Rough Rider Industries

05/11/2026

The Associated General Contractors of North Dakota (AGC) once again hosted their annual Demo Days event in Mandan this past week. The event provided participants with the opportunity to operate a variety of heavy equipment, including dozers, skid steers, cranes, excavators, and more. Construction leaders also showcased survey equipment and other technologies used on today’s job sites.

Residents from the Missouri River Correctional Center had the chance to gain hands-on experience operating the featured equipment. The feedback from MRCC attendees was overwhelmingly positive, and many expressed gratitude for the opportunity. One RRI participant even made a valuable job connection ahead of his release.

RRI would like to thank AGC and all participating representatives for making this another successful and impactful event.

05/07/2026

RRI is proud to partner with Bismarck State College on the brand-new Bavendick Center!

The custom-designed lockers were built with the athlete in mind—featuring BSC branding, personalized details for each player, touch keypad locks, integrated lighting, ventilation, and even built-in phone charging.

This one-of-a-kind setup is the result of months of collaboration between RRI and BSC, and we couldn’t be more excited about the final product.

Pictured here is our RRI delivery and installation team putting the finishing touches on the project—trimming, sealing, and making sure everything is just right. They even took a moment to enjoy the view from the custom RRI-designed signing table, where future BSC athletes will begin their journey, overlooking the courtside action.

A big thank you to Team BSC for trusting RRI to be part of this incredible project!

04/24/2026

One final highlight from RRI’s team visit to the NCIA National Conference:

RRI, in collaboration with CCALCTRA(California Prison Industries), hosted a workshop demonstrating how our states implement AAutoCADtraining and professional certification within correctional industries programs.

The workshop’s main presenter was former RRI resident and current RRI Product Design Specialist, David Sisson. David’s journey is a powerful example of transformation and opportunity. He entered prison in 1996 at just 17 years old and was released at 47 after nearly 30 years of incarceration. While inside, David earned his professional AutoCAD certification—an internationally recognized credential used across architecture, engineering, design, and fabrication industries.

During the workshop, David shared his personal story and spoke about what it meant to gain access to meaningful education and design skills through AutoCAD. His perspective brought real depth and inspiration to the session.

We are incredibly proud of David’s accomplishments and grateful for his willingness to share his journey.

We were also honored to partner with CALCTRA, Autodesk, and tthinkEDUto bring this workshop to life.

04/21/2026

We are extremely proud of Chris and his achievements at RRI and the impression he made on the National Correctional Industries Association. Yesterday, we promised to share the nomination letter and a video on Chris. We hope you enjoy.

Chris serves as our Pricing and Inventory Coordinator and has made a substantial impact by overhauling overhead costing and pricing structures across all cost accounting centers. By ensuring every manufactured product reflects the most current raw material and overhead costs, he has strengthened the accuracy of our financial data. This work has increased confidence in our pricing strategies, allowing us to remain competitive while directly contributing to higher revenue, improved profitability, and a greater number of successfully secured projects.

Chris’s journey is equally remarkable. As a former Adult in Custody (AIC) who completed a 10-year sentence, he became our program’s first “second chance” hire—setting a powerful precedent for others to follow. A model participant and high achiever during his time in the program, Chris has continued to excel in his professional role, fully justifying the opportunity he was given.

Since his release, Chris has delivered over four years of outstanding service while also dedicating himself to helping others navigate reentry. Drawing from his lived experience, he supports individuals in securing housing, employment, and transportation, donates essential household items, and shares community resources. His compassion, credibility, and commitment have made a lasting impact both within our organization and in the broader community, earning him the respect of staff and current and former AICs alike.

04/20/2026

RRI is pleased to announce that Chris Clawson was selected as the National Staff Award winner and last week’s National Correctional Industries Association’s (NCIA) national training conference held in Jacksonville, Florida!

Thirty-three staff from across the United States from both state and federal correctional systems were nominated.

Chris was selected as this year’s award winner and is the first time a staff member has received this award from North Dakota.

Stay tuned tomorrow as we share Chris' nomination letter along with a video that was shown at the conference!

04/10/2026

Rough Rider Industries (RRI) and the HR team from the North Dakota Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation were proud to attend this week’s Construction and Trades Job Fair. It was a great turnout, and we’re excited about the opportunity to connect with so many job seekers!

We’re currently looking to fill a Furniture Production Specialist position and are hopeful this event helped us meet some great candidates.

A big thank you to Job Service North Dakota - Bismarck for hosting such a well-organized and successful event!

04/08/2026

Don't miss the opportunity to attend the Construction & Trades Job Fair tomorrow at the Job Service North Dakota - Bismarck Workforce Center!

04/01/2026

Rough Rider Industries serves as the job skills training program for the State of North Dakota. Our mission is to provide meaningful work opportunities that promote skill development, productivity during incarceration, and successful reintegration into society.

If you're passionate about woodworking, production leadership, and making a meaningful impact on your community, we encourage you to apply!

omb.nd.gov/team-nd-careers/career-openings

The .gov means it's official. Official North Dakota websites will end in .gov. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a government site.

03/31/2026

Out with the old, in with the new! 🚀

This past Friday, we welcomed our brand-new Amada fiber laser, replacing our previous machine with a major upgrade in speed, precision, and performance. This cutting-edge technology allows us to process metal faster and with incredible accuracy, delivering cleaner, more efficient results.

Providing hands-on experience with the latest industry equipment is a key part of our program. Our residents now have the opportunity to work directly with advanced fiber laser technology and modern software, helping them build valuable, real-world skills.

Fiber laser cutting uses a high-powered, focused beam to melt and remove material—resulting in precise, clean cuts and representing the future of metal fabrication.

03/30/2026

Another wonderful story from North Dakota Nice with Amanda Kosior! Thanks for sharing about Chris and making him the Nice Person of the Week!

03/25/2026

We absolutely loved having North Dakota Nice with Amanda Kosior visit our shops in Bismarck and spend the day learning all about Rough Rider Industries! *We should really stamp our pieces with ‘Made in North Dakota' 😉 Read her blog below to understand!

Late last year, I toured North Dakota’s maximum-security prison in Bismarck. If you didn’t know that or would like a refresher, I’ve put a link inside the story below to the article that pro…