Author: Press Room

Mike Nelson Named Business Champion

20 October 2020
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Besides being a noted hotelier in Billings, Mike Nelson is a tireless advocate for business in the Billings community, which is why he has been name as this year’s Small Business Champion.  Nelson is always showing up to educate, inspire and support those around him, according to Steve Arveschoug, Executive Director at Big Sky Economic Development Authority, who nominated Nelson.

He is a hands-on business leader and serves on the board of Big Sky Economic Development and was recently appointed Chair of the Billings Chamber of Commerce Board in 2020. 

Nelson is actively involved with MSU-Billings College of Business and with entrepreneur students at Billings School District 2.  He provided a unique opportunity for culinary students from the Billings Career Center to take over the kitchen of the TEN Restaurant, located in the Northern Hotel, for one day.  Students designed the menu, ordered the food, prepared meals, and presented their creations to the community and civic leaders they had invited. The evening was an overwhelming success, showcasing the talents of area high school students and supporting young entrepreneurs in their beginning stages.

Mike has been an instrumental part of the community effort to address public safety challenges.  He has twice hosted community panel discussions to talk about how to make Billings a safer place to do business.  These discussions spurred an actionable plan by the Downtown Billings Alliance and the Billings Chamber of Commerce to provide small business owners with matching funds to assess and provide recommended infrastructure improvements to their businesses.

Mike successfully breathed life back into the historic Northern Hotel when he and his brother purchased the run-down, vacant building in 2009.  He spent the next five years restoring this important piece of Montana history located in downtown Billings. The re-opening of the Northern hotel has created a new hub for business travelers, tourists and visitors and has revitalized the downtown area. The economic impact of this project is estimated at roughly $82 million.

Mike Nelson is a catalyst for growing the Billings small business community and knows that it takes hard work and dedication to make it happen. He stands out from other leaders as a true champion as he is more than just a voice, he is a partner on the ground.

Keelan James, Easy Lawn Hydroseeding, Named Small Business Person of Year

20 October 2020
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Keelan and Brianna James of Belgrade as owners of Easy Lawn Hydroseeding, LLC have been named as Montana Small Business Person of the Year by the Small Business Administration.

Both Keelan and Brianna grew up in Montana and met while attending Montana State University in Bozeman.  Keelan was pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering while Brianna earned her degree in Education.  After they got married, the couple decided to stay in Southwest Montana and raise their family in Belgrade. 

Keelan has always been a self-driven individual, and after college, he set out on a path of entrepreneurship.  His passion for the outdoors inspired the idea of starting an environmental restoration business in 2008. 

Easy Lawn Hydroseeding provides seeding, erosion control and land reclamation services for commercial and residential customers.  The company focuses on land restoration after major construction projects, environmental clean-up, river and stream restoration, wetland mitigation, and private land improvements and management. 

When the business first started, Keelan and Brianna were the only two employees but over the past twelve years the business has expanded to a staff of twelve.  By 2016, the company had outgrown their original location. SBA financing made it possible for the business owners to purchase property and build a new, larger facility to house their business operations.

The new location allowed the business to expand their service area to other states including Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota.  Future plans include expanding their service area into Idaho, Washington and Oregon.

Keelan and Brianna James are strong supporters of their community. They started a mentoring program to help struggling families that have experienced a financial crisis.  The program focuses on education of sound financial practices and helps with real life implementation of those lessons and even grant funds to help families get back on their feet. They focus their efforts to help homeless teens in their community. 

As a high school teacher, Brianna has seen the rise in homelessness in young teens who are displaced from their parents. The program will provide life skills and solutions with the goal of teaching kids self-reliance and how to succeed on their own.

Keelan and Brianna James were nominated by Randy Tyler, Assistant Vice President at The Yellowstone Bank, Bozeman.

Hybrid Steel Design, Entrepreneur-Owned Business

20 October 2020
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Levi Clark of Geraldine has been named as SBA’s 2020 Montana Young Entrepreneur-owned Business of the Year.

Clark grew up in rural Geraldine, attended Montana Tech and graduated with an Associate’s of Science degree in Metal Fabrication in 2008.  After spending five years in the coal mining industry refining his welding and fabrication skills, Levi returned home to Geraldine.  With the support of his wife Ashley, Levi pursued an innovative idea to serve farmers and ranchers in rural Montana and give back to his hometown community.

Hybrid Steel Design initially operated as a mobile welding unit. Levi is a certified welder and able to streamline on-site equipment repair saving farmers countless hours in downtime and money.

As word of Levi’s skills spread throughout the Golden Triangle area, new opportunities presented for the company, including mill wright services such as onsite consultation, design, installation and assembly. Over time, the projects grew from agri-production equipment earning hundreds of dollars of revenue to full agri-processing facilities in the tens of thousands of dollars and beyond.

Currently, the company’s primary focus is construction of agricultural processing facilities.  Over the last 18 months, they have built three major value-added agriculture facilities in Montana’s Golden Triangle.  Pardue Grain is a pulse processing facility in Glacier County.  Hodgkiss Seed Plant is another processing facility located near Choteau. They are working on another major processing facility in the Golden Triangle, but for confidentiality reasons, are not able to divulge the details of that project.  Levi and Ashley utilized the Great Falls SBDC starting in 2018 for guidance and assistance in growing their budding company. They are active PTAC clients and have participated in state and local matchmaking events with government agencies enabling them to diversity revenue and continue to grow the company.

The company has experienced stellar growth in the last three years, with 2019 the best year yet.  Growth is due to diversification, going from a welding and fabrication company to providing on-site mill wright services including building huge agricultural plants.

Levi Clark’s commitment to his customers and his integrity and work ethic are extraordinary and continue to drive the success of this business.  

Hybrid Steel Design was nominated by Jason Nitschke, Great Falls SBDC Regional Director and Teresa Schreiner, Investment Director at Great Falls Development Authority.

FEMA Provides More Funds

20 October 2020
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FEMA announced $5.71 million in additional funding for COVID-19 response efforts in Montana. The assistance was made available under the major disaster declaration issued March 31 by President Trump.

The funding is being provided to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services for purchases of Personal Protective Equipment for medical care providers and other supplies, which were distributed statewide through June 13, 2020.

FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides funding for emergency actions undertaken by communities to protect public safety, providing at least a 75 percent funding share for eligible costs. Remaining costs are the responsibility of the state and local applicants for assistance.

To date, FEMA has provided more than $5.82 million in Public Assistance funding for the COVID-19 response in Montana. These reimbursements can play a critical role as state, local and tribal officials work tirelessly to assist their communities during this response. Additional support has come in the form of mission assignments, where FEMA directs another federal agency to perform work to address needs identified by the state.

Abby Coffee Joins Stockman Wealth Management

20 October 2020
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Abby Coffee recently joined Stockman Wealth Management as a Junior Portfolio Manager in Billings. Her responsibilities include financial planning, investment account management, economic analysis and business development.

Coffee earned her Bachelor of Science degree in business finance with a minor in accounting from Montana State University in Bozeman in the fall of 2019. She is currently preparing for the Series 65 exam requirement and will be working towards the designation of Certified Financial Planner certification as well.

Coffee was an active member of the Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority, as well as several other organizations/programs while attending MSU Bozeman. She has volunteered and helped with fundraising efforts for Eagle Mount, NAMI, Arthritis Foundation and Huntsman Cancer Institute.   

She is located at 2700 King Avenue West.

Canty Boots, Woman-Owned Small Business of Year

20 October 2020
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Montana’s Woman-owned Business of the year is Kathleen “Nikki” Edmundson of Harrison, Montana, as named by the US Small Business Administration.

Edmundson began her business, Canty Boots in Butte, eight years ago. Edmundson was born and raised in Butte and graduated from the University of Montana-Western in Dillion with a degree in elementary education.  She and her husband moved to the small town of Harrison so he could continue the family ranching business with his father.

Canty Boots began eight years ago in the Mining City of Butte when Nikki Edmundson bought a pair of eel skin boots in an antique store that were tight fitting and not very comfortable. To make the boots work, Nikki cut and folded the boot top and worked some magic so they felt good on her feet. While running errands in town that same day, men and women alike complimented her unique boots. Clearly, Nikki had something special and she wanted to share her designs with others.

Canty Boots is a unique boutique that celebrates individuality in every pair of boots they design.  Nikki loves to create beautiful things, handmade with love, and brings new life to vintage cowgirl boots. The boutique also carries hats, scarves, jewelry and bags. The leather boots range from classic to extravagant and every pair is unique.  Everything is designed, cut, sewn, packed and shipped from her store in Harrison. She is committed to providing high quality products with personalized service to her customers.  

Nikki Edmundson reached out to the Butte SBDC in fall 2019 for help with marketing and input on how to increase visibility for her thriving boutique. The SBDC helped Nikki identity opportunities for grant funding and loan funding to help her grow her business. 

In June of 2019, Canty Boots opened a brand-new flagship store in rural Harrison, Montana, a town with a population of 160 people. Canty Boots brings full and part-time jobs to this small town, pays competitive wages and has made a huge difference in this very rural community. The company currently employs three boot designers and a designated cobbler and plans to hire another employee in the spring.

As Canty Boots has gained recognition, sales have reached international markets.  Nikki is passionate about her small business and her dedication, hard work, and vision drive her extraordinary success. 

Canty Boots was nominated by Julie Jaksha, SBDC Regional Director, Headwaters RC&D, Butte.

Bill Tierney Retires from RBC

20 October 2020
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Bill Tierney, an RBC Wealth Management financial advisor in the Billings office, is retiring on 9/30/2020 after 45 years with the firm. Bill started his career with RBC on February 24, 1975. After completing his training at the Company Headquarters in Minneapolis, Bill returned to Billings. During his tenure with RBC, Bill was actively involved with the company serving on various internal committees and boards. He earned several professional designations and managed the Billings Branch office for 13 years. Throughout his career, however, his primary focus was always on helping his clients. Bill was also active in the community both personally and as a representative of RBC, serving on several non-profit boards. He was especially proud of his relationship with the colleges and universities in fostering Internships for students pursuing careers in business. Bill and Debbie are looking forward to spending more time with their friends and family and embarking on new adventures.

504 Loans Build Equity for Small Business

20 October 2020
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Benefits Include Low Down payment, Fixed Rate, Long-term Repayment

If your small to moderate-size business is leasing any commercial property such as office space, manufacturing or warehousing, you are probably making someone else richer with every rent check you write.  Every lease payment brings your landlord a little closer to retirement.  Why not build your own nest egg instead?  The opportunity to own business real estate has never been greater than right now.  For a minimum of 10 percent down, your business can be eligible for fixed rate financing toward the purchase of commercial real estate; and right now, these rates are at historic all-time lows.  For many small businesses, a monthly mortgage payment can be equal to or less than a rent payment.  SBA’s 504 Program can help you get there.

One of the biggest impediments to growing a small business is the lack of equity when buying a building and/or equipment.  Accelerating equity growth is the primary financial goal of most small businesses.  It is a fact that operating costs such as property lease payments often slow this growth.  Under the SBA 504 loan program, small business owners can purchase, construct or renovate commercial real estate and/or purchase capital equipment and machinery for use by their businesses with the benefit of a small down payment.  The program is primarily used for real estate acquisition, but may be used for large equipment as well, and does include some refinance options too.

Often the financing is a “50/40/10” split.  The “eligible project” includes the costs to acquire, improve or construct the asset plus most related “soft” costs.  A commercial bank loans 50% of the eligible project as a conventional loan in first lien position.  A Certified Development Company (CDC – certified by SBA to implement the 504 program) lends up to 40% of the project costs with an SBA loan in second lien position.  The final 10% is provided by the business owner.  In businesses that are a start-up operation or a special use property, the injection percentage may be up to 20%.

Most Montana businesses will qualify; for profit businesses with a net worth less than $7.5 million, and a net income after taxes of no more than $2.5 million for the last two years (while meeting the general eligibility rules under all SBA loan programs) may participate.

504 loans are generally capped at $5 million and can have a term of 10, 20 or 25 years.  The rate is typically below market and is always fixed for the full amortized life of the loan on the SBA portion.  Prepayment penalties apply during the first 10 years of the loan.  Borrowers benefit from this program because of the small upfront investment of 10 percent and the longer amortization of 25 years.  This keeps operating costs predictable and more management.  One of the program’s goals is to create economic incentives that stimulate development and growth of the economic base in Montana.  The borrower is expected to generate at least one job for every $65,000 funded.

What are the steps to obtaining a SBA 504 loan? First borrowers should contact a commercial loan officer at their current lender.  Most Montana lenders participate in the 504 loan program.  The loan officer will contact one of the four Certified Development Companies serving Montana.  Together, the bank and the CDC will assist the borrower in applying for the program, reviewing the application, and securing the appropriate commitments from the SBA and the bank.  The CDC’s goal is to make the application and commitment process as easy as possible and to insure both the lender and borrower receive a timely commitment on the 504 project.

Small businesses that have participated in the 504 program have seen property values appreciate.  With forecasts of continued market growth and expansion, the 504 program can help new borrowers achieve similar growth in the equity of their business investments.  For more information on SBA’s Programs and Services, go to www.sba.gov or call 406.441.1081.

Montana CDCs and Contact Numbers:

Big Sky Finance         406.869.8403     406.443.3261

High Plains Financial         406.771.9027

Dakota Business Lending 406.760.1002

Capital Matrix                208.383.3473

VA Recognized as Top Employer

26 September 2020
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In the past year, Montana VA Health Care System (MTVAHCS) has embraced planned and unplanned changes. From the ground breaking of a new clinic, to opening new state-of-the-art clinics, to responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, MTVAHCS has responded with adaptability and innovation. The organization was recently recognized by Forbes in naming the VA as one of Montana’s top ten best employers.

Between 2009 to March 2019, four different Executive Directors led MTVAHCS. In June 2019, Dr. Judy Hayman became the MTVAHCS’s Executive Director and established a core leadership team committed to identifying and cultivating leaders at each level of the organization. Focusing on the provision of safe, high qualityVeteran centric care, transparency in communications, ensuring high reliability, and identifying continuous process improvement opportunities defines the culture under Dr. Hayman’s leadership.

“We have 1,400 staff who serve over 47,000 Veterans at 17 sites across Montana. When the pandemic began this spring, our staff immediately began planning and taking charge to respond. As guidance changed, our staff took the lead to ensure that Veterans were receiving the safest care possible. It is through constant communication and employee engagement that we have been able to overcome many of the challenges related to COVID-19” said Dr. Hayman. In May, MTVAHCS was selected as the lead site within its VA region to increase face-to-face visits for Veterans in the first phase of expanded care during the pandemic. “We have been able to continue serving Veterans during COVID-19 and were selected to lead our region in expanding face-to-face care because of the hard work and dedication of our staff.”  

 In June, a new partnership was announced between MTVAHCS and Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare to serve rural Veterans and create integrated care between the VA and private healthcare systems. At the beginning of July, MTVAHCS broke ground on a new Veteran clinic in Missoula. At the end of July, MTVAHCS welcomed Veterans into their new state-of-the-art outpatient clinic in Great Falls. MTVAHCS has eight new clinics scheduled to open, across the state, by the end of next year.

MTVAHCS’s overall trust scores—which derive from Veteran rankings of their health care experiences—are at a historic high. MTVAHCS provides healthcare to Veterans across Montana through a series of community-based clinics, the Miles City Community Living Center (Montana VA’s only nursing home), an acute care medical center, a nationally acclaimed sleep center, and robust telehealth services.  One third of Montana VA employees are Veterans.

PSC Comments on Court Decision

26 September 2020
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The Montana Public Service Commission issued the following statement on the Montana Supreme Court’s decision in Vote Solar v. Montana Department of Public Service Regulation (2020 MT 213).

The federal law at issue in this case, PURPA, strikes a balance between the interests of qualifying small energy producers and ratepayers. It gives qualifying small energy producers the right to sell to utilities, but it also protects utilities and their ratepayers from paying extra for that energy.  Under federal regulations, the prices paid by utilities and their ratepayers should not be greater than the prices they would have paid to get energy from other sources. The Commission carefully designed its order according to both the spirit and letter of these federal regulations.

 The Court’s opinion faults the Commission for what the Court perceived was an insufficient record to explain elements of the Commission’s order. The Commission disagrees with the Court’s assessment of the record and believes the opinion misstates key facts from the exhaustive record. At its core, however, the Court’s opinion is about the sufficiency of the record—it is not a judgment on the lawfulness of any given policy decision.

 The Commission and its staff have always carefully scrutinized each case within the Commission’s jurisdiction. The Commission will redouble its efforts to demand complete, detailed evidence from the parties appearing before it, so that its orders can include exacting explanations of its decisions.

The Commission decided today to ask the Montana Supreme Court to reconsider several statements and conclusions in its opinion that the Commission believes were based on misstatements and misunderstandings of the law and the record. The Commission will elaborate on these issues in a petition for rehearing, which will be filed on or before September 8, 2020.

The Commission regulates private investor-owned natural gas, electric, telephone, water, and sewer companies, certain motor carriers, and oversees natural gas pipeline safety and intrastate railroad safety. The Commission works to ensure that Montanans receive safe and reliable service from regulated public utilities while paying reasonable rates. For more information, visit psc.mt.gov or contact the Commission at 1-800-646-6150.  Follow the Commission at Twitter.com/@ MT_PSC or visit Facebook.com/MontanaPSC.