The InForum Business Beat Podcast

Fresh off an appearance at TEDxFargo, West Acres Chief Operating Officer Alissa Adams sits down with host Thomas Evanella on the InForum Business Beat Podcast. Alissa discusses her TEDx experience, what differentiates West Acres from other malls and how the retail destination continues to attract new businesses.

Maple Beach Grill is a small, unassuming place to eat outside Pelican Rapids in Otter Tail County. The restaurant isn't fancy or new, but it more than makes up for it with a menu and simple charm that pulls customers back throughout the decades. Wait times can be an hour, but listen in as InForum reporter Dave Olson explains why it's worth it year after year.

The North Dakota Horse Park has a short season, with three weekends of racing in July. General manager Hugh Drexler visited the podcast to discuss the season and what he hopes to accomplish moving forward.

Listen in as Derrick LaPoint from Downtown Moorhead, Inc. discusses the Moorhead Center Mall, 11th Street underpass and, yes, that “Cuba” remark from Kevin O'Leary.

You Betcha founder Myles Montplaisir is preparing to relocate his growing digital media company to a massive new facility in Horace. Myles joined the InForum Business Beat Podcast to break down why the company is moving, how they've changed their content approach and memorable moments from the past five years.

We're catching up on some of our recent business news coverage in this episode of the InForum Business Beat Podcast.  This week, we learned about a big milestone at one business and we heard about a photography studio with a story. Plus, a Dilworth woman has turned her love of plants and gardening into a business selling teas and other products using medicinal plants.

Roers has moved to dissolve the condo association at the Moorhead Center Mall, paving the way for a massive redevelopment of the dated site. What happens next? InForum columnist Mike McFeely joins host Thomas Evanella to discuss.

The food scene in the Fargo-Moorhead area remained red hot in the first half of 2023. It's a lot of news to have our plates, but we can always find room for one more bite. Host Thomas Evanella and reporter Helmut Schmidt tuck in their bibs and dig into the last busy few months in restaurant openings, closings and other changes on this episode of the Business Beat podcast.

Big things are happening in small towns across our region, flying in the face of expectations that rural communities have nothing to offer in a modern economy. Reporter Tammy Swift has been documenting these success stories through her recent reporting. In this episode, she joins host Thomas Evanella to discuss how Halstad, Minn., population 579, is transforming its now-defunct high school into a multi-use facility with spaces for business and housing.

National Small Business week is taking place this week, having started on Sunday, April 30 and concluding on Saturday, May 6. To recognize the impact small businesses have on the Fargo-Moorhead area, we invited Del Carver, co-chair of Prairie and Lakes SCORE onto to InForum Business Beat Podcast. SCORE is an organization of volunteer mentors that help entrepreneurs and small business owners by offering advice and ideas. Carver is familiar with the challenges that small businesses face, but during his time with SCORE, he's also had an up-close-and-personal look at many small business success stories. Included on that list are Uncle Charlie's Gourmet Snacks and Vanna Adventure Vans, two businesses Forum readers are familiar with. Hear from Carver as he explains what small businesses bring to the table in our cities and what consumers should know about the life of a small business owner.  

In this episode, we round out our series of interviews with area real estate professionals for their take on recent news that home sales fell in Fargo-Moorhead. We talk to West Fargo City Assessor Nick Lee for insight into how shifts in the housing market play into how the city operates.

With recent news that home sales fell year-over-year in Fargo-Moorhead by 20%, we've asked several real estate professionals in the area to help us put that number into perspective. In this episode we talk to David Reid, president of the Home Builders Association of Fargo-Moorhead, to tell us what he's seeing from the vantage point of new home builders.

Recent data from the Fargo-Moorhead Area Association of Realtors shows that metro home sales fell roughly 20% this year compared to last year. The numbers were a bit of a surprise to Amber Carlton, president of the group. She joins host Thomas Evanella to help put that figure into context..

Even before its opening on March 17, Brewhalla was an eagerly anticipated Fargo attraction, and excitement hasn't abated much since its heavy doors swung open. The 100,000 square-foot facility hosts a variety of dining and retail options, event space and a soon-to-be-open hotel, and it all adjoins the existing Drekker Brewing facility to create, as the Brewhalla folks call it, a "good times factory." Drekker Brewing President Mark Bjornstad took us on a tour of Brewhalla and sat down for an in-depth interview, talking about their passion-driven approach to the Brewhalla project and their desire to make Fargo the coolest, weirdest place to be.  

The man known as “Mr. Wonderful” said that North Dakota is a standout destination for investors. Meanwhile, he said he “would never headquarter a business” in Minnesota and that Moorhead “looks like Cuba.”

Real-world trials consistently arrive at the same conclusion: shorter work weeks are good for employees and employers. Does that mean it would work for every sector or every type of job? Host Thomas Evanella talks with Krista Lynn Minnotte, a sociology professor at the University of North Dakota, about the latest research on four-day weeks, which are receiving a phenomenal amount of media attention.

Farming is often seen as a local, rural endeavor, the domain of our small towns and the vast stretches of land in between, but that can't be further from the truth. Ag is a global business that faces global issues like war in Ukraine, supply chain interruptions and the volatility of international markets. How do producers across our region remain competitive in the face of it all? Reporter Thomas Evanella talks with Randy Martinson, founder of Martinson Ag Risk Management, about the headwinds our producers face and the advantages that our region gives them.

In this episode of the InForum Business Beat Podcast, reporter Tammy Swift discusses her recent story detailing the difficulties facing Michele LaHaise-Bate, owner of specialty bakery Michele's Table, after she recently learned from her property owner that she will need to vacate her current space by March 31. LaHaise-Bate finds herself in a bind not too different from other small businesses, revealing how fragile many of them are. For more of our business coverage visit https://www.inforum.com/business.

In this episode, we spotlight a local architect who, in her spare time, is turning out gorgeous handmade leather handbags often mistaken for high-priced designer goods. We also learn about a new facility available for local basketball and volleyball families, a new report from the North Dakota Tourism Department on lost revenue due to vaccine rules, and a neglected corner of downtown Fargo getting some renewed attention, plus a whole lot more. 00:38 Fargo architect finds rewarding side hustle designing handbags 01:22 Empire Sports Complex opens 02:05 ND Tourism Department releases report on lost revenue from Canadian travel, citing vaccine rules 03:03 Whiskey and wine bar to open in West Fargo 03:39 Architecture firm to relocate to former Firestone space in downtown Fargo 04:27 Taco John's in south Fargo closes  

In this episode of the Business Beat Podcast, we hear how a family's food allergies inspired a line of gluten-free treats and why a small north Fargo garage is fighting City Hall. Plus, Vanna Adventure Vans is pulling up stakes and headed out west (to West Fargo, that is). All this and more on this week's rundown of business news with host Thomas Evanella. For our full business coverage, visit htts://www.inforum.com/business. 00:45 Hawley family's allergies drive mom to make candy even gluten-intolerant valentines can eat 01:37 Himalayan Yak opens second location 02:10 Move to West Fargo has Vanna Adventure Vans set to redefine the camper van industry 02:57 Junkyard Brewing looking to open West Fargo location 03:46 John's Repair shop fighting Fargo City Hall to remain open 04:36 After nearly 30 years in business, Moorhead's RetroDisc will close its brick-and-mortar for good

We have a preconceived notion that small towns in rural North Dakota and Minnesota are gasping for air as businesses and populations flee. As reporter Tammy Swift has seen in a string of recent stories, however, that's far from the case. New businesses are finding big success in small towns, where unique incentives and creative use of space have helped launch a number of notable startups. Tammy joins host Thomas Evanella to talk about her recent reporting, which you can find here: https://www.inforum.com/tammy-swift.

In this episode of the Business Beat Podcast, we hear about the brakes being put on a downtown Fargo development project and a new home for the popular Asian & American Supermarket. Plus, an all-natural soap company expands into the Red River Valley. For more business stories, visit us at https://www.inforum.com/business. 00:54 Downtown Fargo hotel and apartment project canceled 01:46 Asian & American Supermarket opens in new, expanded location 02:26 Punk Chef Pizza closes 02:54 New nightclub to open in north Moorhead 03:31 Buff City Soap to open in Fargo and Grand Forks 04:07 Mexican Village to close downtown Fargo location

Host Thomas Evanella talks with Fargo Housing and Redevelopment Authority CEO Chris Brungardt about new affordable housing and a look at projects on the horizon. For more business news, visit https://www.inforum.com/business.

In this week's Business Beat podcast, we hear about a renovated Hannaford, North Dakota, building and a bus service connecting Fargo and MSP airports. For more business news, visit us at https://www.inforum.com/business. 00:54 Renovated Hannaford, North Dakota, building becomes community hub 01:29 Moorhead's Hotdog! Pet Salon to close 02:04 EPIC Companies acquires Holiday Inn properties 02:52 Renovation of former West Acres Herberger's stalls 03:29 Airline boardings in ND return to pre-pandemic levels 04:13 Bus service linking Fargo, MSP airports announced

In this week's Business Beat rundown, we hear about layoffs at Fargo tech firm CoSchedule and a new fitness center opening in the former Toys 'R' Us location. Plus, we hear about another small-town success story from Tammy Swift. For more business news, visit us at inforum.com/business.

In this week's business news rundown, host Thomas Evanella toasts Willow Larson, whose success in small-town themed mugs has gotten her big-time attention. We also learn about another beloved F-M restaurant changing hands, a first look inside downtown's new Blarney Stone and an outlook on gas prices for 2023. 00:44 A Minnesota teen's mug-design business catches on 01:43 The Shack changes hands 02:24 Blarney Stone opens in former HoDo location 03:07 A less volatile year for gas prices 03:57 Downtown U.S. Bank building sold to Kilbourne 04:28 Future unclear for region's Bed Bath & Beyond stores

Fargo-Moorhead appears to be poised for another year of growth, with new real estate developments, restaurants and retail popping up all over the map. Host and business reporter Thomas Evanella is joined by Forum digital producer Kris Kerzman for a rundown of the most highly anticipated projects to come in the new year. Visit InForum to read Thomas's article about new developments in 2023: https://www.inforum.com/business/from-restaurants-to-real-estate-developments-here-is-what-you-can-expect-in-2023

In this week's Business Beat rundown, we hear about new locations for a pair of Moorhead establishments and new owners of the beloved Duane's House of Pizza. Plus, reporter Tammy Swift wrote about a local artist who's giving new home purchases a creative touch. Stories in this episode can be found on inforum.com: 00:42 New UPS Store: https://www.inforum.com/business/moorheads-new-ups-store-is-ready-for-your-returns-and-more  01:10 Inspire Innovation Lab's new home: https://www.inforum.com/business/new-home-announced-for-moorheads-inspire-innovation-lab 01:56 Dogleg North opens in north Fargo: https://www.inforum.com/business/dogleg-north-opens-as-fargo-moorheads-newest-golf-simulation-destination 02:53 Duane's changes hands: https://www.inforum.com/business/duanes-house-of-pizza-changes-hands-but-will-continue-to-delight-in-f-m 03:39 Watercolor artist creates portraits of homes: https://www.inforum.com/business/art-is-where-the-home-is-for-fargo-woman-who-paints-watercolors-of-peoples-houses

Fargo, Grand Forks and Bismarck rank in the top five lowest unemployment for metro areas across the country, a pair of businesses that closed this year are now up for sale, and a beloved business owner died just a day after closing his doors. Host Thomas Evanella breaks down these business headlines from the last week, and more, in the final Business Beat of 2022.

A Wells Fargo branch and a soul food restaurant say their doors will close, while new offerings are in store for West Acres and Drekker. Host Thomas Evanella breaks down the week's biggest business headlines.

Between high selling prices, interest rate hikes and a tight market, prospective home buyers in our area might be thinking twice about buying a home. But it's still possible with a bit of patience, says Park Company realtor Kari Myhre. She sat down with host Thomas Evanella to give a lay of our home-buying landscape. For further information on how to best navigate our local economy, see this recent story from Forum reporter Helmut Schmidt: https://www.inforum.com/business/experts-offer-life-hack-advice-for-buying-homes-investing-and-staying-financially-fit-in-a-tough-economy

Join host Thomas Evanella for a rundown of our top business stories from the past week: Havoc House now open in downtown Fargo Altony's in Moorhead under new ownership Proposed $30M South University development draws pushback  Holland's relocates to former Taco Shop location Marge's Diner opens downtown for lunch crowd

Tonya Olson, the owner of Moorhead's Beauty Marks Boudoir Photography, sees boudoir photography as an expression of personal empowerment — a way in which people from all experiences, genders, sizes and stages of life celebrate their bodies and express their stories.  Reporter Tammy Swift recently reported on Olson's popular photography business and shares her insights about the story with host Thomas Evanella.

With the passage of a half-cent city sales tax in the last election, Moorhead residents put a stamp of approval on a new library and community center on the site where the Moorhead Center Mall now sits. The building will be part of an ambitious redevelopment of the area that is still taking shape. The development means that businesses currently occupying the Moorhead Center Mall face an uncertain future. Despite this, they retain guarded optimism, just like many other Moorhead residents who want to see better results than past revitalization efforts. Host Thomas Evanella and digital producer Kris Kerzman talk over Thomas' latest story

The North Dakota coal industry might seem like an improbable partner for the industry that makes materials for batteries for the rapidly growing electric vehicle market. But that odd-couple marriage of a legacy fossil fuels industry and the emerging sector of low carbon-emission electric vehicles helps explain why Talon Metals chose a site in Mercer County in North Dakota Coal Country for a processing plant to make battery materials. Reporter Patrick Springer joins host Thomas Evanella to detail this massive new development in Mercer County.

Only after her mom encouraged her to do so, Emily Bloom of Fargo posted a video of the 'cat condo' she built inside an old TV set on TikTok. She woke up the next morning to find her whimsical work had racked up 37,000 views -- and that was just the beginning. Reporter Tammy Swift joins host Thomas Evanella to tell the story.

Among all the witches cackling, zombies groaning and banshees shrieking, you can hear the sound of cash registers ringing this Halloween season. One survey says, on average, each American consumer will spend more than $100 on Halloween. Host Thomas Evanella sat down with reporter Helmut Schmidt, who recently went around to visit a few homeowners in the area that are definitely bringing up that average, with elaborate displays sure to fill any trick-or-treater with ghoulish delight. And speaking of trick-or-treaters, skip ahead to 14:14 in the podcast to learn where you can find the biggest Halloween displays and the best trick-or-treating. Happy haunting!

This week, we're debuting a slightly different format for the InForum Business Beat Podcast. Listen in as host Thomas Evanella dives deep with Applied Blockchain EVP of Hosting and Public Affairs Nick Phillips on the company's push into North Dakota. Why? How? What's next? You'll get answers to those questions and more.

A lot has changed, both seen and unseen, during the first year of operation at Fargo's Amazon Fulfillment Center. Company managers detailed the changes, from the obvious to the subtle, during a tour of the facility Tuesday morning, Oct. 4. Host and reporter Thomas Evanella learned a lot about the one-year-old facility, including why they have a lot of faux olive trees and not so many packages destined for Fargo porches.

It's been a topsy-turvy time for restaurants over the past couple of years, but as some have continued to close due to the pandemic, work-related issues and supply chain problems, others are planning to open up. InForum Business Reporter Helmut Schmidt joins host Thomas Evanella for a look at what locals can expect. 

Applied Blockchain broke ground on a nearly $100 million, 180 megawatt high-performance computing center Thursday, Sept. 8 in Ellendale, North Dakota. The groundbreaking in Ellendale closely follows the opening of a similar facility in Jamestown, which went online earlier in 2022. What brought the Texas company to North Dakota, and how do locals feel about this new facility? Host Thomas Evanella breaks it down.

John D. Peterson and his business partner, Art Weidner, own Mainline Hops Farm located near Sabin, Minn., and have supplied hops to a handful of small breweries in the region, including Junkyard Brewing and Revelation Ale Works.  Peterson joins host Thomas Evanella to discuss the business of growing hops, the peaceful joy of operating a hobby farm, and his desire to see a beer made entirely from ingredients grown in Clay County.

A new small business is offering a slice of the West Coast in downtown Fargo. Ninja Skate and Versatile Outlets opened at 413 Broadway on Monday, Aug. 22. Shop owner Angie Granheim, who grew up as a teenager in Fargo before spending a decade in Los Angeles, said her goal was to bring a piece of California culture back to the Midwest. Reporter and host Thomas Evanella talks about the new shop and how it stands out among the Fargo metro's boutique retail options.

Across the country, housing market conditions are “unlike anything the industry has ever seen.” In Fargo-Moorhead and the surrounding area, construction costs more than doubled from 2020 to 2021. Buyers are undeterred. The story behind how the local housing market is plowing ahead despite national challenges.

Nationwide, entrepreneurship is on the rise. Since the start of the pandemic, millions of Americans have left their corporate jobs in favor of something more flexible and something that fuels their passions. Women are at the center of that surge, and Fergus Falls — a community of around 13,000 people just a 45-minute drive from Fargo-Moorhead — exemplifies the trend. Forum Communications Chief Content Officer Mary Jo Hotzler joins host Thomas Evanella to talk about it. 

Many families struggle with watching a parent or grandparent lose their ability to drive safely. When should they decide to take the keys? Reporter Tammy Swift talks with host Thomas Evanella about a recent story profiling Joy Tandberg of Dak-Minn Driving and Home Evaluations, LLC. Tandberg works with people whose driving has been affected by factors like age, injury or progressive disease and helps determine if they can still safely get behind the wheel.

We've all heard the horror stories about flights delayed for days and consumer money lost as airlines scramble to regain their footing following the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. It might make you a little shy to pull the trigger on your next big vacation. But it's not all bad, says Kyle Potter, executive editor for The Thrifty Traveler, and there are plenty of steps you can take to make sure your next landing is a happy one.

We've seen hemp used in a variety of products like lotions and foodstuffs, but a Fargo company is promoting something different: hemp as a construction material. The company, Grass Roots Development, recently built two tiny houses to help demonstrate and study the benefits of "hempcrete," a product made by mixing hemp fibers with lime and water. Hempcrete is about the consistency of chicken salad and was poured into forms to construct the walls of the houses. Once it cures, it will provide better energy efficiency and moisture control, the company claims. Sydney Glup of Grass Roots Development joins the podcast to talk about hempcrete and what the company hopes to accomplish with their new demonstration.

Bee Fresh Bin Sanitation officially kicked off on May 31, the last day of school. Since then, the fluorescent yellow-and-black trailer can be spotted buzzing around the metro area to rinse, power-wash, disinfect and deodorize garbage receptacles around the F-M area. Keith Urlacher of Bee Fresh joins host Thomas Evanella to talk about the dirty business of bin cleaning.

Dot Henke was a small town woman living in Velva, North Dakota. A farm girl from the start, Henke knew some things about hard work. Find out how this notoriously low-key, media-shy, down-to-earth Midwestern woman turned her pretzel recipe into a mind-blowing business deal that ended in a $1.2 billion sale. 

Affordable, high-quality child care is something of a premium commodity in the Fargo area, as young families struggle with long waiting lists and high costs. But that isn't just an issue for those who count on quality care to help their families function. It's also an issue for the employers that would hire them. Robin Nelson, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of the Red River Valley, joins host Tammy Swift for this episode to talk about the issue of child care access and how it has ripple effects across our local economy.