The List: November 2025 – Butte Local Development Corporation

1. BLDC has hired a new Director of Marketing and Business Recruitment.  We’re pleased to welcome Veronica Selway, a seasoned marketer and business professional, to our team in this important role!
2. Through the Montana Hops initiative, Headwaters RC&D significantly strengthened statewide capacity these past few months by connecting growers, brewers, and industry partners through targeted education, marketing, and technical assistance. Key activities included grower training, statewide brewer outreach, farm tours, roundtables, and a keynote session at the Montana Brewers Conference; development of updated MontanaHops.com resources; distribution of brewer sample packets and educational materials; and a coordinated digital media campaign reaching hundreds of thousands of consumers. Together, these efforts increased knowledge, expanded networks, improved market readiness, and laid the groundwork for long-term industry resilience and growth.
3. Executive Director Kelly Sullivan attended the MEDA Fall Conference in Polson, and attended sessions that covered everything from access to capital and housing development to federal funding, a focus on small business retention, and connecting your brand to business success.
4. Jay Doyle and Emily Schulte from the Small Business Development Center attended the Montana Technological University Energy and Critical Materials Summit to listen to and learn from a wide range of speakers on energy and critical materials.  Day one was devoted to energy, with day two focused on critical materials.   Approximately 100 people attended the two-day summit.
5. Headwaters helped sponsor, and hosted a booth at, the Montana Department of Labor and Industry’s Butte Re-hirement Event. The event focused on job application assistance and job opportunities for Butte’s disadvantaged populations. Headwaters offered the 406 Eat Local survey and polled individuals on how to best implement local food into SNAP benefits.
6. BLDC lent support to a national grant application being submitted by Montana Tech for a new business operation in Butte, the awarding of which could positively impact our local economy in a myriad of ways.
7. Emily Schulte, Brennan Hammer and Jay Doyle attended Technology and Trades Day, sponsored by Highlands College, for statewide junior and senior high school students.  The team spent the day discussing the opportunities available in starting and running their own businesses.
8. Team Butte hosted a company visiting from Europe for a Red Carpet Tour of the city, including several potential locations where they might locate an expansion of their business.  The visitors were wowed by the outpouring of hospitality and concrete information supplied that will assist them in making a decision.
9. BLDC and Headwaters RC&D will once again be hosting a Small Business Saturday event on Saturday November 29, 2025 at the Elks Lodge, 206 W. Galena St.  Last year, over 20 businesses participated, and saw 100+ customers make over 2,000 visits to their businesses.  Changes to this year’s event include expanding the shopping hours by an additional hour; double punches by businesses in the midtown and downtown areas to encourage more shoppers; and a food drive (with extra punches equaling extra chances to win!) at the Elks for the Butte Food Bank.
10. Upcoming Workshops – Our Small Business Development Center is hosting several trainings in the coming months:
    1. Canva for Social Media with Kayla Lappin on December 3, 2025 from 9am-12pm
    2. Build Your Website in a Day with Kayla Lappin on December 9, 2025 from 9am – 4pm
    3. Create Your Ideal Candidate – Growing and Stabilizing your Workforce  with Chandler Emett from the Montana Dept. of Labor and Industry, on January 21,  2026 from 10:30am-2pm
    4. Beginner Cybersecurity for Small Business with Jay Doyle on January 27, 2026 from 9:30am-2pm

Executive Director

Butte Local Development Corporation

[email protected]

406-490-8439