NeighborWorks Great Falls and Great Falls Public Schools celebrated the completion of their 48th High School House. NWGF and GFPS have partnered since 1997 to bring the High School House program to our community; see KRTV. Students from Great Falls High and C.M. Russell built the home from the ground up and gained real-world construction experience. The finished house will soon be home to a first-time homebuyer. Great work!
| 1) Meadowview Village broke ground! The project is a 163-home community designed to bring new, attainable homeownership to Great Falls; see KRTV. Each home sits on its own lot and is built with a focus on efficient design, long-term durability, and predictable costs. If you, or someone you know, are interested in following the project or exploring a future home in the community, join the interest list. 2) With resounding support from the business community and community at large, both the City and County Commissions voted unanimously to approve tax abatement requests for Janicki Industries! While we are still in competition, this was a tremendous step forward. After working with the company for the past ten months, we’ve seen the convergence in values, innovation, and determination. See KRTV and The Electric. This is a true partnership for both of us and our future success, let’s get it Great Falls! 3) Campus Provost Dr. Micheal Carr addressed graduates of the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Master of Science program during their graduation ceremony. This marks the second graduating class, with 30 students completing the program. Congratulations to the Class of 2026 on this major milestone! 4) More than 90 business people attended the “Doing Business with Malmstrom” event, presented through a partnership between our Great Falls Regional APEX and the 341st Contracting Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base (MAFB). Colonel Conn P. McKelvey, Deputy Commander, of the 341stMissile Wing and Major Sam M. Trujillo, Commander, of the 341st Contracting Squadron, presented alongside Malmstrom contracting specialists and provided businesses across the region with a valuable opportunity to engage directly with Malmstrom AFB contracting officers, learn how to compete for work, and better understand the requirements, processes, and expectations for doing business with the base. To position your business for opportunities at Malmstrom AFB, contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org or at 1-406-590-1184. 5) The Central Montana Defense Coalition brought a strong regional presence to the Association of Defense Communities conference in Washington, DC, with partners representing GFDA, the City of Great Falls, Cascade County, Great Falls International Airport, and the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce. The conference created opportunities to strengthen relationships, share Central Montana’s priorities, and gain insight into emerging defense community trends, military installation support strategies, and federal priorities that could shape future opportunities for the region. This coordinated representation reflects the coalition’s ongoing commitment to supporting defense-related growth and reinforcing the importance of Central Montana’s military assets and partnerships. We also met with Rep. Downing while in DC. To learn more about the Coalition and how to get involved, contact Christian Leinhauser at CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org or +1-406-836-0136. 6) GFDA provided a small working capital loan to Big Sandy Organics for $15,000 to bridge a financing gap while permanent financing was being finalized. Flexible gap financing like this can help businesses maintain momentum, cover immediate expenses, and stay on track during key growth or expansion phases. If your business needs financing support to help bridge a gap or support growth, contact Shandi Gebhardt Jones at 1-406-590-9037 or Shandi@GrowGreatFalls.org. 7) We hosted an innovative Taiwanese food manufacturing company, Texture Maker along with Montana Department of Commerce staff, and representatives from the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee, Montana Pulse Crop Committee. Texture Maker is interested in partnering on raw materials for their ingredient and food innovations as well as retail partners for their product lines. The tour highlighted the rich agricultural opportunities in the Gret falls region. 8) 29 businesses registered to take their government contracting efforts to the next level as Great Falls Regional APEX hosted What Happens After SAM, a virtual training designed to help businesses move forward with confidence. This training equipped businesses with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the government marketplace with greater clarity and purpose. To take your government contracting efforts to the next level and capitalize on your capabilities, contact Mariah Liebing at Mariah@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-217-2174. Register now for July webinar. 9) Congratulations to Broke Axe Throwing on their recent Grand Opening event at their new location at 613 Central Ave! They have more than doubled their square footage and now feature a new lounge area that can host up to 200 people. New highlights include an interactive target experience, a bar offering a large assortment of canned alcoholic beverages, and free parking available in the back after 5:00 PM. Be sure to stop by and check them out! 10) This week the GFDA Small Business Development Center worked with clients at all stages of business development — from entrepreneurs exploring startup concepts, to existing businesses focused on growth strategies, and even businesses evaluating the acquisition of other companies. No matter the stage of your business journey, our SBDC team is here to help by providing no-cost, one-on-one business advising and support. To connect with one of our small business advisors visit our GFDA SBDC page or reach out directly to Rich Gannon at RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1- 406-836-2087 and Christian Nichols at CNichols@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-788-9385. 11) JobsEQ published labor data for 2025Q4. The average annual wage in the Great Falls MSA (Cascade County) increased by 4.7% in 2025, faster than Montana at 4.3% and the nation at 3.6%. Our local average annual wage increased by $2,552 to reach $57,197. Total local wages earned increased by $81 million in 2025. 12) Team Great Falls made a great impression on a successful, Montana-based housing developer considering a new project in Great Falls. Feedback centered around the expediency, clear communication, teamwork, and project optimism that helps Great Falls stand out as a place to do business and propose aspirational projects. Huge thank you to our partners at the City of Great Falls for all their support. Would you like the time and attention your project deserves? Reach out to Jake Clark and let’s start the conversation, Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-403-4937. 13) Kristen networked at the Energy and Technology Interim Committee meeting in Helena. The 2027 legislative session will be important for energy topics in Montana. The full meeting of the Governor’s Energy Task Force will be on March 20thin Helena. The task force covers topics including generation, transmission, growing demand, and markets. To learn about energy opportunities in North Central Montana contact Kristen Blue at Kristen@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-788-4989. 14) We hope to see you this Monday, May 18th, 5:00 PM at Great Falls College MSU in Heritage Hall for our third data center task force meeting. Expert speaker Alan Bronec from Cushing Terrell will provide insight on data center design and be available for Q&A. Register here. 15) Brett testified at the Montana Public Service Commission hearing regarding the merger between NorthWestern Energy and Black Hills Energy. GFDA works to close the gap between earnings and cost of living in conjunction with diversifying the regional economy. All efforts in housing, entrepreneurship, business attraction, expansion, and retention require affordable and reliable energy. 16) We are pleased to announce GFDA has been awarded $12,000 from First Interstate Bank in partnership with First Home Loan Bank of Des Moines through the member impact fund. These funds will support our work to pursue housing development with a focus on workforce rental, homeownership, and alternatives including student dorms, senior living, mobile home parks and campgrounds. Thank you supporting our work so we can continue keeping up with housing demand. 17) 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 Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org. 18) Thank you to Independence Bank and Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines for awarding GFDA $8,574 through the Member Impact Fund. The funding will support efforts to create new tools that improve the feasibility of housing developments that help get more projects moving. Thank you for investing in this work and helping support housing growth across the region! 19) Central Montana Tourism published its 2025 Annual Report. It’s board approved its FY27 Annual Plan. If you missed it last week, they launched Exploration: Central Montana, a free, self-paced online ambassador training program designed to equip front-line staff and community members to better welcome and guide visitors throughout the region by answering questions like, “What should we do here?” With Central Montana welcoming approximately 2.8 million visitors in 2025 and generating an estimated $370 million in non-resident spending, these everyday interactions play a vital role in shaping how travelers experience our communities and inspiring them to return. Enroll for free here. 20) More housing production means more opportunity for workers, families, employers, and communities. Thanks to a partnership with Bravera Bank and Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, GFDA was awarded $8,574 through the Member Impact Fund to support efforts that expand rental and homeownership options at all price levels and help maintain affordability across the region. 21) The missions at Malmstrom Air Force Base and the Montana Air National Guard are a major part of the regional economy, supporting jobs and business activity across North Central Montana. Keeping and growing these missions is not automatic. Communities compete for federal investment, and those that stay organized and engaged have the advantage. The Central Montana Defense Coalition leads that effort locally. Thank you to the investors making this work possible. If you want to be part of it, reach out to Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org. 22) MSU Extension is hosting a Montana Rural Summit on June 10th in Townsend. The event is a celebration of rural Montana and an opportunity to explore innovative and effective ways to support the success of our small towns. 23) Something is happening in the Great Falls region right now. Businesses are growing, investments are landing, and more people are stepping up to help shape the future of this community. That momentum is being driven by investors and partners who believe in where this region is headed. Because of their support, we can keep projects moving and opportunities growing. Learn more about them by viewing this short video. Recent investments include: Executive Division—US Bank; Advance Division—1st Interstate Bank; Pacesetter Division—Bravera Bank, Independence Bank. Be part of the momentum. Reach out to Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org to learn more. 24) GFDA has three great career opportunities — Downtown Great Falls Business Development Officer, Small Business Advisor and Government Contracting Advisor. Downland description and how to apply. Please forward to great candidates! Another great week moving our economy forward! “Without execution, ‘vision’ is just another word for hallucination.” Mark Hurd Edition 737 |
