|
1) Cowboy Slick opened in Downtown Great Falls; see KRTV. Cottonwood Healthcare plans to invest $6.5 million to renovate and reopen the former Ivy facility to create Sun River Health & Rehab in Great Falls; see TheElectric's Business Bites. The Great Falls City Commission approved the Lifestyle Estates 7-lot subdivision across from the Meadowview Village housing development; see TheElectric.
2) In partnership with the Montana Departments of Commerce and Agriculture, we hosted the first prospect visit by a company we connected with in India during the Montana Business Mission in October.
3) Cascade County’s population grew by 506 people or 0.6% from 7/1/24 to 7/1/25 according to population data released yesterday by the U.S. Census. This is getting close to the 0.8-1.0% optimal target we’re shooting for.
4) We’re less than two weeks away from GFDA’s Entrepreneur Celebration on November 10 at The Newberry in Downtown Great Falls! Join us as we recognize the entrepreneurs and business owners whose hard work, innovation, and investment strengthen our regional economy. Help us spread the word to entrepreneurs across North Central Montana and encourage them to join the celebration. We hope to see you there! RSVP today at GrowGreatFallsMontana.org/entrepreneur-celebration/ or contact Jamie at Jamie@GrowGreatFalls.org +1-406-217-9210
5) Congratulations to Main St. Burger on opening a new restaurant in Choteau! Read the Choteau Acantha for full article.
6) Registration is live for the Meadowview Village Home Ribbon Cutting and Public open house event on November 5th. Come walk through the finished home, meet the sales team, review current home plans and pricing, and get a closer look at the community taking shape in Great Falls. First 6 buyers will receive incentives for their new home!
7) Our region boasted an outstanding 13-member Montana team at the Association of Defense Communities’ annual Installation Innovation Forum this week, including: three MAFB military leaders; eight community leaders representing Cascade County, City of Great Falls, Great Falls Public Schools, Great Falls International Airport, Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce’s Military Affairs Committee, Snowy Mountain Development Corporation, and GFDA; the Montana National Guard; and, Northup Grumman.
8) Christian Leinhauser connected with aerospace and defense industry leaders at the 2026 47G Zero Gravity Summit in Salt Lake City, a two-day event that attracted approximately 3,000 attendees and 150 exhibitors. The summit provided direct access to defense contractors, aerospace companies, and industry decision-makers, creating opportunities to promote Great Falls as a location for expansion, supplier operations, and defense-related investment. These relationships also support the Central Montana Defense Coalition’s efforts to strengthen military-community partnerships, identify opportunities tied to Malmstrom Air Force Base and the Sentinel program, and grow North Central Montana’s defense industry.
9) Jake, Jolene, Jamie, and Jenn attended the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Annual Conference, where GFDA received the Bronze Award for Economic Development Organization of the Year! This recognition puts our region on the national stage and reflects the work being done to grow our economy. The conference also provided professional development opportunities for our team to learn from leaders across the country, share ideas, and network with industry peers. These connections help us bring back resources, build partnerships, and find more ways to create opportunities across North Central Montana.
10) Just one more week to submit pre-applications for the Montana Growth Through Agriculture (GTA) program. The deadline is November 9. GTA provides grant and loan funding for projects that add value to Montana agricultural products and support job creation or retention. Applicants submit basic project information through an online portal, with selected projects invited to complete a full application. Have a project in mind? Contact GFDA Business Advisor Rich Gannon at RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-836-2078 for assistance with your pre-application.
11) I spoke at the Canada's Western Gateway conference in Lethbridge and networked with infrastructure, logistics, manufacturing and economic development leaders from across southern Alberta.
12) The Montana Energy Business Alliance is hosting a dinner and discussion exploring how data center electricity demand is shaping energy development, infrastructure investment, and economic opportunity in Montana. Keynote speaker Betsey Hale of Cheyenne LEADS will share insights from Cheyenne, WY experience with data center growth. A panel discussion exploring what large energy users mean for new generation, grid reliability, and Montana’s energy future will follow. The event is Tuesday, Nov. 10 from 5:30 -7:30 PM at the Best Western GranTree Inn in Bozeman. There is no cost to attend, in order to have an accurate headcount please register here. Everyone is welcome to attend.
13) We are organizing the first Montana Defense Summit which we plan to hold annually in Great Falls. The event will work to strengthen and grow Montana’s defense missions, defense industry and defense research and development. The event will be held on March 2, 2027. We have begun looking for co-hosts and sponsors. Here is the Defense Summit Sponsor Form.
14) The Montana Renewable Energy Association is presenting a Clean Energy Summit in Bozeman on Nov. 10 from 8:00 am – 4:00 PM. There will be a summit kick off reception the evening of Nov. 9. The summit connects people who build projects, make policies, train the workforce, finance investments, and help communities navigate decisions. Detailed agenda and registration information is available here.
15) There's a lot at stake when it comes to the future of defense in North Central Montana. The Central Montana Defense Coalition is working to support our military missions, build relationships with decision makers, and pursue opportunities that benefit Malmstrom Air Force Base, the Montana Air National Guard, and our regional economy. But this work takes funding, and we need more businesses at the table. Thank you to our investors for helping lead the way. If you see the value in this work, contact Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org to become an investor.
16) Save the date! Montana APEX GovMatch returns August 11, 2027, bringing businesses of all sizes and industries together with government agencies and prime contractors to make connections, explore contract opportunities, and build relationships. To learn more, contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1184.
17) When you invest in economic development, you're investing in more than business growth. You're investing in jobs for our neighbors, opportunities for our kids, and a community where people want to build their lives. That's what our investors and partners are helping make possible. Thank you for seeing the value in this work and continuing to stand behind it. Learn more by viewing this short video. Recent investments include: Leadership Division—BNSF Railway; Community Division—New Day Property Managers. To learn how you can get involved, reach out to Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org.
18) We hired our third Small Business Advisor to expand our support of businesses throughout the region. Juli Seaman will begin work on November 16th. Juli has been a great SBDC client of ours when she started The Cage Batting & Golf Club and has worked as a media specialist for The Wendt Agency.
19) We have a career opening for a Business Development Officer who will focus on growing and diversifying the region's food, ag, and bio processing industries and for a Business Attraction Specialist who will help us attract business investment to the region. Download our Career Opportunities. Please pass along to great candidates.
Christian Leinhauser is leaving the GFDA staff team to join Sletten Construction, but he's not leaving Team Great Falls! Thank you Christian for your great work as Downtown Business Development Officer and more recently as our Business Attraction Director!
Thank you to GFDA Investors and Partners for making it possible for us to aggressively pursue our mission of creating greater opportunity that enhances quality of life in the region.
Brett
Brett Doney
Great Falls Development Alliance
BDoney@GrowGreatFalls.org
1-406-750-2119
Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Subscribe to the Grow Great Falls Montana YouTube channel!
"He that can have patience can have what he will."
Benjamin Franklin
Edition 761
| 
