OUTLOOK 2015 INDUSTRY FORECASTS AND CHARTS FOR NORTHCENTRAL MONTANA CONSTRUCTION REBOUND: Boom for commercial construction in Great Falls expected to continue AIRPORT: Record passenger traffi c trend may halt in 2015 with departure of Frontier Airlines HEALTH CARE: Changes coming for hospitals in northcentral Montana VOLATILE GAS PRICES: Impact on economy will be mixed PAGE 2 OUTLOOK 2015 | WWW.GREATFALLSTRIBUNE.COM MT-0000346170 OUTLOOK 2015 | WWW.GREATFALLSTRIBUNE.COM PAGE 3 TRIBUNE PHOTO/LARRY BECKNER The U.S. flag in Overlook Park drapes the Great Falls landscape. COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION Brisk building pace expected to continue in 2015........................................................ Page 4 GREAT FALLS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Low passenger fares expected to remain stable........................................................... Page 6 HIGHER EDUCATION Private industry investing in specific job-training programs. ................................... Page 8 HEATH CARE Hospitals bracing for change. ......................................................................................... Page 10 MILITARY Missions in flux. ................................................................................................................... Page 12 WORK FORCE Central Montana experiencing labor shortage. ........................................................ Page 14 MANUFACTURING Great Falls Development Authority focuses on recruiting and expanding primary sector business. ....................................................................................................................... Page 18 AGRICULTURE Industry leaders working to expand Asian markets.................................................. Page 20 RURAL ENTREPRENEURS Former Valier bank now women’s boutique. ............................................................. Page 24 RURAL ENTREPRENEURS Sunburst quilt shop bursting at the seams. ................................................................ Page 25 FUEL PRICES Low oil prices have mixed impact on business. .......................................................... Page 26 INDUSTRY LISTS Great Falls accounting firms................................................................................................ Page 27 Great Falls attorneys.............................................................................................................. Page 28 Great Falls ad/graphics firms ............................................................................................... Page 27 Great Falls architectural firms ............................................................................................. Page 27 Great Falls banks .................................................................................................................... Page 30 Great Falls credit unions ....................................................................................................... Page 30 Great Falls engineering firms.............................................................................................. Page 30 Great Falls lodging facilities................................................................................................. Page 31 Great Falls printers................................................................................................................. Page 29 Great Falls real estate agencies .......................................................................................... Page 32 Great Falls top employers .................................................................................................... Page 29 Business resource guide ................................................................................................. Page 33-34 SECTION STAFF Section editor....................................................................................................................Jo Dee Black Reporters.David Murray, Kristen Inbody, Kristen Cates, Jenn Rowell, Erin Madison, Peter Johnson and Briana Wipf Photographers ..............................................................................Larry Beckner and Rion Sanders MT-0000347063 PAGE 4 OUTLOOK 2015 | WWW.GREATFALLSTRIBUNE.COM COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION TRIBUNE PHOTO/LARRY BECKNER Mersady Foster is a server at the new $1.3 million Buffalo Wild Wings at 117 Northwest Bypass, which was among the commercial construction projects completed in Great Falls in 2014. ON THE RISE New development continues, more apartments planned this year By Jenn Rowell | Tribune Staff Writer Several major projects are also in the works for 2015 but haven’t request- ed building permits for part or all of the construction. ommercial development was slow in 2013, but 2014 was “a great year,” “I think this year is going to be as big,” Raymond said. “This year, resi- said Craig Raymond, Great Falls City Planning Director. dential should be better than last year too.” C Permits for new construction, additions, remodels and multi-family Some of the new projects currently in the works are the Rocky Mountain apartments totaled $53.6 million in 2014, which includes about $35 million in Building renovation, the Hilton Garden Inn Convention Center and it’s pos- new commercial construction. That’s up from $12.8 million in 2013 and $25.2 sible construction could start on the east end retail center on 10th Avenue million in 2012. South by the end of 2015. Those projects include Talus Apartments, which is being constructed in With all the commercial development going on, Raymond said people will phases; the ADF paint shop; tenant remodels at the Holiday Village Mall; a need housing and that will continue to drive apartment development and new Easter Seals-Goodwill store; the Great Falls Clinic hospital; Skyline other housing options. Apartments; among others. According to the Great Falls Development Authority, there has been a OUTLOOK 2015 | WWW.GREATFALLSTRIBUNE.COM PAGE 5 TRIBUNE PHOTO/LARRY BECKNER Renovation of the Rocky Mountain Building on Central Avenue, which was damaged TRIBUNE PHOTO/LARRY BECKNER by a fire in 2009, is among the commercial construction projects anticipated to take Construction continues on the 216-unit Talus Apartment complex, scheduled to be place in Great Falls this year. completed in 2015 south of Benefis Health System. TRIBUNE PHOTO/LARRY BECKNER TRIBUNE PHOTO/LARRY BECKNER The Celtic Cowboy opened in the remodeled Arvon Block, in the 100-block of 1st Ave. The Great Falls Clinic is building a state-of-the-art, 19-bed hospital adjacent to the S., in 2014. A hotel will open this year. Specialty Center. 19.7 percent increase in Great Falls metro area manufacturing jobs over the TOP 10 LOCAL COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS last two years. That’s significantly more than the 1.8 percent national in- crease. Here are the major commercial projects in Great Falls for which building permits were GFDA also said that 432 new apartments are under construction or an- obtained in 2014. The dollar amount listed is the city’s valuation of expected building nounced in Great Falls, as of the fourth quarter of 2014. costs, but does not include land acquisitions or internal furnishings and equipment. Some of the apartment projects expected to begin leasing in 2015 or con- tinue construction are: » Talus Apartments, 26th Street South, $19.94 million (over seven permits). » Talus Apartments, a 216-apartment complex by the Missoula-based » Voyager Apartments, 1630 Division Road, $4,635,000. Farran Group, in southeastern Great Falls. » Great Falls Clinic, 3010 15th Avenue South, $4,000,000. » Skyline Apartments, a 24-unit project by Damon Carroll, a Great Falls developer, near the intersection of 36th Avenue Northeast and Bootlegger » ADF Paint Shop, 1914 Great Bear Avenue, $3,949,502. Trail. » I-State Trucking, 3615 Ulm North Frontage Road, $2,598,136 Voyager Apartments, a 38-unit development for low-income seniors by » » City View Apartments, 36th Avenue Northeast, $1.4 million (over three permits). Accessible Space, Inc. on Division Street near the Albertsons. Pacific Steel and Recycling and Montana Specialty Mills are expected to » Buffalo Wild Wings, 117 Northwest Bypass, $1,300,000. break ground on new facilities in the Great Falls AgriTech Park, according » Skyline Apartments, 1424 36th Avenue Northeast, $1,209,732 to GFDA. » Arvon Hotel, 118 1st Avenue South, $1,000,000. During the third quarter for 2014, there were 31 downtown property ren- ovations and the Hotel Avron is expected to open in 2015 and Bennett Motors » Benefis Health System Senior Care Center remodel, 1101 26th Street South, is constructing new facilities downtown. $893,000. PAGE 6 OUTLOOK 2015 | WWW.GREATFALLSTRIBUNE.COM GREAT FALLS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TRIBUNE PHOTO/LARRY BECKNER Great Falls International Airport airport officials plan to market good deals, including the Alaska Air flight to Seattle. LOW FARES EXPECTED Frontier leaves void, but fares expected to stay stable By Peter Johnson ver it had offered for three sum- air passengers since 2011. route, with a spokesman saying, Tribune Staff Writer mers. But over the last past four “Unfortunately service to Great Frontier’s market share was years, Frontier first changed how Falls is no longer compatible with assenger boardings at Great fairly small, making up about 4,000 it served its routes and then, after our existing network.” Falls International Airport of those 193,000 airline passneger being sold, changed its business Faulkner does not expect the Preached record levels in 2014 boardings