While taking in this spectacular little glimpse of the Northern Lights recently from Bozeman, Montana (as captured by the talented David Hebert ), get caught up with this week's skim of Montana business news below. Montana startups to watch 2019 The Montana High Tech Alliance recently announced its annual list of Montana startups to watch. And with more support for startups, it’s no wonder the 2019 list is up to 11 companies. With nominations from experts at Next Frontier Capital , Frontier Angels , Montana Manufacturing Extension Center , MSU Blackstone LaunchPad , and UM Blackstone LaunchPad , startups in Billings, Bozeman, Missoula and Whitefish made the final cut. Finalists include companies five years old or younger that fit at least two of the following criteria: steep revenue growth and/or are working in a high-growth sector, poised to launch high-potential products or services, own or are developing valuable intellectual property, on track to land major clients or enter new markets, plan to expand operations or add a significant number of Montana jobs in the next year and/or have management teams led by experienced entrepreneurs or top experts in their fields. Finalists include: Bozeman-based Blacksford , DugalHealth , My Shipping Post and The Insight Studio (which also has offices in Missoula); Billings-based Cardsetter , Ferho and RavenCSI ; Missoula-based Charmed , DRIMS and Prime Labs and Whitefish-based Neuro-ID [ hiring ]. [ Montana High Tech Business Alliance ] SoClean plans to open Kalispell facility SoClean , a company that sells continuous positive airwave pressure (CPAP) machines, has plans to open a facility in Kalispell that eventually will employ upwards of 250 people. The New Hampshire-based company is opening its Kalispell facility in October. A press release said SoClean plans to fill 80 to 100 positions in the first year and will eventually hire “upwards of 250 or more employees.” “We see Kalispell as an ideal location to expand our offices into the West,” SoClean Chief Executive Officer Bob Wilkins said in a prepared statement. “Our goal is to leverage the talented personnel locally and create additional Kalispell jobs and business opportunity.” The Kalispell location will serve as the company’s second North American office and will operate as a technology hub, customer call center and sales location. SoClean also has locations in Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, with plans to expand to Australia as well. [ Daily Inter Lake ] Bozeman airport adding new direct flights to Los Angeles, Philadelphia American Airlines is adding new direct flights from Bozeman to Los Angeles, plus the airport's first service directly to Philadelphia. “We started service to the east coast to Newark back in 2012, and we continue to see that east coast demand grow,” Airport Director Brian Sprenger said. “More marketing efforts have been including the east coast, and we’ve seen it just [develop] very strongly. It’s a tremendous increase in seats compared to what we’ve had. We started out with 76 seats a day on American four years ago. We’re at 876 seats on a Saturday this coming summer on American alone,” Sprenger continued. Daryl Schliem, president of the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce , says they'll be able to speak with more financial investors from the East Coast. The chamber president says whenever there is a new direct flight there is a direct correlation to new home mortgages being taken out from area banks. [ ABCFox Montana ] Helena-headquartered Anderson ZurMuehlen to acquire Information Technology Core Helena-headquartered Anderson ZurMuehlen (AZ) ( hiring ), a certified public accounting and business advisory services firm, has announced its intent to purchase Helena-based Information Technology Core (ITC). The transaction will expand the firm’s information technology consulting division, Anderson ZurMuehlen Technology Services . ITC staff will join the Anderson ZurMuehlen team making AZ one of the largest technology service providers in Montana. Information Technology Core is headquartered in Helena, Montana with additional locations in Missoula, Montana and Salt Lake City, Utah. AZ CEO and President Don Laine states, “AZ is pleased to add to our already robust line-up of information technology services. Our team has worked with ITC for years. We have come to know Ken and Donny very well, and we have a great relationship.  AZ is thrilled to have ITC join our team and are excited about the expanded IT options we will be able to offer to both of our clients.” The transaction is expected to close on October 1, 2019. [ Anderson ZurMuehlen ] Morton Buildings expands into eastern Montana Morton Buildings is making its way out west and has now established a location in Sidney, Montana, as of January 2019. With a salesman on the ground and several buildings up, Morton knows one thing for sure — its economic boom in the area is just beginning. The employee-owned company sells a variety of buildings, from suburban garages to large shops, warehouses, dealerships and even homes. The buildings are categorized as residential, agricultural, equestrian, commercial or community. “Let’s say Morton does 3,000 buildings this year,” Janke said. “Two-thousand of them would be farm buildings.”As more buildings began to sell in western North Dakota and eastern Montana, Sidney became the next logical location. [ Sidney Herald ] Federal grant awarded to MSU’s TechLink Center to help high-tech companies Montana State University’s TechLink Center has been awarded a federal grant to expand its assistance to technology-related businesses across Montana. The U.S. Small Business Administration announced last month that it had awarded a Federal and State Technology Partnership Program grant for $125,000 to fund TechLink’s Montana Innovation Partnership. Montana is one of 24 states to receive a FAST grant for the upcoming fiscal year. Grants are awarded through a competitive application process. Proposals were reviewed by a panel of representatives from the Small Business Administration, NASA, the Missile Defense Agency, U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research and the National Institutes of Health. Montana has received this grant in seven of the last nine years. “Montana State University is dedicated to expanding high-tech development and entrepreneurial opportunities in Montana,” said Brett Cusker, executive director of TechLink. “FAST funding will help more Montana companies focused on high-risk technology successfully compete for important seed capital through the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs.” [ Belgrade News ] Three Bozeman businesses selected for 2019 Employers’ Choice Award Three Bozeman businesses are being recognized for their efforts in creating workplaces deemed “great” by their employees. The Montana State Employers’ Council (MSEC) and the Bozeman Job Service Employers’ Committee (JSEC) made the announcement last week for the MSEC Employers of Choice Award. According to a press release, Anderson ZurMeuhlen – Bozeman ( hiring ), Buffalo Restoration ( hiring ) and Foundant Technologies ( hiring ) were selected for their dedication to providing healthy and positive workplaces and commitment to employees. “These three businesses created workplaces that balance work and life commitments to attract and retain talented employees,” Bozeman Job Service Employment Specialist Susan Hanken said. “With the low unemployment rate in Bozeman, businesses here are making the workplace a good place to stay and providing excellent perks, benefits and professional development opportunities.” [ KTVH ] Report highlights Montana job, wage growth Wage growth in Montana was 6th fastest in the nation over the last decade. That was one among a number of rosey statistics shared by the Bullock administration during its release of the 2019 Labor Day Report . According to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, Montana's average annual wages increased by $10,000 from 2009 to 2018. The report notes that the current economic expansion is now the longest in recorded U.S. History. Over the last decade, state data reports that the southwest region of the state has seen the greatest percentage of payroll employment growth, followed by northwest Montana. Central and eastern portions of the state have seen significantly less job growth. Montana, like other states, is facing a tight labor market as the baby boomer generation retires. Officials say Montana will lean, in part, on people moving to the state to fill the open jobs. They say the trend of more people retiring than joining the workforce each year could continue through 2025. [ Montana Public Radio ] 'Can Do': How Bozeman-based MyVillage is working to remake childcare In a recent episode of Can Do: Lessons from Savvy Montana Entrepreneurs  by Montana Public Radio , MyVillage co-founder & CEO Erica Mackey and Chief Community Officer Elke Govertsen talk with host Arnie Sherman about what it’s like to be a daycare owner in need of business mentoring, or a parent desperate to find high-quality childcare. According to the Center for American Progress, 51% of Americans live in a daycare desert; a place with almost no openings for infants or toddlers in nearby licensed daycares or preschools. Those lucky enough to find openings often spend more on childcare than they can afford, and many educators can’t earn enough as preschool teachers to make ends meet. It was from firsthand experiences that two women and mothers saw an opportunity and drew on their past entrepreneurial experiences to launch MyVillage ( hiring ) in 2017. The platform that connects parents with trained, licensed daycare and preschool providers has grown at a rapid pace attracting $6 million in seed capital earlier this year, the largest seed round ever for a Montana start-up. In this episode, their concept of living as a village is also explored as well as what empowers them to challenge such a pervasive problem at the national scale. If you're one with a passion for young kids and looking for a career change where you can be your own boss, care for your own kids and earn great income, learn more about starting your own in-home childcare or preschool program with MyVillage in Montana or Coloardo and what it can offer your family and community  here . [ Montana Public Radio ]  

As you gear up to (hopefully) unplug a bit over Labor Day weekend and spend some quality time outside on the trails, rivers or lakes with friends and family...get caught up with this week's skim of Montana business news below. #fishingfamily #teachemyoung #shecaughtarainbow #eastgallatin Bozeman high-tech firm (Bridger Aerospace and Ascent Vision Technologies) provide jobs for veterans and Montana State University graduates Tim Sheehy is a combat-wounded veteran who returned home with a vision. "After my tours overseas, I recognized there was a need for enhanced aerials supervision capability to be applied to the public safety sector," said Sheehy, CEO of Bridger Aerospace and Ascent Vision Technologies . "Whether that’s border security, whether that’s law enforcement, or whether that’s wildfire mitigation." Bridger Aerospace provides advanced aerial fire fighting services in Montana and across the country. They assist the Forest Service and other agencies year round in wildfire response and suppression. The company started in 2014 with one plane and two people. Today they have twenty planes and more than 100 people working for the company. Housed under the same roof is Ascent Vision Technologies, which specializes in the manufacturing of gyro-stabilized camera systems. Bridger Aerospace and Ascent Vision Technologies provide the area with high paying, high-tech jobs. Many of the people that work here are either veterans or graduates of Montana State University . "It’s incredible that our footprint here in Bozeman, Montana is making and helping the, not only military customers, but commercial customers across the world," said Ben Keeley, Engineering Manager with Ascent Vision Technologies. "In a global footprint, and really making an impact to National Security and global security." [ KBZK ] Missoula County leading state in job growth Missoula County is leading the state in job growth according to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. "I think it's the fundamentals of our economy right now. We have great leaders in our businesses. We have abundant talent coming out of our university and people who live here with these are really exceptional partnerships," Missoula Economic Partnership CEO Grant Kier said. "I think between the public and private sector making smart investments in growth." The county has the highest job growth rate thanks to a variety of factors including great economic leadership and business innovators. Job growth is coming in a variety of fields, including healthcare, construction and manufacturing. And one sector that is seeing steady growth is the tech sector. Along with job growth, wages have also gone up in Missoula County and officials say the combination of the two increases really show that the Garden City has a healthy growing economy. [ KPAX ] Flathead-based Agape Home Care service expands, flips name After 12 years in the Flathead Valley, Agape Home Care is expanding across Montana. The home-care service is franchising its model and rebranding under the name Epaga, or Agape spelled backward. “We’ve always known that we wanted to expand Agape Home Care,” said Chief Operations Officer Julie Brubaker. In 2007, she partnered with Inga Lake to create the in-home, non-medical care service for people who are elderly or those who live with disabilities. The idea to expand had been percolating for many years between them and General Manager Kevin Lake, Inga’s husband. The actual franchising process has been in the works for about a year, according to Brubaker. Part of that extensive process involved navigating legal particularities such as the trademark name. In the first year of franchising, Brubaker said the goal is to expand throughout Montana. “We know Montana,” Inga said. After that, they hope to branch out into other Western states and beyond. They expect to spend considerable time training new owners at first, but they emphasized, “The franchises are all independently owned and operated. They have our standards, as well as Agape’s resources, training and years of practical wisdom,” Inga explained. [ Daily Inter Lake ] Cloud Peak Energy selling Montana, Wyoming coal mines to Navajo tribal firm Cloud Peak Energy recently announced that it's selling its three Power River Basin coal mines to the Navajo Transitional Energy Company , the winning bidder of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy auction. The Gillette, Wyoming-based company said the sale, which was approved by a federal bankruptcy judge in Delaware, includes nearly all of Cloud Peak's assets. Navajo Transitional Energy will pay $15.7 million in cash, a $40 million secondary lien on all assets and a five-year royalty on future coal produced. In a news release, Navajo Transitional Energy leaders said they're excited to continue operations of the mines, which employ about 1,300 people, nearly all in Montana and Wyoming. "NTEC will continue its efforts to lead conscientious energy development while striving to balance job growth and protecting the environment for future generations.” said CEO Clark Moseley in a statement. “We have proven by our extremely successful management of the Navajo Mine that we know the business and are capable of returning the Cloud Peak mines to, safe, stable and profitable operations while maintaining their excellent safety performance and reclamation efforts.” [ KTVQ ] Construction underway on $18 million hazardous waste processing plant outside of Butte Processing elemental phosphorus waste at the old Solvay site eight miles west of Butte could begin as soon as next year. The more than $18 million plant, now under construction in the Montana Connections Business Development Park off Interstate 15, is the result of a nearly 20-year-long process to determine what to do with the roughly 500,000 gallons of highly flammable elemental phosphorus waste stored on the site. Belgian-based Solvay , which owns the site, and the Environmental Protection Agency agreed a couple of years ago to the concept of Solvay constructing a new plant that is expected to process the waste for the next seven or eight years. Once all the on-site hazardous phosphorus has been put through the furnace, the company will accept elemental phosphorus waste from outside sources and keep operating. Once the plant is ready to operate, Solvay will hire about eight new workers to handle the toxic material and the plant will operate on a 24-7 basis, Bersanti said. [ Montana Standard ] ClassPass continues hiring in Missoula; grows workforce to more than 100 Calling it a valuable tool for economic development, Missoula County this week agreed to amend a state grant that will enable ClassPass ( hiring ) to create 80 additional Missoula jobs, bringing the positions filled in the company’s Missoula office to more than 100. Provided by the Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund , the grant provides a reimbursement of up to $7,500 for each job created. The positions must pay at least $18.99 an hour to be eligible for that level of reimbursement. The contract was extended from the company’s original plan to create 40 jobs and is valued at up to $600,000. “Their award amount has been doubled, and they’ve been assisted to create another 40 jobs. That’s a total of 80 jobs,” said Nicole Rush, grants administrator with the Missoula Economic Partnership . “I’m pretty sure they’ve already hired most of these people.” Roughly 24 companies in Missoula have used the Big Sky grant to create 532 jobs since 2013, according to MEP. They’ve received a collective $3.7 million in funding and pay roughly $20.6 million annually in new wages. [ Missoula Current ] Billings airport gets ready for its $55M launch into the future Next month Billings Logan International Airport begins a four-year juggling act, balancing a massive $55 million remodeling project while carrying on with daily operations. As painful as the process may be, it's a welcome challenge, said airport director Kevin Ploehn. This project has been a long time coming. Starting next month, the Billings airport begins phase one of a massive remodeling project that will expand its two concourses and increase the number of flight gates from five to eight. It will add a cafe, gift shop and bar, and include a wide-open "great room" with a wall of glass facing the runways, a fireplace and children's play area. The entire project is scheduled to finish by March of 2023 and will be paid for through FAA grants, airport funds and revenue bonds. The whole goal of the remodel is to expand the number of flights and airlines the airport can accommodate, and to give the airport a modern look and feel. [ Billings Gazette ] Apprenticeship program brings training and employment opportunities to Superior, Montana (Mineral County) Last week the Montana Department of Labor & Industry officials visited the Idaho Forest Group St. Regis Mill as 12 apprentices signed paperwork to join the company’s first Montana Registered Apprenticeship program. Chris Clairmont, Principal of Superior High School, said the School to Registered Apprenticeship partnership is bringing new opportunities for young people to stay in the area. “We want kids to have a plan for after high school. We can help them start their future careers and stay in the community through things like this,” Clairmont said. “We want to provide a good future for whatever our kids want to do, and this is a good option.” This apprenticeship opportunity and mill has brought a much-needed source of employment growth to the area. Unemployment in Mineral County is currently at 3.9%, placing them 51st when compared to all 56 Montana counties. Our department is committed to implementing training programs like this to work to give Montanans the skills they need to join the workforce for increased economic stability. [ Clark Valley Press ]  

As these late summer drizzles (and even storms) continue to roll in during the evenings and back-to-school cray begins, take a minute to get caught up with this week's skim of Montana business news below. Bozeman-based Schedulicity raises $22M in funding Schedulicity ( hiring ), a Bozeman-based online platform for consumers to schedule appointments, classes and workshops in more than 50 industries, raised $22m in funding. Unnamed private investors participated in the round. The company intends to use the funds to launch a new payment processing platform, conduct an upcoming consumer-facing brand campaign, as well as grow the company’s Bozeman headquarters. In addition, this fall, the company will release a nationwide marketing campaign designed to elevate brand awareness among consumers and drive increased bookings for businesses using the platform. [ Finsmes ] Ten Montana companies make the 2019 Inc. 5000 list Inc. released its annual guide of the country’s fastest-growing privately held companies and ten Montana companies made the list. Topping off the list at #29 overall and #4 in software, Missoula-based LumenAd ( hiring ) noted 7,045% growth since 2015 and $11.8 million in revenue in 2018. Also on the list were Bozeman-based XYPlanning Network (#553 & hiring ), Stone Glacier (#1,199), Energy1 (#2,159 & hiring ), commonFont (#2,424 & hiring ), Foundant Technologies (#3,488 & hiring ), Advanced Electronic Designs (#4,587), Billings-based Yellowstone Health and Rehab (#2,172), Kalispell’s Health and Rehab Solutions (#3,541) and Missoula-based Submittable (#3,933 & hiring ). You can find the full list here . [ Inc. ] Eagle Bancorp Montana to acquire Western Holding Company of Wolf Point, Montana Eagle Bancorp Montana, Inc. (NASDAQ: EBMT), the holding company of Opportunity Bank of Montana ( hiring ), recently announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Western Holding Company of Wolf Point, and its wholly owned subsidiary, Western Bank of Wolf Point . Opportunity Bank’s acquisition of the $100 million in assets, which is structured as a 50% cash and 50% stock deal, will further solidify its position as the fourth largest Montana-based bank with approximately $1.10 billion in assets. Western currently operates one branch in Wolf Point. The acquisition will provide Opportunity Bank with an additional $100 million in assets, $77 million in deposits, and $41 million in gross loans, based on June 30, 2019 information.  Opportunity Bank will have, upon completion of the transaction, 22 retail branches in Montana. [ Global News Wire ] MSU awarded federal money for statewide tech grants Montana State University has been awarded a federal grant to create a public-private partnership for growing tech companies in Montana. The U.S. Economic Development Administration announced July 23 that it had awarded $750,000 to MSU’s Prospect Montana, a newly created program to promote high-tech economic development statewide. The three-year funding will support three complementary efforts to see high-tech companies grow and create jobs in communities across the state, said Daniel Juliano, head of MSU’s Technology Transfer Office, who applied for the grant. Roughly $400,000 will go into a new “gap fund” managed by the university’s Office of Research and Economic Development, Juliano said, which will be awarded to advance technologies toward commercial applications or to build prototypes. Of the remaining federal funds, approximately $110,000 will go to MSU’s 406 Labs Business Accelerator , a program at the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship, which will provide education and mentorship to keep the students and faculty who receive gap funding on track to launch their startups. The remaining money will go toward launching and promoting the gap funding program, preparing participants to submit gap funding proposals, and administering the program. The Prospect Montana program will begin this fall with a competitive request for MSU gap fund proposals. Grant funds will be awarded to three to five applicants based on the commercial potential of their technology. [ Bozeman Chronicle ] California-based Susteen Inc. plans data center in historic Montana powerhouse A California-based tech company, Susteen Inc ., plans to repurpose a more than century-old Montana powerhouse into a data center. NorthWestern Energy ( hiring ) has submitted a plan to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for Susteen Inc. to lease the Rainbow Powerhouse in Great Falls. The former hydroelectric facility was built in 1910 along the Missouri River. The Great Falls-Cascade County Historic Preservation Advisory Commission has been working with the utility since 2011 to find a way to reuse the historic building at the Rainbow Dam. [ Independent Record ] $17-$20 an hour out of high school: CM Manufacturing starts apprentice program One Missoula business owner has created an employment path for high school students who want to make as much as $17 to $20 an hour right after they graduate. Ken Johnson, of CM Manufacturing ( hiring ), has been working with Big Sky High School and Missoula College for the last several years to develop a 15-credit, one-year machining degree for high school students. He’s had the help of guidance counselors, administrators and teachers at both institutions, and the first class is underway. “I feel the private sector needs to work with Missoula College in order to solve the shortage of skilled labor,” Johnson explained. “We need to get this moving forward. This is something that goes back 10-12 years. We have a lack of skilled workers out there.” Johnson sent his son Liam through the training program first as a test case to see if he could make it work with his high school schedule. It worked, and now several other students are in the program. [ Missoulian ] Huntley Ritter builds Whitefish-based USeek to make video advertising more fun and interactive In a recent interview with Huntley Ritter, Founder and CEO of Whitefish-based USeek , Forbes discusses operating at the intersection of consumer behavior and business transformation. Huntley shares the birth of the idea of USeek back in 2011 to the launch of the beta in 2015 in partnership with the University of Montana. Now with 15 full-time employees and approximately 15 more contractors the company is growing and expanding into the tourism industry. According to Hunter, he is focused on building something that's disruptive and solves the problems he was dealing with himself. Read the full interview here to learn about USeek. [ Forbes] Butte business district commits over $37,700 to local projects, events Butte’s Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) recently committed over $37,700 to projects that its board members hope will promote tourism and more overnight stays in Butte. The TBID board consists of local hoteliers and collects a $1 assessment for every overnight stay in Butte. The board uses the money to allocate grants to performing arts venues, athletic facilities, and other venues hosting events along with allocations to festivals and other projects anticipated to contribute to visitation. The TBID also funds ad campaigns promoting Butte as a tourist destination, among other types of allocations. Grants the TBID committed to included: $2,500 to the Butte Civic Center, $2,727 to Hypoxia Crossfit Challenge , $2,000 to the Young Ag Leadership Conference , $6,500 to the Butte economic development team , $13,000 to the Butte Central Education Foundations , $10,000 to the Mother Lode Theatre and $1,000 to Montana Tech professor Kumar Ganesan. [ Montana Standard ]  Kindred Healthcare, Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare announce opening of rehabilitation hospital Kindred Healthcare, LLC ( hiring ), Billings Clinic ( hiring ) and St. Vincent Healthcare ( hiring ) recently announced the grand opening of The Rehabilitation Hospital of Montana, located in Billings west end. The Rehabilitation Hospital of Montana is a partnership between the three organizations to operate the 34-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital. This is the first and only freestanding inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Montana. The hospital will meet the growing clinical needs of Billings, the state and region. Kindred will manage the day-to-day operations of the hospital, which is expected to employ more than 100 caregivers and staff. [ Tullahoma News ] Bullock announces funding for workshops to help women negotiate better pay Gov. Steve Bullock has announced new funding for workshops across Montana, aimed at promoting equal pay by giving women strategies for negotiating for salary or benefits. “Actually having the skills to negotiate a decent salary and working conditions – sometimes even those base skills can make a real difference, to the tune of thousands of dollars in the pocket,” he said. Bullock said the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services will use $25,000 in grant money to support a series of workshops with the American Association of University Women of Montana . There will be two types of workshops: Start Smart, which will help young women entering the workforce for the first time develop negotiation skills; and Work Smart, which will do the same for those currently working and seeking a new job, raise or promotion. Leaders say 15 of the workshops will be set up around the state over the next 18 months. The schedule for these workshops will be published on the AAUW website. [ KXLH ] What's the value of a college degree in Montana? In the wake of a student loan epidemic where debt reached an all-time high in 2019, the question of the value of a college degree looms in the back of many students’ minds. Research shows that from a financial standpoint, earning a bachelor's degree is usually a sound investment. Some 62% of college graduates think their education was useful for helping them grow personally and intellectually. The statistics can be confusing for students in Montana considering a degree, where a worker shortage has opened up a number of entry-level jobs for high school graduates and certificate holders. “There are just a lot more jobs available at lower wage levels than higher wage levels,” said Barbara Wagner, chief economist for the Montana Department of Labor and Industry . The worker shortage is expected to grow over the next 10 years in Montana, and as the cost of college increases, the state labor department is working with the Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education to ensure that workforce training is aligned with the state’s economic needs. A new report by the two agencies found that college graduates working in Montana earn wages above entry-level pay within one year of graduation. However, those with higher levels of education face lower retention. According to the report, only 67% of bachelor degree holders earned income in Montana a year after graduation, compared to about 84% of those with an associate's degree. [ Missoulian ]