| Brett and Jolene participated in the first ever Montana India Business Development Mission led by Governor Gianforte and the Montana Departments of Commerce and Agriculture. We met with dozens of targeted companies and participated in briefings and networking events with key Indian business associations and institutes in Delhi and Bengaluru. We’re returning with 8+ solid leads and many new relationships with the fastest growing economy in the world. The 36-member Montana delegation included business, university, agriculture and state leaders. Aerospace and defense manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, bioscience, and agri-tech are key industries for Montana-India investment and collaboration. See KFBB. Pictured above Jolene with Frederick Van Den Abbeel of the Montana Dept. of Commerce and Dr. Krishna Rupavatharam of Montana State University. |
| 1) Congratulations to Great Falls College for growing enrollment by 35% in the last 4 years! The college will launch its first in the nation electric grid operating training program in January, supported by a grant from the Berkshire Hathaway Foundation See KRTV. 2) Owners of the Bay View housing development gathered with members of GFDA, Great Falls Realtor’s Association, NeighborWorks Great Falls, Great Falls Homebuilders Association, and Mayor Cory Reeves to celebrate a ceremonial groundbreaking for the 92-unit project along the Missouri River in Great Falls. See KRTV. We have celebrated groundbreakings for several housing projects this year with a couple more eyeing 2026 construction goals. Time to get your project in the ground? Reach out to Jake Clark to see how we can support your project to the next phase 1-406-403-4937 or Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org 3) The Destination Creation Workshops we hosted in Shelby and Great Falls were a success, drawing 113 registrants and providing 30 one-on-one coaching sessions with business expert Jon Schallert. Participants gained practical strategies to attract customers, stand out from competitors, and turn their businesses into destinations. We’re excited to see these ideas put into action across the region! 4) GFDA will host a Data Center Task Force meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 21 from 5:00 – 6:30 PM at Heritage Hall, Great Falls College MSU. The speaker will be Monical Tranel, an attorney who has practiced energy focused law in Montana for more than 25 years. Ms. Tranel will share insights into labor, water, electricity, noise, and community benefits with respect to potential data center development. All community members are welcome to attend, please register here. Notes from all previous meetings are available on GFDA’s website here. 5) Help us spread the word! Registration is open and free for GFDA’s annual Entrepreneur Celebration on November 10 at The Newberry in Downtown Great Falls. This event celebrates all the entrepreneurs whose hard work, innovation, and investment strengthen our regional economy. Please share this opportunity with business owners across North Central Montana and encourage them to join us! RSVP here or contact Jamie at Jamie@GrowGreatFalls.org or +1-406-217-9210. 6) Congratulations to NorthWestern Energy and Smart Wires on being selected for U.S. Department of Energy SPARK grant funding to increase electricity transfer capacity between Montana and Wyoming. The project will use advanced power flow control and dynamic line rating to move more power through an existing southeastern Montana transmission corridor without building new transmission lines or significantly expanding substations. These upgrades are expected to strengthen regional reliability and improve access to additional energy resources, supporting Montana’s growing electricity needs. 7) Shandi and Jill joined industry professionals from across the country at the national conference hosted by NADCO, the trade association for SBA 504 lenders, to bring fresh ideas and financing opportunities back to Montana. They connected with SBA and NADCO leadership to explore opportunities to help businesses purchase buildings, expand facilities, and invest in equipment. With down payments as low as 10% and fixed interest rates for up to 25 years, SBA 504 financing can help business owners move forward while preserving working capital. To find out more about how SBA 504 financing could support your business, contact Shandi Gebhardt Jones at Shandi@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-9037. 8) Christian represented Great Falls at the Montana Ambassadors Seattle Chapter Speaker Series: Aerospace in Montana, demonstrating our continued commitment to Janicki Industries and building relationships with aerospace industry leaders. The event featured Todd O’Hair of the Montana Chamber of Commerce, John Janicki of Janicki Industries, and Rich White of Boeing, who discussed Montana’s growing aerospace industry and opportunities for advanced manufacturing. Great Falls was recognized for its strong support of Janicki and the significant growth taking place in our region. Our participation reinforces that Great Falls is not only attracting major investments but is committed to supporting their long-term success and creating opportunities for future growth. 9) Virtual Sentinel Industry Day, October 21. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Seattle District, is hosting this virtual event to discuss upcoming utility infrastructure improvements supporting the Sentinel project at Malmstrom Air Force Base and its planned contracting approach. This event is open to businesses of all sizes and industries. Register: CLICK HERE! To learn more about connecting with government agencies, contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1184. 10) Jake was honored to welcome over 400 participants from around Montana and Canada to the “Teaching Through Connection, Leading With Purpose” childcare event in Great Falls Hosted by Play N Learn Academy. The event supported childcare businesses in the region and beyond through expert presentations and a keynote by Mr. Ty, The Childcare Whisperer. 11) How can solar development help keep farmland in the family while creating new agricultural opportunities? The Renewable Energy Farmers of America (REFA) will host a free live virtual tour sharing how one Texas family is using agrivoltaics to preserve their land, strengthen their operation and build a more resilient future for the next generation. Whether you are exploring renewable energy on your land or already hosting a project, this is a rare opportunity to hear directly from a landowner who helped pioneer energy projects on working agricultural land. The free virtual tour is at noon mountain time on Friday, October 23. Registration and information are available here. 12) Jenn participated in a roundtable hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, joining business leaders across different sectors to discuss economic conditions and challenges facing employers today. Topics included rising business costs, workforce availability, access to financing, supply chain challenges, business growth, and expectations for the future. The information gathered helps inform economic reports, policy discussions, and briefings, ensuring North Central Montana’s perspective is represented. 13) Save the date! November 5th, Meadowview Village will be hosting an open house event featuring the first set home(s) in the new 163-unit development. Attendees will have access to special incentives on homes for sale and be able to order homes in the first phase of the development. More details to come. 14) Jake was on the road in Belgrade attending “Hemp In The Built Environment – A Symposium of Use and Applications” hosted by IND Hemp featuring products making use of hemp fiber in construction and other commercial uses. If you would like to scale your hemp building material product to meet market demand reach out to GFDA for support. 15) Our defense community has supported Great Falls for generations, and we have a role to play in supporting it in return. The Central Montana Defense Coalition brings businesses and community leaders together to stand behind Malmstrom Air Force Base and the Montana Air National Guard and help keep our region competitive for future defense opportunities. Thank you to the investors backing this work. Contact Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org to join them. 16) Sentinel is coming, and businesses of all sizes and industries will be needed to provide products and services. Now is the time to get your business positioned and ready to compete. Take the next steps to get registered or renewed in SAM.gov, create or enhance your capability statement, and set up saved searches so you don’t miss opportunities to bid and win government contracts. Let’s make sure your business has what it needs to compete successfully, contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1184. 17) Continuing our learning exchange with Economic Development Australia and Sustainable Economic Growth for Regional Australia, Jolene presented a second time in their rural webinar series. The topic of this session was supporting existing businesses and entrepreneurs in their growth. We learned about some Australian government investments in buildings and housing to support economic growth and Jolene focused on the entrepreneur support system, including tools and resources economic developers can provide. 18) Our job is to help make things happen. A business needs capital. An entrepreneur needs guidance. A project hits a roadblock. GFDA brings together the tools, resources, and connections to help move it forward. Our investors make that work possible. Learn more about the team supporting GFDA in this short video. Recent investments include: Premier Division—Cascade County; Pacesetter Division—Holman Aviation; Community Division—Great Falls College, Kelley Create, and Such Group International, Inc. If you want to help us keep producing results, contact Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org. 19) We have a career opening for a Business Development Officer who will focus on growing and diversifying the region’s food, ag, and bio processing industries and for a Small Business Advisor who will help entrepreneurs to start, sustain and grow businesses in the region. Download our Career Opportunities. Please pass along to great candidates. Getting this out a few days later than usual because just returned from India last evening. Great to be back in Great Falls! “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” Marcel Proust Edition 758 |
