Letter from the MDMA President | | |
Hello from the president of the Minn Dak Manufacturers Association! We’re getting ready to head into our summer break, where we slow down on our tour schedule until the new year starts up again in September. What better way to close down another successful year than having beer and pizza with our manufacturing family? Every year before the break we have a social celebrating the year, the friendships we’ve made, the new members that have joined the association, and for this year our becoming an affiliate of MMA by having a social at a local brewery (this time Junkyard Brewing in West Fargo). If you haven’t signed up yet for our social next Tuesday, please do so on our website!
The last month was a great example of... Read more.
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Patrick Mineer,
MDMA President
| | The mission of MDMA is to contribute to the growth and prosperity of regional manufacturing. | | |
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Summer Social
June 17 • 4-6pm • West Fargo
Join us for an end of the 2024-2025 celebration with a social at Junkyard Brewing West Fargo.
More info.
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Rapat Corporation Open House
Thursday, June 19, 2025
3:00-7:00 pm • Hawley, MN
Rapat Corporation is throwing a public open-house to celebrate five decades of conveyor wizardry.
www.Rapat.com
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Cybersecurity risk management workshop
June 24 • Bismarck
June 26 • Minot
Join Impact Dakota and the Iviry cybersecurity experts for a comprehensive 4-hour session covering key compliance processes, tools, and next steps to secure your business.
These workshops are designed to equip existing and future government and DoD contractors with the essential information necessary to meet Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) requirements. Register.
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Lean Enterprise High Performance Manufacturing Training
July 9 - August 13, 2025
Dickinson
Achieve operational excellence by mastering Lean principles to improve quality, cost, and delivery. Align with industry-recognized standards and gain the skills to transform your manufacturing processes. Optional exam included for Certified Lean Practitioner status.
🔧 Key Topics: Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen & 5S Workplace Organization, Value Stream Mapping, Kanban, Quick Changeover, Standard Work, Problem Solving. More info.
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September tour
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
9:00 - 11:30 am • Gwinner, ND
Bobcat Company is a member of the Doosan Group. Doosan is a global leader in construction, grounds maintenance and material handling equipment, power and water solutions, and engineering that has proudly served customers and communities for more than a century. The Gwinner factory complex was the first Bobcat facility, established in 1947. Gwinner manufactures Bobcat loaders, utility work machines and attachments. Tour will be limited to 40 people with preference given to manufacturers over service providers. More Info.
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Celebrate in October
Minnesota Manufacturing Month and Statewide Tour of Manufacturing
To celebrate, manufacturing facilities throughout the state are opening their doors for tours. Manufacturers can offer in-person or virtual tours; reach out to local schools and offer presentations about manufacturing career pathways; sponsor school’s VEX Robotics programs; or set up scholarships with local colleges.
Read more.
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View past MMA webinar recordings
All the recorded virtual meetings and webinars are available at:
MMA YouTube channel
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2025 MDMA scholarship winners | |
Congratulations to our two scholarship winners, Ashton Joffrion and Brittany Windingland.
Ashton is a graduate of Fargo South High School and will be pursuing Aerospace Engineering at the University of North Dakota.
Brittany graduated from Moorhead High School and will be pursuing Electrical Engineering at North Dakota State University.
Each will receive a $1,500 scholarship from MDMA.
| XR for VR: A new workforce pipeline for North Dakota manufacturers | Across North Dakota, manufacturers are working diligently to meet production demands, but many are faced with a familiar challenge: finding and retaining skilled workers. At the same time, a capable and motivated group of job seekers—individuals with disabilities—are often left out of traditional recruitment pipelines. The XR for VR project, led by Bismarck State College, is designed to change that by creating a new, inclusive workforce pipeline focused on careers in manufacturing. READ MORE. | |
The manufacturing landscape in 2025 is not merely an evolution of technological advancements; it is profoundly shaped by the political and economic shifts of recent years. While global trends towards digitalization, automation, and sustainability continue, the real-world implications of policies, particularly those impacting trade and domestic support, have introduced a new layer of complexity, demanding a revised approach to strategy and resilience. READ MORE.
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Impact Dakota has expanded and launched the North Dakota Supply Chain Connectivity Program.
This is a national initiative from NIST MEP (Manufacturing Extension Partnership) designed to significantly help North Dakota Manufacturers link together to build local and regional suppliers and potentially customers and thereby strengthen North Dakota manufacturing. READ MORE.
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As a member of MDMA, you can promote your company, post job openings and add keywords to help consumers find you in our business directory, which receives over 70,000 searches per year.
You can also upgrade to an enhanced listing and stand out from the crowd in your business categories, and search results. A few of the benefits:
- Priority placement in your business categories
- Search results description, logo, and website link
- Unlimited search keywords, 5 highlights with linked text
- Large 1600 character description, logo, map link, social networks
- Up to 15 photos, and link to YouTube video
- Clean mobile friendly version of enhanced profiles
Contact Katie to receive login information or upgrade your listing.
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Nominate today - Faces of Manufacturing | |
Impact Dakota is accepting nominations to showcase Faces of Manufacturing – demonstrating the diversity in a vital industry and showcasing the opportunities that are here in North Dakota. We want to celebrate the creators, we know you do too! Check out the 2024 and 2023 lineups - they are impressive sets!
Submit your nominations by June 20.
Submit your nomination
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From Kambiz Farahmand at NDSU: the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering has officially updated its name to Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering. So far you’ll still find everything at https://www.ndsu.edu/ime/
Spring 2025 capstone project highlights
- Collins Aerospace: workflow optimization and layout analysis
- D&M Industries: workflow and process-improvement study
- BTD Manufacturing: asset-management and nomenclature review
- DigiKey: same-day shipment process improvement
- Marvin: selection-warehouse stocking optimization and layout
- Border States: space-utilization and optimization analysis
- John Deere Electronics: as-is / to-be process improvement study
A big thanks to Kambiz Farahmand, PhD (Professor & Interim Chair) for the update.
Contact: kambiz.farahmand@ndsu.edu • 701-231-5694 NDSU
| If your organization wants to connect with our future workforce, learn about work-based learning programs through a recent three-part webinar series hosted by the FMWF Chamber and Golden Path Solutions. In addition to the recordings, there are a ton of resources on how to connect with high school and college students in North Dakota and Minnesota for work-based learning, internships, and other ways to develop your future workforce. EXPLORE. | Upskilling your workforce | In today’s rapidly evolving economy, workforce development is more critical than ever. North Dakota employers are finding innovative ways to address talent shortages, improve employee retention, and remain competitive. One such opportunity is the Technical Skills Training Grant, a program designed to support businesses in their efforts to upskill and train their workforce... READ MORE. | Strengthen your workforce with help from vocational rehabilitation | |
Individuals with disabilities are dedicated, skilled and eager to work. They’re an
untapped talent pool that can make a big difference in meeting today’s workforce
demands.
North Dakota Health and Human Services’ Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) connects
employers with qualified workers to help with their staffing needs. VR also assists
employers in retaining valuable employees who may develop a long-term injury, illness, or impairment, so they can continue to work. READ MORE.
| The future of factories: How AI is transforming manufacturing | |
By Josh Herbold, Impact Dakota Board Member and Senior Vice President | Customer Relationship Manager - Bremer Bank
Artificial intelligence has rapidly emerged as a transformative force across multiple industries, with manufacturing showing some of the most promise. Manufacturers have been at the forefront of developing and implementing intelligent systems and AI technologies, including machine learning, natural language processing, robotics and more. READ MORE.
| | Lower your operating costs | | Responding to your needs, Midwest Manufacturers Association carefully selected three partners — vetted by our board and endorsed by fellow members — to provide a cost savings to your operation, including... | | |
Looking for a health plan that could save you and your company money? Fellow members have reported lower costs and money back at the end of low-claim years with MMA’s Employer Health Plans. Learn more.
| | Thank you to our valued sponsors! | | The Minn-Dak Manufacturers Association Quarterly is produced in cooperation between Minn-Dak Manufacturers Association and Midwest Manufacturers Association. If you have comments, suggestions for future stories, or would like to inquire about advertising, please contact Becky@MidwestManufacturers.com. | | | | |
