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https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/governor-noem-revs-up-south-dakotas-economic-engine-through-nascar/
Governor Noem revs up South Dakota’s economic engine through NASCAR
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Governor Kristi Noem is putting South Dakota in the fast lane when it comes to filling jobs.
Thursday she announced her “Freedom Works Here” advertising campaign is partnering with Live Fast Motorsports to sponsor a NASCAR race car.
Noem is revving up South Dakota’s economic engine through NASCAR.
Her ‘Freedom Works Here’ campaign will be one of the sponsors wrapped on BJ McLeod’s Chevy Camaro when he races this Sunday during the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond, Virginia.
“We looked at sponsoring NASCAR races before and partnering with teams in the past, because a lot of that demographic is who we are talking to,” Noem said.
It’s the latest effort in a $5 million dollar advertising campaign to reach people from other states and convince them to move here to work.
“For the last two years what I heard every single day from people in our state is we can’t get workers,” Noem said.
Noem says more than 3,500 people from every state have applied to move to South Dakota.
675 of those are in the final stages of moving here.
“Staff from across the state are helping folks from across the country explore the opportunities that are available right here in South Dakota,” South Dakota Labor Secretary Marcia Hultman said.
The Labor Secretary says the campaign is working.
“I’ve been involved with the Department of Labor for 26 years and I’ve been a part of a lot of marketing and recruitment efforts and the numbers we’ve seen are surpassing anything we’ve ever seen before,” Hultman said.
Governor Noem says during the pandemic, other states shutdown, but South Dakota remained open and that’s when the state began running the ‘Freedom Works Here’ ads.
“It was such a dark time in our country and people said to me over and over again, when I saw those South Dakota ads come on tv it was so refreshing and different I just wanted to come I wanted to bring my kids and I wanted to come visit and many of those people who came to visit in 2020, they went home and packed up their families and moved here, yup, that’s you? Alright I love it, we’re glad you’re here,” Noem said.
BJ McLeod’s car is number 78 that you can see Sunday and later when NASCAR goes to Bristol.