 

Honestly, Costco is like that at times also. 

[Vegas_Sioux]

On 12/5/2018 at 8:57 AM, northernraider said:

This is just me guessing but Marketplace Foods out of Bemidji might be a strong contender. They have grocery stores in Bemidji and Minot, so certainly on the distribution route. However, their private brand is same as Hugos, not sure that is a factor. Maybe Leevers, but they focus on smaller communities.  So is Hugos back to being the official UND Sponsor? Although, you couldn't really tell much on the Hornbacher sponsorship. 

Price is the same as Hugo's and other then the Sushi, it's better to go to Walmart or Target in Minot.

[southpaw]

4 hours ago, Vegas_Sioux said:

Price is the same as Hugo's and other then the Sushi, it's better to go to Walmart or Target in Minot.

Sprint as fast as possible away from grocery store sushi...