Articles about current issues
Local and Regional Contacts for Businesses
| Building Codes Bureau |
Food Providers License |
| Boiler Safety Safety Certificates and Inspections Plumbing/Mechanical Inspector |
Plumbing and Mechanical Safety Tara Parry, (406) 841-2044 Dan Parisi, (406) 932-5411 |
| Building Standards Section Building Inspector Kyle Harland, (406) |
Electrical Safety Electrical Inspector Charlie Basset, (406) 374-2508 |
Weights and Measures Bureau
301 South Park Room 430
PO Box 200512
Helena MT 59620-0512
(406) 841-2240
Montana One Stop Licensing
The One Stop License was put in place by the State of Montana to assist businesses in acquiring the necessary licenses through a centralized location and with one application. The One Stop Licensing is intended to be simple, convenient, and hassle free.
Sam W. Mitchell
125 N. Roberts
Helena MT
http://mt.gov/revenue/programsandservices/onestop.asp
Snowy Mountain Development Corporation
Certified Regional Development Centers (CRDC)
CRDC's are responsible for helping local officials, communities and businesses assess, plan, and facilitate action" within their regions. CRDC's are required to have the support of all counties and a majority of the incorporated cities and towns in their region to obtain and maintain certification. CRDC's receive regional capacity building grants from the Department of Commerce on an annual basis.
CRDCs leverage scarce resources for economic development. Most local governments and communities lack the financial resources to hire and maintain professional economic development staff and find themselves in need of assistance in providing development services to local businesses and citizens. RDC program funding supports local governments and communities in developing professional economic
development capacity.
CRDCs provide professional economic development services. CRDCs have the resources: staff, knowledge and funds (albeit limited) and are equipped to provide economic development services. CRDC staffs are made up of professionals with a wide range of backgrounds in such areas as economic development, human services, management, and planning.
CRDCs facilitate the identification of priority needs of local communities. There is a clear recognition that local strategic planning is critical in developing local economies. CRDCs foster collaboration and bring elected officials, business leaders and stakeholders together to prepare and implement regional development strategies.
CRDCs provide business technical assistance and financing. CRDCs leverage financial resources from a variety of sectors that include government (federal, state, county and local), the private sector, philanthropic community and academia to aide in the expansion of their regions economy. For example, CRDCs manage Revolving Loan Funds (RLF) that are designed to assist new and/or expanding businesses. Business financing through an RLF assists in making a project a reality and thereby creating new local employment opportunities.
Kathie Bailey
Executive Director
613 NE Main
Lewistown MT 59457
(406) 535-2591
Montana Ag Innovation Center
The Montana Agriculture Innovation Center is a consortium of regional partners focused on providing on-the-ground assistance and resources within the agricultural community. The program provides the necessary tools, research and assistance in response to the direct request of producers to further expand or develop new value-added products and production. Value-added products include the next-step processing and marketing of Montana produced crops transforming the basic commodities into higher value products increasing the viability and sustainability of these Montana crop operations.
The goal of MAIC is to provide the state’s agriculture producers with support and technical assistance in the evaluation of a value added process or product and help guide it from concept to thriving economically viable business enterprise. The center was organized to take advantage of existing economic development organizations within the state providing regional accessibility.
Bob Giese
Program Director
613 NE Main
Lewistown MT 59457
(406) 535-2591
Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
The Small Business Development Center offers one-on-one business counseling and assistance with business plan development, financial management, market feasibility, and international trade at no cost to the business. They offer low-cost training in topics including NxLevel training, business start-up, marketing, taxes, business plans and cash flow analysis. SBDC offices offer customized local assistance to meet small business needs in their regional service areas. The SBDCs are a key access point to a broad network of public and private resources at the community level.
Deanna South
Director Billings SBDC
Big Sky Economic Development Authority
222 North 32nd Street
Billings MT 59101
(406) 254-6014 X 223
www.bigskyeda.org
www.nxlevelmontana.org
Small Business Innovative Research Program (SBIR)
The Small Business Innovative Research Program helps Montana companies compete for more than one billion dollars in federal grants that have been earmarked to fund research and development. Montana’s SBIR offers free counseling assistance to any individual or small business that wants to explore SBIR grant opportunities.
Montana Dept of Commerce
301 S Park Ave
PO Box 200505
Helena MT 59620-0505
(406) 841-2728
www.sbir.mt.gov
Made in Montana
Montana Dept of Commerce
301 S Park Ave
PO Box 200505
Helena MT 59620-0505
(406) 841-2757
www.madeinmontanausa.com
Montana Finance Information Center
The Montana Finance Information Center provides summary information for the most significant financing resources available from state, federal, and local institutions. The website is organized as much as possible by source and point of application. Preference for organizational purposes is given to the actual level that provides funding to businesses and local governments. Direct web links are provided wherever possible for direct connection to funding sources.
This site has been constructed by the Business Resources Division of the Department of Commerce to assist the businesses and communities of Montana in achieving economic prosperity keeping in mind that the vision of prosperity to be achieved must be defined by the businesses and communities that we serve.
Regional Development Bureau
Montana is divided into five regions with a Regional Development Officer assigned to each area. The program serves as an access point to all relevant business and Community Department resources, and all other relevant business and community development resources. The primary purpose of this finance information center program is to provide technical assistance to businesses for the purpose of obtaining financing for start-ups, expansions, business relocations and retention projects.
Al Jones
South Central Region
2004 Miles Ave
Billings MT
(406) 655-1696
www.businessresources.mt.gov
Lewistown Job Service Workforce Center
The Workforce Center strives to develop and maintain a high quality of workforce system for the state of Montana that supports and enhances the economic health of the business community as well as to provide a prepared workforce. The Lewistown Job Service Workforce Center offers many services for Wheatland County businesses including Job Matching, Job Posting, Labor Market Information, Workshops and Trainings, Personnel Law Information, Recruitment and Selection Information, Wage and Hour Law Information, Employer Poster and Information, and Employee Handbooks.
Lewistown Job Service Workforce Center
300 First Ave North
Lewistown Mt 59457
(406) 538-8701
http://wsd.dli.mt.gov/local/lewistown/
Central Montana Resource Conservation & Community Development Area, Inc.
The Central Montana RC&D is a nonprofit corporation who’s mission is to improve the quality of life in Petroleum, Fergus, Wheatland, Musselshell, Golden Valley and Judith Basin through comprehensive and coordinated effort of local citizens, and to provide decision makers with technical information and the necessary access to resources to better manage and utilize the area’s natural and human resources. The RC&D is working to enhance employment and other economic opportunities for the people of the area while protecting our resource base. One of the Central Montana RC&D’s ongoing projects is the Musselshell Valley Regional Water Project. Once completed the project will provide high quality water for domestic and livestock use to 5.000 people in the Central Montana Regional Water Authority.
Monty Sealy, Coordinator
34 Third Ave. North
Box 660
Roundup, MT 59072
(406) 323-2755
cmrcd@midrivers.com
Carrie Mantooth, Assistant Coordinator
613 NE Main St.
Lewistown, MT 59457
(406) 535-2591
cmantooth@hotmail.com
Wheatland County Extension Office
MSU/ Wheatland County Extension delivers research based knowledge to the people who need it. Extension provides access to useful information and expert assistance by a variety of delivery methods, including workshops, demonstrations, community meetings, publications, videos and the internet.
Extension links MSU Faculty to the Wheatland County Extension Agent, to the people in Wheatland County. It is our role to extend particle knowledge to the public about Economic Development, Agricultural Production, Weeds, and 4-H and youth development programs.
MSU Extension business and community development programs provide resources and expertise to help Montana's businesses and communities envision, create and sustain successful enterprises and economic development efforts.
Mandie Reed
MSU/Wheatland County
Extension Agent
PO Box 733
Harlowton, MT 59036
(406) 632-4728
reed@montana.edu
Wheatland County Economic Growth Council
The mission of the Wheatland County Economic Growth Council is "To connect the people and institutions of Wheatland County to lay the base for sustained and balanced economic and community development." The Wheatland County Economic Growth Council is your gateway to economic development in Wheatland County.
Ian Reed
PO Box 147
Harlowton, MT 59036
(406) 632-5709
info@snowymountaincoffee.com
Harlowton Area Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture
The Harlowton Area Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture is making things happen in Wheatland County. The Chamber proudly sponsors the 4th of July rodeo and festivities, a concert at the Wheatland County Youth Fair, the Annual Holiday Craft Fair and numerous other events throughout the year. The Chamber also sponsored the local Business Expo in Harlowton. The Chamber provides resources to individuals interested in relocation to Wheatland County. Visit the chamber on the web at www.harlowtonchamber.com.
Chamber Offices
PO Box 694
17 South Central Ave
Harlowton MT 59036
(406) 632-4694
