Great Falls welcomed the 4th class of Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine students during the annual White Coat Ceremony; see KRTV. The new class includes 9 Montanans! Receiving a white coat marks the beginning of a four year journey as these future physicians begin their medical education. Thank you to everyone who helped welcome this year’s class and showed them why Great Falls is a place they can call home. There are now 25 Montanan medical students at Touro Great Falls!
| 1) Touro University will launch its new Montana law school with the first class in Great Falls in the fall of 2027. The unique law school is designed for students working full time. University President Alan Kadish spoke with Great Falls community leaders, noting that the university’s expansion in Great Falls will include nursing, mental health counsellor, and physician assistant programs. Touro plans to expand its facilities. It has put 13.5 acres under contract and is working on more land for the future. See KRTV. Congratulations and thank you to all who have helped support Touro’s great success in Great Falls! 2) Cascade County is retaining and attracting young adults age 18-24 who want to work better than other parts of Montana, according to data from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry! See KXLH. 3) Travelers can now enjoy the newly expanded waiting area at Gate 1 as part of the Great Falls International Airport’s West Concourse expansion project. See: KRTV. The space now includes 164 seats, up from the original capacity of 60 passengers, along with two family restrooms, expanded restaurant seating, and an outdoor deck overlooking the airfield. Work continues on the Gate 2 expansion, which is expected to open soon. 4) GFDA’s Business Development team hosted a productive preliminary site visit with a renewable natural gas company interested in a straw based energy project. Thank you to all our producer partners who were able to participate in the initial conversation. Converting agricultural straw into renewable natural gas may create a valuable secondary market for regional commodity producers while strengthening the connection between Montana’s agricultural and energy economies. As demand for domestic energy production grows, agricultural byproducts are increasingly viewed as an economic asset rather than a waste stream. To discuss this project or other bioprocessing and energy endeavors, contact Kristen Blue at Kristen@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-788-4989. 5) Congratulations to Copper Creek, LLC on its recent contract award with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs! This award demonstrates the value of being prepared to compete in the federal market and reflects their dedication and commitment to standing out from the competition. If you are a Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) or Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) looking to win government contracts, Great Falls Regional APEX can help you navigate the certification process and teach you how to leverage your certification as a competitive advantage. To learn more, contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1184 to get started. 6) Host Touro Students for Dinner! For the past three years, community members have welcomed Touro students by hosting small groups for dinner at local restaurants. We’re excited to continue the tradition on Thursday, September 17th. We’re looking for hosts to take 2 to 5 students to dinner at a restaurant of your choice. To sign up, contact Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org. 7) Congratulations to the Rockin’ Outlaw Boutique in Browning on the grand opening of their new location. The Little Shell have republished their landmark book, The Whole Country was One Robe, available in Downtown Great Falls at Cassiopeia Books; see KRTV. The world’s fastest business jet successfully conducted a test flight using SAF from Montana Renewables; see News AM. Independence Bank held the grand opening of their new bank in Conrad; see Cut Bank Pioneer Press. 8) Christian Leinhauser met with eight site selection consultants at this year’s Logistics Development Forum in Colorado, where discussions focused on topics including regional rail solutions, data centers, defense opportunities, and supply chain trends. These one-on-one meetings helped strengthen relationships with key decision-makers who influence major business location projects. The outreach is already paying dividends, as several site selectors have reached out since the conference to discuss potential opportunities in North Central Montana. If you know of a company considering expansion or relocation, contact Christian Leinhauser at CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-836-0136. 9) GFDA’s Food and Ag Development Center is hosting a webinar at Noon on Tuesday, August 4 about the Concept to Consumer curriculum. This free course from the Montana Department of Agriculture teaches participants how to take their business from idea to reality, including permitting, marketing, cash flow, food safety, and more. Register here to join us for the August 4 Tuesday Training! 10) A 500 MW data center built in Montana would generate $2 billion in local construction, offer 168 permanent jobs, and pay an estimated $33.2 million in annual property taxes, according to reach by the Bureau of Business & Economic Research at the University of Montana. New electricity production would create additional economic impact and property tax revenue. See Montana Free Press. 11) Jake was on the road in Ft. Benton working with a client on a housing redevelopment project. Ft. Benton employers have expressed demand for more workforce housing in the area to support local jobs. If you have a housing project you’d like to get going in Ft. Benton reach out to Jake for support Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-403-4937. 12) We published the GFDA Quarter Index 2026Q2. We received $1 million in new loan capital that we have borrowed from the US Bank Community Development Corporation. Thank you! 13) Malmstrom Air Force Base and the Montana Air National Guard do more than support our national defense. They support businesses, create jobs, and help drive our regional economy. The Central Montana Defense Coalition exists to make sure our community continues to be a strong partner for these missions. Thank you to the investors who have stepped up to support this work. If you’d like to join them, contact Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org. 14) Save the date for the 2027 Made in Montana Trade Show for Food and Gifts, April 15-17, 2027. Discover authentic Montana products at the 2027 trade show, located at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds in Helena. This event is a unique selling opportunity for member businesses, and incorporates a wholesale day as well as a public retail day. The 2027 trade show exhibitor application will be available online Oct. 1-31, 2026. Learn how your business can benefit from the Made in Montana program of the Montana Department of Commerce. 15) We are getting a good response from developers interested in our Developer Red Carpet Tour in September. We are hoping to have a robust set of opportunities to show developers the development potential of the Great Falls market. If you have a project that could use development partners to move it to the next stage, reach out to Jake at Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-403-4937. 16) Central Montana Works and its community partners are hosting the fifth annual Worlds of Work (WOW) career exploration event on September 15th at Great Falls College MSU and the University of Providence from 8:00AM – 4:00 PM. WOW is a career expo – NOT a typical job fair, and this event opens new avenues of opportunity for stud ents they never knew were possible. Over 2000 8th & 10th grade students will navigate through 4 zones with 16 worlds (industry career clusters) amounting to 60-100 exhibitors. Exhibitors provide an experiential introduction to a specific business or industry cluster. All of these are hands-on opportunities to showcase well-paying, in-demand careers in our own community. Learn more and register your business. 17) I had the opportunity to learn about Cornell’s tech accelerators and food, ag and bio innovation while conducting an accreditation site visit to Ithaca, New York for the International Economic Development Council. Also learned how economic development in the region is preparing to take advantage of the huge Micron investment which has started construction near Syracuse. 18) Thank you to our investors and partners for believing in the future of the Great Falls region. Your investment goes far beyond supporting GFDA. It helps create opportunity for businesses, strengthens our communities, and lays the groundwork for the next generation of growth. Learn more by viewing this video. Recent investments include: Pacesetter Division—McDonalds and Vemco, Inc. Community Division—Arvon Block. Every success we celebrate starts with people like them who chose to be part of something bigger. To learn how you can join, contact Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org. 19) GFDA has some great Career Opportunities! Thank you to the many, many people who are making great things happen! You are priceless. Subscribe to the Grow Great Falls Montana YouTube channel! “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves.” William Shakespeare Edition 748 |
