Top Ten 9/11/22

I screwed up a few weeks ago by repeating a photo so finally here is the correct photo for: We met pulse processors from Latin America this week during the Montana Department of Agriculture tour. We discussed opportunities for processing in our region as we toured Food, Ag, and Bio Processors in the Great Falls region including Timeless Seeds in Ulm, Agrolink in Cut Bank, Columbia Grain in Chester, and Adroit Overseas in Great Falls.

2) Discount Meats, a Great Falls butcher shop locally owned by Ben and Rosy Handl, was featured in a KRTV story on how they used Growth Through Agriculture Grant funds from the Montana Dept of Ag to repair their one of a kind meat vending machines. For more information on the now open Growth Through Agriculture Grants and how they might help your value-added ag business please contact Justin Loch at 406-590-1301 or visit the Montana Department of Agriculture website.

3) The Great Falls City Commission unanimously voted to invest $1.4 million in GFDA’s Gap and Bridge Revolving Loan Fund. These funds are used to help make good deals happen that wouldn’t without our loan capital. We have a proven track record. Over the past 26 years, we have closed $51,253,885 in loans, leveraging over $255 million of investment. In the last two fiscal years, we made $12,177,798 in loans. In the first two months of this fiscal year we have made $708,000 in loans. These loans have made possible total investment of $55,009,486. The City of Great Falls is leveraging their CAREs Act money by investing it in our future economic development! Thank you! See TheElectric.

4) Signature Med Spa opened in the Hub International building in Great Falls. This business is a great addition to the Broadwater river front area. Learn more in the Announcement of the Week.

5) Please join us this Thursday, September 15th for the third in a series of STAR Roundtables with Northrop Grumman hosted by the Montana PTAC. This is an excellent opportunity for MT companies to become informed of the potential business opportunities associated with the Sentinel project (Minute Man III upgrade/replacement) and other government contracting possibilities. Sentinel is the largest federal contract in the history of the United States. $13.3 billion over a multitude of years. It will present business opportunities for companies all over the state and region. Register here.

6) GFDA and our partners won three national 2022 Impact Awards from the National Association of Development Organizations. The first award is for the Downtown Development Partnership of Great Falls and key partners NeighborWorks Great Falls, Business Improvement District, City of Great Falls, and the Downtown Great Falls Association. The second award is for our Top 10, today in its 549th edition. The third award is for our use of videos to enhance our marketing of services and the Great Falls Montana Region.

7) Our Health and Bioscience Economic Development Strategy consultants will be back in town for a working retreat on September 28th. The Tripp Umbach team will join us in-person to share the results of their study and facilitate working groups with key players in our local Health Bioscience and education community. Retreat registration is available here.

8) USDA awarded GFDA a $2 million grant to create a Meat & Poultry Intermediary Loan Program. Our application scored first in the nation! The new loan fund will help finance meat and poultry processing operations in the region to increase and diversify production, process a higher percentage of livestock raised in the region, and grow the industry in such a way as to lower operating costs for processors and create high-wage career opportunities that improve quality of life and the environment. Loans can be used to start, operate and expand meat and poultry processing facilities throughout the region.

GFDA has made 24 food processing loans totaling almost $11.5M and leveraging $67.5M. Of 19 processors that we are working with or identified, we conservatively estimated $24M in immediate capital needs among ten companies. We also have 7 other clients who wish to start a business. Our outstanding track record coupled with a strong application earned us the distinction of the highest scoring proposal. If you want to support Montana meat processing, we need to raise $200,000 in matching funds for the new loan fund.

9) We’re starting to develop a fantastic lineup for Invest Downtown 2022 on October 20th from 10 AM-Noon. Save the date. We also have some great tools that are available to help in your Downtown project. If you have been looking to start or expand your business in Downtown Great Falls, contact Christian at CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org or 406.836.0136.

10) Tony Peres, our Small Business Navigator, was invited by the Conrad Chamber of Commerce to speak at their monthly luncheon last Thursday. Tony identified the collaborative mission of our organization and the many resources available to the thirteen counties within which we serve. While in town, Tony also actively recruited presenters for a Business Pitch to be held September 15th at Folklore Coffee in Conrad as well as meeting with entrepreneurs seeking guidance and resources for two new potential projects in Conrad. If you have a business idea or expansion and would like to pitch that idea please contact Tony at 406-750-2099 or via email at Tony@GrowGreatFalls.org.  

11) Lock in long-term fixed interest rates and lower your equity requirements for business real estate acquisitions, renovations, and expansions and long-term equipment purchases. SBA 504 rates for September, including all fees, are 5.437% fixed for 25 years, 5.338% fixed for 20 years, and 5.320% fixed for 10 years. Some refinancing is also eligible. Contact Jill Kohles at JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org or 406-590-1056.

12) Team members Jason Nitschke, Rich Gannon and Lyndsay Bruno joined over 1,400 Small Business Development Center partners at the America’s SBDC Annual Conference in San Diego. Small business advisors from all over the country networked, shared best practices and enjoyed professional development opportunities that enhanced their skill sets to help entrepreneurs start or grow their business.

13) Join the best economic team in the galaxy! GFDA is looking to add a Business Development Officer to expand our efforts to attract investment in food, ag and bio processing industries in the region. Help existing businesses to expand and new businesses to start-up. Target and pursue companies elsewhere to expand into our region. Here is a complete position description. Send cover letter and resume to Brett at BDoney@GrowGreatFalls.org. GFDA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

14) I visited the City of Hamilton, Ontario economic development team as part of their reaccreditation process, volunteering for the International Economic Development Council. What an impressive full-court economic development effort!

15) Our work is made possible by the continued support of our team of INVESTORS. They are the ones driving growth in the region. Recent investments include: Advance Level—First Interstate Bank. We are thankful and the community is thriving thanks to them and others that contribute annually to our organization. If you want to find out how you can help grow the region, contact Investment Director Jenn Gallmeier at 406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org.

Have a creative, profitable week!

Brett Doney

President & CEO

Cost-Effective Rail-Served Industrial Sites Available

If your company needs a rail-served, BNSF-Certified, shovel-ready site with all municipal services at your door, we have lots available for immediate construction in the Great Falls AgriTech Park. Contact Jolene Schalper at 1.406.750.4481 or JSchalper@GrowGreatFalls.org

September SBA 504 Loan Rates

The 25-year loan effective rate (including all fees) came in at 5.437%; 20-year at 5.338%; 10-year equipment loan at 5.320%; and, 20-year refinance 5.352%; 25-year refinance 5.450%. These rates are FIXED for the life of the loan and are inclusive of all fees. If you would like to find out how to get financing for commercial real estate and equipment at potentially lower rates than you’re paying for your home mortgage, please contact Jill Kohles at 406-590-1056 or JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org.

We have nine great companies ready to launch our next PeerSpectives Roundtable cohort. If your company is growing and experiencing the pains of growth, perhaps the insights of others who are going through the same thing could be beneficial. The PeerSpectives Roundtable for second stage companies will meet 10 times per year, share experiences, and work problems in real time. TWe have room for one or two more companies, contact Jason at JNitschke@GrowGreatFalls.org.

A new $300 million program, the Organic Transition Initiative designed to help Ag producers transition land into organic status, was rolled out this week by USDA.  By transitioning to Organic producers have a chance to capture other markets that in many cases can yield a higher premium for their commodities.  The initiative will deliver wrap-around technical assistance, including farmer-to-farmer mentoring; provide direct support through conservation financial assistance and additional crop insurance assistance, and support market development projects in targeted markets.  For more information on this initiative please visit the USDA website or contact Justin Loch at 406-590-1301 or Justin@GrowGreatFalls.org.

Early Stage Montana presents the2022 Montana Startup Summit September 29-October 1 in Bozeman, a three-day weekend celebrating Montana’s innovation.

Do you have open government contracts? Is your SAM.gov registered due to renew in the next few months? SAM.gov continues to have issues with the transition of the new validation process. It is recommended that businesses start early to renew their registration to keep from going inactive. If you are having trouble getting through the process, contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org for assistance.

Invest Downtown 2022 will be held on October 20th from 10 AM-Noon at The Newberry and planning is currently underway. If you know of a great Downtown businesses to highlight or if you have an opportunity that is ripe for development, please email Christian at CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org or call 406.836.0136.

We’re co-hosting the Montana Economic Development Conference at The Newberry in downtown Great Falls November 14-16; see Montana Economic Developers Association. The Building a Winning Montana Team conference will feature exciting panels discussing key Montana economic development issues such as housing, business attraction, talent attraction, tourism and economic development, tribal economic development, and value added agriculture. Keynotes will bring perspectives from other states and provinces, and from leading Montana industry associations and state leaders. Workshops include economic development ethics, new financing collaborations, and supporting local entrepreneurs and existing businesses. Download preliminary agenda. Sponsor a session! Contact Rebecca Myers at medaexec@gmail.com or me at BDoney@GrowGreatFalls.org.

The Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce announced the inaugural Worlds of Work! (WOW). WOW is a career expo pioneered by West Alabama Works. Though NOT a typical job fair, this event opens new avenues of opportunity for middle school students they never knew were possible. The Chamber’s goal this first year is to have sixteen Worlds, each representing one of Montana’s sixteen recognized career pathways. On October 18th, 2022, WOW will be held at Great Falls College – MSU and the University of Providence (inside and outside) from 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM. Area 8th graders will be divided into groups and will have a navigator who will guide them to each of the worlds, where they will explore for approximately 20-25 minutes before traveling to the next world. WOW Varsity, the block for high school students, will be in the late afternoon, and will include sophomores only for this first year. Check out the West Alabama WOW. Contact Scott Wolff for more info at swolff@greatfallschamber.org.

The Montana Innovation Partnership is offering a number of trainings and an accelerator program for companies interested in pursuing Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants.

The Montana Food & Beverage Show will be held November 7th in Missoula. Register at: AGR.MT.GOV/FOOD-AND-BEVERAGE-SHOW.

Montana STEP grants can pay for 75% of your international export marketing efforts up to $10,000. The Montana TechLink Center at MSU is offering a new round of workshops on how to win Small Business Innovation Research funding.

What’s it like to live in Great Falls Montana? Get a glimpse through the Great Falls 2022 Livability Magazine! Livability Great Falls is a tool for recruiting people from outside our community and is one of the tools for our Talent Attraction campaign. We also have a Email List to share resumes of trailing partners and others and we promote Hot Jobs – jobs that would entice people to move here. If you are recruiting people from outside Great Falls, click here to join our recruiter email list and learn more.

We have migrated our pre-business workshop for early stage and pre-venture startups to a self-paced, video-facilitated, online format. Business Basics for Startups is now live and ready for beta testing. If you’d like to check out the content and provide feedback, we’d appreciate it. Click here to check out the new modules and resources. Please direct feedback to Rich at RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org.

Montana Rapid Retraining funds are available to help more people enroll in workforce training programs and expand industry-driven accelerated workforce training courses. The Great Falls Job Service can assist with Rapid Retaining Efforts. Contact Beth Schmidt at 406-791-5869 or beschmidt@mt.gov. For business strategy/planning help to take advantage of this one-time opportunity, contact our Small Business Development Center (SBDC) regional director, Jason Nitschke at JNitschke@GrowGreatFalls.org

Attention Veteran-Owned Businesses! In less than a year the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE) will transfer to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). As of January 1, 2023, all functions of VA’s CVE will be handled by the SBA. To help make this a seamless transition, we encourage all self-certified SDVOSBs to complete the verification process through the VA now before the transfer becomes effective. Please start the verification process at https://vetbiz.va.gov/vip/. For more information on starting the verification process, contact Lillian Sunwall at LSunwall@GrowGreatFalls.org.

The best resource we scan daily to stay abreast of business and community innovation is MATR.net (Montana Associated Technology Roundtables) which we are proud to help sponsor. Sign up for their free newsletter.

We’ve released the Great Falls Childcare Demand Assessment that shows a need for additional childcare facilities to serve 580 children in Great Falls. For assistance with childcare facility business planning, contact Jason Nitschke at JNitschke@GrowGreatFalls.org.

Join the Trailing Partner Email Group specifically for employers to share resumes of trailing spouses/partners across the Great Falls region with other employers looking to hire. “Your (Live in Great Falls) website is very impressive and helpful! Great Falls looks amazing, and we love what we’ve seen real estate-wise, and business-wise.” This quote was from an email sent to us from a couple considering relocation to Great Falls. We will be sharing their resumes (with their permission) on the Trailing Partner Email Group.

We’ve released the Great Falls Housing Market Assessment that shows a need for over 450 new housing units per year in the immediate Great Falls area. For assistance with housing development, contact Jake Clark at Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-403-4937.

Looking to take control of your business’s financials, increase profit, and improve your bottom line? We have had interest from businesses in scheduling a Profit Mastery course. These courses are scheduled by demand. If you are interested in taking this two-day workshop, contact Jason Nitschke at JNitschke@GrowGreatFalls.org or call (406) 750-0314.

Visit our relocation website LiveInGreatFalls.com. This website was the #1 request we got from local recruiters and HR professionals for aiding in attracting talented workers to Great Falls. The Great Falls At-A-Glance two-pager is a great complementary resource that highlights Great Falls for people unfamiliar with our community.

We have Brownfield Clean-Up money that we want to put to work! Our low interest Brownfield Loans can be used to clean up hazardous materials including but not limited to lead paint, asbestos, etc. Are you working on a project that could use some clean up? Call Lillian today to discuss eligibility 406.750.1253 or LSunwall@GrowGreatFalls.org.

Of our online business planning tool, LivePlan, one said: “LivePlan is Awesome!” The LivePlan tool is helping her streamline her strategy in preparation for presenting to bank partners. We offer LivePlan licenses for free to active clients. Learn more about LivePlan on our website.

All of our recorded monthly business strategy webinars are available online for viewing anytime, click them out here.