MONTANA Business & Technology Magazine – Summer 2009 Issue – "Competing Through Innovation"

Welcome to our Summer 2009 issue of Montana Business & Technology magazine, a publication designed to highlight the people, companies and products that are spurring the growth of Montana’s increasingly technology-based economy.

While this has been a difficult year for the nation’s economy, I am glad to report that Montana has, so far, fared better than most other states. In the latest employment report (April) we tied for the largest over-the-month payroll gain in the nation at 1,500, our unemployment rates continue to be well below the national average, as are mortgage defaults rates.

Credit for this needs to be given to the resiliency of our private sector,
as well as Governor Schweitzer’s fiscal policies and management of
our state economy.

But as we weather the current recession, I wanted to turn our attention and focus this issue on the future. As I have indicated in the past, driven by innovation, a new set of industries is beginning to put Montana on the ‘technology’ map of the United States.

The people and companies you will read about in this issue represent
the ‘new generation’ of Montana’s economy. It’s younger, more mobile, less traditional and seeking a high quality of life. Even the names are different—Gomzee, My Topo, Idealbyte and SweetOnion (not an Ag. business) are not names traditionally associated with Montana industry. But they could be the leaders of the future.

Read also about how technology is improving health care in the most rural parts of our state and how innovations in energy efficiency are leading to the construction of high performance commercial buildings. As the General Motors commercial used to say, ‘this is not your father’s generation’ . . . but it could be the source of Montana’s continued prosperity in the future.

We welcome your comments, suggestions and story ideas.
Please feel free to contact me at: [email protected]

Evan Barrett

Chief Business Development Officer

Full Publication: http://www.matr.net/files/MTBusTech09summer.pdf