The state seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased for the fifth consecutive month to 4.2% in May, up 0.4 percent from the April level of 3.8 percent. The national unemployment rate increased half a percentage point over the month to 5.5 percent in May.
“The May employment figures suggest that national economic woes are slowing employment growth in Montana,” says Labor Commissioner Keith Kelly. “High gas prices have slowed employment growth in the wholesale and transportation industries, while a slowdown in housing growth has lowered employment levels for self-employed construction workers. Construction payroll employment, however, is still growing.”
Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, has secured $100,000 in funding for the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) in the Financial Services Appropriations Bill. MMEC is an outreach center in the Montana State University College of Engineering in Bozeman that works with manufacturers to implement solutions that help them stay competitive and grow.
A Montana coal mine made national news this week, with Reuters reporting on Monday that the Bull Mountain mine change in ownership “could result in more U.S. exports to the Pacific Basin.”
Two companies in Ohio purchased an 80 percent share in the Bull Mountain mine on July 15, promising to increase production from “a few hundred thousand tons” to 14 million tons. The new owners, Boich Companies and a utility company, FirstEnergy Corp (FE.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) also purchased the proposed 35-mile short line railroad between Roundup and Broadview. Total cost for developing the mine and railroad is estimated at $450 million.
American business leaders who have been holding their breath over the fate of a much-criticized proposal by U.S. Customs and Border Protection can finally exhale. It seems the tax-friendly First Sale Rule (“FSR”) is safe, at least for a few more years. CBP Commissioner Ralph Basham told members of the Senate Finance Committee at its June 24, hearing, “We are not going forward with any further action before 2011.” According to customs attorney David Cohen, that promise represents a victory for the hundreds of importers, associations, and trade groups that lobbied against the proposed FSR revocation.
Cohen, who heads the Save First Sale Coalition on behalf of international law firm Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., believes this news represents vindication for the U.S. businesses that took action to keep First Sale on the books as well as the public officials who stood with them.
The National Federation of Independent Business seminar on healthcare and workers’ compensation scheduled for 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 31 at the Billings Clinic has been CANCELLED.
A future seminar is being planned. NFIB apologizes for any inconvenience. For further information, please call NFIB Member Support Manager Tyler Nifong toll free at (866) 639-1846, or by fax at (888) 860-1787, or by e-mail at tyler.nifong@nfib.org.
Monday, July 21, 2008 |
18 Reads
Drawing from a field of 79 applicants from across the country and Montana, the Big Sky Economic Development Authority/Corporation search committee, aided by the professional recruitment firm, Mercer and Associates, has selected Steve Arveschoug of Pueblo West, Colorado, to be their executive director with a start date of September 8, 2008.
Ted White, Big Sky EDA Board Chair, in confirming the appointment, stated “his extensive public-private sector project experience, including downtown capital improvement development, water resource management, and community visioning projects – with the added bonus of having Montana ties – made Steve our first choice.”
“Arveschoug emerged as the best fit,” stated Debbie Singer, a member of the search committee and an EDC board member
Arveschoug received his Bachelor of Science, Society and Technology/Public Policy degree from Montana Tech in Butte. His wife is from Anaconda, MT. He earned his Masters of Public Administration from the University of Colorado.
In addition to EDA-EDC Board members, the search committee was made up of representatives of the City, Chamber, County, MSU Billings and Big Sky’s former director.
Monday, July 21, 2008 |
27 Reads
The next gathering of the Business Owners Social Society BOSS will be an evening in the park with a catered barbeque on Thursday, August 14, Rose Park, starting at 5:30 p.m. -- dinner served at 6:30 p.m. BOSS is a no-commitment, no dues, no committees organization just for the enjoyment of business owners getting together. You join by showing up. Spouses welcome. Enjoy a double entree barbecue, including beer and wine for $20 per person. For more information and RSVPs call (406) 259-2309 or email BOSS <bsbj@imt.net.>
Sunday, July 20, 2008 |
16 Reads
The Big Sky Economic Development Authority (BSEDA) is in negotiations with Steve Arveschoug of Pueblo, CO for the position of Director of the agency and its sister agency the Big Sky Economic Development Corporation (EDC).
Selected from a field of 79 candidates, the board is offering Arveschoug $125,000 plus a 10 percent “signing allocation” and moving expenses, anticipated to be about $15,000.
He will also be offered the standard benefit package provided Yellowstone County employees. Ted White, president of the BSEDA board said that he hopes to hear this week whether Arveschoug will accept the offer.
Arveschoug, 49, is currently the executive director of a project to redevelop downtown Pueblo, CO, called the Arkansas River-walk of Pueblo. He is a graduate of Montana Tech in Butte, and his wife is from Anaconda, White told other board members at their joint monthly meeting with EDA. He said that he believes they are most interested in being able to return to Montana.
Metra Park officials are anticipating a big turn out at Montana Fair this year, due in part to high gas prices. People are staying closer to home, said Sue Devries, who oversees ticket sales at Metra Park, and she predicts families throughout the region will spend their vacation money enjoying Montana Fair.
Ticket sales for Montana Fair have been running far ahead of last year at $100,000 a month.
Devries reported to Yellowstone County Commissioners about Fair activities saying despite earlier worries, sponsorships for the Fair are strong, because local businesses, too, are betting that attendance will be high and that people will be spending their money in Billings.
Montana’s growing natural resource-based industries are attracting more and more service providers to establish offices in Billings – the latest of those is Falcon Pump, a Casper, Wyoming –based company that is making Billings its fifth location in the region.
Falcom Pump – an industrial pump distributor — has opened an office at 5756 Stearns Circle, just off Mullowney Lane. The company has hired two local sales staff people – Dan Singer and Casey Lange – and plans to gradually phase in a “full fledged repair and fabrication facility,” according to company president Roxanne Sienkiewicz.
