At Charlie's March Roundup Friday night at The Newberry, the C.M. Russell Museum of Great Falls announced the amazing success of its Art and Soul Campaign, blowing past its $25 million goal by raising $40 million. Congratulations!!!

1) Our Loan Committee approved two loans this week. The first loan of $700,000 will support a rapidly growing local business by working capital to enhance their ability to bid out larger jobs. The second loan of $500,000 is for a start-up business to purchase equipment. If you have a new or existing business that wants to start, stabilized, pivot, expand or re-start please reach out to Jill Kohles at 406-590-1056 or JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org to discuss your options.

2) Are you a female interested in starting a business, but are unsure where to begin? When first time entrepreneur Sophia Sparklin started BSPARK Architecture she needed assistance with the financial side of business operations. "There is a huge learning curve when starting a business. I took GFDA's profit mastery class several times and also took advantage of the one-on-one business coaching," said Sohpia. "GFDA was extremely helpful in getting my business off the ground." Sophia was recognized for her excellence in business with a Fire Within Award in 2022. Find out how our one-on-one business coaching, and business trainings can help you start or grow your business. Celebrate this year's Fire Within Award winners by registering for the event. Fire Within is sponsored by our friends at Alluvion Health.

3) Montana's business tax climate, already amongst the best in the nation, became even more competitive this week as Governor Gianforte signed a new law that raises the business equipment tax exemption from $300,000 to $1 million, eliminating the tax for 5,000 more Montana businesses, and a package of bills that lower the top income tax rate from 6.75% to 5.9%, simplifies capital gains tax calculations that will give Montana the nation's fourth lowest capital gains tax rate, and modernizes the state's corporate tax code to boost job creation and investment.

4) The Great Falls MSA reached record labor force size and employment in February, beating any February on record, according to data released by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. At 2.8% we also recorded our lowest February unemployment rate.

5) "Experts: National Physician Shortage Will Hit Rural Areas Harder" is the headline of a Daily Yonder article this week about a study from the Association of American Medical Colleges that foresees a shortage of 37,800 to 124,000 physicians by 2034. We didn't need a study to know this. Thank heavens here in Great Falls we are working to address the shortage with the new Touro College opening this year!

6) The Madison Apartments development has an approved Phase II being conducted for GFDA by MT DEQ. They are hoping to begin the sampling March 20th and be completed no later than March 24th. We are excited to see this affordable housing project continuing to move forward. If you are looking at a site or property for your next redevelopment project, but aren’t sure if it would require assessment, contact Lillian Sunwall for more information on how we can help. LSunwall@GrowGreatFalls.org or (406) 750-1253.

7) We want to help entrepreneurs start businesses, help existing businesses grow, and attract more market opportunities for Food, Ag, Bio-processing, and Farm-derived Renewable Energy producers! If you're in the North Central Montana counties of Blaine, Cascade, Choteau, Fergus, Glacier, Hill, Judith Basin, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Meagher, Pondera, Teton, and Toole we need your input! Please take a few minutes to fill out our survey here so we can begin building our strategy. We’d like to have responses in by March 31st, but late responses will be accepted!

8) Recruiters are you hiring for a job position that is a:  

• High level position 
• High salary position 
• Out-of-the-box/unique/creative position? 

Help us attract workforce to move to Great Falls - send us a one sentence description of the job, 3-5 of your company's top employee benefits, salary (if listed), and link to apply for your job to Lyndsay@GrowGreatFalls.org to be included in the Hot Jobs in Great Falls blog post. 

9) USDA opened the Value-Added Producer Grants program on Friday. This program helps independent producers, agricultural producer groups, farmer and rancher cooperatives, and majority-controlled producer businesses to start or expand processing operations or marketing of processed ag products. Applications are due May 11. Contact Katesha Campbell on our team if you would like help with applying; Katehsa@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-788-0860.

10) Great Falls is home to the new River's Edge Early Learning Academy. The new center was started by Julie Dougherty and Megan Bottomley. The two have years of experience in early childhood education. Learn more in our Announcement of the Week.

11) Montana World Trade & Investment Day will be held May 17-18 in Missoula.

12) The Montana Department of Commerce is accepting pre-applications for the new 0% loan Montana Automation Loan Program to help Montana manufacturers update, replace or expand equipment. 0% interest rate with payments deferred for one year, up to 50% of the purchase price up to $500,000 will be made available. Eligibility and pre-applications here. If your bank or credit union can't finance the other 50%, let me know. We may be able to fill the gap.

13) If you have thought about getting certified as a WOSB, there has never been a better time than now. The General Services Administration (GSA) is ramping up its efforts this year to reduce the resource and opportunity barriers facing Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs). GSA Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) will host more matchmaking events to give WOSBs access to subcontracting prospects, as part of GSA's goal to grant five percent of prime contracts and five percent of subcontracts to companies with female owners. Reach out and connect with one of our government contracting advisors and get started today. For more information, email LSunwall@GrowGreatFalls.org or call (406) 750-1253.

14) We think there is opportunity to grow specialty crop production and processing in our region of North Central Montana. This week we submitted a Specialty Crop Block Grant to support that growth by bringing more players on the field, more training opportunities, and more marketing. Are you making food or ingredients? We want to hear from you. Call Katesha and tell her about your business or business idea, 406.788.0860.

15) Congratulations to Critters Heating and Cooling on their successful launch! Critters is a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning company based out of Choteau and is owned and operated by Chris Lightner. If you are interested in opening or expanding a small business, please reach out to Tony Peres at Tony@GrowGreatFalls.org or 406-750-2099. 

16) GFDA supports the Great Falls Library Mill Levy going for a vote in the special election on June 6, 2023. The library is an important component of the health and vitality of the Great Falls community. We encourage you to spread the word and vote in favor of the levy on June 6. For more information and to join the effort, visit VoteYesGreatFallsLibrary.org.

17) Congratulations to the Montana Dinosaur Center in Bynum on winning a youth technology grant from 3 Rivers Communications. Read the full story in the Choteau Acantha.

18) We have data for your business. What should your cost of goods sold be? In your industry what are the profit margins other businesses your size are achieving? These are some of the many questions we can help you answer. Through our state and national affiliations we have access to a wide variety of data sets that can help you benchmark, set business value estimates, and more! Call Tony to discuss your needs, 406.750.2099.

19) The Montana Department of Commerce has an open Recovery Destination Event grant round. Eligible Montana events that attract tourists could win grants up to $25,000.

20) Did you know March was proclaimed Montana Agriculture Month? Governor Greg Gianforte made the proclamation to honor Montana's #1 industry, our farmers, ranchers, and their contribution to our great state. Celebrate on March 21, 2023, Montana Agriculture Day during March 19-25, 2023, Montana Agriculture Week! The governor’s proclamation can be viewed here.

21) Last month GFDA approved a Brownfield clean-up grant to NeighborWorks Great Falls for the hazardous and contaminated materials clean-up of the Baatz building located in Downtown Great Falls contingent on EPA’s approval. EPA approved it this week! We are looking forward to seeing this visionary permanent supportive housing development become a reality.

22) Great Falls College MSU is holding a Night out for Science on March 25. The event engages guests in STEAM activities and presentations to learn about the types of high-quality STEAM educations offered at Great Falls College MSU.

23) We are excited to announce that Lisa Andis will be joining our staff team on April 1st as our new Loan Originations & Closings Associate.

24) We have three great career opportunities to join the GFDA team as an Executive Assistant, Business Development Officer or Small Business Adviser. Download all three of our current career opportunities.

25) Networked with federal agency leaders, potential loan capital sources, and economic development and CDFI colleagues at the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and CDFI Coalition policy conferences in DC.

26) Investing in Economic Development is an investment in community impact. Nobody understands that more than our INVESTORS and public partners. They are leading the change and providing us the support we need so that we can continue to help grow our region and bring more high wage opportunities to our residents. Learn more about them HERE. Without them, we couldn’t keep doing what we do. If you want to have a positive impact on the community and lead the change, contact Investment Director Jenn Gallmeier at 406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org.

What a great Western Art Week!

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.

Subscribe to the Grow Great Falls Montana YouTube channel!

"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships."

Michael Jordan

Edition 575

Download our GFDA Services and Staff Team handout or our GFDA 2022Q4 Quarter Index. View the We Are Great Falls video!

GFDA Staff Openings

We have three great career opportunities to join the GFDA staff team. Download info on Business Development Officer, Small Business Advisor -- Director Regional Small Business Development Center, and Executive Assistant. GFDA is proud to be on Equal Opportunity Employer!

Cost-Effective Rail-Served Industrial Sites Available

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; download AgriTech Park Flyer. Contact Jolene Schalper at 1.406.750.4481 or JSchalper@GrowGreatFalls.org

March SBA 504 Loan Rates

The 25-year loan effective rate (including all fees) is 6.329%; 20-year at 6.332%; 10-year equipment loan at 6.768%; and, 20-year refinance 6.350%; 25-year refinance 6.347%. 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.

The Montana Department of Commerce has two new programs that we encourage businesses to take advantage of. The Montana Cybersecurity Program will provide up to $8,000 reimbursement for your cybersecurity expenses; applications due May 30. The Automation Loan Program offers 0% loans for up to 50% of the cost of automation equipment up to $500,000; deadline December 31. These are one-time programs funded through ARPA so don't miss out. And don't forget about funds available for your workforce through the Incumbent Worker Training Program and the Primary Workforce Training Grant. We can help you access these programs if you run into snags.

Are you in the planning and development phase of expanding your agricultural product or adding value to Montana agriculture by expanding your product into new markets? Montana’s Growth Through Agriculture (GTA) Business Acceleration Program (BAP) and Market Development Program (MDP) grants could help! Funds are available; click here for more information or contact Katesha at Katesha@GrowGreatFalls.org.

The 341st Contracting Squadron, Malmstrom Air Force Base (AFB), is contemplating a solicitation for a multiple award contract (MAC) and is looking for responses to this Sources Sought Notification. Awarded MAC indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts would be for the construction of structures and facilities, repair, maintenance, and alteration of real property assets within the confines of Malmstrom AFB, Weapons Storage Area (WSA), and Missile Alert Facility (MAF) and Launch Facility (LF) sites located within the Missile Complex throughout Montana. This is a great opportunity to Introduce your company to the Contracting Wing at Malmstrom AFB. Do you have a Capability Statement prepared that you can provide with your Sources Sought reply? If not, contact us at LSunwall@GrowGreatFalls.org. For more information on the Notice, click here.

Are you working on a project that will not only bring new agricultural opportunities to Montana's rural communities but also provide education to youth and adults alike? Then the Montana Farmers Union Grant might be for you! Competitive grants are open to anyone in Montana. Deadline to apply is May 1, 2023; click here for more information or to apply. Additional questions, call 406.788.0860 or email Katesha@GrowGreatFalls.org.

The Montana Governor's Conference on Tourism will be held April 23-25 in Helena. Registration is open for the Montana Housing Partnership Conference that will be held in Helena May 15-17.



ArtsFest Montana will return to downtown Great Falls August 11-18. The Business Improvement District is looking for property owners who would like to have a professionally painted mural installed on their building. Contact Kellie at kellie@downtowngreatfalls.net or 1-406-727-5430. See TheElectric for more details.

If you are trying to redevelop a property that involves an environmental cleanup (including lead paint and asbestos) and you have a gap in your financing, your project may qualify for our low-interest brownfield redevelopment loan funds. We can make loans anywhere in Cascade County or within 100 miles from the borders of Cascade County which covers much of the region. We're eager to help make your project move forward. Contact Tony Peres at 1-406-750-2099 or Tony@GrowGreatFalls.org. We also have some small business or nonprofit startup or expansion loan funds available for Glacier and Blaine counties.

MSU Extension's Community Development team is offering a monthly Reimagining Rural Inspiration Hour webinar the third Wednesday of each month from 11:30 AM to 12:45 PM. See all the topics and register for free here.

The Veteran Small Business Certification Program Has Moved to SBA. Firms verified by the VA Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE) as of January 1st are automatically granted certification by SBA for the remainder of the firm’s eligibility period. SBA intends to grant a one-time, one-year extension of certification to current VOSBs and SDVOSBs verified by the VA as of the transfer date on January 1, 2023. This additional year will be added to the existing eligibility period of a current participant. New applicants certified by SBA after January 1st will receive the standard three-year certification period. SBA is now accepting applications for certification. For more information, contact Lillian Sunwall at LSunwall@GrowGreatFalls.org or (406) 750-1253.

Employers, are you aware of the Incumbent Worker Training program, Trades education & Training Tax Credit, and other resources available at the Montana Department of Labor & Industry? Check out their latest resource newsletter.

The White House released a Guidebook to the Inflation Reduction Act. There are many tax incentives that will be available for businesses, non-profits, and public agencies to reduce their energy costs and build new power generating facilities. We'll be organizing briefings and trainings to help you learn and take advantage of these as more guidance is released. For now, download the Guidebook here. The National Association of Counties has prepared a summary of the IRA; view it here.

Have You Reviewed the New FCC Map? The FCC recently released a new map showing broadband availability across the country. Why is this important? There is more than $42 billion in federal grant funding available for broadband infrastructure development projects, and it will be allocated based on the number of unserved and underserved locations identified in the FCC map. The FCC Broadband Map is available online, and you can enter a specific address to see the data on broadband speed and availability for a specific location. If you have questions or concerns about the information, the deadline for submitting challenges to the map is January 13. Online resources can guide you through the challenge process.

The Montana Work-Based Learning Collaborative, a network of public and private partners working to expand and improve on-the-job learning for Montana students, has released its first Work-Based Learning Toolkit for Employers. The toolkit provides outlines, forms, and frameworks for employers in four key areas for work-based learning success: meaningful projects, welcoming community, mentorship, and expectations/feedback. Download toolkit.

Export Montana, part of the Montana Department of Commerce (MDOC), is organizing a trade mission to the Czech Republic and Hungary in June. They have grant funds to pay for 75% of the costs plus $2,000 toward travel costs. Grant funds are available for any of your export business development efforts. Contact Angelyn Deyoung, MDOC International Trade Officer, at adeyoung@mt.gov or 1-406-431-5075.

The Montana Bioscience Cluster Initiative is offering funding through its 4th "F" Fund (4FF) to provide direct assistance to Montana bioscience entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses in need of money for travel to key conferences, small equipment purchases, or temporary staff assistance in relation to proposal development, etc. This fund is designed for maximum flexibility in support of new and established businesses and entrepreneurs in the bioscience industry. The fund will provide grants of $250 to $5,000. In exceptional circumstances the fund may consider larger applications. Grants may be awarded in phases (e.g. $1,000 initially with additional $1,000 on achieving specific milestone). More info and application here.

We released the Bioscience Economic Development Strategy for the Great Falls Montana region. The report, prepared by Tripp Umbach with the input and assistance of key local industry partners, details four key findings and four strategic actions to grow and diversify bioscience-related industries in Great Falls. This report, along with other key findings from our strategic planning process will help guide the efforts of GFDA moving forward. Contact Jake Clark with questions regarding the report, Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org. 

Many businesses that obtained SBA COVID EIDL loans will have their 30-month payment deferral expire soon. Are you one of those businesses? If so, the SBA Montana District office is holding a webinar on how to start making your loan payments. There are five webinar sessions scheduled. For more info visit SBA Montana.



Cybersecurity challenges for businesses continue to grow. The Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) is offering an array of useful resources to help Montana businesses to protect themselves.

Do you have open government contracts? Is your SAM.gov registered due to renew in the next few months? SAM.gov continues to have issues with the transition of the new validation process. It is recommended that businesses start early to renew their registration to keep from going inactive. If you are having trouble getting through the process, contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org for assistance. 

The Montana Innovation Partnership is offering a number of trainings and an accelerator program for companies interested in pursuing Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants.

Montana STEP grants can pay for 75% of your international export marketing efforts up to $10,000. The Montana TechLink Center at MSU is offering a new round of workshops on how to win Small Business Innovation Research funding.

What’s it like to live in Great Falls Montana? Get a glimpse through the Great Falls Livability Magazine! Livability Great Falls is a tool for recruiting people from outside our community and is one of the tools for our Talent Attraction campaign. We also have a Email List to share resumes of trailing partners and others and we promote Hot Jobs – jobs that would entice people to move here. If you are recruiting people from outside Great Falls, click here to join our recruiter email list and learn more.

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 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 Great Falls Childcare Demand Assessment shows a need for additional childcare facilities to serve 580 children in Great Falls. For assistance with childcare facility business planning, contact Rich Gannon at RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-836-2078.

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.

The Great Falls Housing Market Assessment shows a need for over 450 new housing units per year in the immediate Great Falls area. For assistance with housing development, contact Jake Clark at Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-403-4937.

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.

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.