Month: December 2023

  • It’s Really So — Shopping Small Supports Main Street

    By Aikta Marcoulier, SBA Regional Administrator The pandemic confirmed the essential role that small businesses play in our daily lives.  It sounds cliché, but locally owned small businesses truly are the heart and soul of our cities and towns. The holiday shopping season is a crucial time for small retailers and restaurants that depend upon…

  • IRS Delays Reporting Rule

    The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced a delay to the reporting requirement threshold for transactions on payment platforms including Venmo, PayPal, and Airbnb. The delay will keep a $20,000 transaction threshold for 2023 and introduce a new significantly lower threshold phased-in starting in 2024. Despite the delay, this new rule will add to the…

  • High Interest Rates Slow Residential, Commercial Construction

    By Tu-Uyen Tran, Senior Writer, Federal Reserve Bank of  Minneapolis Trends in the Ninth District’s construction industry are splitting along clear lines: For industrial and infrastructure projects, business is up. But the same can’t be said for residential and commercial construction, according to a recent Minneapolis Fed survey. “There has been a real drop off…

  • Government Seeks Power to Invalidate Patents

    Will the federal government open the gateway to confiscating the property of inventors and innovators in the US by giving itself the power to invalidate federally-funded patents upon a whim? Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) president & CEO Karen Kerrigan, commented, “President Biden’s proposed framework for march-in use under the Bayh-Dole Act amounts…

  • German Company Plans $90 million Manufacturing Plant in Lewistown

    German Company Plans $90 million Manufacturing Plant in Lewistown

    VACOM, a German manufacturing company, is planning to establish its United States headquarters in Lewistown, Montana! VACOM is a producer of vacuum mechanics, electrical feedthroughs, vacuum measurement technology, vacuum optics, and cleaning technology. The company provides customers from throughout the world with precise vacuum technology for applications in research and industry – components that are…

  • Federal Program Aims to Expand Montana Ag in Food Production

    Federal Program Aims to Expand Montana Ag in Food Production

    In order to increase production and add new agriculture products, the  U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing $3 million to the State of Montana. The funds are to support technology that will “place products in consumer markets” throughout the state. A press release claims the state’s investments through Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Program will…

  • Dylan Meccage Returns to Stockman Bank

    Dylan Meccage recently returned to Stockman Bank as a Commercial Loan Officer at the Billings Downtown location. His responsibilities include developing and servicing commercial and construction loans and assisting clients with their lending and credit needs. Meccage brings over four years of banking experience to the position, which includes commercial lending, credit analysis and business…

  • CSLB Expands Nationwide as Momentum Builds to Overturn Job-Killing Rule

    Michael Layman, senior advisor to the Coalition to Save Local Businesses (CSLB), issued the following statement highlighting CSLB’s rapid nationwide growth. Since its November relaunch, CSLB has driven almost 60 groups across 10 states to call on their state congressional delegations to support a bipartisan resolution to overturn the job-killing joint employer rule. “Momentum is…

  • Billings Gains More Air Service

    Billings Gains More Air Service

    United Airlines has added two additional daily flights with direct service to Denver, Colorado. The announcement joins other recent announcements of additional air service for Billings. United Airlines’ announcement brings Billings to five daily flights with direct service to Denver, according to The City of Billings, in partnership with the Visit Billings, the Billings Chamber…

  • Billings Building Permits December 15, 2023

    Billings Building Permits December 15, 2023

    Commercial Cogburn Holdings LLC/ Dick Anderson Construction, 6767 Tun Tavern Rd, Com Remodel, $4,000,000 Billings Logistics Center One LLC/ Bauer Construction, 3218 S Frontage Rd, Com Remodel, $320,000 Billing Real Estate Holdings LLC /Intermountain Wind and Solar LLC, 600 S 27th St, Com Remodel, $384,087 Homefront/ Safetech, Inc,  511 N 26th St, Demolition Permit Commercial,…