Kamut’s own Bob Quinn, Founder, and Trevor Blyth, CEO, with GFDA’s Justin Loch at the Kamut booth during the Natural Product Expo West this week in Anaheim. Justin was there, along with Jolene, for food, ag, ingredient, and bioscience market research, business attraction, and looking for supply chain and other opportunities for existing Great Falls regional businesses. In the second photos, Trevor shows off some of the products featuring this Montana grown Ancient Grain including Patagoina Provisions, Kamut flours, and pastas.

1) The Great Falls Clinic announced it plans to break ground on its $58 million hospital expansion on May 1st. The 58,000 square foot first phase will include a cardiac diagnostic and intervention (Cath lab) suite, 10-bed intensive care unit (ICU), 18-bed inpatient medical/surgical unit and procedural and administrative spaces. Phase one is scheduled for completion in August 2023. Phase two will include a high complexity laboratory, pharmacy space, expended sterile processing, and two operating rooms. Phase three will include interior renovations to accommodate growth in the clinical spaces and updates to the cafeteria, central supply, emergency department, and support spaces. See KRTV and Fox ABC.

3) The Arc Apartments, located on the corner of Division Road and Smelter Avenue Northwest, are on schedule to have their first building complete and accepting tenants by late June of this year. There have been some supply chain issues, but overall, the project is right on track and the final building of the development should be complete by the end of 2022.  Arc will feature 216 units with full amenities including a clubhouse, pool and spa, exercise facility, outdoor grilling stations, and a pet area.

4) Time is running out to register for the Great Falls Housing Production Summit in partnership with NeighborWorks Great Falls (NWGF) and the Great Falls Association of Realtors (GFAR), the Great Falls Homebuilders Association and other partners to be held on March 15, 9-11 AM at Great Falls College MSU in Room B101. Registration is free! You can register here. The summit will feature the workforce housing demand assessment, current projects presented by developers in our market including some fresh announcements, and the perspectives of some of Great Falls' major employers on the demand for more housing production.

5) Several new retail projects on the 10th Avenue South commercial corridor are moving ahead; see TheElectric's Business Bites. KRTV's Eye on Great Falls details a number of projects underway across the city.

6) Impact of Change: A SAM.gov Transition Overview starts this week. Did you know that the D-U-N-S number is going away in SAM.gov permanently on April 4th? Join us online Thursday, March 17th at 10:00 AM while we explore the new transitions taking place in SAM.gov. We will provide an overview of how the registration process has changed, the impact of these changes, and how you can benefit from them. Register here or contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org for more information.

7) Congratulations to Mariah Gladstone of Babb on the success of her online cooking show Indigikitchen! She uses digital media as a teaching tool to revitalize knowledge about traditional indigenous food; see KRTV. Check out her many great recipes "Revitalizing, reimagining, and recreating indigenous foods."

8) Structuring Effective and Efficient Meetings is the next topic for our monthly Small Business Webinar Series presentation, produced in collaboration with the University of Montana and MSU-Extension. Marguerite Thordarson, a Women’s Business Center business advisor embedded with our team will deliver the presentation. For more information or to register, click here.

9) Traveled with a team of Great Falls business, education and workforce leaders to Tuscaloosa to meet with the West Alabama Chamber and their business, education and workforce development partners to learn how they have become a national model in developing pipelines of skilled workers for businesses in their region. THANK YOU to the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce for organizing the trip and leading this important effort!! And thank you to the public and private leaders in Tuscaloosa for being such wonderful hosts!! The Great Falls team included the Great Falls Area Chamber, Great Falls Public Schools, Great Falls Job Service, Great Falls College MSU, City of Great Falls, state legislators, Senator Daines staff, GFDA, Sletten Construction, ADF International, and Northup Grumman. Check out the West Alabama Works! website.

10) We have firmed up the dates for our first cohort of Accelerate: Your Startup. This four module intensive business course designed for pre-venture and early stage startups will run from May 6 through June 3, with a graduation pitch event tentatively scheduled for June 8. If you are (or know of) an entrepreneur in the beginning stages of launching or planning to launch and are asking foundational questions about business, this course is for you. For more information or to register, click here or contact Jason at JNitschke@GrowGreatFalls.org.

11) From the beginning of 2020 to the end of 2021 there were 26 businesses that either opened or expanded in Downtown Great Fall and 2022 is shaping up to be another fantastic year for Downtown growth. Have you considered opening or expanding your business in Downtown? If so, call Christian at 406.836.0136 or CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org and let’s discuss strategies to make sure your business is a rock solid addition to Downtown!

12) We have started beta testing our self-paced, online tool for entrepreneurs exploring entrepreneurship. Business Basics for Startups can be accessed here. Please share this tool with potential entrepreneurs and provide feedback to help us make it better.

13) USDA is offering a virtual USDA Small Business 201 Workshop on April 13 and April 14 from 2:00 – 5:00 PM EST both days. This workshop is the second in the series of USDA’s efforts to support and showcase procurement opportunities to rural, minority, women, veteran, and other small businesses. The workshop will serve as an opportunity to network with USDA programs and contract officers, other small businesses, partners, stakeholders, and other organizations focused on supporting and growing businesses across the country. Part I on April 13 will focus on the contracting and procurement tools and resources, as well as mission area overviews.  Part II on April 14 will focus on USDA programs, contracts, and procurement opportunities. Register by April 8 or until they reach capacity.

14) Nominations are open for the 2022 Fire Within – a celebration of women entrepreneurs! We are seeking nominations for Aspire Candidates. These are women who have been in business under five years. Inspire Candidates have been in business over five years. The awards are achieved by showing strong business acumen and a track record of business success. The event will be on May 12 at 5:30 PM; details to come. Nominate your candidates here.

15) Hear acclaimed speaker and best-selling author Alonzo Kelly. He will be presenting a workshop that is open to the public this Monday, March 14, at 6:30-8:00 PM in Heritage Hall at Great Falls College MSU. The presentation will discuss strategies for creating a culture of belonging, specifically in regard to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Learn more about Alonzo Kelly here.

16) Lillian, Rich, and Jason participated in Entrepreneurship-led Economic Development, a two day professional development seminar presented by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). This 11-hour course explored the reasons why entrepreneurship is a critical element of economic development, took a deep dive into the challenges that prevent or hinder collaboration, how to identify business assistance gaps, hot to create inclusion strategies, and becoming a trusted source in the community. We look forward to putting these strategies to work in our regional economic development efforts.

17) Thank you to our wonderful team of investors! They are true champions of Great Falls and are directly supporting the growth of our economy. Recent investments include: Pacesetter Division—Detailed Construction and The Hinebauch Agency. Because of their continued support, we can keep working toward our mission to help businesses in our region. If you want to be a part of the team that is helping to Grow Great Falls, reach out to Investment Director Jenn Gallmeier at 406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org. 

I flew from Alabama to DC for policy meetings with federal officials. We're supporting efforts to reauthorize the Economic Development Administration which has been a key partner in economic development efforts in the Great Falls region and throughout Montana.

Make it a prosperous week!

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.

Subscribe to the Grow Great Falls Montana YouTube channel!

"You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas."

Shirley Chisholm

Here is an updated Growth Highlights for the Great Falls Montana Trade Area. Our Menu of Services and Staff Team handout. Here is our our Quarterly Investor Letter and our GFDA 2021Q4 Quarter Index. In case you missed it at Ignite, we unveiled our new Great Falls Promo Video! We are Great Falls Montana! Click here to check it out and please SHARE! 

We have a new Business Development Officer position to boost our efforts to grow the food, ag and bio-processing industries in the Great Falls region. We are still looking for a Competitive Improvements Director to lead efforts to address key challenges in Great Falls including housing production, industrial space, logistics costs, and talent attraction. Here is a PDF of our GFDA Career Opportunities. GFDA has a year-round College Intern Program with five paid internship opportunities. Download application. Help us spread the word!

If your company needs a rail-served, BNSF-Certified, shovel-ready site with all municipal services at your door, we have lots available for immediate construction in the Great Falls AgriTech Park. Contact Jolene Schalper at 1.406.750.4481 or JSchalper@GrowGreatFalls.org

The 25-year loan effective rate (including all fees) came in at 3.594%; 20-year at 3.449%; 10-year equipment loan at 3.070%; and, 20-year refinance 3.463%; 25-year refinance 3.608%. These rates are FIXED for the life of the loan and are inclusive of all fees. If you would like to find out how to get financing for commercial real estate and equipment at potentially lower rates than you're paying for your home mortgage, please contact Jill Kohles at 406-590-1056 or JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org.

Contact Jenn Gallmeier at 406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org. Here is a current list of our great investors.

We have migrated our pre-business workshop for early stage and pre-venture startups to a self-paced, video-facilitated, online format. Business Basics for Startups is now live and ready for beta testing. If you’d like to check out the content and provide feedback, we’d appreciate it. Click here to check out the new modules and resources. Please direct feedback to Rich at RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org.

The Montana Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) is open for applications. This $5.5 million grant fund is to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in Montana. Specialty crops are defined as fruits, vegetables, peas and lentils, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture). Deadline for this grant March 28, 2022. Contact Justin Loch, Justin@GrowGreatFalls.org, to discuss your project. You can also visit the website here.

We are seeking participants in our new, more in-depth workshop for pre-venture and early-stage startups. Accelerate Your Startup is a four-week, 12-hour, cohort based, startup accelerator. This course will work participants through the core elements of business to speed up learning and enable more comprehensive planning earlier in a business’ life span. Final dates will be determined by committed participants. For more information or to register, click here or contact Jason at JNitschke@GrowGreatFalls.org.

Montana Rapid Retraining funds are available to help more people enroll in workforce training programs and expand industry-driven accelerated workforce training courses. The Great Falls Job Service can assist with Rapid Retaining Efforts. Contact Beth Schmidt at 406-791-5869 or beschmidt@mt.gov. For business strategy/planning help to take advantage of this one-time opportunity, contact our Small Business Development Center (SBDC) regional director, Jason Nitschke at JNitschke@GrowGreatFalls.org

Value Added Producer Grant applications are now open! These agriculture grants are for companies that are using Montana commodities to generate new products and expand marketing opportunities. Application Deadline is April 25th. For more information Justin Loch at Justin@GrowGreatFalls.org. You can also visit: Montana USDA.

Are you a startup business or thinking of starting a business? Do you have a side hustle you want to expand? Accelerate your startup with a four part training based on the GrowthWheel. Sessions include: Business Concept, Organization, Customer Relations, and Operations. We have 11 spots left at $50 each. The course cumulates with a pitch event. Register or learn more by clicking here. 

The Montana Downtown & Main Street annual conference will be in Billings April 6-8. The Montana Governor's Conference on Tourism and Recreation will be in Billings April 17-19

What if you could step back for a couple hours a month, discuss issues with similar size companies and work on your business growth? We invite CEOs to join PeerSpectives, a CEO roundtable system with structured, facilitate protocols. When companies reach the second stage (typically 10+ employees, $1m + in revenue) they have unique challenges and this model is designed to maximize your opportunities. Call Jason Nitschke to discuss, 750.0314. Participation is limited by size and industry. This once a month event over six months is $500 for GFDA Investors and $600 for non-investors. Learn more about this proven system here.

Construction of the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) project in the Great Falls region is a few years away, but it's time for local businesses to start exploring opportunities. Our friends in Wyoming are holding a virtual STAR roundtable on March 17th at 8:00 AM MST. The STAR is a resource for small businesses to learn how to team up and bid on government contracts available on or near the missile win Air Force bases. Future roundtable dates will be June 16, September 15, and December 15. Register here. For help getting ready, connect with our government contract specialists Lillian Sunwall LSunwall@GrowGreatFalls.org and Shannon Clancy SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org who run our regional Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). A big shout out to our partners at Big Sky EDA in Billings who for years have managed the statewide PTAC network!

Save the date for four new trainings we’ve added to our business education calendar. Rich will deliver Website Bootcamps in Browning on April 8th and in Great Falls on May 11th. We’re also partnering with Snowy Mountain Development and the Lewistown Chamber to deliver two QuickBooks Desktop classes May 19th and May 20th. Follow the hyperlinks for more detail or contact Jason at JNitschke@GrowGreatFalls.org.The White House published a guide to the infrastructure bill to help communities, counties and tribes figure out how to access and compete for funds. 495 ages of exciting reading, if you're into infrastructure!

Did you know that the D-U-N-S number is going away in SAM.gov permanently on April 4th? How does this effect your existing SAM profile or registering in SAM for the first time? A new Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) generated by the System for Award Management (SAM) will replace the proprietary D-U-N-S® (DUNS) number as the official identifier for entities doing business with the federal government. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has directed agencies to complete their transition to using the SAM-generated UEI by April 4, 2022. Until then the DUNS number will continue to be the UEI for assignment, monitoring, and validation of businesses involved with the federal government during this transition period. Get the latest updates on this transition in SAM.gov by contacting your Great Falls PTAC and connecting with Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org

Attention Veteran-Owned Businesses! In less than a year the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE) will transfer to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). As of January 1, 2023, all functions of VA’s CVE will be handled by the SBA. To help make this a seamless transition, we encourage all self-certified SDVOSBs to complete the verification process through the VA now before the transfer becomes effective. Please start the verification process at https://vetbiz.va.gov/vip/. For more information on starting the verification process, contact Lillian Sunwall at LSunwall@GrowGreatFalls.org. 

The government buys everything. Are you ready to bid for government contracts? Are you registered in SAM the federal database to win government contracts? What are procurement specialist looking for? With the MAFB expansion there will be more opportunities to contract your goods and services. We can help you prepare and successfully bid on government contracts. Reach out to Shannon Clancy to learn more, SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org or 406.590.1184.

A number of state special business programs using American Rescue Plan funds are rolling out. The Workforce Training Grant Program has been launched by the Montana Department of Commerce and has up to $3,000 per eligible employee available for training expenses by businesses. The Apprenticeship Training Grant Program will be able to reimburse construction-related apprenticeship expenses up to a limit of $3,000. Track all state ARPA economic programs on the state's ARPA website.

Attention Small Business doing Government Contracting:  There has been an update to the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). The plans for the next iteration of CMMC which is being call CMMC 2.0 has been released. Like the initial CMMC (which was pilot tested but never implemented) this version has to go through the public comment and rulemaking process and nobody knows what changes will occur to the proposed CMMC 2.0 during those processes. A few proposed changes included in CMMC 2.0 include decreasing certification levels from 5 to 3 and increasing opportunities for (no-cost) self-assessments. While the rulemaking efforts are ongoing, the Department intends to suspend the current CMMC Piloting efforts and will not approve inclusion of a CMMC requirement in any DoD solicitation. The Department encourages contractors to continue to enhance their cybersecurity position during the interim period while the rulemaking is underway.  Please visit the CMMC website and projectspectrum.io to learn more. 

The best resource we scan daily to stay abreast of business and community innovation is MATR.net (Montana Associated Technology Roundtables) which we are proud to help sponsor. Sign up for their free newsletter.

The Montana Department of Commerce launched an investment matchmaking website for Montana business projects. The Opportunity Exchange’s - Montana Investment Portal is a website where investors can easily view and connect to projects in the state. Click here to view listed projects. Click here to get your investment project listed on the portal. For help posting your project or property on the Montana Investment Portal, contact Kristian Richardson at 406-841-2032 or Kristian.Richardson@mt.gov.

We've released the Great Falls Childcare Demand Assessment that shows a need for additional childcare facilities to serve 580 children in Great Falls. For assistance with childcare facility business planning, contact Jason Nitschke at JNitschke@GrowGreatFalls.org.

Join the Trailing Partner Email Group specifically for employers to share resumes of trailing spouses/partners across the Great Falls region with other employers looking to hire. “Your (Live in Great Falls) website is very impressive and helpful! Great Falls looks amazing, and we love what we've seen real estate-wise, and business-wise.” This quote was from an email sent to us from a couple considering relocation to Great Falls. We will be sharing their resumes (with their permission) on the Trailing Partner Email Group.

Looking to take control of your business’s financials, increase profit, and improve your bottom line? We have had interest from businesses in scheduling a Profit Mastery course. These courses are scheduled by demand. If you are interested in taking this two-day workshop, contact Jason Nitschke at JNitschke@GrowGreatFalls.org or call (406) 750-0314.

Pro-tip: Post positivity! When you’re using Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn and share something positive about Great Falls, tag @LiveinGreatFalls or @GrowGreatFallsMontana. We will like and share your posts. Follow our talent attraction effort, Live in Great Falls, on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and follow the Great Falls Development Authority to help us attract entrepreneurs and business investment on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

You are facing tough decisions right now. We’ve developed toolkits to help you decide what is best for your business. Toolkits include: Crisis Toolkit, Hibernation Toolkit, Business Resiliency Guide, Re-Opening Toolkit, and a Child Care Whitepaper. All of these can be found on our website.

Visit our relocation website LiveInGreatFalls.com. This website was the #1 request we got from local recruiters and HR professionals for aiding in attracting talented workers to Great Falls. The Great Falls At-A-Glance two-pager is a great complementary resource that highlights Great Falls for people unfamiliar with our community.

We have Brownfield Clean-Up money that we want to put to work! Our low interest Brownfield Loans can be used to clean up hazardous materials including but not limited to lead paint, asbestos, etc. Are you working on a project that could use some clean up? Call Lillian today to discuss eligibility 406.750.1253 or LSunwall@GrowGreatFalls.org.

Manufacturers, if you're not engaged with the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center hosted by MSU, you're missing out on powerful resources, services, and networking. MMEC clients report cost savings of $160.3 million, new investment of $328.4 million, $1.3 billion in new and retained sales, and 6,186 new and retained jobs since 2000. We're proud to host an MMEC business adviser who covers the Golden Triangle region. Contact Doug Roberts at richard.roberts4@montana.edu or (937) 489-3985.

Of our online business planning tool, LivePlan, one said: "LivePlan is Awesome!" The LivePlan tool is helping her streamline her strategy in preparation for presenting to bank partners. We offer LivePlan licenses for free to active clients. Learn more about LivePlan on our website.

All of our recorded monthly business strategy webinars are available online for viewing anytime, click them out here.

Grow diverse economic opportunities that enhance quality of life.

For more info, click to our website.