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Congratulations to Ox and Jen on the gran opening of Ox and Son Towing and Recovery expansion to Lincoln, Montana. It is exciting to see a local company thrive and expand to another market in Montana. We're proud to have help finance their growth three times since their founding in 2014. If it is time for your business to take on new territory, reach out to Jake Clark at Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-403-4937.

1) We made a $40,000 gap loan to Eva and Raymond Sholey to help finance the startup of R & L Trucking in Conrad. Thank you to our partner on the deal, the First Bank of Montana.

2) Congratulations to all involved in the 2023 Montana MultiCultural Fair held this week in downtown Great Falls! We are proud to continue to sponsor this great event. See KRTV.

3) The Cascade County Zoning Board approved a special use permit for Admiral Beverage to build a new facility on 57th Street; see TheElectric.

4) Congratulations to the AWARE team and CEO, Matt Bugni, on the ribbon cutting for their new building at 3360 10th Ave South in Great Falls. Lillian participated in the event to thank Aware for their important hard work helping individuals live independent lives. In 2021, AWARE purchased the former Blue Cross Blue Shield office building and after renovation, this space is now home to offices for staff, AWARE’s day treatment center, meeting and training rooms. In FY22, AWARE served 762 people in Cascade County.

5) This week the GFDA partnered with the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center to host a three day, in person Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) training course for several major food manufactures in our region. When a business reaches more than 1 million in food sales, they are required to have one person on staff trained in PCQI to continue to expand. If you would like to you or your employees to become certified in either PCQI or Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), please reach out to Anna at Anna@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1301. 

6) Ten amazing new murals were created on buildings in Downtown Great Falls during the 2023 ArtsFest Montana this week. Congratulations to the artists, the Business Improvement District, the City of Great Falls, and all the volunteers, property owners and businesses that helped make this possible.

7) Tony traveled to Bozeman this week meeting with lenders and talking SBA 504 loans. If your business is looking to expand or if you're looking to purchase a business please reach out to Tony to see if this is an option for you. Tony@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-750-2099.

8) Congratulations to the Electric City Disc Golf Club on the opening of the new course at Wadsworth Pond! See KRTV.

9) Approximately 60 students from the first class from Touro University were able to spend an evening downtown and participate in activities that were donated in support of the new medical school. A big shout out to Littles Lanes, Brush Crazy, Chase Your Dreams VR, and Escape the Falls for donating and participating in this awesome night.   

10) Web Panel: Montana Cybersecurity Grants and Tools to Protect Your Business; 2:00-3:00 PM, August 23rd hosted by Montana High Tech Business Alliance with Montana Department of Commerce. Register Here. Through the Montana Department of Commerce's Cybersecurity Reimbursement Program, businesses can apply for up to $8,000 in reimbursement for newly implemented cybersecurity measures paid to an accredited Montana cybersecurity company. Visit the Montana Grants Application Portal at covidreliefmt.org/submit for details and to apply. Questions? Contact Vena Dagnall.

11) The Montana Outdoor Recreation Summit will be held October 11-13 in Butte.

12) The Montana Indian Equity Fund will begin accepting applications for their small business grant starting September 1st, the deadline for applications is October 31st. The grant can be utilized to assist start up or existing Native American owned businesses in Montana. If you need help with the process, contact small business advisor Rich Gannon at 1-406-836-2078 or via email at RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org.

13) Registration is open for the Montana Main Street Downtown Conference that will be held in Great Falls, October 18-20.

14) The State Small Business Credit Initiative 2.0 (SSBCI 2.0) low interest rate program is still awaiting their third tranche of funding. This third tranche is on a first come first served basis, so start talking with GFDA now, if you have a project that could move forward with the benefit of low interest rate funding. These funds are limited and will be put to work very quickly to help our economy recover and come back stronger than ever. If you have a business startup or expansion planned that could benefit from a loan participation, contact Jill at JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1056.

15) GFDA team member, Katesha Brandon-Campbell is moving on to other opportunities in Denver, CO. While we are sad to see her go, we will continue to serve our Food/Ag/Bio processing clients. If you are operating in that sector your primary contact at GFDA should be Anna Flies, Anna@GrowGreatFalls.org 1-406-590-1301.  

16) GFDA relies on the continued support from our investors & public partners. Learn more about them here. It's through partnerships like theirs that we are able to make a lasting impact on our community. Recent investments include: Pacesetter Division—Macek Companies, Inc. Their support is invaluable as we work towards driving economic growth and development in our region. If you’d like to be a part of the team that is growing our region, reach out to Investment Director Jenn Gallmeier at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org.

An amazing week!

Brett

Brett Doney

President & CEO

BDoney@GrowGreatFalls.org

1-406-750-2119

Connect with me on LinkedIn to network with the Great Falls Montana region. Forward the GFDA Top 10 to friends and colleagues. You can join our distribution list HERE or text GFDA to 22828.

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"Dream up big, hairy, audacious goals that you are passionate about and pursue them relentlessly. You have to begin with the end goal in mind, knowing that a goal is a dream with a deadline.."

Clay Clark

Edition 595

We have three great career opportunities to join the GFDA staff team. Download info on Small Business Advisor -- Director Regional Small Business Development Center, Business Development Officer, and Small Business Advisor and Project Manager. GFDA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer!

If your company needs a rail-served, BNSF-Certified, shovel-ready site with all municipal services at your door, we have lots available for immediate construction in the Great Falls AgriTech Park. Contact Jolene Schalper at 1-406-750-4481 or JSchalper@GrowGreatFalls.org

August SBA 504 Loan Rates

The 25-year loan effective rate (including all fees) is 6.55%; 20-year at 6.61%; 10-year equipment loan at 7.08%; and, 20-year refinance 6.63%; 25-year refinance 6.57%. These rates are FIXED for the life of the loan and are inclusive of all fees. If you would like to find out how to get financing for commercial real estate and equipment at potentially lower rates than you're paying for your home mortgage, please contact Jill Kohles at 1-406-590-1056 or JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org.

Join GFDA and Instructor Claude Smith from the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center in August for the Preventive Controls Qualified Individual for Human Food training, August 16-18 here in Great Falls. Learn to develop and implement a FDA-compliant Food Safety Plan and receive a certificate of completion directly from the Food Safety and Preventive Controls Alliance. Click here for more information and to register, or contact Katesha at 1-406-788-0860 or Katesha@GrowGreatFalls.org. 

The Montana Child Care Business Connect Fall Summit will be held September 13-14 at the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. The summit will be the first of its kind annual gathering of child care providers, entrepreneurs, community leaders and industry professionals in Montana, offering a unique opportunity to share best business practices, learn new skills and resources, and network with like-minded partners. Register today.

Have you created or updated your Dynamic Small Business Search DSBS profile? A strong profile can significantly boost your contracting success by increasing your visibility to local, state, and federal agencies seeking goods and services. If you would like more information on how to create or update your DSBS profile, contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org.

The Great Falls Housing Market Assessment shows a need for over 450 new housing units per year in the immediate Great Falls area. For assistance with housing development, contact Jake Clark at Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-403-4937.

USDA has launched a new online tool to assist small businesses in identifying procurement opportunities; see USDA's Procurement Forecast.

Zero to 5 has launched the Montana Child Care Business Connect website to help support the startup and expansion of early childcare businesses. The Great Falls Childcare Demand Assessment shows a need for additional childcare facilities to serve 580 children in Great Falls. For assistance with childcare facility business planning, contact Rich Gannon at RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-836-2078.

One of the many tools we have for renovating your building in Downtown Great Falls is the City's Downtown Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Grant. This 50% match grant can help with Façade, Building Code Compliance, and Safety & Security. One of the biggest uses of this grant is Fire Suppression and updating the face of your building. To find out more about this grant, call Christian at 406.836.0136 or email CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org and let's discuss how TIF and other tools can help you change the face of Downtown Great Falls. 

Employers are you looking for timely data on our local workforce? JobsEQ for Workforce is a software tool that provides timely data on our local workforce and employers—including demographics, occupations, wages, certifications, and more. Contact Lyndsay Bruno at Lyndsay@GrowGreatFalls.org or at 1-406-590 – 1539 to be connected with a JobsEQ-trained Business Advisor today. To learn more about our talent attraction tools visit our website. 

We launched the new Livability Great Falls Magazine. Find and share Livability Great Falls online or contact Lyndsay Bruno at Lyndsay@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1539 for hard copies of the magazine. 

Recruiters are you hiring for a job position that is a:  

• High level position 
• High salary position 
• Out-of-the-box/unique/creative position? 

Help us attract workforce to move to Great Falls - send us a one sentence description of the job, 3-5 of your company's top employee benefits, salary (if listed), and link to apply for your job to Lyndsay@GrowGreatFalls.org to be included in the Hot Jobs in Great Falls blog post.  

The 2023 Montana Food and Beverage Show, hosted by the Montana Department of Agriculture, is scheduled for October 16 in Missoula. The show allows Montana businesses to showcase their food and beverage products to professional buyers from restaurants, hotels, bars, retailers, and more.

The Montana Department of Commerce has extended the application deadline to December 31st for the Montana Cybersecurity Program will provide up to $8,000 reimbursement for your cybersecurity expenses. And don't forget about funds available for your workforce through the Incumbent Worker Training Program and the Primary Workforce Training Grant. We can help you access these programs if you run into snags.

USDA opened a new round of Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grants and loans. Rural small businesses and agricultural producers can use the funds to make energy-efficiency improvements to lower operating costs or to install renewable energy systems. Quarterly competitions will be held through September 30th. See MATR.net for more info. Contact Katesha Campbell if you would like help with applying; Katesha@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-788-0860. 

The Montana Manufacturing Extension Center has launched an apprenticeship program. The Certified Manufacturing Associate Apprenticeship is a one-year program that combines on-the-job training with online technical classes on safety, math and measurements, manufacturing processes, and quality control.

Are you in the planning and development phase of expanding your agricultural product or adding value to Montana agriculture by expanding your product into new markets? Montana’s Growth Through Agriculture (GTA) Business Acceleration Program (BAP) and Market Development Program (MDP) grants could help! Funds are available; click here for more information or contact Katesha at 1-406-788-0860 or Katesha@GrowGreatFalls.org.

The 341st Contracting Squadron, Malmstrom Air Force Base (AFB), is contemplating a solicitation for a multiple award contract (MAC) and is looking for responses to this Sources Sought Notification. Awarded MAC indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts would be for the construction of structures and facilities, repair, maintenance, and alteration of real property assets within the confines of Malmstrom AFB, Weapons Storage Area (WSA), and Missile Alert Facility (MAF) and Launch Facility (LF) sites located within the Missile Complex throughout Montana. This is a great opportunity to Introduce your company to the Contracting Wing at Malmstrom AFB. Do you have a Capability Statement prepared that you can provide with your Sources Sought reply? If not, contact us at 1-406-750-1253 or LSunwall@GrowGreatFalls.org. For more information on the Notice, click here.



If you are trying to redevelop a property that involves an environmental cleanup (including lead paint and asbestos) and you have a gap in your financing, your project may qualify for our low-interest brownfield redevelopment loan funds. We can make loans anywhere in Cascade County or within 100 miles from the borders of Cascade County which covers much of the region. We're eager to help make your project move forward. Contact Tony Peres at 1-406-750-2099 or Tony@GrowGreatFalls.org. We also have some small business or nonprofit startup or expansion loan funds available for Glacier and Blaine counties.

Cybersecurity challenges for businesses continue to grow. The Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) is offering an array of useful resources to help Montana businesses to protect themselves.

Do you have open government contracts? Is your SAM.gov registered due to renew in the next few months? SAM.gov continues to have issues with the transition of the new validation process. It is recommended that businesses start early to renew their registration to keep from going inactive. If you are having trouble getting through the process, contact Shannon Clancy at 1-406-590-1184 or SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org for assistance. 

The Montana Innovation Partnership is offering a number of trainings and an accelerator program for companies interested in pursuing Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants.

Montana STEP grants can pay for 75% of your international export marketing efforts up to $10,000. The Montana TechLink Center at MSU is offering a new round of workshops on how to win Small Business Innovation Research funding.

We have migrated our pre-business workshop for early stage and pre-venture startups to a self-paced, video-facilitated, online format, Business Basics for Startups. If you’d like to check out the content and provide feedback, we’d appreciate it. Click here to check out the new modules and resources. All of our recorded monthly business strategy webinars are available online for viewing anytime, check them out here. Please direct feedback to Rich at 1-406-836-2078 or RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org.

The best resource we scan daily to stay abreast of business and community innovation is MATR.net (Montana Associated Technology Roundtables) which we are proud to help sponsor. Sign up for their free newsletter.

Join our Trailing Partner Email Group specifically for local employers to share resumes of trailing spouses/partners across the Great Falls region with other employers looking to hire. “Your (Live in Great Falls) website is very impressive and helpful! Great Falls looks amazing, and we love what we've seen real estate-wise, and business-wise.” This quote was from an email sent to us from a couple considering relocation to Great Falls. We will be sharing their resumes (with their permission) on the Trailing Partner Email Group.

Visit our relocation website LiveInGreatFalls.com. This website was the #1 request we got from local recruiters and HR professionals for aiding in attracting talented workers to Great Falls. The Great Falls At-A-Glance two-pager is a great complementary resource that highlights Great Falls for people unfamiliar with our community.

Of our online business planning tool, LivePlan, one said: "LivePlan is Awesome!" The LivePlan tool is helping her streamline her strategy in preparation for presenting to bank partners. We offer LivePlan licenses for free to active clients. Learn more about LivePlan on our website.

Grow diverse economic opportunities that enhance quality of life.

GFDA is a certified Community Development Financial Institution and a 501(c)3 charitable organization. High Plains Financial is a certified Community Development Corporation that offers SBA 504 loans statewide. GFDA and High Plains Financial are Equal Opportunity Employers, Lenders and Providers.

GFDA is proud to host a Montana Small Business Development Center, a Montana Procurement Technical Assistance Center, and a Montana Food & Ag Development Center. We are also proud to provide office space for MSU's Montana Manufacturing Extension Center and an SBA Women's Business Center in partnership with the University of Montana and the Montana Native Growth Fund.

GFDA was the first economic development organization in the Rocky Mountain West to earn accreditation from the International Economic Development Council.

Great Falls Development Alliance | GrowGreatFallsMontana.org