This spring has been very busy here at GHDC. One of the things that many of you have seen or heard about is the all of the preparation that has taken place in anticipation of the arrival of the workers associated with the Dakota Access Pipeline project. As the primary general contractor for our area Michels Pipeline company will be working in the area, along with a number of other subcontractors. In total, this area will likely see approximately 500-600 temporary construction workers and various staff members that will oversee and assist in constructing the pipeline.
As we understand it, the pipeline itself is about 30 inches in diameter and will run about 1,168 miles from the Bakken oil fields down through South Dakota and Iowa, eventually making its way to a terminal in Patoka, Illinois. As it travels through our area it will cross through Spink County, then along its route through Beadle County crossing just north and east of Lake Byron.
The arrival of these new visitors to our area has been the source of constant conversations between the companies that will be represented in the area and community contacts. There has been a tremendous effort by many people trying to ensure their arrival goes as smoothly as possible. Conversations have revolved around everything from available businesses and services, to area attractions, to temporary housing, and more.
GHDC has been fortunate enough to be an integral part in these discussions, as Michels and their subcontractors have entered into arrangements to lease a significant portion of our West Industrial Park and our spec building which is located right on the truck bypass. To read more about current efforts on the housing front, please see Brooke Sydow’s article on Workforce Development efforts later in this edition. Brooke has been focusing a lot of effort on both temporary and longer term housing for the workforce lately and I think you’ll find her article to be of interest.
As we prepare for our new friends to arrive, I’d like to encourage everyone to please provide them a warm Huron welcome. Some will be traveling with friends, others with their families, and we want to make sure we make every effort to help them with their needs.
In closing, we recently had our joint annual meeting for GHDC and the Huron Chamber. I’d like to just take a moment to congratulate Potter’s Shoes on being selected as the community’s Family Business Award winner, and also to Steve Charron, who was the recipient of the Distinguished Civic Service Award. Finally, I’d like to congratulate the staff and leadership of the Violet Tschetter Memorial Home on their selection as the recipient of the 2016 Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Business award. All of these individuals and businesses have made strong commitments to make our community a better place to live.