MONTANA

This report summarizes a selective, interpretative review of the literature on the economic
performance, the composition and evolution of rural economies in the United States, the
nature of the business environment in rural regions, and evidence on the role of clusters
in these areas.

A recent trip to Dallas to drum up jobs for Great Falls went well, the travelers say. John Kramer and Jerry Chavez of the Great Falls Development Authority say they visited with two solid prospects…

Anyone who has barreled down an interstate highway knows that it’s difficult — except for an empty gas tank or an empty stomach — to get a motorist off the freeway. The tendency is to…

But for the first time in its 10 years of existence, the organization, which has nearly 200 members, has prepared itself prior to a session of the Legislature with a written list of initiatives it supports. The agenda is based on "what we work with every day," O’Rourke said. Consequently, "we have a great idea of what legislative issues need to be changed so we can do our jobs better."

But the industry also tends toward fragmentation and disorganization and isn’t well situated for the kind of expansion that could bring sustained job and economic growth — at least, not yet.

Efforts are under way to change that, with a group of wood products businesspeople focusing on marketing, wood supply and transportation issues.