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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Sep 11, 2009 |
"Why does it matter where you call home? You might as well live in a pretty place." Damon Kegel, COO, Wind Turbine Tools of Lincoln, Montana http://matr.net/articl ... .html
In keeping with Damon's statement, small towns are the lifeblood of rural America. Here's an excellent article on what's worked to attract the best and the brightest in some of them: "The Towns That Build Entrepreneurs" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html --- Here's how to learn what your small town can do to succeed: "Register Early for the 2009 Montana Main Street Conference Hosted by the Montana Department of Commerce" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html -- Hope to see you at the MEDA conference this weekend in beautiful Libby, Montana http://matr.net/articl ... .html
Montana SBA
Idaho National Laboratory
- The Small Business Advocate - Advocacy - the voice of small business in government
How important are small businesses to the U.S. economy?
- Prospera business network awarded $750K grant to establish Montana women’s business center
“This new business assistance program will be a great resource for Montana’s women in business,” said SBA Montana District Director, Michelle Johnston.
Highway 12 Ventures
- Idaho National Laboratory launches Facebook page
"This site will allow INL to reach science-attentive, career-oriented individuals from across the country who utilize the latest technology to interact."
- Roads get the publicity, but the Idaho National Laboratory gets the cash
Stimulus money is speeding the cleanup of wastes generated by nuclear research at the E. Idaho lab.
Come Home Montana
- VCIR Fall ‘09, Utah, 9/11 and why I believe in angels…
Without a doubt, the 12 companies that presented were the highlight of the event. It was as good a group as I’ve ever seen at a venture conference. If you weren’t able to attend, here’s a few thoughts on the group:
Developing Tech Jobs in Rural Communities
- “The Montana Radio Cafe — Front Porch Radio Served Fresh Daily.” From a Porch in Creston, Montana, Low-Power Radio’s Voice Rises - KXZI
“The Montana Radio Cafe — Front Porch Radio Served Fresh Daily.”
- Winifred, Montana - Profile of Progress
Many of the improvements are funded by native son Norm Asbjornson, an industrial manufacturer headquartered in Tulsa, Okla. Asbjornson grew up in Winifred where his parents owned a business.
- Six-man football returns to Central Montana
According to the Montana High School Association, there are currently 28 teams playing six-man football, compared to 41 teams for eight-man.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Network Administrator - Montana Dept. of Justice
Montana Biotech
- HP And IBM To Add 4,000 U.S. Jobs In Three Small Towns
HP and IBM will open heavily subsidized customer-support centers in three small towns across the U.S. that will eventually employ 4,000 workers. The jobs are wonderful--but was the price for them fair?
- The Towns That Build Entrepreneurs
#1 reason for success: A Heavy Emphasis on Main Street
Montana Business
- LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of Bozeman, Montana tests ‘stomach flu’ vaccination
“We will be giving human volunteers a test vaccine, then following with a dose of the live virus to measure protection from the vaccine,” Goodwin said. “It’s the first time this kind of study has ever been performed, and we are the only group in the world with a norovirus vaccine in clinical testing.”
- New venture capital program will help life science companies in western Pennsylvania: Governor Rendell
"This investment offers Corridor Ventures additional resources to boost up-and-coming Pennsylvania companies, put Pennsylvanians to work and spur our economy. We get a great return-on-investment," the Governor said, noting that Corridor Ventures is expected to leverage an additional $15 million in private funds to be used to invest in between six and eight early-stage life science companies in western Pennsylvania.
Montana Economic Development
- Sustainable Business Council September Newsletter & Calendar of Events
If you are not a member of the Sustainable Business Council yet, there has never been a more important time to partner with us.
- RightNow of Bozeman, Montana Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Social Networking Company HiveLive
“Our clients and prospects are clamoring for more social web functionality. With the addition of HiveLive, we meet all the customer experience needs of consumer-focused organizations today, with market-leading e-service capabilities, a robust contact center solution, and now an innovative social platform. It is that unmatched combination of customer experience and social expertise that gives us a much expanded opportunity to provide even more value to our clients.” Greg Gianforte, CEO, RightNow
- Navy to power fighter jets with Montana biofuels from Sustainable Oils of Bozeman
The military for the last several years has been conducting test flights using synthetic jet fuels derived from coal and natural gas. Now the Navy wants to expand that effort to include fuels from algae and the oilseed crop camelina, which is grown in arid parts of the West including Montana.
- Plum Creek Montana News - An update on Plum Creek’s investment and activities in Montana.
Plum Creek takes our commitment to Montana communities very seriously, giving $631,000 to community organizations and scholarship recipients in the state in 2008.
- Goomzee signs 4 more MLS
The nation’s leading MLS groups are recognizing Goomzee’s unique value proposition and continue to move forward with implementations.
- Hardin, Montana jail signs contract with California firm to house prisoners
Greg Smith, executive director of Two Rivers Authority, said the contract will bring a first-wave of about 200 medium- to minimum-security prisoners, and eventually enough prisoners to fill the 464-bed facility.
- September EYE on Business-Montana Chamber Newsletter
It’s the Economy, Stupid!
Regional Economic Development
- Register Early for the 2009 Montana Main Street Conference Hosted by the Montana Department of Commerce
“The Montana Main Street Conference is a great opportunity for Montanans involved in downtown revitalization and economic development to network and learn about new ideas and the resources available to them,” said Governor Brian Schweitzer.
- Montana Community Development Corporation Enables Montana's Second Big Building Project Using Federal New Markets Tax Credits
The New Markets Tax Credit program is a federal tax credit tool that provides incentives for private investment in building projects that help revitalize low-income areas.
- Montana Governor Schweitzer traveling to Germany, Spain
"This is an opportunity to build and grow energy businesses in Montana and create more high-paying jobs for workers in our state," Schweitzer said in a press release before he left. "I have been actively recruiting business to Montana from North American companies to European companies. Both play a vital role in our economic development.
- Tester, Baucus secure defense funding to create jobs in Montana
The nearly $70 million secured for Montana by Tester and Baucus includes funding for:
- Stimulus money to help expand broadband in Montana's rural areas
In Harlowton, where businesses used to connect to outside markets through the railroad, a ticket-printing business, Elk River Systems Inc. http://matr.net/click.php?id=356&url=http://www.elkriversystems.com/ , now reaches to a worldwide customer base online.
Careers
- Join the Discussion! 4th Annual Real Estate and Development in the Northern Rockies October 12 & 13, 2009 Missoula, Montana
Don’t miss this unique gathering of prominent developers, financiers, government officials, real estate agents, architects, attorneys, journalists and non-profit leaders from around the region.
Funding and Building your Business
- Rewrite Your Invisible Resume
Your invisible resume consists of the opinions that other people harbor about you as a leader and colleague.
- How to Use Facebook as a Weapon
The defensive advice that experts are pedaling to “be careful what you put on your Facebook profile because recruiters may look at it” is ass-backwards.
Montana Education Excellence
- The Ten Steps Of Successful Goal Setting
Setting a goal is easy.
- Venture Model Makeover & Diet Plan—Step One
Tranches, liquidation preference multiples, VC-controlled boards that put their own interests ahead of the best interests of the company—these and other examples of gluttonous industry trends have somehow become acceptable practices. I propose that as an industry we do some self-regulation before we financially engineer ourselves out of existence.
- When It Comes To Founding Successful Startups, Old Guys Rule
Old guys are far more likely to be the founder of a successful technology company than most of you understand.
- Rocky Mountain Bank uses "ProfitMax" technology to increase profits for Montana's business owners
ProfitMax: Financial Tool Turns Bankers into Consultants
- Firm links undergrads with entrepreneurs
By connecting employers with high-quality candidates for an affordable price, Urban Interns has filled an important niche.
Developing an Angel Network in Montana
- Lecture Series Features Distinguished University of Montana Faculty Members
The series, which is free and open to the public, celebrates the outstanding quality and accomplishment of UM faculty members. This year’s series features Regents Professor of Marketing Jakki Mohr, chemistry Professor Garon Smith and wildlife biology Professor L. Scott Mills.
- Montana State University president search down to three
"We think any one of these three can come in here and be successful. It's really now you're just looking more for which is the best fit for MSU."
- Four-day school week could close budget gap at the University of Montana
UM President George Dennison asked ASUM to review the plan’s first draft at their regular meeting Wednesday night.
- The University of Montana and Salish Kootenai College Partnership Receives $1MM Grant
The UM/SKC Endorsement Partnership Project, intended to address shortages of Native American special education teachers and principals in Montana, plans to enroll 25 participants during the four years.
Idaho Business
- Angel Capital Education Foundation - Starting Angel Organizations, 09/24, Bozeman
Investors, entrepreneurial support personnel and university tech transfer professionals will learn from the best from around the country about building an early stage capital infrastructure to support high value business creation
Utah Economic Development
- Dell to close Twin Falls call center - 500 employees receive layoff notice
A Dell representative said that about 25 percent of the jobs would be converted to work-at-home positions once the center closes, but would not say whether those positions would be offered to employees now based in Twin Falls or other areas where the company now has operations.
Wyoming Business
- Grow Utah Ventures Announces Second Outdoor Recreation "Concept to Company" Contest
The outdoor recreation contest is open to Utah entrepreneurs and small businesses that have a product or service that focuses on outdoor recreation products and services. Ideas should focus on skiing, snowboarding, cycling, climbing, hiking, paddling, and other non-motorized, non-fishing or non-hunting sports.
- Utah Tourism Office Relaunches Consumer Web site
Travelers have new online tools to help them plan their next vacation to Utah.
- State kicks in $27M to keep Goldman Sachs in Utah
"Utah's business-friendly environment, highly skilled workforce and unparalleled higher education system provide a premier foundation for the success of a company such as Goldman Sachs."
Education
- Producers of Western looking beyond Wyoming
The Wyoming Legislature created the film incentive program in 2007 to spur the industry and economic development.
Other Economies
- Therapy in Preschools: Can It Have Lasting Benefits?
The idea of assigning mental-health workers to child-care centers and preschools is jarring. However, research is showing that the programs are benefiting entire classrooms of children.
- Economic Scene - Colleges Are Failing in Graduation Rates
At its top levels, the American system of higher education may be the best in the world. Yet in terms of its core mission — turning teenagers into educated college graduates — much of the system is simply failing.
Connectivity & Communications
- Michigan CIO Ken Theis Leads Effort to Bring IT Jobs to State
Companies were lured to Michigan by an economic development initiative led by the state's Department of Information Technology (DIT) that combines traditional tax incentives with IT expertise and custom-tailored work force development programs.
Energy and Climate Change
- Should Broadband Stimulus Requirements Be Loosened?
A debate has erupted over whether or not broadband stimulus requirements should change to satisfy large telecommunications companies that snubbed the first round of funding in August.
Legislative Newsletters
- Electrical circuit runs entirely off power in trees
The University of Washington team sought to further academic research in the field of tree power by building circuits to run off that energy. They successfully ran a circuit solely off tree power for the first time.
Non-Profit News
- Back At It - Sen. Max Bacus
It’s critical to focus on what health care reform will do for every Montanan and every American.
- Upcoming Missoula Nonprofit Network Workshops
Many of these workshops are still being developed by the trainers, so workshop titles may change slightly, but the content of the workshop will reflect the titles listed.
- Montana Nonprofit Connections Assessment Grants
Assessment Awards provide an experienced consultant to conduct a comprehensive organizational review, including such topics as board governance, human resource management, planning, financial manage-ment, and fundraising.
- American Indian Business Leaders (AIBL) announces new executive director - Maurice “Mo” Smith
AIBL's mission is to support and promote the education and development of future American Indian business leaders - by creating opportunities in business education, leadership development, professional intern-ships, scholarships for students K-12, High School, Tribal Colleges and Universities.
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