East Grand Forks Economic Development Authority

10/08/2026

Amazon.com is partnering with local businesses to help deliver packages in their communities through the Amazon Hub Delivery program. This is a great way for businesses to earn additional income while supporting their local area.
🔹How It Works:
Local businesses sign up to make Amazon deliveries during their available time using Amazon's delivery app. Routes are provided daily and cover approximately a 3-mile radius from the business, taking about 2–2.5 hours per day to complete.
🔹Program Highlights:
• Additional revenue stream — earn supplemental income alongside your regular business operations
• No delivery experience required — full training and support provided
• Flexible scheduling — deliver when it works for you
• No long-term contract — participate on your terms
• Use your existing team — staff, family members, or close friends can help deliver
• Weekly direct deposits — reliable, consistent payments
• Local routes — deliveries stay within your community
🔹Who Is This For?
The program is ideal for convenience stores, gas stations, florists, auto shops, and other small businesses looking for a flexible way to boost their income.
🔹Learn More:
• Partner Essentials — Program Details
• Hear from Our Current Partners
🔹Next Steps:
Rezi will be in the area from October 5–17 and am available to meet in person to walk through the program, answer questions, and help with sign-up.
To schedule a meeting, business owners can reach out to him directly at [email protected] or 512.808.3473

10/05/2026

Today’s Business Highlight is with Personal Banker Ashley Marchand with American Federal Bank!

Ashley was born and raised in East Grand Forks. Her parents are Jacqueline Gaddie and Craig Pietruszewski, and she has a twin brother, Michael, who is an attorney in Boise ID. She graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 2013 and is very proud to be part of a family with deep roots in the community.

Ashely is friendly, down to earth and passionate about her family and her community. And is someone I would be comfortable talking to about my finances!

I walked around the bank with Ashely and it is a beautiful space; everyone made me feel very welcome! The two tellers I chatted with a bit: Lucy Paschke and Tasha Madding and Dan Messelt, Private Banker. Dan’s Dad, Ralph, was on the EDA Board for many years, and I knew him well, so it was awesome to find that connection. They have a lovely reception area, with comfortable furniture to wait in and all the fixings for a great cup of coffee.

Ashley has been married to her husband, Spencer for 3 years and they have two children, Leo (3) and Sophia (5), who is a fifth-generation Sacred Heart Eagle. And a beloved Brittany Spaniel, Arthur. Spencer recently started a new job with Quince where he works as the Head of North America Flax Operations, which he is extremely passionate about!

As a mom, her favorite moments revolve around spending time with her family and making memories together! Her children are like typical kids and are very active! They love bike rides, playing at the park, and backyard wiffle ball. They love trying new things so they are constantly trying to keep them entertained! She loves watching their kids grow, creating family traditions, and making memories together along the way.

She has a love and passion for cooking and baking, that she inherited from her dad. She says, “He has an amazing talent for cooking that I somehow luckily absorbed. We are always in the kitchen as a family, trying new elaborate recipes and having big family dinners. My kids are also interested in participating, which makes it 10x messier but 100x worth it to spend that genuine family time together.”
She also enjoys reading mysteries and thrillers (goal of 36 books a year), traveling, and tackling a difficult puzzle!

After she graduated High School at Sacred Heart, she moved to Minneapolis and attended the Art Institute for Retail Management. During her stay in the cities she worked in management at Ralph Lauren and Michael Kors.

Then she worked in Sales at Mercedes Benz, until she decided she missed her family and her hometown and made the move back home. After a few years as a stay-at-home mom, she jumped into the banking world and quickly discovered how much she enjoyed it.

She has been a personal banker for 4 years now, and is constantly learning new things, in the ever-changing world of banking. Family is at the heart of everything she does, so she finds being able to work with individuals and families as they reach their financial goals is incredibly rewarding to her.

And she is passionate about what she does, whether it's celebrating exciting milestones, planning for the future, or helping navigate life's challenges, and I can easily tell that she LOVES building relationships and making a positive impact in her community.

She says, “Her favorite conversations are the educational discussions she has with young people, teaching them about different financial products and showing them how things work, helping make finances feel a little less intimidating and a lot more approachable, preparing them for a financially strong future.”

The East Grand Forks location has been at its current spot since 1997. And American Federal Bank has been around for over 100 years, which is pretty special! They have 9 employees here in East Grand Forks. And a Grand Forks branch with 7 employees.

They offer a full range of personal, business, agricultural, mortgage, and investment services tailored to help their customers achieve their financial goals. From checking and savings accounts to loans, digital banking solutions, retirement planning, and personalized financial guidance, they are committed to providing the tools and expertise you need at every stage of life.

One of the things she loves most about banking is the variety each day brings. She said, “I could start the morning helping someone open their first checking account, spend the afternoon guiding a family through the home refinancing process, and later catch up with a longtime customer who stops in to say hello and grab a cup of coffee. It’s a job that’s built on relationships, and that’s what makes it so enjoyable.”

She wants potential customers to know that “we're truly a relationship focused bank at heart! When someone walks through our doors, they're not just a number or an account to us. We genuinely care about the people and community we serve. They're our neighbors, friends, local business owners. We take pride in getting to know them personally so we can help them achieve their financial goals and be a trusted resource for generations.”

They are located at 140 Gateway Drive NE; phone number is 218) 773-9711.

Ashley, it has been a pleasure!

Brenda Ault, EDA Specialist

[email protected]

https://www.americanfederalbank.com/locations/east-grand-forks/

https://www.facebook.com/AmFedBank

10/01/2026

Volunteers are needed for the 2027 Northern Valley Career Expo that will take place on Wednesday, October 28th at the Alerus Center.
Sign up below to help out ⬇️
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4CACA92BA3F9C61-65424597-2026 #/

Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Thank you!

09/28/2026

Today I am talking with Nancy Ellis, Community Development Director for the City of East Grand Forks! She is one of my bosses here and was on the panel that hired me for my job, so I think she has great judgement!

I had worked in City Government for many years when I moved to East Grand Forks in 2015 and when the job came up, I threw my hat in for the position. I really wanted it, the job I had in Grand Forks was in HR for a large, growing company. So large that I was in the hallway, instead of an office and the hallway did not have any heat, in the winter no less! I’m kind of fussy that way, so I wasn’t a big fan of that job!

There were 35 other applicants so when she called me and said, “This is Nancy Ellis with the City of East Grand Forks and I’m sorry to tell you” (I immediately thought, oh no, I didn’t get the job!) when she finished with, “that you were the top applicant and we’d like to offer you the job!”

So you can tell, she has a great, dry humor that I love. She’s also a great boss; easy to talk to, kind and she’s very flexible in letting me take vacation time, which in all my years of employment has not always been the case.

She went to UND and being the super smart, over achiever I know her to be, she picked up 2 Degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education in Biology with a minor in Chemistry; and a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety and Environmental Health (Industrial Hygiene, Fire Safety and Building Safety emphasis).

She started her career with OSHA and was hired to work for Polk County Environmental Services a week before the Flood of 97 and started with them the week after the town was evacuated.

Within the first few months, she was moved to interim Planning and Zoning Administrator. She worked for Polk County for 9 years and was then asked to apply for an opening as a senior planner with the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

She worked for the MPO for 7 years as a transportation planner and for the City of EGF as their city planner (thru the MPO). The City of East Grand Forks then created a full-time position as City Planner, with other duties for transit management, transportation planning, and overseeing Building Inspections.

The position was changed to Community Development Director and nuisance, facilities management- City Hall, Sunshine Terrace, Infill Building; and ADA coordinator (Americans with Disabilities Act) was added. She has been in this full-time position for 13 years; the City Planner for 20 years.

She has been married to Mike for 26 years and he works for the Postal Service as a mailman. They met thru mutual friends when they both attended UND. They have two children: Tommy was 13 when I started and played a lot of hockey when he was younger, he’s 24 now and has graduated from the University of Minnesota Morris this spring with a degree in Biology Secondary Education degree and Sports Management minor. He is starting his new job as Special Education Teacher at West Fargo Sheyenne High School this school year.

Kara was 11 when I started and she too played a lot of hockey; she is now 21 and a senior at Concordia – Moorhead. Her major is pre-Occupational Therapy with hopes of attending grad school for Occupational Therapy. Both of them played college soccer at their respective schools.

To relax, Nancy loves to walk on the Greenway and really enjoys that amenity in town. They like to travel too; her favorite places to visit are Denver, Chicago, and Mesa because her sister lives there in the winter.

She loves to travel and went to France and Switzerland last year and would love to visit other places in Europe as well. They are a big sports family. She enjoyed watching her kids play sports, and they all are huge fans of the MN teams: Twins, Vikings, Timberwolves, Wild, Gophers, and the Loons. They try to either watch their games or attend in person. They also have a goal to go to every baseball stadium because they enjoy a good outdoor baseball game.

My view of her normal day of work is jumping from job to job every day. She reviews the permits I take in for things like fences, garages, new houses to make sure they won’t be in the easements, that they have room on their property for another garage and are far enough away from the property lines and review site plans.

She works with transit management, transportation planning and transit reporting and grants. She is often doing reporting, writing a grant for this or working on audits.

In her day-to-day operations for certain buildings, she is managing staff, scheduling maintenance, billing, questions, etc.

She also handles complaints, mostly people not mowing their property. And meetings! She is always going to a meeting, scheduling a meeting or talking about a meeting! Too many for sure!

As she often says, there’s “Nothing dull or monotonous with this job!”

Office located at EGF City Hall; phone number is 218-773-0124

Nancy it was a pleasure!

Brenda Ault, EDA Specialist
https://www.eastgrandforks.gov/142/Planning-Zoning
https://www.facebook.com/EGFCity

09/25/2026

You're invite! Come out on next Tuesday to hear about what's happening the City of East Grand Forks, wins, upcoming city projects, and more!

09/21/2026

Today I am visiting with Dr. David Thorfinnson and Dr. Makayla Langei (DeLaRosa) with East Grand Forks Dental Care!

When I walked in, I was greeted by Deb Howard, who is the Business Manager, she has been with the clinic for 36 years and she helped me set up a time to meet with the doctors. She is a very helpful, kind woman who immediately puts the patients at ease when they enter the office.

It is a homey space that makes you feel comfortable the moment you walk through the door. The energy feels great and it’s just a great space. It has a fireplace and a cozy seating area for their patients.

Dr. Thorfinnson just celebrated his 38th year of dentistry and has a major emphasis in Orthodontic Treatment. He and his wife, Karen, recently celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary. They have 2 sons; Jeffrey, who works in a Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation Center in East Grand Forks and Zak who works as a Graphic Artist in Fargo. They really enjoy spending time with family and with their 3 grandkids!

He is Board Certified at the highest level by the American Orthodontic Society. He is a past President of the Association, as well a past President of the Board of Examiners. He has achieved the highest standards of orthodontic care and was awarded the title of Diplomate of the American Orthodontic Society by his peers.

He enjoys hunting and they also enjoy going to the lake and golfing together. He graduated from Lafayette High School in Red Lake Falls, MN and he always knew he wanted to be a dentist. He had a great dentist as a child, Dr. Mike Spears, from Red Lake Falls.

Dr. Thorfinnson graduated from North Dakota State University and then continued to The University of MN School of Dentistry. His Mom happened to run into Dr. Daniel Rose while David was in his second year of dental school. Dr. Daniel Rose owned a practice in East Grand Forks. He later called him and offered him a position in his practice immediately. He really appreciated that! This allowed him to concentrate on passing his boards without worrying about finding a job.

He has been a dentist in East Grand Forks since 1988 and owner of East Grand Forks Dental Care since 1992. He has been working in their current location since 1996 and was previously located where the Bass Pro Shop sits, working with Dr. Osmundson and Dr. Daniel Rose.

Dr. Thorfinnson recently was putting braces on a young lady and visiting with her realized he had put braces on her Grandmother and her Mother! 3 generations of a family who came to him for braces, that tells you how loyal his patients are and how well respected he is.

Dr. Makayla Langei was born and raised in East Grand Forks. She said, “I knew I wanted to be a dentist and told her neighbor, David Thorfinnson that she was going to be a dentist when she was in the 4th grade! I think that is such a great story and now she is working with him as his associate! She was married in May to Alex DeLaRosa.

She graduated from Bemidji State University, where she played 4 years of college hockey and served as team captain her senior year. After graduating she attended the University of MN School of Dentistry. While attending dental school she also played two seasons of Professional Women’s Hockey; one with the Minnesota Whitecaps of the Professional Women’s Hockey League and one with Team Scotiabank of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association. She also represented Team USA at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship.

Dr. Langei just celebrated her 1-year anniversary at East Grand Forks Dental Care and has just been hired as the EGF Senior High Girl’s Hockey Coach. With her experience she is going to be great at both jobs! I just know the girls will love her with her passion and knowledge as well as her easy-going manner.

She and her husband, Alex, enjoy spending time with their families and hunting and fishing together.

Dr. Thorfinnson is very proud of “the little girl next door” and her desire to be a dentist like he was. He has payed it forward by offering her a position in his practice while she was in dental school, so she could also concentrate on her boards, like he did and not worry about finding a position.

They work well together and have an easy way about them as they talk back and forth. They provide most dental services and realize patients would rather have all treatment done at one office, if possible. They have a great working relationship with different specialists if they do need to refer a patient out.

It is obvious talking with both of them, that they love dentistry and have a passion for maintaining and creating beautiful smiles. While I was talking with them, it felt like two members of a family the way they finish each other’s sentences. Honestly, I think this would be such a great place to work, the way entire staff is friendly, kind, engaging and just put a person at ease.

The practice is growing and they plan on expanding to include a surgical space for the practice. They offer general dentistry, orthodontics for adults and children, as well as clear aligners.

They focus on preventive dentistry and encourage their patients to come in regularly for checkups and cleanings, instead of waiting until issues arise

Dr. Thorfinnson and Dr. Langei, it was a pleasure!

They are located at 22 4th St NE; phone number is 218-773-0842.

Brenda Ault, EDA Specialist

https://www.eastgrandforksdentalcare.com/

https://www.facebook.com/EastGrandForksDentalCare

09/16/2026

Thank you Grand Forks Herald for covering our growing entrepreneurship in East Grand Forks! 💛

Since January, the EDA has worked with 17 startups. About 25% of the city's local economy is made up of prospects and startups, said Maggie Brockling, economic development director.
Link in the comments 👇

09/14/2026

Today’s Highlight is Thomas (Tommy) Passa from Thoma Spas SA! He is a certified massage therapist, and he officially opened following his graduation from massage therapy school in March 2026.

His goal has always been to bring a dedicated wellness space to the area that focuses on genuine physical recovery, stress reduction, and overall community well-being.

You might notice his unofficial mascot: The Duck logo on his sign and van and he would like suggestions on a name for the duck, so reply on this post and he will look them over!

ALSO a special just for our readers!
**Mention this highlight post and receive 1/2 price on your first 3 massages! That’s quite the special he is running, so if you like massages, this is a Great Deal!

He provides targeted therapeutic bodywork customized to each client's specific needs, ranging from deep tissue work and active muscle recovery to soothing relaxation sessions. In addition to individualized massage therapy, he is planning to add specialized wellness modalities including red light therapy and custom salt room treatments to offer a complete self-care experience under one roof.

Since I was there over my noon hour, I had him work on my neck and shoulders and he gave a great chair massage! He even worked on my hands because he could tell they needed it and he was right! I do a lot of typing and it felt really good.

He has two sons; Gambit, who graduated from Sacred Heart and Nolan who will be a junior there this school year. Supporting them and staying active in community activities, especially Youth Bowling at Red Ray Lanes is a huge part of his life outside the spa.

He says, “Therapeutic bodywork is vital for health, but I always want the studio environment to feel welcoming, approachable, and lighthearted rather than overly rigid or clinical.”

In Minnesota he is able to use cannabinoid balm. Cannabinoid is any chemical compound that joins with cell receptors in the body's endocannabinoid system. These compounds come from the cannabis plant, are made inside the human body, or are built in a lab. They control mood, memory, pain, and appetite.

He wants his clients to know that he will meet every person where they are at in their health journey; whether you are dealing with chronic pain, recovering from an injury, or simply needing an hour to reset.

He finishes with “My primary focus is creating an accessible, high-quality experience for everyone in the Grand Forks/East Grand Forks community.”

Information on the Annual Consistency Membership:
Prioritize continuous care with our premier membership option: **20 targeted sessions per year** for just **$83.33/month** ($1,000 annually).
Designed to deliver a session roughly **every 18 days**, it keeps your body restored without interruption.
Standard Retail Cost: $119.21 per session *(includes $90 hour rate, $20 add-on, and East Grand Forks sales tax)
Member Rate: $50.00 per session
Total Savings: $1,384.20 per year- over 58% off standard retail rates.
Mention this post to get half-off your first three massages when signing up.

He is located in the Palmiscno Building located at 404 4th St NW; phone number is 701-215-9073. To book an appointment, call or text!

Tommy it was a pleasure!

Brenda Ault, EDA Specialist

https://www.facebook.com/p/Thoma-Spas-SA-61578832702067/

09/08/2026

Ready to retire, business owner? Design your exit plan with help from the Northwest Minnesota Foundation 's free planning workshop on September 16th via zoom.
Register here: https://form.jotform.com/262145287169161