Montana Economic Development

Montana’s economy looks good for the next couple of years, an annual gathering of researchers and business experts concluded in Missoula on Friday.

The link below will take you to the minutes of the last meeting of the Board of Directors of Beartooth RC&D Area, Inc. There was a great turnout and participation. The new meeting facility seemed…

Three business development programs administered by the Big Sky Economic Development Authority were allocated almost $900,000 in a federal spending bill awaiting President Bush’s signature. "This federal appropriation allows us to have a good base…

Like other Montana cities, Helena is becoming a regional economic hub, Smith said.

David Gibson, who heads up the office, said Monday that Democrats and Republicans alike provided good support during the 2003 Legislature for initiatives like worker training and boosting local economic-development groups.

The program assists agriculturalists in various ways, such as helping farmers conserve water, soil or help them diversify. The program also provides technical assistance to farmers looking to diversify crops or help entrepreneurs learn how to become certified in organic farming or raising certified organic beef.

Mercer is indeed interested in shaking up the academe, making it a bigger and more active part of the Montana scene. But if it works, and university system involvement does help get Montana’s economy moving, one of the biggest beneficiaries will be the university system itself.

Our economy will only improve when candidates of vision and strength of conviction recognize that a state that relies only on drills, pipes and mine tailings will find itself bankrupt in promise as well as in fact.

(Another key to economic development is) if we cultivate the garden, if we nurture the soil, if we take care of the infrastructure supporting that, entrepreneurs will see the opportunity and they’ll want to live here. … Entrepreneurs see (Missoula) as a place to locate.

But for Gray, the overriding factor is that Montana is where he wants to be. For this businessman, it’s a quality-of-life issue. “We’re specifically looking at Montana to get back home,”