Senator Max Baucus Announces Montana Jobs Summits Will Continue

Senator Joins with Montana Chamber, Butte-Silver Bow, Montana Tech to Announce Intent to hold a 7th Economic Development Summit

Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus continued his ‘Whistle Stop Tour’ in Butte today joining with leaders to announce their intent to hold the seventh Montana Economic Development Summit. Since 2000, Baucus has brought private-sector heavyweights and main-street Montana entrepreneurs together for six jobs summits, the most recent of which took place in September. http://www.baucus.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1391

"For all the talk in Washington about creating jobs, we’ve shown through six economic development summits that it really comes down to bringing smart, innovative folks together to find job-creating solutions. I’m thrilled that everyone wants this tradition to continue with a seventh jobs summit," Baucus said. "Although I am likely to be serving in a different capacity by then, Montana has always come first. I have worked long and hard to bring good paying job to Montana and that work will not stop. Thanks to the leaders here in Butte, at Montana Tech and the Montana Chamber of Commerce for being such terrific partners."

The group signed a letter of intent to hold the seventh jobs summit, which follows below:

Montana Economic Development Summits have become the premier non-partisan, statewide events to focus on bringing more jobs to Big Sky Country.

Jobs summits were the brainchild of Senator Baucus, who expressed his desire to ensure that "our best and brightest don’t have to leave Montana to find good-paying jobs."

The first summit was in 2000. Baucus established early that in order for the event to be productive with achievable results, co-sponsors and attendees would have to abide by several ground rules:

Nothing is off the table. Think outside the box and do not worry if an idea seems too big, or impractical. Only by thinking big, can we succeed big.

No politics. Nothing of consequence ever comes without working together. If folks cannot work together, they will not achieve the goals they have set out. Politics should not get in the way of good ideas.

The private sector should drive solutions. Businesses across Big Sky Country are on the cutting edge of innovation – from alternative energy, to the medical industry, to groundbreaking technologies.

While the public sector has a role in creating incentives and supporting education and infrastructure, the best ideas come from the American entrepreneur. It is those ideas that will help us create good-paying jobs here in Montana.

The 2013 Montana Economic Development Summit was the biggest and best yet. Nearly 4,000 people gathered at Montana Tech and nearly 5,000 people watched online from almost every state in the nation and all over the world.

It was the sixth Montana Economic Development Summit. In sum, they have all helped bring hundreds of jobs to Montana. It is our intent to continue the momentum and host the seventh Montana Economic Development Summit at Montana Tech in Butte. We agree to abide by the ground rules laid out by Baucus and work together to ensure the next summit offers opportunities for Montanans to think big and bring more jobs to Big Sky Country.

The letter was signed by: Senator Max Baucus; Montana Chamber of Commerce President, Webb Brown; Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive, Matt Vincent; and, Montana Tech Chancellor, Don Blackketter.

Additional Background:

Montana Economic Development Summits are considered the most highly regarded jobs-focused events in Montana. The most recent Summit in 2013 attracted more than 150 businesses and nearly 4,000 participants and featured nearly 40 panels and breakout sessions with entrepreneurs from around the state, business leaders from around the country and ambassadors from around the world.

The Summits have a long track record of providing Montana businesses with the connections and resources necessary to create new good-paying jobs:

During the 2013 Summit, Boeing CEO announced a $35 million expansion of Helena manufacturing site, which is expected to add 20-25 people to the 144-person workforce.
Following Baucus’ invitation to top GE officials to visit Montana and participate in his 2007 Economic Development Summit, GE built its Center of Excellence processing center in Billings which currently employs more than 200 workers.
At the 2010 Summit, GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt met the owners of SeaCast manufacturing in Butte. The resulting partnerships have helped SeaCast grow from 21 to more than 70 employees. And the latest partnership they announced in January is expected to add even more. (Read More) https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v1/url?u=http://www.baucus.senate.gov/?p%3Dpress_release%26id%3D1205&k=ZVNjlDMF0FElm4dQtryO4A%3D%3D&r=Hm2MWI5DX%2BuSKWmyOO1Kxg%3D%3D&m=kV684TkaGr%2B3gm%2FFa98vnqt%2F5JScH8ZC3Kx9jZ7aE%2F8%3D&s=6a10b681dd6d1d914e76a830c886eb899b1dcfa083681058fa5d866104e6016f

After attending the 2007 Summit, international grain exporter Bunge build two state-of-the-art, high-speed shuttle loading facilities for Montana-grown grains along the Hi-Line in Chester and Kintyre Flats. (Read More) https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v1/url?u=http://www.baucus.senate.gov/?p%3Dpress_release%26id%3D282&k=ZVNjlDMF0FElm4dQtryO4A%3D%3D&r=Hm2MWI5DX%2BuSKWmyOO1Kxg%3D%3D&m=kV684TkaGr%2B3gm%2FFa98vnqt%2F5JScH8ZC3Kx9jZ7aE%2F8%3D&s=3ead64946c9ade93e98c92d263685485bfc4ef8f64feee0dab051edfdf69851b

· LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals of Bozeman met with investors at the 2007 Summit leading to more than $28m in venture capital investments. (Read More) https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v1/url?u=http://www.baucus.senate.gov/?p%3Dpress_release%26id%3D414&k=ZVNjlDMF0FElm4dQtryO4A%3D%3D&r=Hm2MWI5DX%2BuSKWmyOO1Kxg%3D%3D&m=kV684TkaGr%2B3gm%2FFa98vnqt%2F5JScH8ZC3Kx9jZ7aE%2F8%3D&s=0dea5ad4e2a3ce3c3cba46ce4bbc1f9ec297d3a9123be45be8cf0bfece95d15a