Montana’s unemployment rate held steady at a remarkably low 2.8% in June, marking the ninth consecutive month below 3% and extending a historic run of four straight years with unemployment at or below 3.4%, according to Governor Greg Gianforte. “With more Montanans working now than ever before and historically low unemployment, we’re seeing the results Read More…
KRAMBU, Inc., a sustainable high-performance computing infrastructure company, announced this week the development of a next-generation AI data center campus in Montana—what the company is calling the world’s most sustainable “AI Factory.” The project is designed to redefine the future of artificial intelligence infrastructure by integrating direct liquid cooling (DLC) technology, renewable energy sources, and Read More…
Travelers heading to Montana this summer may face sticker shock at the rental car counter. Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) has been named the most expensive airport in the country for car rentals, according to a new survey from travel website Cheapcarrental.com. The survey, which analyzed rental rates across 100 U.S. airports for the peak Read More…
Bridger Aerospace Group Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BAER), one of the nation’s leading aerial firefighting companies, today praised the recent Executive Order aimed at restructuring the U.S. wildland firefighting system and emphasized the impact of a significant increase in the Department of the Interior’s fiscal 2026 budget request. Sam Davis, CEO of Bridger Aerospace, said, “Bridger Read More…
New food trucks have rolled into nearly every corner of the Flathead Valley this summer, vending everything from tacos to hot dogs and specialty soda. “COVID, I think, definitely had a huge impact on that,” said Amanda Hart, a co-founder of Kalispell’s Rescue Dog. Hart and her husband, Colten, launched their hot dog truck in Read More…
Town and Country foods will open sometime this summer. It’s a little bit behind schedule because of COVID and delivery delays. Management at Town & Country and at some of the other shops at West Park say it’s really important to not have that building be empty. “They gutted Lucky’s (Market) at the auction,” said Read More…
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality laid down the law last week, issuing a violation letter to the Montana Tunnels mine in Jefferson City. The mine is considered officially abandoned or complete, the company owes a $16.8 million reclamation bond, and reclamation is overdue, said the DEQ. Montana Tunnels Mining Inc. owns the once active Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. – Missoula is growing, and with that, the downtown corridor is changing in order to support both its residents and tourists. One of the cornerstones of revamping downtown Missoula is the modern AC hotel on the corner of Pattee and Main Street. It can seem hard to believe, but just two years ago, Read More…
HELENA — Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series on NorthWestern Energy’s request for pre-approval of 225 megawatts of new electricity resources – including construction of a 175-megawatt natural gas-fired plant in Laurel. NorthWestern Energy’s proposal to build a 175-megawatt power plant fired by natural gas in Laurel, to help serve its Read More…
Christy Cummings Dawson will take over as Montana West Economic Development’s (MWED) president and CEO this July following two years as the company’s government contracting advisor. Dawson will replace Jerry Meerkatz, who served as president and CEO for the last five years. During her last two years assisting small businesses pursue government contracts, Dawson has Read More…
HELENA, Mt., June 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Eagle Bancorp Montana, Inc. (NASDAQ: EBMT), (the “Company” or “Eagle”) announced today the preliminary results of its modified “Dutch auction” tender offer (the “Tender Offer”) to purchase for cash up to $6,000,000 of shares of its common stock (the “Common Stock”) at a price per share not Read More…
Billings, MT – Ultra Graphics has been recognized by the annual Printing News Top 100 Small Commercial Printers rankings as one of highest grossing small commercial print firms in the country. For sales-year 2020, Ultra Graphics ranked #1 in Montana and #31 in the country. “I’m extremely proud of our team and grateful to our Read More…
BILLINGS – Montanans across the state are ready to get out after a year of staying in due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why travel experts and those with camping giant KOA say travel for this Memorial Day holiday weekend will break records. “People are booking and booking often,” said Billings-based KOA Director of Public Read More…
The key to filling all the lots at Glacier Rail Park can be summarized in just one word: plastics. That’s not just enigmatic advice from the 1967 film “The Graduate” — it’s also the linchpin for the completion of a major piece in the revitalization of the city of Kalispell. Glacier Rail Park opened in Read More…
Montana’s high-tech companies overcame and even benefited from the dynamics of a pandemic economy in 2020, generating more than $2.9 billion in revenues and growing at rates up to seven times faster than the statewide economy, according to a survey conducted by the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research. The study found Read More…
MISSOULA — Bug lovers of all ages have reason to celebrate. The construction of the Rocky Mountain Gardens & Exploration Center is set to begin later this month at the Missoula County Fairgrounds. “It’s been a long road, it’s been a bumpy road at times, but we are here. And we are so incredibly thrilled Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. – One small business owner is being awarded a $10,000 grant for going above and beyond to support her local community. Nici Holt Cline is the founder of Dig This Chick, an online marketplace and community that encourages people to get outside with their families, get dirt under their fingernails and can foods. She Read More…
Since Bill Moseley started his software company, GL Solutions, in 1997 in Bend, Oregon, he’s watched the small city’s population grow rapidly while the housing inventory failed to grow with it. As masses of people flocked to the small mountain town, Moseley struggled to recruit employees because they couldn’t find a place to live. In Read More…
Montana Orthopedics in Butte has joined SCL Health’s primary and specialty care clinics throughout Montana. Montana Orthopedics, Advantage Physical Therapy and OrthoNow will all become part of the SCL Health Medical Group — a network of hundreds of primary and specialty care providers across the state. The new partnership gives SCL Health patients access to Read More…
MISSOULA — The rumble of titanic machinery can be heard throughout the pressroom of the Missoulian each night as the press churns out thousands of copies of the newspaper along the conveyor belt. But on March 28, the Missoulian press will run for the final time and those sounds will be silenced, the newspaper reported. The Read More…
MONTANA – The Montana Department of Commerce today announced that the Prospera Business Network will join the Montana Small Business Development Center Network. The local business and community development nonprofit will continue to serve Gallatin and Park counties in its new capacity. The Montana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, headquartered at the Montana Department Read More…
In 2020, the U.S. lost 4,400 farms and ranches totally 2,019,000 when compared to 2019. A year-over-year trend that has occurred for decades. Those figures come from the latest Farms and Land in Farms Highlights report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The losses were heaviest in the nation’s largest farming regions, namely California and Read More…
GREAT FALLS — Since the launch of the Jeremiah Johnson Brewing Company almost three years ago, business has been steadily on the rise. The company with a constant eye on efficiency decided now was as good a time as ever to expand. “We started realizing, hey, we’re not able to make enough beer for what orders are Read More…
Miles City, MT – Stockman Bank is pleased to announce Jim Drummond as the newest member of its Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2021. Jim brings more than 43 years of banking and agricultural and commercial lending expertise. He worked for Stockman Bank from 2003 to 2017, serving as the Stockman Bank Gallatin Read More…
A guitar manufacturer is planning a major expansion at its factory in Bozeman amid increasing demand for guitars during the COVID-19 pandemic. James “JC” Curleigh, president and CEO of Gibson Brands, Inc., said at a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday that last spring’s COVID-19 shutdown initially brought about “more questions than answers” for the company. Read More…
Camping World Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CWH) (“Camping World”), America’s Recreation Dealer, today announced expansion plans in Delaware, Nebraska and Montana. The company owns or is in the process of acquiring land in these three states to support the continued march towards a national recreational dealer platform. “We continue to fill in the missing pieces towards Read More…
BELGRADE, Mont. – Acela Truck Company went from building fire trucks, to mobile morgue units and now custom-built trailers to help in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in the country. David Ronsen, president of Acela, said the truck manufacturer is a combination of two older truck companies in the Gallatin Valley but started under their Read More…
CHICAGO & LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Accel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: ACEL) (“Accel”), a leading distributed gaming operator in the U.S., today announced further expansion into new geographical markets by entering into an agreement to acquire Century Gaming, Inc. (“Century”), one of the leading distributed gaming operators in the Western United States, in a cash and stock transaction Read More…
The Billings RV and Boat Show was among the last events before the pandemic hit last year. The show is among the first to return to near normal conditions at the MetraPark Expo Center, during a six-day run that ended Sunday. Other events before this week had been canceled, so Bretz RV and Marine was Read More…
GREAT FALLS — Many factors contribute to how successful a small business is, but according to a recent study, Montana is the best state to open a small business. The study done by The Blueprint found that Montana was ranked the number one best state to open a small business in 2021. The factors used to determine Read More…
They’re easy to miss, hunkered down behind laptops in home offices, but remote workers are quietly setting up shop around the Flathead Valley. The COVID-19 pandemic spurred companies nationwide to adopt more flexible, socially distanced operations, so for many of their employees, the home is now the workplace. And for some of these remote workers, Read More…
The COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to the travel plans of many, and Billings Logan International Airport is seeking the effect. The number of passengers traveling through the airport was down nearly 48 percent in 2020 from the previous year, according to the airport’s annual report. The airport saw 248,597 passengers boarding planes in 2020, Read More…
A long-standing real estate company has changed ownership after 61 years. The announcement was made Wednesday afternoon that Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Floberg Real Estate has been sold. Charles and Beth Smith became the owners on Jan. 1, 2021. READ FULL STORY
GREAT FALLS, Mont.- A free online course is geared toward boosting success, and it’s open to every business in Montana. The courses will help business owners increase revenue, sales, traffic, and profitability. “Destination Creation” by Grow Great Falls is normally priced at $399, but that fee has been lifted in an effort to help business Read More…
Montana’s largest MLS contracts to make FOREWARN services available for its 3,000+ REALTOR® members to promote proactive agent safety BOCA RATON, Fla., Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FOREWARN, LLC, a red violet company (NASDAQ: RDVT) and the leading provider of real-time information solutions for real estate agents, today announced that the Montana Regional MLS (“MRMLS”) Read More…
HELENA — It’s been more than three years since the last store in Helena’s Capital Hill Mall closed its doors, and nearly two years since the former mall building was demolished. Now, the first new construction at the site is getting underway. Contractors are currently putting up the frame for a new building south of Read More…
BOZEMAN, Mont. – Despite the increase in air travel over the holidays the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) still reported a 43.5% decline in passenger numbers in 2020 compared to the record 2019 year. On a national basis, the Transportation Security Administration reported a 60.7% decline in passenger throughput across 440 U.S. airports. Bozeman Yellowstone Read More…
Fort Worth-based BNSF Railway has proposed a plan to reduce the number of grizzly bears killed by its trains in Montana. In 2019, BNSF trains killed eight grizzlies. That year, one of its locomotives killed a cow and that carcass attracted grizzlies. Two of them died in train collisions and three others were killed by Read More…
BILLINGS — Applications are open for Montana business owners to receive a second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, with a few more caveats in the application for second-time borrowers this go-around, said Kevin Kraft, president of the Shiloh branch of Yellowstone Bank Sunday. “The biggest difference is you have to Read More…
Helena, MT- With the start of the 2021 Legislature fast approaching, Montana’s premier business advocacy organization is laying out its top policy priorities for the new year, the focus of which is aimed at near-term recovery and maintaining long-term, sustainable economic growth. “As businesses continue to navigate the public health and economic challenges presented by Read More…
BOZEMAN — Manufacturing continues to be a significant driver of Montana’s economy, according to a report recently released by Montana State University’s Montana Manufacturing Extension Center, whose positive impact is discussed in the annual snapshot. The 2020 Montana Manufacturing Report, prepared by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana, analyzes trends in the state’s Read More…
BILLINGS — The fast-food chain Chick-fil-A is headed to the Billings West End after a developer filed a request for zoning clarification to construct a restaurant in the Planet Fitness parking lot on the corner of 24th Street West and Marketplace Street. TFC Rosebud, LLC of Utah filed the request on December 1, 2020, and the plan Read More…
MISSOULA — The Missoula County Airport Authority this week approved a $2 million state loan for Neptune Aviation to fund the purchase of two aircraft hangars and the creation of dozens of new jobs. Neptune, a national aerial firefighting company based at Missoula International Airport, purchased the hangars last September from Homestead Helicopters. The hangars Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont., Dec. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — FYR Diagnostics, a Missoula-based biotech company, has executed a contract with the State of Montana that will increase statewide COVID-19 testing capacity and reduce the time patients must wait to receive results. Adding FYR as a primary testing resource will keep test processing within Montana and alleviate pressure on the state laboratory in Helena. “Even with the Read More…