Blue ink software opens watertown location

WATERTOWN, S.D. – Focus Watertown has announced that Blue Ink Software, a Website development firm based in Minneapolis, Minn., opened a Watertown location beginning June 19.

Blue Ink Software was founded in 2003, and specializes in high-end web development.  “We go beyond straightforward brochure-like websites,” said President John Christenson.  “We develop web-based solutions for businesses and organizations that need customized content management, e-commerce, intranet, and secure database driven web sites,” he explained.

“Blue Ink Software is a high-tech business with the potential to grow,” said Focus Watertown President Craig Atkins about the new company. “This business is a great example of 21st-century industry. The type of jobs and higher-than-average pay is very exciting. We are pleased to welcome them,” he said.

Blue Ink Software owner and founder John Christenson, formerly John Bull, is a Watertown native and a 1989 graduate of Watertown High School. He says his ties here are the primary reason he chose Watertown as the place to expand his growing business.

“I have had this idea for a while, and it just became possible this year. I am excited to grow with the community of Watertown,” Christenson said. He explained that he plans to expand the market for his growing company from Watertown. With a South Dakota footprint for the firm, he intends to target businesses through South Dakota and the region.

“There are a lot of benefits to having an office in Watertown,” Christenson said of the new location in the old Professional Mailing and Marketing building at 13 2nd Street SE. “South Dakota is very pro-business, taxes are less than Minnesota, office space is reasonable. Also, with the lack of competition, the opportunity in the area is unlimited.”

Christenson also said the employee base for him is very good. “With this area not having any other software development companies, I am able to find the best-of-the-best talent.  They are great loyal workers with tons of talent that isn’t being utilized because of the lack of opportunities,” he said.

Christenson’s first employee for the Watertown location is a recent graduate of Lake Area Technical Institute’s Computer Information Systems program. Christenson said he worked with the school to locate the best candidate for his first hire.

“[CIS Instructor] Don Armstrong from LATI was great to work with. He contacted his past and present graduates with the opportunity I brought to the area and I was able to find an extremely talented employee. I couldn’t be happier with my options. I look forward to working with them in the future as I continue to expand my business,” he said.

Christenson anticipates hiring more employees for the Watertown location, adding up to 10 employees in the next few years.

According to Atkins, though the numbers seem small, this is a great asset for Watertown. “These jobs are high-paying IT jobs and demand highly skilled workers. The first employee was already here in Watertown – which is testimony to the type of education offered at LATI. But we also realize that this is the type of job and income for which people can relocate. Companies like Blue Ink Software help attract people with those skills, and further develops our workforce,” he said.

Atkins said that Watertown will benefit from the new business in other ways. “Blue Ink Software brings to Watertown the same Web technology services that you would find in a larger metropolitan area. Both existing Watertown businesses and companies throughout the region have the potential to utilize their capabilities,” he explained.

Both Atkins and Christenson also credit the Governor’s “Dakota Roots” recruitment program for assisting in attracting this business to South Dakota. The program is designed to work with people with South Dakota roots and a desire to return, matching those people with jobs and organizations in the state that would utilize their skills.

“My sister graduated from LATI this spring and the guest speaker was Bill Even, current Secretary of Agriculture, former Director of Economic Development. He talked about how South Dakota was losing its educated and talented workforce because of the lack of opportunity in the state. He talked about the goal of Dakota Roots was to change that. I was impacted and intrigued by the idea. I started to explore opening a division of my company here. The graduation ceremony was in early May. By the end of June I had my South Dakota office up and going.”

Focus Watertown is a non-profit economic development organization funded by public and private investors with the mission of increasing job opportunity and the property tax base of Watertown.