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GFDA Wins THREE Impact Awards from NADO
GFDA has been honored with three 2026 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Awards from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), recognizing innovative projects that strengthen communities, expand economic opportunity, and improve quality of life through regional collaboration.
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Australia to Require AI Data Centers to Fund Clean Energy by 2027
“Every country on earth is grappling with these challenges right now. Australia will be the first country in the world to bring these issues into a single, national framework,” Albanese added.
Montana State Unveils $58 Million Combined State Laboratories Building
The new building brings together three key laboratories under one roof: the Montana Department of Livestock’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, the Montana Department of Agriculture’s Analytical Laboratory and Montana State University’s Wool Laboratory. The facility replaces aging laboratory spaces, some of which were more than 70 years old.
Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority and PNWER to Host 2026 Greater Northwest Rail Summit in Helena
Transportation, business, government, Tribal, and community leaders from across the United States and Canada will gather in Helena August 25–27 for the 2026 Greater Northwest Rail Summit. Registration is now open.
ADROIT Employer Resources
ADROIT Employer Resources is a Montana-based workforce and talent solutions partner that helps employers solve complex hiring challenges through recruiting, workforce strategy, and employment consulting. We specialize in supporting organizations including deep tech, advanced technology,…
Missoula, Montana Celebrates New $23 Million National Museum of Forest Service History Grand Opening
The new 27,000-square-foot museum showcases America’s conservation history with interactive exhibits and mass timber construction. Visitors can explore decades of environmental heritage through innovative design and the unique Rings of Change digital table.
FARTHUR engine – An economic driver for the rural states of Montana and Idaho in rangeland and forest communities.
The FARTHER Engine’s mission is to build an economic engine for rural, tribal, and urban communities across Montana and Idaho. Through partnerships, research translation, and workforce development we advance nature-based innovations and precision technologies in forests and rangelands to promote resiliency and prosperity.
The latest news for you – Missoula Chamber
Calendar of Events
July 21: Missoula Young Professionals at L&M Fine Jewelry
July 29: Member Orientation at the Chamber of Commerce
August 11: Business After Hours at First Security Bank
Adroit Career Opportunities – Senior Photonics Engineer, Skilled Carpenter, Transit Operators and more…
Find The Essential Job At Adroit, we want to be a part of your success story. We want you to be as our name suggests: clever or skillful in using the hands or mind. Check…
High Plains Financial
“High Plains Financial (HPF) is a Montana-based Certified Development Company and SBA 504 lender affiliated with the Great Falls Development Alliance (GFDA). HPF provides SBA 504 loans statewide, helping businesses access long-term, fixed-rate financing for…
Companies are realizing you can’t replace people with AI – The math just doesn’t work.
About half of all companies that swapped people for AI end up experiencing a boomerang effect, rehiring at greater expense than it would have cost to retain the original workforce. The Great AI Layoff, it turns out, is turning into the Great AI Rehire.
High Plains Financial
“High Plains Financial (HPF) is a Montana-based Certified Development Company and SBA 504 lender affiliated with the Great Falls Development Alliance (GFDA). HPF provides SBA 504 loans statewide, helping businesses access long-term, fixed-rate financing for…
ITRR – How much did Montana visitors spend in 2025, and where did they spend it?
Nonresidents spend over $5 billion in Montana each year. This report examines the distribution of spending across Montana’s six travel regions and among the 19 of the 56 counties with the highest spending, based on an average of 2024 and 2025 spending data.
Livability in Great Falls, Montana
With a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a community that supports new ideas, Great Falls continues to attract people ready to work, live and grow in Montana. See why people are choosing Great Falls! Gain access to entrepreneurial resources and support at GrowGreatFalls.org. Discover careers, lifestyle resources and relocation tools at LiveInGreatFalls.com.
Gary Vaynerchuk’s Timeless Advice for Entrepreneurs – Guy Kawasaki
Listening back, you’ll hear many of the ideas that shaped his success long before they became mainstream—from building authentic communities and adapting to new platforms to playing the long game in business. We also dive into how he spotted opportunities early (including buying Facebook stock directly from Mark Zuckerberg’s parents), why reputation matters more than quick wins, and what it takes to stay relevant in a world that never stops changing.
Full Luncheon Video – City Club Missoula , July 2026 – Renting in Missoula: Challenges, Choices, and Opportunities
Approximately 47% of renters in Missoula are cost-burdened, meaning that rent takes up more than a third of their income.
15 Nobel Laureates Sound the Alarm on an AI ‘Tsunami’ for Jobs—We’re Not Ready
Hundreds of experts warn that AI could change the economy more than the Industrial Revolution did, saying ‘We Must Act Now.’
Prospera Business Network
Prospera Business Network is the lead non-profit organization advancing and supporting community-centered economic development in southwest Montana. Our focus is helping people start and grow their business – in turn strengthening our region’s economy and…
Bonding and C-PACE Financing Training: Billings – 7/22 – Helena
Join the Montana Facility Finance Authority for a free, in-person educational session on innovative financing tools shaping Montana’s economic future. This discussion will explore how tax-exempt bonds, taxable bonds and Montana’s C-PACE Program can be leveraged to finance commercial development projects, create opportunities for expansion and support long-term financial goals.
Hellgate Venture Network July Meetup with Jennie Yang of NeoSchool – 7/16 – First Interstate Bank – 101 E. Front Street, Missoula, Montana
Guest Speaker: Jennie Yang, Founder of NeoSchool – The school built for the post-AI world.
GFDA Upcoming Business Trainings and Events
Questions about our trainings? Contact Jamie! Jamie Rapley [email protected] 1-406-750-4481
Bozeman Launches Interactive Map Highlighting Accessible Parking- could Missoula be next?
The new digital map identifies 39 accessible parking spaces and other key features downtown. This tool helps people with disabilities navigate the city more easily and could inspire similar projects statewide.
Prospera Business Network
Prospera Business Network is the lead non-profit organization advancing and supporting community-centered economic development in southwest Montana. Our focus is helping people start and grow their business – in turn strengthening our region’s economy and…
2026 Greater Northwest Rail Summit and BSPRA Annual Conference August 25-27 Helena, MT
Taking place August 25–27, 2026, in Helena, Montana, this three-day event will feature timely discussions on the future of passenger and freight rail throughout Montana and the region. Attendees will explore how strategic rail investments can strengthen commerce, expand mobility, create jobs, support tourism, and better connect communities across the Greater Northwest.
GFDA Top Ten for 7/12/26
Day 1! Janicki Industries broke ground on its aerospace manufacturing campus in the Great Falls AgriTech Park. The $800 million investment in 1.6 million square feet of production space will create over 2,000 jobs at full build-out! Hundreds of community members participated in a town hall, the groundbreaking event and a celebration held downtown. Janicki launched a Montana section in their website with information about the project.
See KRTV, KFBB, TheElectric and BusinessWire.
Janicki is expanding to Great Falls, Montana. 2,000+ Jobs
Janicki is a privately owned engineering and manufacturing company with locations in Washington, Utah and, soon, Montana. Founded in 1993, Janicki designs and builds composite and metallic tooling, parts, prototypes and assemblies for customers across aerospace, defense, space, marine and other industries. Janicki is one of the largest privately owned Tier 1 aerospace suppliers in the United States, with more than 2,000 employees company wide.
Great Falls Development Alliance
“Anything Business – Think GFDA. The Great Falls trade area offers a strategic location, competitive operating costs, and strong industry advantages in food and agriculture, value-added processing, bioprocessing, energy, and advanced support services. As the…
This is why we need state-wide Pre-K education in Montana
Zero to Five Missoula recently released 2025 Kindergarten Entry Assessment data.
Richard Carl “Dick” King August 3, 1947 ~ June 26, 2026 (age 78)
He was President and CEO of Missoula Area Economic Development Corporation until his retirement in 2011. Recruiting companies and supporting existing businesses played a large role in creating economic development in Missoula and the surrounding area. Projects were done as a team with MAEDC staff and city/county staff. Dick was extremely proud of the effort that went into obtaining funds to clean up the legacy pollution at the Old Saw Mill District. Its 45 acres now provide housing, a place to work, and recreational opportunities.
WHAT’S NEXT?! Montana — June 2026 – Frontier Angels
It was a quite month for the Montana tech scene. I guess everyone is on the river or deep in the backcountry camping. Below please find the latest Montana technology developments from June, 2026.