Western Montana InBusiness August 2009 – Recession begs the need for expert business advice

Used to be, summertime in western Montana newsrooms was pretty doggone quiet, sometimes a little too quiet for us dedicated newshounds.

Not so these days.

By SHERRY DEVLIN

This summer, the Missoulian newsroom has been scrambling to keep up with all that’s happening here and elsewhere in the world. And the business beat has been among the busiest, with continued rapid-fire news of the global recession and its fallout.

We’ve had the state of Montana howling over a bankruptcy judge’s decision that General Motors can pull its contract with Stillwater Mine, potentially crippling production at the nation’s only supplier of platinum and palladium. And the shutdown of several more Plum Creek sawmills in the Flathead and Mission valleys. And federal stimulus dollars jump-starting logging, construction and forest restoration projects all around western Montana.

And … let’s just say, the list is long and growing longer.

Which got us to thinking about all the pressures on business leaders today, and how much they’d likely appreciate a little advice from a respected colleague. Which got us thinking about – and then requesting – an interview with Larry Simkins, president and CEO of Washington Companies.

The Missoula-based companies employ 4,000 people all across the world, and generate about $2 billion in revenue each year. They’re a high-powered bunch: Envirocon, Montana Rail Link, Modern Machinery, Montana Resources, Aviation Partners Boeing, and more. And they’ve got four basic strategies: cash, communication, customers and smart hires.

Much has changed because of the global recession, Simkins said.

"I don’t care who you are," he said, "it’s a global market right now whether you are selling coffee downtown or you are selling copper internationally, like we are. …

"You have to become more efficient and you have to figure out how to operate better … This is about survival."

But that’s just the start: You’ll want to read all of reporter Betsy Cohen’s fascinating interview with Simkins – our lead-off story in the August edition of Western Montana InBusiness.

Also must-read fare is Michael Jamison’s look at the agriculture industry on Montana’s Indian reservations. No one’s paid much attention to Native farming and ranching before, but new statistics from the Census Bureau sheds light on the importance of these operations to local economies.

And shows how they differ from non-Native farms and ranches. Native farmers and ranchers are typically younger than their non-Native counterparts, and generally prefer livestock over crops – usually horses and cattle. Few of these operations, though, provide a family’s sole source of income.

Graphics editor Ken Barnedt complemented Jamison’s reporting with an in-depth statistical look at Indians in agriculture, both in Montana and nationwide; you’ll learn a lot from what he uncovered.

There’s much more, of course, including a profile of Missoula’s newest environmentally-friendly business, Mark Ratledge’s monthly e-business report, a look at the state of Montana’s new campaign to lure moviemakers to the Big Sky, and an interesting statistical look at Montana’s taxes in comparison with other states.

Whew! It’s been a busy summer, with another six weeks to go …

Reach editor Sherry Devlin at (406) 523-5250 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Full Edition: http://www.mtinbusiness.com/inbiz-0908/