DICKINSON (AP) - A business that started making church furniture some 40 years ago is now making oil tanks.

The changes at Steffes Corp., reflect the growth in oil development in southwestern North Dakota.

"People around here involved in oil industry approached Steffes in 2006, saying there's going to be a need of oil tanks," said Todd Mayer, a Steffes engineer.

Steffes produces dozens of items in Dickinson, and does contract work for several other companies, including Bobcat and Arctic Cat.

Steffes completed its first oil tank a year ago. Mayer said it has made 500 since then and is still growing.

The tanks that hold 400 barrels of oil each start from a 38-foot-long sheet of metal that goes through a roller to shape it before welding.

"Our tanks are storing the oil before a truck picks it up and takes it to a pipeline or somewhere else," Mayer said.

Oil development has been good for other businesses in the region.

Duane Jesch works for Missouri Basin Well Service, which started as a one-truck business in 1978. His trucks service 50 rigs a day and haul oil from the wells to the pipelines.

"The numbers we hear we're loving, and we want to keep growing with this thing," Jesch said "If it takes 250 trucks, in the next six months - whatever it takes - we're going to try to grow."