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| MATR Newsletter - Tue Jul 24, 2007 |
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"The wages of sin are death, but by the time taxes are taken out, it's just sort of a tired feeling." -- Paula Poundstone
"Sen. Max Baucus - Small-Town Philanthropy. Charities, grant makers, and politicians seek more support for rural causes. "Rural Philanthropy Conference", 8/7-9, Missoula" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Boomtown Institute
Missoula Children's Theatre
- The Agurban from Boomtown Institute. Responses to our Preparing for the Future Series
As I was reading this, I was thinking, "but those skills must start at home", and then you said it as well. Yes they can be reinforced at school, but parents must parent!
Developing Tech Jobs in Rural Communities
- The Little Red Truck
A movie about the magical tale of the Missoula Children's Theatre International Tour! This is going to have an amazing impact on Montana's visibility in the creative economy.
Funding and Building your Business
- "In the Eye of the Storm: Confronting Kentucky's Looming Workforce Crisis"
Ninety-four percent of executives said they anticipate the region will not or will only somewhat have a large enough pool of qualified trade/technically skilled candidates from which to draw in the next three years. - Eighty-four percent of executives said they anticipate the region will not or will only somewhat have a large enough pool of qualified supervisory-level candidates from which to draw in the next three years.
- Best Places To Live 2007
And the winners are...
- Support those who don't fear going it alone
People unafraid to go into business for themselves improve our community in many ways. So it is important for the community to find ways to attract and support people with such courage and drive.
- A symbiotic relationship - Hewlett Packard and Fort Collins, Colorado
"I took a map of the U.S. and circled cities that had airports within one hour's drive. Then in a different color I circled cities that were within a 30-minute drive to universities that had engineering schools," wrote HP employee Stan Shelby in an archived company document. "When you begin to look at these, there were just a few cities to consider."
- 2007 QUALITY OF LIFE QUOTIENT: What Really Matters Is Not the Salary, but What That Salary Will Buy
Our 9th Annual Quality of Life Quotient rates each of the 362 metro areas to find out which offer the best middle class lifestyle for manufacturing and service companies.
- Great Things Are Happening In Nebraska
Among the business advantages a Nebraska location offers is outstanding rates for industrial and commercial energy use.
- N. Idaho looks to prosper with ex-urbanites
Cheap housing. Good schools. Low crime. All are elements of an attractive community, perhaps one where a business might relocate or open a satellite office, especially if quality roads and telecommunications links are already in place.
Education
- Small Talk: Time off in the summer motivates small-business staff
''The best thing management can do for any employee is to let them know how much we appreciate their hard work.''
- Company helps make foodstuff commercial
"We might not get the public recognition for what we do, but it's all right because our clients know how important we are," said Jena Roberts, a vice president with the privately held company. "If you fill a cart of groceries, there's a good chance a lot of those products in there we've helped in some way become successful."
- Entrepreneur's Top 100 Venture Capital Firms 2007
Venture capital isn't for everyone--not all entreprenurs need $1 million or more for funding.
- How to Write a Business Plan. Ten Questions for Tim Berry from Guy Kawasaki
I work in the surreal world of Silicon Valley where venture capitalists fund companies based on PowerPoint pitches and executive summaries.
University Business Plan Competitions
- Colleges solidify commitment to offer more 'concrete' advice Industry funds concrete management programs; students flock classes
The industry-funded program has become the fastest-growing major on campus.
- "Tough Choices or Tough Times" - The report of the new commission on the skills of the american workforce
“Tough Choices or Tough Times provides a bold and specific road map for transforming all levels of education—preschool through postsecondary education—to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing global economy."
University TechTransfer
- WSU Pharmacy Students have Winning Business Plan
Last year, a WSU team took first place in the NCPA competition
Connectivity & Communications
- Easing Friction Over Tech Transfer
“Universities have too often looked to the short-run bottom line in setting their licensing priorities, granting exclusive rights to breakthrough technologies to businesses that may not be best suited to exploit them for the benefit of society as a whole,” causing interference in the IT sector in particular
Regional Business
- Digg Labs' Fascinating, Confusing Tools
Data visualization is changing behavior on the popular bookmarking site.
- The even faster frontier of broadband
Think of how much better it would be if you could watch its videos on your TV in high-definition.
- Subsidy to cell phone companies that provide rural access scrutinized
A decade-old telephone tax intended to help bring affordable service to rural areas has instead turned into something quite different: a bottomless and politically protected well of cash for cell phone companies that do big business in rural America.
Developing Funding Opportunities in Montana
- Montana's Sen. Max Baucus Introduces Bill to Support Aid for Laid-Off Workers Service Jobs Lost To Global Trade
"Trade Adjustment Assistance was created in the 1960s, but today's workers live in a different world," Baucus, the bill's chief author and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said in a written statement. "TAA should be flexible enough to respond to workers' needs regardless of what they do or where challenges are coming from."
Montana Business
- The Big Sky Venture Capital Conference Update
The Big Sky Venture Capital Conference is pleased to announce this year’s line up of speakers and the first round of selected presenting companies.
Montana Economic Development
- Ennis, Montana brings in international workers seeking opportunity
The program, called Work and Travel USA, makes it possible for thousands of college students to earn money while gaining experience, improving their use of the English language and traveling.
North Dakota Business and Economic Development
- A costly gamble for Butte-Silver Bow
In these times when earmarks are increasingly frowned upon and a pall hangs over the whole practice of lobbyists currying favors from politicians, our local leaders want to get in the game? It’s a costly gamble with no guarantee of return — not a wise use of public funds.
- MEDA's (Montana Economic Developers Association) development experts to issue report on Laurel, Montana Community and Economic Assessment on Aug. 10.
Community assessment team members include Al Jones (Montana Department of Commerce, Regional Development Officer), Lynn Muncey (Beartooth RC&D/CRDC), Karyl Tobel (MDOC/Commercial Loan Fund), James Klessens (Community Matters), Tracy McIntyre (Eureka Rural Development Partners), and Gloria O'Rourke (Montana Economic Developers Association).
- The secret is out: The Flathead Valley is a fabulous place to live, work and play.
“Through that ebb and flow we have people who want a more permanent presence here,” Fawcett said. “They want to migrate more of their business activities here so they can stay here more.”
- Airport chairman: Doing what's best for whole region - A response
It is not the objective of the Airport Authority to harm local development efforts in any Montana community. We are anxious for opportunities to help Havre. We respect that at times we will compete with many Montana communities for projects and air service. At the end of the day, the regional economies are bolstered by the best long-term solution for the clients that we all are trying to attract to Montana.
- HBO Films' Selects Montana as Setting for Upcoming Film "TAKING CHANCE" Starring Kevin Bacon
Montana's Improved Film Incentives Create New Opportunities
Regional Economic Development
- North Dakota Students Hit The Mark With Country’s Only Totally Student-run/managed Venture Capital Fund
"The angel funds in Grand Forks and Fargo include the DVG members in their meetings while they determine which entrepreneur ventures to invest in," Gjovig noted. " The students sit next to angel investors in North Dakota learning from their expertise and process, while adding a valuable extra hand in analysis, due diligence and decision making. Angel investors have welcomed the input of the DVG members as they are well prepared and serious and wish they had this experience when they were in their twenties."
Utah Economic Development
- Washington State startups get $300 million for second consecutive quarter. $285 million in VC funds pours into Colorado. Cools in Bay Area
Washington continues to grab a large slice of the venture capital pie. It ranked third in terms of dollars invested and fourth in number of deals. California and Massachusetts -- historic hotbeds for new technology development -- continue to lead the nation in both categories.
- Developing Housing for the Workforce -- A Toolkit
Increasingly, workers such as teachers, firefighters, retail managers, and nurses cannot find housing they can afford in the communities where they work.
- Affordable housing at 'critical level'. Cities hold key
"I had a couple who came here and just kind of shake their head and say 'You can only eat so much scenery.'"
Idaho Business
- Utah sweetens film incentives
Utah has sweetened the pot as it tries to get filmmakers to shoot more productions in the state.
Washington State Business
- Aircraft built in N. Idaho wins FAA approval. Quest Aircraft Co.
The company says the turbine-powered Kodiak is a single-engine plane built for flying in challenging parts of the world.
- Garden City, Idaho - Refashioning A Town Down On Its Luck
"Garden City is creating a new vision for the future,"
Wyoming Business
- USDA E-News Southwest area of Washington State
This is the first edition of a bi-monthly newsletter covering Business and Community Programs.
- John C. Gardner to Assume Vice Presidency for Research and Economic Development at Washington State University
“Economic development is a vital part of what we do for our state and region. To be as effective as possible, I think it is important for us to coordinate our efforts under unified leadership,”
Non-Profit News
- Help for affordable housing in Wyoming?
"I think the No. 1 problem in Wyoming is work force, and you can't get a work force if you don't have the housing."
Transportation
- Missoula's Daniel Kemmis to Chair Prominent Northwest Area Foundation Board of St. Paul, Minn.
"I am both honored and challenged by being asked to chair the board during this period of transition in the foundation’s history," Kemmis said. "It was nearly a decade ago that this foundation adopted a highly focused mission -- to help communities reduce poverty. Today, we are at a point where we can begin to evaluate the impact of this innovative and very challenging approach."
- Bozeman, Montana's Museum of the Rockies gala "Wine Classic" raises nearly $1 million in one evening.
A week on a luxury yacht, donated by the Yellowstone Club's Tim Blixseth, one of Forbes magazine's 800 richest Americans, sold for $80,000. The highest bid of the evening was $97,500 for a 38-inch horse sculpture by internationally renowned artist Deborah Butterfield of Bozeman. A dinner on broadcaster Tom and Meredith Brokaw's ranch, which they valued at a modest $35, sold for $45,000, and an oil painting by Clyde Aspevig went for $20,000.
- Sen. Max Baucus - Small-Town Philanthropy. Charities, grant makers, and politicians seek more support for rural causes. "Rural Philanthropy Conference", 8/7-9, Missoula
Next month, more than 100 foundation leaders from across the country will gather in the senator's home state to consider ways to meet his challenge. The conference in Missoula, planned by the senator and the Council on Foundations, will work to create a "21st-century agenda for philanthropy and rural America" in areas such as health care, education, the environment, and economic development.
Montana Education Excellence
- Portland Wants To Be Even More Bike-Friendly
To reduce traffic congestion and parking shortage, Paris launched a bike rental program similar to one implemented in other European cities. After its first week, an average of 45,000 bikes have been rented every day.
Leadership Montana
- Montana State University to offer new program in music technology. Will blend music composition, and audio engineering.
MSU director of music technology Kristi McGarity says recording music on independent labels is among the prospects for graduates.
- Grammy and Academy Award winners and other entertainment elite converge on the University of Montana School of Business this fall
The staff for the Entertainment Management program has been busy this summer confirming their lineup of entertainment professional to instruct in their two fall courses: MGMT195 Introduction to the Entertainment Business; and MGMT401 Event Management.
- Rotary Club hosts leadership camp for high schoolers
“I met students from all over Montana,” Riordan said. “We attended helpful seminars and workshops regarding the leadership process. This year when I returned, we had the same core group from 2006. We had already bonded and had the experience of leading the seminars. It was a wonderful experience in learning leadership skills.
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