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| MATR Newsletter - Thu Oct 21, 2010 |
"The best things in life aren't things." - Art Buchwald
City Club Missoula Forum - 2011 Montana Legislative Preview, 11/8, Missoula, Montana http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html ---
Montana Department of Commerce
Globalization Partners International
- New campaign aims to lure businesses to Montana - "Innovate Montana"
"It's all part of an integrated vehicle to get the word out," said Evan Barrett, chief business development officer under Schweitzer. "When all the states are in trouble and they're all looking at tax hikes and draconian things like education, we're in an enviable position right now."
- Eleutian Technology of Cody, Wyoming looks at Billings, Montana as possible site as it expands
Kent Holiday, Eleutian's president, said the demand for English-speaking teachers is exploding throughout Asia.
City Club Missoula
- What's the difference between Translation Agency, Localization Services and LSP?
This blog post will help clear up the confusion with the often interchangeable terms "translation" and "localization" as well as other terminology associated with the translation industry.
MSU Leadership Institute
- City Club Missoula Forum - 2011 Montana Legislative Preview, 11/8, Missoula, Montana
What will be on the legislative agenda in Helena in 2011? How will the make up of the Legislature predict how its business will get done? What issues should Montanans pay particular attention to?
Come Home Montana
- Maya Angelou to receive Montana State University Presidential Medal on Nov. 1 visit
The MSU Presidential Medal for Global and Visionary Leadership honors individuals of "extraordinary vision and accomplishment whose contributions to the betterment of society and the human condition are both exceptional and broad-reaching."
Montana Business
- Montana Career Opportunity - Engineer - Northwestern Energy
NorthWestern Energy has an immediate opening for a Gas Transmission and Storage Engineer in Butte, Montana.
- An Author Still Writing His Way Through Big Sky Country - Thomas McGuane - "Driving on the Rim"
Thomas McGuane, whose new novel, "Driving on the Rim," comes out on Thursday, is the only member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters who is also in the National Cutting Horse Association Hall of Fame.
Montana Economic Development
- Japanese firm, Taisei Techno, Billings, Montana businesses collaborate on wind turbine plan - Opportunities blowin' in the wind
Shibagaki is president of Taisei Techno, a Japanese firm that recently entered the wind turbine business. According to Masahiro Sano, a consultant for Taisei Techno, Shibagaki was so taken by the friendly people he met on his stroll that he was convinced he'd made the right choice. He'd selected Billings, and more specifically Montana State University Billings College of Technology, as the premiere site for the company's wind turbine venture in the United States.
Montana's "Big Sky Blue" Supercomputer
- Out-of-state developer shelves Bozeman, Montana project after demolishing century-old brewery
"There will be an empty lot there where one of the city's most historic buildings used to stand, and for no good reason," said Mark Hufstetler, chairman of the city's Historic Preservation Advisory Board.
University of Montana & Montana State University Tech Transfer
- Butte, Montana supercomputer reaching small, medium-sized businesses
"What we decided is to focus on the real economy," said Dodd. "We have been, over time, changing our focus to the small- and medium-sized businesses."
Bill Payne
- Not so sweet - Fortune story besmirches University of Montana honeybee researchers
"I really don't want to get into he said/she said," wrote Bromenshenk in an e-mail to Independent; he was unavailable for an interview because of travel. "I'm already getting hate mail on all my e-mail accounts, to my company, and even calls to my home."
Funding and Building your Business
- Super Angels: The Pros and Cons
Are Super Angels a positive influence on the entrepreneurial economy? Let's take a look at the pros and cons.
Incubators and R&D
- A New Model for Predicting Social Media Impact
An economist at a digital ad agency devises a way to use Twitter and Facebook to forecast sales of everything from cars to tampons.
- 20 rules of thumb for building a great startup culture
Some fundamental practices are obvious "must-dos" in building a strong culture.
- At Facebook, Doerr announces $250 million fund (sFund) for social entrepreneurs
"Think of it as a quarter-billion-dollar party."
Regional Business
- Hatching Ideas - Business incubators foster future economy - The Watercooler in Boise, Idaho
"The real value for me was that there were always investors and Kickstand members just milling around," Russell said. "If we'd been out in some lonely strip mall, we wouldn't have had that kind of exposure."
University TechTransfer
- Small Group of Huge Companies Aid Chamber of Commerce in Policy Fights
"Unless you spend $250,000 to $500,000 a year, that is what they want for you to be one of their pooh-bahs, otherwise, they don't pay any attention to you at all,"
Idaho Business
- Buzz builds for university venture-capital fund
A lofty idea to create a $100 million-plus venture-capital fund is gaining momentum, even though college leaders have just started tossing around the notion.
- Tech Transfers: Turn-Offs or Start-Ups?
"We never want to work with anyone who won't put a little skin in the game. If a faculty member comes into my office with any idea, but doesn't want to risk anything, I don't see that as a promising start. On the other hand, if an entrepreneur comes to us and expects everything to be free, that's a problem too."
Oregon Economic Development
- Allstate says it will build call center in southeast Idaho, hire 500 people
Allstate Insurance Co. said Thursday that it will open a $21.9 million customer information center in the Pocatello-Chubbuck area.
Education
- Intel confirms it'll invest billions in Hillsboro, Oregon plants
Intel renewed its long relationship with Oregon on Tuesday, unveiling plans for a new research factory that will inject thousands of jobs and billions of dollars into the state's besieged economy.
Government
- Waiting For Superman: Business Leaders, Educators Discuss Future of Education in Utah
Business leaders and educators discussed the future of education in Utah following a special screening of the documentary, "Waiting for Superman," which chronicles the efforts of five public school students as they make their way through some of the worst-performing schools in the nation.
- Planet Green show aims to inspire kids with science
Dean Kamen, the show's host and inventor of various medical technologies as well as the two-wheeled self-balancing personal transporter, the Segway, says he wants the show to get kids excited about STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), although the series is not aimed just at children.
Community
- We need better leaders
Is there anybody out there who believes that when it comes to Congress we've elected the 535 smartest, wisest, most honorable men in the nation?
- Flynn's Harp: Officials warn local government model won't be the same in the future
Hara explained in an interview that Washington is one of only two states that impose property taxes on the basis of what total tax revenue local governments need, rather than budgets being drawn on the basis of total property taxes available.
- Like France, will US soon move to boost retirement age?
The issue that's provoking angry protests in France - proposals to raise the official retirement age - could come to the United States, too, and sooner than many Americans may expect.
Connectivity & Communications
- A Less Traditional Format for Community Meetings
While providing a fun activity like pumpkin painting at a gathering on serious issues may be a bit "kitschy," Regional Sustainability Coordinator Jonathan Koehn says that the format allows parents to participate more in city matters.
Energy and Climate Change
- Consumers' need for speed will leave DSL in the dust
The phone companies' DSL services are becoming too slow to satisfy broadband customers -- and may soon suffer the same sad fate as dialup Internet connections -- according to a report from financial services company Credit Suisse.
- Water Scarcity a Bond Risk, Study Warns
"investors are blindly placing bets on which utilities are positioned to manage these growing risks."
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