Dennis Design Works

  • Thompson Precision Creates Niche in Parts Industry

    From Montanan Manufacturing Extension Center Founded in 2011 in Kalispell, Thompson Precision is an AS9100 certified machining and fabrication shop with an experienced team of 25 employees and modern, high-tech capabilities in producing extremely high-quality parts.  Thompson has created a niche in the competitive machined parts industry through extremely high-quality,… Read More

  • Montana Continues as Haven for Entrepreneurs

    Montana Continues as Haven for Entrepreneurs Montana’s rate of entrepreneurship remains among the highest in the nation as it has been for many years, according to the Kauffman Foundation, in analyzing the most current data. Montana ties for sixth place in the rate of entrepreneurship in the United States with Alaska at .4 percent based on… Read More

  • MDU Switches Coal Plants to Gas

    MDU Resources Group, Inc.,  subsidiary Montana-Dakota Utilities, announced that it intends to retire three aging coal-fired electric generation units, including one at Sidney, Montana, and construction  new simple-cycle natural gas combustion turbine, within the next two to three years. Read More

  • Le Fournil Bakes Success in Downtown Billings

    Le Fournil Bakes Success in Downtown Billings Le Fournil. That’s French for bakehouse or bakery.  In Billings, it’s a charming bakery tucked in between downtown shops on First Avenue North, next to Rocket Burrito. Started less than two years ago by Francois Morin, the shop is fast becoming a favorite among Billings food-lovers for its outstanding bread,… Read More

  • Continental Resources Expects to Double Production

     Continental Resources expects to nearly double its oil production within the next five years, and expects the Bakken to contribute between 50 to 60 percent of the total growth, according to a recent report in the Williston Herald. Read More
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Market Update

  • Pushing Back Against OBSD

      While the vision of One Big Sky District (OBSD), a 2.5 billion plan for downtown Billings, has been widely promoted and explained by the organizations supporting it – often referred to as the Billings partnership -- there is opposition to it, who have had little opportunity to lay forth their concerns.… Read More

  • BSED to Focus on OBSD Legislation

    The proposed bill being drafted as an economic tool for One Big Sky District and the rest of the state, (LC1182) will essentially implement a provision that will empower communities to create what is being called 406 Impact Districts. To get that legislation passed will be the focus of Big… Read More

  • Space 2 Place Grants Available

      Big Sky Economic Development is now accepting applications for their 2019 Space2Place creative place-making micro-grants. Creative Placemaking involves creating or enhancing community assets to improve the beauty, vibrancy, and livability of our public areas. Read More

  • Car Payments an Indicator?

    A record 7 million Americans are 90 days or more behind on their auto loan payments, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported, even more than during the wake of the financial crisis. Read More
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  • USS Billings to be Commissioned in Key West

    The United States Navy announced that Key West, Florida would be the site of the commissioning of the USS Billings, a new littoral class combat ship of the navy, in August 2019.  The exact date of the commissioning is yet to be announced. Read More

  • Plans Revealed for Airport Road / Main Street Improvements

    Public meetings were held, last week, to give the public a peek at preliminary designs for the Airport Road and Main Street intersection in Billings. The Montana Department of Transportation is seeking public feedback regarding their plans to improve safety and relieve congestion of what is probably the busiest intersection… Read More

  • One Big Sky District Has Hiccup

    The failure of the Billings City Council to approve an amendment to its agreement with Landmark has created a hiccup in plans for One Big Sky District (OBSD), but it’s not going to alter plans by the community “partnership” to continue to push for passage of legislation that would provide… Read More

  • Jobs Jamboree Offers Opportunity for Many

      The annual JSEC Jobs Jamboree will be held on March 20, at the Metra Park Pavilion in Billings from 11:30 am to 6 pm. The event is an opportunity to find season or year ‘round, full, permanent or temporary, top professional or entry, apprentice or intern employment. Over 160… Read More
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  • For young job seekers, You are So Lucky, Go For It.

    For young job seekers, You are So Lucky, Go For It.

     

    As spring approaches and schools are nearing the point of releasing another generation of graduates, there will be many young people trying to sort out what to do next. Some already have goals and know the path they want to follow, but for far too many, the uncertainties appear so overwhelming that they will opt to sit in their parents’ basement rather than embrace the next adventure.

    Read More

  • The Obvious Solution

    The Obvious Solution

     

    by Evelyn Pyburn

    A frank discussion about why housing is unaffordable was quite welcome at the Montana Economic Outlook Seminar. It’s a subject seldom discussed so honestly.

    The conclusion that regulations stand in the way of affordable housing and innovation in the industry shouldn’t be a surprise, and studious, deliberate efforts to avoid that conclusion in all the other forums I have ever witnessed, says that it really isn’t a surprise. Many have always known it. And, they know it now.

    Regulations are pretty much always the reason that markets fail to function and that’s what we have here —  a demand for housing that exceeds supply, which pushes up prices, and the market has failed to respond.

    In unfettered markets producers would rush to increase supply. It is the law of supply and demand at work. It takes an inexorable force to prevent that from happening, and there is only one such force, and that is government – in the form of rules, regulations, codes, exactions, fees, permits, and waiting periods.

    What regulations would and could do to the housing industry was demonstrated clearly to me as a reporter back in about 1970 when I did a story about

    … Read More
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High Horse Saloon

Bozeman Supports Local Option, Concerned about Housing Affordability Gap

Saturday, March 09, 2019
A recent report by Economic Research Specialist Michael Wallner concludes that while Bozeman ranks...

Student Debt Blocks Home Ownership

Friday, March 08, 2019
New research from the federal government suggests that student debt is keeping young people from...

Billings Community Foundation

Friday, March 08, 2019
The 2019 Billings Community Foundation Board of Directors were recently announced. They are: Ralph...

Montana Highlights March 1 2019

Thursday, March 07, 2019
Kalispell’s newest food establishment, Urban Bricks, held its grand-opening February 16. The...

Manufacturers Using Reusable Containers

Wednesday, March 06, 2019
A collection of manufacturers have committed to using refillable plastic containers for some of...

Limber Tree Yoga Opens Second Location

Wednesday, March 06, 2019
Limber Tree Yoga Studio, Billings’ most “Authentic” Yoga, has opened their second location for...

Financing Tool for Energy Upgrades

Wednesday, March 06, 2019
An innovative financing tool for clean energy and efficiency upgrades has been introduced in the...

Oil Discovery Puts Guyana on Cusp of Becoming Wealthy Nation

Friday, February 22, 2019
The discovery of a massive trove of oil off its shores, including two finds just this week, puts...

NFIB Joins Suit on Climate Change

Friday, February 22, 2019
NFIB (National Federation of Independent Business) has filed a friend-of-the-court brief in...