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G is for Great Falls: City shakes off decades of dust and powers forward
This Missouri River city, built on the backs of hydroelectric power and a copper smelter, and buoyed by the opening of a U.S. Air Force base during World War II, used to be Montana’s Billings.
Great Falls was the largest city in this state in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s, and the center of Montana’s agriculture-based economy.
Then, suddenly, Great Falls seemed to get stuck in time.
Billings slipped slightly ahead in the 1970 census and today is almost twice as large. Missoula knocked Great Falls down another peg in 2000, taking over the No. 2 spot.
It wasn’t that people poured out of Great Falls in droves. The city – located more than 150 miles from the busy Interstate 90 corridor – just quit growing.
The latest population estimate for Great Falls is 59,351. That’s a change of just 740 people – 740 fewer people – in the last 45 or so years. That’s a long time not to grow or shrink.
By Vince Devlin
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In Great Falls, two rivers run through it – and one is pretty short
There is nothing on Earth like the mighty Roe, unless you listen to those conniving conspirators in Lincoln City, Oregon, who long claimed their D River was the shortest in the world – backed by "Guinness World Records," which proclaimed it so.
By Vince Devlin
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Great Falls Development Authority
Welcome to Great Falls, Montana and the Great Falls Development Authority! Simply put, Great Falls is a fantastic place to live and do business. Great Falls, the Electric City of the West, has embarked upon a visionary effort to diversify our region’s economy, create high wage jobs, and make our community even more competitive to attract your investment.
Regardless of the size of your company, we can offer you a competitive environment to do business. Great Falls has one of the finest work ethics in the northwest. We can offer you a willing, educated, enthusiastic work force with the 21st Century skills you require to grow and prosper. Our secondary and post-secondary education system stands ready to work with you to assist you in training the work force of today and the future. Our many financial institutions are healthy, vibrant and looking to assist you in bringing your ideas to reality. We have a low-crime rate, an excellent health care system, an educational system supported on a regular basis by voters and, of course, legendary outdoor opportunities. You’ll also find Montanans are just a little more friendly than most—but when you live in such a beautiful state, there’s no reason not to be friendly!
We offer professional, confidential and comprehensive world-class services to our business and developer clients. You will not find a more competent, straight-forward team in the west.
Recent boosts to the Great Falls economy include Calgary based AvMax’s aircraft maintenance facility (first outside of Canada), Cable Technology Inc.’s cable and wire harness design and production facility, and St. Louis headquartered Centene Corporation’s 250-employee medical-claims processing center.
These companies all found that the business friendly climate in Great Falls was perfect for their ventures. Chances are you’ll find the same for your project. Whether your major concerns are finding affordable commercial real estate and utilities, technological infrastructure or a strong available workforce, you’ll find it here. And it all comes with the peaceful quality of life that’s made Montana one of the most desired states in which to live.
Please look around our site and then call us. We’re ready to assist you in making your business plans a reality.
406-771-9020
Information or Questions via email: Send to [email protected]
If you are looking for the Small Business Development Center, you can reach our New Director by email [email protected].
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Great Falls trade area. Competitive for food, ag, bioprocessing, energy, and support. Closest U.S. metro area to Calgary. Untame Your Entrepreneurial Spirit!