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1) West Elementary School of Great Falls Public Schools has a wonderful new playground made possible by a generous community donation. Read about Shirley's Playground on KRTV.
2) Congratulations to Governor Gianforte’s Energy Task Force on the conclusion of a yearlong effort to collaborate on addressing transmission, markets, generation, and growing demand in Montana and the western region. The final task force recommendations and strategies to increase the supply of affordable and reliable energy options for Montana can be found here. To discuss the recommendations and possibilities for energy development opportunities in North Central Montana, reach out to Kristen Blue at 1-406-788-4989 or Kristen@GrowGreatFalls.org.
3) Jake connected developers of a new housing project in predevelopment with a City of Great Falls staff team to identify conceptual development challenges and clarify potential solutions for the project as it heads into further design. Asking the right questions of the right people early in a project can provide smoother sailing throughout the development process. Need some answers for your project? Reach out to Jake at Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-403-4937
4) Last call for attendees and project or development opportunity information for the Developer Red Carpet Tour on September 10-11 in cooperation with the Urban Land Institute. Please reach out to Jake to include your project or development opportunity and if you are a developer looking for information on the Great Falls market, register here!
5) Congratulations to Vision Net on the launch of their Discovery Network – Montana’s AI Ready Network. Built to support the next generation of artificial intelligence, advanced research, and data intensive applications, the Discovery Network is an 800G capable fiber network designed to help accelerate innovation and economic opportunity across Montana. Spanning 163 miles between Billings and Bozeman, this high capacity digital corridor connects Montana’s largest population center with one of the state’s leading innovation and technology hubs.
6) Thank you to the Great Falls Association of Realtors for generously hosting GFDA’s fifth Data Center Task Force meeting. Over 40 active community stakeholders took time to attend, listen, and respectfully communicate regarding opportunities and impacts associated with potential data center development. Notes and date for the next meeting will be available soon. For any questions regarding the data center task force, reach out to Jolene at JSchalper@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-750-4481.
7) Jolene Schalper, GFDA's Executive Vice President, has been appointed by General Stephen Davis, Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, to the Air Force Global Strike Command Civic Leader Program. She joins Steve Grooms and Mathew Lynde representing the Great Falls Region. Congratulations Jolene!
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) This week, our small business advisor helped a client dig into the financials of a business they are considering purchasing, including developing a basic valuation range and understanding what the business may realistically be worth. We also looked beyond the purchase price to discuss an often overlooked part of buying a business - how much working capital will be needed after the sale to keep the business operating successfully. If you’re considering buying a business, our no cost small business advisors can help you evaluate the numbers, ask the right questions, and better understand what it will take to make the deal work. Contact Rich Gannon at 1-406-836-2078 or email him at RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org
10) 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 1-406-750-4481 or JSchalper@GrowGreatFalls for more information.
11) 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.
12) Registration is open for Jon Schallert’s Destination Creation Workshop, coming to North Central Montana this October. Business owners and community leaders will learn practical strategies for helping businesses stand out, attract customers, increase sales, and become destinations in their own right. The workshop will be offered October 6 in Shelby and October 7 in Great Falls. Register for October 6 in Shelby: Register here. Register for October 7 in Great Falls: Register here. There is no cost to attend. Thank you to the Montana Department of Commerce for making this opportunity possible through funding from its ORE Capacity Grant. For questions, contact Jamie Rapley at Jamie@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-217-9210.
13) Jake joined the Food and Ag Development Center Directors from around the state for their annual meeting with the Agriculture Development Council in Big Timber, Montana. Details on the Application timeline for the Growth Through Agriculture Grant/Loan program will be released soon!
14) We continue to support our Canadian business neighbors interested in expanding their businesses into North Central Montana. We’ve built a strong network of resources to help companies navigate cross-border expansion, from business structure and immigration questions to site selection, workforce, and local connections. Our proximity to Canada makes Great Falls a natural location for Canadian companies looking to establish or grow their U.S. presence. If you know of a Canadian company considering U.S. expansion, contact Christian Leinhauser at CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-836-0136.
15) Businesses come to GFDA with ideas, challenges, expansion plans, and everything in between. Our job is to help them figure out the next step and give them the tools and resources to take it. Our investors and partners make that work possible. Their support allows us to keep helping businesses move forward and creating more opportunity across the region. Learn more about them in this short video. Recent investments include: Community Division—Cogswell Insurance and Geranios Enterprises, Inc.. Help us keep these resources available by contacting Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org.
16) A major rural energy funding opportunity opens September 8. USDA Rural Development’s $410 million Powering Affordable Reliable Technology Program will offer partially forgivable loans of $1 million to $100 million for eligible energy projects that strengthen rural power supply and grid reliability. Utilities, cooperatives, nonprofits, Tribes, local governments, and for profit organizations are eligible to apply. Montana applicants can contact Daniel Layton with USDA Rural Development at Daniel.Layton@usda.gov or 1-406- 585-2545 for more information.
17) 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.
Have a great week!
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!
"I don’t know any other way to lead but by example."
Don Shula
Edition 752
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