Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 6

165 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 of hunters from all over the country. The Pierre Regional Airport makes it easily accessible from anywhere in the world thanks to its direct flights from Denver International Airport. South Dakota is a very business-friendly state with little government red tape standing in the way of growth. Pierre follows in that simplistic approach, welcoming businesses of all sizes from all sectors. The city does have a busy industrial park and is always looking to add new companies to it. With more and more people interested in moving to the city, the housing inventory in Pierre has gone down recently. Bohnenkamp believes the interest is coming from things happening on the national stage. She notes, “We’ve talked to real estate agents and they’ll tell you that people are buying houses site unseen or moving into the area from different states because they like what’s happening here.” Pierre is built on a river bluff, so there aren’t a lot of flat spaces to build more subdivisions, but the areas on the outskirts of town are growing quickly. On a positive note, the commute into the city is far less arduous than many other state capitals. Bohnenkamp explains, “It’s much different than when you’re in a bigger community. The commute from one of our more rural developments might be seven to 12 minutes, so you’re not in grid lock. The commute is a very different feel here.” Farnsworth adds, “Look at it this way, you get off work and you want to have a quality of life and do something fun with your family. You literally can be off work at five o’clock and on the river with your family at 5:15.” In the last 10 years Pierre has invested more than $75 million into its infrastructure and utilities to advance the quality of life for both new comers and life-long residents alike. Palmer believes those investments, like extending the sewer systems to the edge of the city, will help take the community far into the future. He P I ERRE , SOUTH DAKOTA