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1) All about Janicki
Janicki is hosting a Community Forum at 5:30 PM on Thursday, (7/9) in Heritage Hall at Great Falls College MSU. Please RSVP here so we have enough seats.
Friday Janicki Industries will break ground on their new facility here in Great Falls Montana! Join us for the celebration on site at the AgriTech Park at noon. Questions, call Jolene at 406-750-4481.
2) Great Falls was featured in Livability Media in their Places We Love section – we LOVE it here too! Check out the great feature HERE.
3) How Does Your Business Compare? Let's assess your business performance. Reach out to Rich or Christian to access professional financial bench-marking tools that would typically cost hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars through individual subscriptions. Using platforms such as ProfitCents, BizMiner, and Vertical IQ, we can compare your business to similar businesses based on industry and size. Want to know if your gross margin is where it should be? Whether your labor costs are in line with industry averages? Or how your profitability compares to similar businesses? These tools can help answer those questions and identify opportunities to improve your financial performance. Give us a call to schedule an appointment. Rich Gannon, 406-836-2078.
4) Save the Date! September 10-11, 2026, in Great Falls we are hosting a developer tour of opportunities for new projects in Great Falls in conjunction with Urban land Institute. This event is focused on developers interested in the Great Falls market for housing and commercial development. We will tour available sites, meet the local building and permitting staff, visit demand drivers in the market, and more! If you have a potential project that you would like represented reach out to Jake at Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-403-4937.
5) Montana joined the Western Transmission Expansion Coalition (WestTEC), an agreement established with eleven states in the western US to analyze regional transmission needs. WestTEC identifies actionable transmission projects that enhance reliability, improve economic efficiency, and support state goals. Given the cost, complexity, and long timelines of major transmission development, large scale inter-regional planning is critical to avoid duplicate investment and ensure a reliable, adaptable system. GFDA’s energy market assessment noted transmission expansion as a keystone of economic development, enabling power sector investments and industrial growth.
6) We’re looking for tourism, recreation, and entertainment businesses that want to start or grow here! Like Electric City Adventures who recently launched in Great Falls! This new business helps residents and visitors experience the rivers and trails of North Central Montana through guided float and hiking tours, shuttle services, and rentals for kayaks, paddleboards, and float tubes. By taking care of the transportation and logistics, Electric City Adventures helps residents and visitors disconnect from the noise and spend more time exploring the region's incredible natural landscapes. Are YOU the next tourism, recreation, or entertainment business we’re looking for? Call Rich, 406-836-2078, to get started with your own adventure business!
7) Winning Contracts! Is your business ready to compete for the growing contract opportunities at Malmstrom Air Force Base and the Sentinel program? From SAM.gov registrations and renewals to market research, Small Business Administration (SBA) certifications, and proposal support, Great Falls Regional APEX can help you position your businesses to compete for and win government contracts. To learn more, contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1184.
Join us for an overview of Defense Innovation On Ramp Hub: Montana: and how we serve as Montana's local front door to the Department of War. Attendees will learn about engagement pathways, available resources, and opportunities to connect commercial and dual-use technologies with Department of War needs. July 15, 2:30 – 4 PM at the Great Falls Association of Realtors (401 13th Ave S, Great Falls, MT). Register here!
8) Congratulations to the Siyeh Development Corporation on the launch of their brand new website, BlackfeetBison.com! Blackfeet Buffalo Products are grown naturally on the Blackfeet Reservation and sold to restaurants and wholesalers through direct supplier relationships. The marketing program is managed by GFDA Ally Award winner Mark Magee, who is the Operations Manager at Siyeh Corporation. We are excited to celebrate this expanded growth and visibility for Indigenous Montana meat products! Is your food or ag business looking for greater outreach and expansion to new markets? Reach out to Sara Niccum at 1(406) 590-1301 or Sara@GrowGreatFalls.org.
9) What's wool got to do with it? We have numerous producers and manufacturers here in North Central Montana that will benefit from the new Montana Wool Lab at MSU Bozeman. They are now accepting samples to research and improve quality in the wool fiber industry. This will double the lab service capacity for wool producers - only one other commercial wool testing lab exists in the United States. Sara Niccum attended an opening event hosted by MSU Extension to learn about state-of-the-art equipment and research at the lab, and how their findings impact textile and fiber producers across the country. As interest in sustainable fibers continues to grow, this is an excellent opportunity for Montana growers and processors to showcase their superior agricultural products.
10) Digging into Data Centers
Join us for our Fourth Data Center Task Force Meeting Monday (7/6) from 5-6:30 PM at Great Falls College MSU in Heritage Hall or on Zoom. The focus of this convening will be a presentation and conversation with Betsey Hale from Cheyenne Leads regarding their data centers. Register here.
The Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) will release the results of their new analysis of the potential economic impact of hyperscale AI data centers in Montana on July 29 from 7:30 – 9:00 AM at the Meadowlark Country Club. The analysis looks at both short- and long-term employment effects and the impacts on property tax revenues and rates. In addition, Todd O’Hair, CEO of the Montana Chamber of Commerce, will share insights from a series of recent workshops the Chamber has hosted on community impacts of data centers. Register here.
The Montana Chamber of Commerce is hosting a series of educational webinars on data centers, focusing on impacts to electricity demand and prices, tax implications, national and regional trends, water usage and more. For more information and to view the recordings, visit the Montana Chamber website.
THANK YOU to everyone who is working each day to make our community a wonderful place to live and do business!
Jolene
Jolene Schalper
Great Falls Development Alliance
JSchalper@GrowGreatFalls.org
1-406-750-4481
Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Subscribe to the Grow Great Falls Montana YouTube channel!
"Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages." George Washington
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