“I’m from Atlanta, and this sort of thing wouldn’t have been possible,” Ivester said, “Bozeman is an incredibly friendly local community and they put their money where their mouth is and support local products.”

From classroom teacher to business owner, Derek Ivester, the owner of Mountain Fresh Italian Ice, is capitalizing on a sweet treat. He’s just one of many people taking advantage of a Bozeman business boom.

Ivester moved to Bozeman a few years ago with his wife in hopes of starting a business together.

The Chamber estimates 10 people per day move to Bozeman. Gallatin county’s population grew 25% in the last decade to about 112,000 people.