Infrastructure

 

 Environmental Considerations

North Dakota meets all EPA regulatory requirements, saving companies the time and money necessary to comply with separate state and federal regulations. Our streamlined permitting process was cited as one of the reasons North Dakota was chosen as the site for a $260 million corn sweetener processing plant.

North Dakota's Department of Health provides a publication entitled Environmental Regulations: A Business Guide to the Environmental Permitting Process to assist companies in the process.

 Locality

Wahpeton is located in extreme southeastern North Dakota near the southern border of the Red River Valley. The fertile valley is actually the dry lake bed of Lake Agassiz which was formed as the last glaciers retreated northward.

Wahpeton is served by highway systems I-29 (ten miles west), I-94 (23 miles east), ND 13, ND 127, US 127, and MN 210.

 Natural Resources

The cost and availability of energy are key factors in industrial location decisions. This places North Dakota, with its huge reserves of coal and oil, in a very favorable position. We stand ready to deliver power to North Dakota business and industry... not only today, but far into the future.

North Dakota has many locations with undeveloped surface and ground-water supplies. Quantity and quality of those supplies vary greatly according to the industrial demands.

Wahpeton's three wells tap into a large underground aquifer. A  water treatment plant is located north of the city. If need be, the plant can produce 3 million gallons of water daily. 1.2 million gallons of water are stored in overhead towers and in underground mains, creating an abundant supply for city residents.  A new 1 million gallon tower is planned to come online in 2003.

 Site Facility Cost

Construction and improvement costs are among the lowest in the nation. Typical costs for an improved industrial site currently run from $5,000 to $10,000 per acre.

North Dakota has 36 industrial parks, including 2,000 acres with rail access. A foreign trade zone industrial park is located at the Grand Forks International Airport.

Wahpeton has two main industrial parks; light industrial located south of the railroad tracks and a heavy industrial corridor north of the 210 bypass. Sites available by contacting Wahpeton Economic Development.

 Telecommunications

Most of our state is on Central Time. Locating in the Central Time Zone allows businesses to contact both coasts and western Europe during convenient working hours.

North Dakotans speak "broadcast English," meaning no discernible accent. Telemarketing and back office operations have found this to be a big advantage in dealings with both U. S. and European customers.

Five companies provide shared and operator-controlled mobile radio services through twenty-five sites in the state. These sites cover all major population centers and nearly all of central and western North Dakota. Radio paging services are also available in the Fargo, Wahpeton, Bismarck/Mandan and Grand Forks areas.
In addition to Internet services provided through telecommunications carriers, local Internet access serves an estimated 85% of the state's population through a unique public/private partnership at every one of North Dakota's county seat communities.

Resources say a 12 fiber cable exists between all communities in Southeast North Dakota with only Colfax, ND the exception [they have 4 fiber cable] The cable provided is underutilized at this time. It has the capacity to field 600,000 phone calls at a time.
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 Transportation

In 1995, North Dakota ranked 5th largest in percentage of people employed in transportation, communications and utilities.

Wahpeton has excellent access to major markets through the interstate highway system, railroad which includes the main lines of the Burlington Northern-Santa FE and Red River Valley and Western, and air...with service from Fargo's Hector International Airport just 50 minutes away. Other significant means of transportation provided in the community are local taxi service, commercial truck and bus lines.

In order to serve the expanding needs of the city and surrounding community, the Harry Stern Airport has a runway of 4,400 feet and a crosswind runway. A non-directional beacon and an expanded runway lighting system welcomes the air traveler to Wahpeton. Full services are available for any small aricraft. The Harry Stern Airport is located on the southern edge of Wahpeton.
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Ottertail Power in Wahpeton

 Utilities

You get reliable, affordable energy in North Dakota.  Our state is one of the leading producers and exporters of power in the nation.

ND offers power at rates well below the national average.  One major electric power provider has not increased rates since 1986 and has no plans to do so in the near future.

Wahpeton and the surrounding area's power needs are served by the Ottertail Power Company and Dakota Valley Electric.  Natural gas distribution is handled by Great Plains Natural Gas Company, a division of Montana-Dakota Utilities Resources Group, Inc.