MATR Newsletter – March 21, 2022
The state with the best education wins!

Great Falls Development Authority

• Great Falls Economic Development Top 10 for 3-20-22

  Here is our Top 27 for this week celebrating work and successes to grow and strengthen the Great Falls regional economy — Montana’s Golden Triangle. And, sharing business resources and skill-building opportunities to empower your success.

Prospera Business Network

• Treeline Coffee partners with Prospera Business Network to highlight women-owned business

  It started off as Little Red Wagon in 2013 and became Treeline in 2015. In that time, Natalie and Deejay have watched their business become a staple in Bozeman. “Anytime…

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• Panelists: Housing crisis hamstrings economic growth in Montana

  The lack of housing in Montana is stifling economic development because potential employees can’t find places to live, so even businesses that offer high salaries and want to expand can’t grow.

• Older Americans, Flush With Housing and Stock Wealth, Poised to Revive Spending

  The variety of Americans who’re 65 or older increased by more than a third within the decade by way of 2019, in accordance to the Census Bureau. They accounted for practically 17% of the inhabitants in 2020, a share that’s expected to rise to more than 20% by 2030.

• University Project Looks at Communities in Iowa That Are ‘Shrinking Smart’

  Researchers with the Rural Shrink Smart initiative will create resources for other communities to learn how to tackle diminishing population numbers.

• Bozeman based businesses Quiq and Stone Glacier are on the INC. Fastest-Growing U.S. Companies from Coast to Coast

  We ranked America’s business outperformers by geographic area–the economic hometown heroes of the first order. See who made the list.

Next Generation Broadband in Montana

• How a solar storm could knock out the power grid and the internet. It’s only a matter of time.

  With the ever-growing dependency on electricity and technology, any disruption could put people at risk and lead to trillions of dollars of monetary loss.

• Elon Musk’s Starlink is keeping Ukrainians online when traditional Internet fails

  Starlink is a unit of Musk’s space company, SpaceX. The service uses terminals that resemble TV dishes equipped with antennas and are usually mounted on roofs to access the Internet via satellite in rural or disconnected areas.

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte

• Gov. Gianforte Invites Minnesota Small Businesses Facing Massive Tax Hikes To Move to Montana

  “If you value freedom and free enterprise and are looking for a location to do business that has a stable, predictable, business-friendly climate, look no further than Montana.”  Gov. Gianforte

Housing

• Montana cities need pro-housing reforms

  The new Montana Zoning Atlas report from Frontier Institute reveals just how hard it is to build affordable housing in Montana.

• Kalispell Council Considers Housing Authority Establishment

  City officials addressed affordable housing at a work session, which also included potentially easing zoning restrictions and collaborating with nonprofits

• Are Corporations Killing the Dream of Owning a Home?

  Why are rents rising so much? Well, it turns out that big Wall Street firms are playing a role, but we found the fundamental problem was years in the making…and will take years to fix.

• Construction jobs in Montana top rest of nation

  With competitive wages and great benefits, Smith says they are starting to recruit the next generation as early as 15 years old.

• Could Missoula and Helena, Montana be the Next San Francisco in Terms of Housing Affordability and Availability?

  According to a Chronicle data analysis, there are at least 10 metro areas that could soon become “the next San Francisco” in terms of housing affordability and availability, including San Diego, Raleigh, N.C., and two areas in Montana.

Montana Business

• Montana 17-year-old entrepreneur Caiden Dekievit hopes to inspire peers with new clothing brand Don’t Shy Away

  In Billings, there’s a 17-year-old entrepreneur who has a goal to one day make a seven-figure income off of an idea that was sparked at the Billings Career Center

Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana

• New University of Montana’ The Women Entrepreneurship and Leadership Lab’s Native Women Launch Program Aims to Boost Indigenous Businesses

  As Women’s History Month approaches its end, one program at the University of Montana dedicated to elevating women business owners is working on a major expansion.

Funding and Building your Business

• In Love, With Business: Lessons From Co-Founder Couples

  Couples who add a startup to their relationship seem to be adding risk and complexity, too. But these successful pairs say their personal synergy is a strategic advantage.

Regional Economic Development

• A Chance for Disarmament in the Economic Development Subsidy Wars Between States

  States and cities spend an estimated $100 billion every year on an arms race that research shows does little to improve their economic outlook. In fact, corporate handouts actually slow down national economic growth.

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

• Montana Learning Center explores mysteries of space

  The Montana Learning Center at Canyon Ferry Lake near Helena, offers students, teachers, and families one of the best spots in the country to see space up close.

• Montana releases latest public schools report card that shows a decline in math, reading and science.

  We checked the state-level results, also called student achievement scores. Of the students who tested, 34% scored proficient or higher in math, 46% in reading and 25% in science.

Education News

• Federal funding boosted per-pupil spending in Montana public schools by more than $1,200

  During the 2020-2021 school year, per-pupil spending across Montana was nearly $13,000, although that amount varies by school or district.

Government News & Events

• The U.S. may force companies to disclose climate risks, marking a historic change

  Investors are demanding companies disclose potential risks from climate change.

Energy and Climate Change

• California Solar Energy — Attacks on Solar Net Metering, Rooftop Solar’s Many Benefits

  There have been attacks on solar net metering for a decade or more, due to the fact that net metering shifts revenue and profit from utilities to individual homeowners.

• Carbon inventory: Missoula residents emit 1.1M tons of CO2 each year, make 1.8M vehicle trips

  That’s according to the findings of the latest community Greenhouse Gas Inventory using 2019 as the baseline to measure where Missoula is in doing its part to reduce its carbon footprint and push back against climate change.

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