Thursday, November 29, 2012

Menards to Send Wisconsin Workers to North Dakota

Need a job? Head to North Dakota.

Bismarck, N.D. - Home improvement retailer Menard Inc. says it will hire workers from its home base in Wisconsin and fly them to North Dakota to staff a store in Minot, which is near the state’s booming oil patch and has more jobs than takers.

The company said in a statement that it plans to hire 50 workers in Eau Claire where it has its headquarters, and fly them weekly to Minot, which is also in the middle of an unprecedented building boom as it recovers from record flooding last year.

Menard, which has more than 200 stores in the Upper Midwest, said this would be the first time it has ferried in workers by airplane, but it believes jetting in employees for weeklong stints and housing them in hotels “is going to be a permanent solution for as far as we can see.”

Minot is North Dakota’s fourth-largest city and had been growing rapidly even before the flooding that swamped some 4,100 homes and displaced thousands of residents. Its population grew from 36,500 in 2000 to about 41,000 in 2010, U.S. Census data show. City officials say the present population is nearing 50,000.

That means there’s strong demand for building materials. Minot store manager Phil Graef said business is the busiest in the five years he’s headed the store, the only big-box building supply retailer in town.

“We were starting to stay even with the oil boom, and then the flood happened,” Graef said. “Now, we’re trying to get ahead of both of those.”

Finding workers to keep up has been tough, he said.

“Everybody has a ‘now-hiring’ sign in their window,” Graef said.

Businesses struggle to attract workers throughout North Dakota, which has some 22,000 more jobs than takers and the lowest unemployment rate in the nation, at 2.4%, Job Service North Dakota data show. The unemployment rate in Minot is 2.3%.

(13) Comments
Posted by Owen at 2030 hrs
Economy

  1. Obama can save his legacy with stuff like this if he encourages it.  He can ride the energy boom to prosperity like Clinton rode the tech boom in the late 90’s. 

    The Marcellus field can help us towards energy independence and bring manufacturing back to the US from overseas via cheap energy close to the plants.

    So the big question is whether or not he’ll help develop this or try to quash it.

     

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 29, 2012 at 2146 hrs


  2. He’s trying to quash it but currently can’t come down on private land.  Stopping public exploration and overall distribution of crude is his modus operandi. 

    His idea of helping the poor is not raising taxes on them but raising prices of their basic needs.  He can blame someone else for the latter, and the the people buy his charade.

    Enjoy the calm before the storm.  We’re not at European energy prices, yet…

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 30, 2012 at 0015 hrs


  3. Do I sense another Midwest Express in the making?

    Good for Menards. It’s tough to beat offerring consumers what they want.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 30, 2012 at 0613 hrs


  4. To quote Crazy Aunt Nasty Rictus Botox: “Just look at all the stimulus that flood created.”

    ...right is wrong, good is bad, up is down, and life is death.

    How did we ever get to this place, and why are we staying here?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 30, 2012 at 0754 hrs


  5. Just be careful if you head there without support.  Grocery prices are up 100% in the last two years.  In Williston, they terminated the leases of Seniors in a retirement complex because the senior citizens were paying about $1,000 a month in rent.  They are re-renting the apartments starting at $2,300 a month.

    The boom is not all it is cracked up to be.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 30, 2012 at 1525 hrs


  6. My grocery prices are up.  My energy prices are up.  And there is no growth here.  The boom is all it’s cracked up to be.  Nothing is all good or all bad. 

    Hell, even Obama is a good father to his kids…

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 30, 2012 at 1818 hrs


  7. I’m so happy because in these times there are jobs that await candidates in North Dakota. Good times are coming.
    Montecito Homes

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on December 01, 2012 at 1001 hrs


  8. Obama now is our president and we have to have trust in his words and in his movements.
    Castro Valley Homes For Sale

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on December 06, 2012 at 0754 hrs


  9. I think people in North Dakota are well-trained people who will meet the needs of the labor market.
    Newport Oregon Real Estate For Sale

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on December 08, 2012 at 0636 hrs


  10. New jobs is a good sign for a economy that begins to recover from the crisis.
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    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on December 09, 2012 at 1637 hrs


  11. I hope that the new year 2013 will bring as many good jobs across America.
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    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on December 10, 2012 at 0937 hrs


  12. That we all hope Diego, a better year. A good job is necessary for everyone.
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    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on December 12, 2012 at 1304 hrs


  13. I wish to all readers of Boots and sabers “Happy Winter Holidays!”. And for 2013, a new year full of achievements.
    Beverly Hills Real Estate

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on December 15, 2012 at 1336 hrs


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