Wes Rydell, a 1959 graduate of Grand Forks Central High School, was awarded the North Dakota Business Innovator of the Year by the UND Center for Innovation and, in 2005, was given the Sioux Award, the highest honor award by the UND Alumni Association.

Rydell is the current dealer principal at Rydell Auto Center as well as the chief executive officer of the Rydell Company, an automotive holding company formed in 1994. In 1976, Rydell bought his first car dealership from his father Leonard Rydell. From this original store, Wes Rydell has expanded the company into the largest automobile dealership in North Dakota, with over 70 stores located in 14 states.