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1) We unveiled the findings of a feasibility study commissioned in partnership with Roseman University of Health Sciences indicating what it would take to successfully launch a school of veterinary medicine in Great Falls. Download a copy of the Feasibility Findings Presentation. As part of GFDA's economic development strategy, and as a follow up to the 2022 Health and Bioscience Economic Development Strategy also prepared by Tripp Umbach, we are focused on leveraging the medical and educational assets within our community. Read more in The Electric and on KRTV.
2) German manufacturer VACOM announced that it plans to open its first U.S. plant in Lewistown. Congratulations to Lewistown and Fergus County leaders and THANK YOU to the Montana Department of Commerce's new business attraction team and Governor Gianforte that brought this lead to Montana and landed it here! See KRTV and KFBB.
3) Our High Plains Financial affiliate closed an SBA 504 loan in the amount of $147,000 for a Great Falls business that decided they were ready to own the building they have been leasing for decades. Mosch Electric is a family-owned small engine and electric motor repair business that has been servicing the region for close to 60 years. Thanks to the great work of their banker, Nathan Reiff, of First Interstate Bank in Great Falls, Mosch Electric will now get to enjoy 25 years of a low, fixed interest rate and only had to come in with a 10% down payment. If your business is ready to stop leasing and secure a permanent location for your business, please contact Jill Kohles at 1-406-590-1056 or JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org. SBA 504 loan rates dropped almost a half percent in December!
4) TDS officially launched its services in Great Falls. TDS revealed Falls Family Fun as their inaugural customer, marking the beginning of their service in the area. TDS plans to construct its network and connect nearly 30,000 homes and businesses with high-speed fiber internet. TDS Telecom offers TV, phone, and internet service. The all fiber-to-the-home network offers residential customers speeds up to 8 Gig. Businesses have access to up to 10 Gig dedicated connections. See KRTV and The Electric. The increased availability of high-speed internet is set to significantly enhance the region's business landscape and foster social and economic growth for our residents. For more information about TDS Fiber, contact Raymond Porter, Associate Field Marketing manager (and GFDA Board member) by at raymond.porter@tdstelecom.com. Welcome to Great Falls and thank you for investing in our community!
5) I had the honor of testifying before the Great Falls City Commission in support of the Hate Has No Home Here campaign created by Great Falls Public Library and the Great Falls YWCA. I read GFDA's Vision for the Great Falls Regional Community: "The Great Falls Region will be a proud, positive, vibrant community, which welcomes new people, new investments, and innovative opportunities while celebrating its authentic and diverse Montana culture. Our community will be a safe and inclusive place to raise families and will offer opportunities for individual growth and a quality of life, which retains and grows our population." See KRTV and TheElectric for more information.
6) 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.
7) Our regional Great Falls Small Business Development Center is operating with full capacity of three business advisors available for in person one-on-one meetings in the office, or virtual meetings to accommodate the client’s needs. The center helped 8 new clients this week in addition to helping the existing clients. The scope of the advising services this week ranged from helping clients with how to start their business, business plan, financial projections, QuickBooks, how to get ready for funding, and sources of funds. The SBDC center also had virtual consulting sessions available for areas of counseling such as AI, ecommerce, and marketing. Clients can sign-up for the no-cost SBDC advising services by registering online using the following link: https://mtsbdc.ecenterdirect.com/signup
8) Our monthly Small Business Webinar – co-sponsored by MSU Extension and the Missoula SBDC - drew a crowd of twenty attendees. Hosted by GFDA SBDC advisor Rich Gannon, the session highlighted practical AI tools that have business applications. A recording of the webinar will be posted here soon. To explore integrating AI into your business, connect with Rich at 1-406-836-2078 or RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org.
9) Peace Place broke ground on their new location at 519 4th Avenue S. in Great Falls. JL’s Diecast, Hobbies and More has opened at 525 Central Ave in Times Square in Downtown Great Falls. Congratulations to Jenn Rowell and The Electric for surpassing one million views this year!
10) We hosted another exciting prospect site visit in Great Falls. Thank you to all of our partners for making time to meet and presenting the enthusiasm and opportunity for development in Great Falls. We have yet another company in town next week! If your company would like to pursue opportunity in Great Falls please reach out to Jake Clark 1-406-403-4937 or Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org
11) Our regional Great Falls APEX Accelerator hosted a webinar on the SBA Mentor-Protégé program presented by Martin DeWitt from SBA. If you were unable to attend and would like more information on how this could be an option for your business to get more advantages in government contracting, contact Lillian Sunwall at LSunwall@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-750-1253.
12) Registration is open for Ignite 2024, which will be held at the Meadow Lark County Club in Great Falls on Friday, January 12 from 8-10 AM. This in-person and online event format is simple and quick - three-minute presentations on business startups, business expansions, real estate developments and capital projects that will either start or open in 2024. If you have a project starting or a business opening in 2024 that you would like to announce at Ignite please contact Jake Clark at 1-406-403-4937 or Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org.
13) Getting sites ready, marketing sites, communications regarding projects, and wowing companies were some of the topics we discussed at the NexGen Food and Beverage site selection event in Georgia. We were able to build relationships with several new to us consultants.
14) TC Glass is a multi-generational company in Great Falls. Three generations of the Habel family have worked to build and expand the business in the contract glazing industry. In this video, Tye Habel talks about how TC Glass worked with GFDA to expand operations and position the company for further growth.
15) Tony networked at the Montana Organic Association conference in Great Falls at the Mansfield Center furthering relationships with organic producers, processors, retailers, and consumers and identifying business resources available in our region. If you would like more information about our agricultural business resources please reach out to Anna at Anna@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1301.
16) Our friends at Visit Great Falls chatted with owners and founders of the Mighty Mo Brewing Company in downtown Great Falls, Seth Swingley and Casey Kingsland, on episode 154 of their podcast We're No Dam Experts. The Mighty Mo Brewing Company is celebrating ten years of business. They even brought multiple samples for the hosts to try, including their 10th-anniversary special release barley wine. Congratulations to Mighty Mo Brewing Company on this accomplishment!
17) We have resources to help build meat processing in our region and across Montana. While produce high quality stock and yet we ship them across multiple states to be processed. This week Anna, met with stock-growers from across the state at the Stockgrowers convention to discuss the industry needs and how to get more local processing. If you are interested the industry or have a project, call Anna to chat at 1-406-590-1301.
18) The GFDA Board appointed the Brownfields Advisory Committee for the new 2023 Brownfields Assessment Grant. The primary responsibility of the Advisory Committee is to review applications submitted by businesses, potential purchases or developers. This includes assessing the proposed projects, evaluating their potential impact, and offering feedback to ensure that the redevelopment aligns with the community's needs and priorities. For more information on how these Brownfields tools can kick-off your project, contact Christian Nichols at 1-406-788-9835 or CNichols@GrowGreatFalls.org.
19) Scott Arensmeyer of Springhill Suites was elected to the GFDA Council. Scott has been a valuable partner of GFDA for many years and we are excited to have him serve alongside our board of directors and other council members as we move ahead and work towards growing the region. Welcome to the team, Scott!
20) The deadline to submit a response for our Logistics Assessment Strategy and Energy Production Opportunity Assessment and Economic Development Strategy is fast approaching! Help us spread the word by sharing with your network! Proposals are by 5:00 PM MST on Wednesday, December 20th. Electronic submissions and any questions regarding the RFPs can be directed to Tyler Menzales at TMenzales@GrowGreatFalls.org
21) Do you know that you can direct your state taxes directly to Great Falls Public Schools rather than to the state? We're trying to put together the maximum $1 million allowed by the Innovative Education Tax Credit created by the Montana Legislature. Download info here or visit GFPS Website.
22) In the realm of economic development, the most impactful changes are brought about by a group of passionate individuals and organizations working together with a shared goal & vision. As we continue our work to grow the economy, we must thank and acknowledge the team of investors and public partners that are part of that group. Learn more about them here. Recent investments include: Leadership Division—JCCS; Community Division—Action Plumbing & Construction. They are the driving force behind what we do and their support and partnership is essential to our progress. To learn how you can help us make our commnunity a better place to live and work, contact Investment Director Jenn Gallmeier at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org and let’s continue to celebrate and grow the region!
A great week for Great Falls, Lewistown, and Montana!
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.
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"What hurts the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor but the silence of the bystander."
Elie Wiesel
Edition 610
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