Top 10 | June 2026 | Grand Forks EDC

1. Agristo Potato Processing Project Advances; Construction Slated to Finish Fall 2029

Belgium-based Agristo’s potato processing facility is advancing on its approximately 350-acre Grand Forks site, with structural work including foundation pilings currently underway following a construction start in September 2025. The total project investment has grown beyond the original $450 million estimate, with a revised figure still to be determined, and City Administrator Todd Feland confirmed that none of the additional cost affects city finances, with a higher total investment translating to greater taxable value for the city, Grand Forks County, and Grand Forks Public Schools. Agristo has been steadily building its local leadership team, adding a plant director, transport director, sales director, and human resources director since hiring its first Grand Forks-area employee in December 2025, and a groundbreaking ceremony is planned for July. The target production start has been adjusted to fall 2029, with Feland noting the decision to add a construction season was deliberate and allows the city additional time to complete supporting infrastructure improvements including water and sewer upgrades and the paving of 27th Avenue North. When fully operational, the facility is projected to process approximately 275,000 tons of potatoes annually and create 300 to 350 permanent jobs.

2. EDC Launches Strategic Plan for 2026-2029

The Grand Forks Region EDC has launched its Strategic Plan for 2026-2029, outlining priorities to guide the organization’s work expanding economic growth in the region over the next four years. The plan targets three sectors for focused growth: agribusiness and ag technology, advanced manufacturing, and autonomous systems and defense, with regional assets prioritized through partnerships with UND across national security and space, autonomous systems, computational and data science, energy and environmental sustainability, and human and rural health. Four action areas anchor the plan: attraction and expansion, workforce development, marketing and communications, and stakeholder engagement, encompassing business retention and expansion outreach, site selector engagement, infrastructure advocacy, talent attraction and retention, and institutional partnerships. Over the next 48 months, the EDC has set goals of 36 expansion or establishment projects, 600 net new jobs, 15% primary sector wage growth, a 98% client retention rate, $45 million added to the property tax base, and $1 billion in capital expenditures. The full plan is available at GrandForks.org/Strategic-Plan.

3. Vorbeck Materials Finalizes $6.6 Million Defense Logistics Agency Contract

EDC client Vorbeck Materials has finalized a $6.6 million contract with the Defense Logistics Agency supporting the development and adoption of its PFAS-free firefighting foam technology at the company’s 47,000-square-foot Grand Forks manufacturing facility. The contract covers development of a flame retardant formulation that can be mixed with salt water, extending its utility to Navy ship-based firefighting applications and cold-weather environments where lowering the freezing point of the suppressant is operationally valuable. Sen. John Hoeven, whose office announced the contract, said the agreement secures the future of Vorbeck’s North Dakota operations and supports broader growth of the state’s high-tech manufacturing sector.

4. Project ULTRA Plans Summer Flight Testing

GrandSKY is set to conduct 52 unmanned aircraft flights between Grand Forks Air Force Base and Cavalier Space Force Station this summer as part of Project ULTRA, the UAS Logistics, Traffic, Research and Autonomy initiative launched in 2024 as a partnership between GrandSKY, Grand Forks County, and the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment. The flights will use an aircraft from California-based Leigh Aerosystems Corporation, a Northrop Grumman partner, to transport 50-pound cargo payloads between the two locations, testing both military resupply capabilities and the integration of military and civilian airspace. Grand Forks County, the project’s prime contractor, recently signed a year-long contract extension, and additional funding is expected to support expanded logistics flights and a greater counter-UAS presence within the project’s scope.

5. InternGF Summer Cohort Experience Hosts Two Sessions

The 2026 InternGF Summer Cohort Experience hosted two sessions in June! The experience kicked off on Thursday, June 11th and the first day started with an overview of the program, a progressive food downtown walking tour, and a leadership panel where participants heard from Becca Baumbach from the Community Foundation of GF, EGF, & Region, Dr. Art Malloy from the division of Student Affairs from University of North Dakota, Col Bishane ‘DOC’ Whitmore from the Grand Forks Air Force Base, and Senator Jeff Barta from District 43.

Session two was held on Thursday, Jun 25th, and focused on volunteering opportunities in the region. Interns split into groups and volunteered their time at three nonprofit organizations in the morning and three different nonprofit organizations in the afternoon. They also received information from Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals about getting involved in the community.

Pictures from the experience are available on the GF is Cooler Flickr.

Day 1: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCWUgA

Day 2: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCXLQr

Program info: https://grandforks.org/inside-the-edc/summer-intern-cohort-series/

6. GFAFB Breaks Ground on New Twining Elementary and Middle SchoolGrand Forks Air Force Base Breaks Ground on New Twining Elementary and Middle School

Grand Forks Air Force Base held a ceremonial groundbreaking on June 12th for the new Nathan Twining Elementary and Middle School, a $69 million, 110,000-square-foot facility designed to accommodate up to 500 students in pre-K-8 on the site of the former Carl Ben Eielson Elementary School. The projected total cost, including design and demolition, is $74.5 million, funded 80% with federal dollars and 20% with locally sourced funds, with completion expected in August 2028. Sen. John Hoeven was among those present at the ceremony, as was EDC President Keith Lund, with Hoeven noting that the investment reflects a base that is growing, citing the proposed Space Operations Center, expanded counter-drone capabilities, and a new intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission as drivers of that growth. The new facility addresses longstanding deficiencies in the current building, including the absence of air conditioning, a shifting foundation, and inadequate space for student activities, and will add preK programming not currently available to base families. Col. Bishane Whitmore, deputy wing commander of the 319th Reconnaissance Wing, observed that when service members receive orders to a new installation, schools are among the first things they ask about, and that Grand Forks’ support for military families is a major reason people choose to stay.

7. Career Impact Academy Closes First Year, Has 700+ Pre-Registered for Next

Grand Forks Public Schools’ Career Impact Academy wrapped its first full year of operation with just under 500 students enrolled in courses spanning health sciences, automotive, information technology, and building trades, and pre-registration for the 2026-2027 school year has already surpassed 700. The $30 million facility, built with a combination of an $11 million state match, city and school district financing, and significant private contributions from Altru Health System, Sanford Health, and a range of local businesses, is drawing students from beyond Grand Forks Public Schools, with East Grand Forks students set to begin attending next year following a newly signed inter-district agreement. Healthcare courses have been the most in-demand, with several students earning certified nursing assistant credentials before graduating high school, and Altru has taken on CIA students as paid interns in patient-facing and IT roles. Additional work-based learning partnerships with Integrated Steel, Northdale Oil, Rydell Cars, Scheels, Valley Senior Living, and True North Equipment extend the CIA’s reach into the regional employer community.

8. 2027 NDAA Includes Multiple Provisions for GFAFB

The 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, now moving to the U.S. Senate floor, includes several provisions directly affecting Grand Forks Air Force Base. The bill authorizes construction of a $250 million Space Force Operations Facility at the base and calls on the Air Force to assess the condition of the base’s nuclear facilities and determine what would be required to restore them to operational use. A $71 million pavement and maintenance facility project is also authorized. The bill directs the Air Force to report on the strategy for Iridium’s Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services program, which has ties to both UND and the Space Development Agency’s operations center in Grand Forks, and calls on the Space Force to report on emerging space debris reduction technologies in conjunction with Vorbeck Materials and UND. Taken together, the provisions reflect a sustained federal commitment to expanding the base’s role across space, nuclear, and intelligence missions.

9. ND Mill and Elevator Names New CEO

The North Dakota Industrial Commission has appointed Cathy Dub as president and CEO of the North Dakota Mill and Elevator in Grand Forks, succeeding Vance Taylor, who is retiring after 26 years in the role. Dub has been with the mill since 2014, serving first as controller before moving to chief financial officer in 2020. The commission cited her institutional knowledge of the mill’s operations, supplier and customer relationships, and fiscal expertise as central to her appointment. The North Dakota Mill and Elevator is the only state-owned flour milling operation in the country and one of Grand Forks’ most significant anchor employers, making the leadership transition at this institution a notable moment for the regional economy.

10. Northern Plains Nitrogen Project Draws Renewed Interest Amid Global Fertilizer Pressure

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz since February, which has disrupted roughly one-third of the global fertilizer supply, has brought renewed attention to the long-discussed Northern Plains Nitrogen fertilizer plant proposed for Grand Forks. The $2.2 billion project has been in discussion for more than a decade, and Grand Forks City Administrator Todd Feland confirmed that the project is now seeing fresh engagement from financial and regulatory partners working toward a path forward. The U.S. Department of Energy has indicated that up to 80% of the project could be eligible for low-interest loans from a $200 billion pool, meaning Northern Plains Nitrogen would need to raise as little as 20% of project costs independently. A revised project scope calls for a smaller physical footprint and reduced water usage, which also lessens the thermal plume impact on Grand Forks International Airport. Feland indicated more details are expected around August. North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring noted that no nitrogen fertilizer processing facilities currently exist in a four-state and two-Canadian-province region, leaving a significant market gap the Grand Forks plant would be positioned to fill.