Great Falls Development Alliance

• GFDA Top Top for 5-10-26

  Join GFDA Board and Council members, partners, clients, and investors for our Annual Meeting on Tuesday, June 2 from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM at The Newberry. We will share updates from across the region, talk about projects moving forward, and recognize this year’s Ally Award recipients for the role they played in helping make progress happen. To register or learn more, follow this link or contact Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or [email protected].

Montana Business

• New “Town” of 5600 Workers For Data Center Development Will Be Larger Than Many Wyoming Communities

  Montana businesses might observe parallels in housing pressures as infrastructure projects expand regionally. If similar workforce influxes occur, Montana communities could face comparable challenges in balancing rapid population growth, infrastructure capacity, and local concerns over safety and property impacts.

• American Men Are Disappearing From the Workforce

  An analysis by The Post of population survey data also found that men outside the workforce were more likely never to have married and more likely to live with their parents.

• CBS Sunday Morning – Overtourism: Too much of a good thing?

  Tourism represents 10% of the global economy. But many travel destinations (and the people who live there) are reeling from increasing numbers of tourists, spurred in large part by social media.

• Slow Bets by Mario Schulzke – What’s Left Over Is What Matters

  Revenue is a treadmill. Profit is a flywheel.

• Bozeman Airport Drives $2.2 Billion in Montana Economic Impact

  Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport leads Montana’s airports with $2.2 billion in annual economic impact, supporting nearly one-third of the state’s aviation jobs. Passenger growth and recent investments highlight its role as a key driver of tourism and employment statewide.

• Trump Administration Eases Hunting Rules in 55 National Parks

  The new policies remove barriers to hunting activities like tree stands and training dogs, sparking debate over safety and conservation. Montana’s outdoor economy may face challenges balancing hunting access with environmental and tourism concerns.

• DZONE Skydiving Launches First Ever Skydiving Franchise in Montana

  DZONE Skydiving’s sale of its Three Forks location as a franchise marks a new ownership model in the industry. This milestone could open doors for growth and entrepreneurial opportunities in Montana’s recreational aviation sector.

• Ted Turner Was Most At Home At His Flying D Ranch In Montana

  Turner was routinely at odds with longtime residents of the region, especially ranchers. He was unbridled in his enthusiasm for restoring free-ranging bison and in the process often denigrated cattle, in part because the state required him to treat his herds as livestock and keep them fenced.

• Kimberly Bailey,has been named the new executive director of Big Sky Economic Development (BSED) in Billings, Montana

  Executive administrator and visionary leader which devises business development strategies, attune to bridge alliances, applies economic modeling, and assesses marketability platforms for targeted goals and objectives.

• Costco Connects Diverse Shoppers Through Unique Shopping Experience – I Want to Live Like Costco People

  A millennial author’s first Costco visit makes him ask where here else can you purchase a wedding ring, a baby carrier, and a casket?

Funding and Building your Montana Business

• The “Wisdom of the Crowd” is more powerful than AI.

  From Instagram broadcast channels to Discord servers, a new generation of digital marketers is going direct to customers—and it’s paying off.

• Your Startup Can’t Match Big-Company Salaries. Here’s What You Can Offer Instead

  Here’s how small businesses can out-hire big tech without raising salaries.

City Club Missoula, Montana

• May News for Montana Nonprofits This baby is looooong. There’s a treat at the end if you make it that far!

  Join us for a Nonprofit Leader Retreat at Fairmont Hot Springs June 1 and 2.

Montana’s American Prairie

• What Does The Coalition of Large Tribes (COLT) Think About the BLM Decision Against The American Prairie Reserve?

  “While we are heartened by BLM’s protective language on tribal interests, COLT remains concerned about the potential negative precedential consequences of BLM’s final decision, which we believe is simply wrong on the law.”

• American Prairie Condemns BLM Decision Revoking Bison Grazing Permits

  “This decision abandons decades of consistent federal policy and extends far beyond American Prairie,” said Alison Fox, CEO of American Prairie. “By reversing decades of precedent, BLM is creating uncertainty for tribal buffalo restoration, conservation partnerships, and public lands grazing management nationwide. The agency’s action is arbitrary, shortsighted, and contrary to its own longstanding interpretation of federal grazing law.”

YOUR MONTANA CAREER

• Montana Department of Labor and Industry Announces Workforce Funding Opportunity Through 406 JOBS Initiative

  “DLI is looking for strong partnerships and innovative solutions that align with the goals of the 406 JOBS initiative,” said Sarah Swanson, Commissioner of Labor and Industry. “We are looking for proposals that expand career pathways, strengthen local talent pipelines, and help more Montanans connect to high-demand careers.”

Montana Energy and Transportation

• Cities Must Act Now to Prepare for Autonomous Vehicle Impact

  Much depends, Larco said, on whether AV technology evolves as a fleet of robotaxis as we are seeing today, which could reduce the need for parking lots and garages, and encourage denser development. Or, if the market moves in the direction of individual, privately owned AVs, that could make driving less of a burden but encourage sprawl, leading to higher vehicle miles traveled and congestion.

• U.S. Commuter Rail Service In Danger of Being Shut Down Within Weeks

  The commuter railroad industry faces a 30-day deadline to secure expanded insurance or suspend operations. Smaller carriers may find coverage unaffordable, risking service halts despite rail’s strong safety record.

• How AI Traffic Lights Could Save Millions

  The AI in the traffic lights will dynamically adjust the length of the green signals.

• Pedestrian Deaths – America Built a Dangerous Street Crossing System and Then Blamed Pedestrians For It.

  There are too few marked pedestrian crossings in Montana’s large communities with transportation departments saying putting them in would further endanger pedestrians.  Just doesn’t make sense.

2025 Montana Legislature and Politics

• Trump politicizes FEMA in favor of Red States but now he’s talking about eliminating it.

  Since Trump returned to office, communities have experienced the longest delays on record while waiting to see whether the president will approve their requests for federal disaster relief, according to The New York Times.

MATR Newsletter Supporters: