Benefis Health System celebrated the ribbon cutting for the new Goodnow Healthy Aging Center ahead of its official opening on October 5. See KRTV. The center will give older adults and their families access to more care and resources right here in Great Falls. Investments like this strengthen the services available across our region and help Great Falls continue to serve as a healthcare hub for communities throughout Montana. Thank you Benefis for continuing to invest in Great Falls and in services that make a difference for people across our region.
| 1) Admiral Beverage moved into its new 120,000 square foot facility in the Great Falls AgriTech Park. Beautiful job — congratulations to all involved in the building’s construction and site development! 2) We hosted multiple site visits with international companies exploring opportunities in North Central Montana. One company visited Great Falls to evaluate potential locations for manufacturing and distribution operations, while we joined another company in Helena to meet with the Montana Department of Commerce and Governor Gianforte to discuss resources available to support their expansion. Governor Gianforte also connected directly with the other company during its Great Falls visit. These visits demonstrate continued international interest in our region and the strong partnerships we’ve built to help companies navigate expansion into Montana. If you know of a company considering U.S. expansion, contact Christian Leinhauser at CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-836-0136. 3) We received pay-off of our bridge loan that supported the Baatz Block Apartments development in Downtown Great Falls. Congratulations to NeighborWorks Great Falls and Homeword, and all of the partners who helped make this project possible! 4) Last call! Register here to join the data center conversation this Monday, Sept. 28th at 5:00 PM in Heritage Hall at Great Falls College MSU. This convening of GFDA’s Data Center Task Force will revisit the concerns community members identified in the first meeting and discuss priorities, commitments, and community benefits North Central Montana would seek from any future data center developer considering investment in the region. Notes from all previous meetings are available here. 5) Inc. magazine published an article noting that the common denominator amongst the 10 best states for small business, which includes Montana, is competitiveness of the personal income tax. 6) Jake met with three developers this week pursuing new projects in Great Falls to connect them each with resources supportive of their proposed housing projects in Great Falls. Each project is unique and can benefit from a diverse set of tools available to move their project forward. Time to get your project to the next step? Reach out to Jake at 1-406-406-4937 or Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org. 7) Don’t miss Jon Schallert’s FREE Destination Creation Workshop! We’re less than two weeks away from this hands-on workshop designed for businesses of all types, as well as downtown, tourism, city and county leaders. Join us October 6 in Shelby or October 7 in Great Falls to learn practical strategies for attracting more customers and turning your business or community into a destination. Register today at GrowGreatFallsMontana.org/destination. 8) Speaking of destination businesses, Cowboy State Daily says that “Mermaids Make Sip ‘N Dip Absolutely Insane in the Best Way.” 9) Are you spending too much time searching for government contracts? Great Falls Regional APEX can show you how to create saved searches in SAM.gov to streamline your search. You can target specific agencies and receive email notifications when they post new contract opportunities. Stay informed, find the right opportunities, and position your business to compete for and win government contracts. Contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1184. 10) Congratulations to Lisa Cline, owner of Marketplace on Main in Cut Bank, on being selected as a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Scholar! See Cut Bank Pioneer Press. 11) We conducted a site visit with a rural organization that is looking to open an existing space in the region for public use. Before they can move forward, they need to determine whether lead, asbestos, or other potential contaminants are present. GFDA’s Brownfields Assessment Program is exploring whether the project may be eligible for funding for an environmental assessment to identify any potential concerns at the property. If you are looking at purchasing or redeveloping a property that may have environmental concerns, contact Jill Kohles at 1-406-590-1056 or JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org to learn more about GFDA’s Brownfields Program. 12) Entrepreneurs are building the future of Montana, and we want to celebrate them! Join us for GFDA’s annual Entrepreneur Celebration on November 10 from 4:30–5:30 PM at The Newberry in Downtown Great Falls. Whether you opened your doors this year or decades ago, this celebration recognizes entrepreneurs across our 13-county trade area whose ideas, determination, and investment create jobs and strengthen our communities. Mark your calendar and RSVP at growgreatfallsmontana.org/entrepreneur-celebration/. Questions or entrepreneur nominations can be directed to Jamie at Jamie@GrowGreatFalls.org or +1-406-217-9210. 13) The pre-application window for the Montana Growth Through Agriculture (GTA) program opens October 6 and runs through November 9. GTA provides grant and loan funding through the Montana Department of Agriculture for projects that add value to Montana agricultural products and have the potential to create or retain jobs in Montana. Applicants will first submit basic project information through the online portal, with selected projects then invited to complete a full application. If you are an agricultural producer or operate an ag related business and have a project in mind, contact GFDA Business Advisor Rich Gannon at RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org or call 1-406-836-2078 for assistance with the pre application process. 14) We are fortunate to have Malmstrom Air Force Base and the Montana Air National Guard as part of our community, but maintaining a strong defense presence takes continued effort. The Central Montana Defense Coalition brings local voices together to support these missions and make sure our region remains part of the conversation about future defense opportunities. Thank you to the investors helping fund this work. Contact Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org to get involved. 15) We were awarded three Montana Economic Developers Association Impact Awards for the same three accomplishments that we won (National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Impact Awards earlier this year: Great Falls Montana Economic Development Strategy 2026-2028; Great Falls Montana Gap Financing 30 Year Success; and, Great Falls Regional Small Business Development Center. Congratulations Team GFDA! 16) We responded to a Request for Information (RFI) from the Montana Department of Commerce for a food manufacturing company considering an expansion into Montana. Our response highlighted opportunities in North Central Montana and the resources available to support food processing and value-added agriculture operations. Each RFI gives us another opportunity to put our region in front of companies actively making expansion decisions. If you know of a food manufacturing or value-added agriculture company considering expansion, contact Christian Leinhauser at CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-836-0136. 17) The MT Dept of Commerce Agritourism Grant Program opened on September 24th. Check out the Montana Department of Commerce website for more information and for TA sessions. 18) Jolene participated in the Montana Economic Developers Association’s fall conference and board meeting in Sidney. I helped conduct an accreditation visit to the City of Burbank volunteering for the International Economic Development Council. Learned about Burbank’s downtown revitalization, tourism and economic development efforts. 19) GFDA’s Executive Committee voted unanimously to create a Sentinel Project Task Force as part of the Central Montana Defense Coalition efforts to support defense missions in the region. Our Executive Committee also voted unanimously to create an Industrial Sites Task Force to search for future potential industrial park sites in the area. 20) A business owner should not have to figure everything out alone. GFDA provides the financing, guidance, connections, and resources businesses need at every stage of growth. Thanks to our investors and partners, we can continue putting those tools to work for businesses across the region. Learn more about the people supporting our work in this short video. Recent investments include: Leadership Division—Gusto Distributing. Invest in the resources that help our region grow. Contact Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org. 21) Considering an alternative energy or energy efficiency project for your business? The Department of Environmental Quality, Alternative Energy Revolving Loan Program is opening its next application window October 1. The program offers financing for qualifying projects at a fixed 3.5% interest rate. For details on the program and application assistance, reach out to Meranda Bass at 1-406-444-6586 or msikes@mt.gov. 22) Discover authentic Made in Montana products at the 2027 Made in Montana Trade Show April 16-17, 2027 in Helena. The trade show is a unique selling opportunity for Made in Montana businesses, incorporating a wholesale day as well as a public retail day. Registration for the 2027 Made in Montana Trade Show opens October 1st and closes October 31st. It is NOT first come, first served. 23) 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. Download our Career Opportunities. Please pass along to great candidates. “I’ve only had two rules: Do all you can and do it the best you can. It’s the only way you ever get that feeling of accomplishing something.” Colonel Sanders Edition 756 |
