FORT PIERRE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION NAMES FORT PIERRE DAKOTAMART 2023 BUSINESS OF THE YEAR!
Receiving the award for Fort Pierre Dakotamart were General Manager Deb Van Skike and accounts manager Linda Brown. Presenting the award were FPDC Executive Director Dave Bonde and outgoing president Lyle Magorien. (Photo credit Jody Heemstra)
Mogorien said, “Not a new business to Fort Pierre, but one that has visualized a progressive community and a community that they wanted to partner with. Their parent company has gone through name changes and family ownership transitions but has never lost its commitment of service to the area and our community. They continue to find ways to meet their customers’ needs and support community events. ”
The Business of the Year Award was presented at the FPDC Annual Meeting held Tuesday, January 30, at the Chateau Conference Room. The event was well attended by Fort Pierre and Pierre businesses and FPDC board members.
Speaker for the event was Marcia Hultman, Secretary of the Department of Labor & Regulation. Hultman gave a no nonsense look at workforce myths. She debunked the myth that “nobody wants to work anymore.” Instead she said workers have gotten a lot smarter and COVID taught them they could get by without working two jobs which allows them to spend more time with their families.
According to Hultman, many of the low paying service jobs were second jobs for people. She also said many more people have become self-employed and the “number one” thing employers should do when advertising for employees is “post wages.” Job seekers will not inquire about jobs that are advertised without a wage indicated.
Three things that need to be done are: “retain graduating students in South Dakota, retrain workers already here, and recruit workers.” She applauded Governor Noem’s Freedom Works program ads and said that the DOL had obtained 2,172 “hot leads” of people wanting to move and work here.
Hultman said that a high school education is a necessity in this day and age and she highly recommended vocational technical training. She said, “The Build Dakota Program is one of the best things we’ve done.”