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1) The GFDA team hosted the inaugural Business Blitz, a full-day training for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Our registrations reached the 50-person capacity. Next time we'll book a bigger room! Our GFDA Small Business Development Team including Christian Nichols, Rich Gannon and Deb McGregor presented on topics ranging from business startup to financial management and marketing. An interactive panel during lunch was facilitated by Jolene Schalper, GFDA Executive Vice-President. The panel featured GFDA team members including: Shannon Clancy from APEX; Katie Carvell, GFDA Marketing and Communications Officer; Jake Clark, GFDA Vice-President of Development; and Shandi Gebhardt Jones, GFDA Loan Officer. Feedback from the Business Blitz has been excellent including this comment provided on an evaluation by a participant, “ I think everything was excellent and not a minute of the training was wasted”. Those who attended want more (be looking for Business Blitz 2.0) and those who couldn’t attend would like us to do another Blitz. Stay tuned, there is more to come! In the meantime, if you have an idea for a business and want to get initial training, plan on joining us for Idea to Income on April 7th at 5:30 PM at the GFDA Office. Click here for additional information and details.
2) Montana Renewables' expansion is progressing with unfreezing of its $1.44 billion federal Department of Energy loan guarantee. This project will make Montana Renewables the largest Sustainable Aviation Fuel manufacturer in the world. See the full article in TheElectric and story on KRTV.
3) The Fire Within Awards celebrate bold, trailblazing female entrepreneurs who make a difference in our region. Nominations are open now but close on February 21st —don’t wait! Join us on March 6, 2025, at The Newberry for an inspiring evening honoring these incredible women. This year, Fire Within coincides with the first annual Feisty Women Week—don’t miss it! RSVP today! Doors open at 5:00 PM, program starts at 6:00 PM. Questions? Contact Katie Carvell at 406-217-7635 or Katie@GrowGreatFalls.org
4) Congratulations Dick Anderson Construction on 50 years! Since 1975, DAC has built infrastructure, created jobs, and supported economic growth across Montana, Wyoming, and Arizona. Their work continues to shape communities and industries. A valued GFDA partner and investor since 2002, DAC remains committed to strengthening communities and driving development. Check out their 50-year video and join us in celebrating this milestone. Here’s to many more years ahead!
5) We continued to make progress on several major projects in our region, reinforcing the strong momentum for growth and investment. These projects span multiple industries, from advanced manufacturing to value-added agriculture, further strengthening our regional economy. Thank you to everyone who responded to our regional site search for a logistics company considering expansion in our area—your support helps showcase the opportunities North Central Montana has to offer. If you know of available sites or businesses looking to grow or expand to North Central Montana, contact Christian Leinhauser at CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-836-0136.
6) Congratulations to the City of Shelby on winning a $700,000 federal Community Development Block Grant through the Montana Department of Commerce to invest in its wastewater system.
7) We identified a dozen targets likely to succeed in downtown Great Falls and have shown success in multiple Montana cities. What businesses should be on our target list for downtown? Reach out to Nicki at Nicki@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-750-2099.
8) Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses kicked off this week with a training orientation for the faculty, moderators, and business advisors on site at Great Falls College-MSU. Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program teamed up with Great Falls College-MSU to offer entrepreneurs in the State of Montana a free, practical business training program and personalized support services to help grow their business. The small business owners gain practical skills and professional support necessary to develop a strategic and customized growth plan that can help take their business to the next level.
9) One of our major housing projects met a new milestone and is beginning their capital raise process to fund their single family development. Since Great Falls is an emerging market, many capital groups are unfamiliar with the opportunity for great returns and solid partnerships available in our region. In addition to targeting developers for housing production we also work to put the Great Falls market on the radar for groups whose investments make projects move forward. Jake is currently working on a growing target list of investment groups that have an interest in our region. What data does your group look at when evaluating a new market? Reach out to Jake for more information Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-403-4937.
10) We have awesome entrepreneurs in our trade area. Read the Lewistown News article about Trey and Marie Gacke's creation of Maiden Montana Pet Treats in Lewistown. TheElectric notes in its Business Bites four new businesses opening in Great Falls, Foot of the Cross Christian Store, Fit Life Health Club, Soda Station, and Swinging Meats.
11) Great Falls Regional APEX assisted 12 businesses in preparing for the government marketplace, helping them navigate the complex processes of creating profiles in payment platforms like Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE), registering as a vendor with the State of Montana in the Electronic Montana Acquisition and Contracting System (eMACS), and creating a profile in the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) to upload their Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) score. These are essential platforms that are part of building a strong foundation in the federal marketplace. If you’re ready to build a foundation that will position you for the government market, contact SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-868-8343.
12) The Downtown Development Partnership of Great Falls released that in 2024, "over $12.5 million invested in renovating/rehabilitating downtown buildings, $146K in public investment, and 18 new businesses chose to locate downtown which created approximately 100 new jobs. The investment of over $12.5M in renovation/rehabilitation of downtown buildings shows the consistent growth happening, and our community’s dedication to making downtown a thriving place to be."
13) Barley makes up 8% of Montana's agriculture, but planted acres are declining across the state. During the tri-annual Golden Triangle Barley Conference, Anna networked with key stakeholders in the barley industry to identify unique targets for our region and generate leads from local businesses. While in Conrad, she also worked with high-priority projects in our pipeline. If you have a business idea that involves value added barley products, reach out to Anna at Anna@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1301.
14) We approved providing a free Phase I environmental assessment for the potential purchase of a commercial property for a local business in downtown Great Falls. If you’re looking to redevelop a current facility or purchase a commercial building for a new or existing business, please contact Christian Nichols at CNichols@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-788-9385 prior to redevelopment or purchase to make sure there are no recognized environmental contaminates.
15) Is your business website invisible to potential customers? You're not alone. GFDA Small Business Development Center Advisor Rich Gannon recently helped two small business owners boost their search engine visibility with one simple change: optimizing their homepage content. The key to getting found online starts with the basics: clear, professional writing that accurately describes your products or services, combined with strategic keywords that your customers actually use when searching. Want another set of eyes on your website? Contact Rich Gannon, one of our GFDA Small Business Development Center Advisors at RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-836-2078.
16) Energy is a hot topic when temps are so cold! Are you curious about energy audits, energy efficiencies, solar installations, heat pumps, refrigeration upgrades or other energy related topics for your business? Do you know a business that would be a great fit for our region to keep growing our energy industry sector? Kristen Blue wants to talk to you! Please contact her at 1-406-788-4989 or Kristen@GrowGreatFalls.org
17) The Downtown Development Partnership in collaboration with the Montana Main Street Program Wayfinding Project is now complete! After planning in 2019 and installing motorist signage in 2021, the project concluded with adding 10 informational kiosks. These kiosks are located at key spots, including Gibson Park, Whittier Park, the University of Providence, Montana Veterans Memorial, Scheels Aim High Big Sky Center, Seibel Soccer Complex, City Dog Park, West Bank Trail, and the Airport, enhancing navigation and the visitor experience in Great Falls.
18) The Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) has a new advisor in our region. Carolyn Kelman joins the staff as a business advisor for the Great Falls Region and Northeastern Montana. She has a broad skill set in manufacturing operations with particular expertise in continuous improvement, supply chain optimization, logistics, and warehouse management. Learn more about her experience reading the MMEC newsletter, here. Welcome to the team Carolyn! You can reach her at Carolyn.Kelman@Montana.edu.
19) Continued work with the International Economic Development Council and partners in preparation for hosting IEDC's first ever Rural Retreat in Great Falls June 23-25, 2025. The event is expected to attract over 500 economic development practitioners and site selection consultants to our region. Each day of the Retreat the participants will be traveling into rural communities in our region to learn and share, then returning to downtown Great Falls each evening to brainstorm the future of rural economic development. If you would like to be involved as a sponsor, please contact Jenn Gallmeier at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org
20) This week I testified in support of House Bill 104 which would make Montana more competitive in attracting capital-intensive business investment by enabling the Montana Facility Finance Authority to issue conduit bonds. The legislation would particularly help business investment in rural counties. Anytime we can make Montana more competitive without cost or risk to the taxpayer it's a slam dunk!
21) Testified in opposition to House Bill 389 which would wipe out energy development across the state, in particular the potential for an estimated $11.5 billion in wind energy investment in the Great Falls trade area. The last thing we need is more government regulation that makes Montana less competitive, driving private investment to other states. Energy development produces high wage jobs, state and local tax base, and revenue for property owners.
22) We continued this week to invest significant time and money into trying to create and locate industrial sites needed by businesses wanting to invest in our region. Thank you to the partners who are helping overcome challenges to make this happen. The Great Falls economy cannot strengthen and grow if companies do not have the sites they need.
23) Interested in joining GFDA's Investment Committee? Work with a dedicated team to grow our resources and build connections with businesses, helping drive economic growth in the Great Falls region. Contact Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org to learn more and get involved!
24) We're growing our GFDA Staff Team with a new Accounting Assistant position. Download the Accounting Assistant Career Opportunity and please forward it to great candidates.
25) Thank you GFDA investors and public partners! Their support has allowed our team to help businesses expand, secure funding, assist entrepreneurs, and attract new industries. Watch this short video to learn more. Recent investments include: Leadership Division—Nelson Architects. If you’d like to learn more about our priorities and how you can support our work, reach out to Investment Director Jenn Gallmeier at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org.
A shout-out to the great local, regional and cross-border partnering that is enabling us all to achieve much more!
Brett
Brett Doney
Great Falls Development Alliance
BDoney@GrowGreatFalls.org
1-406-750-2119
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"You need to set near-term milestones. Put the assumptions down on paper, and make it to your vision or ultimate product. Your team has to understand where they’re going. Your partners need to understand where they’re going."
Tony Fadell
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