Local Business News
Explore Northwest Montana’s vibrant business scene. From Libby to Polson, we cover local entrepreneurs, economic trends, and community growth.
Blue Cow Car Wash expands herd into Evergreen
With this new innovation, the Blue Calf is able to accommodate dually pickup trucks and vehicles up to 8 feet tall.
Kalispell distillery produces specialty liqueur
In the early 1800s, French soldiers conquering and colonizing Algeria were given daily rations of absinthe because military leaders thought it would help their…
Business newsmakers
Stephanie Juneau has joined the Montana West Economic Development staff as a loan officer. Juneau previously was regional director at the Small Business Dev-el…
Musicians to net more streaming revenue
A federal copyright board ruled last week that streaming services like Spotify, Pandora and Apple Music have to divert a higher share of their revenue back to …
Big Mountain Cider Works breaks ground in Kalispell
Starting a cider production facility is a circuitous endeavor. Many years of work go into building a supply line before cider is ever made. Well over a decade …
Internet provider brings new technology to Kalispell
A new Kalispell business is hoping to dismantle expensive barriers to quality online access in rural areas using LTE cellular wireless internet service.
Economic outlook seminar planned Feb. 6 in Kalispell
The Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana is bringing its 43rd annual economic outlook presentation to Kalispell on Feb. 6.
Bank president takes exec job at firearms company
The founding president of Rocky Mountain Bank in Kalispell is stepping down to take a top executive position with a Columbia Falls firearms manufacturing compa…
Hydroponic farm, housing project planned near Pablo
A developer planning an ambitious housing project and hydroponic farm near Pablo believes his company is on the brink of realizing its goal after years of wrangling grants, permits and community support.
Ronan to open state's first co-op brewery
Main Street revitalization has become something of a trend in recent years. Most towns come up with a plan that guides zoning decisions, then try to draw entre…
Gun manufacturer debuts versatile new rifle
A new gun being manufactured in the Flathead Valley has the capability of switching barrels so it can be used for multiple purposes. Its Columbia Falls-based P…
Handmade products business continues to expand
Tammy Thompson learned the craft of knitting from her mother when she was a small child growing up in Montana.
Rolfer brings alternative healing technique to Flathead
lay face-up on a massage table in John Barton’s Whitefish office. The dull hum of traffic on Spokane Avenue is barely audible from inside the room, which has b…
Entrepreneur makes craft beer more sustainable
Any burgeoning industry presents opportunities for entrepreneurs to make the production process more efficient, and the craft brewing renaissance of recent yea…
Blacksmith shapes career with skills honed in Germany
A trip to Rebel Mountain Forge near Trego is long no matter where you begin, but owner Andreas Hornsteiner’s trip will always be the longest.
S&K Gaming opens restaurant on Flathead Lake
n the past few months, Flathead Valley residents who drive the length of the west shore of Flathead Lake toward Polson likely have noticed some large new billb…