Flathead Industries nets Roundup for Safety grant for parking lot improvements

Flathead Electric Cooperative's Roundup for Safety Board approved a $12,000 grant for Flathead Industries' parking lot improvement project earlier this month.

The nonprofit, which boasts multiple locations across the Flathead Valley, lost parking space in Kalispell with the installation of the Parkline Trail, according to CEO Patrick Maddison, who requested the grant. 

"When the Parkline walking trail was installed in downtown Kalispell, Flathead Industries celebrated – but also lost most of its parking," he said in a statement. "The administration building and parking lot serves hundreds of people daily, from the public stopping by our clearance store to our clients with developmental disabilities to our administrative staff and employees from other locations in the valley who come to the main office for meetings and trainings."

He said that the unpaved lot the nonprofit currently uses in Kalispell becomes hazardous in winter. Maddison reported that at least five people slipped and fell last winter, resulting in various injuries. 

The parking lot improvement project is expected to run $88,113.

In deciding to dole out the full amount requested, Roundup for Safety Board members cited the cooperative's many members that use the parking lot, officials said. 

Roundup for Safety funding comes from participating Flathead Electric Cooperatives members who allow their monthly electric bills to be rounded up to the nearest dollar. The program costs each member about $6 per year and has provided over $5 million in funding since 1997.

Founded in 1973, Flathead Industries has grown from serving eight individuals with disabilities to 240 today. Flathead Industries thrift stores, located throughout the valley, employ another 88 individuals with disabilities.