mtbusiness.com: Kelli, tell us about Freeheel and Wheel.   Kelli, FreeHeel and Wheel: Well, Freeheel and Wheel is all in the name. It's Freeheel stands for nordic skiing and Wheels for biking. Essentially we are a bike and nordic ski shop. We have both winter and summer outdoor activities taken care of! In addition to bikes and skis, we have a coffee bar inside our store. We sell tons women and men casual and technical clothing. Almost a bike and north ski boutique, have to say. Melissa and I -- Melissa's my business partner -- started the business 14 years ago, just right after college. We have shared the same concepts throughout the existence of the store.   mtbusiness.com: Are you a seasonal business?   Kelli, FreeHeel and Wheel: No, we're open all year round! We do close about a week of the year and we do have off seasons but the only off seasons we really have is suppose like late April - early May, and the latter part of October - early November.  Some of our busier times over the year is thanksgiving week, and our winter is a little bit busier than our summer. Simply that.  

(Dean Carter, MSU Billings News Service)- Like the students who take the various classes in her college, Diane Duin knows that healthcare occupations come in all shapes, sizes and acceptable levels of blood-letting.   Not everyone has the personal affinity for helping stitch up kid’s hand or setting a broken bone, Duin says. And that’s perfectly OK with the new dean of the College of Allied Health Professions at Montana State University Billings.   “We’re the non-blood-and-guts college,” she’s fond of telling prospective students and community members.    Duin, who had served as director of the CAHP’s health administration program since 2008, was recently named the academic of the college. She replaces Dr. David Garloff, who retired a year ago.   Duin came to Billings from South Dakota where she worked at the University of South Dakota, but also worked for the Presentation Health System in Sioux Falls. She co-chaired  the Center for Rural Health and Economic Development where she helped communities make planning decisions based on their unique healthcare needs.   “I understand how difficult it is to get physicians into rural areas,” she said.  

MISSOULA – A new report (pdf) released by the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education and The University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research regarding distance learning in Montana shows nearly 84 percent of the state’s population, or about 520,000 people, age 18 to 64 have high-speed Internet available where they live.    This information provides the state with the first robust estimate of broadband Internet availability in Montana and highlights the strengths and weaknesses in high-speed Internet coverage and usage.    “I think this showcases that accessibility to online services is high but still not universal,” BBER Director Patrick Barkey said.    There are certain categories of individuals who have markedly lower high-speed Internet availability at their homes. The fraction of American Indian households with high-speed availability in their residences is more than 10 percentage points lower than white households, although a higher fraction of American Indian households said they didn’t know whether they had availability or not.   

HELENA - The Montana Department of Labor and Industry reminds the public they have approximately 34 days left to take advantage of the 'Elevate America' FREE computer e-learning courses on programs like; Microsoft Office, WORD, Excel, PowerPoint, along with certification exams and advanced IT professional courses. The voucher availability will expire on Wednesday, August 18, 2010. "We want to ensure that everyone who wants to take advantage of this opportunity has the chance before time runs out," said Labor Commissioner Keith Kelly

'Elevate America' is an innovative public-private partnership between Montana's Department of Labor and Industry and the Microsoft Corporation.

Montana's Department of Labor and Industry announced the program in May, and voucher codes for free access to Microsoft e-learning programs are currently available to the public, on a 'first-come, first-served basis', at the website: jobs.mt.gov click on 'Elevate America'.

 

A two-day workshop to be held July 21-22 at Montana State University is designed to help supervisors increase their employees' productivity, satisfaction and teamwork while better managing their own stress and workloads.

"Supervisor Boot Camp" runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. both days at MSU's Montana Manufacturing Extension Center, 2310 University Way, behind the Museum of the Rockies, south of Bobcat Football Stadium.

Sponsored by MSU Extended University and the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center, the workshop covers such topics as time and stress management, inspiring and coaching employees, identifying and maximizing your personal leadership style and guiding a team to greater independence and productivity. The workshop is appropriate for both new and experienced supervisors from small and large businesses, non-profits and government agencies.

REMINDER – The Small Business Opportunity Workshop will be steamed live online today. Visit Senator Tester’s website at the link below and scroll to the Ustream widget in the middle of the page.   Today’s event will be broadcast live on Tester’s website, tester.senate.gov/workshop, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.     The workshop, which takes place at Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell, focuses on job creation, entrepreneurship, access to capital, and online marketing opportunities.

(Butte, Mont.) – Montana’s senior U.S. Senator, Max Baucus announced several leaders from both the public and private sector who will be speaking at the Senator’s Economic Development Summit in Butte, including Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt, Disney CEO Bob Iger as well as Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Small Business Administrator Karen Gordon Mills.   Baucus also encouraged Montanans to register for this year’s event, by heading to the website; www.montanaeconomicsummit.org. The Summit is free and open to the public.   “These folks are real leaders, and they are all on their way to Butte, to help boost Montana businesses,” Baucus said. “The Economic Development Summit is a great way for Montana businesses to brainstorm with people like Steve Ballmer and Jeff Immelt. When folks put their minds together in a forum like this, we can all roll up our sleeves to come up with Montana solutions to create more good paying Montana jobs. I know that this will be our best summit yet.”   Baucus is fighting to create good paying jobs by connecting Montana businesses with top industry leaders from across the nation. Baucus unveiled the list of business leaders who will be appearing at his Economic Development Summit set for September 13th-14th in Butte. The list includes CEOs of Fortune 500 corporations, small business experts and top Administration officials:

•  Steve Ballmer is the CEO of computer giant Microsoft. Ballmer is a global business leader and dynamic speaker, with a passion for technology and education.
•  Jeff Immelt leads General Electric, one of the world’s largest and most respected companies.  Immelt has been named one of the “World’s Best CEOs” three times by Barron’s and since he began serving as CEO, GE has been named “America’s Most Admired Company” in a poll conducted by Fortune magazine.
•  Bob Iger is the sixth CEO in the Walt Disney Company’s 86-year history.  As the head of one of the nation’s most beloved corporations, Iger is good with people and is focused on the long term and enabling growth.
•  Steven Chu is the Secretary of Energy and the first member of the cabinet to have won a Nobel Prize- which he won in Physics in 1997. Chu is a scientist, teacher and administrator focused on America’s energy future.  
•  Karen Gordon Mills is a business woman, investor, and head of the Small Business Administration.

 

Since 1992, HeadRoom has been in the business of helping you turn your headphone listening into a supernal musical experience. In addition to selling a variety of headphones from the world’s leading manufacturers, we also manufacture and sell the world’s best headphone amplifiers and digital-to-analog converters (DACs). And we do it all right here in beautiful Bozeman, Montana USA.   You’ll find our Website chock-full of product-specific information and helpful articles. Our sales team is comprised of the industry’s foremost experts on getting the most out of headphone listening. Only a phone call or email away, they don’t work on commission and stand ready to answer your questions with honesty and clarity. Whether you want to simply improve your iPod’s earbuds or upgrade your high-end, audiophile listening room with cutting-edge components, we are THE SOURCE!   Shop online at the HeadRoom today! Find them on Facebook as well

 

3800 jobs to be cut over the next year nationwide   DES MOINES, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wells Fargo & Company will restructure its Wells Fargo Financial division, including closing its 638 Wells Fargo Financial stores across the U.S. and exiting the origination of non-prime portfolio mortgage loans. The remaining consumer and commercial loan products offered through Wells Fargo Financial will be realigned with those offered by other Wells Fargo business units and will be available through Wells Fargo’s expanded network of community banking and home mortgage stores.   Because of its 2008 merger with Wachovia, Wells Fargo’s customers now have access to the company’s 6,600 Wells Fargo and Wachovia community bank stores and its 2,200 Wells Fargo Home Mortgage locations, eliminating the need for a separate network of Wells Fargo Financial local offices. Less than 2 percent of all Wells Fargo’s real estate loans were originated in Wells Fargo Financial stores in the first quarter of 2010. The company expects the consolidation to result in increased operating efficiencies, streamlined processes and controls, and a more consistent experience for customers.   The restructuring of Wells Fargo Financial will not impact the number of community banking or home mortgage stores currently in operation.  

The Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education announces the completion of a new report on distance learning in Montana (pdf). Commissioned early in 2009 by the MUS eLearning Advisory Committee, the State-wide survey of citizens was conducted by the Bureau of Business & Economic Research at the University of Montana, Missoula.  

• The survey looked at consumer experiences in distance learning, as well as interest in engaging in additional distance learning specifically from the campuses of the Montana University System.
• The survey identified the academic program and workforce development areas of greatest interest to consumers, the gaps in academic delivery that exist, the barriers to distance learning from the consumer perspective, the preferred type of distance delivery, and the manner and location consumers most often use to access the internet.
• The survey also estimated demand for dual-credit online academic courses, from both student and parent perspective.

Watch Friday's event from Kalispell on Senator’s website   (BIG SANDY) –Senator Jon Tester announced that Montanans will be able to watch his Small Business Opportunity Workshop online Friday, in real time.   The July 9 event will be broadcast live on Tester’s website, tester.senate.gov/workshop, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The workshop, which takes place at Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell, focuses on job creation, entrepreneurship, access to capital, and online marketing opportunities.   Video highlights from the workshop will also be available on the website at a later date.   “With this technology, folks will be able to watch online and hopefully learn a few things about creating jobs and strengthening their businesses,” Tester said. “This technology allows us to shorten the distances across Montana, allowing people from all over the state to benefit.”  

GREAT FALLS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Halfway through 2010, the Davidson 99 Regional Stock Index® continues to outperform the major U.S. stock indexes, ending in positive territory. D.A. Davidson & Co., the largest full-service investment firm based in the Northwest, announced that the Davidson 99 dropped 6.4 percent in the second quarter of 2010 but rose 1.0 percent for the first half of the year, outperforming the Dow Jones Industrial Average, down 10.0 percent for the second quarter and off 6.3 percent for the first half of 2010. The S&P 500 dropped 11.9 percent during the second quarter and is off 7.6 percent year-to-date. The broader NASDAQ Composite fell 12.0 percent for the quarter and is off 7.1 percent for the year.   Since its inception on Jan. 1, 2004, the Davidson 99 index value has risen 27.5 percent, versus a 7.3 percent decline for the S&P 500 and a 5.3 percent gain for the NASDAQ Composite.   “The second quarter was very tough for the entire market,” said Fred Dickson, Chief Market Strategist for Davidson Companies, the financial services holding company that operates D.A. Davidson & Co. “However, the Davidson 99 Regional Stock Index fared better than the major market indices. Its strength is due to its broad diversification with solid positive performances from a number of consumer, healthcare and technology companies included in the index that appear to be delivering revenue and earnings growth even as the national economic recovery slowly progresses. Some companies in the index – including a few industrial materials, retailers, financial services and technology companies – continue to struggle as seen by their poor stock price performance during the quarter, thus pulling down the overall performance of the Davidson 99 during the second quarter.”  

Created in 1996 by elk hunting enthusiast Jerry McPherson, Montana Decoy got its start from a regular guy trying to improve his hunting. When Jerry found a way to do this, he wanted to share his successful invention with the rest of the bow hunting community and from there the rest is history.

The company has since expanded past elk decoys and now makes more than 18 different decoys. The modern day success story is one of true hard work and dedication by Jerry, his family and close friends. Now this soft-spoken hunter from Montana is well known in the hunting community and his products are found in most outdoors shops, both big and small.   Visit Montana Decoy online today. Find Montana Decoy on Facebook

(HELENA) According to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), about half the funding for the Montana Appliance Rebate Program has been committed as the popular program enters its sixth week. Retailers and program administrators expected the Fourth of July weekend to see brisk sales.

The appliance replacement program, funded through a grant from the federal Recovery Act, is designed to make energy efficient appliances more broadly accessible. The program is open to all Montanans who own or rent a residence. The rebate amounts available in Montana are: refrigerator $100, freezer $70, dishwasher $50, and clothes washer $100.

Rebate applications as of June 22 total 4,830, which commits $414,710 in funding. Applications as of June 29 had jumped to 5,194, according to the DEQ's website for the program.

The latest report indicates that almost 36 percent of rebate applications filed are for refrigerators - 1,733. As expected, clothes washer rebate applications are close behind at about 33 percent - 1,626. About 25 percent of rebate applications are for dishwashers - 1,208 and about 5 percent of applications are for freezers - 263.

Helena --- The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has revoked Montana Air Quality Permits for J&J Excavating and Trucking, Inc. in Ravalli County, Bates Construction, Inc. and Crazy Mountain Rock, Inc. in Gallatin County, and Rocky Mountain Ethanol, Inc. in Sanders County.

The companies failed to pay their annual air quality operation fee for calendar year 2009 as required by the Administrative Rules of Montana and the Clean Air Act of Montana.

In May 2010, the DEQ issued a Notice of Revocation of Air Quality Permit to each of the companies. The department's revocation of the permits became final when the companies did not request a hearing before the Board of Environmental Review within 15 days after receipt of the notice.

 

WASHINGTON – In just three years’ time, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Patriot Express Pilot Loan Initiative has supported nearly $500 million in Patriot Express loans to small businesses owned and operated by veterans, reservists and their spouses.   Patriot Express Loans, which can be used to start or expand a small business, increased over the past two years due in part to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which raised loan guarantees to 90 percent, and temporarily eliminated fees for borrowers on all SBA loans. To date more than 6,000 loans have been made.   Patriot Express was launched June 28, 2007, to expand upon the nearly $1 billion in loans SBA guarantees annually for veteran-owned businesses. SBA also offers counseling assistance and procurement support each year to more than 200,000 veterans, service-disabled veterans, reservists and members of the National Guard.   Patriot Express is a streamlined loan product based on the agency’s highly successful SBA Express Program, but with an enhanced guaranty and interest rate.  Patriot Express loans are offered by SBA’s network of participating lenders nationwide and features one of SBA’s fastest turnaround times for loan approvals.  Patriot Express loans are available for up to $500,000.    The Patriot Express loan can be used for most business purposes, including start-up, expansion, equipment purchases, working capital, inventory or business-occupied real-estate purchases.  Local SBA district offices can provide lists of Patriot Express lenders in their areas.  

U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy

--The Advocate--

July 2010, Volume 29, number 5

The Small Business Advocate is a periodic newsletter that details economic developments and regulatory trends related to small business as well as the latest initiatives of the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy.

IN THIS ISSUE

Four New Interns at Advocacy this Summer, 2

From the Chief Economist’s Desk

  Cultivating High-Impact Firms: A Key Prescription for Recovery, 3

mtbusiness.com Elizabeth, tell our readers about Equus and Paws.   Elizabeth McNeilly, Equus & Paws Well, Equus and Paws is a small family-owned specialty shop, a holistic shop as well. We do dog grooming here at the shop, and canine massage, levels I, II and III. This consists of canine sports massage levels I and II, therapeutic massage, and canine massage for canine seniors.  The shop also carries a small variety of holistic dog food, dog treats, and some toys.    Everything that consists of going out of the shop is centered around Equine massage. I am a travelling practitioner. That is our design.   mtbusiness.com Where are you located in Billings?   Elizabeth McNeilly, Equus & Paws We are at 2059 Broadwater.   mtbusiness.com And I assume that you take care of the dogs and smaller animals there.   Elizabeth McNeilly, Equus & Paws Yes. It is a neat location because we are just small enough where we can still remain a specialty shop; your dog, if it has special needs, can have an appointment all by itself.  Though big enough that your dog can get an appointment with a group of other dogs as need be, and I’m not shaken by the economy.    mtbusiness.com Let’s focus on the massage aspect. You mentioned you specialize in canine and equine massage.    Elizabeth McNeilly, Equus & Paws Yes I do.  I went through Equassage in Round Hill, Virginia. I started in 2006 with a specialty here at the shop. Originally I was just a travelling practitioner, and I felt that people needed a central location to understand things more. So that is where the dog grooming was added as a service.   I travel in an approximate a two-hour range. However, if someone asks me to go somewhere further, or if there is something that is going on with their animal, I will definitely make the trip.  

MISSOULA –  Extended Learning Services and the Office for Civic Engagement at The University of Montana have partnered with the Montana Nonprofit Association to offer the Online Professional Certificate Program in Nonprofit Administration.   The program’s courses, which begin this year on Monday, Aug. 16, are offered entirely online and are designed for students seeking professional development in a promising field, as well as for busy professionals working in the nonprofit sector. Practicing administrators and others interested in building skills relating to nonprofit administration are encouraged to register.    Students may elect to pursue a certificate requiring 12 course credits plus a four-credit internship, or they may take individual courses for graded credit or for no credit. Certificate seekers must take all courses for graded credit. No formal UM application process is necessary to register for the courses, which run six weeks and 10 weeks with a per-course cost starting at $100.  

 

Bozeman -- A race car built by Montana State University engineering students recently competed in the 2010 Formula SAE Competition in Fontana, Calif.

Formula SAE is a student engineering design competition organized by SAE International, formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers. The Bobcat Motorsports Race Team raced its car against 79 other university teams from nine countries June 16-19.

During the past year, dozens of MSU students worked on the low-slung race car, a smaller scale version of the formula 1 race cars popular in Europe and overseas. Each student team designed, built and tested a prototype based on rules whose purpose was to ensure safety and promote innovative engineering.

"Formula SAE is widely considered the pre-eminent student engineering competition in the world, and our MSU students once again demonstrated their ability to compete at this international level," said Robb Larson, assistant professor of mechanical and industrial engineering and adviser to the MSU team.