|
1) Janicki Industries started earthwork for their first manufacturing building in the Great Falls AgriTech Park! The Great Falls City Commission approved closing on a bond that funds infrastructure improvements for lots 7-10 in the Park. Three of the lots are already under agreement. Janicki's wonderful carved Bison gift to the City has been installed in the lobby of the Great Falls Civic Center; see KRTV.
2) GFDA provided a $2 million gap loan to 46th Street LLC (Upslope Group LLC) to finance infrastructure costs for Meadowview Village, a future single-family home community in Great Falls. A special thank-you to our bank partner, Sarah Daul of Citizens Alliance Bank, for their invaluable support in making this high-impact project possible. If you or your organization need gap or bridge financing to move a project forward, contact Shandi Gebhardt Jones directly at 1-406-590-9037 or Shandi@GrowGreatFalls.org.
3) The Montana Air National Guard opened its new $33 million fuel facility at Great Falls International Airport; see KRTV. Sentinel construction started on utility corridors in Nebraska, marking another milestone in the new ICBM mission; see Lewistown News.
4) Our Great Falls Regional APEX assisted 16 clients this week as they pursued government contracting opportunities. For businesses looking to streamline the search process, a customized Bid Match profile may be the right solution. Bid Match is a free service available to active Montana APEX clients, serving as a one-stop shop to help you identify your next opportunity. To see if Bid Match is a good fit for your business, contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org or at 1-406-590-1184.
5) The Great Falls City Commission approved updates to the Downtown Urban Renewal Plan. The updates will enable the Downtown Partnership to work with the city on developing a downtown lighting plan, amongst many other improvements designed to encourage more private investment downtown.
6) We met with two new companies exploring opportunities in Great Falls, one in the logistics industry and the other an international manufacturing company evaluating U.S. expansion. These conversations continue to demonstrate the growing interest in North Central Montana across diverse industries. We look forward to working with both companies as they evaluate our region and explore the advantages Great Falls has to offer. If you know of a business considering expansion or relocation, contact Christian Leinhauser at CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-836-0136.
7) Mountain View Co-op is wrapping up Phase 1 of a $3 million renovation of its Conrad store; see Pioneer Press. Benefis Health System has started construction on a major renovation of the Benefis Teton Medical Center; see Choteau Acantha.
8) Host Touro Students for Dinner! For the past three years, community members have welcomed Touro students by hosting small groups for dinner at local restaurants. We're excited to continue the tradition on Thursday, September 17th. We're looking for hosts to take 2 to 5 students to dinner at a restaurant of your choice. To sign up, contact Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org.
9) Montana Renewables celebrated the opening of a new SAF blending facility at the Minnesota SAF Hub which pipes fuel to MSP. Montana Renewables will supply up to 30 million gallons of SAF annually to MSP; see Biobased Diesel Daily. The company held a board meeting in Great Falls to review progress on its expansion. Montana Renewables was recently accepted into the Montana Department of Commerce's Made in Montana program.
10) Jake and Jill met with an Ag processing company that recently purchased a site in the region and is moving forward with a new facility. We are working with the company as they reach clarity on project costs so we can match with the right funding sources to support the project. Jake and Rich helped a client crunch the numbers she needed to support a competitive grant application with a tight deadline. We have experts on our team that can support your project planning. Need help sharpening your pencil? Reach out to Jake at Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-403-4937.
11) Congratulations to Great Falls Montana Tourism on winning Best Screenplay in Feature Film at the Calgary Independent Film Festival for Feisty Women of Great Falls, a film which tells the stories of five remarkable women whose courage, determination, and contributions helped shape the Great Falls community!
12) SBA 504 Rates Remain Competitive: August SBA 504 effective rates are 6.272% for 25-year loans, 6.275% for 25-year refinances, 6.274% for 20-year loans, 6.277% for 20-year refinances, and 6.192% for 10-year loans. SBA 504 loans offer long-term financing with rates fixed for the life of the loan and as little as 10% down, helping businesses preserve working capital while financing real estate, equipment, expansion, or other eligible fixed assets. To learn more about SBA 504 financing, contact Shandi Gebhardt Jones at 1-406-590-1056 or Shandi@GrowGreatFalls.org.
13) Thank you to Showdown Montana for stepping up to feed firefighters battling the Ant Park Fire! See KRTV.
14) We are about a month out from our Developer Red Carpet Tour on September 10-11. We are looking for exciting project sites to showcase Great Falls development opportunities as well as developers who need an orientation to the Great Falls market. Registration is live for developers, please reach out to Jake with questions or to get your project/site on the tour. Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-403-4937
15) The Montana Indian Equity Fund (IEF) Small Business Grant is now accepting applications through September 30. Administered by the Montana Department of Commerce, the program provides grant funding to support Native American-owned businesses in Montana. Learn more and apply here. Our SBDC team, along with NACDC Financial Services, will host a free grant training in Browning on August 25 for those interested in applying. Register for the Indian Equity Fund Grant training here.
16) GFDA and the US Department of Agriculture are teaming up to host the 2026 Montana Rural Impact Forum, September 9th and 10th in Great Falls. If you have a project, an idea, or are looking for resources to move your community forward, don't miss this opportunity to connect directly with federal and state agency leaders and learn about funding and tools available for projects. Sessions will cover Opportunity Zones 2.0, more than $1 billion in potential rural healthcare funding, meat processing, and other development opportunities, plus project tours and one on one time with agency representatives. There is no cost to attend, but space is limited. Register here today! Contact Jolene at 1-406-750-4481 or JSchalper@GrowGreatFalls for more information.
17) USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced $410 million available in the new Powering Affordable Reliable Technology (PART) Program to increase the supply of rural power and support the reliability of America’s electrical grid. PART offers partially forgivable loans to invest in infrastructure that produces electricity from hydro, geothermal or biomass energy sources as well as investments in energy storage systems to make intermittent renewable energy systems more reliable. Individual awards for partially forgivable loans will range between $1 million and $100 million. RUS is accepting Letters of Interest beginning September 8 through October 9. Eligible applicants include for profit organizations, state or local governments, federally recognized Tribes, nonprofits, distribution electric cooperatives, generation and transmission electric cooperatives, and certified electric utilities. For more info, visit the program page online and review the full Notice of Funding Opportunity. For questions, contact Daniel Layton with Montana USDA at Daniel.Layton@usda.gov or 1-406-585-2545.
18) The Montana Governor's Tourism Conference is coming to Great Falls on September 16-18. The event brings together more than 350 tourism and business professionals to educate, network and inspire one another. Instead of standard breakout sessions, rural immersive experiences will be offered and are designed to show attendees what Montana's landscapes need to thrive.
19) We’re excited to welcome Tyler Muzzana, EW Transition Consultant at NorthWestern Energy, to the GFDA Council. Our Council brings together leaders from across the region who provide input and help guide our work. We look forward to having Tyler at the table. Welcome, Tyler!
20) The Montana Department of Commerce is presenting the revised Montana Automation Financing Program consisting of two parts: a collateral support program and a direct loan program. These programs support Montana-based manufacturing businesses seeking to upgrade, replace or expand their equipment through automation and modernization investments. The direct loan is serviced through Commerce; the application window is open Sept. 1 through Oct. 23. Loans of up to $100,000 will be available for eligible projects. The collateral support application window will open later this year. For details, contact Josh Bennett at josh.bennett@mt.gov or 1-406-841-2748.
21) Great Falls has always been a military community, and supporting Malmstrom Air Force Base and the Montana Air National Guard is part of who we are. The Central Montana Defense Coalition brings our community together to make sure the people who serve here know they have our support and that their missions have a strong partner in our region. Thank you to the investors making this work possible. Recent investments include: Atlas Division: Cappis Consulting & Tax, LLC. Contact Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org to get involved.
22) Save the date for the 2027 Made in Montana Trade Show for Food and Gifts, April 15-17, 2027. Discover authentic Montana products at the 2027 trade show, located at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds in Helena. This event is a unique selling opportunity for member businesses, and incorporates a wholesale day as well as a public retail day. The 2027 trade show exhibitor application will be available online Oct. 1-31, 2026. Learn how your business can benefit from the Made in Montana program of the Montana Department of Commerce.
23) Central Montana Works and its community partners are hosting the fifth annual Worlds of Work (WOW) career exploration event on September 15th at Great Falls College MSU and the University of Providence from 8:00AM - 4:00 PM.WOW is a career expo – NOT a typical job fair, and this event opens new avenues of opportunity for stud ents they never knew were possible. Over 2000 8th & 10th grade students will navigate through 4 zones with 16 worlds (industry career clusters) amounting to 60-100 exhibitors. Exhibitors provide an experiential introduction to a specific business or industry cluster. All of these are hands-on opportunities to showcase well-paying, in-demand careers in our own community. Learn more and register your business.
24) When local businesses succeed, the whole community benefits. Jobs grow, dollars stay local, and demand grows for more places to eat, shop, gather, and play. GFDA helps businesses make that growth happen, with support from our investors and partners. Learn more in this short video. Recent investments include: Pacesetter Division—TC Glass. Add your support to the work moving the region forward. Reach out to Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org.
25) GFDA has some great Career Opportunities!
Congratulations to GFDA's Business Attraction Director, MSgt. Christian Leinhauser, on his retirement from the US Air Force after 25 years of service!
Brett
Brett Doney
Great Falls Development Alliance
BDoney@GrowGreatFalls.org
1-406-750-2119
Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Subscribe to the Grow Great Falls Montana YouTube channel!
"Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work."
Stephen King
Edition 749
| 
