Business Beat - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Business Beat

Ground was officially broken this afternoon on a new First International Bank and Trust to be located right where Burger King was near Arrowhead Mall in Minot.  CEO of First International Bank Steve Stenehjem says the plan is to be in the new facility on March 1st of next year.  It will be a bit smaller than the old, flooded location -- but set up better to handle more people.  He says getting back to this spot full time was very important...

(Steve Stenehjem - First International Bank CEO) "This location for us has always been a good one and we didn't want to abandon it.  It was important to rebuild just to show the faith that this corner of town has a future."

Of course it is a bit of a new location -- right across the street from the old bank...that move was done mainly to be seen a bit better on 16th...

(Steve Stenehjem - First International Bank CEO) "We just like the corner location better over the years as we have build banks in communities having that visibility of a corner has always been a good location for us."

Plus -- moving here will allow IRET to expand its Chateau Apartment complex that was destroyed by fire earlier this year.  More apartments will be added to that facility.

Finally -- get online and check out the new VisitMinot.org site.  Run by the Convention and Visitors Bureau, it offers plenty of new features -- like this -- a hotel availability page.  Want to see if a hotel has rooms open?  This is the spot...and not just for the next week or two -- they look forward to events like the Fair or Hostfest.  Again, that is VisitMinot.org.

With Business Beat, I'm Perry Olson.