2023 Region V Leadership Conference Tours
Option #1: John Deere Electronics & Grand Farm:
John Deere: For 185 years John Deere has led the way in manufacturing agricultural and turf equipment, along with developing innovative solutions to help customers become more productive. They produce intelligent, advanced products and connected machines that are helping revolutionize the agriculture and construction industry. John Deere employs more than 75,000 full time employees across 100 locations globally includingthe Fargo Campus. John Deere is also #88 in the fortune 500 companies.
Grand Farm: Grand Farm is creating the prototype for the first fully autonomous farm. The Grand Farm Education and Research Initiative capitalizes on the region’s potential and expertise in the agriculture and technology industries. The Grand Farm Initiative will accelerate the research and innovation into technology which will be present on the farm of the future –impacting North Dakota, the United States, and the World by solving challenges in the agriculture industry and developing new opportunities. A panel representing Grand Farm will talk about the organization, real-world crop and technologies trials going on at Grand Farm, and the different elements of their ecosystem (policymakers, higher-ed, growers, start-ups, and corporations).
Option #2: RDO & Butler Machinery
RDO: RDO is a name many have heard of but now you will get to see firsthand what the world’s largest John Deere Dealer and one of America’s largest farmers is all about. This experience will take you through the entrepreneurial journey of how a midwestern farm built an organization that is serving and feeding the globe. From a hands-on visit to the local John Deere and Vermeer equipment dealership to a glimpse into Fargo’s tallest building that houses RDO’s Field Support Office, this an opportunity to learn what the future holds for the Ag and Construction industry. We look forward to having you join us as the opportunities for your students are endless at RDO.
Butler Machinery: For more than six decades, Butler Machinery Company has been committed to offering the best in equipment solutions and dealer support. Founded in 1955, Butler Machinery is a third-generation family-owned company serving the construction industry in the Dakotas and Clay County, Minnesota along with Butler Ag Equipment providing quality ag equipment and services for the Dakotas, Clay County, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Sidney, Montana. Butler represents many manufacturers including Caterpillar, AGCO, CLAAS, Drago, Horsch, and more. Butler promises to provide the best in sales, rental, parts, and service from initial purchase through the life of the machine. Providing exceptional customer support has always been the top priority. Visit butlermachinery.com to learn more.
Option #3: Gate City Bank & Drekker Brewing Company
Gate City Bank: Founded in 1923, Gate City Bank is a mutual bank with more than 770 team members and $3.1 billion in assets. The bank has 43 locations in 22 communities across North Dakota and central Minnesota. They are committed to making lives better by investing in team members and the communities they serve. Their continued growth enables them to make a dramatic impact in their communities with more than $2.9 million in philanthropic giving and more than 16,000 team member volunteer hours, on company time in 2021. Gate City Bank was named #2 in the U.S. on Forbes 2022 World's Best Banks. They celebrate 100 years in 2023!
Brewhalla/Drekker Brewing: Brewhalla is the home of Drekker Brewing company which started in 2014. Brewhalla is a food and entertainment wonderland brought to life by the owners of Drekker Brewing. Brewhalla features a market made up entirely of locally owned small businesses including oysters to ice cream. Brewhalla also includes an event center along with a hotel to create one-of-a-kind memories.
Option #4: Healing with Hyperbarics & Aldevron
Healing with Hyperbarics: Healing with Hyperbarics is a private, free-standing hyperbaric oxygen clinic in Fargo, North Dakota. As a free-standing clinic, we can focus on research and other non-FDA approved indications for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. We see patients for concussions and other brain injuries, chronic pain, and, more recently, post-covid long hauler. Dr. Daphne Denham brought the clinic to Fargo in 2018 and, under her direction, has treated over 1,000 concussions with the Denham Concussion Protocol. We put emphasis on TREATing concussions as soon as we can. Dr. Denham says “Why wait to see if the brain is going to get better on its own? Why are we not more aggressively optimizing recovery of the brain?” We currently utilize two concussion diagnostics to aid in demonstrating the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen in treating the brain. A tour of the clinic will include viewing the six monoplace hyperbaric oxygen chambers as well as a walk-through of our current research and what they are treating in the clinic. We will also provide a basic understanding of how hyperbaric therapy works. We can’t wait to have you join us to learn how we are helping people heal.
Aldevron: Aldevron is a premier manufacturing partner, producing high-quality plasmid DNA, RNA, proteins, enzymes, and other key components for the development of vaccines, gene and cell therapies, immunotherapies, veterinary medicines, agricultural biotechnology, and molecular diagnostics. Aldevron got its start on the campus of North Dakota State University in 1998 and has kept its headquarters in Fargo, North Dakota, building one of the world’s largest GMP manufacturing facilities to support scientists who are developing revolutionary, lifesaving treatments for millions of people. During your tour of Aldevron, you’ll start with a simple science lesson --pulling DNA from a strawberry, to provide a hands-on tutorial of what Aldevron’s manufacturing process entails. Next, an Aldevron associate will give you a walking tour of the 289,000 square-foot facility located on its Breakthrough Campus.
Option #5: Epic & Microsoft
EPIC Companies, The Lights project in West Fargo: EPIC Companies is comprised of three entities: EPIC Development, EPIC Management, and EPIC Capital, which all work together to acquire, develop, and manage the most attractive mixed-use buildings investment opportunities in the upper Midwest. This tour will include The Lights multi-use entertainment complex that has housing, commercial, and events. It’s a true partnership between the City of West Fargo, the West Fargo School District, and EPIC Companies. West Fargo Events, a non-profit, runs the plaza space that hosts over 100 community events throughout the year. Essentia Health Plaza at The Lights is a transformable space that hosts community events, an ice rink in the winter, movie nights, family fun nights, and concerts in the summer.
Microsoft: Microsoft’s Fargo campus was opened in 1999, to date the Fargo campus is the second largest field campus second to the Silicon Valley Microsoft campus. Microsoft brings people together from across the globe and different walks of life and supports them with 40 different employee networks and seven global employee resource groups. Microsoft Fargo is a beacon of innovation, leadership and giving back to the community. Microsoft of Fargo was one of the most charitable sites in 2020 bringing in $1.9 million for charitable giving.
Option #6: Marvin Windows& Brewhalla/Drekker Brewing
Marvin Windows & Doors: Marvin is a fourth-generation family-owned and -led business headquartered in Warroad, Minnesota, with more than 7,000 employees across 16 cities in North America. The Marvin portfolio of products for builders, architects, and homeowners is designed to provide exceptional solutions for any project, with a focus on creating better ways of living. Marvin products are distributed nationally through a network of independent dealers and are also exported internationally. Join us to tour two of our facilities in West Fargo, ND! First, we will check out how custom patio doors are manufactured then pop over to our Research and Development Center to see how products are designed and tested. Since the company’s inception, Marvin has earned a reputation as an innovator and industry thought leader and we invite you to meet the teams that make that possible! This tour concludes with a panel discussion at the Research & Development Center.
Brewhalla/Drekker Brewing: Brewhalla is the home of Drekker Brewing company which started in 2014. Brewhalla is a food and entertainment wonderland brought to life by the owners of Drekker Brewing. Brewhalla features a market made up entirely of locally owned small businesses including oysters to ice cream. Brewhalla also includes an event center along with a hotel to create one-of-a-kind memories.