Gianforte wants more telecommuters

Tech entrepreneur and possible Montana gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte of Bozeman made a stop in Kalispell Tuesday morning to pitch his latest initiative.

Gianforte and his wife, Susan, are on a 30-stop tour of the state for what’s called the “Bring Our Families Back” effort.

“Montana needs more high-wage jobs,” Gianforte said. “That’s at the core.”

The idea is simple.

Gianforte hopes to convince former Montana residents to return to the Last Best Place with their high-paying jobs and telecommute. The RightNow Technologies co-founder affirmed that the available technology makes remote workstations viable for several job sectors.

Gianforte said that last week he sent 15,000 mailers to Montana State University graduates. The cover reads: “Come to Montana (and bring your job with you).”

He met with the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday to share his plan. High-tech businesses have been among the first to adopt the telecommute, he said, but it’s possible for areas such as accounting, legal or creative work, too.

Starting with people who used to live in the state is a strategy he picked up while recruiting for RightNow Technologies, Gianforte said. Those who were unfamiliar with the state were less inclined to relocate to a state with reputably low wages.

“If we didn’t have some kind of Montana connection, it was a pretty steep hill to climb,” Gianforte said.

But Chamber President Joe Unterreiner said that this idea is close to the Chamber’s marketing work. He said that the reasons people choose a place to move and a place to visit overlap at times.

For Unterreiner and the Chamber, it’s just a matter of getting people to cross the line from tourist to prospective resident.

“We think there’s tremendous potential there,” Unterreiner said. “We’re doing a lot of marketing in tourism.”

As Gianforte tours the state, he likely will face more questions about a potential run for Montana governor in 2016. It would be his first run for public office.

In 2011, he sold the Bozeman-based RightNow Technologies to Oracle for $1.5 billion.

He said that this string of statewide appearances is not tied specifically to a gubernatorial campaign, but he is thinking about it.

“I’m giving it serious consideration,” Gianforte said.

Gianforte, 53, said he will confer with his primary adviser — Susan — before making a final decision. “It’s a very big decision,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Reporter Matt Hudson may be reached at 758-4459 or by email at mhudson@dailyinterlake.com.