Success Stories

Loan Supports Young Entrepreneur’s Daycare Dreams in Philip

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

A young entrepreneur is pursuing her dream of owning her own daycare business, thanks to the help of a loan from GROW South Dakota. Hallie Konst was born and raised in Philip, South Dakota. She has always loved children and caring for people. She considered pursuing a teaching degree but opted to study business management because she thought it would translate to a higher paying job after graduation. In the end, she figured out a way to combine her passion with her schooling by purchasing an existing Philip daycare in 2017 and opening Konst Kids Daycare. The daycare facility in Philip has...

A Warmer Winter

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

With the temperatures dropping and winter inevitably on its way, Elaine knew that her home needed repairs. “The house was so cold. I tried to make it warmer by stuffing insulation inside of the windows, but this was only warming the home to a temperature of 61 degrees,” she said. Elaine would soon be on a journey to warmer days, changing her living situation for the better. As she explains, “I had been severely injured, and a social worker was making a visit to my home. Soon after, she referred my need of a warmer house to GROW South Dakota.” Prior to...

State Farm® Grant Supports GROW SD Small Business Assistance

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

A grant from State Farm has helped more than 40 business borrowers receive the technical assistance to help them be successful in their loan application and business operations. The purpose of the project is to assist small business loan applicants prepare to borrow money and grow their business. The Northeast South Dakota Economic Corporation (NESDEC) dba GROW South Dakota (GROW SD) received the Good Neighbor Citizenship Grant from State Farm early this year for its technical assistance (TA) program for small business borrowers. GROW SD business loan officers provided more than 200 hours of TA for 41 business owners. The TA...

Loan Helps Britton Graphic Design Firm Grow

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

It’s not always easy for entrepreneurs to obtain the financing they need to grow their businesses. But GROW South Dakota’s small business lending program is a powerful resource that’s been helping fill funding gaps for decades. A GROW South Dakota loan helped Hillarey Holland, owner of HH Design in Britton, purchase a screen printing machine in August of 2017. Previously, HH Design was outsourcing its screen printing. Now that can be done in-house, which results in considerable savings. This crucial piece of equipment has enabled Holland to expand her business and increase profits. She appreciated Grow South Dakota’s simple application process and...

Weatherization Day

Monday, October 29, 2018

Low-income households in America spend a disproportionate percentage of their annual incomes on home energy bills. Weatherization Day, October 30, highlights cost-effective, permanent weatherizing solutions for reducing the heavy energy burden these families endure. The US Department of Energy has supported weatherization of more than 7 million low-income households across the nation since 1976. Of those, GROW South Dakota has weatherized more than 7,300 homes in the state for a total of over $24 million. A recent survey of GROW SD’s weatherization customers shows satisfaction with the services they’ve received and gratitude that their homes are healthier and more energy efficient. • 94%...

A New Homeowner Testimonial

Friday, October 26, 2018

The Urban Institute recently released a study that shows millennials are buying homes at lower rates than the two previous generations. One of the report’s recommendations is to improve young adults’ knowledge about finances, including homeownership down payment assistance options. GROW South Dakota has long been helping first-time homebuyers navigate the complicated process of home buying. We provide people with the right resources and knowledge to make informed decisions. People who access GROW SD’s services are often surprised at the financial help that’s available to them. Those of low and moderate incomes may qualify for financial assistance towards some of the biggest...

GROW SD Receives Over $1.4 Million in CDFI Funding

Thursday, October 04, 2018

GROW South Dakota was recently awarded $1.45 million from the U.S. Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund). GROW South Dakota and the Northeast South Dakota Economic Corporation (NESDEC), both of which are certified CDFIs, received the awards, which will expand their small business and first mortgage housing lending programs. The announcement came in September. GROW South Dakota received a grant of $950,000 in CDFI Financial Assistance funds, which will support its direct lending program for housing mortgages. Of the total, $250,000 will be directed to focus on South Dakota counties identified by the CDFI Fund as areas of persistent poverty. NESDEC...

GROW SD Recognizes Women’s Small Business Month

Thursday, October 04, 2018

October is National Women’s Small Business Month, raising awareness of the increasing role women are playing in business ownership in the United States. Nationally, 38% of businesses are owned by women. GROW South Dakota has also increased its attention on supporting women-owned businesses. Women-owned businesses in South Dakota are mixed. The 2012 Census Survey of Business Owners found the following ownership breakdown in South Dakota: 53.8% male-owned, 30.09% female-owned, and 16.11% male-/female-owned. In that survey, the state was last in the U.S. in the proportion of women-owned businesses. On the other hand, women-owned businesses have been a bright spot in the U.S....

40 Years of Helping Businesses Grow

Thursday, September 06, 2018

For 40 years, entrepreneurs and existing businesses have benefitted from GROW South Dakota’s business lending program. It has now given 2,022 loans to 1,220 companies in northeast South Dakota, directly financing more than $70.3 million in business loans. It began in 1978 when the Northeast South Dakota Energy Conservation Corporation (now DBA as GROW South Dakota) made its first loan. The nonprofit was one of the first in the state to offer revolving loan funds for businesses. At the time, it served 10 counties in northeast South Dakota. Now, its service area has more than doubled to 22 counties. One of the...

Back to a Place Called Home

Thursday, September 06, 2018

Returning to his roots was something Michael Raver always wished for throughout his adult life. The perfect opportunity presented itself when he landed his dream job at Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation in 2016. Having grown up in the Hills, he knew he wanted his children to have the same experiences he did during childhood. Michael and his wife wanted to raise their children in a happy, stable environment so they would always feel the warmth of home. With a new baby on the way in just a few short weeks, they needed to find a bigger place to live, and...

Homebuyer Coaching is a Success

Sunday, December 31, 2017

Homebuyer Coaching is a Success GROW SD received grants from the Citi Foundation and State Farm to support programs to help prepare people to buy homes through coaching efforts that helped hundreds of potential home buyers. These interested people received assistance in learning more about the process and making them ready to be successful. The following highlights success with the coaching program: A single mother reached out to GROW SD for guidance on applying for a home loan, when she first came to our office, she had credit issues as she had unpaid judgements. After being instructed to pay off the judgments and...

Kelly Weaver Recognized for Providing Exceptional Service

Thursday, October 12, 2017

News announcement from Small Business Development Center & America's SBDC ABERDEEN, S.D - Kelly Weaver, regional director of the South Dakota Small Business Development Center in Aberdeen, is being recognized as a strong advocate for small businesses. Weaver, who has been with the SBDC since 1998, has been named South Dakota’s “State Star” for 2017 by America’s SBDC, the national trade association for the SBDC network. Weaver and State Star winners from other states were honored recently at the America’s SBDC Conference in Nashville. Weaver was selected for the award by her peers, in part, for her work with the South Dakota...

Looking Towards the Future

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

When Lindsey Jennings graduated from cosmetology school at Lake Area Tech, she started her career at a JC Penny’s salon. She worked there for five years before she learned the store was going to close by year-end. Although she was an experienced cosmetologist, it left her with an employment uncertainty. The owner of a small town hair salon in a neighboring community recently retired and was looking to rent out her existing space. That opportunity couldn’t have came at a better time for Lindsey. She decided to take a leap and start her own business in a rural South Dakota community....

Down Payment Loan Makes New Home a Possibility

Monday, September 18, 2017

Jeff and Judy lived in a Sioux Falls apartment and had been planning to buy a home for years. They found a place they liked, and they could afford the monthly mortgage payment, but after years of increasing rent, it had been hard for them to save money for a down payment. Jeff’s disability and their fixed income further complicated the situation. So they approached GROW South Dakota. The GROW SD loan officer connected Jeff and Judy with a down payment and closing cost loan, which provided funds to cover those costs. The result is that they now have a home...

Duenwald Transportation

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Dan Duenwald knows transportation. He had been in the business twenty seven years when he decided to take a risk and start his own business. In 2012, Duenwald Transportation, LLC submitted, and won, the bid for the Clark School District school bus contract. It was then that Dan established Duenwald Transportation, LLC. The business consists of multiple lines of business including; school bus routes, party buses, luxury coach buses, isowean pig hauling, servicing many area school buses and school bus driver in-service training. In 2014 the business was growing leaps and bounds. New busses were being added to the fleet and...

Local Entrepreneur Celebrates Women's Small Business Month

Tuesday, October 04, 2016

Janelle Swanson is an entrepreneur and has always found a way to get paid for something she is passionate about. This time, it was animals. “I have always loved animals,” stated Janelle, "and I was hearing that people were taking their pets outside of town to board them." So she decided to startup a business called Paws & Claws – this is in addition to the business she already operates as a commodity broker. Paws & Claws is a facility located in Britton and specializes in boarding and grooming pets. Janelle contacted GROW South Dakota and Glacial Lakes Area Development, a...

Ensuring Community Success through Housing

Tuesday, August 02, 2016

Quality housing is scarce in rural South Dakota and the solution to create more housing is challenging to solve. One small town in northeast South Dakota, Northville, is doing something to increase available housing. Northville has an estimated population of 148 and former mayor Ruth Clemens has lived there nearly all of her life. She owned land in town and didn’t want to see it sit idle. Ruth sold the property to Grow Spink, a non-profit development organization; with aspirations they would develop the land and build a new home. Grow Spink, who serves all of Spink County, spearheaded the construction...

2015 BUSH PRIZE Winner Video

Monday, April 11, 2016

On November 10, 2015, GROW South Dakota was one of eight organizations in the Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota region to be awarded the Bush Prize for Community Innovation from the Bush Foundation. This prestigious annual award honors and supports innovative organizations with a track record of making great ideas happen. This is a tremendous opportunity for GROW South Dakota to celebrate our breakthroughs in addressing rural community needs more effectively, equitably and sustainably. As a winner of the Bush Prize, GROW South Dakota receives a package of recognition, networking opportunities to create new partnerships, and a grant of...

Dakota Dream Savings Funds - A Dream Come True

Tuesday, February 02, 2016

The process of purchasing a home can be an exciting and rewarding time; but are you aware of the resources available to help you navigate the process? “I contacted GROW South Dakota after I saw a story about a savings fund, not knowing at the time the purpose of this savings fund was to save for a house” said David Souhrada. David was referencing the Dakota Dream Savings Fund, through GROW South Dakota. The Dakota Dream Savings Fund is a matched savings account, designed to help families and individuals establish a pattern of regular saving, with the end goal of using...

Success Stories

2015 Bush Prize for Community Innovation Winner