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1) Join us this Monday for a Business Pitch at MT Pints, Monday, October 10th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Please come join us for a night of networking and socializing while we listen to the pitches of local entrepreneurs. If you are interested in pitching your idea, just show up! Contact Tony Peres on our team at 406-750-2099 or via email at Tony@GrowGreatFalls.org if you have any questions, want help with your pitch, or would like to host a future business pitch event..
2) We had a great week hosting three companies looking to expand or relocate in the Great Falls region with two more scheduling their visits soon. Great Falls is on the radar for numerous industries including aerospace, software development, and bioscience. If you know of a business that you think would succeed in our market please reach out to Jake Clark at Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org so we can arrange a visit.
3) One of the site visits was a software engineering company looking for new, fresh markets with lower operation costs and lower cost of living -- a market where they will be a premier employer and a place with a high veteran population. Great Falls shines in all these areas and we were happy to introduce this company to our community. If you’d like to know more about our business attraction concierge services, call Jolene at 406.750.4481.
4) Congratulations to Janis and Jerry McRae on their recent purchase and extensive renovation of the Dutton Drive -In; see Choteau Acantha. Vino and Brews recently opened its doors as Lewistown’s latest tavern. The beer and wine bar features 20 different wines and 13 different beers on tap, the bar also serves a variety of shareable foods such as ciabatta, tempura, charcuterie, and several different seafood plates. See Lewistown Argus News.
5) The GFDA Board of Directors voted to endorse the Cascade County Public Safety Levy and encourage voters to support the measure. Visit WeStandSafe.com for more info.
6) As we continue our deep-dive strategic planning work, the GFDA Board adopted a framework for the new regional economic development plan. The four focus areas will be People, Place, Opportunities, and Team.
7) One of the priorities we've identified through strategic planning is that we need to make our transportation and logistics costs and services more competitive to help existing manufacturers and attract new manufacturing investment. We met with six different businesses across the region this week to discuss their transportation opportunities and needs. We are meeting with businesses ranging from fuel products, ag commodities, consumer dry goods, food manufacturing, livestock, and more to get the big picture of transportation and logistics across our region. If you’d like to be part of the conversation, call Justin at 406-590-1301.
8) Another strategic priority we're working on is housing production. The Governor's Housing Task Force released a great draft report detailing strategies to increase housing production across the state. Download the Task Force Housing Report. You can submit comments on the draft by October 15th on the Task Force's website.
9) Congratulations to not one but three new businesses that opened their doors last week in Fort Benton! The Rustic Mug is a boutique and décor shop that is owned by the mother daughter team of Leslie Hansen-Clewien and Karla Hansen. Moon Eyes Coffee is the town's newest coffee shop and is owned by Jake Berger and Maren Engen. The Public House is a new restaurant specializing in smoked meats and is owned by Alex and Jessica Salazar. All three of these new ventures can be located nestled into The Courtyard on Front Street in Fort Benton’s riverfront area. Source: The River Press.
10) Only 5% of the animals raised for meat in Montana are processed in Montana. We've created a new loan fund to provide flexible gap and bridge financing to help local processors throughout the Golden Triangle to expand their processing capacity and to help entrepreneurs start new processing operations. Give Justin a call to discuss the resources available, 406-590-1301.
11) Congratulations to Brick House Bakery & Sweet Treats now open in Great Falls in Mise en Place Kitchens at 6th Street SW in the former Ryan's Station building. Brick House Bakery & Sweet Treats owner Amanda Brooks is serving up delicious baked goods every Sunday in the new location. Learn more in the Announcement of the Week.
12) We published our 2022Q3 Quarter Index this week. Download our updated GFDA Services & Team handout. SelectUSA, America's foreign direct investment arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce, has awarded us a virtual spinoff event leading up to the 2023 SelectUSA Investment Summit in DC next May. We will use the opportunity to pitch the advantages of choosing the 13-county Great Falls Montana trade area for new business operations. This week we made more progress on our new economic development website and on preparations for company meetings as part of the Montana Japan Trade Mission later this month. Japan is the biggest foreign direct investor in the US.
13) Congratulations to the University of Montana on being named America's #1 University for Community and National Service by Washington Monthly!
14) Christian was a speaker on an International Economic Development Council webinar this week titled, “Down by the Storefront”, focusing on pre and post Covid downtown development. He was a member of a three person panel, joining Corpus Christi, TX and Grand Junction, CO speaking to over 100 economic developers about the great momentum we have going in Downtown Great Falls.
15) GFDA would like to welcome Mike Mills as the newest member on our Board of Directors. Mike serves as the representative for Sweetgass Development, one of four Economic Development Districts in our region. Mike also owns & operates Mills Motor Co. in Fairfield and works for 3 Rivers Communications in business development and outside sales. We are excited to be collaborating with our partner organization and are looking forward to the valuable perspective and insights Mike will bring. Welcome to the team, Mike!
16) Economic development is more important than ever. GFDA and the programs we implement are essential in growing and sustaining the local economy. A key path to growing is investing in economic development. Nobody understands that more than our team of INVESTORS. If you want to be a part of the team that growing our region, contact Investment Director Jenn Gallmeier at 406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org.
17) Register today for the Montana Economic Development Conference at The Newberry in downtown Great Falls November 14-16; see Montana Economic Developers Association. The Building a Winning Montana Team conference will feature exciting panels discussing key Montana economic development issues such as housing, business attraction, talent attraction, tourism and economic development, tribal economic development, and value added agriculture. Keynotes will bring perspectives from other states and provinces, and from leading Montana industry associations and state leaders. Workshops include economic development ethics, new financing collaborations, and business attraction.
18) Volunteer to help with the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce's inaugural Worlds of Work! (WOW). WOW is a career expo pioneered by West Alabama Works. Though NOT a typical job fair, this event opens new avenues of opportunity for middle school students they never knew were possible. The Chamber's goal this first year is to have sixteen Worlds, each representing one of Montana’s sixteen recognized career pathways. On October 18th, WOW will be held at Great Falls College – MSU and the University of Providence (inside and outside) from 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM. Area 8th graders will be divided into groups and will have a navigator who will guide them to each of the worlds, where they will explore for approximately 20-25 minutes before traveling to the next world. WOW Varsity, the block for high school students, will be in the late afternoon, and will include sophomores only for this first year. Check out the West Alabama WOW. Contact Scott Wolff for more info at swolff@greatfallschamber.org.
We're firing on all cylinders to keep momentum gaining speed. THANK YOU to our clients, partners, investors, and volunteers who make everything we do possible!
Brett
Brett Doney
President & CEO
Connect with me on LinkedIn to network with the Great Falls Montana region. Forward the GFDA Top 10 to friends and colleagues. You can join our distribution list HERE or text GFDA to 22828.
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"Success isn't always about greatness. It's about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come."
Dwayne Johnson
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