Vorbeck Materials opens manufacturing facility
Facility will provide UND students with employment, experiential learning opportunities
Last week, campus and community leaders cut the ribbon of a manufacturing facility that will provide experiential learning opportunities for UND students, while also bolstering the region’s economy.
On May 6, Vorbeck Materials – a Maryland-based manufacturer of products for clients spanning the defense, aerospace and first responder industries – opened its new, 47,000 square foot campus in Grand Forks.
Tyler Sletten, director of operations for Vorbeck, opened the event. Sletten, who previously worked at UND’s Center for Innovation, reminisced on meeting company leadership for the first time.
“When I sat in the boardroom at CFI and learned about Vorbeck, I came away knowing that we had to have this company in Grand Forks,” he said.
Vorbeck CEO John Lettow added that the “national and global level talent at UND” was a major factor in choosing to build its manufacturing facility in Grand Forks.
“The first thing we noticed about this area is that it has a fantastically connected business ecosystem,” Lettow said. “Then there is UND. It is an incredible asset to this community. It has excellent programs – national security, the Research Institute for Autonomous Systems, UAS and growing space programs. It’s just an ideal place that we are honored to be.”
North Dakota U.S. Sen. John Hoeven cited rising enrollment at UND – and Vorbeck’s partnership with the College of Engineering & Mines to provide internship opportunities – as a boon to the region’s workforce.
“Think about what this means for recruiting people to live in North Dakota, in this exciting, growing economy,” Hoeven said. “If you’re a student interested in space, aerospace or UAS, you don’t just see it in the classroom – you live it. You can be part of these companies developing these technologies and jobs for the future.”
In addition to providing internship and employment opportunities for UND students, Vorbeck sponsors UND’s Advanced Rocketry Club – an organization introducing students to the mechanics of designing and testing rockets.
One such Vorbeck product that will be manufactured at the new facility – and beneficial to area first responders – is its patented graphene-based firefighting foam. According to Lettow, the product is more effective than traditional firefighting agents and contains no PFAS, a chemical known to cause environmental and health harms.
“We now have the highest performing foam, not only in the country but also in the world,” Lettow said.
Following the ribbon-cutting, members of the Grand Forks Fire Department demonstrated the capabilities of Vorbeck’s firefighting foam by extinguishing a simulated fire.
