Top Ten 8-2-23

Posted on by GFDA

Students & faculty of Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine kicked off their first week with a night at the Great Falls Voyagers courtesy of GFDA and the Voyagers.
1) Last week marked a momentous occasion as we welcomed the first class of students at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. The outpouring of support from our community was overwhelming. Generous local businesses and organizations each donated 100 items for special baskets, each brimming with over $500 worth of local goods for the students to enjoy. A massive thank you to: Alluvion Health, Annie’s Tap House, Candy Masterpiece, C.M. Russell Museum, Dragonfly Dry Goods, Giant Springs State Park, Great Falls Americans Hockey, Great Falls Montana Tourism, Great Falls Symphony, Great Falls Voyagers, Jeremiah Johnson Brewing Co., KellerGeist, Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, McDonald’s of Great Falls, Mighty Mo Brew Co., North 40 Outfitters, Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, Pasta Montana, Scheels, Showdown MT, Stockman Bank, Street Burgers, Teriyaki Madness, The Block, The History Museum, The Peak, Tracy’s Family Restaurant, and Wheels of Thunder for their support and contributions. The positive response and kindness from the community to welcome these aspiring medical professionals has made a lasting impact, showcasing the genuine warmth and camaraderie of our Great Falls community.

2) GFDA has several different tools and services to help businesses and developers with their project needs. One of these tools is the gap and bridge financing that we offer. We closed a $310,000 bridge loan to Reach Development LLC which will enable the developer to move forward on a major apartment community Great Falls. The GFDA loan helped leverage an additional $1,200,000 of private funding. A big THANK YOU to our banking partner, Erin Townsend of Bravera Bank, for being instrumental in making this happen. If your business needs assistance with financing to start, grow or innovate please contact Jill Kohles at 406-590-1056 or JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org.

3) June data from the Montana Department of Labor shows that employment in Cascade County increased by 396 from June 2022 to June 2023 with an additional 633 job increase in the rural counties of our trade area for total employment growth of 1,029. The labor force grew by 368 in Cascade County and an additional 595 in the rural counties for a total labor force growth of 963. Cascade County had a 2.7% unemployment rate in June. MDOL has 909 current job listings in Cascade County plus 847 listing in the rural counties of our trade area for a total 1,756 job listings.

4) We hosted an exciting prospect visit to Great Falls. The business was so impressed with Great Falls and their potential partners here that they have decided to fast track the next steps in their journey towards an expansion into our area. Thank you to our partners who helped make this a great visit!

5) Chastity Tarrow has opened A Kids Nest Childcare in Great Falls. The childcare facility is a family-owned business serving ages 0-10. Learn more about this new facility in our Announcement of the Week.

6) GFDA’s APEX Accelerator (formerly called Procurement Technical Assistance Center or PTAC) helped a small business in Havre with a critical contract payment issue caused by an expired registration. The business owner faced challenges renewing the registration due to a missing record. The Federal Service Desk couldn’t fix it, so the Contracting Office with the Bureau of Reclamation referred her to our APEX advisors for assistance. After a month of work and multiple workarounds, we successfully resolved the issue. The contracting officer confirmed the business owner will receive the overdue payments, and the small business was also awarded a new contract starting on August 1st! The business owner said, “I don’t know what I would have done without you.” This success highlights the significance of providing support to small businesses, particularly when dealing with technical challenges related to government contracts.

7) INDHemp hosted their 3rd Annual Montana Hemp Summer Summit. Over 100 people attended from across the country and internationally to listen to speakers discuss the future of hemp in regenerative agriculture, construction, and industrial processes; see KRTV. Anna Flies attended the summit to network with both hemp farmers and producers as well as the companies looking to include hemp in their production lines. If you are interested in starting hemp production in Montana or are looking to partner with Montana hemp producers, please contact Anna at Anna@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1301.

8) The City of Great Falls has three tax increment financing programs that can provide up to $130,000 in matching funds to support the redevelopment of downtown properties, and potentially more for major projects. If you are interested in knowing more, contact Christian at 1-406-836-0136 or CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org and let’s discuss how this tool can work for your project.

9) Tony ventured to Kalispell and Whitefish to meet with bankers and lenders to discuss SBA 504 loans available statewide from our own High Plains Financial. If you or your business are looking for additional funding options we may be able to help. To offer the best service to Montana banks and businesses, we have put together a virtual SBA 504 underwriting and loan closing team that has closed hundreds of 504 loans. Try us out! Contact Tony at Tony@GrowGreatFalls.org or via 1-406-750-2099 to learn more.

10) Help us continue to welcome the inaugural class of Touro students to Great Falls! As we eagerly welcome the first class of students at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, we are reaching out to our wonderful community for a special request. On Thursday, August 24th, we kindly ask you to step up and host a small group of 3 to 5 students for dinner at a restaurant of your choice. Your hospitality will undoubtedly make a significant impact on these aspiring medical professionals as they begin their journey in our city. To participate in this initiative, please reach out to Jenn at 406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org no later than August 15th. Together, let’s extend a warm welcome and show support to these promising students as they embark on their exciting new chapter.

11) The State Small Business Credit Initiative 2.0 (SSBCI 2.0) low interest rate program is still awaiting their third tranche of funding. This third tranche is on a first come first served basis, so start talking with GFDA now, if you have a project that could move forward with the benefit of low interest rate funding. These funds are limited and will be put to work very quickly to help our economy recover and come back stronger than ever. If you have a business startup or expansion planned that could benefit from a loan participation, contact Jill at JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1056.

12) Our achievements stand as a testament to the power of collaboration. We extend our gratitude to our esteemed INVESTORS and dedicated public partners, whose unwavering support plays a pivotal role in realizing our goals and fulfilling our mission. Discover more about them HERE. Their ongoing support empowers us to bring forth new opportunities and nurture talent within our region. To all, a sincere thank you. If you’re interested in joining our valued team of investors, please don’t hesitate to contact Investment Director Jenn Gallmeier at 406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org. Together, let’s continue to celebrate and grow the region.

Hope you’re enjoying a great State Fair week!

Brett Doney

President & CEO

BDoney@GrowGreatFalls.org

1-406-750-2119

 

Top Ten 7/23/23

Posted on by GFDA

Touro Medical students have arrived in Great Falls! Our team has been working with Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, Benefis Health System and many local businesses to put together a great welcome for the first class of medical students. We will be sending a separate thank you to all the generous partners who have contributed to the success of this warm welcome. The response this week has been amazing!
1) Our loan committee approved two bridge loans totaling $620,000 to support two much-needed developments of affordable and workforce housing in Great Falls. We continue to work with developers on apartment construction, but are also searching for developers to undertake major homeownership construction. Contact Jake at 1-406-403-4937 or Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org.

2) To address local housing needs and support business startups and expansions, we have issued pending bridge and gap loan commitments totaling $10,322,175 and have an additional $2.5 million in underwriting. These loans will leverage tens of millions of investment in our region. To keep the momentum going, we need more loan capital. We are seeking sources to borrow more capital. Contact me, Brett Doney at 1-406-750-2119 or BDoney@GrowGreatFalls.org if you know of a potential source.

3) Luckily we have unlimited capacity to underwrite SBA 504 loans throughout Montana. To offer the best service to Montana banks and businesses, we have put together a virtual SBA 504 underwriting and loan closing team that has closed hundreds of 504 loans. Try us out! Contact Tony at 1-406-750-2099 or Tony@GrowGreatFalls.org.

4) Worked with an outstanding renewable energy company that is expanding in our region with plans to open an office in Great Falls and invest in significant renewable energy production in the Great Falls region! They are currently hiring and we’ll have their positions featured in our next Hot Jobs! Are you receiving our Hot Jobs eblast? Do you have jobs that people would move here for that we should include? Reach out to Lyndsay at Lyndsay@GrowGreatFalls.org.

5) Testified in support of low and moderate income tax credits for the proposed redevelopment of the historic Elmore Roberts Building in downtown Great Falls that will preserve 60 affordable apartments. The project is being undertaken by CPP Housing and NeighborWorks Great Falls.

6) Published our new Economic Development Strategy and our GFDFA 2023Q2 Quarter Index. GFDA has adopted the dba Great Falls Development Alliance to more accurately reflect our public/private partnership. Anna Flies started work as our newest Business Development Officer. Anna will be working with Katesha Campbell on growing and diversifying the region’s food, ag, and bio processing industries. Contact Anna at 1-406-590-1301 or Anna@GrowGreatFalls.org.

7) Speaking of bio processing, Montana Renewables announced the successful startup of its hydrothermal cleanup pretreatment unit, an industry first. Designed by Applied Research Associates, the unit can process 10,000 barrels per day of low carbon intensity waste fat, oil and grease feedstocks with near 100% yield of clean organic product; see Biomass Magazine.

8) Kim Winchell owns Montana Mutt Dog Treats in Cut Bank. Montana Mutt specializes in all-natural dog treats, snout, and paw balm. “The inspiration for the first recipe we ever had was baking with my daughter on Christmas Day.” Follow Kim on her business journey as she works with GFDA to transform Montana Mutt from a hobby into a thriving e-commerce business, selling products in 31 stores, all from her dog kitchen in Cut Bank.

9) We hosted the Montana Facility Finance Authority to offer an interactive presentation on the C-PACE program and how this and other tools can benefit housing and commercial projects. If you are not sure about how the C-PACE program can help your project, contact Jake with questions, 1-406-403-4937 or Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org.

10) Downtown Great Falls has a new restaurant, Korean Cup Bob, serving authentic Korean cuisine. Check out more local business news in The Electric’s Business Bites. A new Great Falls addiction recovery business, Illumination Recovery, has opened; see KRTV. Great Falls has a new non-profit gaming club, the Owlbear Gaming Club, that has become popular for Dungeons & Dragons fans and other games; see KRTV.

11) Our Great Falls region APEX Accelerator helped a regional business with complex SAM.gov issues caused by the April 2022 conversion. The delays in the renewal process have adverse effects on small businesses engaged in government contracting, leading to payment delays on their active contracts. With our APEX advisor’s assistance, the business is making progress, resolving the challenges and expecting six months’ back payments. Contact Shannon at 1-406-590-1184 or SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org.

12) This week Montana’s Food & Ag Development Center network hosted a Rural Energy for America (REAP) training webinar in conjunction with USDA. If you are an agricultural producer or rural small business owner looking to reduce energy costs and consumption, the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) could help! Contact Katesha at 1-406-788-0860 or Katesha@GrowGreatFalls.org.

13) Our Business Focus topic this month is bank and credit union readiness and how to get there. If you are looking at starting a business or perhaps have an existing business this will help you understand more about preparing for that ask. Please visit our events page to see when and where these will be held. For questions please reach out to Tony at Tony@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-750-2099.

14) Have you been interested in developing in Downtown Great Falls? We have a TON of opportunities for residential development and GFDA has the tools such as bridge and gap financing to help you complete your project. Contact Christian at 1-406-836-0136 or CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org and let’s discuss the opportunities and tools we have available.

15) Join GFDA and Instructor Claude Smith from the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center in August for the Preventive Controls Qualified Individual for Human Food training, August 16-18 here in Great Falls. Learn to develop and implement a FDA-compliant Food Safety Plan and receive a certificate of completion directly from the Food Safety and Preventive Controls Alliance. Click here for more information and to register, or contact Katesha at 1-406-788-0860 or Katesha@GrowGreatFalls.org.

16) The Montana Child Care Business Connect Fall Summit will be held September 13-14 at the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. The summit will be the first of its kind annual gathering of child care providers, entrepreneurs, community leaders and industry professionals in Montana, offering a unique opportunity to share best business practices, learn new skills and resources, and network with like-minded partners. Register today.

17) The State Small Business Credit Initiative 2.0 (SSBCI 2.0) low interest rate program is still awaiting their third tranche of funding. This third tranche is on a first come first served basis, so start talking with GFDA now, if you have a project that could move forward with the benefit of low interest rate funding. These funds are limited and will be put to work very quickly to help our economy recover and come back stronger than ever. If you have a business startup or expansion planned that could benefit from a loan participation, contact Jill at JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1056.

Off to the horse races!

Brett Doney

President & CEO

Top Ten 7/16/23

Posted on by GFDA

Jeremiah Johnson is featured in The Living a Stout Life Podcast. The program talks about Jeremiah’s Montana roots and the future of Jeremiah Johnson beer. Listen to Jeremiah Johnson: The man behind the brewery here. Picture courtesy of The Living Stout Life Podcast.

1) Congratulations to the Great Falls Theatre Company on bringing large-scale community theater back to Great Falls with “Oklahoma” at the University of Providence! See KRTV and TheElectric. Carnivorium Ice Cream Parlor & Cafe is now open on the first floor of the Columbus Center at 1601 2nd Ave N in Great Falls.

2) Help us welcome Montana’s first medical students to Great Falls and Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine! There are 3 ways you can hop on the welcome wagon. We’d like to invite you to add to the Great Falls gift basket that we are assembling for each of the new students. Your business can contribute to the baskets! Secondly, at other Touro campuses the local business and community leaders are invited to host students out to dinner one night as the new year kicks off. We would like to join that tradition on Thursday, August 24. If you would like to participate in either of these opportunities, please reach out to Jenn Gallmeier at Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org. Thirdly, if you would like to participate in Touro’s White Coat Campaign you can sponsor the white coat for an aspiring DO student here.

3) GFDA closed an $80,000 loan to The Messy Apron, LLC to help purchase equipment and fund working capital for their brick-and-mortar expansion. This client originally started operations with a food truck and had the vision to be able to turn that into a permanent location. The clients realized this vision with the construction of their new location in Cut Bank, Montana. GFDA is excited to continue to help this entrepreneur achieve success. Contact Jill Kohles to learn about the different financing tools available to help your business to start, expand or innovate, JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org.

4) We hosted a Rural Energy for America Program and Value-Added Producer Grant training session in Conrad! Our esteemed trainer, Lea McGiboney from USDA Rural Development, dazzled us with her knowledge, tips, and resources, not to mention project success stories from both programs. Want more information? Contact Katesha at 406.788.0860 or Katesha@GrowGreatFalls.org.

5) Have you created or updated your Dynamic Small Business Search DSBS profile? A strong profile can significantly boost your contracting success by increasing your visibility to local, state, and federal agencies seeking goods and services. If you would like more information on how to create or update your DSBS profile, contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org.

6) The State Small Business Credit Initiative 2.0 (SSBCI 2.0) low interest rate program is still awaiting their third tranche of funding. This third tranche is on a first come first served basis, so start talking with GFDA now, if you have a project that could move forward with the benefit of low interest rate funding. These funds are limited and will be put to work very quickly to help our economy recover and come back stronger than ever. If you have a business startup or expansion planned that could benefit from a loan participation, contact Jill at JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1056.

7) The first of our Business Focus events have been scheduled and we will be launching in Choteau and Conrad on Tuesday, August 1st. Our focus for this month will be bank readiness with guest speaker Rich Gannon. We will be following up with more dates and times across the region. Please reach out to Tony at Tony@GrowGreatFalls.org or 406-750-2099.

8) Brides in Great Falls have a new option for dress shopping – Silhouette Bridal Studio in Great Falls. The studio is owned and operated by local businesswoman Melissa Stokes. Learn more in our Announcement of the Week.

9) As part of our effort to increase housing production in Great Falls, GFDA is partnering with the Montana Facility Finance Authority to offer a free interactive presentation on the C-PACE program and how this and other tools can be leveraged to get housing projects off the ground. The event will be held on Thursday, July 20, at 10:30 AM at Great Falls College MSU in room B101. Registration is live now! Contact Jake with questions, Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org.

10) Are you a food facility needing a qualified individual to create a Food Safety Plan? Learn to develop and implement a FDA-compliant Food Safety Plan and receive a certificate of completion directly from the Food Safety and Preventive Controls Alliance. Join us and Instructor Claude Smith from the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center in August for the Preventive Controls Qualified Individual for Human Food training, August 16-18 here in Great Falls. Click here for more information and to register, or contact Katesha at 4067880860 or Katesha@GrowGreatFalls.org.

11) We’re excited to announce that Anna Flies will be joining the GFDA staff team as a Business Development Officer starting this Monday, July 17th! Anna is an accomplished small business founder and acupuncturist who recently relocated to Great Falls. She earned BA’s in match and philosophy from St. John’s College and a Masters of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from the New England School of Acupuncture. Anna will be working with Katesha Campbell, Jolene Schalper and our other great business development team members on growing and diversifying the region’s food, ag and bio processing industries. Anna spent three summers working as an organic CSA during college, gaining a love of farming and food production. She speaks French and Japanese which will benefit us because we already have several French and Japanese owned processing companies in the Great Falls region.

12) I invested time this week to learn and network with colleagues and potential loan capital sources at the Opportunity Finance Network’s regional meeting of Community Development Financial Institutions hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. And, I participated in the annual strategic retreat of the International Economic Development Council’s Economic Development Research Partners hosted by Target headquarters in Minneapolis. Our next research product is a series on Building and Leading Next-Level Economic Development Organizations. GFDA is one of IEDC’s 62 research partners, the only partner investing in cutting edge economic development research in Montana.

13) As part of our comprehensive professional development opportunities, Jolene was able to volunteer with the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) providing technical assistance to the Tinian Cattleman’s Association, Saipan Department of Commerce, and Saipan Small Business Development Center. The US Territory is recovering from the double hit of a super typhoon and COVID 19 pandemic which decimated their tourism based economy. This project is one of the recommendations that came from a comprehensive SWOT analysis and strategic plan for economic recovery that Brett was part of developing.

14) We received the money from the CDFI Fund of the U.S. Treasury for our latest Financial Award, $502,370 in grant funds match 1:1 by our GFDA Investors and $237,630 in low-interest loan funds matched 1:1 by a low interest loan from the Montana Board of Investments (MBOI). This marks our eighth competitive Financial Award from the CDFI Fund, matched 1:1 by our investors and MBOI. $75,355 of the funds will help support our operations and the remainder will be used for loan capital. We will immediately put the new loan capital to work in the Great Falls region. In fact, we have already issued loan commitments waiting on these funds. THANK YOU to our Investors for making all of this possible!

15) Investing in economic development is about creating opportunities, fostering innovation, and building a foundation for sustainable success. Nobody understands that more than our dedicated team of INVESTORS and public partner. Learn more about them HERE. Recent investments include: Pacesetter Division—McDonald’s of Great Falls; Republic Services; Community Division—Great Falls Business Improvement District; Great Falls College MSU; Geranios Enterprises, Inc. Their investments are laying the groundwork for a brighter tomorrow, ensuring a prosperous future for generations to come. If you’d like to learn how you can support the growth and economic success of our community, reach out to Investment Director Jenn Gallmeier at 406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org.

We working with some amazing clients on really exciting projects. It’s wonderful to have such creative and strong entrepreneurs in the Great Falls region!

Brett Doney, President & CEO

 

Top Ten 7/12/23

Posted on by GFDA

Great Falls came out in full force to show their patriotic spirit at the 4th of July Hootenanny, sponsored by several Great Falls businesses, and the 4th of July parade. What a great day in Great Falls!
1) Alluvion Health in Great Falls is creating a workforce development program for nurses called Next Nurse. A grant from the U.S. Department of Labor for up to $3 million over five years will help fund it; see KRTV and the Great Falls Tribune. Two Great Falls women build their businesses with friendship; see KTRV. Benefis Health System acquired the Missouri River Medical Center in Chouteau County; see KFBB.

2) Get ready for our first class of Touro medical students! We need your help to welcome them to our community. We are asking for business support – gift cards, discounts, food, beverages, and more. We want to show them how excited we are that they chose Great Falls. To be part of the team, call Jenn 406.781.9499.

3) The U.S. Department of Commerce announced that Montana will receive $629 million to improve broadband service across the state; see KRTV. The Blackfeet Nation celebrated the release of a herd of bison near Babb, the first time bison have roamed the area since 1873; see KRTV. The McLaughlin Research Institute in Great Falls is hosting 8 interns this summer, including a University of Providence student from Burkina Faso; see KRTV. Nike released a new N7 sneaker designed by fashion designer Rebekah Jarvey of Havre and the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation; see KRTV.

4) The Montana Chamber and the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center are holding a Manufacturer Meet-up at the El Conejo Cantina in The Wild Hare in downtown Great Falls this Thursday, July 13 from 5:30-7:30 PM. RSVP here.

5) Congratulations to the 10 new Owner Built Homes homeowners who closed on their homes through NeighborWorks Great Falls! Congratulations to the Choteau Lions Club and all who donated and helped create the new City Park Bandshell! See Choteau Acantha.

6) We want to make our region more competitive in the Meat and Poultry Processing industry by increasing the number of processors and expanding existing ones. We have engaged with 64 Meat Processors, toured 6 Meat Processing facilities, and had 14 separate Training or Advising sessions with Meat Processors in our region so far, and we’re ready for more! Are you a processor looking to start-up, expand, or upgrade? Let us help! Contact Katesha at 406-788-0860 or Katesha@GrowGreatFalls.org for more information.

7) The Great Falls trade area won over $2.5 million in historic preservation grants from the Montana Department of Commerce, including $500,000 for the Blackfoot Spiritual & Heritage Center in Browning, $340,000 for The History Museum in Great falls, $400,000 for the Rocky Mountain Building in Great falls, $250,000 for the Civic Center in Great Falls, $300,979 for the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, $359,672 for Havre Beneath the Streets, $100,000 for Qullette Place in Lewistown, $270,000 for the Waite House in Lewistown, and $5,600 for the Shelby Town Hall. See Tribune and TheElectric.

8) As part of our effort to increase housing production in Great Falls, GFDA is partnering with the Montana Facility Finance Authority to offer a free interactive presentation on the C-PACE program and how this and other tools can be leveraged to get housing projects off the ground. The event will be held on Thursday, July 20, at 10:30 AM at Great Falls College MSU in room B101. Registration will be live soon! Contact Jake with questions, Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org.

9) The 12th Annual Montana Clean Energy Fair will be in Billings this year. The Fair will be held on the MSUB campus on August 12 from 9:00am to 3:30 pm. The Fair is free and open to the public. No tickets or registration are required. There will be workshops, exhibits and clean energy experts. Workshops will take place throughout the day, starting at 10 am and running through 2:45 pm. For more information call (406) 214-9405 or see montanarenewables.org.

10) Good news from our friends at the Montana Farmers Union: U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced the United States and the Republic of India have agreed to terminate six outstanding disputes at the World Trade Organization. Furthermore, India agreed to remove retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S. ag products, including chickpeas, lentils, almonds, walnuts, and apples, marking a big win for Montana Agriculture.

11) The University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research annual Mid Year Economic Update is coming to Great Falls on August 2nd, Noon-1:30 at the Hilton Garden Inn. Register here.

12) I enjoyed presenting part of a national webinar on loan fund capitalization for equitable lending hosted by the Council of Development Finance Agencies.

13) The GFDA Board elected officers for FY2024: Chair – Mark Cappis of Cappis Consulting & Tax; Vice Chair – Jennifer Fritz of The Wendt Agency; Treasurer – Forrest Ehlinger of Benefis Health System; Secretary – Dan Reardon of Liberty Electric, Inc.; and, Immediate Past Chair – Mark Macek of Macek Companies. The Board also appointed additional Executive Committee members: Joe Briggs, Cascade County Commissioner; Rebecca Engum of Great Falls Tourism; Ted Lewis of First Interstate Bank; Dr. Renee Pera of the McLaughlin Research Institute; Errol Rice of Transystems; and Casey Schreiner of Alluvion Health.

Have a great summer week!

Brett

 

Brett Doney

President & CEO

Montana Mutt Takes all-natural dog treats to a whole new level

Posted on by GFDA
Kimberley Winchell
Montana Mutt

Kimberley Winchell owns Montana Mutt in Cut Bank. Montana Mutt specializes in all natural dog treats, snout, and paw balm. The inspiration for the first recipe we ever had was baking with my daughter on Christmas Day,” said Kimberley.

Kimberley noticed a need for all-natural dog treats perfected one recipe at a time. “I had no plan in mind. I had no business plan. We started working with GFDA and Small Business Advisor Rich Gannon specifically 6 months in. The Etsy page I had was going well, but I wanted to have something that was Montana Mutts alone and knowing that we had a local resource through GFDA we were able to get a website built. I wouldn’t have known how to do that. He knew the language of the platform, offered a free class to me and other small businesses owners and through that class and through some amazing one on one time that was invaluable we have beautiful website that continually brings orders in.

Five years later Montana Mutt sells products in 31 stores throughout Montana, Utah, and Idaho. Rich and GFDA meet me where I am at, and I am extremely grateful.”