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Finding a future in North Dakota Originally published in U Magazine Winter/Spring 2001 The past didn't pull Peter Niess back to North Dakota. It was the future that summoned him home. After graduating from college, Niess moved to Minneapolis in 1983. He advanced in the tooling industry during the next 13 years, but he hadn't attained the ultimate title - owner. Niess dreamed of launching his own company, but start-up costs in Minneapolis were a nightmare. Instead, Niess found his niche in North Dakota and moved home. In 1996, he opened Niess Enterprises in his hometown of Minot. The company designs and manufactures molds for plastic parts on everything from appliances to snowmobiles. "I thought there would be a niche in the market to be in North Dakota...but to be priced a little cheaper," the 38-year-old says. Niess Enterprises utilizes high-tech equipment and offers advanced training for its 10 employees. While Niess has proven that a business in North Dakota can thrive, he and his family have discovered an idyllic lifestyle in Minot, too. "We're glad that we're not dealing with the traffic every day," Niess says. "Sure, Minneapolis has redefined shopping," he says, "but you would spend all day trying to find something." Moving to Minot was a "huge leap" for his family, Niess says, but "they like it here. We're out of that big city stuff, but we can still go there if we want to on vacations or weekends." Minot exudes a sense of community Niess didn't find in Minneapolis. And being closer to his parents brings Niess peace of mind. "As your parents start growing older, you hope you can spend more time with them," he says. "The area has memories," Niess adds. And it holds his future. U
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