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| MATR Newsletter - Tue Feb 6, 2007 |
Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne on Friday dramatically escalated his war against what he sees as a short-selling conspiracy, suing brokers Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup and a host of others for $3.48 billion. "Cry 'Havoc!' and let slip the dogs of war," Byrne declared Friday, quoting from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" when asked to comment about the lawsuit beyond his prepared remarks.
Great articles on the developing Bio Cluster in Hamilton, MT - Biotech boom: As Hamilton businesses expand, interest in field grows. UM creates program to train lab workers for GlaxoSmithKline and Rocky Mountain Labs" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html --- Hope you've made your reservations to attend: "Montana Ambassador’s Annual Conference With Rich Karlgaard, Publisher Of Forbes Magazine, 2/15-16, Helena, MT" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html and as Global Warming has finally become a hot topic - two events that you should consider: "Global Warming Expert To Speak At MSU. Tim Flannery Named 2007 Australian Of The Year, 3/5, Bozeman, Montana" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html --- "City Club Missoula - City Hall Vs. CO2: Local Government Tackles Global Warming, 2/16, Missoula" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Boomtown Institute
Come Home Montana
- The Agurban from Boomtown Institute - The Impact of Immigrant Entrepreneurs
Over the past 15 years, immigrants have started 25 percent of these companies.
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- Montana Career Opportunity - Economic Development Executive Position
Must have knowledge of Northwest economy, minimum of a BA Degree or equivalent, 5 years experience, strong management and direct supervisory skills with outstanding interpersonal and communication abilities.
- Montana - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Montana's total state product in 2003 was $26 billion. Per capita personal income in 2003 was $25,406, 47th in the nation. However, this number is rapidly increasing. According to the Missoulian, the economy has grown rapidly since 2003; in 2005, Montana ranked 39th in the nation with an average per capita personal income of $29,387.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Executive Director - Downtown Bozeman Partnership
Historic Downtown Bozeman is one of the Northwest's most dynamic downtowns.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Director of Community Planning - Bear Paw Development
Duties of this position involve working with local governments in a five-county area on their needs, responsibility for managing regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy process and Community Transportation Enhancement Program, along with other economic and community development programs and projects.
- Montana Career Opportunities - Computer Numerically Controlled Machinists - Summit Aeronautics Group
Work with titanium, aluminum and steel to produce parts for the aerospace industry.
Montana Ambassadors
- Students encouraged to consider entrepreneurship - EntrepreneurshipWeek USA February 24 - March 3, 2007
“We many, many times raise students to go be able to work for somebody, but they don’t honestly look at the mindset that they could create their own business and be an entrepreneur,”
Montana Education Excellence
- Cheers to Blue Rock - Montana Ambassadors to honor Blue Rock Products
Blue Rock is the largest family-owned soft drink and wholesale beer and wine distributor in the eastern Montana/western North Dakota area and currently employs more than 90 individuals.
Education
- Provider Pals of Libby, Montana helps urban children understand that plywood does not just appear at Home Depot and milk doesn't come from a carton.
Headquartered in Libby, Provider Pals is now in 20 middle schools with 10,000 students participating nationwide. Today, the program puts more than just loggers in the classrooms. Farmers, ranchers, miners, oil field workers and commercial fisherman also share how they provide the products that everyone is using.
- Discover Zone Program keeps students busy after school
If it weren't for Discover Zone, Jones said, he would be at home alone in front of the TV playing X-Box video games. He doesn't like being home alone; his parents don't like him being home alone either.
- Big Sky graduate an emerging star in science field. Jayce Getz awarded one of 30 National Science Foundation mathematical sciences postdoctoral research fellowships.
“Kids in Missoula, Montana, can and do get involved with important research in the sciences,” Getz said in a phone interview. “The trick is to get started early on.”
2007 Montana Legislature
- Microsoft talks up technology to kids
During a speech in Redmond, which was webcast to teens gathered in Atlanta, New York, Silicon Valley and elsewhere, Ballmer announced a software grant worth $5 million over three years to the National Urban League, a 97-year-old organization aimed at economic and social empowerment of African Americans.
- New Wyoming high school will provide more learning opportunities
To work out the details, the district has hired an organization called Applied Minds Inc., of Glendale, Calif., which the district says creates and designs innovative learning environments. According to the company's Web site, it consists of artists, scientists and engineers.
Montana Business
- MSU Leadership Institute - MSU Students "Effecting The System: Communicating With The 2007 Legislature", 2/13, Bozeman
The panel discussion will discuss university and university student issues as they relate to the 2007 legislative session. In addition, panelists will provide students and community members with specific information on how to influence the decision making process in Helena.
Montana Economic Development
- Montana businesses are tapping foreign labor market
The bottom line is, the status quo isn't working for Wahrlich. And he's not the only one struggling to find good employees in the county's ever-shrinking labor pool. "This problem will not go away," he said. "We're all chasing this 2 percent unemployment. We have to start doing something different."
- Woodworking company to sell Emigrant, Montana factory. Anybody want to buy a 48,200-square-foot building on the Yellowstone River?
"We have lost many jobs locally. Our goal was the opposite -- to create jobs and build the local economy, which needs jobs and fresh outside money to pay for them."
- Timber in transition: Booming values shift Plum Creek from logging to real estate
Put simply, in the words of company president and CEO Rick Holley, “people are going to come to us, and they're going to want to buy land.”
Developing Funding Opportunities in Montana
- Clark Johnson, former chief of staff to Senator Conrad Burns, named to head rural development in Montana...
Agriculture Undersecretary for Rural Development Thomas Dorr announced the appointment today. He says Johnson is uniquely qualified to head rural development efforts in Montana, and brings of wealth of experience to the position.
- Prospera to Discontinue Hosting SBDC; Focuses on Advanced Business Programs
“After careful and diligent examination of Prospera’s short and long-term goals, it became clear that the SBDC no longer fits with our organization’s strategic focus,” stated Robert Gibson, Prospera board president. “The organization has a responsibility to our community, and to our members, to provide the resources growing businesses need most,” Gibson continued.
- MAEDC E-Newsletter, Feb. 2007
MAEDC would like to invite you to participate in an exciting demonstration of an innovative public safety system at our 2007 Annual Meeting. For more details, please see this month's news articles. Hope to see you there!
- Accreditation Will Assist Montana Organic Sales to Europe
"Montana is a nationwide leader in production of organic grains. The ability to certify organic producers and handlers under ISO Guide 65 as well as the USDA's National Organic Standards enhances the department's organic program and will assist organic producers in exporting more products," said Director Nancy K. Peterson.
Montana Biotech
- Worlds Best Technologies Showcase, 5/15-16, Dallas, Texas
Come and discover why over 1 in 3 of our past presenters has been successful in raising almost $400 Million in first (or next) round capital or licensing their technologies.
Funding and Building your Business
- Company gives form to medical devices. Compass Product Design Inc.
Compass Product Design takes products made by others and crafts a design around them that will make them both marketable and practical to use.
- Biotech boom: As Hamilton businesses expand, interest in field grows. UM creates program to train lab workers for GlaxoSmithKline and Rocky Mountain Labs
Rural states like Montana stand out as quiet havens, where small startups don’t have to outshout giant corporations to be heard by the powers that be.
Legislative Newsletters
- “Attracting Investors to Your Start-up – Building the Great Company”
This cuts through the chatter and explains clearly why some business ideas are better than others in attracting an investor's interest and money in a company.
- Resource sites for your reference
OK,. I realize it is super bowl weekend, groundhog day and a full moon, but thought you enjoy browsing through some great resource sites. In a few weeks I will send the page with funding resources. Enjoy and have a great weekend.
- Bootstrappers avoid outside money ties. Some start-up firms prefer to go it alone
At a time when commodity computing, open source software, and viral marketing are making it cheaper than ever to fund a start-up on a credit card or a loan from a rich uncle, the decision to forgo venture capital is becoming more common. Entrepreneurs and financiers agree bootstrapping is on the rise, though there are no statistics heralding the trend. And it's happening even as venture firms, from Route 128 to Silicon Valley, are swimming in capital from pension funds, university endowments, and other limited partners seeking outsized returns.
Regional Business
- Sen. Max Baucus Bulletin- Issue 1, Volume 2
While we have gotten some great things done, we are still going full throttle ahead to make Montana an even better place to live, work, and raise a family. It’s always great to hear from everyone, so if you get a chance give me a call or drop me a line and let me know what issues you care about or what is happening in your area.
Regional Economic Development
- Inland Northwest friendly for family-owned businesses
“As we got closer to the move, more and more people expressed interest in relocating (with the company),” says Mark Johnson, explaining that the relocation gave many employees the opportunity to own a home for the first time. “Housing is more affordable here, the commute is shorter, outdoor activities abound. Post Falls is a great location for Tapmatic. All our support processes are nearby and the quality of life couldn’t be better.”
Utah Business
- Inland Northwest economic development specialist extraordinaire - Bob Potter
This 80-year-old has recruited companies – including famous knife manufacturer Buck Knives – that have generated 3,937 new jobs with an annual payroll of $98.2 million, and more than $328.5 million in capital investments primarily in the Coeur d’Alene area.
- The Department of Labor has launched its Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) website
WIRED goes beyond traditional strategies for worker preparation by bringing together state, local and federal entities; academic institutions (including K-12, community colleges and universities); investment groups; foundations; and business and industry to address the challenges associated with building a globally competitive and prepared workforce.
- Affordable housing plan takes aim at sprawl "The Terwilliger Center for Workplace Housing"
"The dental assistant who cleans your teeth, your child's teacher, the mechanic who fixes your car," said Terwilliger. "These are the people getting squeezed by the housing crunch." The Washington-based institute has established a new research center to focus on the problem of affordable housing in an effort to prevent further urban sprawl.
- Demand high for downtown housing
Over the next 20 years, Utah will witness a 140 percent increase in the number of people ages 65 and older, according to a November report by the Brookings Institute. This "age-wave," according to the report, will have profound effects on America's cities, shaping how and where baby boomers and seniors live.
- Do Community Land Trusts Offer The Best Solution For Affordable Housing?
"The community land trust (CLT) is one mechanism that addresses [the] need for affordable housing, and it also can be considered an institutional mechanism for capturing socially produced land value.
Government Technology
- 2007 Entrepreneur of the Year spills his secret - Kirk A. Benson of Headwaters, Inc.
"The key to success is starting with a strong value proposition for your customers," Benson says, noting that the formula includes both worthwhile, quality products and good customer service. "Develop a close relationship with your customers . . . ask for their feedback," he adds. "We clearly live in a very competitive world. There is tremendous pressure on any company to differentiate itself from its competitors."
Idaho Business
- Vermont Governor Calls for Full Internet Security Audit
"I expect the department to look at every area and aspect of our Internet security protocols to be sure we are employing all the available resources to protect the integrity of our systems. And I expect a higher standard to be set in IT departments throughout state government."
- Michigan Secretary of State Offices to Link by Video for Training, Public Information
"Effectively communicating with customers and employees is essential to providing high-quality service," Land said. "Reaching millions of visitors with engaging, informative programming helps us to meet that goal. This public-private initiative lets the department stretch its dollars as well, making internal training more efficient by reducing the need for multiple sessions and employee travel costs. We're pleased to put technology to work for Michigan taxpayers in a manner that respects the state's limited resources."
- New Free Publication: Digital Communities
Digital Communities provides a place to learn and utilize all of the resources around innovative technology solutions, procurement, and leading initiatives in building communities of the future, with the goal of enabling community leaders to quickly and confidently address the technology needs within their jurisdictions.
Wyoming Business
- Idaho Office of Science & Technology February 2007
"We Create Jobs, Strengthen Communities and Market Idaho."
- AMI Semiconductor posts profitable quarter; plans consolidation and layoffs
The Company also announced it was consolidating design centers and reducing its workforce, which should save $10 million annually. AMI plans to eliminate approximately 85 positions world-wide, or 3 percent of its total workforce. The company will be closing facilities in Israel, the Netherlands, India and Carlsbad, Calif.
- Dropping enrollment at University of Idaho hurting economy
Robison says the area would lose about 800 jobs if it lost 1,000 students.
- New flights link Boise to California
ExpressJet will open nonstop service in late spring, offering two flights a day to San Diego and Ontario
Other Economies
- Young Wyoming pros get ready to network
"The strength you carry is going to have some profound effects on our community for generations to come,"
University TechTransfer
- Forward Wichita: Reaching the Next Level, has five initiatives.
"It's a chance to see who, with these results, is excited about what's going on in the community."
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- Brigham Young University rebuffed in court over licensing royalties
For the second time in as many years, the Utah Supreme Court has rebuffed Brigham Young University's bid to collect licensing royalties from a long-defunct software company and its successors.
Non-Profit News
- BLM STEP program gives students a head start on careers in the field
The Student Temporary Employment Program offers high school, university and college students a chance to work in a variety of areas, from biology to logistics.
Energy
- Charitable deductions from your IRA; investments too good to be true
What's behind the temporary change in the tax law that, for 2006 and 2007 tax years only, allows those age 70-1/2 and older to contribute directly to a charity from their IRAs?
Connectivity & Communications
- Former technology instructor still dreams of passive solar heating
In mostly sunny Wyoming, there's a great opportunity to harness the rays and cut usage of fossil fuels, he said. "With all this new construction, we should consider some passive solar features," Krahenbuhl said.
- The best way to save the planet? You decide - Market-Based Incentives To Cut Greenhouse Gases
Americans should be taxed for the energy they consume. But it isn't the government that should decide how that money is spent.
- Algae-Based Fuels Set to Bloom - Oil from microorganisms could help ease the nation's energy woes.
A number of startups are now demonstrating new technology and launching large research efforts aimed at replacing hundreds of millions of gallons of fossil fuels by 2010, and much more in the future.
- Montana's lawmakers at center of climate debate
"These are guys who are going to help determine what the policy actually is, because they are the ones who are in the middle of this debate,"
Space and Zero Gravity Research
- Unwired Singapore. "The World is Flat" How is your community competing?
Singapore is now the second nation in Asia after Taipei, to possess an anytime-anywhere-wireless broadband service.
- Wireless Internet for All, Without the Towers
An intriguingly inexpensive alternative has appeared: a Wi-Fi network that is not top-down but rather ground-level, peer-to-peer. It relies not on $3,500 radio transmitters perched on street lamps by professional installers but instead on $50 boxes that serve, depending upon population density, more than one household and can be installed by anyone with the ease of plugging in a toaster.
Community
- Space Investment Summit, 4/16-17, New York
This event is designed for investors in space-related technologies, especially in these areas: space "experience" (e.g., advertising, entertainment, hotels, and tourism), energy production in space, materials sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, robotics, artificial intelligence, communications, Earth imaging, and navigation.
Leadership Montana
- Workshop Guides Planning For Spokane's University District
What do you get when you fly in six high-minded urban design consultants to dream up the perfect university district?
- Incorporating Sustainability Into Community Development
Sustainability must become a primary goal of public policy if we want to ensure the long-term health of communities.
City Club Missoula
- Global Warming Expert To Speak At MSU. Tim Flannery Named 2007 Australian Of The Year, 3/5, Bozeman, Montana
The upcoming lecture includes a straightforward and powerful explanation of the connection between global warming, climate change and human activity. “Flannery has a gift for making complex science understandable through a skillful use of imagery and analogy,” said Carmen McSpadden, Director of the MSU Leadership Institute http://www.montana.edu/leadership , a sponsor of the lecture.
- City Club Missoula - City Hall Vs. CO2: Local Government Tackles Global Warming, 2/16, Missoula
As mayor of the City of Missoula, a community with a rock-solid conservation ethic, John Engen is working with organizations and individuals in and out of government to chip away at global warming through education, organization and practical change.
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