February 19, 1981 the landscape of South Dakota - and Sioux Falls - changed forever.

It was on this date that Citibank arrived in South Dakota with a handful of people, a vision and a promise.

Today, that vision has grown into over 3,000 dedicated employees who've played a major role in Citibank's rise to become the largest provider of credit cards in the world.

It was then Governor Bill Janklow who had the idea of approaching Citibank in the first place.  He was convinced South Dakota had just what the corporation was looking for.

When everyone else scoffed at his idea, Governor Janklow flew to New York and sat down with Citibank officials convincing them that the state - with only one area code and less than a million residents - could help Citibank grow to what it is today.

Shortly after that, the state legislature passed the necessary laws needed to welcome the corporate giant to the Midwest - and the jobs that came along with it.

Because of Citibank's arrival in South Dakota, Sioux Falls has grown from being known as a blue collar meatpacking town to a city today that houses several of the world's major credit card companies.

The promise Citibank brought to the upper plains back in 1981 has since become one of the greatest partnerships in South Dakota history.

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