Groundbreaking for the new South Gate at Malmstrom AFB to support the Sentinel mission; see KRTV and KFBB. The base will see over $1.2 billion in construction over the next 10 years in addition to significant construction throughout the region. The Montana Air National Guard plans $300 million in construction in its facilities at Great Falls International Airport over the next few years.
| 1) Why You’ll Love Living in Great Falls Montana, a new video produced by Livability has gone live. Thank you to Benefis Health System for sponsoring this! Links to the video and our digital Livability Great Falls magazine can be embedded in your talent recruitment efforts, contact Jamie Rapley at Jamie@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-217-9210. 2) We often get asked what is the most important factor in site selection. There isn’t one factor. It varies by the company and industry, but winning an investment decision always involves a multitude of factors. A recent survey of site selection consultants found that three quarters of the consultants ranked 29 factors as very important or important in driving site decisions. An additional 6 factors were ranked as very important or important by 60% of the consultants. See Area Development’s recent survey. We’ve found that these surveys often miss other factors which companies cite as important to their decision-making, such as the vitality of a community’s downtown, housing, etc. 3) We issued the notice to proceed to the contractors who won bids to constrict the road, water and sewer infrastructure on 67th Street North in the Great Falls AgriTech Park. These improvements will open up lots 7-10 in the rail-served industrial park. The 23-acre Lot 8 has extensive rail frontage and is still available. Contact Christian Leinhauser at 1-406-836-0136 or CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org. 4) Trust us, you won’t want to miss this. Last chance to register for GFDA’s Annual Meeting this Tuesday, June 2, from 8:30 to 10:30 AM at The Newberry (doors open at 8:00 for networking). Join us as we share updates from across the region, highlight key projects, and recognize this year’s Ally Award recipients. Connect with business and community leaders, strengthen your network, and hear what’s next for the Great Falls region. No cost to attend. Bring a guest! Register here. For more information, contact Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org. 5) AI isn’t just for large companies. Small businesses are using simple AI tools to create marketing campaigns, write social media posts, generate email content, and save valuable time. Join the GFDA SBDC on June 18 for the next workshop in our Boost Your Business training series as we explore basic AI tools and show you how to use them to build a marketing campaign. You’ll leave with practical skills and ideas that you can put to work immediately in your business. For more information and registration click here. 6) Pluto’s Crawfish opened in Great Falls; see KRTV. Mighty Mo Volleyball broke ground on its new facility. Bound to be Good Books plans to open in Downtown Great Falls; see TheElectric’s Business Bites. 7) Jake met with a group of builders and developers interested in pursuing a housing project in Great Falls. Great Falls will have several new housing developments in construction by the end of the 2026 building season. Time to get your project closer to construction, reach out to Jake at 1-406-403-4937 or Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org 8) Sara Niccum and Lisa Andis visited a current GFDA loan client who is building a USDA certified beef slaughter facility. The business in Cascade expects to handle up to 15 animals per day and service existing meat processing facilities in the Great Falls region. This is an excellent opportunity for Great Falls producers and processors to participate in the meat value chain that can cross state lines and be sold in retail outlets with low barriers to entry. Combined with the existing USDA certified operation at Missouri River Meats, Great Falls will be on the map as a producer of quality Montana beef that can be shipped nationwide. The new slaughter business will begin taking contracts later this summer. 9) The Great Falls Bicycle Club is starting construction on adding 2.5 miles of trail to the River’s Edge Trail system! 10) Looking to build past performance, expand your customer base, and strengthen your position in the government marketplace? The State of Montana purchases millions of dollars in goods and services each year from businesses just like yours. Great Falls Regional APEX can help you register your business as a state vendor, identify opportunities that align with your products and services, and navigate the bidding process. To learn more and start competing for state contracts, contract Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org or at 1-406-590-1184. 11) The Montana Agritourism Associations (MAA) annual conference will take place on November 5-6 in Lewistown. MAA is currently seeking speakers, workshop leaders, and roundtable hosts to share practical insights on topics include marketing, business planning, sustainability, visitor experiences, partnerships, technology, and other strategies that support a thriving agritourism sector. The full Request for Proposals can be viewed here. Completed proposals must be submitted to Isabel Feld at isabel.feld@mt.gov by 5:00 PM on June 12th. 12) Want to expand your export sales? The Montana Department of Commerce has resources to help. Join Commerce’s export team for a trade mission to Argentina and Uruguay, September 7-11. Montana companies are well-positioned to benefit from exports and increase their international sales in these countries. For more information, contact their export team. Join Commerce’s export team for a trade mission to India, October 5-9, to initiate or expand your business profile there. For more information, contact their export team. 13) Defense missions have a lasting impact on the Great Falls region, supporting jobs, local spending, and business growth. The Central Montana Defense Coalition was created to ensure our region remains engaged, competitive, and prepared for future opportunities involving Malmstrom Air Force Base and the Montana Air National Guard. Thank you to the investors who have stepped up to support this work. Recent. Investments include: Titan Division—Cushing Terrell. If you would like to help strengthen this important economic driver, reach out to Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org. 14) 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! 15) Great places do not happen by accident. They are built by people who care enough to invest their time, talent, and resources into making them better. Across the Great Falls region, our investors and partners are doing exactly that. Learn about them by viewing this short video. Recent investments include: Community Division—Timothy & Johnna Lightbourne. The more people who step up, the more progress we make. Contact Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org to learn how you can get involved. You are extraordinary! Come celebrate Team Great Falls at our annual meeting on Tuesday! “The entrepreneurial life is one of challenge, work, dedication, perseverance, exhilaration, agony, accomplishment, failure, sacrifice, control, powerlessness… but ultimately, extraordinary satisfaction.” David Rose Edition 739 |
