Governor Rhoden Speaks at GCDC Annual Meeting

The Grant County Development Corporation (GCDC) welcomed South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden as the featured speaker at their 2026 annual meeting on Wednesday, May 27. The focus of the evening was major economic development, housing, and workforce initiatives. 

The program opened with remarks from GCDC Executive Director Tracy Stein, who emphasized that economic development is built through “persistence, partnerships, infrastructure investment, and long-term commitment.” Stein also recognized area elected officials, including members of the legislative delegation from District 4 and local officials, who were in attendance. 

Stein recognized board members – the late Jim Gesswein and the late Dave Hepper who passed during  the year. She also thanked  Kevin Kouba and Jeff Kurtz as retiring board members. Kurtz served  20 years with the GCDC. Kouba has been a board member since 1995.

Josh Wendland was introduced as the incoming board president. His term continues into 2028. He recently held the vice president position. Natalie Gauer, Scott Wiese, and Jon Christiansen complete this year’s board.

Tom Schuneman, outgoing president of the board (2024-2026), reviewed several of the organization’s major projects and priorities over the last several years. Schuneman said economic development efforts in Grant County have concentrated on three key areas: industrial park expansion, housing development, and daycare availability.

Schuneman noted that the GCDC, in partnership with the City of Milbank, Grant County, and the Milbank School District, has worked to address longstanding housing shortages identified by studies conducted in 2014 and 2019. Schuneman stated, “About 65 percent  of employees travel from outside the city. There are a lot of people who drive from Minnesota, Watertown, or Webster, and the common response as to why is there is nowhere to live.”

Among the housing-related accomplishments highlighted were 13 new homes, a new quadplex, 30 new residential lots, a 38-unit apartment complex (former Milbank  hospital property), and a 53,000-square-foot senior living center (former Koch School property). Schuneman estimated the total investment tied to these projects at approximately $25 million.

Schuneman also discussed the expansion of the industrial park on the southwest side of Milbank. The newest phase includes 32 acres and 12 new lots with a total project cost of around $4 million. Funding assistance included a $2.5 million USDA economic development grant, a $500,000 grant from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and a $20,000 grant from Otter Tail Power Company. 

Schuneman  announced the Wisconsin-based company Martin Warehousing has committed to constructing a 72,000-square-foot storage facility for milk and cheese in the industrial park.

Daycare shortages were another major topic during the presentation. Schuneman pointed to a 2024 daycare study that identified capacity and financial challenges as major concerns. He also referenced House Bill 1245 as a potential tool for communities to help address daycare and other infrastructure needs. He thanked Governor Rhoden for supporting the legislation.

The last thing Schuneman touched on was the GCDC capital campaign. “We launched this a year ago,” he stated. “We have support financially from both the city and the county, but there’s a lot of things we do that require additional funds, and these projects sometimes are slowed down because we don’t have enough capital to be able to move on to do even little  things.” He also encouraged individuals or employers that believe in or support the initiatives the GCDC has been working on to make contact. 

Governor Rhoden addressed the audience following Schuneman’s presentation and spoke about the importance of responsible economic growth in South Dakota. Rhoden said the state continues to focus on economic development, workforce training, and national security initiatives.

“Economic growth is a good thing, and we should encourage it in South Dakota,” Rhoden told the crowd. “But growth should not be reckless. We should be bold enough to seize opportunity and wise enough to prepare for the future in a responsible way.”

The governor also highlighted investments in industrial parks and workforce development programs across the state, including expanded apprenticeship opportunities for South Dakota students.

Rhoden said workforce development remains critical as South Dakota businesses continue to search for skilled employees. He praised the state’s technical colleges and apprenticeship programs for helping prepare students for careers in South Dakota.

Rhoden went into more detail by saying, “Just a few weeks ago, I announced the expansion of youth apprenticeships. Currently, only a handful of high schools have started implementing apprenticeships. That number will grow substantially in the next few years. With this expansion, we are creating the opportunity for all high schools to open apprenticeships for young people.”

He continued, “What we’ve seen in South Dakota over the last 20 years due to the expansion and recognition of our technical colleges has made a huge difference… We should be pretty proud of what we’ve done, not only with our tech schools, but also with our Board of Regents moving in the right direction.”

He expanded on his theory by saying it allows employers to be in the driver’s seat in developing a workforce that meets their needs, while opening doors for our students to find work here in South Dakota. “To me, that’s what economic development is  all about!”  

Rhoden recalled, “An old pastor of mine used to say, ‘You don’t wait for doors of opportunity to open. You check the doors, see if they’re locked. Ultimately, economic development is about opening more doors of opportunity for our kids and our grandkids.”