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PIERRE, S.D. – Pierre received welcome news today as Gov. Mike Rounds announced that Eagle Creek Software Services will bring 200 jobs to the Capital City.

"This is exciting news for Pierre and for all of South Dakota," Gov. Rounds said. "This dynamic company will hire 21 to 25-year-old college graduates. Eagle Creek will be a great addition to South Dakota’s corporate leaders."

Eagle Creek Software Services, a national organization headquartered in Minnetonka, MN, specializes in implementing and integrating Oracle customer relationship management (CRM) software for Fortune 2000 clients in a wide variety of industries, including financial services, health care, manufacturing, transportation, telecommunications, and consumer goods.

Ken Behrendt, Eagle Creek CEO, said that his company, Pierre and the state have formed a solid partnership. "Pierre is a dynamic community that is ready and willing to embrace change. We know that as we build our business here, it’s the quality of the people that we can attract and retain to the community that will allow us to grow here," he said.

Behrendt went on to say that he is confident he can find the workforce he needs. "We know that the college graduates coming out of South Dakota can compete worldwide. That’s why we’re here," he added.

Pierre Mayor Dennis Eisnach also commented on the partnerships formed with the company and the state. "We’ve developed a solid, strong partnership during the last seven months as we worked with Ken and his company officials. Eagle Creek is a really good fit for Pierre and we couldn’t be more pleased to welcome them as our newest corporate citizen," Eisnach said.

The Mayor also noted that this project would not have been possible without the support of the City Council, Pierre Economic Development Corporation and the Pierre Chamber. "It was truly a community effort. We all worked hard and put our full support behind this project," he said.

Eagle Creek has shown significant growth during the last several years. The Governor noted that the recently announced creation of a Pierre Young Professional’s organization will be a wonderful tool in helping attract workers to Pierre. "This group will ultimately be a catalyst in workforce recruitment in the Pierre area," he said. "The goal of the group is to let people know that Pierre is not only a great place to work, but a great place to live, as well. That’s important to people when accepting a job," he added.

The Pierre Economic Development Corporation is constructing a 15,000 square foot facility which it will lease back to Eagle Creek. Construction is expected to be completed by next fall, but the company plans to start hiring in March and will be operational in a temporary facility by June.

Interested people can go to www.eaglecrk.com to learn more about Eagle Creek and job opportunities within the company. The Career Service Center in Pierre will also be accepting applications.

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