REGISTRATION IS OPEN for the Montana Chamber
FY23 Annual Membership Meeting
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TUES, OCT 24, 2023 | 3:00 - 7:00 PM
The Northern Hotel downtown Billings
Join us as we convene the Annual Membership Meeting, celebrate Champions of Business, and recognize the Titans of Business Oro y Plata awardees. It has been a busy year and the Montana Chamber of Commerce and Montana's business community have much to celebrate. As your partner in policy, we worked collaboratively with Governor Gianforte and the 68th Montana Legislature to advance bills to create and sustain an optimal business climate, provide for business prosperity, and ensure a strong Montana economy.
The meeting includes seminars and a networking reception. Agenda coming soon!
Tickets:
Montana Chamber Members: $50 / per person
Non-Members: $65 / per person
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THANK YOU TO OUR 2023 SPONSORS
PRESENTING: Weyerhaeuser
GOLD: BNSF; Boeing; First Interstate Bank; Montana State Fund; New Horizons Studio (Hyundai); NorthWestern Energy; Republic Services; Stockman Bank; and Western Security Bank
SILVER: Allegiance; Charter; Midland Claims Service, Inc./Industrial Injury Claims®; PacificSource; and Washington Companies
COPPER: Cushing Terrell
FOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Contact Stacye Dorrington, Events & Office Manager at Stacye@MontanaChamber.com | 406.439.4220
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Headwaters Regional Tech Hub Submission is in; Announcement of Designations expected Fall 2023
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The numbers are in – consortia from 48 states and 3 territories submitted a total of 378 applications for Phase 1 of the #EDATechHubs competition, a key piece of President Biden’s #InvestingInAmerica agenda!
Phase 1 will designate Tech Hubs in regions across the nation to supercharge ecosystems of innovation for essential technologies. Later this year, Phase 2 will launch for designated Tech Hub regions to apply for implementation funding.
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Labor Day Highlight: The Workforce Shortage
From the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Down 1.9 M workers compared to February 2020
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The backbone of the biz community and a thriving economy is America's workforce. Today, it's hard to ignore our nation's workforce crisis. One of the major initiatives the U.S. Chamber has launched to combat America’s worker shortage is the America Works Initiative. Through this program, the U.S. Chamber is helping employers across the country develop and discover talent to fill open jobs and grow our economy.
By the numbers: There are almost ten million open jobs in the U.S. and most states are feeling the impact of the worker shortage. Prior to the pandemic, 11 states had more than 200,000 job openings. That number has grown to 20 states as of May 2023.
Dig deeper: The America Works Data Center is a resource with the latest data on job openings, unemployment, labor force participation, quit rates, and more, for a quick understanding of the current state of the workforce—paired with in-depth analysis of the trends.
The most impacted: Curious to see the most impacted states and industries? Check out these resources:
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OCTOBER is Manufacturing Month
SAVE THE DATE for MMEC / Other events around MT
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Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) is celebrated nationally on the first Friday in October, this year, Friday, October 6th. It is manufacturing’s biggest annual opportunity to inspire the next generation, positively shift perceptions about the industry, and build the foundation for the manufacturing workforce of the future.
MFG Day is an initiative of the Manufacturing Institute. As the 501(c)3 nonprofit workforce development and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturers, the MI is a trusted adviser to manufacturers, equipping them with solutions for the industry’s toughest challenges. Here in Montana, the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) at Montana State University along with us at the Montana Chamber support the Treasure State's manufacturing industry via educational resources, networking, and advocacy. Our victory in the 68th Legislative Session with the passage of HB 212 to increase the business equipment tax exemption from $300,000 to $1 M is just one example of how wea are delivering results for Montana businesses. (Pictured above:Courtney Kibblewhite, Montana Chamber Board Chair, Governor Greg Gianforte, and Todd O'Hair, President & CEO of the Montana Chamber signing the bill at 2023 Manufacturing & International Trade Day in Helena)
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The 14th annual Montana Downtown & Main Street Conference will be held on October 18-20 in Great Falls. The conference will include workshops and tours of downtown and will feature keynote speaker Jeff Seigler of Revitalize, or Die.
This conference is intended for downtown district promoters, downtown district board members, elected officials, city staff and planners, architects and engineers, property owners, business owners, chambers of commerce and anyone interested in promoting and revitalizing downtowns and Main Streets.
Conference registration and more information can be found here
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Encouraging Montanans to participate in statewide broadband mapping effort
On August 21st, the ConnectMT Broadband Office launched SpeedSurvey, an online speed test to assess the download and upload speeds, latency, and jitter of internet users in Montana.
The survey is intended to allow anyone in Montana to report what type of broadband services are being utilized, including if there are no services available. Montanans may take the speed test and survey as many times and in as many locations as they’d like until September 22nd.
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HYUNDAI NEW HORIZONS STUDIO: Exploring interest via survey on R&D Start-Up Employment Opportunities
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In May 2022, Hyundai’s New Horizons Studio announced the opening of their new Research, Development, and Lab Center in Bozeman, Montana. The team is focused on the development of Ultimate Mobility Vehicles (UMVs), including the concept vehicle Hyundai Elevate. New Horizons Studio is expected to push the extreme limits of vehicle development, building vehicles to traverse off-road terrains with unprecedented mobility, through a combination of robotics and wheeled locomotion technology. New Horizons Studio is led by Vice President Dr. John Suh, who has held several leadership roles at Hyundai Motor Group since 2011. He served as founding director of Hyundai Ventures, and then led Hyundai CRADLE (Center for Robotic-Augmented Design in Living Experiences) as its founding director based in Silicon Valley. He brings over 35 years of expertise in the automotive and emerging technology sectors, including roles at Stanford University, Palo Alto Research Center (PARC; formerly, Xerox PARC), and General Motors Company.
If interested, take the survey here.
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Global Sourcing & Supply Chain: Understanding Costs of Procurement from Overseas & in the USA |
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Big Sky Economic Development's Small Business Development Center, in partnership with Empress Brokers International (a Rock31 Member), hosted a training - Global Sourcing & Supply Chain: Understanding Costs of Procurement from Overseas & in the USA with Owen Haacke and Tara Grace. In case you and your team missed the in-person training, they have made the full recording available here.
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SAT, SEPT 23, 2023
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
MSU Billings Student Union Billings, MT
Click here to see the Japan Festival's Schedule of Events and Map
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The Japan Outreach Initiative (JOI) aims to promote cultural exchange and awareness through deploying Japanese JOI coordinators to America. Montana State University Billings was so fortunate to have Kaoru Mori on campus the past several months as a JOI Coordinator. She has organized this Japan Festival in Billings and it will likely be one of the largest Japanese Cultural events ever held in Montana. There will be a heavy emphasis on Montana's sister-state relationship with Kumamoto with a dance group coming from Amakusa (beautiful tropical island that is part of Kumamoto) to dance at this event.
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WED-FRI, MARCH 6-8, 2024
AC Hotel Bozeman Downtown | Kimpton Armory Hotel
Lodging $179 / night
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Join us for our first Montana Women in Business Summit, March 6-8, 2024 for two and a half days of educational programming and networking at the AC Bozeman Hotel and Kimpton Armory Hotel in downtown Bozeman with proceeds going to fund our childcare policy initiatives in the 2025 Montana Legislature. As part of the Summit we will join the world in celebrating International Women’s Day on Friday, March 8, 2024.
By empowering women in business and women entrepreneurs, the Montana Chamber can play a pivotal role in creating a more diverse, innovative, and prosperous business environment for all. Let’s come together to celebrate the achievements of women in business and pave the way for a more inclusive and prosperous future.
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EARLY BIRD PRICING until Dec 31, 2023
Full Conference Registration: $395 / per person
IWD Power Lunch Ticket: $125 / per person
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FOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Contact Candace Carr Strauss, VP, Marketing & Communications at Candace@MontanaChamber.com | 406.640.1331
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Cushing Terrell was founded in Billings, Montana, in 1938 on the belief that integrating architecture, engineering, and design opens the doors for deepened relationships and enhanced creativity. This foundation continues to define the firm and its multidisciplinary team today. Driven by empathy, the team works to design systems and spaces that help people live their best lives and enjoy healthy, sustainable built environments. The firm has six offices in Montana: Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, and Missoula, and additional offices in Washington, Idaho, Minnesota, Texas, and Louisiana. With more than 440 team members spanning 30-plus disciplines and expertise across the commercial, education, government, healthcare, infrastructure, residential, and retail markets, Cushing Terrell’s collaborative and holistic approach to designing built environments can support your every project need.
Projects of note in Montana include the Montana Heritage Center currently under construction in Helena, Montana, the recently completed LEED Gold adaptive reuse of Romney Hall at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, the award-winning Alberta Bair Theater in Billings, Montana, and many contemporary single family residential projects in the most desirable valleys of Montana. For more information about Cushing Terrell, visit cushingterrell.com.
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Next Quarterly Member Meet-Up: WED, SEPT 13 @ 9 a.m. |
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MT BUSINESS NEWS & RESOURCES |
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Why Housing Reform Worked in Montana...Read here.
Group looks to promote ranked choice voting in Montana...Read here.
'1923' wins location award for filming in Butte...Read here.
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THIS BUSINESS BRIEF IS SPONSORED BY |
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