The Lac du Flambeau Business Development Corporation, wholly owned by the 3,600-memer Lac du Flambeau tribe in Wisconsin, is an example of economic diversification, based on the fact that the gaming revenues from the tribe’s Lake of the Torches Resort Casino may rise or fall. Brent McFarland, chief operating officer for the corporation, said, “We want to diversify. Unfortunately, some tribes have yet to do that.”
So far that diversification includes LDF Construction, which hopes to partner with nine other tribes or bands to handle construction projects beyond Lac du Flambeau. The corporation also operates an internet lending and call center, which also handles credit-card processing. The center is managed by Melissa Doud, a 20-year U.S. Army veteran and former banker, who said, “We have a multitude of businesses that generate revenue, and our goal is to become more sustainable while giving back to the tribe.”
The corporation also runs a fish hatchery, a wholesale fuel business and an electric company that produces meters to measure current. Recently, the LDF Business Development Corporation became the first general Aflac Insurance agency in Indian Country. Future plans include a 76-acre business and technology park.
