Jobs Now seeks $2 million for ambitious economic development agenda for the Flathead Valley

Jobs Now, an economic development agency for the Flathead Valley, wants to raise $2 million to pay for marketing, business relocation and expansion programs and other initiatives as part of a five-year plan.

The fund drive, announced last week, has already garnered $1 million. They hope to raise the rest over the next 10 months, said Paul Wachholz, a local real estate broker who sits on the Jobs Now board of directors.

By Alan Choate
The Daily Inter Lake

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In addition to the civic appeal of helping to bring new businesses and expand existing ones, campaigners also can point to potential donors’ business interests — as more people here have better-paying jobs, those people will spend more money.

In announcing the campaign, Jobs Now leaders also articulated a particular economic vision for Northwest Montana, one based on entrepreneurs and small- to medium-sized businesses that complement the economic base.

"It’s businesses that have some connection to what we in the Flathead Valley already do," said Steve Anderson, a campaign co-chair and owner of Artisans Doors of Montana. The goal is to "rifle select" the kinds of companies to be wooed.

First Citizen’s Bank president Don Bennett, another campaign co-chair, agreed.

"The laser approach helps us pick the businesses that keep our valley the way we want to see it — clean, beautiful and full of bright people with great ideas," he said.

Jobs Now breaks down the funding into three areas — marketing the region ($850,000), business retention/expansion and capital investment ($525,000), and operations, communications and public relations ($475,000). There’s also a $150,000 "special operations contingency" fund.

Goals for the next five years include developing a regional industrial park, starting a venture capital fund, forming a workforce development program and recruiting businesses that mesh with existing companies.

"Five years is a really short time in economic development, so some of the things we want to do will take longer than that," Harris said.

Another component is unifying the marketing message coming from the Flathead Valley, Anderson said.

"We’re still fractioned in some respects in growth and economic development, although the growth is still there," Anderson said.

Harris also used the campaign kickoff to highlight Jobs Now’s recent job building efforts.

The contact database now has more than 900 relocation prospects, site selectors and developers. The agency’s web site logged 300,000 hits last year, and people are staying on the site longer — "people are no longer just looking us up at midnight on Saturday," Harris said.

Since 2001, recruiting efforts have snagged 15 companies that added just over 1,500 jobs with an average hourly wage of $17.80, including benefits. Those companies have also spent $15.4 million on capital investments such as land and equipment purchases or construction.

Bennett, the banker, noted that in the last five years, deposits at local banks and credit unions have increased to $1.5 billion, up from $945 million.

Jobs Now predicts that economic recruitment efforts over the next five years will produce 3,300 new jobs with a total payroll of $61.8 million and $34 million in new personal expenditures.

Although the fund-raising campaign is halfway to its goal, organizers said that’s because they’ve been "shooting elephants" and "picking from the low branches" — that is, they’ve already secured pledges from the banks, utilities and other large companies with deep pockets.

The next million dollars has to come from smaller businesses, meaning the organization will have to broaden its contributor base.

Bennett said he’s confident the campaign’s message will fall on generous ears.

"I’m not looking for people to give money to Jobs Now," Bennett said. "I’m looking for people who want to invest in the community."

Reporter Alan Choate may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at [email protected]