Regional Projects

West River Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

Northern Hills Community Development Corporation has a strong and continuous relationship with the West River Small Business Development Center. Since 1994, the Rapid City SBDC Area Office has helped clients obtain more than $9,768,969 in financing and create or retain 381 jobs in the Black Hills Region of South Dakota. SBDC assists new and existing entrepreneurs in preparing a complete business plan. They also educate and empower their clients with the skills and resources to make future management decisions. Consulting services are FREE of charge and strictly CONFIDENTIAL. services include:

Business Start-Up & Acquisition
Marketing / Sales Assistance
Business Expansion
Cash Flow & Financial Analysis
Securing Capital
Management Assistance
Business Plans
Technology Transfer
Business Liquidation
And More!

The SBDC Serves Ten Western South Dakota Counties:

Pennington, Meade, Lawerence, Butte, Fall River, Custer, Bennett, Haakon, Perkins, and Harding

Contact Your SBDC Today:

Valerie Simpson - Regional Director
Duane Fladland - Business Consultant
Krista Tyler - Administrative Assistant
(605) 394-5311
Room 208, Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Rapid City, SD

Telecommunications Solutions For Rural Revitalization

Northern Hills Community Development Corporation(NHCDC) continues to react to issues that effect the Northern Hills of South Dakota. Our primary goal is to revitalize rural communities in the Northern Black Hills through the development of telecommunications resources that can support current and future economic opportunities and ensue continued access to quality health, education, and other essential services.

NHCDC is currently writing a grant to help explore efforts to expand our telecommunications abilities in the region. One such opportunity is the Extended Area Service (EAS) proposal. This plan would enable residents to call areas throughout the Northern Hills without paying a long-distance fee. Instead, there would be a minimal flat-rate monthly fee. At present, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has voted against allowing EAS for this region. Nevertheless, we will continue to express the need for EAS.

Dakota Telecommunications Group (DTG) recently visited the Northern Hills to gather information relating to telecommunications infrastructure. Their purpose was to assess the telecommunications capabilities of the Northern Hills area and look for opportunities for improvement. Any individual or organization interested in joining this effort may contact NHCDC Executive Director Jim Doolittle.

Homestake Mining Company in Lead, South Dakota

Northern Hills Community Development Corporation is actively involved in responding to the Homestake layoff. The NHCDC is involved in the steering committee that is organizing efforts to address unemployment and related economic issues resulting from recent mining layoffs. We have met with local, state and federal officials to express the immediate needs of workers and businesses.

Our long-term goal is to develop long-term strategies for economic diversity and to build community capacity within the Northern Hills region.

West River Economic Development Coalition

Beginning in August 1997, a steering committee formed a coalition entitled the West River Economic Development Coalition. The purpose of this coalition is to provide comprehensive economic development services to western South Dakota. The Coalition also intends to reduce duplication of services and to coordinate information regarding services available. So far, the Coalition is contemplating sponsoring and supporting the following services:

West River Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)
Business Information Center (BIC)
Regional Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)
Governor's Office of Economic Development Outreach Program
Regional Marketing