Helping local economy take off
Once again, the Flathead Valley is home to an innovative, budding industry with plenty of economic development potential.
In recent years, we’ve seen specialized firearms companies emerge and grow beyond expectations in terms of production, profits and employment. There are also niche businesses that have been wildly successful, such as NOMAD, the company that manufactures custom vehicles rigged with advanced communications systems for purposes ranging from military command-and-control to disaster response vehicles.
The latest comes in the form of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, or “drone” aircraft that have gained worldwide attention in recent years for their effectiveness in military surveillance and targeting operations overseas.
An outfit called the Center for Remote Integration is promoting the development of the industry in Montana with commercial applications for drones in mind, while a company called Unmanned Systems Inc. has been manufacturing and testing drone aircraft off a remote airstrip south of Columbia Falls.
Those involved are highly optimistic about the prospects of Montana becoming home to an evolving industry.
“These aircraft will transition from today’s military-centric role to one of performing cost-effective civilian applications such as farming, wildlife management and wildfire command-and-control,” said Whitefish state Sen. Ryan Zinke, a director with Center for Remote Integration. “We are at the beginning of a multi-billion dollar industry that will change aviation forever.”
And Montana appears to have a head start and some advantages in that industry.
Montana’s “Big Sky” has massive swaths of unencumbered airspace that make it ideal for testing and developing new aircraft within Federal Aviation Administration guidelines. And Unmanned Systems Inc. took a big step forward, getting an experimental certificate from the FAA allowing for its “Sandstorm” drone to be flown via the Internet in Montana airspace.
According to Zinke, Montana is now in position to develop the industry not just through manufacturing and contracting out drone aircraft, but also through a variety of high-tech start-up companies to support the aircraft.
“Montana is well-positioned to become a leader in the next wave of technology in terms of UAS manufacturing, software and instrumentation development,” Zinke said.
With Flathead County’s high unemployment and struggling economy, any signs of economic development are encouraging, but efforts to capitalize on developing industries are especially welcome.