DELL RAPIDS, SOUTH DAKOTA – The Sioux Metro Growth Alliance (SMGA) is excited to partner with the city of Dell Rapids for the SMGA Economic Development management Service (EDMS). Under the service, participating communities receive direct support from an economic development professional and the whole SMGA team. The EDMS is intended to help provide additional expertise to growing communities that have historically relied on volunteers or small municipal staffs to encourage growth. Each community receives between 16 and 20 hours per week of direct work from an SMGA economic development specialist as well as continued support and expertise from the whole SMGA staff.
City staff in Dell Rapids, including city administrator Justin Weiland, looks forward to future opportunities for economic development as the Sioux Metro continues to grow. “The community of Dell Rapids will continue to grow because of our proximity to the explosive growth of the Sioux Falls metro. SMGA’s EDMS program is an opportunity for our community to provide the direct focus towards economic development that we have been seeking. It allows our community to further professionalize our on going efforts towards improving our local economy. We also anticipate that having an individual dedicated to economic development will help to enhance and clarify a community conversation focused on what type of growth we want for our community.”
The Dell Rapids Economic Development Corporation currently helps to attract and support local businesses as well as creating and promoting the Fiegen Development Park. With an economic development group already in place and helping the community, the SMGA Economic Development Management Service will help further the agenda of the current economic development leaders in town in addition to bringing new ideas and insights to the table.
“Dell Rapids is ripe for further development” said SMGA President and CEO Jesse Fonkert. “The Dell Rapids Economic Development Corporation and the City of Dell Rapids have been proactive in their economic development efforts. We’re excited to start working there with the EDMS in January to complement their hard work and help as requested.”
Dell Rapids is the fourth community to utilize the EDMS; Lennox and Baltic began working with the SMGA in May and August 2021 respectively. Salem will also begin with the service in January. Ryan Solberg, Economic Development Specialist at SMGA, is the staff person currently working with Lennox and Baltic and Sheldon Jensen, the newest addition to the SMGA staff, will begin working in Salem and Dell Rapids in January 2022.
The SMGA welcomes the continued growth and trust in our organization and Jensen and is very excited to take a direct role in working with Dell Rapids to help the city achieve their economic development goals. “Dell Rapids is an exciting community to be a part of in the Sioux Metro. I am excited to work alongside passionate community and civic leaders to further grow the city in quality-of-life aspects to further attract residents and businesses.”
About Sioux Metro Growth Alliance
The SMGA is a non-profit economic development organization that improves the economy and advocates for business development and greater quality of life across the Sioux Falls area. Formed recently as a merger between the Lincoln and Minnehaha County Economic Development Associations, the SMGA serves fifteen member communities, three counties, and a variety of investors from across the Sioux Falls MSA to help create vibrant communities which provide rewarding places to live and work.