MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• Montana Governor Gianforte vetoes bill reimbursing counties for holding state inmates 

  The sponsor of House Bill 643 questioned the governor’s ‘foolish’ decision and will ask legislators to override the veto.

• Creating ‘Paradise:’ Missoula-based dental tool business is the second largest in North America

  Linda Miller grew up hating the dentist. At every visit, the cold gleam of metal tools and the rough scrape of instruments made her cringe. She never could have imagined decades later that she’d be the founder and CEO of Paradise Dental Technologies (PDT) — now the second-largest dental instrument company in North America.

• Several insurance, medical bills vetoed by Montana Governor Gianforte

  In his veto letter, Gianforte said it would have added $100,000 annually to state insurance premiums, which was also reflected in the bill’s fiscal note. He also wrote it was a “fundamental issue of fairness” as work-related PTSD claims would not be eligible for other state employees.

• The Art of Saying No – Protecting your time without burning bridges.

  Saying no is one of the hardest skills to master, but it’s also one of the most important. If you say yes to everything, you’ll end up overcommitted, overwhelmed, and, frankly, ineffective. The key is to say no in a way that preserves relationships, protects your time, and aligns with your values.

• Gianforte vetoes bill that would enable community solar arrays

  NorthWestern Energy and Montana-Dakota Utilities were the only opponents in public testimony. Backers of the bill point out it was bipartisan and don’t agree with Gianforte’s reasoning.

• Marta Bertoglio Appointed as Director of the Montana Department of Commerce.

  “Having grown up in a small Montana town, I know how important business is to helping build community,” said Bertoglio. “By fostering resilient communities and making sure Montana is the best place to do business, we can create a bright future for our state.

Great Falls Development Alliance

• GFDA announces $1 billion proposed data center project – Project Cardinal

  According to Ardent and GFDA, the project will create an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 construction jobs and 150-200 permanent positions.

TechLink

• MSU TechLink Assures Federal Programs

  Montana State University TechLink  assures that federal programs for research  and development are not at risk of federal cost cutting. In a recent statement they stated, “we want to reassure our clients that the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are not only operational but continue to thrive.”

Funding and Building your Business

• 5 Ways Entrepreneurs Are Rethinking SEO Amid the Rise of GenAI – “search everywhere optimization,” “generative engine optimization,” and “answer engine optimization.”

  Founders say one approach that has really worked so far is investing in long-form editorial content.

Regional Economic Development

• Blue-Collar Sector To Wyoming Schools: Give Us More Welders

  With voids of unfilled technical education jobs in Wyoming — like welders, plumbers and construction workers — the state needs to adjust its education system to those fields. That was the message from the state’s blue-collar sector to legislators Tuesday.

Regional Business News

• Wyoming worker exodus threatens economic decline, business council says

  “What we’re finding is that, by and large, the [job] opportunities in Wyoming are not good enough, and there aren’t enough of them to retain our youth,” the council’s CEO, Josh Dorrell, told WyoFile. “It’s actually not just the youth. We noticed that our out-migration was twice that of the national average, where we have more out-migration than any other state.”

Hellgate Venture Network

• TONIGHT!!      Hellgate Venture Network with Chris Tilleman of TeraDact – 6/19 – Missoula

  Networking for the Missoula area start-up and small business community offering peer support for current and aspiring entrepreneurs.

YOUR CAREER

• Here’s Why Gen-Z Feels Stuck in This Economy

  Young people can’t afford homes and AI is taking entry-level jobs.

Energy and Transportation

• With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike

  Civil engineers use tools like this to help determine what street infrastructure is suitable for bicyclists of different ages and experience levels. The less stressful an area is to bike ride in, the more people will utilize it.

• Inductive Charging Experiment In Germany

  From today, the road delivers the power, and that power comes from Bavaria! Inductive charging could be a genuine game-changer for electric mobility. With an efficiency rate of over 90 per cent, we are unlocking previously unthinkable possibilities. Range anxiety will become a thing of the past.”

21st Century Education Initiative – “You Should Care…”

• How will federal cuts affect Montana’s libraries and museums?

  Libraries do more than just lend books. They offer community events, classes, access to computers — and they help preserve cultural knowledge. But, public funding is being slashed, delayed or taken back as the Trump Administration works to cut government programs. After recent federal cuts, one listener wants to know what’s going to happen to rural museums and libraries across the state.

• AI can personalize learning–it can’t make students care

  We’ve spent years trying to personalize learning–maybe we’ve focused too much on tailoring content and not enough on transforming context

2025 Legislature and Politics

• Montana’s Leaders kick off movement to stop ‘Citizens United’ – corporations from spending on political campaigns

  Former Gov. Marc Racicot, a Republican governor who was at one time chairman of the Republican National Committee, is supporting the measure, as well as Former Senator Jon Tester, because of its straightforward approach.

Privacy, Hacking and Virus Alerts

• New ‘razor blade throat’ COVID subvariant quickly gains ground in California

  A new COVID-19 variant, nicknamed Nimbus, is rising around the world — including in California — and known for giving “razor blade throat” symptoms.

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