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1) Kiplinger Personal Finance named Great Falls as one of the 25 Cheapest Places to Live: U.S. Cities Edition! Coming in 16th, here is what Kiplinger had to say, "Great Falls straddles the Missouri River and is known as the 'Electric City' because of its numerous dams and power plants. It is often referred to as Montana's basecamp as the city is centrally located and home to an international airport. Nestled in between four mountain ranges, three rivers, two wilderness areas and one wildlife refuge, adventure is easily accessible in every direction.
Outdoor enthusiaists will find that there is a world to explore just outside their front door. Hiking, skiing, mountain biking and kayaking adventures are just minutes away. Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park are just a few hours' drive and make excellent weekend getaways." Read full article for much more.
2) SBA 504 financing is a great tool that an entrepreneur may be available to use to help start, innovate, or expand by providing fixed, low interest rate financing for up to 25 years. The High Plains Financial Board approved an SBA 504 loan this week for a small manufacturer that is looking to expand. The loan was in the amount of $3,877,600 and will leverage an additional $6,134,000. Does your project have a financing gap? Please reach out to Jill Kohles at 1-406-590-1056 or JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org to discuss your options.
3) With the help of Great Falls Montana Tourism, we won hosting an international conference in Great Falls next year that will bring 250-400 leaders to town. Stay tuned for more info!
4) Do financial terms like gross margins, debt-to-equity ratios, and EBIDTA confuse you? Then join our 30-minute webinar next Thursday at 11:00 AM, hosted by small business advisor Rich Gannon. He'll break down the basics of business financial statements in simple terms to help small business owners and entrepreneurs understand the language of business finance. You'll learn the basics of income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements - crucial for analyzing profitability, cash flow management, and overall financial health. Register now to gain confidence in understanding and discussing your company's finances.
5) We approved providing an additional free Phase II Environmental Site Assessment for the Cascade Senior Center. Now instead of demolishing a current building, they will move the Cascade Museum into the approved site one the assessment and any remediation is complete, saving them time and money. If you’re interested in expanding your business into a new facility or looking to purchase a commercial building, please contact Christian Nichols at CNichols@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-788-9385. Theres a chance we could save you thousands of dollars in assessment and cleanup costs.
6) We hosted several eager entrepreneurs, developers, and expanding businesses with projects ranging from cutting-edge scientific research to major housing developments, alongside a handful of accredited investors at our first Angel Investor Networking Event this past Wednesday. The purpose of these networking events is to connect accredited investors with entrepreneurs, developers, and expanding businesses that need cash investment. We are aiming to host Angel Networking Events quarterly. If you would like to be kept in the loop as an investor on future networking events, please contact Tyler Menzales at 1-406-217-7862 or TMenzales@GrowGreatFalls.org
7) Congratulations to Juli Seaman, one of our SBDC clients, on the planned grand opening of her new venture, The Cage Batting Club in Black Eagle. This indoor public batting facility will be the only one of its kind in the region. Juli sought guidance from our small business development center early on, we helped her craft a solid business plan and detailed financial projections. With her well-prepared plan, Juli successfully secured funding from local lenders to bring her project to fruition. Visit The Cage Batting Club's website and get ready to step up to the plate when they officially open on June 12th! Got a business idea you’d like to transform from vision to reality? Contact our Small Business Development Center advisor Rich Gannon at 1-406-836-2087 or RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org to discuss.
8) Register for GFDA’s Annual Meeting: Tuesday, June 18th, 8:00-10:00 AM at the Newberry. Expect engaging presentations from our team, celebrate this year’s Ally Award winners, and network with fellow stakeholders and community leaders. Mark your calendars and register here. Contact Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org for more information.
9) Summer events are kicking off in Downtown Great Falls. The First Friday Art Walk, the Great Falls Farmer's Market, and more, see the Electric for more details. If you are interested in investing downtown please contact Nicki at Nicki@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-750-2099.
10) "Meet with the City early and often!" Jake met with multiple City of Great Falls staff members pulled together by the Planning and Community Development office for a predevelopment meeting to serve an exciting new housing project. The developers are from another Montana community and were astounded by the support from staff identifying challenges and potential solutions for their project. Let's start the conversation about your next project in Great Falls, call Jake at 1-406-403-4937 or Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org.
11) Our Great Falls Regional APEX Accelerator hosted a Strategic Series session on “how to obtain and maintain Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE) and Small Business Enterprise (SBE) State Certifications. Participants gained knowledge through Small Business Specialists from the Montana Department of Transportation, on how these specific certifications can open doors to state contracts, provide access to specialized programs, and enhance credibility of a business in the government marketplace. To learn more about these opportunities, contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1184.
12) We received and responded to a new request for information from an international company considering expanding their manufacturing and distribution in Great Falls in partnership with the Montana Department of Commerce. We’re also continuing to work with a lead that Brett was introduced to at the International Council of Shopping Centers conference last week. We're excited with the potential that this lead could bring to Great Falls. If you know of a business looking in our region, call Christian Leinhauser at 1-406-836-0136 or CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org
13) Several future hopeful entrepreneurs attended the Angel Investor Networking Event. Prior to them attending they were assisted by GFDA small business advisors with their business plan and financial projections. If you’re interested in starting your own business, please contact Christian Nichols at CNichols@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-788-9385.
14) We want you in Great Falls Montana! Talent attraction is important for employers and we’ve been working to provide tools to help in your success. One of the more popular tools is the Livability Magazine. This publication in print and online feature people who have recently moved here and their experiences living in Great Falls Montana. This week we signed a contract to continue to publish these for an additional few years. We recently launched the most recent edition, you can find it here.
15) The Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Equipment Only Grant through the Montana Department of Agriculture closes next Monday, June 3rd. This week Anna worked with several local food or value added ag processing companies to apply for a grant to purchase a piece of equipment to support their business's growth. If you would like help applying for food or ag grants or would like to be notified when new ones open, please reach out to Anna at Anna@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-590-1301.
16) We are preparing to welcome the next class of Touro COM students into our community. Last year, businesses and community members supported the students by donating items for gift bags, hosting small groups for dinners, sponsoring their white coats, and more. To find out how you can support this new class, reach out to Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org.
17) Our logistics consultants from the Moffatt & Nichol team were on-site this week and met with 16 companies moving product in, through, and out of the Great Falls region. They will be having conversations with many more in the coming weeks. If you are moving product in, through, or out of the Great Falls region and haven’t been contacted yet, please reach out to Tyler Menzales at 1-406-217-7862 or TMenzales@GrowGreatFalls.org. Moffatt & Nichol’s initial research data combined with the information learned on-site will culminate in an economic development strategy empowering GFDA to pursue market-based logistics opportunities in the next three-to-five years.
18) The GFDA team met with the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to officially kick off the Energy Market Demand Assessment. Over the next several months, RMI will conduct a region-wide energy market demand assessment to produce an economic development strategy that will empower GFDA to pursue market-driven opportunities to attract more energy investment to the region. Similar to our work on the Logistics Market Demand Assessment, we want RMI to be in contact with as many companies in the energy industry as possible. If you and/or your company would like to be included in these conversations, please reach out to Tyler Menzales at 1-406-217-7862 or TMenzales@GrowGreatFalls.org
19) Communities that invest in economic development pave the way for progress and innovation. Our success is a result of the support we receive from our dedicated team of investors and public partners. Learn more about them by viewing this short video. Recent investments include: Executive Division—US Bank; Advance Division—Berkshire Hathaway Energy Montana, LLC; Pacesetter Division—Taylor’s Auto Max. They help create a place to raise families with opportunities for individual growth and a quality of life that retains and grows our population. To learn more about our work and how you can get involved, reach out to Investment Director Jenn Gallmeier at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org.
20) Lillian Sunwall retired from GFDA this week after 19 years of outstanding service. For many years Lillian led our brownfields programs helping developers and property owners to assess and redevelop properties. Her brownfields work was recognized with the Phoenix Award by the National Brownfields Conference. She has led our APEX Accelerator (formerly Procurement Technical Assistance Center) for 14 years, along the way helping 773 businesses with government contracting. And, Lillian has managed the Great Falls AgriTech Park since its inception. Please join me and the entire GFDA team in congratulating Lillian on her well earned retirement!
21) Please join me in congratulating GFDA team member Shannon Clancy on her promotion to Director of our Great Falls Regional APEX Accelerator!
22) We Are Growing Our Awesome Staff Team. Download a description of openings for Director Regional Small Business Development Center and Lending Solutions Specialist. Contact Tracy for more info at Tracy@GrowGreatFalls.org.
We also made progress with several key client projects this week -- another jam-packed week!
Brett
Brett Doney
President & CEO
1-406-750-2119
BDoney@GrowGreatFalls.org
Connect with me on LinkedIn to network with the Great Falls Montana region.
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"Grit is that 'extra something' that separates the most successful people from the rest. It's the passion, perseverance, and stamina that we must channel in order to stick with our dreams until they become a reality."
Travis Bradberry
Edition 635
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