What makes Sioux Falls one of the fastest-growing business communities in the Midwest?

Why are companies, entrepreneurs, families, and developers continuing to invest in South Dakota?

And what does it actually take to build a city where business, community, leadership, and opportunity all grow together?

In this episode of 2 B's in a Podcast, Brad Jans and Brian Jans of Jans Corporation sit down with Jeff Griffin, President and CEO of the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, for a wide-ranging conversation about economic development, workforce challenges, political leadership, business advocacy, and the future of Sioux Falls.

Jeff shares his journey from Ohio to South Dakota, his background in public service and community leadership, and how he became one of the most influential voices in Sioux Falls business and economic development.

Together, they unpack what many leaders around the country call Sioux Falls' "secret sauce"—the unique culture of collaboration between business leaders, elected officials, entrepreneurs, developers, educators, and community organizations.

This conversation explores what's working, what challenges lie ahead, and what it will take to keep Sioux Falls growing over the next decade.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Jeff Griffin's journey to Sioux Falls
• What the Chamber of Commerce actually does
• The biggest misconceptions about business advocacy
• Why Sioux Falls continues to attract people, businesses, and investment
• Public-private partnerships that shaped Sioux Falls
• How Forward Sioux Falls helped transform the city
• TIF (Tax Increment Financing) explained
• Workforce development challenges in South Dakota
• Recruiting talent to the Midwest
• The role of relationships in economic development
• Why agribusiness remains critical to South Dakota's economy
• Political division, leadership, and civic responsibility
• The future of Sioux Falls over the next 5–10 years
• Advice for entrepreneurs, business owners, and future community leaders

Whether you're a business owner, entrepreneur, contractor, developer, community leader, or someone curious about why Sioux Falls continues to grow, this episode offers an inside look at the people and partnerships shaping one of America's most dynamic regional economies.

About 2 B's in a Podcast:

Hosted by Brad Jans and Brian Jans of Jans Corporation, 2 B's in a Podcast explores construction, entrepreneurship, family business, leadership, ranching, and the people building South Dakota.

New episodes feature business owners, builders, entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and community changemakers from Sioux Falls and across the Midwest.

Connect with Jans Corporation:
Website: https://janscorp.com
YouTube: Jans Corporation

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone building something meaningful.

Matt Thornton had eight East Coast med school interviews lined up. A week before the first one, he took his dad to lunch and asked if it would be weird to walk away from medicine to stay in the family flooring business. His dad said he was cool with it. Matt never looked back.

That was 1997. In 2016, he bought his parents out completely. Today, Thornton Flooring operates out of a 100,000+ square foot showroom off I-29 in Tea, South Dakota, with additional locations in Sioux City and Rapid City — grown from the single garage stall where his parents started the business in the early 1980s.

Brad and Brian Jans of Jans Corporation sit down with Matt for a real conversation about taking over a family business, working side-by-side with your parents for 15+ years, and what it actually takes to grow something your family built without losing what made it worth building in the first place.

In this episode:

• Why Matt walked away from medicine to join his parents' flooring business

• Working alongside his mom and dad for over 15 years — and the day his mom "quit" over lunch

• Buying his parents out in 2016 and what that transition actually looked like

• The values his parents instilled that he still leads with today — "you wear your name with pride"

• Why culture is the thing he protects most as the business grows

• Going from a 40,000 sq ft warehouse to a 100,000+ sq ft showroom across three states

• Staying growth-motivated even after building the business he always dreamed of

• How Bob Shaw, founder of Shaw Industries and now Engineered Floors, still meets with customers at nearly 90 years old

• Surrounding yourself with people smarter than you — and letting them carry the business with you

• What's next for Thornton Flooring in the next 3, 5, and 10 years

Guest: Matt Thornton, Owner, Thornton Flooring

Hosts: Brad Jans & Brian Jans, Jans Corporation Visit Thornton Flooring: thorntonflooring.com Locations: Tea, SD (I-29 exit) | Sioux City, IA | Rapid City, SD

2 B's in a Podcast is real conversations with family business owners, community leaders, and the people building South Dakota. Produced in Sioux Falls, SD

Hosted by Brad and Brian Jans of Jans Corporation commercial construction built on relationships.

What does food insecurity really look like in South Dakota?

In this episode of 2 B's in a Podcast, Brad and Brian Jans of Jans Corporation sit down with Lori Dykstra of Feeding South Dakota to talk about the growing hunger crisis across Sioux Falls and the entire state of South Dakota.

This is a real conversation about food insecurity, rural hunger, child hunger, volunteer needs, food access, and what Feeding South Dakota needs most right now.

Lori shares what is happening across all 66 counties, why food insecurity is now at one of the highest levels South Dakota has seen, what families are facing when groceries, childcare, housing, and transportation costs all rise at the same time, and why solving hunger is about more than just handing out food.

We also talk about:

• Why one in five children in South Dakota are food insecure

• How Feeding South Dakota serves Sioux Falls, rural communities, and the entire state

• What a food desert and food swamp really mean

• Why hunger in rural South Dakota can be harder to solve

• How mobile distributions, school pantries, backpack programs, senior boxes, veteran boxes, and wellness pantries work

• What kinds of food are most needed right now

• How businesses, churches, schools, and volunteers can help

This episode also answers the questions people are actively searching for:

What is food insecurity in South Dakota?
How many people in South Dakota are food insecure?
What does Feeding South Dakota do?
What foods are most needed at food banks right now?
How can I help Feeding South Dakota?
What should I donate to a food bank in Sioux Falls or South Dakota?
How does Feeding South Dakota serve rural communities?
What causes hunger in South Dakota?

If you live in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, care about hunger relief, nonprofits, food banks, volunteering, community impact, or helping local families, this episode is worth watching and sharing.

2 B's in a Podcast | Jans Corporation
Real conversations about construction, leadership, community, family business, and the people helping build a stronger Sioux Falls and South Dakota.

Feeding South Dakota serves all 66 counties across the state, helping connect individuals and families with food through direct distribution, community partnerships, and hunger relief programs.

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