Montana Economic Development

Gibson says Montana’s huge selling point is its tremendous and available workforce. In independent surveys, Montana was found to have more than 150,000 available workers, many of whom are underemployed.

What attracts people and businesses to a new place? What helps existing businesses to expand and grow? Quality of life.

Marketing wholesome Montana-produced foods should be a slam dunk.

Everybody wants a piece of the last best place, especially the 9 million or so tourists who visit each year – don’t they? Restaurants and retailers ought to be standing in line, right?

Sherman’s goal was to establish relationships in China that can help him serve clients of the Montana World Trade Center, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the University of Montana that "develops untapped international trade opportunities and helps businesses capitalize on opportunities to expand their market share around the world."

The trip is expected to play a big role in whether the company decides to develop a location in Great Falls. The payoff? Up to 300 jobs with pay starting at close to $10 per hour. Also involved could be a 15,000- to 30,000-square-foot building, officials said.

The board is searching for someone with strong networking skills, excellent writing and speaking abilities, management skills, fund-raising experience and familiarity with financial analysis and budgeting.

A coalition of local officials says it is ready to launch a drive to raise $300,000 to $500,000 to aid efforts to lure new missions to Malmstrom and the Montana Air National Guard in Great Falls.

"There’s an expectation that the data will allow participants to come up with strategies to combat retail leakage" by tailoring their marketing strategies to address the area’s shortcomings as identified in the study. "We can also provide information to go to national retailers and say, ‘Here’s the data, if you show up and build, you’ve got a market.’"

"We were really focused on doing a world-class park," he said. "The better the skaters, the more they want to come here. We saw a really high level of skaters." "Great Falls has a top-of-the-line park. It compares with the best around," Goff said. "If you get bored, you’ve got some serious problems."

“I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love, and it’s difficult to analyze love when you’re in it.”

— John Steinbeck