We need to shoot new photos because Calumet Specialty Products announced this week that Montana Renewables' sustainable jet fuel production line is fully operational! Congratulations to everyone involved in successful completion of Montana's largest value-added agriculture project in state history! Montana Renewables is now the largest sustainable aviation fuel producer in North America! We are so proud and grateful to have you in Great Falls Montana!

1) The Great Falls Public Schools Foundation received an anonymous $1 million gift for the renovation of the auditorium at C.M. Russell High School; see TheElectric and KRTV. Whoever you are, thank you! Great Falls Public Schools are holding open houses this Monday, May 1 to celebrate completion of the $98 million in bonds for school facility improvements across the district; 5;30 PM at CMR and 7:00 PM at GFHS; see TheElectric. GFDA is proud to have supported these critical improvements.

2) The ATHENA Committee of the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce announced that Becky Nelson, Community Connections Manager for Great Falls Public Schools, is being recognized with the 2022 ATHENA Award! Congratulations Becky! Well deserved for your passion and hard work on behalf of Great Falls students!

3) Select Great Falls Montana as your US location! That was the theme of our annual Select USA Spin Off Summit this week. This was the third year we were able to secure a US Select USA Spin Off event, the only one for Montana. This year we featured Tips US Business Banking with Erin Townsend, Bravera Bank; Legal Considerations 101, with Ron Nelson, Front Range Law; Small Business Start Up Tips with Rich Gannon, GFDA Small Business Advisor; and Why Montana is the Best Place to Open a Business, Frederick Van Den Abbeel, State of Montana. To see past Spin Off Summit content, click here.

4) Pasta Montana is expanding their short goods line. have you tried the best pasta in the world made in Great Falls Montana with durum wheat grown in North Central Montana? Special opportunity with a one day case sale at Pasta Montana this Tuesday, May 2, 2:00-6:00 PM; CASH ONLY; 20 pound case $20 (cavatappi, radiatore, gobetti, large ridged elbows, whole grain elbows, and whole grain rotini); 30 pound spaghetti case $30; egg noodles 10 pound case $20 (two case limit). Drive through sale.

5) Save the Date for our Talent Attraction Reception - The 2023 Great Falls Livability magazine is hot off the press! We will release the newest edition at a Talent Attraction reception on May 10 at Independence Bank in Great Falls from 4:30-6:30 PM. At the reception we will have team members to help recruiters produce short videos to use in recruitment efforts. This is an opportunity to tell your company's story and highlight some open positions to be featured on social media in our talent attraction campaigns. Contact [email protected] or at (406) 590-1539 to learn more about our talent attraction tools and resources.

6) Mountain View Coop opened its new location in Black Eagle; see KRTV. KDS Fiber announced a new Fiber Optic Network expansion project that will reach almost 500 additional rural homes and businesses south of Dick Road just outside Great Falls; see press release. Chelsea Frehse opened Mama Tried and True clothing store in downtown Lewistown; see Lewistown News-Argus.

7) Katesha went to Billings for the Montana Meat Processors Association annual convention to share the opportunity for businesses to apply for funds that can be used to upgrade, expand, or purchase land or equipment for their processing operations. Are you a Meat Processor wanting to GROW? Get in contact with Katesha, 406.788.0860 or [email protected] for more information.

8) MDT's Small Business Enterprise Program is holding a free Highway Construction Bidding & Estimating Workshop and Small Business Office Hours; May 11 Helena, May 18 Bozeman; May 25 Missoula; see MATR.net.

9) Scollin Design is a home staging business in Great Falls. Owner Katie Scollin began as a realtor and has a keen ability to see the potential in homes, and the importance of staging to increase a home's value. Katie Scollin is also a Fire Within Award winner. Learn more in our Announcement of the Week.

10) Networked with businesses at the Governor's Montana Tourism Conference in Helena and continued to share information with area legislators on several key issues affecting Montana's economic development competitiveness.

11) Jake will be presenting on opportunities in the Great Falls housing market to potential developers on Thursday, May 11 hosted by the Urban Land Institute. Register to attend the free webinar here.  

12) Are you looking for Food and Alcohol safety training and certifications? The Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) offers Safe Serve certification for the restaurant industry and those food vendors planning to scale up their operations. For more information click here or contact Katesha at 406.788.0860 or [email protected].

13) With a population of about 81,663, Great Falls metro is just the right size – big enough to offer options in career and entertainment, yet small enough to feel like a tight-knit community. Check out these eight great reasons why making a move to Great Falls may be the right choice for you. 

14) Have you been thinking about moving your business Downtown? We have a handful of buildings for sale from small to large, or if you prefer to lease, we have that too! We have tools to help purchase buildings as well. If you've been interested in Downtown Great Falls, call Christian at 406.836.0136 

15) Are you in the Havre or Box Elder area? The Hill County Community Health Needs Assessment needs your quick survey response as they build their plan. Please forward to everyone you know in Hill County!  

16) Congratulations to NeighborWorks Great Falls on an impactful annual meeting! In FY22, NeighborWorks efforts built or renovated 13 homes, helped 108 first time homebuyers, had 272 homebuyer education graduates, enrolled 367 neighbors in financial coaching, and much more.

17) Presented a national Food Systems Finance webinar for the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) on "Access to Capital Tools & Food Systems."

18) The USDA’s Value-Added Producer Grants program is for farmers, ranchers, ag producers, and ag cooperatives that are starting or expanding processing operations or marketing processed ag products. Applications are due May 11. Contact Katesha Campbell on our team if you would like help with applying; [email protected] or 1-406-788-0860.

19) GFDA supports the Great Falls Library Mill Levy going for a vote in the special election on June 6 and this week the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce Board also voted to support the Library levy. 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.

20) Jake and I are headed to Las Vegas in May for the International Council of Shopping Centers conference. There will be national and regional brands, brokers, and retail industry professionals looking for their next move. If you have a space in mind for a business to locate in Great Falls, send Jake a marketing flier or reach out to [email protected]. If you have a retail, restaurant, or other company you think would be successful in our market, reach out to Jake as well!

21) Help put together the new transportation plan for the Great Falls region. The Great Falls Metropolitan Planning Organization is developing the 2023 Great Falls Area Long Range Transportation Plan. They have a survey open until May 10th to get your input. Take survey here. More info on TheElectric.

22) Excited to announce that Tracy Heggem will be joining the GFDA staff team as our first Executive Assistant. Tracy brings a wealth of skills and expertise that will help our entire team be more productive.

23) In order to be effective, GFDA requires collaboration and coordination among public partners, private sector, non-profits, and many other organizations. It also requires financial support from our INVESTORS. Learn more about them HERE. Recent investments include: Leadership Division—Gusto Distributing; Community Division—Cogswell Insurance Agency. Their ongoing support has had, and will continue to have, a significant influence on our local economy. We simply could not do what we do without them. Thank you! If you want to be a part of the team that is growing the region, contact Investment Director Jenn Gallmeier at 406-781-9499 or [email protected].

Off to DC today to pitch the Great Falls Montana region to thousands of foreign business leaders at the SelectUSA Investment Summit.

Have a great week with wonderful weather!

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!

"Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage."

Victor Kiam

Edition 581

Download our GFDA Services and Staff Team handout or our GFDA 2023Q1 Quarter Index. View the We Are Great Falls video!

GFDA Staff Openings

We have two great career opportunities to join the GFDA staff team. Download info on Business Development Officer and Small Business Advisor -- Director Regional Small Business Development Center. GFDA is proud to be an 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 [email protected]

April SBA 504 Loan Rates

The 25-year loan effective rate (including all fees) is 5.880%; 20-year at 5.952%; 10-year equipment loan at 6.768%; and, 20-year refinance 5.970%; 25-year refinance 5.898%. 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 [email protected].

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 [email protected] to be included in the Hot Jobs in Great Falls blog post.  

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Region 8 will be hosting a virtual Industry Outreach Event/Webinar on “How to Do Business with FEMA” on Tuesday, May 16th at 11:00 – 2PM (MDT) for interested Vendors/Businesses. For more information or the link to the Zoom Meeting, contact Lillian Sunwall [email protected].

The 2023 Montana Food and Beverage Show, hosted by the Montana Department of Agriculture, is scheduled for October 16 in Missoula. The show allows Montana businesses ro showcase their food and beverage products to professional buyers from restaurants, hotels, bars, retailers, and more.

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.

Navy Week - Doing Business with the Department of Navy & GovMatch Event (Billings Depot on Montana Avenue) - Join the Montana APEX Accelerator (formerly known as Procurement Technical Assistance Center - PTAC) August 9th from 9 AM – 5 PM as they welcome Mr. David E. Walz to Billings. Mr. Walz is the Deputy Small Business Program, Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport. He serves as the principal advisor and advocate to the commander, senior management, contracts, and the technical department on all matters pertaining to small business program. During this event, businesses will receive information on the following topics: 1. Department of the Navy (DON) Office of Small Business Programs' Achievements and Goals 2. The DON OSBP Mentor-Protégé Program 3. Preparing for the DON procurement process 4. Resources and assistance to help businesses 5. GovMatch event in the afternoon. You will be able to meet with various other federal agencies in the afternoon. To register, click here. If you have any questions, contact Shannon Clancy [email protected].

USDA opened a new round of Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grants and loans. Rural small businesses and agricultural producers can use the funds to make energy-efficiency improvements to lower operating costs or to install renewable energy systems. Quarterly competitions will be held through September 30th. See MATR.net for more info. USDA’s Value-Added Producer Grants program is also open. 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 if you would like help with applying; [email protected] or 1-406-788-0860. 

The Montana Manufacturing Extension Center has launched an apprenticeship program. The Certified Manufacturing Associate Apprenticeship is a one-year program that combines on-the-job training with online technical classes on safety, math and measurements, manufacturing processes, and quality control.

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.

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 [email protected].

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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected].

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



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 [email protected] 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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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, [email protected]. 

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 [email protected] 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 [email protected].

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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected].

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.