Stretch the Million/Build Dakota
Industry Partner
How it Works
- After choosing a student scholar, the “STM” partner commits to paying half of the expenses of their Build Dakota Scholarship. The scholarship supports tuition, fees, books, and other required program expenses in the eligible college program.
- By accepting the full-ride scholarship with an STM partner, the student commits to working three years (minimum) for the partner, full-time in their field, in South Dakota.
Student Impact
- Free education
- Guaranteed employment
- Potential on-the-job training
Business Impact
- Alternative upskill for current employees
- Access to a pipeline of new talent from Lake Area Tech
- Guaranteed highly skilled employee
- Free advertising on the Build Dakota & Lake Area Tech websites
South Dakota Impact
- Aids in filling South Dakota’s workforce shortage
- Scholars live and work in South Dakota
- Local businesses thrive with highly skilled employees
Become a Stretch the Million Partner
Please contact us for more information about how to become an STM partner!
Brittany Rost, Foundation Scholarship Coordinator
605-882-5284 Ext. 292
Melissa Waldner, Business Partner Specialist
605-882-5284 Ext. 263
Jessi Eidson, Development & Alumni Coordinator
605-882-5284 Ext. 308
Tracy (Hlavacek) Buisker, Foundation Director
605-882-5284 Ext. 268
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Build Dakota/Stretch the Million Partners
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 | B & R Truck Repair Gettysburg, SD |  |
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 |  | Eastman Inc. |
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 | Fousek Truck Service Gettysburg, SD | Gail & Delores Miller Charitable Fund  |
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 |  | Jaeger Farms Highmore, SD |
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 | Mobile Mechanic, LLC Beresford, SD |  |
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| New Horizons Construction White, SD |  |  |
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 |  | Ronglien Excavating Inc. Big Stone City, SD |
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 |  | Simco |
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 | Stewart Construction Watertown, SD |  |
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| Tracy’s Paint & Body Inc. Parkston, SD |  |  |
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Wagner Community Memorial Hospital |  |  |
| Watson Construction |  |  |
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Additional Companies Interested in Cohort 11 Fall 2025 Partnerships
| Stretch-the-Million Partner | Location | Program Interest |
| 3M | Aberdeen | Automotive Technology Diesel Technology Precision Machining |
| Aberdeen Chrysler | Aberdeen | Automotive Technology Diesel Technology |
| Aberdeen Fire Rescue | Aberdeen | Med/Fire Rescue |
| Aberdeen Smiles | Aberdeen | Dental Assisting Dental Hygiene |
| AGC of South Dakota | Sioux Falls | Heavy Equipment Operator |
| Agropur | Lake Norden | Energy Operations |
| Agtegra Cooperative | Aberdeen | Agriculture: Precision Technology Agriculture: Production |
| Anderson Contractors, Inc. | Pierre | Building Trades Technology Diesel Technology Heavy Equipment Operator |
| Asphalt Surfacing Company | Sioux Falls | Heavy Equipment Operator |
| Avantara Clark | Clark | Practical Nursing Registered Nursing |
| Avantara Lake Norden | Lake Norden | Practical Nursing Registered Nursing |
| Avantara Redfield | Redfield | Practical Nursing Registered Nursing |
| Applied Engineering | Yankton | Auto Body & Paint Technology Precision Machining |
| Avera Health | Sioux Falls | Med/Fire Rescue Med/Fire Rescue: Paramedic Option Medical Assisting Practical Nursing Registered Nursing Surgical Technology |
| B&B Contracting, Inc. | Aberdeen | Diesel Technology Heavy Equipment Operator |
| Bethesda Home of Aberdeen | Aberdeen | Practical Nursing Registered Nursing |
| Beyond Dentistry | Watertown | Dental Assisting Dental Hygiene |
| Bjordahl Dental Care | Lead | Diesel Technology Precision Machining Welding Technology |
| Brookings Health System | Brookings | Medical Laboratory Technician Practical Nursing Registered Nursing Surgical Technology |
| Burdick Bros Inc. | Redfield | Precision Machining Welding Technology |
| CHS Farmers Alliance | Mitchell | Agriculture Precision Technology Agriculture Production |
| CHS Rivers Plains | Gettysburg | Agriculture Precision Technology Agriculture Production |
| Coeur Wharf | ||
| Coffee Cup Travel Plaza TA Express / H&H Enterprises | Summit | Diesel Technology |
| Community Memorial Hospital | Burke | Registered Nursing |
| Cornerstone Industries | Wall | Building Trades Technology |
| Coteau des Prairies Health Care System | Sisseton | Computer Information Systems Medical Lab Technician Practical Nursing Registered Nursing |
| CJ Schwan’s | Sioux Falls | Electronic Systems Technology Energy Technology Robotics |
| Dakota Automation | Watertown | Energy Technology Precision Technology Robotics |
| Dakota Family Dentistry | Huron | Dental Hygiene |
| Dakotaland Manufacturing | Watertown | Precision Machining Robotics Welding Technology |
| Daktronics | Brookings | Electronic Systems Technology Energy Technology Precision Technology |
| Dakota Bodies | Watertown | Auto Body & Paint Technology Welding Technology |
| Dakota Granite | Milbank | Diesel Technology Electronic Systems Technology Energy Operations Heavy Equipment Operator |
| Dental Care Center | Mitchell | Dental Assisting Dental Hygiene |
| Diesel Machinery Inc. (DMI) | Sioux Falls | Diesel Technology |
| Duininck Inc. | Watertown | Diesel Technology Heavy Equipment Operator |
| Dynamic Engineering | Watertown | Precision Machining |
| East River Contracting | Watertown | Building Trades Technology |
| ESCO Mfg. | Watertown | Welding Technology |
| Embrace Dentistry | Watertown | Dental Assisting Dental Hygiene |
| Farmers Implement & Irrigation | Brookings Watertown | Diesel Technology Welding Technology |
| Faulkton Area Medical Center | Faulkton | Medical Lab Technician |
| Fiegen Construction | Sioux Falls | Building Trades Technology Welding Technology |
| First Rate Excavate | Sioux Falls | Heavy Equipment Operator |
| GCC | Watertown | Diesel Technology Energy Technology |
| General Equipment & Supplies, Inc. | Sioux Falls | Diesel Technology |
| Graco Inc. | Sioux Falls | Precision Machining |
| Gray Construction Company | Watertown | Building Trades Technology |
| Great Plains Dental | Sioux Falls | Dental Assisting Dental Hygiene |
| Greg Johnson Construction, Inc. | Bristol | Building Trades Technology |
| Horizon Health | Various | Dental Assisting Dental Hygiene |
| Horton, Inc. | Britton | Precision Machining |
| Huron Regional Medical Center | Huron | Medical Laboratory Technician Practical Nursing Registered Nursing Surgical Technology |
| Jack Link’s | Alpena | Robotics Welding Technology |
| Journey Group Companies | Sioux Falls | Building Trades Technology Diesel Technology Heavy Equipment Operator |
| Kore Cares In Home Services | Chamberlain | Practical Nursing |
| L.G. Everist, Inc. | Dell Rapids | Heavy Equipment Operator Welding Technology |
| Lien Transportation | Aberdeen | Heavy Equipment Operator |
| Loiseau Construction | Flandreau | Diesel Technology Heavy Equipment Operator Welding Technology |
| Madison Regional Health System | Madison | Med/Fire Rescue-Paramedic Option Medical Assisting Medical Laboratory Technician Practical Nursing Registered Nursing |
| Malloy Electric | Sioux Falls | Energy Operations Energy Technology Precision Machining |
| MASABA, Inc. | Vermillion | Welding Technology |
| Mills Construction | Brookings | Building Trades Technology |
| Mobridge Regional Hospital | Mobridge | Med/Fire Rescue-Paramedic Option Medical Assisting Medical Laboratory Technician Practical Nursing Registered Nursing Surgical Technology |
| Monument Health | Rapid City | Medical Laboratory Technician Practical Nursing Registered Nursing Surgical Technology |
| Muth Electric, Inc. | Mitchell | Robotics |
| Overweg Repair | Kimball | Automotive Technology Diesel Technology |
| Philip Health Services, Inc. | Philip | Medical Lab Technician Practical Nursing Registered Nursing |
| Pierre Dental Clinic | Pierre | Dental Assisting Dental Hygiene |
| Poet Biorefining – Big Stone | Big Stone City | Energy Operations Energy Technology |
| Prairie Heights Healthcare | Aberdeen | Practical Nursing Registered Nursing |
| Prairie Lakes Healthcare System | Watertown | Practical Nursing Registered Nursing Surgical Technology |
| Quality Tool | Brookings | Precision Machining |
| Ramsdell F&M Ltd | Flandreau | Agriculture: Agri-Production |
| Rapid Precision Manufacturing, Inc. | Britton | Precision Machining Robotics |
| RDO Equipment Co. | Various | Agriculture (Precision Technology) Diesel Technology |
| Sanford / Good Samaritan Society | Sioux Falls | Medical Assisting Medical Laboratory Technician Practical Nursing Registered Nursing Surgical Technology |
| Scull Construction Service Inc. | Rapid City | Building Trades Technology Diesel Technology |
| Showplace Cabinetry | Harrisburg | Robotics |
| Site Work Specialist Inc. | Rapid City | Diesel Technology Heavy Equipment Operator |
| Smith Equipment / Miller Electric Mfg. | Watertown | Precision Machining |
| South Dakota Renewable Energy Association | Sioux Falls | Energy Operations Energy Technology |
| Stan Houston Equipment | Aberdeen Sioux Falls Watertown | Automotive Technology Diesel Technology |
| Stan’s Inc. | Alpena | Computer Information Systems Diesel Technology |
| Stemper Auto Body | Madison | Auto Body & Paint Technology |
| Stewart Construction Inc. | Watertown | Building Trades Technology |
| StoneyBrook Suites | Brookings | Building Trades Technology |
| Summit Contracting | Platte | Building Trades Technology |
| Terex Utilities | Watertown | Auto Body & Paint Technology Automotive Technology Welding Technology |
| Titan Machinery | Statewide | Diesel Technology |
| Twin City Die Castings Company | Watertown | Robotics |
| Twin City Fan Companies | Aberdeen, Brookings | Welding Technology |
| Valley Queen Cheese | Milbank | Energy Operations Energy Technology Robotics |
| Vander Haag’s Inc. | Sioux Falls | Diesel Technology (Truck) Welding Technology |
| Vermeer | Freeman | Welding Technology |
| Wagner Community Memorial Hospital – Avera | Wagner | Practical Nursing Registered Nursing |
| Webster Scale Inc. | Webster | Diesel Technology Heavy Equipment Operator |
| Zomer Truck & Trailer Sales | Sioux Falls | Diesel Technology |
