Business
The latest business news from Northwest Montana and beyond. In-depth coverage of local enterprises, economic trends, market updates, and entrepreneurial success stories.
US home sales flat in April as lackluster spring homebuying season lurches forward
Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were essentially flat in April, another lackluster showing for the housing…
Trailhead Supply expands to retail store
For Andy Breland, life’s always been more about saddlebags than moneybags.
Mail vote planned for special districts
Vote-by-mail elections are planned in May for two special districts and 17 fire districts in Flathead County.
Tien's Place a community hub in Columbia Falls
Not a day goes by that Tien Windauer isn’t thankful for winding up in Columbia Falls.
Longtime bakery dream materializes
Alisha May waited 17 years for the perfect spot to open a bakery, and she has found it next door to Echo Lake Cafe.
N.D. boom benefits RV, vehicle dealers
As Flathead Valley workers rush to North Dakota’s thriving oil-based job market, they help the local economy, sometimes before they send back their first paych…
Convenience store taps solar, wind power
By the end of the year, motorists will notice big changes at Midway Mini Mart in Happy Valley.
Northern neighbors spend plenty here
License plates from north of the border tell much of the story.
Hospital execs command sizable pay
Chief executives at Montana’s largest hospitals pulled down salaries and bonus payments ranging from $250,000 to $580,000 for 2009 — although most had relative…
Assisted-living center takes shape
A new 39-unit assisted-living facility in Columbia Falls will be ready for occupancy in February.
Couple in seventh decade start new store
At an age when most people have long retired, Mark and Harriet Rosen started a new Evergreen business drawing on their good taste, flair for fashion and talent…
Getting smart Co-op installs appliances to study efficiency
Flathead Electric Cooperative member Donna Hall said she loves the three new “smart” appliances the utility co-op installed in her home as part of a study to find the best ways to get 48,000 customers to reduce the…
Passion for percussion: Longtime local drummer opens retail store in Kalispell
Rob Spencer’s lifelong love of drumming has turned into a full-time business.
A work in progress: Cooper's dining room open; second-floor project under way
After six years and 10 different building designs, Cooper’s Eatery & Drinkery has emerged as a prominent downtown Whitefish “upscale casual” restaurant and lou…
Catering to convenience
With a close ear to the ground about what the community wanted in a convenience store, Kim Dutton has opened a new business in the old Local Joe’s gas station …
Local seminar to span three days
A three-day seminar in Kalispell this week aims to help leaders learn more about how to grow themselves both personally and professionally.