Billings Business February 2017

5 MINUTES WITH

NICOLE GRIFFITH GET JUICED

HANDS ON EDUCATION

Massage school helps students pursue new careers

SPECIAL REPORT

40 UNDER FORTY

February 2017

Billings Business 401 N. Broadway Billings, MT 59101-1242

CONTENTS February 2016

An indispensable business resource

On the Cover

FEATURES

Michelle Colbrese massages the shoulder of Jessica Monical at Lima Hana Massage Education Center at 1234 Avenue C.

Hands on learning:................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Photo by BRONTE WITTPENN/ Gazette Staff

Massage school helps students to new careers

SPECIAL REPORT

2017 40 Under Forty Special Section in this issue

Construction Zone............................................................................................................................................................... 25

COLUMNS

Economic Development................................................................................................................................................ 10

Commercial & Residential

Sales Moves.................................................................................................................................................................................. 12

Flood or Fire, we will restore your property from beginning to end.

Melanie Schwarz -- Survey will help employers

Jeffery Gitomer -- Do you have what it takes for success?

Chelsea Nelson has opened the Broadway Dance Studio. Page 13

24 Hour Emergency Flood & Fire Restoration Services

On Broadway ............................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Billings woman opens dance studio

Strategies for Success...................................................................................................................................................25 Joe Michels -- These three tests can assure a profitable year for your business

Better Business........................................................................................................................................................................ 18 These tips can help protect your business in 2017

Complete Reconstruction Licensed • Bonded • Insured Preferred by Major Insurance Companies.

BILLINGS BUSINESS EVERY MONTH

From the Editor..............................................................................................................................................................................4 By the numbers.............................................................................................................................................................................5 The local economy at a glance

Chamber News......................................................................................................................................................................... 11 John Brewer – Air service expands with American Airlines

Construction Zone............................................................................................................................................................... 19 Five Minutes with................................................................................................................................................................. 22 Success Stories.......................................................................................................................................................................50 Business Briefs........................................................................................................................................................................51 The Listings...................................................................................................................................................................................52 Five minutes with Nicole Griffith Page 22

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February 2017

406-628-0178

—24 hour contact line—

www.alphaomegapros.com

February 2017

3

the editor

P RESIDENT T RUMP WOULD APPRECIATE M ONTANA ’ S MANUFACTURING SECTOR Donald Trump seized the presidency with a campaign that promised to restore manufacturing jobs to the Rust Belt and punish companies that outsourced jobs to Mexico and other low-wage countries.

Just weeks after Trump won the 2016 election, Carrier, a division of United Technologies, announced that it would keep about 1,000 jobs at a furnace manufacturing plant in Indiana rather than moving them to Mexico.

Here’s one big reason why Carrier estimated that it would save $65 million by outsourcing jobs to Mexico.

Workers in Mexico earn about $3 per hour compared to the roughly $20 per hour that Carrier’s Indiana workers make, according to Money Magazine.

Yet, keeping Carrier’s manufacturing jobs in Indiana came with a price. Indiana taxpayers offered Carrier about $7 million in tax breaks and other incentives as part of the deal. Carrier also agreed to invest $16 million into the Indiana plant to improve efficiency.

In macroeconomic terms, the Carrier deal was largely symbolic when one considers that the U.S. economy added 156,000 jobs in December alone.

But if you work in the Carrier plant, it’s certainly a big deal.

On the heels of the Carrier announcement, Trump has launched broadsides against a variety of companies, threatening punishment if they choose to expand or relocate to Mexico instead of the United States.

“The word is now out that when you want to move your plant to Mexico or some other place, and you want to fire all of your workers from Michigan and Ohio and all these places that I won, for good reason — not going to happen that way anymore,” Trump said at a recent post-election news conference.

During a campaign stop in Billings last May, Trump discussed energy, gun rights and the importance of nominating a conservative to replace the late Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. Had

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February 2017

he been able to stick around long enough to visit some Montana companies involved in manufacturing, Trump would have discovered a sector that has been growing faster than the national average.

Montana isn’t a major manufacturing center.

However, the Big Sky State added around 1,900 manufacturing jobs between the second quarter of 2009 and the third quarter of 2015, according to statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Research from the University of Montana.

Paul Polzin, an economist with the BBER, said the state’s manufacturing sector managed to grow during that period despite the closure of the Smurfit-Stone Container paper mill in Missoula, the state’s largest manufacturing plant.

Manufacturing associated with the Bakken oil boom accounted for a good part of Montana’s growth. Several manufacturers set up shop in Billings during the boom, although some of those jobs have evaporated in the wake of lower oil prices.

If you’re searching for an example of a resurgent and innovative manufacturing company in Montana, a good place to start is Billings-based GTUIT Inc. The company manufactures equipment and provides services for capturing natural gas that’s produced in conjunction with oil. Much of the gas associated with Bakken oil production ends up being flared, but GTUIT helps producers capture valuable energy that would otherwise go to waste.

The company announced recently that it has been converting flare gas captured at the well sit to a more valuable fuel, liquefied natural gas.

This is a significant development — some might describe it as “Yuge” — because LNG is easier to store and transport, and takes up about 1/600th of the volume compared to natural gas in its gaseous state.

“This project demonstrates the technical feasibility of utilizing small-scale LNG technology as a comprehensive solution to capture stranded gas in those regions that lack adequate gas pipeline ingrastructure,” said Brian Cebull, president and CEO of GTUIT. It just goes to show that Silicon Valley hasn’t captured the market on innovation.

FEBRUARY 2017 • VOLUME 23 • NUMBER 4

mike gulledge tom howard COPY EDITOR chris jorgensen GENERAL MANAGER dave worstell PUBLISHER

EDITOR

SALES

ryan brosseau shelli scott ADVERTISING COORDINATOR spencyr knatterud ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER

SUBSCRIPTIONS Billings Business is mailed each month to area business owners, managers and decision makers.

To subscribe for $19.95 per year, please send payment, name, business name, mailing address and phone number to: Billings Business 401 N. Broadway Billings, MT 59101 ADVERTISING For retail advertising call Dianna Russiff, 657-1495; Milt Lang, 657-1257;.

Joe McGinnis 657-1599. Advertising deadline for the March 2017 issue is 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017.

NEWS If you would like to submit a news tip, story idea, announcement about your business or press release, please email it to: editor@billingsbusiness.com website: www.billingsbusiness.com Information published herein does not reflect the opinion of Billings Business. Contents are the property of Billings Business.

By the numbers

• Personal • Business • Real Estate • Agriculture

Local and regional economic trends Shiloh & Grand 655-3900

Downtown 655-2400

COOLING OFF The Billings market for new homes slowed in 2016, with 315 single-family homes permitted, a 25 percent decrease from 2015.

14th & Grand 371-8100

stockmanbank.com

Worden 967-3612

National park visitors

Airport boardings

1M

7

6 8

In ten thousands

Hilltop & Main 896-4800

In hundred thousands

King Avenue 655-2700

6

5

4

3

2

4

1

Billings housing starts

2

0

New single-family home building permits 60

500

50

0

315

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Bozeman

Yellowstone National Park

200

June 2016 to Nov. 2016

10

June 2015 to Nov. 2015

100

0

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

August 2016 to December 2016

Nov.

0

Dec.

August 2015 to Dec. 2015

2016

June 2015 to Nov. 2015

Ag prices Montana Beef Cattle

6

200

(per bushel)

3

100

2

50

1

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

June 2016 to Nov. 2016 Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

0

June 2016-Nov. 2016 June 2015-Nov. 2015

4

4

1

June 2016-Nov. 2016 June 2015-Nov. 2015

5%

150

2

Nov.

Unemployment

(per cwt.)

5

Oct.

Source: Montana Department of Transportation

Source: National Park Service

Montana winter wheat

Sept.

June 2016-Nov. 2016 June 2015-Nov. 2015

June 2016 to Nov. 2016

2015

Aug.

Missoula

Glacier National Park

YTD Through Dec. 31

Source: City of Billings

0

June

300

30 20

July

Billings

411

400

40

June

3

June

July

Aug.

June 2015 to Nov. 2015

Sept

Oct.

Nov.

0

June

July

Montana

Aug.

Sept.

Yellowstone County

Oct.

Nov.

U.S.

Source: Montana Department of Labor and Industry

February 2017

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Hands on learning BRONTE WITTPENN, Gazette Staff

By TOM HOWARD

Massage school teaches students to become licensed therapists 6

February 2017

R

English, Lima Hana means working hands.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that hands-on instruction plays a big role in the Lima Hana Massage Education Center, a Billings school where students study to become certified massage therapists. oughly translated from

Hawaiian

to

Michelle Colbrese and Eric Hart started the school at 1234 Avenue C in January of 2016.

“This is one of our favorite maneuvers. It’s called a cat paw,” Colbrese said as students gathered around a table during a hands-on demonstration.

“See how it stretches the muscles in the neck,” she said as Hart kneaded the neck and shoulders of Jessica Monical, who was lying

flat on a massage table.

“This is very useful in sports work and for somebody who is in training,” Colbrese said.

Colbrese said she first became interested in massage techniques from her father while she was 6 or 7 years old. She said her father would have her walk on his back, pound on his neck and shoulders and help him stretch his lower back. She said her formal training in massage

The hands of Lima Hana owner Michelle Colbrese massages the shoulder of Jessica Monical at Lima Hana Massage Education Center at 1234 Avenue C.

BRONTE WITTPENN, Gazette Staff

Misty Choriki, left, and Justin Downey practice on other students at Lima Hana Massage Education Center.

therapy began some 30 years ago, and she has been practicing massage in Montana since 1994.

Hart has a background in business, but took up massage about three years ago. He studied under Colbrese.

Hart said many people might not be aware of what it takes to become a massage therapist.

For starters, it’s a mistake to assume that somebody with a passing interest in massage can start a business after reading a book or two and taking a few classes.

Under Montana law, a certified massage therapist must complete at least 500 hours of training and then pass a state exam. Lima Hana’s program calls for 625 hours of classroom study and hands-on instruction.

“Most people assume that education for massage

work is pretty easy, then they find out it’s definitely more work than they thought it would be,” Hart said.

Students attending Lima Hana must take courses in anatomy and kinesiology, the study of the mechanics of body movements, as part of the curriculum.

Hands-on instruction includes Swedish massage therapy, a technique that aims to relax the entire body.

“We add to it a number of elements of stretching and deep muscle massage, and then we integrate different systems,” such as reflexology and acupressure, Colbrese said.

Specialty areas include sports massage, palliative care for

“This is very useful in sports work and for somebody who is in training” Michelle Colbrese

Please see Massage, Page 8

February 2017

7

Misty Choriki massages Jessica Monical’s face at Lima Hana Massage Education Center.

Massage From 7

people with cancer or other serious illnesses, and techniques aimed at helping older clients or people with arthritis.

For the general population, massage can help relieve neck pain, back pain and other maladies that can be traced to lifestyles or the modern workplace.

“Humans weren’t designed to sit at a computer all day,” Hart said.

Hart and Colbrese said another goal of the school is to educate the public about massage and its benefits.

“Some people will say, ‘I had some-

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February 2017

body work on me before and it hurt,’” Colbrese said. “Massage doesn’t’ have to hurt, and it shouldn’t.”

Kim Wheadon of Rosebud has 30 years of experience as a registered nurse. She plans to go to work work at a spa in Forsyth when she completes the program.

“Nursing correlates a lot, but it’s way different,” Wheadon said.

Justin Downey of Billings got interested in massage through his participation in dance and theater.

“I got massages a lot, and I always felt so much better afterward,” he said. “So I decided I wanted to help other people feel better.”

BRONTE WITTPENN, Gazette Staff

Co-founder of Lima Hana Massage Education Center, Eric Hart, left, provides pointers as Misty Choriki and Jessica Monical practice massage exercises at Lima Hana .

Calling 9-1-1 quickly is your job.

The rest is up to us.

Know the signs of a heart attack.

Calling 9-1-1 and coming to Billings Clinic at the earliest sign of a heart attack increases your survival rate.“Time is muscle,” and heart tissue that is blocked from oxygen cannot be restored.

Billings Clinic is recognized by the American Heart Association for exceeding national benchmarks for “door to balloon” time when patients arrive at the ER.

billingsclinic.com/heart

February 2017

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For the third straight year we are asking our regional businesses to take a short seven minute survey

Melane Schwarz is director of marketing and member investors at Big Sky Economic Development.

Contact her at 406-8698419 or at melanie@ bigskyeda.org

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February 2017

Economic Development: Survey will help employers

By MELANIE SCHWARZ education with available jobs and helping businesses naviLet’s talk workforce and gate the now complex landyour business, as 2016 was scape of hiring. a year of many changes for BillingsWorks, a commubusinesses in our region. nity collaboration of more Some industries, such than 100 private and public as healthcare, continue to partners, is working on this grow while their workforce every day. The best way we pool continues to tighten. know to make these critical There was good news around workforce development deprofessional services, busi- cisions is by hearing directly nesses started to report a bit from our business commueasier time finding qualified nity. For the third straight workers for their entry- and year, we are asking our remid-level professional jobs. gional businesses to take a Service, hospitality and re- short seven minute survey tail have remained about the (www.billingsworkssurvey. same with continued reports com) and tell us how your of low availability. business is doing. What These trends are impor- jobs do you have open? Are tant to watch in our com- you getting qualified candimunity and we need to make dates? What do our educasure that our workforce tion partners needs to focus development efforts are fo- on? What are the barriers cused on the areas of need. keeping you from hiring top Currently, we see that as tal- talent? These are just a few of ent attraction, bringing new the questions in the survey workers to our market with and we need your input. the skills for jobs we curThe results will be comrently have open, aligning piled and available in our

2017 State of the Workforce Report due out in late spring. This report will have data not only from the survey but from industry focus groups, local/state/national workforce data, education and training data from our state system and local partners and a complete analysis

about where we go next. A couple of trends already rising to the surface include the need for affordable workforce housing and addressing wages in Yellowstone County.

Please take the time to fill out this survey and then be sure to read the com-

plete report later this spring.

Workforce development is a community challenge, and with your help we can continue to meet this challenge using our current resources combined with innovative new talent attraction and retention ideas. www.billingsworkssurvey.com

AIR SERVICE IS TAKING OFF WITH AMERICAN AIRLINES ON THE WAY

By JOHN BREWER

Billings is our region’s business hub and there are a number of large corporate connections and like-industries between Billings and Dallas.

John Brewer is president and chief executive officer of the Billings Chamber of Commerce.

At 12:40 p.m. on June 2, 2017, the first ever American Airlines flight will land in Billings. One month later, on July 2, United Airlines will begin its annual seasonal service once again direct to Chicago; this time extending service by an extra three weeks through Sept. 5 (rather than Aug. 15 like last year).

These two announcements came within a week of each other. It was not a coincidence and did not happen without a great deal of work by community partners who desire to improve air accessibility. Representatives from Billings Logan Airport, the Billings Chamber of Commerce, Visit Billings and Big Sky Economic Development recently traveled to Dallas to meet with American Airlines planners as well as to Chicago to meet with United. The group also recently met with Alaska/Horizon and Delta.

The emphasis on air transportation is a primary initiative from each of these groups because of the economic and quality of life impacts that result as mobility, accessibility and costs improve in our community.

Today’s young professionals (the millennial generation) have been called “the first globals.” Their expectation is that they can live where they want, find work, and be connected to the world.

Air service that provides direct access to major metro

areas and airline hubs encourages young professionals to call Billings home; it opens doors for business location scouts to consider expansion and relocation into our community; and helps to fill hotel rooms thereby contributing to our tourism economy.

So why have Billings’ economic leadership groups been specifically courting American Airlines, and why Dallas? First, American is the world’s largest air carrier. Dallas is the fourth busiest airport in the country — a win-win combination that connects us to over 40 new cities with just one stop through Dallas. Prior to this service Billings did not offer travelers direct service to anywhere in the southeast United States.

Secondly, when you look at daily outbound travel from Billings, the top nine cities our residents are traveling to already have direct air service (Las Vegas, Seattle, Denver, and Phoenix being the top four). Dallas, Houston and San Francisco typically round out the top 10-12 destinations Billings’ residents travel to daily.

Billings is our region’s business hub and there are a number of large corporate connections and likeindustries between Billings and Dallas including energy and financial (BNSF, Exxon and FedEx to name three). In addition, Billings is a gateway to Yellowstone National

Park via one of the most scenic drives in North America (Beartooth Pass); and a direct connection to western history (Little Bighorn Battlefield and Pompeys Pillar); not to mention the northsouth cattle drive route that once connected Fort Worth to Miles City (Lonesome Dove).

There is a great deal that unites our two areas. Over the coming months VisitBillings, the Billings Cham-

ber’s tourism marketing arm governed by the Tourism Business Improvement District, will initiate advertising campaigns in the Dallas area, courting both leisure and corporate travel prospects.

Representatives will travel to Dallas for a travel show and will meet with Dallas media to build interest in our community as a destination.

As a first-time business entering Billings, a number of private entities stepped up

financially to offer American a guarantee. This means that if in their inaugural year incurring startup costs American does not hit projected revenue benchmarks, local businesses will assist in backfilling their loss. Thanks to the Billings Tourism Business Improvement District, Billings Gazette, Billings Clinic, the Chamber, Big Sky Economic Development and many others for their leadership on this investment.

Details at www.BillingsChamber.com

March 30th MetraPark, Rimrock Auto Arena

7 - 9 a.m.

Doors Open 6:00 a.m.

Visit BillingsChamber.com for details

February 2017

11

SALESmoves

Sales Moves: Do you have the

characteristics of sales success?

By JEFFREY GITOMER

Salespeople have to be smart enough to think on the spot, and deal with every kind of situation as it happens.

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible and The Little Red Book of Selling. Reach him at 704-333-1112 or email salesman@gitomer.com

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February 2017

Do you have the character and characteristics of sales success?

Here is list of sales success characteristics.

They represent the elements of what will make a salesperson successful.

But here’s the secret – before you make judgments about others and how they compare to the list, FIRST judge yourself. Measure yourself against the elements that make salespeople who they are, and successful at what they do. And for those of you who hire salespeople, a checklist of the real things to look for in a potentially successful person.

NOTE WELL: If you want to succeed, you and whoever you hire better be somewhere between 8 and 10 (on a 1-10 scale) on every one of these characteristics.

With that in mind, here’s a list of 13.5 individual characteristics that would make any person a “hire”-able and “succeed”-able salesperson (you included).

1. Smart. Salespeople have to be smart enough to think on the spot, and deal with every kind of situation as it happens. CAUTION: Very experienced salespeople, who think they know everything are most vulnerable to be beaten by a smart person with hustle.

2. Self-starting. Great salespeople don’t need “motivation.” They have a builtin fire that’s somewhere between a cup of Death Wish Coffee and a Red Bull. Nobody has to tell them what to do. They know what to do.

And they do it. They make the first call of the day, and

the last call of the day.

3. Great attitude. Great salespeople believe they will make every sale. Great salespeople take “no” as “not yet.” Great salespeople accept every lemon thrown at them by management, customers, and accounting — and use those lemons to open up a lemonade stand. A great salesperson is able to take everybody else’s crap, and somehow turn it into money.

4. Excellent communication skills. Great salespeople are not “good” communicators. They’re great communicators. Their message is both compelling and transferable. Their passion and their belief system is as contagious as their enthusiasm.

And they’re able to articulate in a way that gets customers to buy, more often than not.

5. Physically and mentally fit. The statement speaks for itself and implies that you work out on a regular basis working your mind and your body. Exercising your mind and body before you get to work (push-ups and brainups) so that you feel good and that good feeling is projected every time you interact with a customer.

6. Computer, tablet and smartphone literate. There’s no excuse for a lack of computer literacy other than stubbornness and laziness.

The internet will rule the economic world for at least the next decade. And those who ignore this fact will find themselves completely unemployable after they get fired from their present job.

7. Focused and intention driven. Having a goal is a basic fundamental element.

Intending to achieve it is the motive to achieve it. Having

Photos.com

a plan is a basic fundamental element. Intending to implement it is the motive to put it into action. Keeping your eye on the prize and working toward it steadily is what separates those who do and those who don’t.

“Goals without intention and focus,” is like an automobile without gasoline. It looks pretty, but it can’t get you anywhere. Intention is the fuel that will take you from where you are to your goal, your destination, to where you want to be.

8. Dedicated to succeeding. With great salespeople, it’s not just a matter of goals.

It’s a matter of focus on outcome and achievement.

Multiple achievements lead to success, and a self-confidence that keeps the momentum going from sale to sale.

9. Past history of success.

Every time a great salesperson makes a sale, it remains in their self-confidence memory bank and can be called upon for positive energy in any situation. The

more you succeed, the more your success is likely to continue.

10. Looking for a career, not a job. If a salesperson has a base salary and a commission, the job person wants a raise in their base pay. The career person wants a raise in their commission.

11. More Interested in Personal Success and Personal Development, Than Money. Salespeople who work for money rarely achieve it. Great salespeople work to be their best, and dedicate themselves to that process daily. And as a result, earn tons.

12. A constant student: willing to learn and adapt.

Great salespeople know there is always more to learn.

They dedicate themselves to being better, being best.

Great salespeople know that learning from their past allows them to adapt and be ready for new encounters and new challenges. It’s the difference between “already knowing everything” and “life-long learner.”

13. Taking joy in serving others. This is the “master” quality. One of the best salespeople I’ve ever known is John Ruhlin. He created and is the master of Giftology, and loves to serve.

13.5 A great social presence and reputation. Easier stated: “google-able” by you and any customer they might visit. They know social media, have a social understanding, and participate daily in learning, posting, and reputation building.

Notice one characteristic missing? Sales skills.

I’d rather have attitude and brains than selling skills any day. I can teach someone to sell. I can’t teach them to be smart or happy.

Easier answer. Compare these qualifications to the best salesperson you ever knew. Compare them to the best salesperson you ever had. Compare them to yourself. Ouch.

Now that you know the criteria, you have some work to do.

“It’s pretty easy to get them under control once you understand how their brains work.”

Chelsea Nelson, on corraling a roomful of preschoolers

Chelsea Nelson, owner of Broadway Dance Studio.

HANNAH POTES/ Gazette Staff

Broadway Dance Studio pays tribute to Hollywood’s golden era

By TOM HOWARD Chelsea Nelson has been dancing ever since she was 3 years old and has dreamed of running her own dance studio since she was 7.

That dream came to fruition in January when Nelson, 27, opened Broadway Dance Studio at 1313 Grand Ave. Suite 11.

As the name implies, Broadway Dance Studio has a show business theme, complete with photos of Shirley Temple and other stars from Hollywood’s golden era.

With bright red walls, the studio’s décor

is reminiscent of an old-time theater. Even a one-page brochure listing the studio’s classes has a show business theme. With “Playbill” emblazoned across the top and the studio’s name in lights, the handbill resembles programs that theater patrons pick up on the way to their seats.

Nelson hopes to revive interest in the type of dancing that Americans fell in love with when Fred Astaire, Debbie Reynolds and Gene Kelly were hoofing their way across the silver screen.

Broadway Dance Studio offers classes for pre-schoolers to adults. Tap, jazz, creative

movement and Irish dancing are featured.

So are fitness-oriented classes emphasizing stretching and “Broadway bodies,” an adult-oriented fitness class. Nelson also offers private lessons.

Like most dance studios, Broadway Dance Studio features mirrored walls and handrails. A sprung maple dance floor provides cushioning that reduces fatigue and injuries.

Nelson has studied early childhood development, and her training comes in handy when she’s trying to corral a roomful of preschoolers.

“It’s pretty easy to get them under control once you understand how their brains work,” she said.

Dance fitness and stretch-out classes are geared toward adults who want to get moving but don’t prefer the atmosphere of a gym, she said. So far, she had been encouraged by the amount of interest from adults.

Chelsea’s twin sister, Mercede, operates a Physique 57 studio and is a massage therapist in New York. Chelsea spent some time there with her sister, and has also taught at RimView Dance Studio in Billings.

February 2017

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FAMILY FRIENDLY KOA’s parental leave policy ‘The right thing to do’ 14

February 2017

Contributed

By TOM HOWARD In his first year as chief executive officer, Pat Hittmeier sought to make Billingsbased Kampgrounds of America more family friendly by implementing a policy that provides eight weeks of paid leave for employees who have become new parents.

KOA’s new parental leave policy, instituted about a year ago, applies to mothers and fathers, whether they’re having a biological child or are going through adoption.

One welcome feature of the plan, employees say, is that you don’t have to use all of the leave at one time. So, if a mother comes back to work before she has used up her parental leave, she can take additional time off later in the year if needed. Parental leave is granted in addition to the employee’s other benefits, including vacation and sick days.

Brandi Simpson her husband, John, and sons Luke and Bo.

Pat Hittmeier, president and CEO of KOA, says the company’s new parental leave policy was the right thing to do.

These U.S companies are known for providing generous parental leave

“Where I worked before, I took two or three weeks when my first baby was born.

Coming here and having the benefit, there wasn’t the financial pressure or the pressure of responsibility and having to be back to work right away.”

Brandi Simpson, senior data analyst for KOA

Hittmeier said the policy applies to all full-time staff, which includes about 85 in the Billings corporate office and 600 fulltime workers employed at KOA’s company-owned properties. It doesn’t apply to KOA franchisees, who are independent business owners.

“We don’t control what they do in regard to pay and other policies,” Hittmeier said, referring to franchisees. “They are smallbusiness owners who make those decisions on their own.”

The new policy is part of KOA’s continuing effort to be an employer of choice, an organization known for attracting top talent, Hittmeier said.

Hittmeier said he wasn’t too worried that work wouldn’t get done once the parental leave policy went into effect. In some cases employees who take time off may be replaced by a temporary worker. Depending on the department, other employees pick up the slack for the person on leave.

“We didn’t do a lot of financial analysis,” he said. “We just knew it was the right thing to do.”

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 includes a provision that provides 12 weeks of unpaid medical leave for mothers who have given birth or who are adopting. Last hear presidential candi

Jerod Houghtelling with his wife, Andrea and children: Aleena, 7; Justus, 5; Emmalee, 3; and Isabel, nine months old.

date Donald Trump proposed six weeks of paid maternity leave for working mothers, plus tax policies aimed to bring down the cost of child care. But in its early days, the Trump administration has released few details about what it plans to do about parental leave.

Brandi Simpson, senior data analyst for KOA, said the parental leave policy came in handy when her second child, a son named Bo, was born last March.

“Where I worked before, I took two or three weeks when my first baby was born,” Simpson said.

“Coming here and having the benefit, there wasn’t the financial pressure or the pressure of responsibility and having to be back

to work right away.”

Simpson took six weeks off after Bo’s birth, then eased back into the job by working part-time for a few weeks. Under the policy, parents can choose when to use their parental leave at any time during the first year after the baby is born. That comes in handy whenever a child gets sick, Simpson said.

“Not only does it give me this wonderful benefit, it gives me something that I couldn’t take back: time with my kids,” Simpson said.

Jerod Houghtelling, development manager and lead architect for KOA’s information technology department, said he took two

weeks off when his wife gave birth to their fourth child. Later, he began taking three-day weekends to help out with the family.

“It worked out well because I didn’t feel guilty about taking time off,” Houghtelling said. “In fact, the human resources department encouraged me to take the time off.”

Other recent changes include a profit sharing program. KOA has enjoyed at least five years of strong growth, with new corporateowned properties and a number of new franchises coming on board.

Under the profit sharing program, employees received a check that’s based on their salary, at the end of the year.

Parents Magazine has compiled a list of American companies that provide generous family leave policies. Here is a sampling: American Express offers its employees 20 weeks of paid leave for all new parents, plus an extra six to eight weeks to birth mothers for medical recovery. Adoptive, foster, surrogate and LGBT parents are included in this policy.

Patagonia, the outdoor clothing company, allows nursing mothers to bring their babies along if they have to travel for business. The company also pays for a family member or caregiver to accompany the mother and child. Patagonia also has a childcare center at its California headquarters, and company buses also deliver children from locals schools to the center for afterschool care.

New moms working for Google get 18 weeks of paid leave, and Google has four child-care centers near its Mountain View, Calif. Campus. Parents also get $500 in “baby cash.”

Facebook offers $4,000 in “baby cash” for new parents. The company also offers a $20,000 company benefit to cover fertility treatments.

Goldman Sachs employees receive 16 weeks of paid maternity, adoption and surrogacy leave.

Lactation rooms and backup child care are available either at home or at the office.

Johnson & Johnson’s new mothers receive 17 weeks of paid time off and new dads receive at least nine weeks. Because the leave doesn’t have to be taken consecutively, parents can ease back into full-time work. Pregnant employees are also assigned a nurse who answers questions and checks up on them during leave. The company also has seven on-site child centers.

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Tiny-house trend showing signs of slowing

By McClatchy Newspapers After hearing all the hype about tiny homes — the TV shows, lifestyle websites and magazine photo spreads — Lee Saenz decided that building the dinky dwellings would make a great part of his second career.

He formed a company called Adventure Cabins and began building little houses with rustic pine exteriors and state-ofthe-art interiors. All that was left, Saenz believed, was for viewers of shows like HGTV’s “Tiny House Hunters” to beat a path to his San Bernardino, Calif., workshop.

But after five years in business, Saenz has sold only five cabins. Two sit ready to go, with one marked down from $50,000 to just $29,000.

“There are so many roadblocks out there to selling them,” said Saenz, 75.

“If they want to buy it, they don’t have the land. If they have the land, it’s not zoned for a tiny home. Or they don’t have enough cash.”

At first glance, the tiny home movement seems like a perfect multipurpose solution. Often priced at $50,000 or lower, they could be affordable to millennials burdened with student debt and baby boomers with skimpy retirement savings.

Tiny homes usually range from 100 square feet to 400 square feet, but they can be as small as 80 square feet (think garden shed) or as large as 700 square feet (roughly a three-car garage). Home shoppers concerned about climate change like that lighting, heating and cooling a tiny house has a minimal impact compared to a more typical 2,000-square-foot house.

But getting there is the difficult part. It’s not a bust, but there is certainly no boom as far as many build

Gina Ferazzi

After hearing all the hype about tiny homes, Lee Saenz decided that building the dinky dwellings would make a great second career.

He formed a company called Adventure Cabins and began building little houses with rustic pine exteriors and state-of-the-art interiors. Shown with one of the homes is his son, Traviz Saenz, the company’s operations manager.

ers are concerned.

Tiny homes, according to a 2015 analysis by the Pew Charitable Trust, are “cheap and energy efficient,” but “lost in the enthusiasm is the fact that in many places, it is hard to live in them legally.”

Finding land is difficult, particularly in densely developed communities with strict zoning laws on the number and size of units allowed. Vacant land must be carefully investigated for back taxes and liens. In places like drought-stricken California, there can also be building moratoriums.

Insurance is another complication since the trusted companies able to obtain it with relative ease are often RV builders.

Financing, typically one of the least fun experiences of buying a regular home, can be even more problematic. Some tiny home builders offer it, but many do not.

Saenz has no trouble getting customers financed in his primary business making food carts, industrial grills and portable sinks.

But “I haven’t been able to find it for the cabins,” he said.

Most difficult of all, experts say, are laws in many cities and counties that mandate new single-family homes must be at least 1,000 square feet in size.

Many tiny homes are built on trailers, but that mobility can run afoul of local government restrictions on overnight parking or “camping” on one’s own land for more than 30 days.

Even in some places where indefinite camping is allowed, it can be rare to be allowed to install utilities.

Tiny Smart House in Albany, Ore., could deliver a house a month if anyone wanted one, said office manager and designer Sarah Maisel. In five years,

the company has sold just over two dozen tiny homes, supplemented with a line of food carts.

One recent client was so enthusiastic about downsizing that she helped design her 250-square-foot home on wheels. The client sold her 1,650-square-foot Oregon house and found land for her new little home.

Then it all went wrong.

The client learned that local regulations wouldn’t allow her to permanently place

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“It just shouldn’t be this difficult. We would like to just be able to build the houses,” Maisel said. “It took more than a month for me to find the right office and person to talk with to get started” in trying to solve the client’s problems and get her plans back on track.

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rules are adapting to tiny homes.

Fresno, Calif., recently changed its zoning and development code to allow small homes on wheels to be used as independent living quarters. Previously, the mobile units could only serve as temporary lodging.

In the face of slow changes in real estate codes, builders have had to be innovative in terms of what they can legally build.

Steven Marshall, founder of Little House on the Trailer in Petaluma, Calif., takes the tiny home craze in stride.

“About 90 percent of the calls we get are from people who have watched the shows,” Marshall said.

“There are quite a few urban legends out there about what you can build and where. It’s a revolution that probably won’t happen. Half of my customers are farmers providing temporary housing for workers.”

Another target for Marshall are so-called caregiver dwellings, also known as “granny flats,” allowing a person to live on land that isn’t zoned for an additional home.

“You can also have a recreational trailer for an elderly relative or for an adult with physical, psychological or emotional challenges you don’t want living on their own,” Marshall said.

“These are the only kinds of legal uses we have been able to identify.”

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February 2017

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BETTERbusiness

Keeping these resolutions can protect your business in 2017

By DAN BUCHTA

Technology is changing at break-neck speed and your business needs to keep up with it.

Dan Buchta of Missoula is Marketplace Director for Better Business Bureau Northwest. Contact him at dan.buchta@thebbb.org

18

February 2017

It’s a new year and now that we are in February, most of us have already resigned those pesky personal resolutions that we never really intended to keep.

Hasta la vista diet!

However, if you are running a business, you don’t get off the hook so easy. Your October and November were most likely spent budgeting, strategic planning, and goal setting. Documents were drawn up, spreadsheet skills were dusted off, and enthusiastic presentations were given about how 2017 should go — if everyone does their jobs. Hopefully, there was buy-in on the plan from top to bottom of your organization and everyone is motivated to perform at expected levels this year.

People make New Year’s resolutions because a new year provides an opportunity to start over. They figure it is worth a try to improve themselves, and if it fails, they are right back where they were in the first place.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

For businesses, it is a little different. We don’t get to fail. Business owners of all sizes need to have vision for where they want their business to be 10 (or more) years down the road. Then they need to translate that vision into what needs to happen in the immediate, in order to stay on pace for the long term vision. Every day of 2017 should be a forward step toward the success of that long term vision.

Better Business Bureau serving the Northwest has some tips to help you stay on track during these early months of the new year: Plan for success: Did you set increased revenue goals?

What would happen if you suddenly had a windfall of sales, or new customers? Could your current staff handle it? If your plan for 2017 was growth, then make sure that you are taking the necessary steps. A few that instantly come to mind are: 24/7 recruiting, ongoing training programs to educate and promote from within, and looking for greater efficiencies and savings on printing, shipping, and other outsourced services. Make this effort early in the year and you can reap the benefits all year long.

Revamp your social media marketing efforts: To quote Peter Drucker: “The purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two–and only two–basic functions: marketing and innovation.

Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs.”

Consumers are becoming more and more active on their smartphones every day. This means activity with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., should be updated multiple times on a daily basis. Updating your pages and pushing out fresh content can help you grow your loyal customer base.

Also, start a blog or newsletter. Over time you will collect email address that you can use to market deals and

CREATAS IMAGES

incentives for new product launches. Unless you just innovated something exciting and new like the iPhone, you will need to find ways to market to and touch your customers daily.

Update your technology and your digital security: Technology is changing at break-neck speed and your business needs to keep up with it. This goes just beyond making the purchases.

It also involves making sure that your staff has the proper training. One of the top trends today is to offer cloud based training for your employees. Short training videos can live in the cloud and be accessed by your staff at any time and as often as they want. Also, as businesses grow, so do online threats and hacking incidents. To protect your company and

your customers, invest in top notch protection services.

Follow through by teaching your staff ways to avoid being hacked, avoid opening hazardous links, and making it a point to run virus scans frequently.

Drop who or what is not working and move forward: This one can seem a little cold –even for February — but it is critical to the survival of your organization.

Is your cloud based technical services coming up short?

Shop for new ones while giving your current service providers an opportunity to clean up their act. Is that old desktop or photocopier failing again? Time to get a new one. Is there an employee who is a cancer inside of your organization? You have 11 months of goal hitting ahead of you, if that person isn’t

going to be a part of the success of your team, let them find an organization where their work style will be a better fit.

If you tell people about your resolutions, you will be more likely to keep them longer because your employees and coworkers will help hold you accountable.

Is your business transparent about your long term vision?

What about the goals you set for this year? You hear all the time about how top performing organizations are transparent with their staff.

Transparency with your goals as an organization and your vision is critical. Let your team know where the organization is going and the actionable steps they will be accountable for taking to ensure the organization’s success.

We don’t answer to an insurance company.

We answer to you.

We’re not locked down to one specific insurer or type of coverage.

So, PayneWest agents are free to offer something few can: unbiased advice that’s in your best interest. Visit PayneWest.com/Billings.

(406) 238-1900 | 3289 Gabel Road

February 2017

19

TheE-Suite

The Entrepreneur Inside: Starting a business is not for sissies

By ALLYN HULTENG

The decision to start a new business comes with a dizzying number of “to-do” items.

Allyn Hulteng is principal and co-owner of Rebel River Creative, a firm specializing in brand development and strategic marketing. Contact her at www.rebelrivercreative. com

20

February 2017

Hollywood legend Bette Davis is credited with coining the phrase, “Growing old isn’t for sissies.” Recently I co-opted those words, changing them to, “Starting a new business isn’t for sissies.”

Really. I know what of I speak.

A little over a year ago, I strode ardently toward a doorway marked “Entrepreneurs Only.” In one hand I held a detailed business plan, in the other a smart phone with my banker on speed dial.

My exuberance at pursuing a lifelong dream to run my own business was matched only by my passion for doing great work. Opportunity is knocking, don’t look back, I told myself. And then I stepped through the portal.

The good news was there was no one telling me what I needed to do.

The bad news was there was no one telling me what I needed to do. And so it was I learned my first entrepreneurial lesson: It really is all up to you.

A good place for business It turns out that in addition to having breathtaking scenery and fabulous outdoor recreation, Montana also happens to be a hotbed for budding entrepreneurs.

In August, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation ranked Montana first in the nation for new business start-ups – for the fourth year in a row.

What’s more, in 2016 Billings was ranked 31 out of the top 100 best cities for women entrepreneurs by goodcall.com. All this good news was buoying.

Having done our homework, my business partner, Bob Tambo, and I rolled up our sleeves and went to work.

Make a list The decision to start a new business comes with a dizzying number of “to-do” items. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of organizations that offer assistance. The Montana

Siri Stafford

District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration offers an incredible suite of online planning and management tools, including how to write the most important document – your business plan.

Closer to home, the Small Business Development Center located with the Big Sky EDA offers counseling and mentorship programs, even partnering with the owner and owner’s lender to help optimize financing. Businesses that locate downtown can tap the wisdom and services of the Downtown Billings Alliance, possibly even qualifying for a Tax Increment Assistance grant.

While these agencies and a host of helpful websites give would-be entrepreneurs important information, I quickly discovered there was another important, albeit less wellknown, list of tips and best practices for the newly launched. Here are a few that are well-worth embracing:

1. Enlist the aid of a mentor or business coach. Advice from someone who has successfully navigated small business trenches is invaluable. Find a mentor, listen and heed.

There is no substitute for real-life experience.

2. Set clear goals – 5 year, 3 year, 1 year, and quarterly. Break each goal into action steps, deadlines and assign someone to be accountable.

Meet weekly to review progress. It’s astounding how often deadlines are ignored. Accountability keeps everyone focused on expectations and builds momentum.

3. Your strengths are your strongest niche. Innovate around your niche and you will maximize both profit and personal happiness.

4. Prepare for an avalanche of paperwork. Accountants, attorneys, insurance agents, the IRS, Montana DOR, City of Billings – you name it, there’s work to be done. Budget the time to get the legal details per-

fected. (Yes these are non-billable hours, but doing it right the first time will save you untold angst – and expense.)

5. Clearly document processes, and follow procedure. Not every project is “brand new,” so don’t waste valuable time re-defining your approach for each. Define processes that deliver high value to the client while holding expenses in check. The client will thank you.

6. Take care of yourself. This isn’t an 8–5 workday, this is your passion. Eating healthy, exercising and making time to mentally jet down will help keep you at peak performance.

7. Manage the ego. Yes, I wake up each day eager to go to the studio.

Yes, I negotiate with vendors, sign large contracts and direct my destiny. I’m also responsible for scrubbing the women’s restroom weekly, it fuels both my humility and sense of humor.

Great Harvest offers new bakery-cafe franchise model ASSOCIATED PRESS DILLON — It’s being called the best thing that could happen to bread in America, for both consumers and investors.

Great Harvest Bread Co., a 40-year-old bakery brand that makes bread “the way it was made in the Bible” – milled from whole grains every day on the premises of its local franchised bakeries – hopes to become the competition for Panera.

The company announced it will begin offering a “hub and spoke” bakery-café franchise opportunity. With the new model, franchisees can purchase a large territory that includes a single Great Harvest Bread Co. bakery operation, and as many café-only units as they desire in surrounding towns. The bakery locations would be equipped with ovens and ample space to produce and deliver the hand-milled breads to the nearby caféonly locations throughout the day.

Great Harvest Bread announced they’ll be looking to expand in all areas of the United States, primarily in the Northeast region.

“All of the other big chains out there in the fastcasual bakery segment have one big box location every 10 or 15 miles that doesn’t bake from scratch,” said CEO Mike Ferretti. “These competitors are par baking from frozen loaves that are mass manufactured by machines.

“They’re not milling the wheat berry in the stores and making everything from scratch like we do. With our new model, a Great Harvest Bread Co. franchisee can cover a larger territory for a significantly less investment than competitors like Panera,

Our franchisees have always loved the freedom aspect.

— Eric Keshin, Great Harvest Bread Co. president but still continue to make and serve bread by hand from scratch the way it’s supposed to. Our franchisees will have a bakery café of their own, which maximizes coverage and still allows them to be hyper-local with a personal touch in smaller communities.”

Dubbed “bread heaven” by fanatic customers since 1976, Great Harvest Bread bakeries make their bread from whole grains milled on the premises – typically a five-hour process that starts every day as early as 2:30 a.m. Emphasizing it is not merely a one-trick pony, Great Harvest Bread represents and offers better breakfasts, better sandwiches, healthier dinners and tastier desserts than common, overblown national chains.

Great Harvest Bread offers for breads, muffins and cinnamon rolls, as well as lunch items such as deli sandwiches including chicken or tuna salad, roast beef and vegetables all made on their choice of fresh bread made that morning.

“While the rest of the world got used to mass manufacturing of processed bread, Great Harvest continued to mill our own high-quality wheat and bake bread fresh daily,” said Great Harvest Bread Company President Eric Keshin. “Our customers love us for that. We continue to grind wheat berries

ordered from local Montana family-owned farms.”

Another difference with Great Harvest Bread Co., is a “Freedom Franchise” model in which franchisees can personalize their décor and menu offerings to suit their local markets.

While a national franchise, the bakeries are truly local and neighborly, allowing franchisees to add menu items specific to a particular city or region, stay open earlier or later, give their bakery-cafés a true neighborhood look, or even sell alcohol.

“Our franchisees have always loved the freedom aspect. They get the support they need from us, with flexibility to add elements that they know will appeal to guests in their market. They aren’t forced into a cookie-cutter boxed model like most franchises,” Keshin added.

The total average cost to open a Great Harvest Bread Co., bakery-café is about $315,000, compared to more than three times that for competing larger footprint concepts, such as Panera. The company is looking to open 25 locations with the new model in the next 15-18 months and is initially targeting the Northeast. While the new bakery-café model is ideally suited for multiunit operators, single-unit franchises in smaller territories will still be available.

Keshin said their competitors are “manufacturing in commissaries and focusing on technology, mass and speed. We are baking bread from scratch the right way and offering a franchise opportunity for a significantly lower cost than the big-box guys. We can outperform them with our product and out-cover them with our new model.”

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Nicole Griffith

Adding

juice to downtown

By TOM HOWARD

It all depends on whenever we find a location. Once we get that taken care of, we may A West End juice bar and restaurant that offers up a open around the middle of summer. big helping of healthy food will soon expand to downtown.

Some might suggest that Billings isn’t Get Juiced is at 605 N. 24th St. W. The juice bar on the cutting edge in food trends. But is won the recent Battle of the Plans business plan com- juice catching on here? petition, emerging from a field of around 40 particiIt’s a new concept for Billings, but it’s a pating businesses. That will pave the way for a new trend. Juicing is just a really convenient way to downtown location. get your fruits and vegetables. People are trying to Winning the contest is no small accomplishment. eat heathier, so we hope it’s a going to be a trend that Get Juiced will get assistance with marketing, adver- people stick with. tising and signage and one year’s free rent.

There are plenty of people with gluten intolerNicole Griffith, one of the owners, sat down with ance, so we’re able to modify anything on our menu Billings Business to discuss plans for a downtown ex- for them. Plus, we’re offering the purest form of fruits pansion. and vegetables, and it’s really good for you.

Congratulations on winning Battle of the Plans. How is the process going for a downtown location?

We’re working hard on our expansion but we just haven’t picked a spot yet. In terms of square footage, our West End store is pretty small, so we’re looking to find a space that’s just a little bigger. Location is key for so many businesses. We’re hoping for a place where we can be seen and that has easy access for people coming downtown as a destination or people who work there.

Are you working on a specific timeline?

How did Get Juiced get started?

We started with a food trailer and we have been in our West End location for about a year and a half.

We have about 20 raw juices on the menu, plus about a dozen smoothies, plus salads, wraps and sandwiches. We change the menu about four times a year in order to get the best produce.

Do you have a personal favorite menu item?

That’s a tough one. I’d say the Gallatin is one of my favorites. It can be a salad or a wrap, with mixed greens and a sliced pear and apple, red onion, and goat cheese.

It has our homemade candied walnut dressing.

BOB ZELLAR,Gazette Staff

22

February 2017

EEOC plan addresses temporary workers, minorities The EEOC appears concerned that some employers are using sophisticated background screening tools to avoid hiring certain ethnic groups that are currently unpopular.

Eric Nord works for the Crist, Krogh & Nord Law Firm in Billings, specializing his practice in the area of business law and litigation with a special emphasis on commercial transactions, employment law, real estate, construction law, and corporate relations.

By ERIC NORD Last October the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission updated its Strategic Enforcement Plan for 2017-2021. The updated plan sets the following priorities for investigation and litigation by the EEOC: 1. Eliminating Barriers in Recruitment and Hiring.

2. Protecting Vulnerable Workers, Including Immigrant and Migrant Workers, and Underserved Communities from Discrimination.

3. Addressing Selected Emerging and Developing Issues.

4. Ensuring Equal Pay Protections for All Workers.

5. Preserving Access to the Legal System.

6. Preventing Systematic Harassment.

Of special note in the updated plan are two areas that the EEOC has prioritized: 1) issues related to complex employment relationships in the 21st century workplace; and, 2) backlash discrimination against those who are Muslim or Sikh, or persons of Arab, Middle Eastern or South Asian descent, as well as persons perceived to be members of these groups.

With respect to the first of these priorities, the EEOC appears to be targeting those workers in what is termed

the “gig economy.” Those include temporary workers, staffing agencies, independent contractors, and workers who provide services ondemand.

As the number of workers in the gig economy rises, the EEOC appears poised to challenge employers who mischaracterize their employees as independent contractors in order to avoid wage and hour laws applicable to employees. As discussed in previous articles, Montana presumes that workers are employees until it is shown by the business that they are actually independent contractors. The EEOC may be moving in a similar direction.

With respect to the second priority, the EEOC appears concerned that some employers are using sophisticated background screening tools to avoid hiring certain ethnic groups that are currently unpopular.

The “increasing use of datadriven selection devices, and the lack of diversity in certain industries and workplaces such as technology and policing, are also areas of particular concern” to the EEOC. As a result, the EEOC is looking at systemic discrimination by employers as well as claims by groups that an employer is engaging in

policy, practice or pattern of discrimination.

Employers should be mindful of the EEOC priorities in the updated plan and how those priorities

may put their business in an unwanted spotlight. Properly characterizing workers as either employees or independent contractors is important under both

Montana and federal law.

Similarly, both Montana and federal human rights laws prohibit discrimination. Employers’ policies should mirror these laws.

February 2017

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February 2017

STRATEGIESfor success

Follow these procedures to assure a profitable 2017

By Bu JOE MICHELS

Reality tests, product pricing tweaks and some service level research are well worth the effort.

Joe Michels, Ph.D., P.E., C.P.I., is principal of Solomon Bruce Consulting LLC. Contact him at 406-6726387 or at solomonbruce. com.

Now that 2017 has arrived, it’s a good time to review your business operations. A good place to start is by addressing three relatively simple steps that have been shown repeatedly to increase overall corporate profitability.

Ascending to a continuingly successful, profitable business operation requires possessing a good understanding of your financial picture, a solid grasp of your pricing structure, and the recognition that all customers do not merit equal service levels.

The first seems to be a given. But you’d be surprised by how many executives live under a cloud of fantasy when it comes to understanding their own financial picture and resources. Crucial aspects like cash flow, revenue sources (which various and different product lines generate what profit margins) and a firm understanding of expenses all require accepting the absolute reality of your financial picture.

Take expenses: Research shows that reducing logistics costs like transportation, warehousing, storage, and packaging provides a direct increase to profitability.

Every dollar saved through refined logistics functions goes directly to the bottom line. Logistics is one area that is always ripe for crisp analysis.

Next, pay attention to product pricing complements to understand what it costs to run your business. A basic knowledge of

accounting principles determines product pricing.

Consider every factor to assure you make more money in your business. After expenses are accounted for, you must adjust pricing and carefully determine the profit that, when included, becomes your sales price.

Too often, profit is sacrificed when calculating how to sell the product.

For too many businesses, competing on price is a fool’s errand and affects all elements of business operations. Anyone can sell the product at a cheaper price than you can. But can they survive and thrive doing so?

Many such vendors go out of business because they were unable to make money when they sold their products. So how do you price for profitability?

Some common references might be trade publications, industry studies and simple comparison checks of your local competitors. Gathered data will help you determine what price to charge for a certain product or service so you make the sale AND remain profitable.

But none of the gathered information will be relevant to you until you know all the fixed and variable costs that you incur each month to run and operate your business. That’s why that financial picture is the first step: Knowing your costs allows you to determine reasonable profit margins to be added to all costs so that you can arrive at a final selling price for the products, goods, or services that you provide.

So, what if the price you arrive at is vastly different

MEDIOIMAGES/Photodisc

from a competitor? Perhaps a dentist has a new building and equipment. She must pay for that new building and equipment, so it follows that this service provider may have to charge more than an established service provider whose office is older, located in a more established part of town, but provides the same level of service or product delivery. What’s important is for you to price your product and service realistically and competitively for your own situation. That balance is critical.

The third step is the recognition that not all customer service levels need to be the same. A high-value customer who purchases large volumes of product each purchase cycle is prob-

ably more profitable than a customer who purchases product on an infrequent, intermittent basis. The first customer may require tight turnarounds, specialized packaging or handling of the product, or other customized variables. And this highvalue customer will be worth providing a higher level of services. The customer who buys products infrequently and intermittently may be satisfied with a five- to seven-day turnaround time and recognizes the reality of his situation and yours.

Of course, all customers are valuable, and your communications can reinforce your dedication to customer service. However, the service that each customer requires is different. If your

policy has always been to provide “A” level service 100 percent of the time and you’re feeling your profits slipping, conduct a customer database analysis to find which customers might be perfectly happy with an adjusted level of service and price. Examples of such levels abound today, from airline platinum and gold levels to customer “club” memberships achieved by hitting sales thresholds. Consumers understand, so take advantage of the opportunity this provides for better profit margins.

These are three simple steps that can elevate profitability for 2017. Reality tests, product pricing tweaks and some service level research are well worth the effort.

February 2017

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business loan.

Call a loan officer in your area: It’s your passion. One you’ve been working on for quite some time. Small business banking tools you can rely on. It’s you and together.

firstinterstate.com 26

February 2017

DOWNTOWN - 401 N. 31st St., 406-255-5000 GRAND - 3199 Grand Ave., 406-255-6090 HEIGHTS - 730 Main St., 406-255-5800 LOCKWOOD - 2850 Old Hardin Rd., 406-237-1800 SHILOH - 830 Shiloh Crossing Blvd., 406-255-5858 WEST - 2501 Central Ave., 406-255-6100

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406 Kitchen & Tap Room A RESTAURANT REIMAGINED

By Tara Cady Photos By L arry Mayer

The 406 Kitchen & Tap Room opened in September 2016.

Under new ownership, the former Rock Pile restaurant has transformed into the 406 Kitchen & Tap Room at 1233 N. 27th St., bringing a fresh menu and a familyfriendly dining atmosphere to downtown Billings.

The new menu consists of old favorites like the Rockpile Nachos, as well as traditional meat and potato dishes and delectable desserts.

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Innovative drinks are introduced regularly, like the spicy avocado margarita.

406 Kitchen & Taproom It was a pleasure being on your construction team!

406-839-9066 info@bcincmt.com www.brownsonconstructioninc.com

COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL February 2017

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special advertising section The Rock Pile closed its doors on Christmas Eve 2015, leaving regulars nowhere to ring in the new year. But former owner Carol Brosovich had a plan.

Brosovich sold the property at 1233 N. 27th St. to her children, Jake Brosovich and Brittainy Doucette. Doucette had worked at the Rock Pile for 12 years and Brosovich owns Yellowstone Basin Construction.

Together, the brother-sister team could handle a remodel of the 6,500-square-foot location.

Brosovich and Doucette opened 406 Kitchen & Tap Room in September 2016.

“We just hit the ground running,” said Doucette. “We had a vision.”

That vision included a rooftop patio and lots of orange, inspired by an image Doucette found on Houzz.com.

Orange chairs wrap around the rebranded restaurant’s oval-shaped bar, contrasting the dark tabletops and wood accent walls. The barn wood has lighting between the planks, providing a calming

Lights between the barnwood planks give off a relaxing rustic ambiance.

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A casino is conveniently located at the west side of the restaurant.

special advertising section

The newly rebranded restaurant has several beers on tap.

Thank you for choosing us as your Electrical Contractor 406 Kitchen & Taproom Providing Great Service Everyday Since 1985

Congratulations

406 Kitchen & Taproom

24 Hour Emergency Service 406 Taproom Lighting

FREE & Prompt Quotes Licensed, Bonded & Insured

We are proud to be your TRUSTED TEAM For New Construction, Remodels & Repairs

Schedule on-line at: actionelectricinc.com

406.245.9551

1010 Central Ave • Suite 4 • Billings, MT

w w w. a c t i o n e l e c t r i c i n c. co m

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2016 READERS’ CHOICE

WINNER B

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536 Moore Lane Billings, MT 59101

406.252.8990

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special advertising section “It’s a beautiful view up there,” said Doucette.

A WELCOME CHANGE

Brosovich and Doucette’s vision was to change everything – not just the restaurant’s interior.

The new 406 does keep some familiar items – like smoked meat and the Rock Pile’s nachos.

Doucette said that they wanted to utilize the former Rock Pile’s smoker.

Pulled pork smoked in-house is on the menu, as are some foods that the owners allow the kitchen staff to come up with themselves.

“The kitchen staff has been great with developing menus,” said Brosovich. “We want to keep our staple items but change up our menu seasonally.”

Even 406’s general manager Bryan Taylor came up with a spicy avocado margarita recipe.

“We do some fun stuff for people wanting to try something different,” said Taylor.

The restaurant does not buy anything pre-packaged, and 406 aims to provide

Curt & Jake Finnicum - Owners 6505 Trade Center Ave - Billings, MT 59101 Office: (406) 652-4599 Fax: (406) 652-4722

Providing Quality Concrete Production for over 40 Years Congratulations 406 Kitchen & Taproom 32

February 2017

more than a traditional Montana meatand-potatoes menu.

“We aspire to make our own pickles,” Taylor said.

And it also offers brunch and catering.

406 can cater any event, said Doucette.

Brosovich considers the catering business convenient for those working at the two nearby hospitals.

“We understand our proximity to them is great,” he said. “They work long shifts and we’re happy to bring something to them.”

The restaurant, which seats 298 inside and 98 on each patio, is also conveniently located between the Heights and downtown, along the route to the airport.

“It’s a great location from downtown or the Heights,” said Brosovich.

Though the location’s ideal for medical workers as well as nearby college students, 406 isn’t catering to one particular crowd.

“It’s ours,” said Doucette. “We feel like we can watch it succeed and bring our families (here) to eat.”

Guests can see as far as the south hills from within the 406 restaurant.

Kitchen staff are given the freedom to change up the menu.

“

Thanks 406 kiTchen and Taproom for using smarT home sysTems, inc for all of your inTegraTed audio/Video and securiTy needs.

“

ambiance to the remodeled space.

“We didn’t want a cabin feel,” Doucette said of the interior’s urban, hip design. “And we feel this kind of hit the nail on the head.”

The new restaurant is different from the Rock Pile, but Brosovich said it’s not fair to make a comparison.

“We weren’t trying to recreate the Rock Pile in any way,” he said.

Brosovich and Doucette don’t take all the credit for the remodel, either.

“We tripped over some really good people who wanted to be part of something new,” said Brosovich. “Everybody was really responsive to what we needed.”

One challenge in the construction was the roof-top patio, something that Brosovich and Doucette had been trying to convince their mother to build at the former Rock Pile for years.

“We had our issues with timing the rooftop patio,” Brosovich said. “But it seemed natural to incorporate that.”

Though the roof ’s full service bar won’t open until spring, customers can already check out the patio’s appeal and its views of the Billings skyline.

Office: (406) 325-0676

1020 central ave. suite 2, Billings, mT 59102 www.shs-mt.com

special advertising section

Thank You 406 Kitchen & taproom for choosing Us.

Decor like this telephone booth makes the new 406 Kitchen & Tap Room a unique space to dine out.

The 406 Kitchen & Tap Room fits 298 people inside and 98 on each patio.

Signs of Quality Service!

Congratulations 406 Kitchen & Taproom

Creating Images Since 1906

715 Central avenue (406) 252-5172 • www.bigskylinen.com

Serving Businesses in Billings & Surrounding Areas

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special advertising section

Checking in to Billings HOME2 SUITES BY HILTON

By Tara Cady Photos By BoB Zellar

Home2 Suites by Hilton opened Nov. 18 in downtown Billings.

Visitors of Billings have a new extended-stay option in the heart of downtown. At 2611 7th Ave. N., Home2 Suites by Hilton provides guests a comfortable place to stay that’s not too far from hospitals, the airport, shops and restaurants.

The Home2 brand launched in 2009.

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The hotel’s bright colors and contemporary design is uplifting, yet calming.

Congratulations

Home2 Suites by Hilton

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special advertising section It’s like having a stay-cation, only at a home away from home.

Hilton’s Home2 Suites brand launched in 2009, and the downtown Billings location at 2611 7th Ave. N. is hotel No. 119.

Within several weeks of its Nov. 18 opening, 10 more Home2 hotels have opened across the country.

Developer Don Cape knew downtown was the ideal spot for the 57,298-square-foot hotel. Roughly three years into looking for the perfect location, Cape discovered the 7th Avenue property in 2015.

Billings’ Home2 Suites by Hilton sits just a few blocks from the two largest hospitals in the region. Cape acknowledged that the mission of the hotel brand would be achieved best nearby not only medical facilities, but downtown’s other amenities – shopping, dining and entertainment.

The Home2 Suites brand is designed for guests that want to feel close to home.

Rooms have a full kitchenette,

pull-out couch and 49-inch TV, making a one-night or several-night stay comfortable and familiar.

“It truly can be a home away from home,” said Boone Jones, general manager. “It’s your home, too.”

Guests include families who may have a loved one receiving treatment at one of the hospitals or for someone visiting the area on business.

“If (someone) spent all day visiting a loved one in the hospital, I want them to come here and let out a sigh and feel reinvigorated,” said Cape.

The lobby area’s Inspired Table has a convenient pass-through kitchen for breakfast.

SIGH OF RELIEF

A 49-inch TV and pull-out couch make a hotel room feel like home.

Every room was designed to be modern, yet inviting, with guest comfort in mind.

The lobby, referred to as the Oasis, is a contemporary take on 60s retro style. Each decor accent is intentionally placed to stand out against odd-shaped wooden end tables and neutrally-colored arm

Whether you stay for a night or several, guests can enjoy their room’s contemporary feel with views of downtown Billings just outside the window.

We are proud to be part of the team SERVICING ALL YOUR CONSTRUCTION NEEDS IN MONTANA SINCE 1982

Congratulations

Home2 Suites

by Hilton

2270 Grant Road • Billings, MT 59102 36

February 2017

406-656-0629 • www.langlas.com

special advertising section chairs.

And the hotel’s fitness room isn’t your typical back-in-the-corner gym, either.

“The workout room makes it a focal point with glass and a lot of space,” said Jones. “It’s a value-added experience for guests.”

Just outside the Oasis, the Spin2Cycle fitness room features not only machines, but yoga mats, medicine balls and a laundry room.

“You can be doing laundry while you’re working out,” Jones said.

The cardio-laundry combo room, known as the Spin2Cycle, is convenient for guests wanting to multi-task.

Guest convenience extends to the hotel’s Inspired Table and Market as well, places within the lobby’s open floor plan to purchase a quick snack or drink, or to eat breakfast on a long, family-style table next to a pass-through kitchen.

“Visually, it has an energy to it,” Cape said of the contemporary design.

The hotel was designed to save energy, too.

“They try to make a huge effort to go green,” said Jones of the brand.

Instead of throwing away little bottles of soap that guests only use once or twice,

the showers have dispensers installed to save supplies.

“All of the lights are energy savers to be more conscientious of the environment,” Jones said. “Don really did an amazing job.

He wanted to make a statement for the downtown area.”

The 95 rooms are a mixture of one queen-size, two queen-size or one kingsize beds. Some rooms are even ADAaccessible.

“The carpet tiles are all made of recycled material,” said Cape. “And the pool is a saline pool.”

The hotel is also pet-friendly, with a “pet potty” area at the back of the building.

A TEAM EFFORT

Cape had worked with Springer Group Architects on other hotel projects before Home2, making it a seamless construction from the start.

“They understood hotels already and the Hilton system,” he said. “I think we had a superb team.”

Cape used as many local subcontractors as he could.

The hotel’s non-chlorinated saline pool is better for your skin.

Thank you for choosing us as your Electrical Contractor Home2 Suites by Hilton Providing Great Service Everyday Since 1985

Fischer Commercial Flooring -

24 Hour Emergency Service FREE & Prompt Quotes Licensed, Bonded & Insured

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406.245.9551

1010 Central Ave • Suite 4 • Billings, MT

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WINNER B

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1702 1st Ave. N Billings, MT

406-702-7070

www.fischercommercialflooring.com

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special advertising section “We really had quality subcontractors,” said Cape. “There’s a lot of pride in the work.”

From first engaging the architects to completion, the project took about 18 months, not including the time spent finding the ideal location.

“Weather wasn’t much of an issue,” he said. “We did have to deal with bad soil

and over-excavate and import structural fill, which added about a month to the timeline.”

The final product is not only good for families needing an extended-stay hotel in the area, but downtown Billings itself.

“It’s probably going to boost property values in the area,” said Jones.

Each room comes with a full kitchenette with Energy Star-rated stainless steel appliances.

E N G I N E E R I N G YO U R V I S I O N .

THANK YOU Home2 Suites by Hilton For choosing us to be a part of your project.

1402 Central Ave • Billings, Montana 59102 38

February 2017

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Billings Association of Realtors A HOME OF THEIR OWN

By Tiffini GallanT Photos By Casey PaGe

Billings Association of Realtors opened the doors at 2021 Overland Ave. after a complete renovation of the site.

Having outgrown their previous location, the Billings Association of Realtors relocated to a newly renovated site at 2021 Overland Ave.The more than 6,000-square-foot space allows the Association to offer on-site training and community education in a modern facility equipped with innovative technology.

BAR is in the business of building a better Billings.

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The newly renovated location is modern and offers at-home ambiance.

Congratulations

Billings Association of Realtors on your new building!

Thank you for choosing us to head up your project.

Dedicated to delivering quality, schedule oriented, cost effective projects throughout Montana and Wyoming since 1989.

BILLINGS, MT 406-252-8319 | www.BauerMt.com 40

February 2017

special advertising section The Billings Association of Realtors was founded in 1910, only two years after the establishment of the National Association of Realtors. As one of the oldest associations in the United States, the group adapted to changing consumer and community needs. But with increasing membership and new technology available, a larger transition became necessary.

BAR opened the doors of its new location at 2021 Overland Ave., in early December. Having spent 32 years leasing, board leaders wanted to buy their own building.

“Realtors are in the business of ownership,” said Angela Klein-Hughes, current BAR president.

That opportunity came when the Jade Palace, a Chinese restaurant on Billings’ West End, closed and the building went up for sale. After more than a century in business, the Billings Association of Realtors found a home to call their own.

TOTAL RENOVATION

Visitors will not recognize the building that houses the Association. The exterior

with terracotta shingles and teal trim underwent a major transformation. In its place is blue siding and modern stone work, complete with a new roof.

The board enlisted the services of Atwood Architecture to realize their goals for the space.

“I really enjoyed working with the BAR staff and board to help define their vision for the project,” said Scott Atwood.

Although there are challenges when converting a space from one use to another, Atwood circumvented the obstacles with ease. But he doesn’t take all of the credit.

“I was also impressed with Bauer Construction,” said Atwood of the building company hired for the project. “Their communication and project management skills moved the project forward efficiently, and I’m confident helped save construction dollars for our client.”

Inside, the only remnant of the previous interior is a firewall, which separates the new classroom space from the rest of the building.

Tom Llewellyn, a 49-year BAR member active in the planning process,

Congratulations Billings assoCiation of realtors Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender

Pierce Flooring, Mountain Area Systems and Acom Painting were a few of the subcontractors that collaborated on the project.

Beartooth Bank is a community owned bank. With the style and personality unique to a community owned bank, our mission is to best serve our customers, community and shareholders www.beartoothbank.com .beartoothbank.com 4130 King Ave W • Billings • 406-294-6500 February 2017

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special advertising section says the whole building was pieced back together after being gutted. Even the duct work was disassembled and replaced.

“The project went very smoothly,” said Jason Kapfer of Empire Heating and Cooling, who was contracted to provide updated HVAC for the building. “It was a very well-ran project.”

Construction began on April 1 and was completed ahead of schedule, which leaders attribute to a solid team with a shared approach and attitude toward the project.

Bauer Construction hired several subcontractors to execute the remodel. Floors from Pierce Flooring, a Mountain Area Systems acoustic ceiling and paint by Acom Painting were only a few of the updates that combined to create a whole new look for the building.

The result is impressive.

“This (location) is an 11 compared to a 3 (at the last location),” said Llewellyn.

With the large 6,240-square-foot space, it’s no wonder BAR leadership is thankful for the move. The previous location was only one-third the size. The

new classroom, two additional offices, increased storage capacity and catering kitchen are other celebrated building attributes.

Current estimates calculate project expenses at around $1.2 million, but the value of the building – both monetary and in service – far exceeds the cost.

“I’m very pleased with the project and look forward to seeing how the facility meets (BAR’s) needs in the upcoming months,” said Atwood.

EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATION

BAR wants to provide members with the best possible service, a goal more easily achieved at the new location.

The remodeled building provides a better space to accommodate classes for realtors and community members. The classroom area seats 105, and overflow into the conference room allows for up to 150 attendees.

Since Montana realtors are required to take an introductory course within one year of receiving their license and 12 hours of recertification courses annually,

We’re pleased to have assisted Billings Association of Realtors on their new facility!

the classroom is integral to continuing education.

Equally important to BAR is educating community members. The board is legislatively active, and the expanded space allows for more people to attend discussions on private property rights and engages homeowners in the political process.

Upgrades in technology were another main focus in the relocation.

“The way we do business has to have an emphasis on technology,” said Llewellyn, reflecting on a time when everything in the realty business was printed. “The world has changed.”

A projector was installed to connect their classroom and conference room, so everyone can see and hear presentations.

This innovation also means that partner associates at its Havre and Lewistown locations can Skype in for meetings that would have otherwise required travel.

Recently, BAR updated their Multiple List Service (MLS) program to a new product. The upgrade means new ways to communicate with members and improved

service for clients.

BUILDING A BETTER BILLINGS

In accordance with its vision statement, BAR consistently looks to enhance quality of life through professional services and involvement in the Billings community.

Annually since 2004, BAR raises money to donate to local non-profit groups.

They organize the annual Quality of Life Run and hold a casino night – each garnering proceeds for a different cause.

Last year, the Association gifted $35,000 to Tumbleweed, $20,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters, and an additional $5,000 divvied up between 10 different nonprofits.

In 2017, a Meals on Wheels expansion will be supported by the casino night event on April 18, and YWCA will be the recipient of funds raised by the run on Aug. 12.

Not only does BAR reach out to the community through civic engagement, the new location makes it possible to bring the community in.

The conference space, catering kitchen

Congratulations Billings Association of Realtors!

We are proud to have been part of the Construction Team

Weststate Electric Dan MacLean

1301 Division Street - Billings, MT 59101 406-855-4262 42

February 2017

307 Van Bramer Dr. Billings, MT 59102 Office: (406) 245-5864 Cell: (406) 690-3780 Fax: (406) 256-0399

Commercial & Residential Wiring

special advertising section

Classroom seating for 105 allows BAR to offer community education and recertification courses to a larger audience.

The catering kitchen, along with the conference room and classroom, is available to rent.

and classroom are all available to rent.

“If (an organization) has a conference or committee meeting, we can provide the space,” said Mary Grant, executive officer.

The team is glad to have a location that enables them to continue charitable endeavors, community education and professional enhancement.

“The reality is we are in a space that will serve us for many years,” said Grant.

Congratulations!

Billings Association of Realtors.

Curt & Jake Finnicum - Owners 6505 Trade Center Ave - Billings, MT 59101 Office: (406) 652-4599 Fax: (406) 652-4722

Providing Quality Concrete Production for over 40 Years Congratulations Billings Association of Realtors

Over 20 years experience in Plumbing, Heating and Service.

240 Moore Lane

406-256-7823 February 2017

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special advertising section

The 6,240-square-foot space is much larger than the previous location.

COMMERCIAL DIVISION

Thank you for the opportunity to work on your project and we wish you much success!

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FLOORING & DESIGN

Billings Association of Realtors 40

BAR leaders are excited about the additional space and innovative technology available at their new location.

Pictured here (clockwise from top-left): Nancy Morrison, accounting director; Tim Hudson, treasurer; Bob Leach, building committee; Tom Llewellyn, building chair; Amber Sundsted, government affairs director; Angela Klein-Hughes, president; Mary R. Grant, executive officer; Shannon Bowers, programming director.

s n o i t a l u t a r g n o C froM Don AnD Terry MoSeley AT:

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(406) 252-6688 2001 Dover rD • Billings, MT 59105 CongraTulaTions Billings assoCiaTion of realTors

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February 2017

Acoustical Ceiling Installation Computer Access Flooring Stucco and Exterior Insulation Finish Systems Commercial and Residential Remodeling and New Construction

Mountain Area Systems Billings, MT 406-656-7718 mtnsystems@yahoo.com

special advertising section

Turley Dental Care THE ULTIMATE PATIENT EXPERIENCE

By Marlisa Keyes Photos By HannaH Potes

Turley Dental Care added a second location at 1002 Shiloh Crossing Blvd., which opened in November 2016.

Turley Dental Care has added a second office to its practice.The newly constructed office on Billings’ West End at 1002 Shiloh Crossing Blvd. incorporates advanced technology that reduces procedures from multiple visits to one appointment.The 3,800-squarefoot new location doubles Turley Dental’s staff.

February 2017

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The waiting area at Turley Dental includes a reception desk and semi-private spaces.

Thank You Turley Dental

for giving us the opportunity to be a part of the Construction Team

ebrating l e C years in busine 32

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406-656-8585 February 2017

What sets a dental practice apart is the patient experience it offers.

For Drs. James Turley and Christopher Hirt, it means constructing a second Turley Dental Care office with the latest technology, continuing education for staff and making it easy and timely for patients to have dental work done.

All a dentist had to do in 1930s and ‘40s-era Billings to get patients in the door was hang up a shingle with their name on it outside the office, said Dr. James Turley.

Now, the industry is much more competitive.

The partners saw an opportunity to expand their business, which includes a busy 315 N. 25th St. practice, by having a building constructed in the booming Billings’ West end. The new location at 1002 Shiloh Crossing Blvd. rents space to Riddle’s Jewelry.

The $3 million project, which includes almost $2 million in dental equipment upgrades, took six months to complete from the time design work began in mid-April to when the doors opened in mid-November 2016, said Rita Turley, the practice’s

administrator.

The project was on an “accelerated time line,” Rita Turley said. “(The contractors) did a fantastic job in making this happen.”

Jones Construction Inc. won the general contractor’s bid, with employee Bryce Terpstra acting as project manager and Dan Jones serving as job superintendent. Brian Johnson of Collaborative Design Architects worked with Turley Dental Care’s owners and staff to create the building’s design.

It helped that the Turleys and Hirt were clear in what they wanted, Terpstra said.

While the first location serves patients who live in the Heights and downtown, the partners wanted to reach another segment of Billings’ robust trade area, including Shiloh Crossings’ rapidly expanding retail community.

“We offer a professional service in a retail environment,” James Turley said.

The partners also are turning their attention to northern Wyoming residents, whose vehicles fill other area businesses’ parking lots during the weekend.

special advertising section CONVENIENCE CARE

For the past several years, Turley Dental’s expanded weeknight and Saturday hours have been its bread and butter. Their schedule is busiest during those hours, said James Turley.

“That’s one of the main ingredients to our growth,” he said, who has been in practice for 32 years. Hirt joined the business in 2004.

Not only do the extended hours make it easier for clients to eliminate scheduling conflicts related to school and work schedules, they are a nod to how today’s workforce lives. While Montana’s unemployment rate hovers around 3 percent, national and local trends indicate customers can’t take time off work like they did prior to the economic downturn, said Rita Turley.

James Turley and Hirt believe flexible hours not only help residents, but people traveling to Billings from out of town on

Treatment rooms at Turley Dental’s new Shiloh Crossing location include an efficient work station. Each room has a sink and counter inset into the wall for better workflow.

Patients can watch overhead TVs while work is being done.

weekends.

“We hope to be able to appeal to them,” James Turley said.

With more customers, the partners plan to open the practice on Sundays.

The 3,800-square-foot addition doubles the number of patients they can see – from nine rooms to a cumulative 19 – and doubles Turley Dental staff to almost 60 people. The payroll includes seven dentists, with an eighth in the process of being hired.

Congratulations Turley Dental We are proud to be your general contractor!

A CENTRALIZED APPROACH

The new building features 10 treatment rooms arranged in an L-shape, with windows that look to the east and west. A half-dozen rapid carts equipped with tools can be rolled into action if a filling requires additional work, Turley said.

Eighty-percent of the tools and supplies the dentists, assistants and hygienists need are located on an angled

Turley Dental staff can view centralized records and update information while working with patients.

Design / Build • Commercial / Industrial Tilt-up Concrete

252-6298 • 123 Regal Street Equipment in this lab is used for tinting dental crowns.

This storage and work space is centrally located, designed for easy access to supplies and for staff comfort.

www.jonesconstructionmt.com Since 1952

February 2017

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special advertising section stand within easy reach.

“Everything is at point of care,” said Dr. Turley. The philosophy is: “If you can’t reach it, you can’t use it.”

A central walkthrough work space includes open cabinets with adjustable, drop-down shelves and clear storage drawers.

New equipment enables staff to design and make crowns on site – a process that used to require sending the work to a lab.

The company also centralized its call center and patient records.

One of the project objectives was creating a calm and soothing contemporary interior, Rita Turley said.

Angela Hirt, a psychologist and Dr. Hirt’s wife, worked with Rimrock Frame and Art to select photographs and prints that are The waiting room includes furnishings from 360 Office Solutions, while the western-themed artwork comes from Rimrock Frame and Art. organic – either landscapes or

Congratulations

Turley Dental

nature-based.

“We wanted it to come from the West,” Rita Turley said. “If it’s not from Montana, it’s from the western states.”

Collaborative Design Architects’ use of threedimensional software helped give the project vision, said Terpstra. He credits co-workers from Jones Construction’s on-site construction management team and the project’s subcontractors for keeping on task.

“They’re the ones that made it happen,” he said. “It turned out beautifully with a few tweaks to the design.”

Turley and Hirt also are pleased with how much easier the new building has made their work.

“I think it turned out amazing,” said Hirt.

we’re More Than loCal professionals. we represenT a respeCTeD naTional BranD. as a TruTeaM CoMpany, we Bring professional experienCe To every joB: Call us for a free esTiMaTe.

(406) 252-6688 2001 Dover rD • Billings, MT 59105 CongraTulaTion Turley DenTal on your newesT loCaTion

Congratulations Turley Dental

We are proud to be involved with this project.

Specializing in Commercial Construction 2915 Hannon Rd. | 406-245-6100 48

February 2017

Congratulations Thank you for allowing Pyramid to be a part of your Project!!

4520 South Frontage Rd. Billings, MT 59101

406-876-1521

American Airlines to debut Dallas-to-Billings service I think that’s what sold them. We’re a 24/7 business community.

We have the availability to fill those flights.

By ERIK OLSON American Airlines will add a daily direct flight from Dallas/ Fort Worth to Billings on June 2, its second expansion in Montana within the past 12 months, local officials announced Monday.

The new service is coming thanks to incentives, or guarantees, of about $1.35 million from local groups and businesses and a federal grant, officials said at a news conference at Billings Logan International Airport.

The three-hour flight is aimed at the business traveler and will open markets in the South, Latin America and the Caribbean for the Billings businesses, airport officials said.

“Quite frankly, I couldn’t be happier,” airport director Kevin Ploehn said.

The guarantees include $600,000 in private pledges and a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Small Communities Air Service Development Program.

The service will launch on a 76-seat, Embraer E-175 plane. It will leave Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport at 10:40 a.m.

Central Standard Time and arrive in Billings at 12:40 p.m.

Mountain Standard Time.

It will then take off from Billings at 1:15 p.m. and arrive in Texas at 5:25 p.m., both in local time.

Currently, most Billings passengers must catch a connecting flight in Denver or Salt Lake City to get to Dallas.

American began direct flights from Dallas/Fort Worth to Bozeman’s Yellowstone International Airport last spring, largely to capture the growing recreational market. Groups in Gallatin County pledged $1.3 million in incentives to lure the flight.

Officials with American said the success of the Bozeman flight showed them that demand in

John Brewer

Billings Chamber of Commerce

LARRY MAYER, Gazette Staff

Billings Aviation and Transit Director Kevin Ploehn, left, announces American Airlines service to Dallas.

Montana was strong enough to support the Billings expansion.

“We just wanted to make sure that we position ourselves well to meet demand for our customers ... It just speaks volume to the market there in Billings for the air service,” spokeswoman LaKesha Brown said in a telephone interview from Fort Worth.

Dallas/Fort Worth is the nation’s fourth-largest airport. It served 64 million passengers in 2015. It’s one of the top 10 destinations for Billings travelers, and the last one of the list without direct service.

No one at the gathering discussed the cost of the Billings to Dallas/Fort Worth flight, which is set by the airline and subject to a range of factors, including season, vacancies on other flights and fuel costs.

As a comparison, flights from

Bozeman to Dallas/Fort Worth in August, the end of tourism season, could be purchased for about $412, according to online ticket booking sites.

Tourism officials in Billings have argued that adding flights at Logan International would increase competition among airlines and put downward pressure on rates.

Ploehn, Billings Chamber of Commerce CEO John Brewer and Steve Arveschoug, director of Big Sky Economic Development, traveled to American Airlines’ Dallas headquarters in November 2015 to lobby executives for the flight.

American chose to expand in Bozeman first, but Brewer said the success of that flight helped boost Billings’ chances. Unlike Bozeman, which attracts skiers and other recreationalists, the Billings flight runs all year and

is aimed at the more stable business travel market, Brewer said.

“I think that’s what sold them.

We’re a 24/7 business community. We have the availability to fill those flights,” Brewer said.

An incentive, or guarantee, is a fund used by smaller markets to ensure airlines don’t lose money if they expand there. Bozeman airport officials have leveraged incentives from local chambers of commerce, Big Sky Resort and other groups to attract the flight.

Until now, Billings had resisted offering similar guarantees, but tourism and economic development officials have become more aggressive to boost air travel in the last few years.

The guarantee is set aside for now to protect American from losing money on the flight. If it’s profitable, the private donors and groups would keep their money, and the airport would

return the federal grant, according to Brewer.

Tourism officials raised about $600,000 in pledges from private groups, including Billings Clinic, The Billings Gazette and other businesses. About 16 to 20 entities pledged money, Brewer said.

The Tourism Business Improvement District, which collects a $2-per-night surcharge on hotel rooms, pledged $300,000 for the flight.

Steve Wahrlich, a district board member and owner of the Best Western Clock Tower Inn, said the new flight will boost business for the local lodging industry.

“We have a whole new market,” he said.

Brewer said the two sides are finalizing details of the agreement, such as the threshold for when American would receive guarantee payments.

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Business Briefs Success Stories Recognizing People Local and Commerce Achievements at a Glance

Rebel River makes debut Allyn Hulteng, MSPR, PRSA, and Bob Tambo recently opened Rebel River Creative, a full-service marketing, advertising and visual arts studio located at 2921 2nd Ave. North.

Hulteng has more than 10 years experience in brand development and integrated marketing strategies.

She was twice awarded the Lee Enterprises President’s Award for Innovation, and was named Outstanding Alumni ALLYN HULTENG of Montana State University Billings where she received her Master’s Degree in Public Relations. She has served on numerous community boards and currently serves as Trustee for Montana State UniversityBillings Foundation.

Tambo has more than 15 years experience in marketing, creative development and custom publications. Formerly Tambo was the Creative Director for HEILBrice Advertising Agency in Newport Beach, Calif. where he managed national retail, entertainTAMBO ment and telecom mu n icat ion accounts. His work for Universal Studios Jurassic Park Ride was awarded First Place in Advertising Excellence by the Orange County Advertising Club, and he also won Best Editorial Illustration for a spread in Print Magazine. Hulteng and Tambo may

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be reached by calling 702-1557 or email info@rebelrivercreative. com.

James Woodcock is the director of Photography for Rebel River Creative. An award-winning Montana photographer, Woodcock was on the staff of The Billings Gazette for nearly 30 years. His work has been published in newspapers around the WOODCOCK world as well as in Business Week, Audubon, New York Times, ESPN, AdBusters, Geo and Time Magazine. Woodcock’s photography encompasses a wide range of abilities, including portraiture, food, product illustrations, architecture and landscapes. His awards include a 2013 First Place Award for Feature Photography from the Society of Professional Journalists and he was twice awarded Photo of the Year from the Montana Newspaper Association.

Lee Hulteng is the senior illustrator/artist for Rebel River Creative. An artist and visual journalist, Hulteng was formerly the senior illustrator for McClatchy Tribune News Service in Washington, D.C. Hulteng’s illustrations appeared LEE HULTENG in hundreds of newspapers across the country and the world. His work won many awards – including a bronze Malofiej, and he was a member a Pulitzer Prizewinning news team. In addition to original artwork, Hulteng de-

signs and builds environmental Rocky Mountain Bank.” graphic elements, including repDavis is based at the King Avlicating natural environments in enue Banking Center at 2615 King interior spaces.

Ave. W. in Billings. He can be reached at (406) 655-5103 or adavis@rmbank.com.

Bank names market president

Rocky Mountain Bank announces that Andrew Davis has been named the institution’s market president.

In this role, Davis will oversee Rocky Mountain Bank’s locations downtown, on King Avenue, and 38th Street West and Grand. He will DAVIS also be responsible for growing the commercial portfolios for these three banking centers, as well as managing the overall growth of Rocky Mountain Bank throughout the entire Billings market area.

Davis has more than 17 years of banking experience. Throughout his career, he has had the opportunity to be involved in, or oversee, various areas of finance, including credit administration, private banking, commercial banking and market management. A life-long resident of the Billings and Laurel area, Davis is also a graduate of Eastern Montana College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business finance.

“We are excited by the knowledge and experience that Andrew brings to our team,” said Curtis Chrystal, president and CEO. “That, coupled with the fact that he has lived and worked in the local community for most of his life, make him a perfect fit for

Taylor named to new post

corporate events, Bar/Bat mitzvahs and social gatherings. For more information, go to uniquelyyoumt.com.

Farmers honored for corn yields

Jeffrey Taylor has been promoted to senior vice president of Davidson Insurance Agency.

Taylor earned the new title based on his strong leadership ability and commitment to excellence and helping clients.

Taylor has been with D.A. Davidson since 2000, when he joined the firm to open the fullservice Davidson Insurance Agency and make insurance services more readily available to clients to complement their other financial services and solutions. The Davidson Insurance Agency is based in D.A. Davidson’s branch office in downtown Billings on the first floor of HartAlbin Building.

Before joining D.A. Davidson, Taylor operated his own insurance agency, The Taylor Group, in Billings.

Mitch Auer of Broadview and Tom Robertus of Laurel were recently awarded at the 2016 National Corn Growers Association’s Corn Yield Contest, an annual U.S. competition among corn growers with the goal of capitalizing on the high genetic yield potential of today’s corn hybrids.

Auer won first place in the No-Till/Strip-Till Non-Irrigated division with Pioneer brand P7443R, which yielded 51.9199 bushels per acre.

Robertus won first place in the No-Till/Strip-Till Non-Irrigated division with Pioneer brand P9188A, which yielded 243.5443 bushels per acre.

Growers compete in six corn production classes: two for nonirrigated, two for no-till/strip till non-irrigated, one for no-till/ strip till irrigated and one for irrigated acres.

Wedding firm takes award

Sweetwater hires Wagner

Uniquely You Planning, owned by Wendy Means, has been awarded the 2017 Couples’ Choice Award by WeddingWire, an online wedding marketplace, for the fourth consecutive year.

Uniquely You Planning provides traditional and alternative wedding planning, ceremony officiant services and event planning services such as holiday parties,

Heidi Wagner has joined Sweetwater Retirement Community as sales director. Wagner oversees all marketing and sales, as well as public relations events and community outreach.

A graduate of Rocky Mountain College in Billings, she has worked in finance, technology and healthcare in Billings; Portland, Ore.; and Denver.

Business Briefs Local Commerce at a Glance

Pumped-storage project licensed

A Montana company has been granted a license to build a $1 billion, 400-megawatt power storage project in the central part of the state that would supplement electricity from wind turbines and other sources, according to documents released recently by federal regulators.

The 50-year license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission allows Absaroka Energy, of Bozeman, to construct and operate the project on a 177-acre site near the tiny town of Martinsdale, home to fewer than 100 people.

The facility, called the Gordon Butte Pumped Storage Project, would use excess power produced by wind farms or other sources to pump water uphill to a 3,000-foot long reservoir, according to the license.

During times of peak consumer electricity demand or when the wind is not blowing, the water would be released to turn hydropower turbines and keep electricity flowing.

Federal energy officials have said Montana has enormous potential for wind power development, with more than 665 megawatts of capacity already installed, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Projects such as Gordon Butte would help ensure a steady flow of power needed to make the grid run smoothly.

Water for the electricity generating project would be drawn from Cottonwood Creek, a trib-

utary of the Musselshell River, percent, and clothing sales rose via an existing irrigation system 2.5 percent. Electronics sales declined 2.3 percent. for a nearby ranch.

The biggest downturn came from department stores, with Holiday sales a 7 percent decline. Many department stores are still graprose 4 percent pling with increased competiNEW YORK — A stronger tion from online shopping sites, economy helped boost holiday such as Amazon.com. Macy’s sales both in stores and online has announced it will shutter this season, but department 68 stores after a disappointing stores continued to struggle as shopping season where sales habits shift. fell 2.1 percent at established Sales rose 4 percent to about stores in November and De$658.3 billion, according to The cember. It also cut its full-year National Retail Federation. That profit forecast. beat a forecast for a 3.6 percent boost. Online sales alone rose 12.6 percent to $122.9 billion, Disasters take topping a forecast for growth of big toll in 2016 up to 10 percent.

BERLIN (AP) — Last year saw “Retail mirrors the economy,” said National Retail Federation the highest costs from natuPresident and CEO Matthew ral disasters since 2012, with a Shay. “And while there might pair of earthquakes in Japan in have been some bumps in the April accounting for the heaviroad for individual companies, est losses, according to a leading the retail industry overall had a insurer.

Losses from natural disassolid holiday season and retailers will work to sustain this in the ters worldwide totaled $175 billion last year, some $50 billion of year ahead.”

The report is partly backed by which was covered by insurance, a Commerce Department report Munich Re said in an annual suralso showing sales increases in vey.

The earthquakes on Japan’s December, notably in auto buying and online shopping. The southern Kyushu island caused National Retail Federation bases $31 billion worth of damage, with its report on data from the Com- $6 billion of the costs covered by merce Department. insurance. Floods in China in The holiday season is a crucial June and July caused $20 billion period of retailers because it ac- in costs, only $300 million of counts for as much as 40 percent which was insured. of a retailer’s annual sales.

The third-costliest disaster Sales of health and person- was Hurricane Matthew, which al care items rose 6.7 percent, hit the Caribbean and the eastwhile furniture sales rose 4.8 ern United States in August. It

incurred losses totaling $10.2 billion, of which $3.8 billion was covered by insurance.

In 2015, when the El Nino weather phenomenon reduced hurricane activity in the North Atlantic, global natural disaster losses totaled $103 billion, $32 billion of that sum insured.

However, the number of people killed dropped to 8,700 last year from 25,400 the previous year.

Last year’s losses were “in the mid-range” after three years of relatively low costs, Munich Re board member Torsten Jeworrek said in a statement. He stressed that “losses in a single year are obviously random and cannot be seen as a trend.”

The company said there was an “exceptional” number of floods, which accounted for 34 percent of overall losses, compared with an average of 21 percent over the past decade.

Those included $6 billion in losses, about half of them insured, resulting from storms and flooding in Europe — particularly in Germany and the Paris region — in May and June.

Jeworrek said that “the high percentage of uninsured losses, especially in emerging markets and developing countries, remains a concern.”

Auto sales hit record DETROIT (AP) — Demand may be slowing, but U.S. consumers still bought a whole lot of cars and trucks in 2016.

U.S. sales of new vehicles

could hit a new high in 2016.

Consulting firm LMC Automotive and car-buying site Edmunds.com both predict sales will squeak past the record set last year and reach 17.5 million in 2016.

General Motors Co. said its full-year sales were down 1.3 percent to just over 3 million cars and trucks. That was partly because the company cut back on low-profit sales to rental-car firms.

LMC expects sales to be up 1.4 percent in December compared with a year ago, with total sales of just over 1.6 million vehicles.

GM’s sales were up 10 percent for the month.

Arby’s has the venison Nebraskans can now get their fix for venison at a national fastfood chain.

Arby’s says it will sell its venison sandwiches at two Nebraska stores because people in the state clamored for the creation after an initial offering elsewhere last fall.

Arby’s says the venison steak sandwiches will be offered at a restaurant in Lincoln and an Omaha restaurant.

The restaurant chain says Nebraskans called, e-mailed and spoke out online most about wanting venison sandwiches after they were briefly sold at 17 stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Georgia during the fall.

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RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS Addition Single/ Duplex/Garage 1005 Nutter Blvd., Woo, WaiMan & Sui-Ming, Legacy Craftsmen, $64,120 1521 Lewis Ave., Campbell Asa J., All Weather Seamless Raingutters, $80,000 620 Poly Drive, Knopf, William D. and Robin L, Freyenhagen Construction Inc., $80,000 3222 Leeann Blvd., Kriner, Steve aka Steven J., Innovative Technique Construction, $18,500 2936 Rimview Drive, Will and Haven Stuart, Neumann Construction, $7,000 3203 Cassia Drive, Dyk, Jeffrey L. and Jamie, Pinnacle Remodeling, $18,000

New Single Family 1424 Emma Ave., Jeff Wald, Gerald Anderson $223,340 1847 Island View Drive, McCall Development Inc., McCall Development, $125,470 1709 Island View Drive, McCall Development Inc., McCall Development $177,180 3840 Hickok Circle, Hamlin, Robert & Janice, Classic Design Homes. $643,505 5310 Cabernet Lane, Shaffer, Earthcrafters Inc. $307,390 1140 Megan Circle, Habitat For Humanity Mid-Yellowstone Valley, $144,520 1726 E. Thunder Mountain Road, Jeff Junket Construction Inc., $228,310 1502 Emma Ave., Darin and Diana Rabas, $194,675 3322 37th St. W.: Lampi-Ruby, Yellowstone Basin Construction, $375,475 1822 Island View Drive: McCall

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Development LLC, $196,260

New Garage 216 Rhea Lane, Fradenburgh, Scott and Brenda J., $31,850 840 Broadwater Ave., Weis, Ester Kay, Jim’s Drywall Shed, $8,400 1732 Natalie St., Amundsen, Jennifer A., Tri-State Construction, $100,000 2320 Ave. B, Keil, Jeff and Kim, NB Builders LLC, $28,560 1510 Ave. F, Sanchez, Marjory J., $143,640 2716 McCormick Lane, Marsh, Stephen D. and Lorraine L., Freyenhagen Construction Inc., $16,000 3250 Tahoe Drive, Hanchett, John R. and Eileen G., Lynnrich Inc., $3,563 710 N. 30th St., CJM LLC, Yellowstone Basin Construction, $19,000 817 25th St. W., Michalies, John Paul and Vivian, C’s Construction Of Billings, $2,874 1716 W. Castle Stone Square, Tracy Raymond & Tiffany, Dave Spitzer Construction, $14,600 2901 Ramada Drive, Henson, Win-Dor Industries, $18,579 3535 Hayden Drive, Simek, Brandon D. & Emily M., Win-Dor Industries, $8,698 3855 Parkhill Drive, Kvilhaug, Lee R. & Jan C, Win-Dor Industries, $21,353 2123 Treasure Drive, Heigis Shane, Lynnrich Inc., $3,247 3605 Colton Blvd., Better Building Technologies, Pierson, Jensen Construction Co., $32,000 906 Royal Ave., Owen, Jennifer, T Davis Construction Inc., $9,500 1107 Sierra Granda Blvd., Thomas, John J., $22,160

4135 June Drive, Phillips, William L. & Amy Jo C., One Source Construction LLC, $988 2726 Terry Ave., Lenander, Gerald K. & Rosleyn S., One Source Construction LLC, $957 1612 Island View Drive, McCall Development Inc., $258,815 2006 Beverly Drive, Reichenbach Properties LLC, Kay Homebuilders LLC, $179,890 2607 Burlwood Drive, Classic Design Homes, $222,385 3054 W. Copper Ridge Loop, Oakland Built Homes Inc., $173,475 3027 W. Copper Ridge Loop, Infinity Homes LLC, $164,580 5520 Sacagawea Drive, McCall Development Inc., $123,110 1920 Stony Meadow Lane, McCall Development Inc., $223,720 3443 Scout Trail, Buscher Development Inc., Buscher Construction LTD, $360,190 2730 41 St. W., Kimmet, Adam J. and Kevin Jane, Jones Construction Inc., $1,001,985 5629 Reds Way, Grand Slam Patio Homes, Sunset Construction LLC, $122,040 5126 Amherst Drive, Gayvert Construction Inc., $230,485 2523 Bowles Way, BCJM Properties LLC, Hanser Construction Co., $173,580 514 Boca Raton Road, Six Streams Investments LLP, Crossroads Construction Services, $225,450 1429 Bullet Trail, BCJM Properties LLC, Hanser Construction Co., $176,065 2518 Bowles Way, BCJM Properties LLC, Hanser Construction Co., $194,570 Remodel Single/ 3051 Golden Acres Drive, York, Duplex/Garage Herbert John Jr. & Corey, Thirsty Lake Solar LLC, $10,000 1634 Janie St., Euler, Marilyn, 3854 Fairmeadow Drive, American Exteriors LLC, $6,600 Harris, Bruce D. & Kathleen T., 807 Terry Ave., Matt Rouge, Irish Construction LLC, $62,000 1946 Miles Ave., Anton, Katrina L. & Brandon S., Tight Lines Carpentry Of Montana LLC, $18,000 2621 Westfield Drive, Englehart, Michael S. and Jeanett, Lais Development Inc., $50,000 3907 Palisades Park Drive, Donahue, Mitchell T. and Melissa, My Handyman Service, $83,600 3675 Glantz Drive, Nelson, Eddy R. and Jennifer M., C’s Construction Of Billings, $1,167 929 Delphinium Drive, Breen, One Source Construction LLC, $6,000 320 Montclair Drive, Dunn, Zachary J. and Julie L., Big Sky Exterior Designs Inc., $2,520 4227 Blackpool Trail, Boyd, Ronald R. and Karen L., Big Sky Exterior Designs Inc., $19,000 320 Montclair Drive, Dunn, Zachary J. and Julie L., Big Sky Exterior Designs Inc., $2,520 4227 Blackpool Trail, Boyd, Ronald R. and Karen L., Big Sky Exterior Designs Inc., $19,000 4413 Morgan Ave., Sipe, Jason, American Exteriors LLC, $12,292 4104 Stone St., Jones, Jason A. and Quincee E., Lynnrich Inc., $2,330 600 Wheatstone Drive, Haider, Karyn E, One Source Construction LLC, $900 3125 Ave. F, Keebler, Leslie A. and Pamela J., One Source Construction LLC, $950 534 Killarney St., Iffland, Kevin and Angela, $4,000

Sprague Construction Roofing, $6,500 19 Birchwood Drive, Goettel, Donald J. Jr. & Cathryn, Harvest Solar MT LLC, Solar Panels $23,000 2109 Avalon Road, Stapler, Dale C. Jr. & Chanteal, Rambur Construction Inc., $2,000 1524 Parkhill Drive, Zachary Kanning, $300 121 W. Hilltop Road, Grosse, Jonathan C., One Source Construction LLC, $2,907 929 Delphinium Drive, Darcie Breen, $20,000 3255 Poly Drive, Spearing, Robert S., Big Sky Exterior Designs Inc., $5,800 2039 Phoebe Drive, Moberly, John & Nicole, $2,800 2006 Labrea St., Kimm, Weston R. & Rachel S., Mountain Handyman LLC, $2,300 201 S. 29th St., Smith, Lynn R. & Myrtle F., Sandstone Construction LLP, $2,000 2132 Beloit Drive, Rogers, Robert T. & Rebecca D., Reno Built, $5,000 2726 Hoover Ave., Brownfield, Samuel, $2,400 1723 Ave. D, Fridrichson, Elizabeth R., Van Arsdale Construction, $3,000 238-1/2 Terry Ave., Michelle Weiland, Ready Contracting Inc., $2,000 4138 Ryan Ave., Stalmaster, Amy Teal, Frame To Finish, $15,000 2009 Ave. D, Maruffo, Jason D. and Kayla A., Lynnrich Inc., $2,578 424 Wheatstone Drive N., Nichols, Kevin E., Lynnrich Inc., $3,934 802 Mossman Drive, Watson, Kenneth and Janice, American Exteriors LLC, $5,045 3350 Windmill Circle, Lucas,

James, American Exteriors LLC, $14,219 808 Saddle Lane, Hughs, Michael E. and Merle, American Exteriors LLC, $10,421 1510 Elaine St., Liptac, Philip A. and Kelli A., American Exteriors LLC, $10,440 282 Ashley Court S., Joseph, Joseph H. and Phyllis M., American Exteriors LLC, $9,754

1122 Sierra Granda Blvd., Justin and Ann Berg, $10,000 2934 Beech Ave., Rothfusz, Janet E., $5,000 1943 8 St. W., Conaway, Catherine Hanstrom, Construction Solutions Inc., $3,500 2710 Louise Lane, Simmons, Simon M. and Lois J., Lynnrich Inc., $2,772 4375 Laredo Place, Edwards, A.

New Single Family 511 N. 30th St., Brant, Richard L. and Jeannie M., Rich Brant, 2515 Burlwood Drive, Classic $9,000 2820 Westwood Drive, Nancy Design Homes, $277,525 1706 Island View Drive, and Randy Howell, Mountain McCall Development Inc., Handyman LLC, $3,800 $167,960

Clifford and Susan K., Laughlin Construction Inc., $50,000 505 Yellowstone Ave., Thornburg Sharon, Van Arsdale Construction, $2,000 3213 Country Club Circle, Stark, Lydia, $400 1790 Judd Circle, Hagel, Douglas and Katherine A., $2,050 3616 Decathlon Parkway, Bogar, Rebecca A., K-Designers, $15,715

There were 181 Fence/Roof/Siding 5520 Sacagawea Drive, McCall residential permits issued in November and December.

Development, $232,590

Dermott of Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Real-time noise reduction system for dynamic motor frequencies aboard an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). 9,489,937, Nov. 8, Trace Live Network Inc., Calgary.

Lizanne Kaiser of Richmond, Calif.; Cliff Bell of Kalispell; Daniel Stoops of Powell, Ohio; Herbert Willi Artur of Walnut Creek, Calif; and James Kraeutler of Cardiff, Calif.: System and method for marketing attribution in an enterprise. 9,491,294, Nov. 8, Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Inc., Daly City, Calif.

Raymond Robert Kavarksy Jr. of Bozeman; Christopher M. Doyle of Waterbury, Vt.; and Scott T. Keller of Waterbury Center, Vt.: Snowboard binding and boot. 9,492,730, Nov. 15, The Burton Corp., Burlington, Vt. Leif Summerfield, Bill Clem and Tom Wernikowski, all of Bozeman; Jay Wilkins and Jay Bernasek, both of Belgrade: Touch screen for laser processing. 9,492,887, Nov. 15, Electro Scientific Industries Inc., Portland, Ore. Magaly C. Barroeta of Herndon, Va.; Jose X. Simonetty of Kingwood, Texas; Brian D. Albert of Fairfax, Va.; Jennifer A. Gillett

of Springfield, Va.; Victor Alva of Everett, Wash; Theodore T. Trier of Billings; and John R. Faber of Houston: Separator for desalting petroleum crude oils having rag layer withdrawal. 9,493,712, Nov. 15, ExxonMobile Research and Engineering Co., Annandale, N.J. Ann A. Juntunen of Belgrade: Therapeutic knee apparatus.

9,498,399, Nov. 22.

William R. Dubrul of Jefferson City, Mont.; Brent D. Seybold of Santa Clara, Calif.; Mark L. Mathis of Fremont, Calif.; Philip M. Leopold of North Barrington, Ill.; and Richard E. Fulton III of Grand Junction, Colo.: Medical device and method. 9,498,604, Nov. 22, Genesis Technologies LLC, Grand Junction.

John M. Gerdes of Coos Bay, Ore.; Richard J. Bridges and Sarjubhai Patel, both of Missoula; and Syed K. Ahmen of Hyderabad, India: Aspartylamide inhibitors of excitatory amino acid transporters. 9,499,472, Nov. 22, The University of Montana, Missoula.

John Walsh of Bozeman and Robert J. Mowris of Olympic Valley, Calif.: Fan controller.

9,500,386, Nov. 22.

Roger A. Kessinger of Whitefish: System and method for cus-

Townhome

MONTANA PATENTS Below are listed U.S. patents issued to Montana inventors Oct. 25-Nov. 22, 2016. For assistance in patent filing, call Billings patent attorney Antoinette M. Tease at 406-294-9000.

Jennifer L. Tipton of Billings: Animal grooming tool with wave pattern blade teeth. 9,474,250, Oct. 25.

Derek Campbell of Portland, Ore.; Christopher H. Pearson of Billings; and Randy Wolfe of Beaverton, Ore.: Golf bag base.

9,474,949, Oct. 25, Nike Inc., Beaverton, Ore. James S. Smith of Lyons, Colo.; Matthew B. Jore of Ronan; Michael A. Kvam and James David Duford, both of Polson; David Samsel of Missoula; and Charles Perry Butterfield and Brian J. Sullivan, both of Boulder, Colo.: Air gap control systems and methods. 9,479,038, Oct. 25, Boulder Wind Power Inc., Louisville, Colo.

Matthew C. Pace of Bozeman; David William Johnson of Hastings, Minn.; and Thomas Joseph Mettler of Hudson, Wis.: Proportional dynamic ratio control for compressed air foam delivery.

9,480,867, Nov. 1, Waterous Co., South St. Paul, Minn.

Mark Perkins, Tyler Tem

pero and Ben McGregor, all of Bozeman, and Zach Halverson of Lansing, Iowa: Apparatus for facilitating micro-rotational calibration for an NLO crystal enabled laser system. 9,482,928, Nov. 1, Quantell USA Inc., Bozeman.

Thomas Alan Wagner of Ann Arbor, Mich.; Ronald David Brost of Whitefish; and Hirano Shinichi of West Bloomfield, Mich.: Fuel cell header. 9,484,590, Nov. 1, Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Mich.

Gilbert Fregoso of Fallbrook, Calif., and Yuval Charles Avniel of Missoula: Electrical discharge lighting. 9,485,845, Nov. 1, Lux Montana LLC, Missoula.

Ben Tiffin and Shane Clagett, both of Missoula, and Timothy Sudeith of Edina, Minn.: Electrically powered platform pool lift. 9,486,376, Nov. 8, Everlast Climbing Industries Inc., Mendota Height, Minn.

Adam Conley of Billings, and Robert Carrasca and Christopher Hamlin, both of Seattle: Movable closure system. 9,487,985, Nov. 8, Adam Conley.

Paul Beard of Big Fork; Cameron Chell, Jamie Clarke, Erika Racicot and Paul Readwin, all of Calgary, Calif; and Craig Mc-

tomized, on-demand production of minted metal and minted metal assemblies. 9,501,048, Nov. 22.

Lee E. Cannon and John P. O’Donovan, both of Bozeman: Gaming system and method for offering simultaneous play of multiple games. 9,501,901, Nov. 22, IGT, Las Vegas.

Lee E. Cannon and John P. O’Donovan, both of Bozeman: Gaming system and method for offering simultaneous play of multiple games. 9,501,902, Nov. 22, IGT, Las Vegas.

Lee E. Cannon and John P. O’Donovan, both of Bozeman: Gaming system and method for offering simultaneous play of multiple games. 9,501,903, Nov. 22, IGT, Las Vegas.

Stephen L. Smith of Kalispell; Mark C. Olson of Racine, Wis.; and Ryan W. Johnson of Bigfork: Power line proximity sensing and warning system. 9,501,930, Nov. 22, United Safety Inc., Kalispell.

Steven F. Barrett of Laramie, Wyo.; Michael J. Wilcox of Colorado Springs; Donald C. Thelen Jr. of Bozeman; and David F. Cox of Tucson, Ariz.: Cooperative optical-imaging sensor array.

9,503,649, Nov. 22, University of Wyoming, Laramie.

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BUSINESS LICENSES November-December 2016 Walkforred, 2015 Montana Ave., 606-0334 Cellular Warehouse and Repair, 1005 24th St. W., 534-3772 Rich Brant, 2651 N. Bridger Drive, 252-8681 Veewee’s, 2323 Belknap Ave., 694-7218 The Sophisticated Sunflower, 3990 Ave. D, 690-5363 JJJ Flooring, Shepherd, 8607086 Tiffani Hein Certified Rolfer, 1629 Ave. D, 696-1373 Dlucero Inc., 3004 First Ave. S., 208-7509 Glacier Medical LLC, 1411 Eldorado Drive, 860-3545 Born This Way Boutique, 10 Skeena St., 696-5404 Tsunami Car Wash Service LLC, Shepherd, 200-0335 Dehaven Painting Inc., Grand Junction, Colo., 990201-9163 Thirsty Lake Solar LLC, Bozeman, 291-3416 De Molay Contracting, 39021 Rifle Creek Trail, 9988115 R and G Custom, 1019 Rimrock Road, 839-4738 Magic City Storage, 609 Charles St., 318-0852 V&B Maintenance and Sales, 4433 Frances Ave., 794-8818 Hilton Electric Inc., Dillon, 683-5094 Jotrans, 22056 Ridgeview Drive, 839-9199 Nelsen Enterprise Alan Nelsen, 962 Governors Blvd., 605-682-6810 Signature Ceramic and Stone, 1736 Gleneagles Blvd., 876-4135 Broadway Dance Studio, 1313 Grand Ave., No. 11, 850-1491 Quality Canopy Construction Inc., Post Falls, Idaho, 208773-8215 Maverick Distributing LLC, 5806 Arrowleaf Trail, 853-5079 Rawhide Mechanical Inc., Cody, Wyo., 307-527-7178 Mike Wilhelm Electric, Bozeman, 600-3371 Anna Harrower RD, LN, LLC, 2020 Grand Ave., Suite 2, 307-360-7445 A.T. Klemens Inc., Great Falls, 452-9541 Nake Maple, Cabot, Vt.,

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647-8535 Ready Contracting Inc., 425 Tamarisk Drive, 671-5004 Jason P. Burson Authorized Matco Tools Distributor, 922 Ahoy Ave., 208-5137 Dynamic Innovations LLC, 7650 Century Hills Road N., 633-0646 America Classic Pizzeria, 2658 Grand Ave., 256-0304 R&R Cleaning, 1324 Parkhill Drive, 697-6346 C Bar J Mechanical & Welding, Ballantine, 698-8932 1st Choice Home Construction, 1610 Westwood Drive, 396-4090 Chimney Man Company.

Com, 7527 Lewis Ave., 281-3189 Republic Health Resource LLC, Irving, Texas, 817-8730372 Magiclean, 2610 W. Bridger Drive, 647-5682 The Golden Teepee, 960 S. 24th St. W., Suite L, 839-7720 National Coatings & Supplies Inc., 920 Central Ave., 245-5585 DWB Construction LLC, 2616 Hardin Road, No. 19, 2085596 Drone Masters, 300 S. 24th St. W., 443-939-2756 Integrity Construction and Remodeling, Edgar, 647-4945 Mobile Lab Solutions Inc., 1636 Hidden Cove Lane, 2089204 Julunrus Worldwide LLC, 919 Howard Ave., 671-5872 MF Cleaning, 3236 Becraft Lane, 629-0892 For The Funk Of It, 14 S. 27th St., 591-0658 Divine Finishing, 544 Miles Ave., 671-5872 Rhoades On-Site Welding and Repair, 1016 N. 23rd St., 208-4240 GH Construction, 1105 29th St. W., 670-5349 Merit Mechanical Services Inc., Helena, 443-1150 JR Consulting, 100 N. 27th St., Suite 350, 208-2504 Yellowstone Valley Construction, 3122 Phillip St., 6713046 Accurate Exteriors, 1431 Ave. B, 281-4114 Sand Construction LLC, Waite Park, Minn., 320-2023100

BANKRUPTCIES Something Special Boutique, 5155 Chicago Road, 307749-3115 From Your Kitchen, Shepherd, 696-5703 Painting, 3006 Myers Lampman Drive, 451-3300 Yellowstone Valley Collision Repair LLP, 2203 First Ave. S., 252-0835 Heaters and Hardware LLC, 1078 El Rancho Drive, 760-6174688 Charles J. Habeck, Psy.D, LCPC, LAC, P.C., 1925 Grand Ave., Suite 123, 839-0589 Excel Coatings of Wyoming Inc., Greybull, Wyo., 307-7654381 Matt’s Window Washing, 1519 Ave. E, 698-3345 Riley’s Cleaning, 4041 Morgan Ave., 281-1100 Curiosities Wonderland Jewelry, 3013 Farnam St., 8502933 Factory Edge Flooring, 421 St. Johns Ave., 598-2156 All Seasons Yard Service, 2 Stella St. N., 671-5732.

What Daddy Won’t Do, 10 Attika St. N., 426-8118 JMB Plumbing LLC, Great Falls, 231-1504 Samantha Deaguero, 936 Cook Ave., 505-490-2890 Double Diamond Construction, Shepherd, 865-0944 Billings Food Bank/Fortin Café, 2112 Fourth Ave. N., 2592856 ECOATM LLC, 1649 Main St., 858-766-7241 West Coast Roofing Systems Inc., Santa Clara, Calif., 408612-1288 Custer Ave Flooring Specialists, 1821 Custer Ave., 2812982 A Deeper Clean, 224 S. 36th St., 702-3407 The Coffee Tavern LLC, 2821 Second Ave. N., 371-5083 Absolute Concrete LLC, 327 Reda Lane, 307-751-5007 Big Sky Home Repair, 725 Burlington Ave., 290-9494 Five Guys Burgers and Fries, 1020 Shiloh Crossing Jack and Addi, 2304 17th St. W., 690-7272 J&C Construction, 6806 Frontage Road, 661-9210 Fablink Inc., 2041 Harnish Blvd., 248-1757

MJB Motors LLC, 5229 King Ave. W., No. F1, 670-3772 Headwaters Construction Co., Victor, Idaho, 866-4969868 Elder Demolition Inc., Portland, Ore., 503-760-6330 Joshua Toenyes, 501 S. 44th St. W., No. 2310, 619-756-1954 LLH Construction, 1718 Ave. D, 321-1943 Beartooth Inc., 4576 Hill Road, 690-6271 Veronica Mitchell, 831 N. 17th St., No. 4, 633-5422 Headwaters Construction, Victor, Idaho, 208-787-8040 C&K Snow Removal, 915 W. Wicks Lane, 696-9140 Mike Atkinson, 40 Skyline Drive, 590-0652 Grace Studio LLC, 1116 Grand Ave., 661-1501 Murphy Yard & Snow, 3804 Tommy Armour Circle, 507279-4632 TNT Contracting LLC, Ismay, 934-4444 Chuck’s Sign Co. LLC, Cody, Wyo., 307-587-3860 K&M Solutions, 1412 19th St. W., 690-3449 The Dashing Hound, 2160 Central Ave., Suite 2, 690-7893 Telos Fitness, 100 24th St. W., 672-8828 Billings Addiction Counseling LLC, 208 N. 29th St., No. 236 and No. 237, 860-4499 Robert W. Ross Bldg Contractor Inc., Kalispell, 257-5550 Red Road Medicine Lodge LLC, Laurel, 490-2512 Nomad Fitness, 809 Yellowstone Ave., 671-7661 Thomas Purcell, 4576 Hill Road, 690-6273 Muzak Ventures LLC, 2595 Overland Ave., 647-2353 Bighorn Refrigeration, 827 Starlight Circle, 252-8324 RVSB Snow Removal, 424 Wicks Lane, 927-9448 Caduceus Medical Partners LLC, 1101 Maggie Lane, Suite 2, 696-0409 Patterson Marketing, 1308 Eldorado Drive, 281-3788 Bill Peterson, LMT, 115 N. 28th St., 780-0947 From the Heart, 707 N. 19th St., Apt. B6, 598-2810 Bare Necessities Cleaning Service, 715 Terry Ave., 6060232

Billings-area petitions filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court Nov. 1-Dec. 31, 2016. Addresses are in Billings unless otherwise noted.

Chapter 7 Michael Tanner Cernaro, 535 Yellowstone Ave., Nov. 13 Rowdy Lee Williams, Therisa Lynn Williams, 3862 Avenue D, Nov. 14 Sherri Lynn Houston, 4505 Gators Way No. 18, Nov. 14 Cody Richard Gabel, Kristin Nicole Gabel, 22 Woodgrain Drive, Nov. 17.

Kendra Ann Strigas, 1439 Main St. Apt. 13, Nov. 22 Peter Nelson Reum, Christina Joanne Mayorga, P.O. Box 31002, Nov. 23.

Karen Gomola, 1151 28th St. W., Nov. 23.

Sarah Cathleen Neiter, 2812 Second Ave. N. No. 1, Nov. 28.

Shari Lynn Collier, 297 Prospectors Lane, Nov. 29.

Jason A. Terry, Chelsea M. Terry, 5800 Camas Prairie Trail, Nov. 29.

Arnold Ray Mollett II, Lindsay Nicolle Mollett, 4935 Lewies Way, Shepherd, Nov. 30.

Esther R. Lagerwey, 9 Jackie Lane, Nov. 30.

Julie Ann Rodrigues, 1013 - 1/2 Poly Drive, Dec. 1.

Cathie Ann Brumley, 4449 Clevenger Ave., Dec. 13.

Courtney Abraham Wilske, 2814 Oakland Drive Apt. 36, Dec. 15.

Aaron Wesley Lahn, 205 C Street, Columbus, Dec. 19.

Matt Mattingly, 327 Cowcreek Road, Roberts, Dec. 19.

Thomas L. Haidle, Shelly L. Haidle, P.O. Box 445, Laurel, Dec. 20.

Jeffrey Leeroy Mann, 233 Avenue E, Dec. 22 William Brian Beckhardt, 1034 Alderson Ave., Dec. 28.

Dawn Lansing, 944 N. 24th St., Dec. 30.

Chapter 13 Dale Michael Welliever, 1027 28th St. W., Dec. 13.

Steven M. Schaak, Janet E. Schaak, 2707 Silver Blvd., Dec. 20.

Vincent Flores, Catherine Flores, P.O. Box 32156, Dec. 21.

Matthew Joseph O’Brien, 723 Howard Ave., Dec. 23.

Brian Kohn, 3242 Durland Drive, Dec. 30.

Dwight Buttman Sr., 321 Wanda Lane, Dec 30.

The convenience of a natural gas fireplace.

1-800-638-3278 Montana-Dakota.com In the Community to Serve®

• clean • abundant • affordable • efficient • reliable • safe • domestic • environmentally friendly •

COMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS November-December 2016

Fence/Roof/Siding 5400 Midland Road, Hospitality Property LLC, West Coast Roofing Systems Inc., $76,000 150 Calhoun Lane, RCP LLC, Kisling Quality Builders, $25,000

New 3+ (Multi Family) 1722 Padres Way, Grand Slam Patio Homes LLC, Sunset Construction LLC, $480,000 5620 Red Sox Way, Grand Slam Patio Homes LLC, Sunset Construction LLC, $470,778 1723 Padres Way, Grand Slam Patio Homes LLC, Sunset Construction LLC, $375,664 1720 Athletics Way, Grand Slam Patio Homes LLC, Sunset Construction LLC, $375,664 1721 Athletics Way, Grand Slam Patio Homes LLC, Sunset Construction LLC, $627,704 5610 Red Sox Way, Grand Slam Patio Homes LLC, Sunset Construction LLC, $627,704 3315 Central Ave., Ronald A. Dutton Living Trust, Wyomont Exterior Design, $4,200 3321 Central Ave., Ronald A. Dutton Living Trust, Wyomont Exterior Design, $3,900 804 Alderson Ave., Yochum Group LLC, Perfect 10 Roofing & Construction, $5,000

2540 Phyllis Lane, Weber Family Revocable Living, G&L Enterprizes Inc., $25,106 180 24th St. W., Presbytery Of Y’stone Of The U, Rambur Construction Inc., $11,750 705 Lincoln Lane, HV Properties LLC, Lazy RT Construction, $9,400 1717 Central Ave., Ted And Linda Elliott, Empire Roofing Inc., $31,000 635 Wicks Lane, First National Properties LLC, Hagstrom Roofing & Construction, $55,000

Addition 112 N. 19th St., Schaffer Matthew W., BNH Construction, $135,000 790 S. Billings Blvd., Popelka Enterprises LLC, Roset And Associates Inc., $784,000 1233 N. 30th St.: Sisters Of Charity Of Leavenworth, Saunders Construction Inc., $42,200 1233 N. 30th St., Sisters Of Charity Of Leavenworth, Saunders Construction Inc., $9,500,000 112 N. 19th St., Schaffer Matthew W., BNH Construction, $135,000 790 S. Billings Blvd., Popelka Enterprises LLC, Roset And Associates Inc., $784,000 1233 N. 30th St.: Sisters Of

Charity Of Leavenworth, Saun- Cascade Building Material, EEC ders Construction Inc., $42,200 Inc., $43,000 1233 N. 30th St., Sisters Of 175 N. 27th St., SFH II LLC, Charity Of Leavenworth, Saunders Jones Construction Inc., $15,000 Construction Inc., $9,500,000 1500 University Drive, State Of Montana, $24,000 950 S. 29th St. W., CMTM New Church/School Properties LLC, Jones Construc2620 54th St. W., Church tion Inc., $6,000 Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day 1625 River Stone St., Sermon, Saints, Headwaters Construc- Edward J. and Regina L., Reule tion Co., $4,300,000 Builders, $10,500 1511 Poly Drive, Rocky Moun1400 S. 24th St. W.: 1400 S tain College, Dick Anderson 24th LLC, Fisher Construction Construction, $7,800,000 Inc. $175,000 2595 Overland Ave., Stiller, New Warehouse/Storage Bryon A., CMG Construction Inc., $500 2620 54th St. W., Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Remodel - Change In Use Saints, Headwaters Construc214 N. 30th St.: Yellowstone tion Co., $7,493 Bank, Hulteng Inc., $900,000 214 N. 30th St., Yellowstone Remodel Bank, Hulteng Inc., $2,500 224 N. 926 Main St., East Billings 28th St., Gray, Michael J., $15,000 Investors, Kutcher Construction 1601 Lewis Ave., Pfhol, David, Fisher Construction Inc., LLC, $500 4910 Southgate Drive, Amer- $100,000 ican Foods, Lais Development 2719 First Ave. N., Daniel Inc., $450,000 Taylor, $1,000 637 Anchor St., Billings 2507 Montana Ave., Andesite Heights Post #6774, Mountain Summit LLC, Air Controls BillWireless Construction Inc., ings Inc., $500 510 N. 28th St., The City Of $15,000 926 Main St., East Billings Billings, Systems Northwest Investors, Kutcher Construction LLC, $8,065 2802 Grand Ave., Twenty LLC, $20,000 1240 S. 29th St. W., Boise Eight O Two (2802) Grand, 4x4

Construction, $97,000

Demolition 5400 Laurel Road, Stockton Oil Co., Cayton Excavation Inc., $14,885

New Office/Bank 3409 Transtech Way, Allied Investment Advisors, Sletten Construction Companies, $800,000

New Other 1110 Main Street, Lain Properties LLC, $800

New 3+ (Multi Family) 1710 Athletics Way, Grand Slam Patio Homes, Sunset Construction LLC, $375,664 1713 Padres Way, Grand Slam Patio Homes, Sunset Construction LLC, $401,460 1712 Padres Way, Grand Slam Patio Homes, Sunset Construction LLC, $661,640 1711 Athletics Way, Harmony Meadows LLC, Sunset Construction LLC, $661,640

New Warehouse/Storage 3140 Broadwater Ave., Apostles Evangelical Lutheran, $12,147

AN INDISPENSABLE BUSINESS RESOURCE CALL 406-657-1298 TO SUBSCRIBE

BILLINGS BUSINESS • 401 NORTH BROADWAY • BILLINGS, MT 59101

February 2017

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