Photos special to Fargo INC!
In 2017, we photographed nearly 200 members of the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo business community. Among them were entrepreneurs, artists, pilots, CEOs, software developers, comedians, executive directors, veterans, graduate students and community builders. Join us as we celebrate each and every one of them in Fargo INC!‘s first-ever coffee table book, “Faces of Fargo Business.”
Read other parts of Faces of Fargo Business 2017 here.
ERIK DIEDERICH
Director of Business Development Industrial Builders, Inc.
“I find so much joy in watching people use the structures that Industrial Builders builds. Every day, tens of thousands of people use the infrastructure that was constructed by IBI, which is not something everyone can say.”
RYAN EVELYTH
President & CEO, Nordic Needle
“There’s sometimes a fine line between unnecessary stubbornness and productive perseverance. It takes a lot of wisdom to know when strategies, procedures and ideas aren’t working and then to have the knowledge and courage to act when it’s time to move on or change.”
MARK J. LINDQUIST
CEO, Mark J. Lindquist Motivational Speaking
“I once had a local businessman tell me, ‘I heard your rate and I said, ‘He can’t charge that much. He’s from Fargo.” It was one of the most insulting moments of my career. Just because we’re from Fargo doesn’t mean we can’t provide world-class services. I wanted to reply, ‘Huh, you run an organization based in Fargo, too. By that logic, does that mean it stinks?’ As a business community, we must remember that ‘buying local’ doesn’t always mean you have to sacrifice quality. I speak in front of some of the largest companies in the country and perform for some of the largest crowds in America and I’m proud to say I base my company out of Fargo.”
TIM BEATON
Executive Director, FM Area Foundation
Q: If you could thank one person who’s contributed to your success, who would it be?
A: There are so many over the years, but most of all, my wife, Joan. She’s always been quietly optimistic and, like my mother, tremendously persistent. She’s always exemplified the saying, “Don’t look back. You aren’t going that way.”
RANDY NEWMAN
Chairman & CEO Alerus
Q: What would you give a TED Talk on?
A: Many people think of annual check-ups as something you do with your doctor to make sure you’re healthy and on track, but most don’t realize the same is true for your financial adviser or banker. I’d love to do a TED Talk on the importance of annual check-ups with your financial adviser, regardless of whether you’re a young entrepreneur just getting started, a small business owner looking to expand, or even a successful business owner who’s looking to transition and retire.
