2) At the MaKamey Ranch West, Governor Gianforte, the Montana Department of Agriculture, the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, the Wool Growers Association, and local lamb and wool producers – including Montana Wool Company– met to discuss some of the issues facing wool and lamb producers especially in regards to the business supply chain. Anna discussed gaps in the wool supply chain and what GFDA can do to support businesses looking to move into this industry. If you are interested in wool or lamb processing, reach out to Anna at [email protected] or 1-406-590-1301 to discuss opportunities.

3) Kids Education YES is hosting a Legislator Forum & Discussion this Thursday, October 12th from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM at the Great Falls History Museum. Business and community leaders are invited to join the discussion. Please RSVP to attend to Jamie Wyatt Marshall at [email protected].

4) Another business attraction prospect was in town this week looking to relocate to Great Falls! Find out why your business should consider Great Falls for your next location, reach out to Jake Clark [email protected] 1-406-403-4937.

5) Bullhook Community Health Center is moving forward with its expansion; see Havre Daily News. Congratulations to Dawn Bushard on opening Bushard Water Delivery in Cascade County! See KRTV.

6) The State Small Business Credit Initiative 2.0 (SSBCI 2.0) low interest rate program is anticipating receiving the third tranche of funding as early as November. If you have a project that could move forward with the benefit of low interest rate funding, start talking to GFDA now. These funds are limited and will be put to work very quickly to help our economy recover and come back stronger than ever. If you have a business startup or expansion planned that could benefit from a loan participation, contact Jill at [email protected] or 1-406-590-1056.

7) Invest Downtown 2023 and the Montana Main Street Conference are both coming up in October in Downtown Great Falls. Invest Downtown will be October 18th at 9-11 AM and the Montana Main Street Conference will follow afterwards through the 20th; see TheElectric. If you have any questions about either of these events, please contact Christian at 1-406-836-0136 or [email protected].

8) NeighborWorks Great Falls held its annual Dream Street celebration as ten families near completion of their new homes. These ten will mark 175 owner built homes in Great Falls by families through the USDA-supported program; see KRTV. Great Falls High and CMR students broke ground on the 46th High School House, a collaboration of NeighborWorks Great Falls and Great Falls Public Schools; see NWGF blog.

9) Did you know the Great Falls Public Safety Levy & Bond will cost $1.33/day for a home valued at $300,000? 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.

10) We traveled to Fort Benton to meet with businesses in the community. Through visits like these we work to identify resources in our region, both in house and through our partners, that can benefit these organizations and help prepare them for future challenges and assist in dissolving current roadblocks. If you own a small business and want to know more about how we can provide tools and training to help you grow please reach out to Tony Peres, Small Business Navigator, at [email protected] or 406-750-2099.

11) The Montana Department of Commerce announced that $800,000 of federal grant funding is available to help small Montana businesses accelerate and grow international sales. The federal funding, from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), will be administered through Commerce’s State Trade Expansion Program (STEP).

12) Anna represented GFDA at the SBA’s ‘Path to Prosperity’ in Billings where she networked with federal agencies and discussed the opportunities for small business support from both federal and state departments. If you are interested in the Growth Through Agriculture grant and loan program or want to exhibit at the 2024 Made in Montana trade show, time is limited. Reach out to Anna at [email protected] or 1-406-590-1301 for more information as deadlines are fast approaching.

13) We presented our economic strategy, tools, and resources to the Montana Department of Commerce team. We’re excited they invited us and share our continuous improvement mentality!

14) The ambitious Economic Development Strategy 2023-2025 that GFDA’s Board approved in June has four focus areas, 19 strategic priorities, and 46 actions we want to achieve in the next three years. This week the GFDA Board and our new GFDA Council reviewed our first quarter progress on the 47 KPI’s for this fiscal year tied to the 46 actions. We’ve secured the resources and are gearing up to move forward this quarter on more actions, including three market assessments (downtown Great Falls, energy, and transportation/logistics), completion of the professional health-related school feasibility study, and completion of a CDFI Growth Model that will detail plans to further expand our lending and access to capital work. We will soon be issuing RFP’s for the energy and transportation logistics market assessments soon. If you know of any great firms that have extensive knowledge in these industries, please let me know so we can get the RFP to them. We will also soon be issuing an RFQ for qualified environmental professionals to do hazardous material assessments with our new EPA Brownfield assessment grant.

15) Christian dedicated two days to participate in Entrepreneurial and Small Business Development Strategies training through the International Economic Development Council. This program educated him about the challenges encountered by entrepreneurs and how communities can harness their economic development assets to construct tightly-knit networks, thus fostering the success of businesses in the global marketplace.

16) Our mission to foster diverse economic opportunities and improve quality of life is made achievable through the commitment of our dedicated team of investors and public partners. Learn more about them here. Recent investments include: Advance Division—First Interstate Bank; Flagship Division—ADF International; Leadership Division—Dick Anderson Construction; Pasta Montana; Community Division—Big Sky Civil & Environmental, Inc.; Geranios Enterprises, Inc. Thanks to their support, we can continue our vital work in bridging the gap between the cost of living and the average wage, ultimately ensuring that our residents enjoy an exceptional quality of life. If you’d like to find out how you can support our initiatives and contribute to the growth & success of our region, reach out to Investment Director Jenn Gallmeier at 1-406-781-9499 or [email protected].

Two notes about this past week.

I often tell my team to not be afraid of making mistakes — that they have to be pretty creative to make a mistake that I haven’t made. When we’re charging forward at high speed, constantly trying new things to strengthen the Great Falls regional economy and enhance quality of life, and focusing most of our efforts on helping our clients achieve their dreams, it’s inevitable that once and awhile we’ll make a mistake. This week we posted a local media story without taking the time to do research to verify its accuracy. We sent out an eblast that Great Falls was ranked 28th best small city in the U.S. by WalletHub. Actually, we were ranked in what I would describe in the “we have more work to do category.” Our apologies! Also, to the GFDA team, stop beating yourself up and let’s keep moving forward. It’s all part of our mantra of continuous improvement.

Secondly, thank you to our many partners who figure out a way to solve challenges to help our local businesses and developers succeed. We need to work to get everyone in our community and region to throw out “We can’t do that” and replace it with “Let’s sit down and figure out how we can make it work.”

Have a great week!

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!

“To please everybody is impossible; were I to undertake it, I should probably please nobody.”

George Washington

Edition 602

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].

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 Outdoor Recreation Summit will be held October 11-13 in Butte.

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.

The 2023 Montana Food and Beverage Show, hosted by the Montana Department of Agriculture, is scheduled for October 16 in Missoula. The show allows Montana businesses to showcase their food and beverage products to professional buyers from restaurants, hotels, bars, retailers, and more.

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.

Montana STEP grants can pay for 75% of your international export marketing efforts, up to $10,000. 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.