MATR Newsletter – July 29, 2022
The state with the best education wins!

Come Home Montana

• Discover Anaconda recognized for work revitalizing downtown area

  “We kind of just stood at the corner of commercial and main and said we’re going to start here and work our way down and start making strides one building at a time if we have to,” said Adam Vauthier.

• Community group works to revitalize small Montana town – Winnett ACES

  Surrounded by rolling hills of grassland, grazed by cattle, and ran by descendants of homesteaders — this community is being brought back to life.

• Women-owned businesses in Montana on the rise

  Statistics show 11% of Montana’s businesses were owned by women and in Helena, there is one woman-owned business focused on helping small businesses.

• Missoula Public Library Named World’s Best in 2022 – Great Video

  “… Missoula Public Library has it all. The building stands out for its beautiful architecture that pays homage to the surrounding landscape, while functioning as a library with a wealth of offers and possibilities that also serves as a meeting place for the local community. The library, therefore, scores highly against all the award’s criteria. It’s a library that you would relish having in your own local area. It’s a library built for the future,” said Jury chair Jakob Guillois Lærkes at the July, 2022 World Library event, hosted in Dublin.

• A road to Yellowstone was this town’s lifeblood. Climate change destroyed it.

  Yellowstone is this town’s golden ticket. Climate change risks that.

Montana Department of Commerce

• Montana Department of Commerce is creating a list of contract manufacturers located in Montana by industry. Do you know of any others?

  My department is creating a list of contract manufacturers located in Montana by industry.  If you are not familiar with the concept of contract manufacturing, it occurs when a small business hires another company to produce its products. It enables small businesses to begin selling their products without obtaining the large amount of capital necessary to build and run a factory.

Northwestern Energy

• NorthWestern Energy: CEO Bob Rowe to retire, COO named as successor

  Recently, Bird steered NorthWestern Energy’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality in its electric and natural gas operations by 2050 and the company’s environmental, social and corporate governance programs and reporting.

Big Sky Economic Development

• Rocky Vista Montana College receives approval to recruit, accept students

  “Montana needs more physicians,” said Steve Arveschoug, executive director of Big Sky Economic Development. “We need more in primary care. We need to be able to refer more doctors to rural, underserved parts of our state, so everybody got the need.”

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• Heather Knutson-Walter Joins Mission West Community Development Partners as Executive Director

  A welcome reception for Heather Knutson-Walter will be held at Mission West’s 407 Main Street S.W. facility in Ronan at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday August 3rd .

Next Generation Broadband in Montana

• Biden-Harris Administration Announces $401 Million for High-Speed Internet Access in Rural Areas. $48 Million for Montana

  USDA is supporting high-speed internet investments in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota and Texas through today’s announcement. Several awards will help rural people and businesses on Tribal lands and those in socially vulnerable communities.

Montana Businesses Seeking Investment or For Sale

• Simms Fishing Products sold for $192.5 million – Acquired by Vista Outdoor Inc.

  Vista Outdoor Inc. is the parent company of 39 brands that design, manufacture and market sporting and outdoor products to consumers around the globe. Simms is a premium fishing brand and leading designer, marketer and manufacturer of waders, outerwear, footwear and technical apparel.

• Missoula Economic Partnership to seek, vet developers for key city properties

  The outreach conducted by MEP could also introduce new businesses to Missoula. The contract calls for MEP to conduct “targeted business retention, expansion and development opportunities” in both the North Reserve-Scott Street Urban Renewal District and the Hellgate district – primarily the MonTECH property.

Senator Jon Tester

• After Tester Efforts, Bipartisan Bill to Outcompete China and Bring Back High-Tech American Manufacturing Jobs Passes Senate

  “Applied Materials applauds Senator Tester for his support of the CHIPS and Science Act,” said Gary E. Dickerson, President and CEO, Applied Materials, Inc. “At a time when semiconductor leadership is more important than ever to the economy, this critical legislation will bolster chip manufacturing and innovation, create jobs and strengthen the semiconductor supply chain in Montana and the United States.”

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte

• Montana Governor Greg Gianforte exceeds goal of adding 10,000 good-paying job to economy in 2021

  Data from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry showed the state added just less than 13,000 jobs paying more than $50,000 in 2021, according to the release.

• Montana Governor Greg Gianforte Quizzed on Abortion, Economy, and ‘Huckster Licenses’

  One caller challenged the governor over the Roe v Wade decision and that the Montana Constitution still protects the right to abortion in the state. Gianforte maintained his strong pro-life stance.

Montana Economic Development

• Economic impact of Missoula tourism at $360M; most taxes go to state’s general fund

  “Tourism is a huge part of our economy in Missoula,” Neilan said. “The money that’s collected just in Missoula accounts for $19.7 million in state and local taxes.”

Montana Business

• Legacy Bike Park in Lakeside, Montana is the perfect place for mountain bikers to ride the trails and catch some air

  “Coming down and turning over my shoulder and watching person after person come down just grinning, and just like that stoke, having that many people that excited,” said Beal with a huge smile on his face.

Montana Manufacturing Extension Center

• MMEC Events E-Blast – Registration Now Open for Lean Lego Workshop in Missoula

  CYBERSECURITY WEBINAR ON AUGUST 23 – Co-sponsored by MMEC

Funding and Building your Business

• The Key to Fundraising for Startups Is Alumni Networks. Here’s the Surprise.

  Investors are more likely to fund founders who attended the same university. But it’s not all about elite degrees in Silicon Valley.

Regional Business News

• Google: Whatever Happened to ‘Don’t Be Evil’?

  This idyll is no more. Google and the other Big Tech firms are no longer grassroots creators. They’re now oligarchs and monopolists, exerting undue influence on the market and on politics.

Government News & Events

• Secretary Buttigieg addresses EV Chargers, local airports, and the possible reinstation of the Hiawatha Amtrak route

  Today was the final day of the Western Governors, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg spoke delivering a final update to the governors present.

• What’s in the “game changer” climate bill nobody saw coming – $369 billion new reasons

  $369 billion new reasons to have renewed hope on climate change.

American Prairie

• Montana’s American Prairie Reserve Receives Final Approval For Bison Grazing Plan

  Final decision restores wildlife, improves land health, and complies with all laws

Transportation

• This Artificial Intelligence Bot is Designing Better Streets Than Some Engineers

  A New York City-based artist is rapidly transforming U.S. streets into walkable paradises with the help of artificial intelligence, and breaking down Americans’ stubborn inability to imagine how their communities could be designed around people instead of automobiles.

Other Economies

• San Francisco Races Clock for Comeback With Tech Gloom Deepening As economic headwinds mount, the city is stepping up efforts to bring back workers and tourists.

  Mayor London Breed is also pushing businesses in the city’s tech hub — often known for their flexible remote-work policies — to bring workers back to the office amid climbing vacancy rates. With a potential upheaval of the tech industry that supercharged the region’s economy and amid the prospects of a global recession, the stakes are high for San Francisco

MATR Newsletter Supporters: