May 7, 2018

Dakota Carriers will be the next business to locate at Foundation Park, the 800-acre property under development in northwest Sioux Falls.

Tim and Lisa Schenk own the business, which was founded in 1992 by Jim and Brigitte Fowlds who were truck driver and dispatcher, respectively.

The Schenks, who owned Schenk Trucking since 1994, bought the business three years ago. His son, Mitchell, also works there.

There currently are locations at 4000 N. National Ave. and 3405 W. Hovland Drive.

“We’re maxed at both locations – out of office space and out of parking,” Tim Schenk said.

The 8-acre property at Foundation Park will allow them to combine the locations and expand. There will be a 5,600-square-foot office and a 17,500-square-foot shop for the trucks.

“We’ll be able to combine both repair shops. Right now, I have mechanics in both locations,” Schenk said.

The business has 63 employees and works with 21 owner-operators as independent contractors.

“Since I bought it, we’ve grown 60 percent, from about 30 to 70 trucks, so we’re just busy,” Schenk said.

The new property has room for 150 trucks.

Clients keeping Dakota Carriers busy, include Starmark Cabinetry, Smithfield and Blue Bunny.

“Everything is busy in freight right now,” he said, adding he was attracted to Foundation Park because of its easy access to interstates 29 and 90.

“We’re just a young, growing company, and it’s building for the future for my son to take over,” he said.

Dakota Carriers will be built on a new cul-de-sac not far from where Win Chill will start its operations this month.

That allows the Sioux Falls Development Foundation to market some additional 5- and 6-acre lots.

“It just puts some smaller parcels in the inventory for us,” vice president Dean Dziedzic said, adding there has been demand for properties of that size.

Adding Dakota Carriers to the development is a good fit, he said.

“Logistics is a target for us, and for him to combine his facilities into one and upgrade facilities is a retention win for us.”

The move is more than two years in the making, Dziedzic added.

“I don’t think people realize the amount of patience and time and effort needed to put a deal together,” he said.

The next steps should go much faster. Construction will start soon, and the plan is to be open sometime in October.

The Sioux Falls Development Foundation continues to receive inquiries about other spaces in the park, Dziedzic said.

“The pipeline is good. It’s just having the patience to work the deals and get them to come to fruition. We’re extremely pleased with the type of response and inquiries at this point.”