Friday, January 20, 2012 PIERRE, S.D. – Final economic development numbers are in for 2011, and they show that the South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) helped create thousands of jobs, and helped hundreds of South Dakotans increase their earning potential. In the last 12 months, GOED assisted 61 businesses either establish themselves in South Dakota or expand their South Dakota operations. That development activity is expected to result in 3,000 new primary jobs. “I’m pleased that South Dakota’s economy continues to grow despite the tepid national economic climate,” Gov. Dennis Daugaard said. South Dakota’s homegrown businesses continue to drive the state’s economy, the Governor said. “Every economic development success story is a victory for South Dakotans and their communities,” Gov. Daugaard said. “New businesses bring additional revenues into communities for the support of schools and other local governments. And more jobs bring new opportunities and increased wealth, providing people with money to spend at local businesses.” More than 70 percent of business development that was assisted by GOED last year came from companies already established in South Dakota. Through GOED’s workforce development program, the state provides grants to help businesses train new employees and help current employees improve their job skills. In 2011, more than 1,300 South Dakotans benefited from the program. “As the need for employees continues to grow in South Dakota, it’s very important that we have tools in place to recruit, train, and retrain our workforce,” said J. Pat Costello, GOED commissioner. “Many of those who were trained increased their earning potential, and businesses were able to either find employees with needed skill sets or retrain existing employees.” GOED works with businesses, government organizations, educational institutions, and individual citizens to develop new businesses, strengthen existing businesses, and encourage additional investment in South Dakota. For more information, visit SDReadyToWork.com -30-