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CONGRATULATIONS to the 341st Missile Wing of Malmstrom AFB on its 5th consecutive win of the Blanchard Trophy for Best Overall Missile Wing and for all the MAFB units and Airmen who won top honors at the 2023 Global Strike Challenge! See MAFB, TheElectric and KFBB.

1) Often times there is a portion of a project that a lender cannot finance and the borrower cannot fund. This is where GFDA financing may be available to help fill that gap. We closed a loan in the amount of $1,750,00 to help fill the gap on expansion of a fully integrated meat processing facility. Old Salt Co-op will operate several entities that will allow them to raise, process, serve and showcase their Montana-grown meat through several direct-to-consumer outlets including a restaurant and butcher shop in Helena. This will be a tremendous help to the ranchers in our region. Special thanks to Steward Lending LLC for their determination and commitment to this project and to USDA for their guidance. Does your project have a financing gap? Please reach out to Jill Kohles at 1-406-590-1056 or JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org to discuss your options.

3) Great Falls College MSU unveiled the newly renovated student Weaver Library designed for greater student collaboration. Congratulations! Congratulations to Nitro Creamery ice cream shop in Great Falls on their grand opening this week; see KRTV.

4) We closed a $100,000 permanent working capital loan to Little Shell Pet Products LLC to help them expand their primary sector manufacturing business. GFDA participated with the Montana State Small Business Initiative (SSBCI 2.0) program that helped provide a lower interest rate on 50% of the funding. If you have a business startup or expansion planned that could benefit from a SSBCI 2.0 loan participation, contact Jill at JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1056. Funds are very limited and will be on a first come first served basis. 

5) Great Falls Development Alliance (GFDA) was recognized as the national Local Distinguished Development Finance Agency of 2023 by the Council of Development Finance Agencies at its National Development Finance Summit in Philadelphia! Brett and Jill accepted the award at the event and networked with loan capital sources and economic development lenders, and learned with sessions on industrial development bonds, brownfield redevelopment financing, the State Small Business Credit Initiative, New Markets Tax Credits, and how other states and locales are helping businesses and developers to help make their projects happen.

6) Congratulations to Steve and April Gillespie of Fairfield on purchasing Bylers Bakery in Choteau. The Gillespie’s own and operate La Mia Cucina food truck based in Fairfield and are excited to have a brick-and-mortar location in Choteau. Read the full story on from the Choteau Acantha.

7) This week we released two additional Requests for Proposals. We are currently soliciting responses for a Transportation and Logistics Market Assessment & Strategy, an Energy Production Opportunity Assessment and Economic Development Strategy, and for Brownfields Professional Services. All active RFPs are available on our website, and any questions can be directed to the team members whose contact information is provided within each RFP.

8) Congratulations to John Donohue on the successful acquisition of the beautiful Pondera RV Resort in Conrad! Are you looking at purchasing a business? We have resources available for exactly that. Reach out to Tony Peres at Tony@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-750-2099 if starting or buying a business to learn more. 

9) Jake spoke in favor of the Great Falls City Commission approving the use of $1,231,657 HOME Investment funds for NeighborWorks Great Falls to purchase and restore of the Ulmer Square property for affordable workforce housing. Thank you Commissioners for unanimous approval! See TheElectric. Every housing project helps us move forward to keep the cost of housing low in Great Falls. If you have a housing project or idea please reach out to Jake Clark 1-406-403-4937 or Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org for support.  

10) In downtown Great Falls, the Indoor cycling studio THRIVEcycle opens this month. Owner Jennifer Renaud is excited build a cycling community in Great Falls. Learn more about THRIVEcycle in our Announcement of the Week. 

11) Small Business Saturday is on November 25. Supporting local businesses not only benefits the local economy, but it also benefits YOU! Check out the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce business directory and Destination Downtown Great Falls for a listing of retail locations and Small Business Saturday promotions.

12) Met with Air Force and Department of Defense Officials at the Association of Defense Communities’ annual Installation Innovation Forum, along with Great Falls Deputy City Manager, Chuck Anderson, and Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce President, Shane Etzwiler. Forum topics included housing, childcare, base resiliency, energy, esports, water systems, quality of life for military families, and community/military partnerships. Met with local officials and the Montana Department of Transportation to work on Sentinel project related infrastructure.

13) Participated in Great Falls Tourism strategic planning data sessions this week.

14) GFDA participates in the Montana State Small Business Initiative (SSBCI 2.0) program that helped provide a lower interest rate on 50% of the funding. We've been partnering with local banks and credit unions to put together some creative financing packages for business startups and expansions, but this low-interest money is vrey limited and first come, first serve so contact us today if you have a business startup or expansion planned that could benefit from a SSBCI 2.0 loan participation. Contact Jill at JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1056 or Brett at BDoney@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-750-2119.

15) Lillian and Shannon attended the APTAC Fall Training Conference in Washington DC this past week. They gained valuable insights focusing on cybersecurity and tools for small businesses in the federal marketplace. They also learned tools and strategies that can enhance business’ ability to succeed in this competitive environment. For more information on these complex areas, contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1184.

16) Economic development is not a singular achievement but a collective effort. We rely on the support and collaboration from our team of investors and public partners. Learn more about them here. Recent investments include: Community Division—Great Falls Voyagers and Jerry Hood. Their commitment has played an integral role in the success of our initiatives, fostering economic progress, and creating lasting positive impacts in our community. To learn how you can be a part of our region’s growth, reach out to Investment Director Jenn Gallmeier at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org. Your support is the driving force that turns aspirations into realities.

Nice to be back in Great Falls, at least for a couple of nights, before heading back out on road to generate leads, find resources, and help clients move their projects forward.

Brett

Brett Doney

President & CEO

1-406-750-2119

BDoney@GrowGreatFalls.org

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!

"Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity."

Charles Mingus

Edition 607

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

November SBA 504 Loan Rates

The 25-year loan effective rate (including all fees) is 7.019%; 20-year at 7.020%; 10-year equipment loan at 7.207%; and, 20-year refinance 7.050%; 25-year refinance 7.048%. 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 Department of Commerce has reopened applications for the Montana Manufacturing Automation Loan Program offering 0.0% interest loans for up to 50% of the purchase price of automation equipment. If you are short of cash, we may be able to finance the other half as well as installation expenses. These are one-time funds so apply today. Let me know if you need help.



Are you planning any international marketing activities in 2024? The State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) run by the Export Montana team at the Montana Department of Commerce has a host of export support services and federal grants available for businesses up to $12,000. They're awesome to work with! Our Small Business Advisor, Rich Gannon, can help too and he is also awesome! RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-836-2078.

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 or 1-406-590-1184.

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 1-406-836-0136 or email CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org. 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 1-406-590 – 1539 to be connected with a JobsEQ-trained Business Advisor today. To learn more about GFDA's other 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 for hard copies of the magazine: Lyndsay@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1539. 

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

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

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

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.

The Montana Department of Commerce has extended the application deadline to December 31st for the Montana Cybersecurity Program, which 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, lower operating costs, or install renewable energy systems. Quarterly competitions will be held through December 31st. See MATR.net for more info. Or for help applying, contact Anna Flies: Anna@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1301. 

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

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), 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 to provide with your Sources Sought reply? If not, contact Lillian Sunwall 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/expansion loan funds available for Glacier and Blaine counties.

Do you have open government contracts? Is your SAM.gov registration 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.

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 called Business Basics for Startups. If you’d like to check out the content and provide feedback, we’d appreciate it. We also provide monthly Business Strategy Webinars, which are recorded and available for viewing online at any time. Looking to start, innovate or grow your business? We offer a variety of training options to ensure your success. Click here to check out all of GFDA's training resources. For more information or to give feedback about these programs, please contact 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.

Of our online business planning tool, LivePlan, one said: "LivePlan is Awesome!" The LivePlan tool is helping 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.

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