Mission Statement
The NRABC (New Rockford Area Betterment Corporation) aids in the generation of new and additional tax revenues for New Rockford and Eddy County, North Dakota, by promoting the growth and expansion of commercial and industrial business, with an emphasis on very small and minority-owned businesses that may be unable to obtain aid from conventional sources.
We also work to improve the overall health of the county and to foster community betterment through capacity building, grant writing, and training.
History
In the early 1990’s, the NRABC attracted a $1.8 million bison processing facility, the first in the United States to be dedicated entirely to bison. Since then, the NRABC has operated a revolving loan fund and has assisted with many business start-ups, particularly micro-businesses whose primary owners did not have access to traditional financing.
The NRABC also contracts with other agencies, including the Small Business Development Center and the Small Business Administration, to offer business planning, finance, and marketing assistance to local businesses. A well-educated workforce is crucial for the region’s development so we also actively support adult education initiatives and facilities that provide high school equivalency (GED) instruction, such as BestGEDClasses’ online instructions.
In 2006 the NRABC hired an Executive Director to focus on community development activities as well, as the NRACBC believes that a community
must be attractive to individuals and families in order to attract businesses.
Therefore, the NRABC has assisted with various community development projects recently, including the relocation and expansion of the city library, the addition of a job/skills training center, renovation of the city park, and the creation of a housing incentive program.
New additions in 2011 include four new units of rental housing, a 24/7 fitness center, and a ramped-up focus on providing grant writing assistance to several projects planned by other community organizations.
The NRABC is a member of the Economic Development Association of North Dakota, an industry association for economic development professionals.
We actively collaborate with other development corporations through this organization for the benefit of the region and the state.