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1) The Great Falls City Commission unanimously approved over $2,000,000 in Strategic Capital Investment Reserve (SCIR) funds to support infrastructure improvements and new housing projects in Great Falls. The SCIR is a pilot program seeking to partner with new development projects to improve the water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure within the city. GFDA supported the creation of the program as well as the two projects receiving funding in this pilot period of the program. Does your project need support through the predevelopment process? Reach out to Jake Clark, Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-403-4937.
2) The 8th annual mural festival, Great Walls Great Falls in Downtown Great Falls added seven new murals on downtown buildings. We'll share photos in future Top 10's. Congratulations and thank you to all who made this possible! See TheElectric and KRTV.
3) Congratulations to Montana Renewables on progressing to the next phase of its MaxSAF sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) expansion in Great Falls. The facility is currently producing approximately 60 million gallons per year of SAF and plans to increase production to more than 120 million gallons per year by Spring 2027. The ongoing success of Montana Renewables highlights Great Falls’ role nationally in advanced fuels, agricultural markets, and domestic energy production.
4) Road work started this week on 67th Street North in the Great Falls AgriTech Park which is part of phase 3 infrastructure improvements that will serve lots 7-10. We received final reimbursement from the City of Great Falls for the first two phases of infrastructure. Thank you to Pacific Steel & Recycling who helped make the Park possible with its investment of $1.85 million as part of the first phase of infrastructure improvements!
5) Great Falls College will operate an on campus childcare facility this fall. The U.S. Air Force broke ground on construction of the Sentinel Training Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, another step forward for Sentinel; see Santa Maria Times. Entrepreneurs Megan and Jordan Anderson have created Canyon Roots Company, growing microgreens in Cascade; see KRTV.
6) GFDA’s business development team advanced two energy projects this week with supporting expertise from our partners and investors. To discuss energy development opportunities in North Central Montana, reach out to Kristen Blue at 1-406-788-4989 or Kristen@GrowGreatFalls.org.
7) The Montana Clean Energy Fair returns to downtown Great Falls on Saturday, August 29 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM on the 100 block of Central Avenue, alongside the Farmers Market. The fair is hosted by the Montana Renewable Energy Association in partnership with Citizens for Clean Energy and the Golden Triangle Resource Council. The event connects Montanans with information on renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy resilience, and sustainable living. For questions, contact info@montanarenewables.org or 1-406-214-9405.
8) There are only a few spots remaining for our Indian Equity Fund Grant training in Browning on August 25th. If you're a Native American entrepreneur seeking grant funding for your for-profit business, reach out to the GFDA Small Business Development Center for more info on the Indian Equity Fund Grant program.
9) We are excited to bring this one-time special opportunity to Montana. Registration is OPEN for Jon Schallert’s Destination Creation Workshop, a free opportunity for business owners to learn strategies for making their businesses stand out, attract more customers, and become destinations in their own right. The workshop will be offered at two locations, making it easier for entrepreneurs across the region to take advantage of this valuable training. This training is also great for community leaders working on downtown, tourism and economic development efforts. Thank you to the Montana Department of Commerce for helping fund this incredible workshop. REGISTER for the free Destination Creation Workshop: October 6 in Shelby or October 7 in Great Falls.
10) Thank you to the engaged community members who attend GFDA’s Data Center Task Force meetings and share thoughts regarding potential data center development. The next Data Center Task Force meeting is Wednesday, August 26 from 5:00 – 6:30 PM at the Great Falls Association of Realtors. The speaker is Bob Morris, Lance Energy Chair at Montana Tech and a member of Governor Gianforte’s Energy Task Force. Mr. Morris has 40 years of global experience in high voltage transmission, industrial power systems, and data center infrastructure. Please register here. For information regarding the event, contact Kristen Blue at 1-406-788-4989 or Kristen@GrowGreatFalls.org.
11) 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.
12) GFDA continues to work with multiple Foreign Direct Investment projects exploring opportunities in North Central Montana, helping prospectivecompanies understand the region’s assets and connect with resources across our network. These conversations are strengthening relationships with companies considering U.S. expansion and positioning the region for new investment, jobs, and long-term economic growth. GFDA is coordinating local and statewide resources to help each project evaluate sites, workforce, infrastructure, incentives, and other business needs. To learn more about our Foreign Direct Investment efforts or connect us with a potential project, contact Christian Leinhauser at CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org or +1-406-836-0136.
13) Shannon attended the 2026 National APEX Accelerator Alliance (NAPEX) Conference, connecting with APEX professionals from across the country and learning about changes shaping federal contracting. The knowledge and resources gained will add value to Montana businesses as they navigate changing requirements, identify opportunities, and compete successfully in the government marketplace. Put our expertise to work for your business. Contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1184.
14) Jamie shared GFDA’s talent attraction tools with local human resources professionals at the most recent SHRM meeting, highlighting some excellent free resources employers can use to strengthen recruitment efforts and connect more people with career opportunities in our region. Learn more about GFDA’s talent attraction resources or and reach out with questions at Contact: Jamie@GrowGreatFalls.org, +1-406-217-9210
15) GFDA and the USDA Rural Development 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 1-750-4481 or JSchalper@GrowGreatFalls for more information.
16) USDA Rural Development is opening a new financing opportunity for rural energy infrastructure through its $410 million Powering Affordable Reliable Technology Program. The program offers partially forgivable loans from $1 million to $100 million for eligible hydro, geothermal, biomass, and energy storage projects that strengthen rural power supply and grid reliability. Eligible applicants include utilities, cooperatives, nonprofits, Tribes, local governments, and for profit organizations. Letters of Interest will be accepted September 8 through October 9, 2026. For more information on this program, visit the program page online and review the full Notice of Funding Opportunity. For questions about the program, contact Daniel Layton with Montana USDA Rural Development at Daniel.Layton@usda.gov or 1-406-585-2545.
17) 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.
18) 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.
19) Great Falls and our military community have grown together for generations. The Central Montana Defense Coalition is one way we can continue that partnership by supporting Malmstrom Air Force Base, the Montana Air National Guard, and the people who serve here. It also gives our business community a voice in helping keep these missions strong and our region competitive. Thank you to the investors backing this work. Contact Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org to be part of it.
20) We are honored this week to earn the Bronze Award for Economic Development Organization of the Year in the 25,000-200,000 population category as part of the International Economic Development Council's Excellence in Economic Development Awards.
21) Sometimes a business needs financing. Sometimes it needs advice, a connection, training, or help working through the next challenge. GFDA is here for all of it. Thanks to our investors and partners, we can continue providing the support businesses need to start, grow, and succeed across our region. Learn more about the people who make that possible in this short video. Recent investments include: Leadership Division—Guy Tabacco Construction; Community Division—Brett Harris Insurance. Help us keep these resources available by contacting Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org.
22) GFDA has some great Career Opportunities! We're looking for two Business Development Officers, one to focus on attracting investment in Downtown Great Falls and one to focus on expanding food, ag and bio processing industry in the region. We're looking for two business advisors, one to focus on helping businesses with government contracting and one to focus on helping existing businesses to thrive and entrepreneurs to start new businesses including business plans, profitability, market research, and securing capital.
No slowing down for our economic development work during the dog days of summer. Our team worked with clients and partners on a number of important deals and projects this week. We keep working to raise the bar and get things done faster. Great work team from your always impatient leader!
Brett
Brett Doney
Great Falls Development Alliance
BDoney@GrowGreatFalls.org
1-406-750-2119
Connect with me on LinkedIn.
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"Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there."
Will Rodgers
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