Missoula, Montana resilient during recession – At forum, statistics show city good place to live

Although the full story of the national recession hasn’t yet played out, one theme endures: Missoula – and the Rocky Mountain West – continue to be among the best places to live and work during this economic tumult.

Skeptics may dismiss such pronouncements as cheerleading, yet national statistics – everything from the U.S. Census Bureau to data collected by state agencies – prove the point, said Larry Swanson, an economist and director of the O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West.

At a Tuesday economic forum in Missoula, Swanson talked about the city’s enviable position and shared his research with an audience of 400-some community leaders, business owners, working professionals, retirees and concerned citizens.

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View a PowerPoint presentation from the Missoula spring economic forum http://www.missoulian.com/123-2009/businessforum.ppt

By BETSY COHEN of the Missoulian

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/articles/2009/04/29/news/local/news03.txt

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Emergence of Workforce Development as a Crucial Aspect of Economic Development http://matr.net/article-34085.html

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I’m hoping to get the full text of the comments from Larry Swanson, Wolf Ametsbichler and the other panel members along with a schedule of the times when MCAT will show the full video of the event. When I receive them, I’ll add them to this post so check back in a couple of days.

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I wanted to again thank the organizers and sponsors of yesterday’s event:

Missoula Area Economic Development Corporation http://www.maedc.org

Missoula Chamber of Commerce http://www.missoulachamber.com/

Missoula Convention & Visitor Bureau http://www.mcvb.org

Missoula Downtown Association http://www.missouladowntown.com

Missoula Organization of REALTORS® http://www.missoularealestate.com

Missoula Mid-Town Association http://www.missoulamidtown.com

Missoula Building Industry Association http://www.buildmissoula.com

Missoula Businesswomen’s Network http://mbn.clubexpress.com

Sponsored by:

Doubletree Hotel http://www.doubletree.com

First Security Bank https://www.fsbmsla.com

The Missoulian http://missoulian.com

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There’s going to be a growing effort to develop a Missoula Economic Blueprint. It will need input from every citizen interested in securing a better economic future for Missoula. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact Dick King, CEO of the Missoula Area Economic Development Corporation http://www.maedc.org (406) 728-3337

There will also be an excellent conference that will help us learn how to better retain and attract creative and successful businesses in Missoula and Western Montana. "IEDC Business Retention And Expansion Course, 5/12-13, Missoula, Montana" http://matr.net/events.phtml?showdetail=2719