A Century of Grit: How Northern Improvement Keeps Building What Matters

The rigors of the North Dakota wilderness demand more than grit, they demand leaders who know how to adapt, decide and endure. Northern Improvement Company (NIC) Senior Vice President, Molly Barnes, is one of those leaders. A fourth-generation executive at the highway and heavy construction firm, Barnes has built her career not behind a desk, but in the pit, on the shop floor, and behind the controls of equipment like her Western Star trucks that keep America’s infrastructure moving.

Barnes’ great-grandfather started the business nearly one hundred years ago with a fleet of horse-drawn buggies, digging the original foundation for the Fargo Forum newspaper building using literal horsepower. Over generations, the company has grown alongside the nation’s infrastructure, from supporting President Eisenhower’s interstate highway initiative in the 1950s to delivering major projects across the U.S. and into Canada today, including asphalt and concrete paving, dam construction, aggregate mining, material recycling, oil field services, and specialty underground utility installation.

Barnes’ early aspirations to become a lawyer were eclipsed by her love for “working the pit,” which was owned and operated by her family’s business. That’s where the company sourced the minerals used to make asphalt and concrete for highway construction. And it’s where Barnes cut her teeth, performing a wide range of duties, including welding pieces of equipment in need of repair, assisting truck mechanics, and operating heavy equipment.

Barnes earned a bachelor’s degree in political science before pursuing an associate degree in civil engineering and land surveying, a transition that laid the foundation for her career. She began as an estimator and project manager before moving into the role of the company’s equipment manager. Later, she returned to school to earn her Master of Business Administration.

When reflecting on her early career, Barnes recalls the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated industry. “Back when I started in the 1990s, there was a real stigma about women in this business, but over time, those preconceptions have faded away,” she says. Women now make up a large portion of her company’s staff, both in the office and in the field.

Today, Barnes is a Senior Vice President of the business, which has grown to five locations in North Dakota and Arizona. It has also grown its fleet of trucks to nearly 400 vehicles, and Barnes has been instrumental in choosing the types of trucks they buy. Barnes points out, “We own all kinds of heavy equipment, from excavators to pavers, but we consider our trucks to be highly essential for supplying material and hauling heavy equipment to job sites.”

In 2022, after decades of loyalty to another vocational truck brand, Barnes decided it was time for a change. The company acquired its first Western Star X-Series, a 47X.

Barnes remembers, “I was attending truck manufacturer seminars, and I wasn’t afraid to ask a lot of questions, which seemed to annoy presenters. But one person stood out as different.” Barnes was impressed by a sales representative who appealed to her as a no-nonsense, straight shooter. He recommended she look into a Western Star.

In less than three years, Barnes and her company added more than thirty 47X dump trucks and dry bulk haulers to their fleet. NIC has five more 47Xs on order. Says Barnes, “We were looking for something more than reliable trucks. We were looking for a vested business partner, and we found that in our Western Star dealership.” North Dakota highway construction comes with some exceptional challenges, and Barnes likes that her Western Star people listen and are always willing to help her work through any issues.

When asked about the performance of her 47X, Barnes explains, “you have to understand, the eastern portion of North Dakota was once a glacier lake, meaning we have the most awful, sticky clay conditions. These 47Xs get through the mud really well while also having the on-highway power to keep up with traffic.” Pulling through for Barnes and her operators are the unrelenting powertrains built into their X-Series trucks that combine DD13 engine muscle and durability with the exceptional maneuverability of Detroit tandem axles. Barnes spec’d many of her 47X’s with DT12-V transmissions that give her operators a choice of rock-free, off-road, and paver modes for taking on the demands of any job.

Barnes reports that her operators love the 47X for its quiet ride, easy handling, and creature comforts. “Construction is not easy on people’s bodies, but 47X features like the comfortable driver’s seat and smooth shifting have been key to keeping our operators loyal to our company.” Barnes is pleased that the 47X has reduced much of the physical rigor of the job, helping extend operators’ careers well into their sixties. The 47X design has been an effective strategy for Barnes when it comes to getting around their local operator shortage.

Barnes agrees that high-tech features stand as the most significant advancements in trucks, especially with their safety systems. NIC specs their Western Stars with Detroit Assurance safety features like automated braking (Brake Assist) that aid operators with collision warnings when backing up or maneuvering around tight job sites.

Last but not least, Barnes raves about the awesome look and color scheme of her 47Xs, affectionately referring to them in a way that depicts the crossroad of toughness and elegance.

For Barnes, her company’s future remains grounded in a principle that has guided them for generations: There’s nothing we can’t do, and there’s always a better way to do it. With a motto like that, it’s no wonder NIC stakes their reputation on the ‘never back down’ toughness of Western Star trucks. It’s a Star Nation mindset forged in unforgiving conditions, sustained by people who think creatively, work relentlessly, and demand more from their equipment and their partners.

A special thank you to I-State Truck Centers for their continued support and partnership, as well as their commitment to understanding their customers' businesses and matching them with the right truck for the job