Business leaders will discuss how to succeed in Montana

Larry Hall, president of S&K Electronics, a tribally owned firm in the Mission Valley and Jerry McConnell, president of Jore Corporation in Ronan and owner of Precision Sawmill Systems, Inc. in Superior, will be two of three featured Montana business leaders who will speak on what it takes to grow a business in Montana at the 2002 Compete Smart Manufacturing Conference at the DoubleTree Hotel in Missoula on Oct. 3-4.

By the Missoulian news staff

Lori Rydberg, director of operations at Gibson Guitar – Montana, Acoustic Division in Bozeman will also be featured.

Compete Smart is sponsored by NorthWestern Energy, First Interstate Bank, and the Montana Department of Commerce. The conference is organized by Montana Manufacturing Extension Center and co-hosted by the Montana Manufacturing Council of the state Chamber of Commerce. It includes breakout sessions on topics of value to manufacturers and a special keynote address by Greg Long, a featured member of the 2001 TLC "Junkyard Wars" World Championship team.

Select exhibitors will be on hand to share the tools and services they have for manufacturers.

Call the center at (406) 994-3812 for more information or for costs, details and online registration, see http://mtmanufacturingcenter.com/ The Montana Manufacturing Extension Center is a statewide outreach center located on the Montana State University campus and serving manufacturers from offices in five cities.