Manufacturers meet in Oakes

Impact Foundation and Otter Tail Power hosted a meeting Sept. 17 in Oakes, N.D., for southeast North Dakota manufacturing companies. Attendees included representatives from companies in Southeastern North Dakota engaged in manufacturing and related fields. Also in attendance was a representative from North Dakota’s Small Business Administration. Sen. Kent Conrad’s, D-N.D., office has been assisting in these efforts, too.

This was the second of a series of meetings jointly held by the Impact Foundation and Otter Tail Power focused on assisting manufacturers to secure more federal government contracts. In the latest meeting, the attendees formed an association that includes 13 manufacturers who will collaborate by combining their services to jointly secure federal government contracts. Association members and at least one representative from the Impact Foundation will be traveling to Michigan in October to meet with federal contracting officers. The purpose of the meeting is to engage contracting officers in discussions on defense goals objectives and new federal government projects.

“Not only will this help us secure more government contracts in the future, but now we are working in collaboration with other manufacturers to secure contracts that previously would have gone to companies in larger states, such as Texas or California,” said Andrew Mills of JLG Inc., Oakes.

Tags: local business, business, manufacturing, oakes