Let's Talk Taxes - Specifically Montana Property Tax |
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On April 2, Bob Story, Executive Director of the Montana Taxpayers Association and Todd O'Hair, President & CEO of the Montana Chamber and member of the Governor's Property Tax Task Force, held a virtual discussion around challenges and potential solutions to Montana's property tax.
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ALERT: We Need to Hear from YOU |
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The Montana Chamber has received reports of Alibaba and TEMU selling counterfeit Montana made products. It’s unclear how widespread this practice is, but it appears to be growing.
Currently, there is no process or redress for the theft of copyrighted material sold on Temu and Alibaba. Gathering information on how widespread this practice is will be helpful as we communicate with our elected officials.
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MDU Celebrates Its Centennial |
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MDU Resources has a proud history. Incorporated on March 14, 1924, The company started as a small utility business. Yet, while MDU Resources branched out into other industries over the years, it has throughout its history remained committed to its core business of regulated energy delivery.
As the company celebrates 100 years, it looks forward to the next century of providing safe, reliable, and cost-effective electric and natural gas service to the customers and communities it serves.
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American Farmland Trust and Anheuser-Busch Support Montana Farmers through New U.S. Farmed Certification |
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STARTING WITH A-B'S BUSCH LIGHT, CERTIFICATION INCLUDES NEW PACKAGING SEAL FOR PRODUCTS MADE WITH INGREDIENTS GROWN BY AMERICAN FARMERS
Anheuser-Busch recently announced the national rollout of its newly-adopted U.S. Farmed certification and seal for several of its industry-leading beer brands, showing support for farmers in the U.S., including Montana, where the state's farmers sold nearly $4.5B worth of agricultural products in 20221. Developed and verified by the American Farmland Trust (AFT), a national nonprofit that helps to keep American farmers on their land, the U.S. Farmed certification and packaging seal helps shoppers choose products that derive at least 95 percent of their agricultural ingredients from farms in the United States.
Anheuser-Busch is a proud supporter of American farmers, including the 75 direct grower partners across Montana whom the brewer purchases $40 million in barley from each year. Anheuser-Busch has two local agriculture facilities in Montana, including the Anheuser-Busch Fairfield and Conrad Elevators.
Consumers in Montana are empowered to purchase U.S. Farmed certified products to benefit U.S. farmers and invest in the future of domestic ingredient sourcing, helping to ensure a vibrant and thriving agricultural sector in America for generations to come. The U.S. Farmed seal will first appear on Anheuser-Busch's Busch Light this May, and Budweiser, Bud Light and Michelob ULTRA have also obtained U.S. Farmed certification.
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A Spotlight on One of Montana's Trailblazing Women Entrepreneurs |
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We were honored to have Avanlee speak and share her entrepreneurial journey with us at this year's Blazing Trails: Montana Women in Business Summit.
Read the full press release here.
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2024 Competition
VIRTUAL AWARDS
Thursday, April 25th
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Get ready to be inspired by the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs! The Prospects is Montana's premier statewide entrepreneurship competition for high school and middle school students. It isn't just any competition—it's a platform designed to ignite creativity, celebrate innovation, and reward the entrepreneurial spirit. With scholarships and cash prizes up for grabs, this event is where young minds with big ideas collide to make a real-world impact.
Brought to you by the Montana Chamber Foundation, The Prospects connects students with business leaders statewide, fostering a dynamic environment where innovation thrives and dreams take flight.
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April 25th: Save the date for the Virtual Awards Ceremony, where we'll celebrate the outstanding achievements of our finalists and announce the winners of this year's competition.
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May 20th: Join us for the in-person event at MSU Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship, where participants will have the opportunity to network, collaborate, and showcase their ventures in front of a live audience.
Thank You to Our Sponsors: BlueCross BlueShield of Montana, City of Bozeman, Empowered / Youth Entrepreneurs, Gallatin College of MSU, Miles Community College, Montana State University, Stockman Bank, and Two Bear Capital
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Montana Chamber Signature Events: |
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JOIN US! - 2nd Annual CONVERGENCE - Tues/Wed, May 21-22
A Celebration of National Travel & Tourism Week
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To recognize one of our state's leading industries, the Montana Chamber of Commerce will once again celebrate National Travel & Tourism Week (#NTTW), and tourism's intersection with the film and outdoor recreation industries as vehicles to harness the power of place, #TheLastBestPlace, as an economic driver at the 2nd Annual Convergence on Tuesday-Wednesday, May 21-22, 2024 at the Hotel Finlen and The Butte Depot.
This year, we turn our attention to Butte, America, the city that electrified the nation turned premiere film location for the “Yellowstone” franchise, “1923” and more as we gear up for the 2025 Legislative Session and another go at increasing the Montana Film Tax credit. So join us in Butte as we get ready to kick off the 2024 summer tourism season. Sponsors will get a Film-themed Tour & Talk and VIP Reception on Tuesday, May 22 in addition to the NTTW Luncheon on Wednesday.
Tickets are $75 for Chamber members (any Chamber) | $100 for non-members
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Thank You to Our Sponsors
PRESENTING: Visit Southwest Montana
UNDERWRITING: Butte Tourism Business Improvement District, Media Coalition of Montana, Montana Film Office, Montana Travel Association, Visit Billings, and Voices of Montana Tourism
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Thurs, July 25, 2024 | 5:00 – 8:00 pm Flathead Valley Community College |
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The Montana Chamber Foundation invites the public to join us for the Glacier Bank Ace in the Hole Reception and BBQ on Thursday, July 25th.
This event is the lead-in to the 35th Annual Governors’ Cup Golf Tournament. Attendees will be joined by 400+ golfers, lawmakers, government relations representatives, and business / association leaders.
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Montana Chamber Member Spotlight: |
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Our firm traces its roots back to the early 1980s when Howard Punch began his career at a national investment firm in New York City. With initial exposure to equity research, Howard quickly developed an affinity for research and portfolio management, and he eventually moved back to his native Minnesota to build his own practice in the Twin Cities.
While life at a large wirehouse had its benefits, developing and applying a unique, value-oriented investment style within this framework had its challenges and distractions.
Howard developed the belief that unique research could be a competitive weapon toward the goal of creating superior returns for clients over time. Research could only be unique if it was not shared with many but quietly put to work within the context of a defined investment discipline. Howard likes to say, “After nearly twenty years at the investment firm, we either had to change our investment philosophy or change our address.” Needless to say, we decided to do the latter.
In 1998, Andy Matysik joined Howard at the investment firm, and in 2002, they founded Punch & Associates. With a team of four people by the end of the year—John Carraux joined in the summer of 2002—and approximately one hundred clients, we set out to be a trusted partner to a limited number of clients. Today we are a firm of over 25 employees with approximately $2 billion in assets under management.
To learn more about Punch, A Boutique Investment Advisory, visit their website here.
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This Business Brief Is Sponsored by Our Treasure State Member: |
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To learn more about Treasure State Membership benefits for your business, contact Matt Olson, Director of Network Development at Matthew@montanachamber.com | 406.360.6443
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