WATERTOWNDEVELOPMENTCOMPANYNEWS Issue#2,Spring2017

Watertown Development

Company News

Quarterly

ABOVE:NEWPERSONAOFFICELOCATIONONOAKWOODROADINWATERTOWN

PersonahasexpandedintoathirdlocationinWatertowntoaccommodatetheiracceleratinggrowth.Thenewlocationisat705OakwoodRoadinWatertown.

PersonareachedouttoWDCstaffinDecembertoinquireaboutadditionalspacetheWDChadavailableandthecompanysignedaleasewiththeWDCearlierthisyear.

Thecompanycurrentlyemploys290inWatertownandhas57positionopeningsjustforWatertown.Theopeningsincludeofficepositions,welders,supervisorsandtrainers.TheWDCwillbeprovidingworkforceincentivesforupto20ofthosepositions.

Personaisrecognizedasbeingthelargestproviderofhotelandmotelsignageacrosstheglobe,andisnamedasoneofonlythreesignageprovidersforMcDonald’s.ThecompanyalsomakessignsforPapaJohn’s,Domino’s,Casey’sGeneralStore,andHolidayStationstores.

Intotal,PersonaoperatesthreefacilitiesinWatertownandoneinMadisonthathousea

totalof173,077squarefeetforfabrication,76,400squarefeetforinventorystorage,and17,988squarefeetforsupportservices.

PersonaMain,locatedinWatertown,hasbeenaroundfor34yearsandisdesignatedastheircorporateheadquarters.Thefacilityincludesmorethan65,800squarefeetofmanufacturingspaceandmorethan26,400squarefeetofindoorstorageforcompletedsigns.

PersonaWest,alsoinWatertown,isa27,277square-footfacility,andoperatesasaface-decorationanddistortion-formscreeningfacility.

TheirlocationinMadisonis80,000squarefeet.TheLEDandneonchannelletterfacilitycontainsalargeframedepartmentandadditionalproductionflowlines.

Dakota Portable Toilets Expanding to Watertown Lot31ofEndresIndustrialParkwaspurchasedinFebruary,leavingEndresIndustrialParkofficiallyfullwithnootherlotsavailableforsale.

WadeandKaylaKoenecheofDakotaPortableToiletsInc.outofBrookingspurchasedthelotandplantoconstructafacilityinWatertownwithintwoyears.

Thecompanyoffersawiderangeofequipment,fromportablehandwashingstationstoavarietyofportabletoiletoptions,tosupportcontractioncrew,eventstaff,orguests.

AVAILABLEPROPERTIES

TheWDCmaintainsadatabaseofavailablepropertiesalongwithamappingfeatureonourwebsiteatwatertownworks.com.

Ifyouhavepropertyavailablethatyouwouldliketodisplayonthewebsite,contact:

TraciStein

DIRECTOROFMARKETING

6058840340

traci@watertownworks.com

Rapid Growth at Persona Leads to Expansion, Adding Jobs

WATERTOWNDEVELOPMENTCOMPANYNEWS Issue#2,Spring2017

InMarch,TheWatertownDevelopmentCompany(WDC)heldacontestwiththeintentofpromotingtheopeningofthePrairieLakesWellnessCenter.

TheaimofthecontestwastopromotethequalityoflifeinWatertown,SDtoindividualsandfamilieswhomayconsidermovingtothearea.Todothis,theWDCaskedcontestantstosubmit5reasonsastowhyWatertownWorksforthem.Inreturn,theirsubmissions

wereenteredintoadrawingfortheopportunitytowinoneoffive,one-yearmembershipstothenewPrairieLakesWellnessCenter.

SponsorsoftheprizesincludedPrairieLakesHealthcare,SanfordClinic–Watertown,WatertownCommunityFoundation,WatertownDevelopmentCompany,andBigStoneTherapies.TheWatertownAreaChamberofCommerceandtheWatertownPublicOpinionprovidedadditionalsupportthroughassistanceinadvertising.

Thecontestreceived35entries.TheWDCwillbeutilizingallsubmissionsprovidedbycontestentrantsinfutureadcampaignsthroughsocialmedia,print,radio,andwebintargetedmarkets.ThiswillalsohelpusgainsomeinsightastowhatmakesWatertownworkforourresidentsandpassthisinformationalongtoothersthattheWDCistargetingtomoveorrelocatetothecommunity.

Stats of the contest: NumberofEntries:35

FacebookPostEngagements:Increased170%

WebsiteVisits:Increased33%

WDCBoardrepresentativesandstaffmetonMarch1stforanafternoonofideasharingandtoassessthecurrentgoalsoftheWDC.ThemeetingwasfacilitatedbyKeithDeibert,BusinessAdvisorwithSDManufacturingandTechnologySolutions.

TheWDCstaffhadbeendoingamidplanreviewanddecidedwiththenewcampaigncomingupin2018,itwasagoodtimetoassessthecurrentgoalsoftheFocusWatertownIVcampaign.Thesessionwasthenplannedandboardmembers,includingWDCstaff,mettoreaffirmthemissionoftheWDCandhowitsactionscanmeettheneedsofmultipleconstituenciesandmakerecommendationsforfuturegrowth.

KeithDeibertstartedoffthemeetingwithareviewofthecurrentgoals.Amindmappingexercisewasincludedinthesessionwhichallowedmemberstosharetheirideasondifferenttopicsrelatedtoeconomicdevelopment.

ThegroupendedthedaywithbriefdiscussiononWDCseizingtheirfreshideasandhowtomoveforwardonthosegoals.

ThoseinattendancefortheretreatincludedJillFuller,CEO,PrairieLakesHealthcare;JimRedlinger,CEO,RedlingerBrosandHeating;SteveLehner,GeneralManager,WatertownMunicipalUtilities;CurtTrego,MarketPresident,GreatWesternBank;JamesA.Seuer,CEO,GlacialLakesEnergy;JimRoby,Attorney,GreenRobyOviattLLP;TroyZebroski,MarketPresident,DacotahBank;JamesD.Olson,MarketPresident,WellsFargo;DewayneHibbert,SpartonCorporation;MichaelCartney,President,LakeAreaTech;DonRoehrich,President,ActiveHeating;SteveThorson,MayorofWatertown,andWDCstaffMichelleKakacekandTraciStein.

Attendeesexpressedthattheretreatwasanenjoyableandengagingsession.

hy

WDC Supports New Rec Center Opening by Holding Contest

Above:KeithDeibert,BusinessAdvisorwithSDManufacturingandTechnologySolutions

WDC HOLDS BOARD RETREAT

WATERTOWNDEVELOPMENTCOMPANYNEWS|Issue#2,SPRING2017 3

GROWTHINNUMBERS

Figure1:Capitalinvestmentpermitsanddollarsinthemillions(ThroughFebruary,2017)

Capital Investment ConstructionactivityisstrongintheWatertownarea.Thisisagoodindicatorofcontinuingeconomicgrowth.

Figure2:NewSingleFamilyhomepermitsanddollarsinthemillions(ThroughFebruary,2017)

New Single Family Construction Buildingpermitsanddollarsfornewsingle-familyhousingunitsremainedstrongthrough2016.AccordingtoKiplinger’slatestreport

1onhousingstartsandhome

sales,residentialconstructionisimprovingasatightjobmarketandhealthierfinancesgivefolkstheabilitytobuy.Atthesametime,ashortageofready-to-buildlotsandskilledlaborcontinuestoposeheadwindsforthehomebuildingindustry.

Figure3:Newcommercialconstructionpermitsanddollarsinthemillions.(ThroughFebruary2017)

New Commercial Construction Buildingpermitsanddollarsfornewcommercialbuildingsprojectsin2017areshowingagoodstart.Theuptickin2014and2015islargelyduetocompletedWatertownMiddleSchoolandWatertownRecCenterprojects,whichcreatedsignificantspikesinthenumberofdollars.

Figure4:WatertownUnemploymentRate(ThroughFebruary2017)

Watertown Unemployment Rate Watertown’sunemploymentrate(above)roseinFebruaryfromthe2016averageof3.0percent,accordingtotheSDLaborMarketInformationCenter.

Figure5:Watertown-PeopleEmployed

Watertown – People Employed ThenumberofpeopleemployedinWatertowndroppedslightlyoverthelastyear,endingatanaverageof11,364employedthroughFebruary2017.

Figure6:WatertownLaborForcenumbersaredecreasing

Watertown – Labor Force ThenumberofpeopleintheworkforceinWatertowndroppedslightlyin2016,continuingthatsametrendwithanaverageof11,807throughFebruary2017.

COMINGSOON

SD GOED Conference Set TheSDGovernor’sOfficeofEconomicDevelopmentwillbeholdingitsannualmeeting,thisyearentitled“GearingUpforSuccess,”-withanApril25receptionattheSheratonHotelandsessionsalldayonApril26attheConventionCenterinSiouxFalls.

WDCboardmembersareinvitedtoattendonbehalfoftheWDC.Tomakearrangements,pleasecontactMichelleorTraciattheWDCoffice.

Thisyear’sKeynotespeakerwillbeSimonT.Bailey.HeistheCEOofSimonT.BaileyInternational,apremiumeducationcompanyspecializingincreatinglearninganddevelopmentcontentforindividualsandorganizations.Baileyisknownforinspiringmenandwomenwithasimpletransformationalframeworkandthetoolsneededtocreateapurposefullifeandameaningfulandprofitablebusiness.

CommissionerScottSternwillalsobetheretodiscussGOED’snewstrategiesinbusinessrecruitment,refiningthestate’skeyindustries,aligningtheorganizationaroundtheirgoals,andtheongoingworkforcedevelopmentcampaign.

BrianBingold,AutomatedDrivingSolutionsDivision,andDavidFormisano,DirectorofStrategy,InternetofThingsGroupatIntel,willdiscusshowtechnologyandcommunicationsareshapingourfuture.

Moredetailsabouttheconferenceareavailableatwww.sdreadytowork.com

References:

[1]“InventoriesTightasHousingDemandGrows”Kiplinger'slatestforecastonhousingstartsandhomesales,March31,2017,http://www.kiplinger.com/article/business/T019-C000-S003-housing-market-forecast-housing-starts-home-sales.html

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2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

12,09412,06512,01112,048

11,951

11,807

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

WATERTOWNDEVELOPMENTCOMPANYNEWS|Issue#2,SPRING2017 4

Watertown Development

Company News Quarterly

1EastKempAvenueWatertown,SD57201