We had 12 industry experts talk about various tools, resources, and opportunities at this year’s Invest Downtown event hosted by The Newberry and sponsored by TDS and NorthWestern Energy.

1) GFDA closed a gap loan in the amount of $6,000,000 to Colter Falls, LLC to develop a 109-room TownePlace Suites by Marriott hotel in West Bank Landing on the Great Falls urban riverfront. GFDA participated with the Montana State Small Business Initiative (SSBCI 2.0) program that helped provide a lower interest rate on 50% of the funding. Because of this limited time funding, this project was able to move forward, which is creating 39 jobs through the construction phase, 15 permanent full time equivalent jobs post construction, as well as leveraging an additional $16,420,000 in private investment. The new hotel will boost our tourism industry and provide more rooms across the street from the Montana ExpoPark. If you have a business startup or expansion planned that could benefit from a SSBCI 2.0 loan participation, contact Jill at [email protected] or 1-406-590-1056. Funds are very limited and will be on a first come first served basis.

2) NeighborWorks Great Falls hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the Baatz Block Apartments in downtown Great Falls, a project creating 25 permanent supportive affordable housing apartments and wrap-around services for those transitioning out of homelessness. See KRTV and KFBB. Renovation work on the block is set to commence this month with completion scheduled for the end of 2024, and the apartments becoming operational in early 2025. This project was made possible through low-income housing tax credits from the Montana Board of Housing, in addition to funding from the City of Great Falls and Cascade County, which includes historic tax credits, HOME funds, ARPA funds, HTF funds, HOME ARP funds, and GFDA funds. GFDA also provided assistance through our Brownfields program for site assessment and cleanup. For more details on Brownfields and redevelopment resources, contact Lillian Sunwall at 1-406-750-1253 or [email protected].

3) Worked on a new major project lead. When we respond to these leads, it is helpful to know all the available properties in our region so that we can get the project here to look at multiple properties. Many of our leads want to be near electrical substations. If you have property that you’d like to see developed, reach out to Jolene at 406.750.4481.

4) Congratulations to Adam and Robyn Lardy on their acquisition, remodel, and grand opening of Coyote Lanes and the Roadrunner Café in Shelby! This project brings bowling back to Shelby with recreational and league bowling available! It’s great to see projects like this across our region. The Choteau Youth Alliance is planning to open a daycare center later this year; see Choteau Acantha. If you have a project that could use help, call Tony Peres at 1-406-750-2099.

5) Invest Downtown 2023 was a resounding success, drawing an impressive turnout of approximately 130 participants, both in person and online; see KRTV. Throughout the event, 12 esteemed industry experts shared invaluable insights on the tools, resources, and opportunities pivotal for downtown development. For those who couldn’t join us, rest assured that we’ll be making the recording available shortly. A huge shoutout goes to our gracious host, The Newberry, and our invaluable sponsors, TDS and NorthWestern Energy. Without your unwavering support, this event would not have been possible. If you are interested in discussing these tools and resources, please call Christian at 1-406-836-0136 or email [email protected].

6) Downtown Great Falls is home to a new steakhouse. The Rib & Chop House, located at 21 3rd Street North, will host its grand opening on October 23. The Great Falls restaurant is the Finally Restaurant Group’s fifth Montana location. Learn more in our Announcement of the Week.

7) The Montana Department of Commerce has reopened applications for the Montana Manufacturing Automation Loan Program offering 0.0% interest loans for up to 50% of the purchase price of automation equipment. If you are short of cash, we may be able to finance the other half as well as installation expenses. These are one-time funds so apply today. Let me know if you need help.

8) Chipotle Mexican Grill is now open at 1900 10th Ave. South in Great Falls; see KRTV. As announced at Invest Downtown, GRAE + CO will be a new large boutique located at 427 Central Avenue in Great Falls at the Pennington building. Play it Again Sports has opened to buy used gear at 1115 10th Ave. South. Artic Spas has opened at 1908 10th Ave South in Great Falls. See The Electric’s Business Bites. Les Schwab opened their second location in Great Falls.

9) Kids Education Yes has partnered with Great Falls Public Schools to develop a survey  of community perceptions of Great Falls public schools. Great Falls Montana Tourism is developing a strategic tourism master plan and conducting research to improve the visitor experience in Great Falls. Please take their survey here; see TheElectric.

10) Great Falls Public Schools has proposed a cool idea creating a public charter magnet school that would train much needed new Montana teachers in partnership with the University of Montana Western; see KRTV.

11) Over 80 dedicated professionals and champions from various corners of the state gathered for this year’s Montana Downtown and Mainstreet Conference, held right here in the vibrant downtown Great Falls. They participated in targeted breakout sessions, absorbing invaluable best practices to bring back to their own communities, explored downtown through insightful walking tours and were inspired by the keynote speaker, Jeff Speck of Revitalize or Die.

12) Anna traveled to Helena for the Montana Cut Flower Association convention and then to Missoula for the Montana Food and Beverage Show. If you are in starting your own food business, Anna can help. Contact her at [email protected] or 1-406-590-1301.

13) Our team toured the Arc Apartment Homes in Great Falls, owned by Farran Realty Partners. GFDA financed a portion of the project. Arc Apartment Homes adds hundreds of much-needed one and two-bedroom units to the Great Falls housing market. Thank you to Jim McLeod, Managing Partner of Farran Realty Partners, and Gina Revelle for giving us a tour of the property. If you want to start a housing project in Great Falls we can help get you started. Contact Jake at 1-406-403-4937 or at [email protected].

14) The Great Falls City Commission approved rezoning for construction of a 12-unit apartment building that we supported; see TheElectric. An anonymous donor has given $300,000 to the Great Falls Public Library Foundation so the Great Falls Public Library can immediately gear up for expanded services and improvements that will be supported long term by the recently passed library levy; see KRTV. What a great community!

15) Our small business advisor, Rich Gannon, along with Chad Moore, the state director of the Montana Small Business Development Center, co-presented at this year’s Montana Main Street and Downtown conference. The pair highlighted the essential role the Small Business Development Center can play for businesses at all stages, from startups to expansion. Click here to learn more about the Montana Small Business Development Center. If you’re starting a business or need help with your exiting business, reach out to Rich at 1-406-836-2078 or [email protected].

16) Early Stage MT is hosting a Scaling MT Summit on November 1-2. “This event is set to unlock opportunities, education, and connections for founders and enthusiasts interested in building next-gen businesses across Montana.” Read More and Register.

17) The Great Falls Public Safety Levy & Bond election is critically important to the future of our city. Watch this video to learn the facts about the public safety bond and levy, and why the passage of this levy and bond is critical to providing adequate public safety for the citizens of Great Falls. Vote YES on the Great Falls Public Safety Levy & Bond on your November ballot. The GFDA Board urges you to support the Great Falls Public Safety Levy and Bond. Public safety, emergency service response time, and better insurance rating that benefits both commercial and residential properties were all reasons the GFDA Board vote was unanimous. Visit SafetyintheFalls.com to learn more.

18) Excited to announce that we have hired a new Small Business Development Center Regional Director who has nearly 20 years of SBDC experience as well as being a successful start-up entrepreneur. Al Gohary will be joining the GFDA team later this fall. Welcome Al!

19) I travelled to DC to participate in the Opportunity Finance Network’s (OFN) annual conference, meeting with potential loan capital sources and sharing ideas with over 2,000 Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) leaders from across the country. Congratulations to our partners in Browning, the Native American Community Development Corporation Financial Services, on winning the top OFN Native CDFI Catalyst Award which comes with a $100,000 grant!

20) Congratulations to our Downtown Business Development Officer, Christian Leinhauser, on being promoted to Master Sergeant in the Montana Air National Guard!

21) Our team of investors and public partners are dedicated to the success and growth of our region. They understand the importance of our mission and the work we do. Learn more about them here. Recent investments include: Leadership Division—Montana Credit Union; Pacesetter Division—Eagle Beverage; Community Division—ERA Advantage Realty. By contributing to GFDA, they are supporting entrepreneurs and businesses and allowing us to help them succeed and grow! If you’d like to learn more about our work and initiatives or join our team of investors, reach out to Investment Director Jenn Gallmeier at 1-406-781-9499 or [email protected].

Another great week of progress! Lots more in the works!

Brett

Brett Doney

President & CEO

1-406-750-2119

[email protected]

Connect with me on  LinkedIn to network with the Great Falls Montana region. Forward the GFDA Top 10 to friends and colleagues. You can join our distribution list HERE or text GFDA to 22828.

Subscribe to the Grow Great Falls Montana YouTube channel!

“Persistence and endurance will make you omnipotent.”

Casey Neistat

Edition 604

The 25-year loan effective rate (including all fees) is 7.129%; 20-year at 7.180%; 10-year equipment loan at 7.052%; and, 20-year refinance 7.210%; 25-year refinance 7.158%. These rates are FIXED for the life of the loan and are inclusive of all fees. If you would like to find out how to get financing for commercial real estate and equipment at potentially lower rates than you’re paying for your home mortgage, please contact Jill Kohles at 1-406-590-1056 or [email protected].

The exhibitor application for the 2024 Made in Montana tradeshow has opened. All applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM on October 26. The no-fee application is open to current Made in Montana members who want to grow their business through the wholesale market. The online application will be available on their tradeshow webpage. All applications will be reviewed by a committee after October 26. The show will take place March 8 – 9, 2024 at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds in Helena.

USDA opened another round of the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP). If you are a meat or poultry processor considering expansion, but missed the first round of funding, please reach out to Anna Flies at [email protected] or 1-406-590-1301.

The Montana Indian Equity Fund began accepting applications for their small business grant on September 1st; the application deadline is October 31st. The grant can be used to assist start up or existing Native American owned businesses in Montana. If you need help with the process, contact small business advisor Rich Gannon at 1-406-836-2078 or via email at [email protected].

Have you created or updated your Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) profile? A strong profile can significantly boost your contracting success by increasing your visibility to local, state, and federal agencies seeking goods and services. If you would like more information on how to create or update your DSBS profile, contact Shannon Clancy at [email protected] or 1-406-590-1184.

The Great Falls Housing Market Assessment shows a need for over 450 new housing units per year in the immediate Great Falls area. For assistance with housing development, contact Jake Clark at [email protected] or 1-406-403-4937.

USDA has launched a new online tool to assist small businesses in identifying procurement opportunities; see USDA’s Procurement Forecast.

Zero to 5 has launched the Montana Child Care Business Connect website to help support the startup and expansion of early childcare businesses. The Great Falls Childcare Demand Assessment shows a need for additional childcare facilities to serve 580 children in Great Falls. For assistance with childcare facility business planning, contact Rich Gannon at [email protected] or 1-406-836-2078.

One of the many tools we have for renovating your building in Downtown Great Falls is the City’s Downtown Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Grant. This 50% match grant can help with Façade, Building Code Compliance, and Safety & Security. One of the biggest uses of this grant is Fire Suppression and updating the face of your building. To find out more about this grant, call Christian at 1-406-836-0136 or email [email protected]. Let’s discuss how TIF and other tools can help you change the face of Downtown Great Falls.

Employers, are you looking for timely data on our local workforce? JobsEQ for Workforce is a software tool that provides timely data on our local workforce and employers—including demographics, occupations, wages, certifications, and more. Contact Lyndsay Bruno at [email protected] or 1-406-590 – 1539 to be connected with a JobsEQ-trained Business Advisor today. To learn more about GFDA’s other talent attraction tools, visit our website.

We launched the new Livability Great Falls Magazine. Find and share Livability Great Falls online, or contact Lyndsay Bruno for hard copies of the magazine: [email protected] or 1-406-590-1539.

Recruiters, are you hiring for a job position that is:

• High level
• High salary
• Out-of-the-box/unique/creative?

Help us attract workforce to move to Great Falls – send a one-sentence description of the job, 3-5 of your company’s top employee benefits, salary (if listed), and a link to apply for your job to [email protected] to be included in the Hot Jobs in Great Falls blog post.

Cybersecurity challenges for businesses continue to grow. The Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) is offering an array of useful resources to help Montana businesses to protect themselves.

The Montana Department of Commerce has extended the application deadline to December 31st for the Montana Cybersecurity Program, which will provide up to $8,000 reimbursement for your cybersecurity expenses. And don’t forget about funds available for your workforce through the Incumbent Worker Training Program and the Primary Workforce Training Grant. We can help you access these programs if you run into snags.

USDA opened a new round of Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grants and loans. Rural small businesses and agricultural producers can use the funds to make energy-efficiency improvements, lower operating costs, or install renewable energy systems. Quarterly competitions will be held through September 30th. See MATR.net for more info. Or for help applying, contact Anna Flies: [email protected] or 1-406-590-1301.

The Montana Manufacturing Extension Center has launched the Certified Manufacturing Associate Apprenticeship program. This one-year program combines on-the-job training with online technical classes on safety, math and measurements, manufacturing processes, and quality control.

Are you in the planning and development phase of expanding your agricultural product or adding value to Montana agriculture by expanding your product into new markets? Montana’s Growth Through Agriculture (GTA) Business Acceleration Program (BAP) and Market Development Program (MDP) grants could help! Funds are available; click here for more information or contact Anna at [email protected] or 1-406-590-1301.

The 341st Contracting Squadron, Malmstrom Air Force Base (AFB), is contemplating a solicitation for a multiple award contract (MAC) and is looking for responses to this Sources Sought Notification. Awarded MAC indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts would be for the construction of structures and facilities, repair, maintenance, and alteration of real property assets within the confines of Malmstrom AFB, Weapons Storage Area (WSA), Missile Alert Facility (MAF) and Launch Facility (LF) sites located within the Missile Complex throughout Montana. This is a great opportunity to Introduce your company to the Contracting Wing at Malmstrom AFB. Do you have a Capability Statement prepared to provide with your Sources Sought reply? If not, contact Lillian Sunwall at 1-406-750-1253 or [email protected]. For more information on the Notice, click here.

If you are trying to redevelop a property that involves an environmental cleanup (including lead paint and asbestos) and you have a gap in your financing, your project may qualify for our low-interest brownfield redevelopment loan funds. We can make loans anywhere in Cascade County or within 100 miles from the borders of Cascade County, which covers much of the region. We’re eager to help make your project move forward. Contact Tony Peres at 1-406-750-2099 or [email protected]. We also have some small business or nonprofit startup/expansion loan funds available for Glacier and Blaine counties.

Do you have open government contracts? Is your SAM.gov registration due to renew in the next few months? SAM.gov continues to have issues with the transition of the new validation process. It is recommended that businesses start early to renew their registration to keep from going inactive. If you are having trouble getting through the process, contact Shannon Clancy at 1-406-590-1184 or [email protected] for assistance.

The Montana Innovation Partnership is offering a number of trainings and an accelerator program for companies interested in pursuing Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants.

The Montana TechLink Center at MSU is offering a new round of workshops on how to win Small Business Innovation Research funding.

We have migrated our pre-business workshop for early stage and pre-venture startups to a self-paced, video-facilitated, online format called Business Basics for Startups. If you’d like to check out the content and provide feedback, we’d appreciate it. We also provide monthly Business Strategy Webinars, which are recorded and available for viewing online at any time. Looking to start, innovate or grow your business? We offer a variety of training options to ensure your success. Click here to check out all of GFDA’s training resources. For more information or to give feedback about these programs, please contact Rich at 1-406-836-2078 or [email protected].

The best resource we scan daily to stay abreast of business and community innovation is MATR.net (Montana Associated Technology Roundtables), which we are proud to help sponsor. Sign up for their free newsletter.

Join our Trailing Partner Email Group specifically for local employers to share resumes of trailing spouses/partners across the Great Falls region with other employers looking to hire. “Your (Live in Great Falls) website is very impressive and helpful! Great Falls looks amazing, and we love what we’ve seen real estate-wise, and business-wise.” This quote was from an email sent to us from a couple considering relocation to Great Falls. We will be sharing their resumes (with their permission) on the Trailing Partner Email Group.

Visit our relocation website LiveInGreatFalls.com. This website was the #1 request we got from local recruiters and HR professionals for aiding in attracting talented workers to Great Falls. The Great Falls At-A-Glance two-pager is a great complementary resource that highlights Great Falls for people unfamiliar with our community.

Of our online business planning tool, LivePlan, one said: “LivePlan is Awesome!” The LivePlan tool is helping streamline her strategy in preparation for presenting to bank partners. We offer LivePlan licenses for FREE to active clients. Learn more about LivePlan on our website.

GFDA is a certified Community Development Financial Institution and a 501(c)3 charitable organization. High Plains Financial is a certified Community Development Corporation that offers SBA 504 loans statewide. GFDA and High Plains Financial are Equal Opportunity Employers, Lenders and Providers.

GFDA is proud to host a Montana Small Business Development Center, a Montana Procurement Technical Assistance Center, and a Montana Food & Ag Development Center. We are also proud to provide office space for MSU’s Montana Manufacturing Extension Center.

GFDA was the first economic development organization in the Rocky Mountain West to earn accreditation from the International Economic Development Council.