Construction commences at North American Bison

North American Bison, LLC (NAB) is breaking ground and moving forward with a major expansion project that's been four years in the making.

 On Thursday, Sept. 16, the entire staff of NAB's New Rockford plant participated in an early morning ceremony to commemorate the beginning of construction.

 The plans, which were announced last summer, call for two new additions, one each to the west and east of the existing plant. A second loading dock will be installed, and additional freezer and cooler space built out. The fabrication, or processing, room will also expand to create space for additional workers and modern equipment.

 Workers at the site began by grading the land to form a stable base for the structure. Rebar and concrete will come next, followed by prefabricated steel insulated walls.

 Ideally, the bulk of the exterior work will be complete before cold weather hits, NAB President and CEO Jim Wells said on Wednesday. With the shell up, work can then move inside during the winter months.

 The general contractor, JB Contracting Services, has a targeted completion date of Sept. 2022, approximately one year from now. JB's principal, Jerry Beller, has experience building other processing plants.

 "It was really important to have someone that understands how these facilities are built," Wells said.

 While NAB officials did not have an estimate of how many construction jobs would be created with the project, Vice President of Operations Mike Jacobson did say they had encouraged the contractor to look locally for materials and services as much as possible.

 With the expansion, NAB aims to bring all of its operations under one roof in New Rockford. The warehouse and distribution will move from Fargo by the end of next year. NAB currently has 55 employees in New Rockford, and they anticipate an increase to 70 as they grow.

 NAB credits Dan Staller at Starion Bank in Fargo for his leadership and vision. "He understood our business and was able to help us get it done," Wells noted.

 Staller has spent his whole career as a business banker, and he has worked for Starion Bank since 1996. Starion Bank started with the purchase of a single bank in Oakes, N.D. in 1969. Since then, Starion has expanded into 16 locations in North Dakota and Wisconsin.

 For the duration of construction, bison meat will not be available for direct purchase at the plant. However, bison consumers will be able to purchase Tender Bison brand products locally at Miller's Fresh Foods. Burgers, chuck roasts, New York strip steaks and ground bison are available in the grocer's frozen meat case.

 Ahead of the physical expansion, NAB is working hard to grow its customer base and establish new markets for bison products. Officials recently announced that NAB will be the very first U.S. bison company with a retail product in Mexico, as Sam's Club stores there have committed to stocking the Tender Bison brand.

Welcome Sigi Gonzalez

Senior Director of Operations

North American Bison, LLC

Sigi Gonzalez relocated from Florida last month. He brings 33 years of meat processing experience to New Rockford, including plants in Nebraska and South Dakota.

"We brought him in because we needed some fresh new ideas," said Jacobson. "We're really excited about having him here."

"He adds strength to the leadership of the operation, which only enhances and improves our facility," Wells added.