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| MATR Newsletter - Tue Dec 16, 2008 |
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." Charles Darwin
PFL again leads the way: "PrintingForLess.com Goes Green with 100% Wind Power - America’s Print Shop Commits to Wind for All Its Energy Needs" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html --- "Great Christmas Gift for Students Interested in the Theater - "Next Step Prep" -The Academy for Musical Theatre for high school students by the Missoula Children's Theater is taking applications for the next course." http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
PrintingForLess
2009 Montana Legislature
- PrintingForLess.com Goes Green with 100% Wind Power - America’s Print Shop Commits to Wind for All Its Energy Needs
“Though wind-powered electricity costs a little more, we believe that as more businesses purchase energy from renewable sources, green power will gain momentum and go mainstream, eventually providing our country with the best of all worlds: energy that is clean, cost-effective and made in America,” says Andrew Field, PFL President and CEO.
Boomtown Institute
- Bills piling up before 2009 Montana legislative session. Gov. Schweitzer maintains large reserves in budget
As of Friday, legislators had requested more than 1,800 bills — about 100 more than this time last session.
MAPS™ : Media Arts in the Public Schools
- Boomtown Institute - Car Companies, Who’s to Blame?
Wouldn’t you want to try to find the one major factor that differentiates you from your very successful competitors? Wouldn’t you want to change it, if you did find it?
Missoula Children's Theatre
- MAPS (Media Arts in Public Schools) program of Montana seeks state funding
Peter Rosten also thinks that expansive digital marketplace can foster growth for the economy of Ravalli County.
Montana Meth Project
- Great Christmas Gift for Students Interested in the Theater - "Next Step Prep" -The Academy for Musical Theatre for high school students by the Missoula Children's Theater is taking applications for the next course.
Attendees will be offered classes in Acting, Singing, Dancing and other performance areas, eight hours a day, five days a week from June 22 to August 7, 2009. These students will receive two full-year fine arts credits to be transferred on to their local High School transcripts.
The Burton K. Wheeler Center
- Montana Meth Project pressing for more funding
“We’re trying to show these state legislators that there is support for this, and that this project has made all the difference in this state,” said Peg Shea, the project’s executive director.
Come Home Montana
- Season's Greetings from the Wheeler Center
And don’t forget to register for our next conference, “Realizing Montana’s Energy Future” at http://www.montanasenergyfuture.com The conference is in Helena at Carroll College on January 9 & 10. We look forward to seeing you there.
- Registration is Open for Summit on Montana's Energy Future, 1/9-10, Helena
Governor Schweitzer, joined by representatives from the Montana Congressional delegation (invited), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Montana State Legislature, the Montana Public Service Commission, the environmental and consumer communities, plus additional stakeholders from across the energy sector will gather to discuss Montana’s Energy Future.
Come Home North Dakota
- Montana Career Opportunities - IT Positions - Payne Financial Group
Network Administrator Providing technical and administrative support for multiple locations including analysis, maintenance and implementation of workstations, laptops, networks and servers.
- Billings, Montana boy with autism takes second in national book report contest
The family moved to Billings from Kansas, and his parents say people in Montana are more accepting of Scott.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Computer Specialist (.net Developer) - Missoula County
Performs professional work in analysis, design, development, maintenance of computerized information and reporting systems.
- Polson, Montana continues search for city manager
Sitting on the southern shores of Flathead Lake and bordered by the beautiful Mission Mountains, this community has had no problem coming up with people who are interested in applying to be its city manager.
Come Home Wyoming
- Williston, North Dakota area looking for doctors - Mercy Hospital
The clinic, as well as the hospital itself, is looking for health care professionals in family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, orthopedic surgeons and urologists.
Highway 12 Ventures
- Wyoming State government jobs in demand
Some of the 350 people who attended a state career fair in Cheyenne last month drove from the East Coast and Michigan to meet with 23 Wyoming state agency supervisors.
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- Rebit™ Secures Series B Financing from Boise, Idaho based Highway 12 Ventures and Grothech Ventures - Product Success Drives Investor Interest
“We were particularly impressed by Rebit’s software-based approach to continuous backup,” said , George Mulhern, General Partner, Highway 12 Ventures. “This supports its sales strategy of delivering this solution in various ways, directly to consumers, pre-bundled with leading PC and backup system manufacturers and even as an enterprise solution.”
Leadership Montana
- Flybridge Capital Partners Launches Stay in MA Student Scholarship Program
Program Promotes Entrepreneurship with Massachusetts College Students by Providing Financial Assistance to Attend Local Industry Events
- New Resource for the International Community of Entrepreneurs
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) are pleased to welcome you to the new online resource intended to help build economies that foster entrepreneurship worldwide
Montana Business
- Starting Over, With a Second Career Goal of Changing Society Through NonProfit Leadership - "The Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative,"
Harvard kicked off a small but ambitious experiment this week that it hopes will become a new “third stage” of university education. For the student-fellows in the program, most in their 50s and early 60s, the goal is a second-act career in a new stage of life.
Montana Economic Development
- Forward Focus - Montana Manufacturing Center - Fall 2008 Newsletter
Financial Crisis... You Are the Solution [Your Future Is at Stake]
- Entrepreneurs: Old business keeps up with technology in Red Lodge, Montana - Flash's Photography
You've got to roll with the times.
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana Redefines Customer Service Excellence with Pegasystems’ SmartBPM® Solutions State-of-the-art technology will provide continual value to BCBSMT members
“Pega’s technology will enable us to set new standards for service excellence for all BCBSMT customers, including members, providers, and sales brokers”, said Sheila Shapiro, BCBSMT’s Chief Operating Officer. “We decided to partner with Pegasystems because they ranked very high in all our main criteria including cutting-edge technology, top-ranked service functionality, and proven health care expertise.”
- First Interstate sells data business for $40 million
"Many banks are divesting themselves of their data processing operations," Knight said. "While we were successful in the past, we felt that going forward, global provider Fiserv was in the best position to take our clients to the next level."
- Montana biodiesel crop to be tested on airliner - Sustainable Oils of Bozeman
Scott Johnson, manager of Sustainable Oils of Bozeman, says Japan Airlines will stage a one-hour flight using a jet fuel made from his company's camelina on January 30, in Tokyo.
Regional Economic Development
- Council chooses Growth Through Agriculture projects ~ Next Application Deadline is January 31, 2008 ~
The Agriculture Development Council oversees the Growth Through Agriculture program, the source of funding the council uses for project investments. The GTA program provides financial assistance to develop new products or innovative ideas that enhance Montana's agricultural industry.
- The Montana Film Office Welcomes You to Big Sky Country
Since 1974, the Montana Film Office has been assisting features, tv shows, commercials, documentaries, still shoots, and music videos. We offer a range of services.
- Great Falls, Montana Workforce Development Initiative gets down to business
"Educators from the school district, MSU-Great Falls and the University of Great Falls have led the charge to find ways to encourage students to think about college and career options earlier and to coordinate their programs into smooth career pathways," said Brion Torgerson, CEO of Torgerson's implement dealership and board member of the Great Falls Chamber of Commerce. "Now local business managers need to step up and drive the boat by telling the educators the specific types of job skills and worker traits they need."
- Darby, Montana looks to kick-start struggling economy through help from the Northwest Area Foundation
The meetings are organized through the Northwest Area Foundation based in St. Paul, Minn., whose Horizons program has provided nearly $20 million in financial, technical and leadership training assistance to 200 communities across the West since 2002.
Careers
- Obama: Transportation can get economy moving - 'Ready' Road Projects Could Create 1.8 Million Jobs
More than 5,000 road and bridge projects are "ready to go". They still need funding, but could provide nearly 2 million jobs if Congress approves infrastructure spending.
- Bloggerly Love and How Offices of Tourism are Using it.
Tourism marketing departments of America: Are you working with bloggers, vloggers and podcasters to help promote your state, county, city, park or campground?
- Reframing Northwest environmental issues
Climate change is the mantra for scientists, environmentalists and conservationists in the forthcoming Obama administration, and through that huge portal some of the Pacific Northwest's big-picture environmental leaders hope to also advance a progressive agenda for regional forests and streams.
- Small towns are getting smaller. "Six Myths about the Future of Small Towns,"
Myth No. 1: Towns that are "too small" have no future.
- Northwest may blaze U.S. path to green grid
As the current economic downturn deepens, there is talk of another major public-works project for the Northwest, one that would deliver green wind power to the Interstate 5 corridor, which connects Seattle and Portland, and by some estimates would help create 50,000 jobs.
- Rural Economies Imprisoned by Prison Building
Prison construction is flourishing under the assumption that it boosts rural economies, but as Eric Lotke points out, investing in other types of building would yield greater returns to society.
Funding and Building your Business
- Recruitment Agencies Bypassed by Social Networks
“The survey reveals the astonishing effectiveness of personal referrals in recruitment.”
- Up on the Roof, New Jobs in Solar Power
“We estimate that will grow to more than 110,000 direct solar jobs by 2016.”
Incubators and R&D
- Employers: No layoffs here
Some companies are promising not to lay off any workers, even during times of financial hardship.
- What Directors Should Ask about Talent Management
Here are seven questions corporate directors should be asking to determine how well career development and succession planning are being implemented
- Social entrepreneurs mix business, mission
If you know of a mission-focused startup in the region, please send info about it as a comment to this article so more can know about it. Russ
- Why are IPOs in the ICU?
Over the last several years, the IPO market in the United States has practically disappeared.
- The No-Bull-Shiitake Investor Wishlist by Guy Kawasaki
Only a few thousand companies a year raise venture capital. These companies are fundable in the sense that they have fooled a venture capitalist into believing that they can achieve sales of at least $100 million per year within five years.
- Workplace Coach: Adapting to change is key to business survival
Ever wondered why some organizations embrace change, making it through tough times, while others fail? The answer lies in their resiliency.
- Intel Capital makes strategic tech investments
Intel now leads the majority of its investments, does more follow-on rounds and takes more seats on corporate boards, relying less on venture capitalists for these tasks.
- What's The Value Of My Startup?
It's not an exact science.
- Thinking About Angel or Venture Capital?
Understand the basic principles of equity funding and dilution - how much you give up of your company in return for the capital you need to grow it. This tool will help you plan for different scenarios when considering funding options.
- Web site can help small businesses learn their worth
A new free Web site, biz equity.com, is now available to provide small-business owners on the Island and elsewhere with some idea of what their store, Internet site or sales operation might be worth.
- New firm invests in experience
Bringing on employees and management with experience has helped us avoid many rookie problems. Although experienced management costs more, I believe it was well worth it.
Montana Education Excellence
- Montana State University research project opens doors for Old Elk
Old Elk said he has always wanted to be a doctor and one of his professors at Little Big Horn encouraged him to apply to MSU's BRIDGES program. BRIDGES is a summer enrichment program that links American Indian students, many from the state's tribal colleges, with MSU professors and their research projects.
Regional Business
- Lumina Foundation Selects Montana as One of 11 States To Receive Grants - To Help Graduate More Students by Making College More Efficient, Cost-Effective
State leaders will develop and implement policy changes that promote productivity in higher education through cost-saving strategies for delivering high-quality education to greater numbers of students.
- Online course from Montana State University helps Montana teachers fulfill Indian Education for All Act
Taught by John Vollertsen, an Assiniboine tribal member and veteran MSU instructor, the American Indian Studies for Educators course is designed primarily for students in teacher licensure and/or education programs.
- Montana school trust lands generate $70M
State Superintendent Linda McCullouch says the money from the state trust lands provide the fundamental building block of the public schools, making up more than 7% of the state's school funding.
University TechTransfer
- Census Data Shows How Housing Bubble Burst
Figures recently released by the Census Bureau offer a glimpse at the pre-existing economic situation that led to the burst of the housing bubble.
- Cold enough for the pine beetle?
Now, Canadian government scientists based in Edmonton's Northern Forestry Centre say they have developed a model to more accurately estimate how many beetles are killed when temperatures plunge.
- Business bankruptcies up 91% in Utah - 111% in Oregon - 83% in California
Commercial bankruptcy filings are up 111 percent in Oregon, 91 percent in Utah and 83 percent in California, which leads the nation with nearly 12,000 business filings this year.
Idaho Business
- University-Private Sector Research Partnerships in the Innovation Ecosystem
The key components for R&D success include Federal support for basic research and creating and maintaining a favorable environment for the private sector to fund and conduct R&D and manufacturing in the U.S., including R&D at universities.
Oregon Economic Development
- Workforce education: The crux emerges
What role do educators play in preparing their students for entering the workforce -- despite the obvious answer, determining how exactly, the Department of Education, local school districts and classroom educators should go about it -- remains a contentious issue.
- Stimson Lumber Co. eyes Northern Idaho timberland for 1,100 luxury homes
"A sudden city is what I call it," Clare Marely, the county's planning director, told The Spokesman-Review. "It's the largest project we've ever seen."
Utah Business
- Oregon's creativity lights up
Maybe they could brand Oregon as a creative capital.
Utah Economic Development
- John Edwards of Move Networks Named Utah Entrepreneur of the Year
The awards recognize Utah companies and leaders "who have contributed at the highest level to business growth and their communities."
Washington State Business
- eBay brings computer center to Utah
The Governor's Office of Economic Development offered the company $27.3 million in tax incentives over 10 years to build the facility in Utah. The center is expected to employ about 50 people with wages averaging $49,200 a year, not counting benefits, or 150 percent of the Salt Lake County annual median wage.
Wyoming Business
- Port of Seattle, Port of Dalian, China forge "eco-partnership"
The "eco-partnership" announced Monday between Seattle and Dalian, in northeast China, calls for two of the world's largest and busiest seaports to collaborate on projects to help both countries.
Education
- Tasco plans massive White Mountain wind farm in Wyoming
Teton Wind recently filed an application with the BLM for a second-phase expansion of its county-permitted, 36-turbine White Mountain Wind Energy Project.
- Sheridan Forward, state agencies help retirees re-enter work force
Forward Sheridan is working with several state agencies, including the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, to try to develop a system that will match retired workers with local employers. The group is also working with the state AARP office.
- Report lauds job training program for single moms in Wyoming
Single mothers who complete a state job training program frequently see their incomes double or even triple, according to a new report.
- Plastics information company, IDES Inc. goes green with natural cooling, wind power data center from Green House Data
“For us, advancing the environment while lowering operating costs is good business,” said Mike Kmetz, president of IDES. “Our hope is that companies both in our community and our industry adopt new energy savings technologies too.”
Connectivity & Communications
- Need a tutor? YouTube videos await
"I was able to watch them at my own pace and if I didn't get a concept, I could easily rewind it," Nissim says. "It was a lot clearer once I watched the video."
Energy
- Birds of a feather Twitter together - Twitter 101
If you've heard of Twitter but don't exactly know what it is or how it works, you're in good company.
- Google Blasts Wall Street Journal, Says it's Still 'Committed to Network Neutrality'
Google has called the WSJ's article "confused" and says that it remains committed to network neutrality.
Miscellaneous Ramblings
- Proposal would help Missoula, Montana use clean energy
“It's really low risk. There's no investment involved. There's minimal expense. And there's a potential for some revenues to be generated,” said Brian Kerns, a member of the Conservation Team.
- Deadlines Approaching - Harvesting Clean Energy 9 Conference - January 25-27, 2009 - Crowne Plaza Hotel, Billings, MT
Early Conference registration deadline is January 4, 2009. Register before the holidays and save $20 per person!
- The big melt: 2 trillion tons of ice since 2003
More than 2 trillion tons of land ice in Greenland, Antarctica and Alaska have melted since 2003, according to new NASA satellite data that show the latest signs of what scientists say is global warming.
Non-Profit News
- 2008 in lists: Our 10 favourite headlines from The Onion
These speak for themselves....
Transportation
- Montana woman’s frugal life pays $2.3 million to 11 nonprofits
Vavra’s story isn’t one of a child born to money or of a high-flying, highly paid executive. It might just be that she didn’t know any different.
- Montana nonprofit groups team up to inform public about the importance of planned giving and charitable gift annuities
The partnership will provide planning tools to help donors make informed decisions.
VIRUS ALERTS
- Biking benefit coming Jan. 1, despite confusion
It was one of the more quirky provisions attached to the $700 billion financial bailout plan: a $20 monthly benefit for employees who regularly bike to work.
- Microsoft working on emergency patch for Internet Explorer
You may want to stop using your Internet Explorer browser -- at least for the next day or so.
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