Increased traffic rumbles through town at any given time. Steady activity in the form of trucks or heavy equipment helps demonstrate the immediate impact of the latest oil boom at Williston.

“We’ve grown substantially in two years’ time,” Williston Economic Development director, Tom Ralstad said. “Our population is up to nearly 16,000 from 12,500 – largely driven by oil and farming.”

Currently, career opportunities are abundant in the oil and gas industry, directly effecting Williston’s workforce. “This has pretty much pirated other jobs in our community,” Ralstad said. “Nearly 80% of our college students are female. Agricultural employers see challenges in hiring; Williston needs workers at every level – entry level and everywhere else.”

Baby boomers, traditionally having held the best jobs in the Williston community (attorneys, chiropractors, physicians) are coming to retirement age in the next 10 years or so. As the main service center for industry – in the midst of an oil boom – businesses at Williston recognize the need for recruiting a workforce. Workforce needed to keep up with growth and retirements.

The need for someone to oversee the efforts of recruiting and retaining a workforce, for the added demands in employment, prompted the creation and employ of a ‘Workforce Attraction Specialist’.

Workers find working for the oil industry financially attractive. The reward comes quickly, provided they fit into the culture of the industry and pass drug testing. With nearly 180 businesses created from [spinoff] the energy industry alone, the Williston community sees local employment opportunities a given.

“In 1978, I moved here to start Kotana Communications,” Williston mayor Ward Koeser said. “Kotana Communications enjoyed the boom and survived the bust.” Koeser described his communications business as a wireless communications company installing hands-free booster kits to oil vehicles, allowing communication in remote places for farmers and businesses alike.

The influx of folks moving to Williston brings challenges, which change daily. “Our biggest challenge is housing,” Koeser said.

In addition leaving lucrative career positions, folks retiring (either downsizing or moving toward assisted living) are opening up a limited amount of affordable, existing options for those in need of housing. Traditional builders continue constructing homes for long-term investment. One developer is building a total of 10 36-plex apartment complexes – with a fullyfurnished concept. Modular homes, twin homes, and mobile home developments all offer new families, single men, or women home choices in Williston.

“Young families create a rebirth in ways,” Ralstad said. “Although there are more childcare and educational needs, our capacity is ok for now. Our timing was good, with the addition of our new middle school, and upgrades to both the high school and the college.”

Williston State College now has an oil training program. Ralstad said the program addresses both safety and technology advancements – particular to the industry, resulting in a clean work force that is safety conscious, as well as current in technology.

Retail business is steady. However, Ralstad said that even those in business wonder how long the boom will last. The oil can’t go on forever, so there are people getting into ethanol, refi neries, and railroad transloading sites. “The oil has to go out and the diesel fuel has to come in [to move it out],” he said.

Ralstad said the roadways are bearing the weight of the heavy trucks and equipment, for oil traffic as well as farming. He said it’s not uncommon to see 30, 40, or 50 trailers of sand and water for fracking a well (fracking a well is pumping sand into the formation, under enough pressure to crack the rock, pump sand into the cracks, fi nally breaking the rock).

Key people in the food industry to participate in an ‘agricultural frontier’ by touring the region, golfi ng, fi shing, and networking with the MonDak Ag-Open, now in its eleventh year. Area farmers discuss higher crop prices and recommendations regarding crop rotation. Previously, farmers ‘rested’ the soil for upcoming wheat years; today’s farmers plant peas or lentils every other year, bringing nitrogen back into the soil, acting as a fertilizer for the following spring’s wheat crops.

Irrigation development for the area’s agriculture comes from the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers, which contain a majority of the water drainage for the states of North Dakota and Montana. The Yellowstone Confl uence Center, a modern interpretive center, tells the story of the river’s impact.

Located in the northwestern lands of North Dakota, Williston is a 60-mile drive from Canada and 18 from Montana. Lake Sakakawea, just 16 miles away, provides recreation, as both Forts Union and Buford and the north unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park offers a tourism component to Williston’s industry.

As land, water, and wide-open spaces bring hunters, fishers, and birding to the rugged outdoors, local athletes flock toward Williston’s sporting activities. A sports-minded community, there are two indoor hockey arenas, a curling arena, an archery arena, a full-size racetrack, a rodeo arena, and ball parks. Ralstad said new people are bringing new ideas of what to do and try in the area, such as kite sailing.

Actual air flights are up from two fl ights per day to fi ve. A geographical center for business and retail, Williston draws traveling patrons from as far as 150 miles away to be part of the activity.

“Even with the oil, it’s like the calm before a storm,” Ralstad said. “Our motels continue to book and remain full, which is similar to the boom of the 80’s, when workers camped out year round at the KOA in tents.”

“There is a lot of dialogue between interested investing parties [and the Williston community],” Koeser said. “Once our population base increases, we will attract more retail, restaurants, and motels. The larger [business] chains will react to that.”

“We are ordinary people, here,” Ralstad said. “We’re like Mayberry and we’ll work to keep it that way. North Dakota is about the safest place in the United States, and Williston should be the safest place in North Dakota.”

Koeser said a three-part ‘Build Williston Initiative’ focuses on the workforce, housing, and quality of life components of this boom’s impact on the community. Williston folks know oil as an industry tends to be cyclical, and their economy must diversify – become not only an oil and agriculture community, but encourage a balance with other business and retail factors.

“We’re keeping pace,” Koeser said. “Williston has seen good growth in the past few years.” He said their infrastructure is good, and they’ve managed to keep up with streets and recently a new water treatment plant.

“You’ll see oil rigs as you enter Williston from the Badlands, or as you drive east from Williston on 1804,” he said. “Truck traffic moves through the oil fields in the form of convoys.”

Williston residents are optimistic. They hope to have many years of oil. This is good for the nation. Good for the state. And good for Williston.