| Site work is well underway for the Meadowview Village homeownership development in Great Falls near MAFB. |
| 1) Catching up to celebrate recent community successes! Congratulations to the Spark! Children’s Museum of Montana which has opened its new location in Downtown Great Falls; see KRTV. Congratulations to Independence Bank on the grand opening of their beautiful new location in Conrad! A grand opening celebration is set for July 22 from 3-5PM. Fire Artisan Pizza has launched a new food truck. Construction of Toby’s House new home is making great progress. See TheElectric’s Business Bites. Renovations are underway on CMR High School’s auditorium made possible by the Great Falls Public Schools Foundation; see TheElectric. Great Falls International Airport opened the new Ferrin’s Furniture Sky Deck. From the Ground Up food manufacturing facility has opened in Conrad! Sales will be on A Land of Grass Ranch’s website; see Cut Bank Pioneer Press. The new Great Falls Growth Policy was unanimously adopted by the Great Falls City Commission; see KRTV. 2) Last call! Support Touro’s newest class of students is by donating an item for our annual welcome bags. We need enough donations to fill 175 bags for incoming medical and Master of Science students. Coupons, gift cards, branded items, discounts, or other small giveaways are a great way to introduce students to your business and encourage them to explore our community. To donate, contact Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org by July 20. 3) GFDA won three Impact Awards from the National Association of Development Organizations for the impact generated by our regional Small Business Development Center, our 30 year track record of gap and bridge financing, and our Economic Development Strategy 2026-2028. Great work Team GFDA, made possible by our investors, partners and fantastic clients! 4) Kristen engaged with the Montana Energy Business Alliance (MEBA) to introduce MEBA’s mission and policy platforms to the Energy and Interim Technology Committee in Helena. Energy is a foundational topic for economic development, and MEBA is organizing the voice of businesses interested in the decisions that will shape business investment, job creation, and community growth. Join the conversation about energy in Montana, talk to Kristen Blue at Kristen@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-788-4989. 5) The Great Falls International Airport is holding an Community Open House on Tuesday, July 28th from 6:30-8:30 PM. Come celebrate the Terminal’s 50 year anniversary and learn about plans for the next 25 years. Free fun family activities and free parking in all airport parking lots. 6) SBA 504 effective interest rates for July are 6.172% for 25-year loans, 6.204% for 20-year loans, and 6.192% for 10-year loans. Refinance rates are 6.175% for 25-year loans and 6.207% for 20-year loans. The SBA 504 program continues to offer long-term, fixed-rate financing with low down payments, making it an attractive option for businesses purchasing owner-occupied commercial real estate or major equipment. Businesses interested in learning more about SBA 504 financing are encouraged to contact Shandi Gebhardt Jones at Shandi@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-9037. 7) 46 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 Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1184. 8) Jake met with a prospect on a major potential project for Downtown Great Falls as well as builders looking to grow their capacity to produce housing in our market. Did you know that GFDA has all the tools to help businesses start up and scale up? Reach out to Jake to see how your business can take on more capacity to produce housing in Great Falls, Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-403-4937. 9) This Tuesday, July 21 at Noon, GFDA’s Food and Ag Development Center is hosting a webinar about workforce development in meat processing, Beefing Up Montana’s Meat Workforce. Don’t miss the insights shared from Havre local schools are partnering with Montana Premium Processing Co-op to develop ag career skills for the next generation of ag processors. Register today! 10) GFDA was pleased to host our partners from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during their visit to Great Falls. Throughout their visit, GFDA coordinated several site tours showcasing redevelopment projects across the region, providing an opportunity to highlight local revitalization efforts and discuss future redevelopment opportunities. Our team also participated in EPA-led training on lead-based paint regulations and best practices. The training will help strengthen GFDA’s work with redevelopment and rehabilitation projects, particularly those involving older buildings, and ensure we continue to support projects safely and effectively. If you know of a redevelopment or environmental cleanup project, contact Jill Kohles at JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1056 to learn about available resources and funding opportunities. 11) Touro COM has launched its annual White Coat Campaign, and our community has an opportunity to welcome the next class of future physicians to Great Falls. For a $50 tax deductible donation, you can sponsor a personalized white coat and include a note of encouragement that will be placed in a student’s coat pocket before the White Coat Ceremony. It’s a meaningful way to support the students who are choosing Great Falls for their medical education and who will help strengthen Montana’s healthcare workforce. Learn more and support the campaign here: TouroCOM White Coat Notes Campaign. 12) Please join Touro University Montana on July 30 at 5 PM for an Open House Reception celebrating our community partnership and progress. The evening will start with an overview of the vision for Touro University Montana followed by an open house. RSVPs are required to Heidi Hockett at HHockett@Touro.edu. 13) Sara visited 5 regional businesses to catch up on summer developments in food and consumables manufacturing across North Central Montana. Montana’s ag products are prized across the world and that doesn’t just include food products! With help from GFDA’s Small Business Development Center and Food and Ag Development Center, Windrift Hill grew from a small storefront in Conrad to a manufacturing company with more than a dozen employees and retail items across the country. Is your business ready for its next stage of growth? Reach out to Sara Niccum at 1-406-590-1301 or Sara@GrowGreatFalls.org to see what resources are available now! 14) Multiple Montana businesses attended the Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub meeting in Great Falls to learn how their innovative products, technologies, and advanced manufacturing capabilities can align with Department of War needs. Great Falls Regional APEX can help you identify these opportunities and help you prepare to compete in the government market. To learn how you can gain a competitive edge, contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1184. 15) Kristen worked with three companies interested in energy development in Montana. Opportunities in North Central Montana abound, including wind, solar, and natural gas. Energy generation and transmission are long lead time projects, the best day to get started on potential endeavors is today. Reach out to Kristen Blue at Kristen@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-788-4989 to discuss what’s possible. 16) Join the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce on August 11 at 6:00 PM at Voyager Stadium for the Leadership Great Falls Alumni vs. Leadership High School Alumni Kickball Showdown. This free, family friendly event is open to the entire community and is a great way to spend an evening while supporting the next generation of leaders. 17) We are proud to announce GFDA’s FY2027 newly elected officers: Chair Toby Malsam of Culligan Water Systems, Vice Chair Andreas Geranios of Geranios Enterprises, Inc., Treasurer Reed Bassett of Bravera Bank, and Secretary Nate Weisenburger of AE2S. Joining them on the GFDA Executive Committee are Joe Briggs of the Cascade County Commission, Johnna Lightbourne of Cogswell Insurance Agency serving as Immediate Past Chair, Kaci Husted of Benefis Health System, Len Watkins of Gusto Distributing, Mark Cappis of Cappis Consulting and Tax, LLC, and Rebecca Engum of Great Falls Montana Tourism. Thank you to each of these leaders for their commitment to helping guide GFDA’s work and support economic growth across North Central Montana. 18) Please join us in welcoming GFDA’s FY2027 Loan Committee. Serving as Chair is Rebecca Engum of Great Falls Montana Tourism. Joining her are Chad Simonson of Independence Bank, Erin Townsend of Bravera Bank, Jim Dea of New Day Property Managers, Johnna Lightbourne of Cogswell Insurance Agency, Martin Byrnes of Cushing Terrell, Scott Blumfield of Catalyst Commercial, Sheila Rice, retired from NeighborWorks Great Falls, and Tausha Stoll of Guy Tabacco Construction. Thank you to these professionals for sharing their time and expertise to help review loan requests and support businesses and economic growth across North Central Montana. 19) Thank you to Mr. Jeffrey Edward Holm & Mrs. Ruth Wright Holm of the Holm Charity Fund for their generous donation to GFDA. The Holm Charity Fund was created to support Montana students at Touro and this donation is to allow GFDA to continue our efforts to keep doing what we are to make sure Touro has success for years to come in our community. Thank you for the support! 20) SBDC Business Advisor Rich Gannon served as a panelist this week interviewing finalists for admission into the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, which provides small business owners with practical business education, and a strong peer network. Several of the candidates were businesses from our region. 21) Great communities don’t just attract opportunity. They work to keep it. That’s why the Central Montana Defense Coalition brings business and community leaders together to support Malmstrom Air Force Base and the Montana Air National Guard. Thank you to the investors helping lead this effort. Want to get involved? Reach out to Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org. 22) The Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) will release the results of their new analysis of the potential economic impact of hyperscale AI data centers in Montana on July 29 from 7:30 – 9:00 AM at the Meadowlark Country Club. The analysis looks at both short- and long-term employment effects and the impacts on property tax revenues and rates. In addition, Todd O’Hair, CEO of the Montana Chamber of Commerce, will share insights from a series of recent workshops the Chamber has hosted on community impacts of data centers. Register here. 23) We continue planning for several upcoming site visits with target companies exploring expansion into North Central Montana. These projects span multiple industries, from defense and advanced manufacturing to value-added agriculture, reflecting the broad interest in our region. Each visit is an opportunity to showcase our communities, infrastructure, workforce, and business-friendly environment. If you know of a company interested in expanding or relocating to Great Falls, contact Christian Leinhauser at CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-836-0136. 24) Save the Date! September 10-11 we are hosting a developer tour of opportunities for new projects in Great Falls in conjunction with the Urban land Institute. This event is focused on developers interested in the Great Falls market for housing and commercial development. We will tour available sites, meet the local building and permitting staff, visit demand drivers in the market, and more! If you have a potential project that you would like represented reach out to Jake at Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-403-4937. 25) I had the opportunity to participate in an event of the Montana Departments of Agriculture and Commerce this week highlighting the various state programs businesses throughout the state utilize to start and grow. We love partnering with the excellent teams of these two state agencies! 26) Our investors and partners are helping create the opportunities, projects, and growth that strengthen the Great Falls region. Their support gives us the ability to keep moving forward and continue building a place where people want to live, work, and stay. Learn more about them by viewing this short video. Recent investments include: Community Division: Mighty Mo Brewing Co. Join the people investing in the future of our region by contacting Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org. 27) GFDA has some great Career Opportunities! See you at The Fray at Great Falls Voyagers Stadium this evening and at Kentucky Headhunters at Electric City Speedway on Thursday! “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” George Barnard Shaw Edition 746 |
