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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Mar 2, 2007 |
"You're either on the bus or you're under it..." (Please read the two articles below.)
For those of you in Montana who are interested in the economic future of our state: Disturbing legislation that deserve your attention: "Montana's Economic Development Funding is at Risk. Your Support is Requested and Vital to Montana's Future" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html especially when you read these articles: "Ranking the States for the New Economy. Montana Ranks 42nd. Colorado down to #9 due to inadequate higher-education funding. Utah 'economic dynamism' No. 1. Washington State in Top 5. Where Does Your State Rank?" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Come Home Montana
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- Northern Rockies Medical Center is the first hospital in north central Montana to offer telehealth medical exams.
Cut Bank may be a rural community, but thanks to the coordinated efforts of NRMC and Benefis, medical technology is alive and well right here in our town.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Chamber of Commerce/Main Street Director - Red Lodge, Montana
Promote Red lodge area economic health by developing a business climate consistent with assets and values of the area.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Provost, VP of Academic Affairs - University of Montana
The University of Montana invites nominations and applications for the position of Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs of The University of Montana-Missoula.
Developing Tech Jobs in Rural Communities
- Ranking the States for the New Economy. Montana Ranks 42nd. Colorado down to #9 due to inadequate higher-education funding. Utah 'economic dynamism' No. 1. Washington State in Top 5. Where Does Your State Rank?
"Governors are best-suited to take the lead in promoting innovation," said NGA Chair Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, "but creating an innovative nation will require cooperation between decision makers at the state and federal levels." "By emphasizing education, creating an entrepreneurial culture and building a more flexible workforce, we will be well-positioned to thrive in today's increasingly competitive global economy and respond to future challenges," said NGA Vice Chair Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
- Does Education Drive New Firm Survival?
High school dropouts are such a drain on state and regional economies, in fact, that many states are raising the legal age from 16 to 18 before a student can excuse himself from school permanently. For example, several governors used their State of the State Addresses this year to call for the change.
- Ideas for Fostering Entrepreneurship
"... Identify leaders who will be involved at the state level because education within the state legislature, with a governor, and with governors' administrations is extremely important. It's not that the efforts need to be government led, but the government can act as a catalyst and can be a major funding source. ...
- Young firms urged to give helping hand. Group Launches Entrepreneurs Foundation of Colorado
The new Entrepreneurs Foundation of Colorado will encourage local start-up companies to donate a stake in the business to the foundation.
Montana Education Excellence
- Cities afraid of death by congestion
Political and business leaders in metro areas increasingly view traffic congestion as hurting their ability to compete with other regions for new businesses and young professionals.
Education
- Superintendent Linda McCulloch Recognizes Montana Schools for High Student Achievement
"Today I am proud to recognize these schools that have shown that all Montana students can achieve high marks," said Superintendent Linda McCulloch.
- Montana Tech Regional Science and Engineering Fair Results
“This was the lowest attendance we have seen at the high school fair in over a decade. Although it was a bit disappointing not to have more students, the quality of work by those competing was phenomenal. We awarded 57 prizes valued at over $10,000 and every student was well deserving of their accolades!” reported Annette Kankelborg, the Co-Director of the fair.
- Popular Montana State University nature film site surpasses two million downloads. They need your vote to win a national award so vote early and vote often!!
"This award is determined by voting so we hope MSU and the Bozeman community will get out the vote,"
- Robotic tournament at MSU March 2 and 3
FIRST Lego League (FLL) is a robotics competition for 9- to 14-year-old students in which teams of 10 or fewer kids build and program a Lego robot capable of accomplishing a set of missions in a limited amount of time.
Montana Business
- Hard recovery for failed US schools
California is a harbinger of the magnified problems that public schools around the country will face as the last phase of the reform timeline outlined by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) kicks in this year.
- Teacher of the Year makes science real
Carolyn Kelley uses 'the new three-Rs approach' to education: rigor, relevance, and relationship.
- Regents authorize community college election for Bitterroot Valley
The board's action, while essential, is far from the final step in the process.
Montana Meth Project
- Granite Peak Systems, a Billings, MT, based information technology consulting firm and Qqest Software Systems Announce Partnership
“Given Montana’s tight labor market, streamlining processes such as scheduling, absence tracking, time reporting, and payroll are easy ways to do more with less. Qqest offers capable and flexible solutions at a very reasonable price.”
- Townsend business, PFM Manufacturing, will get marketing boost from federal grant program
To help sell his products in markets outside the U.S., owner Pat Miller recently secured a grant of up to $22,500 from the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms program administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
- MacKenzie River Pizza, Whitefish’s Ciao Mambo’s purchased by holding company
MacKenzie River Pizza and three Whitefish-based restaurants are now owned by Glacier Restaurant Group, a holding company.
Montana Economic Development
- Tell the truth: A $12 million anti-meth lesson in Idaho
"It reaches a target audience better than more traditional forms of drug awareness could," said John Hanian, a spokesman for Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter. "They are actual kids talking about their lives after meth. We want to replicate that here because we have got lots of these stories in our state."
Funding and Building your Business
- Missoula opens affordable housing dialogue. The Burton K. Wheeler Center Hosts Affordable Housing Conference on 5/17-18 in MIssoula
The Office of Planning and Grants' Mike Barton characterized the problem in terms of dollars. In the next two decades, it will cost $100 million to provide affordable housing.
- All are Invited to a Regional Economic Development Strategy Meeting For Ravalli, Mineral And Missoula Counties, 3/12, Missoula
We encourage participation from all members of the community to assist us and our regional partners in shaping the direction of economic development in our region.
- Montana World Trade Center Montana trade delegation sees prospects in Italy
The visit also resulted in a cooperative agreement with an Italian university and possible new business for several Montana companies.
- Montana World Trade Center E News
Useful Tips at Export 101
- Montana's Economic Development Funding is at Risk. Your Support is Requested and Vital to Montana's Future
All of the programs in jeopardy contribute to the fabric of a strong economic development program effort for the State.
- Montana Economic Developers Association - March 2007 Newsletter
Interested in sharpening your professional skills as an economic and community development practitioner? Looking for new tools to place in your economic development tool box? Check these out.
Regional Business
- Young Entrepreneurs Face Higher Hurdles
Here are five strategies that may help you increase your odds of success when pitching a business idea to a new client or investor.
- The mob mentality of venture capital
It's about connections and introductions, he explained. In other words, the venture capitalists make sure you don't fall in with the wrong crowd; just use their lawyers, their accountants, and their bankers, and you'll do fine.
- The Chemistry of Great Partnerships
If you were to seek a partner to help you lead a business, what would you look for? How would you set up the relationship for success, and what are the pitfalls you'd be sure to avoid?
- StartupNation's New Blog by Andrew Field of PrintingForLess (Livingston, Montana) Offers Tips on Running a Fast-Growing Business
Andrew Field, president and CEO of America's first e-commerce print shop, http://www.PrintingForLess.com, shares his expertise on managing rapid business growth, a subject he knows well. PFL is a member of the Inc. 500 and last year grew 27 percent into an $18 million-plus business.
- What Are Your Customers Really Worth?
This information, the authors suggest, can then be used to make better strategic decisions about customer acquisition, service, retention and segmentation.
- Building Companies That Leave the World a Better Place
The best firms in today's marketplace are those that deliver emotional, experiential and social value to all their stakeholders, from customers and partners to investors and society.
Regional Economic Development
- Chinook Wireless opens new sales center in Sheridan, Wyoming. Wireless company installs 12 new coverage sites in the last eight weeks across the Northwest. Chinook Wireless brings jobs and opportunities to Great Falls community.
Chinook’s aggressive expansion includes expanding services, installing more coverage sites and improving existing sites to expand coverage. In the last eight weeks, the company added 12 new coverage sites across Montana and Wyoming.
Idaho Business
- First 'Reverse' Senior Migration Seen Since Depression. Making the Return Trip: Elderly Head Back North
Defying conventional wisdom, more seniors 75 and over are now migrating north rather than south. Often the reason is to be near their children as their health may begin to decline.
- Region in transition? (Excellent discussion of recent testimony in D.C.)
Rehberg took issue with the stated purpose of the hearing -- to focus on local efforts to combine sound resource conservation with robust economic development and "to highlight the positive impact of these ongoing trends on the region."
- Arizona State University's transition to an economic engine humming along
The most successful regional economies around the world are built on great universities. Silicon Valley business connections have meant billions of dollars for Stanford and the University of California-Berkeley. They have been, well, economic engines.
- Turn on charm to lure tourists. Americans could help travel industry by being friendlier
While the number of overseas visitors to the United States -- about 55 million -- is the same now as it was 15 years ago, this country's market share of all international travelers has fallen from nearly 10 percent in 1992 to 6.5 percent in 2005.
- Indian Institutes of Technology alumni are at home in Seattle
Though Microsoft appears to be the largest employer of the Seattle area's 500 IITians, as they are known, a growing number of graduates hold leadership positions across the Northwest's corporate landscape.
Oregon Economic Development
- Netflix distribution center to start in N. Idaho
The Los Gatos, Calif., company, the world's largest online movie rental service, is leasing space at 708 S. Clearwater Loop in the Riverbend Commerce Park.
Washington State Business
- Everyone's 'visioning'; is anyone focusing?
Can Oregon, Metro and Portland learn from the rest of the nation in their new planning efforts: Regulation and policy, alone, do not produce development.
Wyoming Business
- Startup aims to share gift of education. InfiLearn.com
Online marketplace to link teachers, students across globe
Incubators and R&D
- Wireless users now have another service choice in Sheridan, Wyoming with Chinook Wireless
The new center is part of a $40 million investment on network expansion and improvements that the company officially launched in August of 2006.
University TechTransfer
- Research Grants Now Available from Washington Technology Center . Notice of Intent Deadline is March 22
WTC awards hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to Washington-based research teams in an effort to help transition great ideas out of the laboratory and into the marketplace.
- Montana State University Professor, Kevin Rapasky receives NASA funding to study global warming
NASA has given him and other researchers at MSU $1.4 million to find out what new technologies can be developed to save our environment.
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- The University of Utah in the top 25 for its tech transfer success.
"Licensing revenues earned by the University of Utah support further research and a variety of commercialization support programs, including the university's Technology Commercialization Grants Program, our seed research grants program, and provide matching funding required by various federal grants,"
- Conference attempts to foster innovation among universities
It will bring together administrators and researchers from the colleges within the athletic conference and pair them with industry experts and venture capitalists, providing a venue to exchange ideas and build working relationships.
- Created at the U., the LouseBuster
The lice-killing device is a small part of the big job of transferring technology into the business world
Careers
- West Yellowstone to Develop Partnerships with Higher Education and Research
The West Yellowstone Economic Development Council (WYED) announced today that it will be determining the feasibility of diversifying and expanding West Yellowstone’s economy through development of college oriented partnerships with Universities and Researchers.
Energy
- Six Ways to Stay Competitive In an International Work Force
Whatever job you do, looking over your shoulder to see who is coming up behind to take your place won't do you much good these days. The increasingly global nature of the workplace means your competition may be nowhere in sight.
Commuter Rail Development
- Build Your Own Backyard Fuel Cell
Stephen Friend has the first hand-built fuel cell-powered house in the US. No, not another hopeful boil-your-own-yogurt demo for an impractical technology, but a real, sustainable achievement that makes its own hydrogen in a cedar shed out back.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Sustainable Transportation And Light Rail In Missoula, 03/15, Missoula
Join us for the fourth lecture of the Sustainable Business Council's fifth annual Sustainability Lecture Series “Sustainable Transportation and Light Rail in Missoula” with Andy Sponsellar at MCAT, 500 North Higgins.
- Is a 'Google killer' on the horizon?
Industry leaders to little-known contenders are trying to develop easier ways for Web users to find what they're looking for.
- Will the Mouse Go Away?
A user interface that tracks eye movement may provide an alternate way to use a computer.
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