MDU RESOURCES DIRECTOR SCOTT RETIRES



BISMARCK, ND - Feb. 10, 2005 - MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) announces
the retirement of Homer A. Scott, Jr. from its Board of Directors effective Feb.
10, 2005. Scott has been a member of the MDU Resources board since May 1981 and
has served as a member of the finance, compensation and audit committees of the
board. He also was chairman of the audit committee for 17 years. Scott's
retirement is the result of a provision in the company's bylaws which requires
that outside directors retire when they reach age 70.

"Scotty's expertise and insight will be missed by all the members of our Board
of Directors," said Martin A. White, chairman of the board, president and chief
executive officer of MDU Resources. "In addition to his knowledge of the
financial side of business, he also has an extensive background in the
construction materials industry. Scotty, through his long history with our
corporation, has a broad knowledge of all of our lines of business. He is not
only a hard worker, but also the type of person with whom everyone enjoys
working. Scotty was a true advocate for our stockholders and has a talent for
balancing their needs with those of our employees and customers."


MDU Resources Group, Inc., a member of the S&P MidCap 400 index, provides
value-added natural resource products and related services that are essential to
the energy and transportation infrastructure. MDU Resources includes natural gas
and oil production, construction materials and mining, domestic and
international independent power production, electric and natural gas utilities,
natural gas pipelines and energy services, and utility services. For more
information about MDU Resources, see the company's Web site at www.mdu.com or
contact the investor relations department at investor@mduresources.com.