Business Watch, a terrific business magazine published by Bismarck Tribune, has finally updated its web site.

This past issue is a tribute to North Dakota’s successes.  The opening article, by Ken Rogers, discusses how the state’s economy changed from one dependent on agriculture to an entreprenurially-minded, diversified one that creatively covers several key industries.  From Roger’s article:

Credit for the change can go all around and generously to the economy in general. But like it or not, a fair amount of the responsibility for North Dakota’s changed Main Street goes to state leaders, in particular, to former Gov. Ed Schafer, Gov. John Hoeven and a succession of state Legislatures.

And even before, in the late 1980s, some credit must go to a formative statewide, bottom-up planning effort called Vision 2000 and its accompanying implementation tools titled Growing North Dakota.

In 1993, then-governor Schafer started the BUILD program, described as a selfhelp approach to local economic development, targeted to rural North Dakota communities and counties. The idea was to provide the tools and advice to economic development committees in the state’s smaller towns, most of which were feeling serious decline.

By the late 1990s, Schafer was bringing in people like business guru Tom Peters and Jim Kouzes.

The governor was talking about “blueprints” for the 21st century.

And Schafer pushed for the creation of a statewide network of high-speed digital services that the Tribune in December 2000 said should “be a platform for North Dakota entrepreneurs to compete nationally and globally.” The word “entrepreneur,” not often heard on the farm in the 1970s or 1980s, became part of the state lexicon.

Then came Gov. John Hoeven’s era and the development of Centers of Excellence and the creation and elevation of the state Department of Commerce.

The force for positive change came from state government, business community and the economy.

And later: 

Maybe it’s not North Dakota that has changed. The prairie continues to support wheat, corn and cows. Maybe North Dakotans have changed. Maybe the idea of entrepreneurship has become more than a talking point.

It’s a good idea to read the entire article, which highlights a just a few of North Dakota’s success stories.

For a good perspective of North Dakota’s exports outlook, read Crystal Reid’s article, By The Numbers.