Corporate Office

The community:
Forty miles from the original Halverson family farm in Forest River, Grand Forks is located on the western banks of the Red River Valley of the North in a flat and fertile region known as the Red River Valley. Founded in 1870 by steamboat captain Alexander Griggs, its location on the fork of the Red River and the Red Lake River gives the city its name. Along with its twin city of East Grand Forks, Minn., it forms the center of what is often called The Grand Cities or Greater Grand Forks. The population of the metropolitan area is about 97,000.

Historically an agricultural area, the city's economy now encompasses higher education, defense, health care, manufacturing, food processing and scientific research. In 1997, the cities were struck by a severe flood accompanied by a major fire that destroyed 11 downtown buildings. Since then, the area has become something of a poster child for flood recovery. It has a larger population than before the flood. Employment and taxable sales have surpassed pre-flood levels, and there has been extensive public and private developments throughout both Grand Forks and East Grand Forks.