Tasty Hot Pot restaurant opened in the West Bank One riverfront development. Congratulations to Jie Deng and Joe Ping on their second Great Falls restaurant! It’s fun and the food is delicious. See KRTV.

2) Worked with a business owner this week that is very excited about the vibrancy of downtown Great Falls and wants to expand their business downtown. We discussed opportunities and tools available to make that expansion happen. If you’ve been interested in expanding or starting a business in downtown Great Falls, call Christian Leinhauser at 1-406-836-0136 and lets discuss the tools, resources and opportunities available for downtown redevelopment.

3) This year’s Fire Within Awards will take place on Thursday, April 18th from 5:30-7:30 PM at the Haute Hive. This year we are celebrating 33 women business owners! Help us celebrate these incredible women by registering here!

4) We have been working with four companies on lots in the Great Falls AgriTech Park and this week started work with a fifth. If your business needs a site zoned heavy industrial with all utilities and rail, contact Jolene Schalper at 1-406-750-4481 or [email protected]. We still have about 200 acres available with customizable lots.

5) The State Small Business Credit Initiative 2.0 (SSBCI 2.0) low interest rate program opened their application portal on March 22nd. The application portal is only open until April 12th. These funds can be used for business purposes including purchasing real estate, equipment or working capital. If you have a project that could move forward with the benefit of low interest rate funding, contact Jill Kohles at [email protected] or 1-406-590-1056.

6) Ways businesses are utilizing AI to assist in meeting needs amid labor shortages, diverse opportunities in the film industry for accountants, project managers, welders, innovations in tourism, and more were discussed in Lethbridge, Alberta at the Southern Alberta Economic Development Summit hosted by SouthGrow. Anna and Jolene attended in preparation for our upcoming cross-border partnership with Economic Development Lethbridge. While there we met with city and county officials, representatives from the universities, members of the Blackfoot tribe, and other Economic Development Organizations.

7) GFDA has commissioned an analysis of the Economic Impact of Population Growth in Great Falls. The analysis will assess the cumulative economic impact of recent population growth from 2017-2022, estimate the cumulative economic impact of population growth over the next ten years if our population grows at the same rate as it did from 2010 to 2020, estimate cumulative economic impact of population growth over the next ten years if the Great Falls MSA grows at the same rate the state of Montana grew from 2010 to 2020, and the same if we grow at the national rate of the last ten years. Chmura Economic and Analytics will conduct the analysis.

8) Are you considering bidding on contracts related to the upcoming Sentinel Project? Are you aware that it takes two years to become approved as a vendor for these contracts? If you haven’t initiated the process yet, it’s essential to connect with Great Falls APEX to begin. For further details, reach out to Lillian Sunwall at [email protected] or call 1-406-750-1253.

9) We continued work on the Downtown Great Falls Market Assessment with the Leland Consulting Group this week and received our first market analysis results. We are very excited with the work they have accomplished and look forward to continuing this project with them. If you would like to be part of this project, please email Christian Leinhauser at [email protected] or call 1-406-836-0136.

10) Do you have a Growth Plan? As entrepreneurs, we do not necessarily hope that our companies will grow big, but we always hope that they will develop. So, what are our alternatives if we do not intend to create a big company? Here are different Growth Scenarios:

Financial Growth: Capital Injection, Investor Relations, Merger & Acquisitions.

Income Growth: Profitability, Cost Control, Price Increase, Productivity.

Market Growth: New Market Entry, Internationalization, Market Niches.

Volume Growth: Production Volume, Sales Volume, Recruitment.

Product Growth: Product Innovation, Service Design, Assortment Planning.

Quality Growth: Product Refinement, Professional Development, Research and Development(R&D).

Network Growth: Partnerships, Outsourcing, Alliances

11) Once we have decided on prioritizing a certain type of growth as our first focus area, we must accept a series of challenges necessary for the growth to occur. These challenges vary according to the different growth scenarios listed above. Want more information on growth plans or have questions regarding how to set up your growth plan, discuss growth scenarios, or setting growth priorities? Please reach out to Al Gohary at [email protected] or 1-406-750-0314.

12) Nicki Dallison joined Team GFDA! Nicki joins our business development effort focused on retaining and expanding local business, attracting businesses to our region, and adding value to our project pipeline. Nicki has a strong background in business, supply chain, and logistics and loves dogs! Look forward to seeing Nicki around the Great Falls region helping businesses succeed.

13) The deadline to submit a proposal in response to GFDA’s Request for Proposals for an Energy Production Opportunity Assessment has been extended to Friday, April 5 by 5:00PM MST. Electronic submissions and any questions regarding the RFPs can be directed to Tyler Menzales at [email protected] or by calling 1-406-217-7862.

14) We Are Growing Our Awesome Staff Team. Download a description of openings for Loan Officer and Communications & Marketing Specialist.

15) Al Gohary, the regional director of GFDA Small Business Development Center obtained his certification as an accredited certified small to mid-size business consultant from the Association of Accredited Small Business Consultants. Al Gohary also got re-certified with the GrowthWheel Program as a Certified GrowthWheel Business Advisor. This program allows small business clients to work with the certified business advisor on their business growth plans step by step to achieve success.

16) A community investing in economic development can expect to see tangible results over time. These outcomes are made possible through the dedication and collaboration from our team of investors and public partners. Learn more about them by viewing this short video. Recent investments include: Premier Division—Otto Bremer Trust; Advance Division—Pacific Steel & Recycling;  NorthWestern Energy. Our success hinges on their support. If you’d like to learn about what we are doing to grow the economy and find out how you can help us achieve our goals, reach out to Investment Director Jenn Gallmeier at 1-406-781-9499 or [email protected]. Together, we can amplify our impact and create lasting positive change in our community and beyond.

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!

“Things do not happen. Things are made to happen.”

John F. Kennedy

Edition 625

GFDA participates in the Montana State Small Business Initiative (SSBCI 2.0) program that helped provide a lower interest rate on 50% of the funding. We’ve been partnering with local banks and credit unions to put together some creative financing packages for business startups and expansions, but this low-interest money is vrey limited and first come, first serve so contact us today 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 or Brett at [email protected] or 1-406-750-2119.

The Montana Department of Commerce has extended the deadline for businesses to apply for a cybersecurity grant up to $8,000. Apply by April 30th. More info here.

We need your help! We are looking for accredited investors to join us at Great Falls Development Alliance’s inaugural Angel Investor Networking Event. The purpose of this event is to connect those who are looking for strategic investment opportunities within the Great Falls region with real estate developers, start-up entrepreneurs, and expanding businesses who are seeking equity. If you are an accredited investor looking to put your money to use in the Great Falls region, contact Tyler Menzales at [email protected] or call 1-406-217-7862

We have set the date for the initial cross-border partnership visit with Economic Development Lethbridge for May 8th through the 10th. This partnership will focus on creating an agri-food corridor to promote cross border trade and agri-business investment into North Central Montana and Southern Alberta. If you would like to learn more or are a business leader interested in traveling on this visit, please reach out to Anna at [email protected] or at 1-406-590-1301. Manufacturers, if you don’t get the monthly newsletter from the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center you are missing out on great training and other resources. Check out MMEC’s February Newsletter.

The Montana Department of Agriculture is partnering with the USDA and the Agricultural Marketing Services to help strengthen the resiliency of Montana food systems. Is your food company focused on middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation, or distribution of targeted agricultural products? If so, there is a new funding opportunity for your projects. Discuss this new opportunity and check your eligibility with Anna by reaching out at [email protected] or 1-406-590-1301.

Are you planning any international marketing activities in 2024? The State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) run by the Export Montana team at the Montana Department of Commerce has a host of export support services and federal grants available for businesses up to $12,000. They’re awesome to work with! Our Small Business Advisor, Rich Gannon, can help too and he is also awesome! [email protected] or 1-406-836-2078.

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 Jake Clark at [email protected] or 1-406-403-4937 to be connected with a JobsEQ-trained Business Advisor today. To learn more about GFDA’s other talent attraction tools, visit our website.

We still have a few copies of the 2023 Livability Great Falls talent attraction magazine. Find and share Livability Great Falls online, or contact Tracy Heggem for hard copies: [email protected] or 1-406-788-1192.

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.

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 March 31st. For 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.

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 Christian Nichols at 1-406-788-9385 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 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.

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.

Our Mission

Grow diverse economic opportunities that enhance quality of life.

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 APEX Accelerator, and a Montana Food & Ag Development Center. GFDA is a certified Montana MicroBusiness Development Corporation.

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