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1) TAC Data Centers, a subsidiary of The Ardent Companies, unveiled Project Cardinal at the GFDA Annual Meeting: a proposed 2 million square foot hyperscale data center campus on 569 acres adjacent to the AgriTech Park—representing a $1 to $1.5 billion investment in North Central Montana. The project is expected to generate 1,500–2,000 construction jobs and 150–200 permanent positions and will rely on up to 600 MW of power with onsite substations. Site study and permitting begin immediately, with the first phase projected to go online by late 2027 or early 2028 and full build-out expected by 2030. With TAC working closely with regional partners, North Central Montana is poised to become a significant hub for high-tech infrastructure and economic growth. To read more, check out KRTV, The Electric and KFBB. If you know of a business or developer considering our region, contact Christian Leinhauser at CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-836-0136.
2) We closed a $1,000,000 expansion loan for DAJ Ventures dba Missouri River Meats using USDA’s Meat and Poultry Program funds. This isn’t just a win for one business — it’s a big deal for our entire region. The investment will help Missouri River Meats boost efficiency, grow capacity, and expand services to better serve local producers and consumers. Huge congrats to the team at DAJ Ventures for pushing forward and making it happen! Want to learn more about how we made it happen or explore financing options for your project? Reach out to Shandi Gebhardt Jones at Shandi@GrowGreatFalls.org or call 1-406-590-9037.
3) 48 Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine students will do their third year clinical rotations at Benefis Health System. Thank you Benefis!
4) The final competitive round of the Montana State Small Business Credit Initiative 2.0 (SSBCI 2.0) low-interest loan program closes June 30th. This program is designed to support businesses and projects that can benefit from affordable, low-interest financing. The application portal will close at the end of June 2025, and funding is extremely limited, with demand expected to be high. If your business or project could benefit from this opportunity, we strongly encourage you to begin discussions with the Great Falls Development Alliance (GFDA) as soon as possible. For more information or to explore your eligibility, please contact Jill Kohles at JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1056.
5) Great Falls Tourism Boards adopted a new Great Falls Brand Print that we will begin using in our marketing and communications. The Boards also approved a Public Relations Plan for FY2026 that starts July 1st. Great Falls Tourism and GFDA have partnered to launch a public relations effort pitching Great falls to attract visitors, workforce talent, and entrepreneurs. See the first Press Release we sent to targeted professional writers and influenecers in April.
6) We held our Annual Meeting at The Newberry where we celebrated key milestones and client successes from this past fiscal year along with announcing the Ardent Company data center project. We also recognized and celebrated 21 Ally Award winners. Congratulations to our 2025 Ally Award winners: John Goodnow, Benefis Health System; Alisa Herodes, Little Shell Tribe; Brock Cherry, City of Great Falls; Carolyn Jones, MT Department of Commerce; Chad Moore, MT Department of Commerce/SBDC; Colleen Goad; MAFB 341st Contracting Squadron; Conn McKelvey, MAFB 341st Contracting; Ed Brown, Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce; Jason Seyler, MT Department of Environmental Quality; Jesse Patton, City of Great Falls; Nate Weisenburger, AE2S; Olivia Kettenring, MT Department of Commerce; Quincie Jones, Great Falls College; Sandra Dufresne, Economic Development Lethbridge; Trevor Lewington, Economic Development Lethbridge; Shane Adams, Shelby Area Chamber of Commerce; Shannon Hoiland, Bravera Bank; Steve Zeier, Trinity Real Estate Advisors; Tracy Jerman, Northrop Grumman; Nathan Ohle, International Economic Development Council, and Russ Fletcher, Montana Associated Technology Roundtable. These individuals are the true embodiment of partnership, and we couldn’t do what we do without them. Thank you and congratulations!
7) We presented the following fiscal year numbers at our annual meeting this week:
-Business Attraction Announcements $3,956,200,000
-Business Expansion Announcements $1,406,000,000
-Business Expansions Built $17,400,000
-Our business advisors helped 22 startups secure $7,700,000 in capital
-Our government contracting advisors helped existing businesses secure $85 million in contracts
-Two Downtown Great Falls cohorts with 18 existing businesses
-53 existing businesses recognized with Fire Within awards
-4 companies purchased AgriTech Park lots totaling 51 acres
-GFDA purchased 36 acres for the AgriTech Park and optioned 42 more acres
-Clients optioned 569 additional acres
-We brought on board 8 new staff team members
-We made gap and bridge loans totaling $3,348,935
-We secured $4.6 million in additional loan capital
-We closed SBA 504 loans closed to support local business totaling $480,000
-156 new childcare slots
-14 active housing developments
-361 new rental units constructed and rented
8) Critter Harmony has opened in Downtown Great Falls. The University of Providence is launching seven new program concentrations this fall in AI literacy, business analytics, web design, esports and gaming administration, digital marketing, information technology and public health. See TheElectric's updated Business Bites.
9) Starting over the weekend we will begin welcoming several hundred economic developers and community builders into our region for the first ever IEDC Rural Retreat! The official kickoff is Monday night and the event closes Wednesday afternoon. We are grateful for the immense support from businesses and partners across the region!
10) Congratulations to Jill Tranmer, President and CEO of the Tool Box for being featured in the June/July issue of Contractor Supply magazine. In her Linked In post, Jill specifically thanks the GFDA and gives a special thanks to Shannon Clancy and Mariah Liebing from APEX in addition to Rich Gannon from the GFDA Small Business Development Center. Jill states, “these amazing people and organization have done so much to help me from setting up my legal entity to teaching me all of the ins and outs of government contracting”. Well done, Jill. It’s a pleasure to work with you! We love helping entrepreneurs and small business owners realize their dreams.
11) 45 businesses registered to take their government contracting efforts to the next level! Great Falls APEX hosted What Happens After SAM!, a virtual training that brought value by helping attendees understand key processes and best practices. It covered purchasing thresholds, procurement methods, market research strategies, and how to use SAM.gov saved searches to streamline the search for contracts. Additionally, it offered valuable strategies for building relationships and better understanding government buyers. The experience provided businesses with the knowledge and resources needed to navigate the government marketplace with confidence and clarity. To take your government contracting to the next level and capitalize on your capabilities, contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1184.
12) Great Falls College has partnered with the Floor Covering Education Foundation to offer aa 10-week intensive floor installation program July 7th to September 11th. Scholarships are available! Contact Continuing Education & Training at the College for more info, 1-406-268-3734 or cet@gfcmsu.edu.
13) Hundreds of survey responses and in person conversations have led us to the conclusion that our community is excited about a potential law school here. Due diligence will continue. Reach out to Jolene if you’d like to discuss, 1-406-750-4481 or JSchalper@GrowGreatFalls.org.
14) Jake met with our partners at the Montana Department of Agriculture touring our region. Our Food and Ag Development Center (FADC) helped over $4.7 million get invested into projects in our region over the last two years. Great relationships with our partners and our full-service model, linking clients with our Small Business Development Center and our Apex Accelerator, for example, helps Ag businesses in our region take their ideas to the next level. If you have a new expansion project in our region, for the time being, reach out to Jake Clark at Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-403-4937 and he will get you to the right support until Anna is back.
15) Congratulations to Barbara Clabourn on the grand opening of Quilts Happen in Cut Bank! The new quilt shop offers a great selection of fabrics, quilting and sewing tools, and long-arm quilting services. It’s a wonderful new resource for local makers and sewing enthusiasts.
16) Thank you to the local businesses that have already contributed to the welcome bags for Touro University! We are still looking for businesses willing to donate 155 items for this incoming class. We’re putting these together to help new students feel at home and encourage them to explore the local businesses, services, and experiences Great Falls has to offer. If you’d like to contribute this year, please reach out to Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org. Deadline is June 30th.
17) Congratulations to Hill County on winning a $350,000 grant from the Montana Historic Preservation Grant Program at the Montana Department of Commerce for the Hill County Courthouse in Havre.
18) Our GFDA Small Business Development Center Team met with Montana SBDC State Director Chad Moore. The focus of the meeting was the strategy for FY ’26 and also preliminary plans for the roll out of a state-wide training program for our entrepreneurs and small business owners to maximize expertise, efficiency and diversity of training program content. We are constantly looking for ways to expand opportunities that high value to our clients and impact in our communities. If you are thinking of starting a business, looking at expansion, curious about your product pricing or anything else related to owning a business, please reach out to one of our Business Advisors: Christian Nichols, CNichols@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-788-9385; Rich Gannon, RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-836-2078; and Deb McGregor, Deb@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-750-0314. Our services are provided at no cost to you.
19) As our Fiscal Year comes to a close, we want to say thank you to the following GFDA Board members who are stepping away from the board this year. Thank you for your service, support and dedication to helping our region grow! Dan Rearden, Liberty Electric, Inc.; Denise Schnider, North 40 Outfitters; Sharon Virgin, Dustin Young & Co.; and Zach Mendenhall, Admiral Beverage Corporation.
20) GFDA Investors unanimously voted to elect the following members to the GFDA Board of Directors for Fiscal Year 2026. Their 3-year term begins July 1st, so reach out if you have contacts or ideas to help support GFDA’s Economic Development Strategy. Congratulations to: Andreas Geranios, Geranios Enterprise, Inc.; Dani Grebe, L’Heureux Page Werner (LPW) Architects; Dave Smith, Sletten Construction Company; Dax Miller, Midway Rental; Jim Dea, New Day Property Management; Len Watkins, Gusto Distributing; Morgan Tweet, IND HEMP; Pat Woodall, Montana Credit Union; Randy Gilbertson, Pasta Montana; Shannon Hoiland, Bravera Bank; Dr. Tiffany Hensley McBain, Weissman Hood Institute at Touro University; and Tom Heisler III, Cascade County Tavern Association. Do YOU have a passion for moving the Great Falls region forward? Join us at an upcoming Board & Council Meeting or contact Jenn Gallmeier at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org to learn how you can get involved.
21) High Plains Financial, our SBA 504 loan affiliate, held its annual meeting this week. We are pleased to welcome Tim Lightbourne of Cogswell Insurance Agency as a new member on our Board of Directors. We also congratulate Sherrie Arey of NeighborWorks Great Falls on her re-election to the Board. We look forward to their continued leadership and contributions to our mission. As part of the annual meeting, new Board leadership positions were also elected. Nate Weisenburger of AE2S will serve as Chair, Nathan Reiff of First Interstate Bank as Vice Chair, Dave Fink of US Bank as Treasurer, and Sherrie Arey of NeighborWorks Great Falls as Secretary. We are grateful to each of them for stepping into these important roles and for their commitment to guiding High Plains Financial into the future. We would like to extend a special THANK YOU to our exiting Board Members: Dan Rearden of Liberty Electric and Craig Nowak of Morrison-Maierle. Your dedication and service have been deeply appreciated, and your impact will be long-lasting.
22) A huge thank you to our investors and public partners. Your support is what makes everything we do possible. None of this work happens overnight, and it definitely doesn’t happen alone. Your investment in GFDA helps us unlock resources, expand our capacity, and say yes to opportunities that move Great Falls forward. Learn more about our the businesses that support us and why they do by viewing this short video. We’re grateful to have you in our corner and proud to be doing this work with you. To join our team of investors and drive economic growth in our region, reach out to Vice President of Investment Jenn Gallmeier 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org.
23) We're growing our GFDA Staff Team with a new Accounting Assistant position and a new Business Development Officer - Defense position, and we have an opening for a Business Development Officer - Downtown Great Falls. Download our Career Opportunities and please forward it to great candidates.
With the Project Cardinal announcement this week we now have six major projects in the works in the Great Falls trade area: BHE Montana energy production; Calumet Montana Renewables Max SAF renewable fuels expansion; The Falls mixed use development; the Little Shell Resort & Events Center; Project Cardinal hyperscale data center campus; and, USAF Sentinel ICBM. We are working with clients on 14 active housing developments and numerous other business startups, business expansions and real estate developments. Lots of work to do to bring these investments to fruition, creating higher wage career opportunities, new homes, tax base, and increased business for local companies and enhancing quality of life. It is going to take concerted effort of all of our partners. I'm confident our Montana grit will get it done!
Brett
Brett Doney
Great Falls Development Alliance
BDoney@GrowGreatFalls.org
1-406-750-2119
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