Great Falls Development Association forging ahead

Like most people in town, I was excited a month or so ago when I heard (and reported) that a Fortune 500 company seriously was considering a move to the Electric City.

By Beth Britton Great Falls Tribune

Although I am a reporter, I also am a city resident, and this is my hometown. There’s nothing I’d like more than to see a great company — or many of them — provide jobs, benefits and, perhaps most of all, a sense of pride.

Like city and development officials, I was disappointed when I heard that the financial services company had chosen a Colorado site over Great Falls.

But people like Randy Gray, John Kramer and the officials who worked hard to attract that company are by no means discouraged — nor should they be.

Construction on the International Malting Corp. plant is set to begin in another two months, and as my mother would say, there are plenty of other fish in the sea. The Great Falls Development Authority just needs to keep the worm on the hook; there will be bites.

A positive sign is that interest and enthusiasm for the GFDA is only increasing.

The GFDA’s Founding the Future fund-raising campaign hit the $2.4 million mark this month. As of last week, 174 investors had contributed to the fund-raising campaign since it started one year ago.

Money from the private sector will be used over the next five years to market and promote Great Falls in the GFDA’s efforts to attract business to the region.

Since the beginning of the year, the following businesses and individuals have invested in the GFDA: A.T. Klemens & Sons, Ben Frankin Crafts, Buffalo Bob’s, Cynroc Inc., Dusty’s Sprinkler Service, Gerber’s of Montana, Liberty Electric, Meadowgold Dairy, Ozog Eye Care & Laser Center, Bob Patterson Enterprises, Smith’s Food & Drug, Strain Properties, TC Glass Distributor, Tilleraas Landscape & Nursery, Town Pump and Daren and Dolores Vick.

The GFDA recently launched its new Web site — check out http://www.gfdevelopment.org.

Great Falls resident Fred Hosley is ready to help Electric City visitors experience the upcoming Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. Hosley has opened a business, White Bear Tours LLC. Starting May 1 it will take people on full-day and half-day tours of some of the area’s main attractions.

Hosley is the great-great-great-great-great-grandson of Pvt. Alexander Hamilton Willard, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

The seasonal business will operate through the end of September. The eight-hour tour will feature visits and photo opportunities at Ryan Dam, Rainbow Dam, the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks center, Giant Springs State Park, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and the C.M. Russell Museum.

The $40 fee includes a picnic lunch and all admission tickets. The half-day tour, $25, includes everything except the interpretive center and the museum.

A 15-passenger van will begin and end the day at Dick’s RV Park, 1403 11th St. S.W. For information, call 727-5856 or write to P.O. Box 7072, Great Falls, MT 59406.

Do you have a business news tip? Call the Tribune business desk at 791-1463 or (800) 438-6600 e-mail [email protected].

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20030420/localnews/152697.html