Montana group looks north to Alberta, Canada for trade opportunities

The province of Alberta is flush with money these days, thanks to a burgeoning energy industry.

With an eye toward drawing some of that cash south of the border, public and private officials made a trip to the province last week, hoping to make inroads and develop contacts that could lead to increased trade between the state and province.

"They have a lot of money there, and there are some great opportunities for businesses in Helena, Montana, to do some business with our closest trading partner," said Rep. Dave Gallik, D-Helena. "Our goal was to build some positive relationships, and I think we did that."

Gallik was joined on the trip by fellow Rep. Hal Jacobson, D-Helena, and Sheldon Bartel from Gateway Economic Development Corp.

From the private sector, a pair of officers from Helena-based Wesco made the trip, hoping to find customers for the company’s growing medical transcription software and services. A meeting with representatives from the Alberta Medical Association held promise.

"It was a real eye-opener," said Mike Randall, president of Wesco and its wholly owned subsidiary, US MedTran. "We see, from our perspective in healthcare and information technology, a lot of the same needs that we are working on here in Montana."

By JOHN HARRINGTON – IR Business Editor

Full Story: http://helenair.com/articles/2005/10/18/helena/a07101805_01.txt

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