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Lisa Cline, owner of Marketplace on Main in Cut Bank, has launched an e-commerce website built with the assistance of GFDA Small Business Advisor Rich Gannon. Visit their website to shop for made in Montana products. Contact Rich to build a website for your business at RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-836-2078.

1) We made a $310,000 bridge loan to Carter Commons, LLLP for the purchase of land for the development of an affordable senior apartment community. The project is located in Downtown Great Falls and will provide 25 much needed housing units. GFDA can provide many tools to help a developer or project get closer to the finish line. Contact Jill Kohles to learn about the different options available to help your business or project, JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org or 406-590-1056.

2) TDS Telecommunications started construction on its fiber network that will serve all of Great Falls. When the fiber network is complete, TDS will deliver up to 8-gig internet speeds for businesses and residents, along with a variety of phone and digital TV options, according to the company. See TheElectric.

3) Folklore Coffee in Conrad is among the world's finest, according to the Golden Bean World Series; see KRTV. Logan Health is opening a School-Based Health Center at Conrad Public Schools.

4) Congratulations to Henry's Tire Service on their opening! It's nerve wracking and exciting to launch a small business but we are here to help. Henry's took advantage of working with our Small Business Development Center. If you have a business idea or have a small business we would love to offer you assistance and advising to help your business succeed. If you want to know more about the Small Business Development Center please reach out to Tony Peres at Tony@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-750-2099.

5) Nitro Creamery plans to open in Great Falls in mid-September. Dick Anderson is starting construction on industrial condos at the Great Falls Industrial Airport. Upland Foundations has begun operations in Great Falls. Learn more about all of these on TheElectric's Business Bites.

6) We hosted an overseas prospect visit from an advanced manufacturer considering Great Falls to locate a new facility. Thank you to our partners who helped make the visit powerful -- Great Falls Public Schools, Great Falls College MSU and GFDA Investor business leaders! Great Falls is especially equipped to support complex projects. If you are looking for the next location for your business to thrive, please look no further than Great Falls and reach out to Jake Clark Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org 1-406-403-4937.

7) Great Falls College MSU is launching a new veterinary technician program, the first in Montana. The first class will start in the fall of 2024. See KFBB.

8) On Thursday a group of generous individuals, businesses, and community leaders stepped forward to graciously host small gatherings of Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine students at various restaurants throughout our city. This initiative brought together 72 students who engaged in meaningful conversations, gaining insights into their new home. Topics spanned from the future in medicine, our vibrant arts and cultural scene, diverse food options, yoga classes, baseball, regional outdoor pursuits, experiencing Montana's winters, and beyond. Expressing their excitement, hosts David and Melissa shared, "We are thrilled to have such intelligent new citizens living here in Great Falls. Thanks so much for the opportunity to spend some quality time with them!" A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who embraced the role of a host, fostering a sense of belonging and warmth for these promising medical students as they find their place in our city.

9) Benefis Health System has acquired Missouri River Medical Center in Fort Benton. Benefis had a management contract with the rural hospital since 2015. Benefis plans to remodel the facility into a state-of-the-art critical care hospital. Learn more in our Announcement of the Week.  

10) Helped an entrepreneur create financial forecasts this week by using LivePlan. In just one meeting they had a solid framework of easy to read financial projections. If your business idea could benefit from putting some numbers on paper, contact Rich Gannon at our Small Business Development Center at 1-406-836-2078 or email him at RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org and ask for a demo of LivePlan. The tool is free to use for our business advising clients.

11) Congratulations to BIlly Vaughn Edwards on opening Stageline Pizza in East Glacier; see Glacier Reporter.

12) We had a very exciting site visit in downtown Great Falls this week. Through our business attraction efforts, one of our target companies made a 2-day visit to Great Falls to search for their next location. This prospect hadn't been in Great Falls in 8 years and was extremely surprised by the growth! They stayed/dined downtown and when they left, said "We don't want to be located anywhere but downtown." If you have a target company you think would be right for downtown Great Falls, call or email Christian at 1-406-836-0138 or CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org. 

13) Congratulations to Becky Nelson of Great Falls Public Schools on being recognized with the Athena Award!

14) Lillian met with a small business this week looking to expand and purchase a building in the downtown area. The business owner wanted information on potential environmental hazards at the property and next steps. She found the discussion about the Phase I (ESA) valuable and was appreciative of the information provided. Conducting a Phase I ESA is a critical step for any business looking to expand and purchase a building, especially when dealing with an old property. This process not only helps protect the business owner's investment but also ensures that their expansion plans align with their long-term goals while minimizing potential environmental risks and liabilities. For more information how these tools can be used in your next project, contact Lillian Sunwall at LSunwall@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-750-1253.

15) Congratulations to Great Falls Public Schools, Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, and Malmstrom AFB on winning the 2023 Pete Taylor Partnership of Excellence Exemplary Community Partnership Award from the Military Child Education Coalition.

16) 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.

17) The Ag Committee of the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual Future of Ag Tour on Thursday, September 7th. Learn more and register here.

18) USDA opened another round of the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP). If you are a meat or poultry processor considering expansion but missed the first round of funding, please reach out to Anna at Anna@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1301.

19) I had fun speaking on a national webinar panel for the Council of Development Finance Agencies talking about how we connect with rural and other hard to reach entrepreneurs and small businesses in our region.

20) Fostering local economic growth demands commitment, collaboration, and the backing of our valued investors and public partners. Discover more about these crucial contributors here. They recognize that enhancing opportunities requires investing in GFDA's initiatives, which in turn drives our mission to foster high wage jobs and broaden possibilities throughout our region. We extend our appreciation for their consistent support. To become part of the team that is leading the change, reach out to Investment Director Jenn Gallmeier at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org.

Have a fantastic 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.

Subscribe to the Grow Great Falls Montana YouTube channel!

"Some people say I have attitude - maybe I do... but I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does - that makes you a winner right there."

Venus Williams

Edition 596

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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