MONTANA SBA DISTRICT OFFICE E-NEWS October 2009

Directors Report

The Montana District Office finished strong for FY09, considering it was a slow start in lending.

As the Recovery Act
article states, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act made a big impact in Montana SBA lending. Loan figures
for Fiscal Year 2009 (October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2009) showed SBA guaranteed 479 loans totaling
$78,112,928, compared to only 362 loans for $82.3 million the previous year. Of these loans, 465 for $68,984,928
were made through SBA’s 7(a) Guaranty Loan program, which provides short or long term financing for small business
start-up or expansion needs. Fourteen loans totaling $9,128,000 were made through SBA’s 504 Certified Development
Company program, which provides long term fixed rate financing for land, buildings and equipment.

Restaurants, specialty trade contractors, site preparation contractors, dental offices and auto repair shops were
among the most frequently financed businesses during FY09. Of these 479 loans, 190 loans totaling $29,191,560
were made to women owned businesses, 55 loans totaling $4,935,800 were made to veterans, and 33 loans totaling
$6,873,600 were made to minority business owners.
I applaud and thank our lending partners for helping us reach out to small businesses across Montana!

In this edition, you’ll be introduced to SBA’s Region VIII Regional Administrator Dan Hannaher, who hails from North
Dakota as well as being invited to a great lender training event being held later this month at Chico Hot Springs. We
also encourage you to look at the categories for SBA’s Small Business Week awards and consider nominating a small
business or small business advocate. And finally, after not having a Women’s Business Center for the past two years,
we welcome Prospera Business Network in Bozeman who has received the grant to establish a new Women’s Business
Center. We look forward to working with Prospera and reaching out to women across the state with training and
counseling opportunities. Also congratulations to our new and graduated 8(a) firms (see page 3).

I would also like to announce, Crystal Baker (formerly the Program Support Assistant) has accepted the position of
Business Development Specialist/Public Affairs Specialist. We are excited for this transition and know that Crystal will
continue to provide terrific service.

Michelle Johnston,

District Director

(406) 441-1080

[email protected]

Full Newsletter http://www.matr.net/files/F–USERS-CDBAKER-Myfiles-PIO-Newsletter-2009-October-October2009.pdf