By Evelyn Pyburn

Although NorthWestern Energy’s Yellowstone County Generating Station is going through final performance testing, it is in full operation and serving customers. A group of media folks were given a tour last week, accompanied by several company representatives, including Josh Follman, the generating station’s project manager and Director of Project Development for NorthWestern Energy (NWE). 

The new $310 million generating station is comprised of 18 reciprocating internal combustion engines that are capable of generating a total of 175 megawatts, which helps close the gap of the generation needs for NWE’s customers in Montana. The generating station is located next to the CHS Refinery at Laurel at the end of South Strauch Road, just off the South Frontage Road.

Follman declared the plant as “very good, very clean.” It is “One of the cleanest facilities because of its emissions profile.” According to Follman, the company does not have to monitor for emissions because their emissions are “far below the levels set to initiate controls. The plant is equipped with emission monitors that continuously take readings, and are programmed to “kick itself off” should emissions reach unacceptable levels. Because of its low emissions, NWE is only required to submit reports to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), annually.

NWE pushed to complete the generating station as quickly as possible in order to circumvent the frequent need to purchase energy from the market when it lacks the energy needed to meet peak demand periods. “If we don’t have enough of our own, we go to the market and have to purchase energy at a very high price,” said Follman, adding, “The worst that we have to do is buy energy.”

Over the past few years NWE has had to spend about $5 million each year purchasing energy from the market to meet peak use demands.

In a recent interview, NWE President and CEO Brian Bird said the production of the Yellowstone County Generating Plant will cut in half the additional power that NWE needs, but they won’t have all they need until NWE acquires ownership of Colstrip Units 3 & 4 at the beginning of next year.

One-third of the power – about 450 megawatts — that NorthWestern Energy provides to the state is consumed in the Billings area.

Yellowstone County Generating Station also serves as back up when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine, to power alternative generating facilities, which could again force NWE to buy from the market. “On very cold winter days we usually have no wind in Montana, and at night, no sun,” said Follman.

The new facility makes it possible to quickly respond to rapid changes in energy availability. Supply is constantly monitored and should the wind suddenly quit blowing at a wind facility, or some other sudden change occur, a generator or multiple generators may be started into production in three minutes, producing energy on the grid in eight minutes.

“They will chase the wind faster than a gas turbine,” said Follman.

A beauty of the new facility is that not only does it not have to be constantly running, but they can engage as few or as many generators as is needed to meet any given situation.

Completion of the generating station will also allow NWE to do more research, said Follman. “We now have a backstop. It is a big part of the operation.”

The technology involved in the generating plant is not new. It’s been around “forever” according to Follman, although “the technology has gotten better” over time. It has, in fact, long been used by the US Navy, which must operate power plants on their ships. That is the background from which Follman comes. Originally from Anaconda, Follman said he didn’t realize the potential prospects that awaited him when he was learning about power generation in the Navy. He has since pursued a career building power plants for companies across the country; his most recent being in Heron, South Dakota.

Follman explained that the technology involved in the Yellowstone County Generation Station is essentially that of a car engine. “…the main difference between a typical car engine and this is size.”

The plant is a very simple, basic concept.  It’s so simple it is often referred to as a “stupid plant“ – “it’s gas in, power out,” said Follman.

The fuel used is different from that used in a vehicle, of course. Rather than gasoline they use natural gas which is considered one of cleanest forms of carbon fuels. Otherwise the generators are every bit like an automobile engine except that they are so much larger. Typically a car engine is understood to be a 6V or 8V, but these engines are a 20V. Otherwise, they function just like an automobile engine from catalytic converters to radiators.

Follman explained how the monstrous generators were transported and put into place, in the 400 foot long building. Rails were laid in the building and a crane would lift a generator and put it on the rails. For a lubricant to slide the generator to its permanent placement they used Dawn liquid dish soap – apple scented.

Installation of the generators required 86.5 miles of cable.

They are designed to have a life span of more than 30 years, some have been running for 50 years.

Everything that happens at the Yellowstone Generating Station is constantly monitored from the basic control room which is equipped with video monitors and computer data, conveying a constant flow of information to two people who are always on duty. The entire facility is operated by a small staff – two people in the control room plus a maintenance crew. The station has a total of 20 employs, 90 percent from the local area.

The O & M Supervisor for the Yellowstone Generating Station is Joe Janecek from Columbus.

Operators must keep the generators at a temperature of 100 degrees for best functionality. Keeping them at that temperature means that the building they are in is always quite warm. The roof of the building is devised to allow excess heat to escape.

The natural gas used by the facility is piped from Colorado under the Yellowstone River. The natural gas is piped under 125 psi (pressure per square inch) to each of the 18 reciprocating internal combustion engines, which were built by Caterpillar in Germany.

The only water used by the plant is obtained from wells and there is “zero water discharge,” said Follman. Water is only used for an eye wash station, for toilets and a sink in the control room.

Much focus was placed on keeping the noise level as low as possible. Also, the lighting is “dark-sky friendly,” with lights focused downward designed to have a minimal impact on the surrounding area.

The noise level inside the plant when the generators are running can be very loud. Follman likened it to a Van Halen concert. Given the level of noise, construction of the station incorporated a lot of sound –dampening measures, including baffles in the narrowest top portion of the nine distinctive silos that rise above the plant.

Now, Follman has a standing challenge to anyone to identify from outside, if a generator is running, which one it is. He will buy the beer, he says. Follman said that the decibel level of the plant is about 65 which is about the decibel level inside a restaurant.

If power to the facility is lost for any reason it has a backup battery that lasts for eight hours. Follman seemed unable to imagine any situation in which the eight hours back up would not be enough, but if for some reason it is needed, they also have a generator.

Given that adversaries of the development of the plant have challenged the project based upon issues pertaining to zoning, questions were asked about why NorthWestern Energy chose that location. Jo Dee Black, NWE Public Relations Specialist, explained that the location had most of the requirements needed for the facility’s operation including being able to bring in the natural gas needed and being in close proximity to a NWE substation.

Black said that the allowable land uses for the site, which is partly zoned Heavy Industrial and partly Agriculture, was conducive to a power plant, and she noted that the surrounding land uses were appropriate in that they include the waste water treatment plant for Laurel and the CHS refinery, from whom NWE purchased the property.

A court case was filed by those objecting to NWE plans for the Yellowstone County Generating Station challenging the county’s authority to zone that area. The case was brought by Northern Plains Resource Council (NPRC), the Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC), and Thiel Road Coalition, in an effort to halt construction of the station.

Earlier this year, District Court Judge Jessica Fehr, determined that the county has full authority to establish the zoning, which it has always exercised over unincorporated areas and areas outside municipal boundaries. The Judge said that, according to state law, cities can exercise “extraterritorial jurisdiction” on land near a city boundary, but that authority ends once a county has adopted zoning or subdivision regulations, which Yellowstone County has done.

Plaintiffs in the case, opposed to the plant’s construction, claim it will generate air pollution and pose an environmental threat to the Yellowstone River.

Some of the confusion and controversy surrounds the fact that the initial documents approved by county administrators at the time of adoption in 1979 cannot be found. A few weeks ago, Yellowstone County Commissioners went through the formal process of re-adopting the original zoning regulations, based upon replications of data and maps, and many years of recorded data that has been accepted by city and county planners.

While the commissioners’ action did not affect in any way the existing zoning, many representatives of those living near the newly completed facility attended the commissioners’ meeting expressing doubt about the validity of the county’s claim that the original documents were lost, and reciting concerns about pollution, risks to the Yellowstone River and impacts to the neighborhood including very loud noises when the station is running.

Earlier this year, the City of Laurel completed a Growth Policy, which was approved by the County Commissioners. A Growth Policy is meant for planning purposes and is not a regulatory document.

Any zone change requests must be made by the owner of the property.

Even though NWE gained all state approvals, including those of EPA and DEQ, to build the $310 million plant, which is now completed, NPRC and MEIC continue to pursue legal action in the quest to require dismantling it.

By Evelyn Pyburn

One of Billings’ biggest and more thriving businesses is celebrating their 100th birthday. A & I Distributing may not be a readily recognized name for those not involved in the automotive business, but be assured if you own any kind of a vehicle you most likely have used a product they have distributed, as have many others throughout the eight state region they serve from their headquarters at 900 1st Ave North in Billings.

A & I Distributing is a fifth generation, family-owned and operated business. It was essentially started in 1924 with the involvement of Don Stanaway’s father, Frank, and today two of Don’s sons and two grandsons manage the business – with great grandkids in the wings. They are joined by some 242 employees, many of whom have been with the company for a significant number of those 100 years.

A couple hundred employees and customers attended a 100 year celebration last Tuesday, and numerous other celebrations will be held in other communities throughout their service region this summer.

1924 was the era in which the automobile market was beginning to get sound footing. People were beginning to realize that the automobile was here to stay, and indeed was changing the world forever.

Cars were quickly becoming a major source of freedom, adventure, and leisure, significantly improving the standard of living and altering urban development. But even at that, as a company brochure reminds, it was a time when there were “few cars, and less roads” and it took three to four days to travel 90 miles, “depending on how many flat tires you had.”

Transportation was in full swing of transitioning from the horse and buggy era.  Manufacturers had found ways to make cars more efficient, and safer to drive. Roads were being designed and constructed for automobiles.  Tunnels were being built and entrepreneurs were building gas service stations everywhere, to serve a rapidly growing need.

The company saw its nebulous beginnings when P. E. Crawley, realizing that the industry needed more than gasoline, started a distributorship of other automotive supplies. Crawley, an English boxer from London, started Crawley Motor Supply in Butte.” The small company sold tires, tire “boots,” and tube patches. In 1926 they expanded their line to include motor oil and greases. It gained the Pennzoil distributorship.

Today, A & I dominates the passenger car motor oil distribution business in the United States.

The secret to the company’s success? One thing, explained Stanaway is  “you have to keep up with the times.” That means hiring young people with new ideas and retaining older people “with a blend of caution and ‘show me.’”

 There are two parts to the business: passenger car motor oil, and commercial and industrial. A & I Distributors is the bulk packager of the four leading brands – Pennzoil, Castrol, Quaker State and Valvoline. It also has its own private label, “Service Pro PCMO” and “Purus C & I,” along with other brands such as Motorcraft, Shell, Citgo and Lucas.

Frank Stanaway’s younger brother, H. R. (Bud) Stanaway, started working at Crawley Motor Supply in 1927 as a tire mounter, shipping and receiving clerk, and in sales. Despite the Great Depression and severe drought in the 1930s, the company grew, with Bud and others working seven days a week, 12-14 hours a day.

Frank joined the company and in 1937 and moved to Billings to open the Billings branch. A branch was also opened in Great Falls, managed by Ken Lord. That was the same year that seven-year-old Stan started traveling the roads of Montana with his Dad making sales calls, while his mother, Lillian, took orders and ran the Billings branch.

In 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor happened and WWII began. Bud, Frank and Lillian Stanaway and Ken Lord worked day and night to keep the company going through those troubled years.

Don Stanaway returned home from the Korean War and joined A & I. Frank Stanaway died in 1956 and his widow, Lillian, and Don took over the leadership roles in Billings.

In 1975, Crawley Motor Supply was dissolved and Automotive & Industrial Distributors became the principle owner of the corporation. By 1985, A & I Distributors of Billings had acquired the Butte and Great Falls operations.

From there, the company began expanding, opening branch office in Bismarck, Missoula, Spokane, Rapid City, Boise and Pocatello, Portland, and Arlington, Washington.

Don is especially proud of his family and their achievements, especially those prior to joining A & I. While both sons, very much like their father, grew up in the business, each son pursued full-fledged professional careers before retiring and returning to A & I.  Scott Stanaway, now President of A & I, had a 30 year career as an attorney, and Skip Stanaway, now Chairman of A & I, was an architect.

Grandsons, Tucker and Tate finished college and then in 2006 they opened an A & I branch in Oregon, and invited their father to join them. They started it from scratch, says Don proudly, and are doing quite well.

And, just in case, one is tempted to think the company is resting on its laurels – Tucker and Tate started the Arlington, Washington branch in 2023. Again, from scratch. The branch opened without a single customer but the potential is exciting. Don points out that there are more people and cars in the area of Arlington than there are in “all the other states put together.”

A & I has a “huge number” of trucks. Don explained, “We deliver to every town, once a week”, from the Minnesota border to Arlington, Washington. Just in case your counting  that is a stretch of 1,273 miles.

When asked what is the most significant change he has seen over the years, Don readily pointed to regulations. “It has increased dramatically.” As a case in point, Don explained that only a couple years ago one driver did all the paper work required by the Department of Transportation. “Today we have three full time people doing paper work for the same number of trucks.”

Another regulation comes from OSHA. Every morning every truck driver has to sign a statement saying they have crawled under their trucks and inspected for safety issues. That’s not so bad on a nice day, but what about when its ten below and there is two feet of snow on the ground, questions Don.

A requirement that a driver can only drive a certain number of hours is often very costly. For example, if a driver expends his allotted hours and is sitting in Sheridan, Wyoming – two hours from Billings — another driver must drive to Sheridan to pick him up. And while that may be burdensome enough for a company like A & I which is hauling cases or oil and other supplies, “What if you have a load of cattle?” asks Don

It is apparent in conversation with Don Stanaway that he keeps up on the most current regulations and political and economic issues that impact his business – and many other businesses for that matter.

One of the issues that long bothered Don was how to pass a family owned business on to the next generation without inheritance taxes destroying it. With four generations involved in the family business the issue of “death taxes” has long plagued Don.

He laughs and says that his wife, Dolly, who he met in seventh grade, claims he has been worried about dying since he was 21. Don adds that Dolly has been “a fabulous wife and mother” and “has a totally different personality from his.”

And while Don believes he has found ways to solve the problem somewhat for his family, and also for A & I employees, it remains quite difficult to pass on real estate – property paid for with after tax dollars – and he laments the situation faced by farmers and ranchers. It’s no wonder there are so few younger people remaining in agriculture, he said.

A & I Distributing provides employees with a stock option plan (called ESOP). Don explained that employees help build the business and deserve to share in its success.

Asked about how he and his family deal with the daily pressures of business, Don, who says he thinks about business 24/7 ,says he believes he and his family are blessed because they all play a musical instrument and were involved in athletics. He explained that in order to relieve the pressure of dealing with business issue, he plays the trombone. “I’m not a natural musician,” he said, so he has to focus all of his attention on playing the trombone, which he has played since he was a youngster and had the good fortune of meeting  Tommy Dorsey who inspired him. He also played athletics.

His sons and grandsons also play musical instruments and were involved in athletics. So while their music helps relieve stress, playing athletics teaches you about team work, said Don. “In team sports you have to get along. Same way in business. We have the same team goal in business as in playing sports.”

It was stated several times during a news media opening of the new Coca Cola manufacturing plant last week, that this is a “really big deal” for Billings. And indeed it is.

The nearly $100 million facility will employ over 100 people, including 50 new positions. The plant will bottle and distribute over 450 varieties of soft drinks and other beverages over a multi-state area.

Founded in 1956, the Coca-Cola Bottling Company High Country is a fourth-generation, family-owned bottler serving over 2.4 million consumers in Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.

M. Trevor Messinger, President and CEO of the South Dakota-based company, greeted Governor Greg Gianforte and numerous other dignitaries to the opening. It took ten years to plan and build the facility, which included broad community support from the Big Sky Economic Development Agency, the City of Billings, and Yellowstone County Commissioners.

“Our state is made stronger when companies like Coca-Cola High Country choose to expand their business in Montana and create more good-paying jobs,” Gov. Gianforte said. “We’ll continue to foster a climate where businesses can thrive and more Montanans can prosper and achieve the American dream.”

Montana-based design and construction companies completed the creation and build of the facility, including General Contractor, Dick Anderson Construction; Architect, A&E Architects and Engineering Morrison-Maierle, IMEG      

The full economic impact of the new facility will be far reaching for Billings. Part of that impact is the development of the infrastructure to its site at 1830 Harnish Boulevard, off the Frontage Road, where there had been none. The city council approved the extension of those utilities with the realization that they would make the area more attractive for other business ventures to locate, which is already happening according to some reports.