Gov. Rounds announces national software company selects South Dakota for expansion

PIERRE, S.D. –Gov. Mike Rounds today announced that Milbank has been selected by Link It Software Corporation of California as the site for a major corporate expansion. The company will create five jobs immediately and as many as 60 in the next several years.

“We are very pleased that Link It chose South Dakota as the best state in the nation in which to locate its new division.  This high-tech company has committed to build a professional technical staff, and will be hiring its employees from South Dakota,” said Gov. Rounds.

The Governor went on to say that Link It Software will immediately begin hiring staff to manage sales, product development, technical services, and customer services, as well as to work with project managers in California to launch a major new Web product in early 2006. The state will assist Link It through its Workforce Development program.

“These are exactly the kind of high-tech jobs we have committed ourselves to bring to South Dakota in the state’s 2010 Initiative,” continued Gov. Rounds.  “Link It’s selection of South Dakota proves that we can compete for, and win, high-tech jobs in the national arena.”

Link It Software currently has two products, which are sold world wide.  Job Master Software is designed to run job shops and small to medium-sized manufacturers and EZ Maintenance Software schedules and controls maintenance for all types of equipment and vehicles.  These software packages have some thousands of users throughout the US, Canada, Europe and Latin America.  Link It’s customers range from small companies to large firms such as Disney, G.E., Lockheed, Northrop-Grumman, Shell Oil, White Sands Missile Range, Los Alamos Labs and others.  

Link It’s managing partners, CEO Wayne McFarland and President Dr. Gloria McFarland, a Cal Tech Ph.D., related that South Dakota could become a leader in stopping the hemorrhage of US high-tech jobs to off shore outsourcing.  “We looked at a lot of options for our expansion,” they stated, “including India and The Philippines.”

“On paper, with the differences in staff costs, going off shore would seem to be a no-brainer,” explained CEO Wayne McFarland.  “However, we have come to believe that South Dakota, with its great cost of living and terrific workforce, is the formula for long term victory in our industry.  We have a number of other companies watching this to see how it works out.  We are hopeful that our Technology Center in Milbank will become a location for other high tech firms as well,” he said.

McFarland concluded that the decision to locate in South Dakota was heavily influenced by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, local communities, and ultimately by the Governor himself.  

“Two other states were in the running along with South Dakota.  What ultimately carried the day was the ongoing, impressive effort made by the staff of South Dakota’s Office of Economic Development, the local South Dakota communities, and the Governor.  We were quite impressed that Governor Rounds took time to meet with us on more than one occasion to personally present the case for South Dakota.  We’re committing a lot in our expansion, and we were searching for a state that was determined to commit to us in return.  We found that in South Dakota,” McFarlane said.

As of this week, Link It is initiating its hiring process for IT, Web support, sales and customer service employees.  Those interested may see job postings at http://www.linkitsoftware.com/jobs.php