Billings Business April 2015 by Billings Gazette

5 Minutes witH

Tabatha Butler

Taxpayer Advocacy Panel

Trevor and Taylor Miles

Landview Technologies Inc.

April 2015

Billings Depot, event planner are making waves on Montana Avenue

Partners by design

GTUIT recognized by Montana Ambassadors, Bullock

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

CONTENTS

April 2015

An indispensable business resource On the Cover Better To Gather Event Planning event planner Cassie LaGreca, right, with Jennifer Mercer, center, executive director of the depot, and Kimberlee Garcia, the depot’s development director.

Photo by James Woodcock

FEATURES

Partners by design............................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Billings Depot, event planner are making waves on Montana Avenue

Special Report.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 New business provides unmanned aerial vehicles for farmers, ranchers

GTUIT recognized by Montana Ambassadors and Gov. Bullock........................................................ 16 All American Pharnmaceutial receives state grant to aid in expansion................................. 22 Construction Zone......................................................................................................................................................................................... 25 SBA announces Small Business Week award winners............................................................................... 35

24 Hour Emergency Flood & Fire Restoration Services Commercial & Residential

Columns

Travel & Leisure......................................................................................................................................................................................................9 GTUIT recognized by Montana Ambassadors and Gov. Bullock, Page 16

Billie Ruff - Hotels boost guest loyalty with borrowing programs

Economic Development..........................................................................................................................................................................10 Steve Arveschoug - Linking Lockwood’s TEDD and the Billings Bypass project makes sense

Sales Moves...........................................................................................................................................................................................................14 Jeffery Gitomer - Face-to-face networking still the key to success

Better Business..................................................................................................................................................................................................18 Erin T. Dodge - Tax-related scams are on the rise, according to IRS

Strategies for Success.............................................................................................................................................................................34 Joe Michels - When sales exceed expectations, that’s a good problem to have billings BUSINESS EVERY MONTH

From the Editor........................................................................................................................................................................................................4 By the numbers......................................................................................................................................................................................................5

Flood or Fire, we will restore your property from beginning to end. Complete Reconstruction Licensed • Bonded • Insured Preferred by Major Insurance Companies.

406-628-0178

—24 hour contact line—

www.alphaomegapros.com

The local economy at a glance

Chamber News.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 11 Kevin Kremer - Your Chamber membership represents a sound business investment

Billings Business is mailed each month

Five Minutes with............................................................................................................................................................................................24

to area business owners, managers and

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Tabatha Butler - Taxpayer Advocacy Panel

Success Stories.................................................................................................................................................................................................33 Page 24 Tabatha Butler

I April 2015

The Listings............................................................................................................................................................................................................36

decision makers for $19.95 per year. mailing address and phone number to:

Billings Business 401 North Broadway Billings, MT 59101 Billingsbusiness

Billingsbusiness

April 2015

the editor

T his M ontanan knows what it ’ s like to swim in the S hark T ank The Billings business community will be buzzing when branding guru and Shark Tank investor Damond John takes the stage during the annual Billings Chamber Breakfast April 2. The dapper-dressing John is one of the regulars on the popular ABC TV show in which entrepreneurs seek capital from a panel of successful business owners. John’s business career is legendary. He launched a home-based sportswear business in 1992, but by 1998 his FUBU brand was pulling in $350 million per year in revenues. One Montanan, inventor Jared Joyce of Bozeman, knows what it’s like to swim in the Shark Tank on national TV. Joyce’s pitch for Five Minute Furniture, a patented, tool-free system for easy-to-assemble furniture, aired on Shark Tank three years ago. John dropped out of the bidding early, and even described Joyce as a “Slick Willie.” But two sharks, Kevin O’Leary and Lori Greiner, offered to buy Joyce’s patent for $250,000. Joyce declined their offer, saying that it would translate into no more than a break-even venture for his investors. In turn, O’Leary and Greiner also rejected Joyce’s effort to seek a more lucrative option. Immediately after his appearance on Shark Tank, Joyce signed a deal with Edison Nation, a firm that seeks to pair inventors and manufacturers.

Joyce, who graduated from the School of Architecture at Montana State University, said a number of companies have expressed interest in the concept, but so far it hasn’t been commercialized. One of the biggest hurdles to bringing the concept to market is the requirement to invest millions of dollars in tooling and equipment, Joyce said. Despite coming away without a deal from Shark Tank, Joyce views the experience as a net positive, in part because it put his face and his product in front of millions of television viewers. But getting onto the show proved to be a huge investment in time, he said. Joyce remembers working at least 20 hours finalizing the pitch that he had to give to the show’s producers. He also had to go through a weeklong inventor’s boot camp. And the television editing process often distorted reality. Joyce said his one-hour pitch before the Sharks was distilled into about 8 minutes. And while the segment is edited to promote a sense of tension, there was actually a more cordial relationship with the sharks, Joyce said. Joyce advises anybody yearning to be on Shark Tank to know their financial information backwards and forwards and practice on having a succinct pitch. Joyce has other irons in the fire. One, a power cord organizer known as PlugHub, has sold more than 13,000 units. So, Joyce serves as an example that it’s a significant accomplishment just to get on national TV. But when you swim with the sharks, sometimes you get bitten.

April 2015 • VOLUME 21 • NUMBER 6

mike gulledge tom howard COPY EDITOR chris jorgensen GENERAL MANAGER allyn hulteng PUBLISHER

editor

SALES

dave worstell ryan brosseau RETAIL Sales manager shelli scott ADVERTISING Sales karen anderson ADVERTISING Sales cherlyn milner ADVERTISING Sales arcadea scott advertising Coordinator linsay duty

Sales & Marketing Director Major accounts, classified, digital sales director

PRODUCTIOn

designer creative director

alyssa small bob tambo

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 North Broadway Billings, MT 59101 Advertising For retail advertising Call Karen Anderson, 657-1492; Cherlyn Milner, 657-1344; or Arcadea Scott, 657-1244. Advertising deadline for the May 2015 issue is 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 7. You may send material to ads@billingsbusiness.com or FAX to 657-1538. News If you would like to submit a news tip, story idea, announcement about your business or press release, please e-mail 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.

I April 2015

Billingsbusiness

Personal

By the Numbers

Business

LocaL and regionaL economic trends

real estate Member FDIC

agriculture Hilltop & Main 896-4800

Shiloh & Grand 655-3900

POST-BOOMER BUST?

Downtown 655-2400

4 3

In ten thousands

Source: Adecco, a human resources firm

December

January

February

October 2014 to February 2015

Jan.

Dec.

Feb.

Bozeman

November 2013 to February 2014 November 2014 to February 2015

YTD Through Feb. 28 2014

Montana winter wheat

Montana Beef Cattle

(per bushel)

(per cwt.)

Source: Montana Department of Transportation

Unemployment 7%

3 2

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

October 2013 to January 2014 October 2014 to January 2015

100

September 2013 to January 2014

October 2013 to January 2014 October 2014 to January 2015

150

Jan.

$200

September October November December January

Dec.

October 2013 to January 2014 October 2014 to January 2015

November 2013 to February 2014 November 2014 to February 2015 Source: National Park Service

Ag prices

Nov.

Missoula

Glacier National Park

2015

Source: City of Billings

Billingsbusiness

Nov.

Yellowstone National Park

Oct.

Billings 0

$8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

October 2013 to February 2014

New single-family home building permits

November

Billings housing starts

October

Worden 967-3612

Airport boardings

National park visitors

Nearly 20 percent of skilled trade workers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; occupations that include electricians, boiler operators and engineering technicians â&#x20AC;&#x201D; are between 55 and 64 years old. Employment professionals warn that replacing retiring baby boomers will be difficult without more emphasis on vocational training.

14th & Grand 371-8100

In ten thousands

King Ave 655-2700

www.stockmanbank.com

1 September October November December January September 2014 to January 2015

Aug.

Sept.

Montana

Oct.

Nov.

Yellowstone County

Dec.

Jan.

U.S.

Source: Montana Department of Labor and Industry

April 2015

Partners by design Billings Depot, event planner are making waves on Montana Avenue By TOM HOWARD A s the busy summer wedding season approaches , couples who choose to get hitched at the B illings D epot will experience a versatile venue teeming with local history .

Photo by James Woodcock Better To Gather Event Planning event planner Cassie LaGreca, right, with Jennifer Mercer, center, executive director of the depot and Kimberlee Garcia, the depot’s development director.

“It’s so exciting for me as a decorator to have this kind of spot that can be a showcase for my talents. We can decorate it 15 ways to Sunday.” — Cassie LaGreca’s Better to Gather event planner

I April 2015

The depot has hosted presidents delivering whistle-stop speeches, and legend has it that Calamity Jane operated a brothel just across the tracks. Passenger trains stopped rolling into Billings in 1979, but a revived Billings Depot continues to earn recognition as a popular events center. As part of its evolution, the depot has developed a close partnership with events planning company Better to Gather, which has decorated the historic venue numerous times since moving to Montana Avenue last November. Symbiosis — a mutually beneficial relationship between different people or groups — is perhaps the best way to describe the relationship between the depot and Better to Gather. Cassie LaGreca’s Better to Gather studio occupies the postal building, one of four structures that comprise the historic Billings Depot property.

Trains delivered mail to Billings for years after the depot’s opening in 1909. Each day thousands of pieces of mail flowed into the blocky red-roofed brick building with high ceilings, south-facing windows and large sliding doors. LaGreca said the space provides an ideal location where she can design decorations and fixtures for weddings and other gatherings. The studio-like setting also hosts other events such as bachelorette parties and crafting classes. “I think the depot is such a stunning venue, and is so conducive to decorating in so many different ways,” said LaGreca, who worked as an event planner in Chicago for a decade before she moved back to her native Billings in the fall of 2013. LaGreca described the depot as a blank slate that lends itself to a number of different looks. “It’s so exciting for me as a Billingsbusiness

Special lighting, drapes and custom table settings were part of the Taste of Billings event. Photo by CASSIE LAGRECA

Billingsbusiness

April 2015

decorator to have this kind of spot that can be a showcase for my talents. We can decorate it 15 ways to Sunday,” she said. “This is a fun opportunity for both of us,” said Jennifer Mercer, the depot’s executive director. “We can support Cassie’s business, and she supports us.” Whenever somebody inquires about renting the Billings Depot for a wedding, Mercer sits down with them to discuss dates and other options such as catering, décor, entertainment and lighting. Although putting on a memorable event is the primary goal, Mercer also has a detailed session with clients so that their special day isn’t spoiled by runaway costs. “With a lot of weddings people end up spending three times more than what they thought,” Mercer said. “We give them a one-hour crash course.” In it, she provides information on an average budget for a Billings wedding, with options on how to make it happen. Because Better to Gather is a preferred provider, Mercer shares renderings and photos of LaGreca’s work, as well as price lists, to fit different budgets. “It’s an amazing thing for our clients,” Mercer said. “Virtually all of them can afford to do one package or another.” Better to Gather is a preferred client, but not an exclusive client, Mercer said. Customers who rent the depot always have the option of hiring their own wedding professionals. LaGreca studied graphic design and printmaking in college. After a brief stint at a Chicago advertising agency, she went to work for a small floral shop in Chicago, and then landed a job at Kehoe Designs, one of nation’s top event planning agencies. “I got into a great mentorship with (owner) Tom Kehoe, and he’s still one of my great friends,” LaGreca said. “He taught me how to structure a deal and handle certain client situations. He really helped me find my footing.” LaGreca said planning a wedding is a little like buying a house because so many people contribute to the process. “You have the mortgage guy, the Realtor and the contractor,” she said. “For me, I do large-scale props like drapes and lighting effects like bistro lights and twinkle lights.” When the client wants a more dramatic effect, LaGreca calls in lighting specialists. Mercer said the Billings Depot’s busy summer wedding season is starting to fill up. The recent Billings Depot Bridal Fair brought in more than 30 vendors, such as photographers, florists, lighting specialists, formal wear sellers, and caterers. LaGreca is constantly on the lookout for themes and personal touches to make a wedding special. Her own wedding, which took place at Roys Barn and Resort outside of Bozeman, was planned around a carnival theme, and was featured in a 2011 issue of Brides Magazine. 8

I April 2015

Photos by JAMES WOODCOCK Event Planner Cassie LaGreca’s event planning business, Better to Gather, is located in the postal building at the Billings Depot.

LaGreca’s bridesmaids carried bouquets of blue cotton candy. She was photographed in a sack race, wearing her wedding dress. The menu included soft pretzels and other carnival fare. She and her husband, Chris, were photographed poking their heads out the windows of an ice cream truck. Efforts to improve marketing of the depot and fill up its calendar are paying off. Kimberlee Garcia started as development director last October. “My goal is to raise money through a number of events that help maintain, improve and restore the depot,” Garcia said. Like many historic buildings the depot has significant maintenance needs, which are addressed by fundraising events. The Taste of Billings helped raise money to repair and replace gutters. Future projects include buying new chairs and planting a row of hops along a tall wire fence that separates the depot from the railroad tracks. “The reason we’re succeeding is that Billings Better To Gather, an event planning business at the postal building in the Billings Depot, also hosts events such as bachelorette continues to support these kinds of places,” Mercer parties and craft workshops. said. “Through sponsorship of these events, we’ll keep the depot and Montana Avenue thriving.” Billingsbusiness

TRAVEL &leisure

H otels boost guest loyalty with borrowing programs

Frequent business travelers are benefiting from programs from top hotel luxury brands and the mid-tier brands. It builds loyalty because it fulfills a need and it surprises.

Billie Ruff Billie Ruff is owner of Travel Cafe. Reach her at travelcafeonline.com.

Billingsbusiness

With their excellent guest surveys, hoteliers want to find out what keeps a guest loyal to their brand. In a race to stay competitive, a borrowing program gives frequent travelers an easy way to make their free time more enjoyable. Borrowing programs are expanding beyond the luxury suite to select service hotels. Frequent business travelers are benefiting from programs from top hotel luxury brands and the mid-tier brands. It builds loyalty because it fulfills a need and it surprises. Plus the traveler gets to eliminate packing running gear, golf clubs and appliances. Interesting and unique borrowing programs include: Hyatt Has It was introduced in February 2013 with similar offerings. The program is aimed at the female traveler, since female travelers tend to put more items in their luggage. The program is offered under different names at all Hyatt brands. Westin Gear Lending with New Balance — for a small fee ($5), Westin now offers New Balance shoes and clothing for travelers to use during their stay. Travelers can request items in their size from Service Express, and they are conveniently delivered to their guest room. Shoes come with socks that are brand new and for the travelers to keep. Upon departure, the items are left in

the room in their mesh bag. “Forgot It? We’ve Got It” is Kimpton’s program offering items from contact lens solution to collar stays. The Kimpton program offers a variety of small items and appliances, including chargers, extension cords and curling irons. Lending Locker at Candlewood Suites, Intercontinental Hotel Group’s extended stay brand, launched Lending Locker in the Fall of 2014 and will be available at their 304

properties by Spring of 2015. Guests can borrow household items not usually found in hotel rooms, such as blenders, crock pots, pliers and a George Foreman Grill. All they have to do is fill out a check-out form at the front desk and return the item within a few days. The majority of guest borrow items for more than one day, and almost half borrow items for two to three days. Other cool stuff travelers can borrow: A number of hotels near

golf courses, such as the Montage Beverly Hills and the Candlewood Suites in Mooresville, N.C., both let guests borrow golf clubs rather than having to rent them at the course. At the Jane Hotel, Maritime Hotel and Bowery Hotel in New York City, as well as at Kimpton Hotels, guests can borrow bikes free of charge. And at Sheraton Hotels and Resorts guests can call the front desk to get a complimentary work out kit that includes a mat,

resistance band, massage stick, foam roller and book filled with exercises. Some hotel chains like Hilton’s Conrad have iPads in rooms for guests, and many hotels have chargers for guests to borrow. At other hotels, like the Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth, Maine guests can borrow Kindles that are preloaded with short stories and poetry. So, now is your chance to travel light but enjoy some niceties of home. April 2015

SPONSORED BY THE big sky economic development

L inking L ockwood ’ s TEDD and the B illings B ypass project makes sense This process will give the Lockwood community the opportunity to plan for its own growth, to identify the projects that are most important to them ... and to participate in the management of the TEDD.

Steve Arveschoug Steve Arveschoug is the executive director of Big Sky Economic Development. Contact him at 406-869-8401.

I April 2015

Recently, the Yellowstone County commissioners linked two very important projects together for Big Sky Economic Development to navigate: the Lockwood Targeted Economic Development District project and the Billings Bypass project. While perhaps surprising to many, the linkage does make sense. The Bypass will bisect the planned industrial park, known as the Trailhead Commerce Park (one of the anchor tenants for the proposed TEDD), which lies generally north of Coulson Road, south of the Yellowstone River and east of Johnson Lane. Since that momentous County Commission meeting on March 6, BSED has facilitated a number of meetings with the projects’ stakeholders in an effort to reach consensus among those who insist on separated pedestrian facilities along the Bypass and those who vehemently resist any effort that might result in the opening of the Record of Decision. To many on both sides of the issue, opening the ROD would be the death knell of the Bypass. BSED’s ongoing meetings include conversations with Montana Department of Transportation representatives, pedestrian advocates,

Lockwood’s taxing entities, Lockwood’s civic groups, and various elected officials. Already, the initial “zero-sum gridlock” is gradually giving way to a common interest in industry, community, safety, connectivity and accessibility. Two major projects dawn on Lockwood’s horizon: the Trailhead Commerce Park and the Bypass. Together, they hold incredible promise for economic prosperity, enhanced quality of life, and renewed independence for this rugged-no-nonsensekind-of place. These projects align well with BSED’s three pillars: support services for existing businesses, new business recruitment, and community development. We remain focused on sustaining and growing our region’s vibrant economy and outstanding quality of life. We do so by providing leadership and resources for business creation, expansion, retention, new business recruitment and community development. We were designed to be steadfast in our commitment to the Lockwood community and the proposed TEDD. Toward that end, we will continue our efforts to reach consensus among the projects’ stakeholders. Confident that we will

be successful, we will return to the county commissioners with a request to move forward to Phase II of our planning process. That process will allow us to continue working with our consultants and the Lockwood community to develop a Compre-

hensive Development Plan for the TEDD. This process will give the Lockwood community the opportunity to plan for its own growth, to identify the projects that are most important to them, to rank order those projects, and to participate in the manage-

ment of the TEDD, should the commissioners elect to create it. Currently, we are designing a website to help answer the community’s questions about the TEDD tool and BSED’s planning process. Please check back often: www.lockwoodtedd.com.

c r e aT i N g M o N Ta N a BuSiNeSS opporTuNiTieS

Business Assistance Big Sky Economic Development is Yellowstone County’s first stop for business assistance. Whether you’re starting, struggling or surging, we have services that can help your business grow. And it starts with just a phone call or visit.

Contact Big Sky Economic Development today! 4 0 6 . 2 5 6 . 6 87 1 222 N. 32nd Street, Billings, MT 59101 www.bigskyeconomicdevelopment.org Billingsbusiness

Upcoming Chamber/ CVB Functions More details and RSVP: www. billingschamber.com or call 245-4111

SPONSORED BY THE BILLINGS CHAMBER of Commerce and CVB

Y our C hamber membership represents a sound

Enter the Tank: Chamber Breakfast 2015

Professional Development Seminar Coaching/Mentoring

Thursday, April 2, 2015 MetraPark Rimrock Auto Arena Featuring Daymond John, 7-9 a.m. $25/member, $35/non-members

Wednesday, April 22, 2015 Billings Chamber, 5:30-7:30 p.m. $25, BillingsNextGen.com

April Business After Hours Wednesday, April 8, 2015 Beartooth Harley Davidson/Buell 6900 S. Frontage Road, 5-7 pm. Cost is $8.

business investment When you join the Billings Chamber, you’re not only making a great investment decision for your business, you’re also making a commitment to our community.

Kevin Cremer Kevin Cremer is business development manager for the Billings Chamber of Commerce. Contact him at 406-869-3724 or at Kevin@billingschamber.com

Billingsbusiness

Are you a member of the Billings Chamber of Commerce? Many businesses join simply because it seems like a logical next step in their business plan. Others have specific goals in mind. In some cases, businesses join without a real understanding of everything the Chamber is doing for businesses and the community. So, whether you are a member of our organization or not, take a look at why we believe our organization is a worthy and necessary place to invest. First and foremost, the Billings Chamber of Commerce is here to help create and promote an environment where businesses can flourish. Through networking, business advocacy, government affairs, advertising and events, we provide benefits to nearly 1,200 members. It is our goal to help Billings businesses grow and prosper and as so, we believe in Billings, its residents and its potential. When you join the Billings Chamber,you’re not only making a great investment decision for your business, you’re also making a commitment to our community. In addition to a pro-business agenda, the Chamber focuses on issues that help promise a progressive Billings community. We take leadership roles on issues like

public safety and education, seek growth and enhancement of quality of life amenities, and strive to make Billings a place where businesses want to operate and customers want to live and visit. In a more direct application to your business, the Chamber is here to help you succeed. With premiere business and networking opportunities included in the list of benefits, the Billings Chamber offers reliable support to help your business grow and prosper. Your membership is an investment that offers a return in the form of new customers for your business, a stronger local economy and an exceptional quality of life for Billings’ residents. The reasons for belonging to this organization are varied. If you simply want to further your business and drive more sales, there is a membership for you. We advocate on policy issues that can lower operational costs; offer advertising and marketing to drive traffic and sales without your necessary involvement; continually strive to build the local work force; and offer direct leads, personal visibility, and continuing education. If you’re looking to support an organization that works to invest in and help build our community, we’ve got that

option for you as well. The Billings Chamber brings longterm vision for our region; we work to support and maintain a sustainable, thriving economy; build a business-friendly environment; be civic-minded; and ultimately encourage positive growth for our region. The bottom line is this: when you invest in the Billings

Chamber of Commerce, you invest in connections, advocacy and growth. A team of committed staff works daily to build each and every business as well as our community. The Billings Chamber of Commerce represents you, our nearly 1,200 members who employ more than 44,000 people. We help you grow your bottom line by

connecting you to opportunities and advocating for your business and our community. If you aren’t a member and want to learn more, contact Kevin@BillingsChamber.com. If you are a member and want to learn more about your benefits, contact Rene@BillingsChamber.com. Both can also be reached at 406.245.4111. Presenting Sponsor

BillingsChamber.com

Trailhead Classic GOLF TOURNAMENT

May 8th | Briarwood Golf Club Shotgun starts at 7:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. $500/team of 4 | single spots available Visit BillingsChamber.com for details

April 2015

SPECIAL REPORT: ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRENDS, FORECASTS & PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES

BOB ZELLAR/Gazette Staff Taylor Miles shows an unmanned aerial vehicle used in agriculture at the recent MATE Show in Billings. The vehicles can boost yields for farmers and ranchers.

I April 2015

Billingsbusiness

ENTREPRENEURSHIP BY THE NUMBERS

New business provides unmanned aerial vehicles for farmers, ranchers By TOM HOWARD T he battle against drought , insect infestations and weeds has taken to the air in farms and ranches across the country . Brothers Trevor and Taylor Miles have launched Landview Technologies Inc., a new Billings company that specializes in unmanned aerial vehicles designed specifically to help farmers control pests and boost productivity. The spiderlike machine can easily fit in the back of a pickup and is powered by six propellers. It can hover and soar, while providing a birds-eye view of the landscape through its video camera. “This UAV technology is getting big, and we saw an opportunity in using it in agriculture,” Trevor said. Soon after the new business took off, the Miles bothers have been hearing from agricultural producers who are dreaming up new uses for the remotecontrolled vehicle. “One guy who contacted me said he can find most of his cattle, but that there’s always 10 percent that he can’t find, and it would take weeks to find them,” Taylor said. With cattle prices hovering at around $150 per hundredweight, that’s a lot of money tied up in lost critters. The rancher liked the idea of using a UAV to find his cattle in rugged country without spending days searching for them, he said. The UAV sold by Landview Technologies pays for itself. The machine saves fuel by allowing the farmer to check his fields remotely rather than hopping in a truck and driving to the far corners of his property. Likewise, the vehicle’s video camera can help boost crop yields by helping the farmer check for weeds or insect outbreaks, Taylor said. The brothers aren’t strangers to harnessing modern technology to enhance agricultural production. Since 2011, Trevor has run Milestone Seed, a Billings company that specializes in seeds for a variety of crops, including corn, sugar beets, alfalfa, grains, grasses, sunflowers and cover crops. “I grew up in the seed business,” Trevor said. Billingsbusiness

Modern seeds, developed by armies of agricultural scientists and tailored specifically for different climates, are essential to today’s surprising crop yields, including a 2014 Billings-area beet harvest that eclipsed 37 tons per acre. “A lot of people think we’re busy just in the spring, but that’s deceiving because there’s a lot of fall planting going on,” Trevor said of the seed business. You don’t necessarily have to be a top gun to fly a UAV, but practice makes perfect, the brothers say. After a UAV is ordered, Landview Technologies provides the farmer with a smaller training unit so he can practice takeoffs, landings and other maneuvers. “Although it’s smaller than the actual unit, it has the same kinds of controls,” Taylor said. “That way they can familiarize themselves with the vehicle while their unit is being constructed. By the time their unit is done, they’ll be really proficient and they’ll have the confidence at running it.” The UAV sold by Landview Technologies is designed to be both rugged and versatile. “You can do it with a high-definition visual camera, which gives you a birds-eye view,” Taylor said. “Or you have the option of using an infrared camera, which has a wider color spectrum. That will allow you to detect issues in your crops before you can actually see it.” Most people associate unmanned aircraft with terrorist-hunting military drones. But increasingly, the vehicles are being adapted to civilian uses. UAVs have been used to measure environmental conditions, survey wildlife populations, map archaeological sites and inspect power lines and communication towers. “When people hear the word ‘drone,’ they get intimidated, but we don’t like them to be referred to as drones,” Trevor said. “This isn’t a toy that you can buy down at a store in the mall,” he said. “It’s a tool that’s tailored specifically to farming. It’s a more rugged vehicle.” Last year Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos raised eyebrows when he suggested during a “60 Minutes” interview that the company will soon use UAVs to deliver packages to consumers. Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration is developing new rules designed to regulate an evolving industry. “There are some rules, but they’re not all set in stone,” Trevor said. “Some of it’s common sense. You can’t fly near airports or around crowds of people. You have to be safe.”

sponsored by

Attorneys at Law The Securities Building 2708 First Avenue North, Suite 300 Billings, MT 59101

(406) 255-0400 telephone (406) 255-0697 facsimile

Montana remains a hotbed of entrepreneurship A couple of recent studies indicate that the United States is becoming less entrepreneurial. In other words, fewer Americans are interested in starting their own business. Research by the Brookings Institution has found that business dynamism has declined across the nation. Researchers at Brookings found that business deaths have outnumbered business creations at least since 2008, when the great recession started. Business dynamism is the process in which firms are born, fail, expand, and contract, as some jobs are created, others are destroyed, and others still are turned over. “Entrepreneurs play a critical role in this process, and in net job creation,” according to Brookings. Research by Brookings shows a steady slowdown of business creation. “Business churning and new firm formations have been on a persistent decline during the last few decades, and the pace of net job creation has been subdued. This decline has been documented across a broad range of sectors in the U.S. economy,” Brookings reports. Despite this decline, the Kauffman Foundation has found that Montana continues to lead the nation in entrepreneurship.

In 2013, Montana had 610 business owners per 100,000 population, more than double the national average of 280 entrepreneurs per 100,000. Alaska ranked second in the nation with 470 entrepreneurs per 100,000 population. “Overall, the message here is clear,” the Brookings Institution’s authors concluded. “Business dynamism and entrepreneurship are experieicng a troubling secular decline in the United States. Existing research and a cursory review of broad data aggregates show that the decline in dynamism hasn’t been isolated to particular industrial sectors and firm sizes.” The Brookings Institution’s authors concluded that it’s difficult to ascertain concrete reasons for the decline in business dynamism. It is clear that these trends fit into a larger narrative of business consolidation occurring in the U.S. economy. Montana Entrepreneurship rate: 610 entrepreneurs per 100,000 population Wyoming Entrepreneurship rate: 370 entrepreneurs per 100,000 population National Entrepreneurship rate: 280 per 100,000 population Source: Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, May 2014

April 2015

SALES moves

F ace - to - face networking still the key to success

‘It’s about developing core networking places and participating, getting involved and establishing a leadership position.’

Jeffrey Gitomer 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

I April 2015

How important is face-toface networking to sales, relationships, career and success? I asked my commercial insurance agent, John Cantrell, to give me a synopsis of his networking strategies. John has been a friend, client and vendor for the past 22 years. Here are two important facts about John: n His insurance business has exploded with growth over the past 22 years. n He is a major business networker in Charlotte, N.C. I wonder if these two facts are connected? (Hint: They are.) I asked John to tell me what networking has meant to him and his business over the last 20 years. His immediate answer was, “It has been the foundation of my most valuable clients, friends, suppliers. and relationships.” Here’s the background of how to succeed as a local business networker from arguably the toughest sales category on the planet: insurance. Here is John’s story and tips in his own words: When I started in the insurance business, the first things I did was join the Charlotte Chamber. I started in the insurance business in 1993 as a fresh graduate from East Carolina with a finance degree. My dad gave me an opportunity, a desk, a chair and a salary with a declining scale. He wasn’t going to throw me into the 10-foot-deep water immediately, but he did make

the impact known that I had to learn how to eat what I kill. Shortly after joining the Chamber, I was a little discouraged. One of my best friends, Richard Herd, and I were talking one day about me not continuing to participate in the Chamber. It was about six months after my joining and he said, “just stick it out, get involved, get on some committees, and see what happens after a year. If you don’t like it, I’ll pay for your membership.” Little did I know that some of the people that I met then would be my best friends and longest-term clients 20 years later. Here is John’s networking and leadership history in the Charlotte Chamber: n Business Growth Network. Served on committees welcoming new members and meeting other small business owners. n Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. Committee Member and Chair for three years. Involved in selecting, interviewing and running the event held at the Convention Center. n Charlotte Chamber Business Owner Peer Group. For five years he met monthly with noncompeting business owners to discuss business problems. How to hire, fire, train and market business. n Chamber New Member Orientation. For two years he chaired and led a monthly meeting to explain how the Chamber works for new

members. n Charlotte Area Councils. John has been involved in this for 10 years and he’s still active at the monthly lunch meetings where they bring in a speaker and offer time to network. n Business After Hours. Cocktails after work with other business professionals at different venues around town. Great way to keep friendships current. n Charlotte Chamber Board of Advisers. A higherlevel membership that attracts more of the high-level business owners and managers. John says, “It’s about developing core networking places and participating, getting involved and establishing a leadership position. But everyone is different. Some

people are morning people, and some are night owls. Work at your best system and process that lets you get the most done in the time that you dedicate to networking.” Here are John’s other core networking groups described in his own words: n Rotary. I have been in Rotary clubs since 1997, where I was the founder of Mecklenburg South Rotary. Rotary has been a great organization to participate in. It is not a sales networking organization. It is a service club that gives you the opportunity to meet and network with others. n Leads groups. I have been in numerous different groups that have differing levels of success. One of the best things that you can do in those is use it as opportuni-

ties to build relationships with people you trust and value and who work in similar circles as you do. Note from John to newcomers: When you are brand-new in the sales world, you don’t have a lot of things filling your calendar. Fill it with networking events and Chamber events. Fill it with opportunities to meet and build your network of people. The best strategy is to help them achieve the things they’re trying to achieve. Pay it forward and you’ll always get paid back. Note from Jeffrey: Thank you, John, for providing your personal achievements. You are a model networker. I hope many other salespeople and businesspeople will follow your path. Billingsbusiness

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April 2015

As gas flares in the background, workers from GTUIT operate portable gas capture equipment near Watford City, N.D. Photo by LARRY MAYER

GTUIT recognized by Montana Ambassadors, Bullock By BILLINGS BUSINESS

The fast-growing Billings company, started by three engineers who have worked in the oil and gas industry for more than 20 GTUIT, an industry leader and years, pioneered and developed a mobile system to extract natural innovator in capturing natural gas liquids at the wellhead, reducing the amount of flared gas. The process not only cuts emissions, gas before it is flared at the but also allows the gas to be put to productive use, not burned off as well site , has been named the waste. The company has been active M ontana A mbassadors ’ 2014 in the Bakken oilfields, helping oil and gas producers safely reduce B usiness of the Y ear . 16

I April 2015

flaring, increase oil production, conserve energy and meet environmental regulations. Montana Gov. Steve Bullock and the Montana Ambassadors made the announcement Feb. 11 in Helena, recognizing several companies and individuals for making outstanding contributions to economic development in Montana. “Serving energy sectors around the Northwest and around the world, GTUIT is a great example in the industry, and a fine representative of a Montana busi-

ness,” the announcement said. Brian Cebull, president and CEO, Mark Peterson, chief operating officer, and Jim Haider, chief technology officer, founded the firm in 2011. Christian Orms, chief financial officer, and George Chedsey, director of business development, round out the company’s leadership team. James Haider, chief technology officer for GTUIT, said regulations aimed at limiting natural gas flaring have created a robust market for the company’s equip-

ment and services. GTUIT manufactures the gas capturing equipment and also provides the service to help producers capture the gas. “Definitely, the regulations in North Dakota have helped our business,” Haider said recently. “The Williston Basin in general has continually increased its production, and that is a huge opportunity for many manufacturers,” Haider said. GTUIT doesn’t have its own manufacturing plant. Instead, it Billingsbusiness

Workers from GTUIT prepare to disperse to operate portable gas capture equipment in the Bakken oil field near Watford City, N.D.

Photos by LARRY MAYER A GTUIT operator checks the level of captured gas in the Bakken oil field near Watford City, N.D.

contracts with several companies that fabricate and assemble the portable equipment that is used when oil wells begin production. “We’re delighted that GTUIT has been recognized by the Montana Ambassadors and the governor,” Cebull said. “It is a great honor for our team of world-class employees who have been critical in our success.” Cebull said the company has a passion to find innova-

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tive solutions to further reduce emissions and create more uses for the wellhead gas, while staying focused on service and safety. “Many of the Bakken’s leading producers are our clients,” he said. “We’re excited to work with them and other oilfield companies to prevent waste of this valuable energy resource and develop profitable outlets for flared and conditioned gas.” Montana Ambassadors is a

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build Montana business and further the best interests of the state. GTUIT was nominated for the honor by Steve Holland and Greg Kohn.

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BETTER business

T ax - related scams are on the rise , according to IRS Scammers are constantly looking for new angles and ways to defraud individuals and businesses.

Erin T. Dodge Erin T. Dodge, is an editor for the Better Business Bureau of Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho and Montana in Spokane. Contact the bureau at spokane.bbb.org.

I April 2015

In 2015, federal agencies have seen a rise in tax-related scams for individuals. These government impersonation scams can catch even the most skeptical person off guard. Individuals are not the only ones being targeted by this tactic. Business owners and employees also need to watch out for impersonators of federal, state and local agencies. Business owners in other states have received fake documents with titles that include “Annual Minutes” and the words compliance or requirement and falsely claim to be from the Secretary of State. The scammers request the business to fill out the form or make any changes to a pre-filled form and return it with the associated fee. In Montana, scammers could try to seem legitimate by mailing or emailing an official-looking document referring to the “Business Entity Annual Report” filing and associated fee. Businesses are familiar with this annual process of filing with the Montana Secretary of State and may not give it a second thought that such a document arrived. All in all, the fees are low so the document seems benign. Or scammers could attempt more threatening tactics by making claims that unpaid business income tax is owed, impersonating

the Montana Department of Revenue, or by claiming that a lien has been filed against the business, impersonating the Montana Secretary of State. In these cases, scammers might use fast-approaching deadlines for paying fees to simply refute the claim. Businesses have also received phishing and malware emails, claiming to be from a government employee. The emails most often include links to “official” documents or “required” actions and may sometimes have attachments that contain malware. Such links and attachments could compromise business identities and financial accounts as well as breach data security. Scammers are constantly looking for new angles and ways to defraud individuals and businesses. Scammers often use the following tactics when impersonating state or local government agencies: n Use a mailing address that can be confused for the agency, such as a P.O. box in the state’s capitol. n Use a phone number that is similar to state agency phone numbers with a few numbers different. Spoof caller ID so that they seem to be calling from the agency. n Spoof an email address so that the email appears to be from an official government entity or individual. n Make requests for Billingsbusiness

filing fees that are small and in line with agency fees. This tactic is fairly effective because we often think of scammers as greedy fraudsters who attempt to bilk large sums of money. Instead, scammers are trying to steal small amounts from many businesses, spreading the effect of their greed. n Use actual state law and statutes, agency names and agency ID numbers registered to your business to legitimize their “claim” and fee requests. n Provide pre-filled documents with your business or corporate information that “require” your proofing and updating before you mail or email them back, along with the annual or processing “fee.”

n May take a more threatening tone, claiming that business income tax is owed or a lien has been filed against the business and creating a sense of urgency with filing deadlines. When your business receives any direct correspondence — emails, postal mail, or even phone calls — from someone claiming to represent a government agency, the Better Business Bureau recommends the following: n When unexpected email arrives, never click on links or open attachments. If you think the email may be official, contact the agency or organization by phone or email using official, verified information that you’ve gotten through an independent searched.

n When official-looking postal mail or email arrives, take a few minutes to contact the agency or do a quick search for known scams. If you find that you are a target of a scam, report it to the agency in question so that others are aware. n If you are ever asked to pay fees using a wire transfer or a pre-paid debit card, then you can be sure that you are dealing with a scammer. n Scammers, just like the public, have access to information about business entities registered with the state. Scammers will use that information to lure you to give them even more information. Go ahead and stonewall unsolicited requests for information. Better safe than sorry that you shared what

could compromise financial or security information for the business. Information is also a valuable weapon for business owners and employees to avoid getting caught in a scammer’s snare. One way to make sure your entire organization stays informed about business scams is to add it the agenda for every all-staff meeting. The responsibility of reporting could fall to one person or rotate through departments and individuals. Often you can sign up for scam alert notifications from different government agencies and other organizations. For those without automatic email notifications, you can set up a monthly reminder to check the websites for any new alerts. Here is a list of

online alerts from agencies and organizations: n Montana Secretary of State Business Scams webpage: http://sos.mt.gov/business/Scams/index.asp n Montana Department of Revenue Scam Alerts and Newsroom webpages: http:// revenue.mt.gov/home/scamalert and http://revenue. mt.gov/home/newsroom n Montana Department of Justice Scam Alerts webpage: https://dojmt.gov/ consumer/scam-alerts/ n USA.gov Small Business Scam Alerts webpage: http://1.usa.gov/1xvDnCh n Better Business Bureau of Eastern Washington, North Idaho and Montana News and Events webpage: http://www. bbb.org/eastern-washington/ news-events/.

... scammers are trying to steal small amounts from many businesses, spreading the effect of their greed.

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All American Pharnmaceutial receives state grant to aid in expansion By TOM HOWARD B illings - based A ll A merican P harmaceutical and

N atural F oods

C orp . has received a

$170,000 state

grant to help purchase new equipment as it expands into new markets . The grant to All American was among $1 million awarded to Montana companies from the Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund. Gov. Steve Bullock and Meg O’Leary, director of the Montana Department of Commerce, announced the grants in March. All American, which manufactures and markets nutritional supplements, has operated out of the former Kmart building in the Billings Heights since 2006. The business has experienced steady growth, and last year it received authorization to sell baby formula in China. Chinese authorities have turned to imported sources of baby formula in the wake of a 2008 scandal in which Chinese infant formula was contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine, according 22

I April 2015

Photos by James Woodcock Billings-based All American Pharmaceutical and Natural Foods Corp. has received a $170,000 state grant to help pay for work force training as it expands into new markets.

to Jeff Golini, owner. All American’s expansion will result in the creation of 34 jobs. Big Sky Economic Development Corp. of Yellowstone County assisted All American in the grant application. “These grand funds will support the creation of 139 new jobs in several Montana communities,” O’Leary said in news release. “These jobs will be filled by our friends and neighbors, who will in turn contribute to our local economies and generate positive social and economic impacts.” The 2005 Legislature created the Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund by transferring $20 million from the Coal Severance Tax Permanent Trust Fund. Grant Erica Leighton works at All American Pharmaceutical, sorting the product Kre-Alkelyn Hardcore in the Billings Heights plant. awards are made from interest generated by the trust fund. round of funding were: able Energy Systems Inc. in n City of Hamilton, Other grants that were n Missoula County, Lolo, for a renewable energy $240,000 to Applied Training funded in the most recent $547,500 to LGT Sustainproject. Resources Inc., to purchase a

new building. The following planning grants were awarded: n $26,250 to Prospera Business Network, to assist Oracle Film Group of Bozeman, for a feasibility study on the possibility of opening an animation feature film studio in southwestern Montana. n $26,250 to Bear Paw Development to assist the Port of Wild Horse in Havre to study the feasibility of converting the port to an international port of entry. n $4,750 to Prosper Business Network to assist Montana Maltings to study the feasibility of building a malt house in Manhattan. n $26,250 to Prospera Business Network to assist the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce for studying two Targeted Economic Development Districts in Big Sky. Billingsbusiness

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Tabatha Butler

Helping the IRS improve

By TOM HOWARD F ew A mericans get a kick out of paying their income taxes . N ot surprisingly , national polls frequently rank the I nternal R evenue S ervice among the nation ’ s least popular federal agencies . But Tabatha Butler of Billings was recently appointed to the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel, a federal advisory committee that works to implement taxpayers’ suggestions on how to improve customer service for people dealing with the IRS. Butler ran the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program in Billings for about a year and a half before accepting a job with the First Interstate Bank Foundation. Despite changing jobs, Butler continues to work with VITA as a volunteer income tax preparer. The IRS started VITA in 1969 to assist low-income people with income tax preparation. As a member of TAP, Butler is among 75 volunteers who will work to improve customer service. “Members of TAP volunteer their time to present taxpayers and help the IRS understand their issues,” said John Koskinen, IRS commissioner. Here, Butler talks about participating in an effort to improve government service. Can you give us a little background on your role as a

I April 2015

panel member and what you hope to accomplish? The Tax Advocacy Panel is made of representatives across the country representing states and variety of people. The goal of the panel is to improve the IRS. The panel has several committees that research and discuss issues brought to us by taxpayers. I sit on the notices and correspondence committee. What I would really like to accomplish is that our taxpayers who receive notices from the IRS have a clear understanding of why they are receiving the notice and how to resolve it. Does the TAP meet at central locations, or do members have the option of taking advantage of teleconferencing? As budget permits, we meet once a year with our respective committee to train new members, like myself, and meet one another. All other work takes place online, via emails and monthly conference calls. Your experience running the VITA program in Billings seems to be relevant back-

expenses or depreciation. Is your professional background in accounting and tax preparation? Actually I have a master’s degree in applied historical research. My history background required researching and interpreting law, which has helped me understand tax law and more ground for being named to recently the Affordable Care Act the panel. How many people and its impact on taxes. does the Billings VITA proShould typical taxpayers gram serve? How many tax be concerned about congrespreparers are there? sional budget cuts targeting VITA is a wonderful prothe IRS? For example, this gram! We served more than year the IRS is expected to do 1,800 taxpayers last year and we about 46,000 fewer audits, hope to exceed that this year. We according to news reports. have 65 incredible volunteers Yes, the biggest concern for who are all IRS certified and they the typical taxpayer is delay in are very dedicated people. receiving your refund if you are It would seem that most receiving a check in the mail VITA clients have fairly or if you paper file your return. simple tax returns. What However, I wouldn’t try to slide happens for somebody who anything under on the IRS this has a little more complicated year. Audits run a year or two return? behind anyway. So funding A lot of our clients do have could return to normal levels basic tax returns, however, and auditing could return their we do help people with more normal levels as well. complicated returns as well. Finally, tell us a little bit There are two certification about your new job at the levels in the VITA program: First Interstate Bank Founbasic and advanced. Advanced dation. volunteers can help with capital I recently accepted a position gains, cancellation of debt and as the Philanthropy Associate some business income as long and Office Administrator for as the business was profitable First Interstate Foundation. The or the expenses were $10,000 First Interstate Foundation is or less. VITA does have some the Philanthropic arm of First limitations we cannot help with Interstate Bank. I thrilled to be a royalties, rent income, moving part of the organization.

Tabatha Butler has been appointed to the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel, a federal advisory committee charged with providing taxpayer suggestions to improve IRS customer service. Photo by CASEY PAGE

Billingsbusiness

special advertising section

48TH STREET STORAGE

Billingsbusiness

April 2015

special advertising section

Safe and Sound

Security and hometown Service hallmark SpaciouS weSt end Storage facility By Brittany Cremer • Photos By James Woodcock

The teen heartthrob posters had to go. Your daughter will understand. In their place, a lovely portrait of the Bighorns now adorns the wall—along with a new bed spread and curtains. While she’s home from college, the space will forever be “her room,” but honestly, your new guest suite has never looked better. Until… …her gills-full Subaru rolls into the driveway mid-May with all of her (ahem) important dorm room furnishings—Microwave, hot plates, cinder blocks, books—crates of books—and more “Gossip Girl” DVDs than you could shake a stick at. “Daddy—there’s TONS of extra room for my stuff since you wiped out my old room, right?” 26

I April 2015

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special advertising section

Clockwise from top left: Cameras on site feed into a security screen in the office—footage is also back-logged in case staff needs to take a second look. Reinforced panels separating units keep your goods safe, protected and secure. Safely secure belongings with a door lock. Next page top : The first phase of the construction process includes 122 units. The office at 48th Street Storage is spacious, comfortable and quiet. The design team took special care to install extra insulation to mute on-street traffic.

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Breaking mud

Assistance from the Big Sky EDA aided Melcher’s construction pursuits. “I’m new to The securiTy camera construction and had lots of questions,” aT The gaTe provides Melcher said. Two funcTions: The Big Sky EDA teamed with firsT, iT syncs wiTh Melcher in creating The phoTo id a strategic and detailed business informaTion 48Th plan, highlighting sTreeT sTorage has potential hiccups that might arise on file (To ensure along the way. ThaT The appropriaTe In January 2014, Melcher person is enTering secured financing The faciliTy), and iT for the project from Yellowstone Bank also Takes a snapshoT and was able to of The vehicle’s start firming up subcontractors. license plaTe. “Yellowstone “we wanT our Bank was incredible to work with—a cusTomers To have professional, personal every confidence touch every step of the way,” Melcher ThaT Their belongings said. are safe and secure.” In spring of 2014, Melcher was ready to start the dirt work on the lot—or so he thought. “We were antsy to get going, but had to wait it out because of the wet spring,” he said. “At one point, we had a flock of ducks floating in the footings at the build site,” Melcher said.

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Each storage unit measures 10’ x 10’— the approximate space needed to store the belongings from one bedroom, Melcher said. If desired, customers can also opt for a larger 10’ x 20’ space, which is basically two front/back units with the middle partition removed. Lined in concrete and rodent-sealed, customers can rest easy knowing their items are stored in a safe, dry, clean place. And there’s no worry that adjacent occupants might break in to your unit—the walls are reinforced with heavy-duty bolts and metal panels. A keypad entry and 16 security cameras add an extra layer of safety. The security camera at the gate provides two functions: first, it syncs with the photo ID information 48th Street Storage has on file (to ensure that the appropriate person is entering the facility), and it also takes a snapshot of the vehicle’s license plate. “We want our customers to have every confidence that their belongings are safe and secure,” Melcher said. Above: A security gate and keypad entry means no unauthorized entry. Left: Each storage unit is equipped with easy-to-use roll-up doors.

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Business Briefs Local Commerce at a Glance

OSHA honors local refinery

the best in the SBIR program. The award is named for Roland Tibbetts, acknowledged The Phillips 66 Billas the father of the Small ings Refinery celebrated its Business Innovation Rerecertification as a Voluntary search (SBIR) program, and Protection Program STAR is presented to a company or site as recognized by OSHA. individual that has leveraged This designation recognizes the SBIR/STTR investment employers and workers who in a way that has generated have implemented effeca measurable return in value tive processes for safety and to small business innovation health management and and the national economy. maintain better than average The SBA administers the injury and illness rates for SBIR and the STTR protheir respective industries. grams for small businesses The rigorous recertification seeking to advance their process occurs three years technological inventions in after initial certification as a the commercial marketplace. VPP STAR site and will occur The SBIR program is a highly every five years thereafter. competitive three-phase award program that encourSBA seeks ages small businesses to explore their technological nominations potential and helps them The U.S. Small Business profit from their inventions. Administration (SBA) is There are two types of seeking nominations for its Tibbetts awards. One prize annual Tibbetts and Small goes to businesses that have Business Innovation Research Hall of Fame Awards. participated in the SBIR or STTR award programs. Nominations can be Another award goes to orgasubmitted online at http:// nizations and/or individuals www.sbir.gov/news/2015who have not received SBIR/ tibbetts-and-hall-fameSTTR funding, but who have award-nominations. The contributed significantly in deadline is 11:59 p.m. EDT, implementing the programs April 10. Please note that for the first time, there is an or in supporting program option for nominations to be participants. The SBIR Hall of Fame, made by video presentation. The Tibbetts Awards are started in 2011, recognizes previous SBIR awardees with presented to those small businesses, support organi- a long period of extraordizations and/or individuals nary success in research, who are judged to exemplify innovation, and commerBillingsbusiness

Others came in below analysts’ predictions. Chrysler, General Motors, Honda and Nissan all saw gains of 6 percent or less. Ford’s U.S. sales were down 1.9 percent, as dealers lacked the inventory to meet demand for the new F-150 pickup truck. Volkswagen’s sales fell 5.2 percent. Falling unemployment, low interest rates and new versions of big sellers like the Jeep Cherokee — which saw sales jump 19 percent Economy fuels in February —drove buyauto sales ers to dealerships in many Billings area Ford dealcities. The forecasting firm ers say the newly designed LMC Automotive pushed up aluminum-bodied F150 its 2015 forecast by 40,000 pickup has been generating vehicles, based on strong debuzz on the car lots. “Before the truck was re- mand. The firm is expecting leased, we had people in here U.S. sales to top 17 million constantly to see the vehicle this year for the first time … . I’d say the enthusiasm is since 2001. Still, LMC said it became pretty high on it,” said Camapparent as the month went eron Jones, sales manager for along that bad weather in the Archie Cochrane Ford. mid-South and on the East At Laurel Ford, sales reps Coast was hurting sales. have sold eight or nine of Colonial Volkswagen of the aluminum models, and Medford, Mass., had almost officials at the dealership say they have about 100 more on no customers for a two-week period at the start of the order. month. Ken Cataldo, the Freezing temperatures dealership’s general manager, and drifts of snow took a said he and his staff spent small bite out of U.S. auto much of the time clearing sales in February, but most snow from cars and movautomakers still reported ing them around the lot just gains thanks to the strong north of Boston in order to economy. plow snow away. Toyota led major auto“It was the worst two makers with a 13.3 percent gain over last February. weeks of my life in the car

cialization within the SBIR program. Past SBIR Hall of Fame winners include IRobot, Qualcomm, and Symantec. All Tibbetts and SBIR Hall of Fame award winners will be selected by the SBA based on the recommendations of a panel of judges. The winners will be invited to an awards program held in June during the annual SBIR National Conference.

business,” said Cataldo, who’s been selling cars for 29 years. As temperatures warmed at the end of the month, some customers came out of hibernation. Colonial ended up selling 75 cars, still short of its goal of 115 and the normal monthly sales of 130, Cataldo said. He’s hoping to make up for the lost sales this month. “We’ve already put February in the rear-view mirror,” Cataldo said. There were also obstacles to overcome on the other side of the country. LMC said a dispute that halted some shipments of car parts into West Coast shipyards may also have impacted sales. The impasse was settled on Feb. 21. In California, gas prices soared to more than $3.30 per gallon after an explosion at a refinery; nationally, they rose around 30 cents per gallon. But the national average of $2.44 per gallon is still $1 less than a year ago, according to AAA. Toyota, with total sales of 180,467, bucked the industry with double-digit sales increases for the Camry, Corolla and Avalon sedans as well as SUVs and trucks. Prius hybrid sales were down 6.6, the victim of lower gas prices. GM’s sales rose 4.2 percent to 231,378. It got a

boost from big SUVs like the Cadillac Escalade, which saw sales nearly double over last February. Ford’s sales declined nearly 2 percent to 180,383. Every Ford and Lincoln brand car except for the Mustang was down, and key SUVs like the Escape and Edge also saw sales declines. Ford blamed lower sales to commercial and rental fleets for some of the losses. Pickup sales are also slow as the company ramps up production of the new F-150. Ford says it won’t have normal levels of truck inventory on dealer lots until the end of June. Chrysler sold 163,586 vehicles for its best February in eight years. Sales of the Jeep brand rose 21 percent increase as Americans continued their shift away from cars toward small and large SUVs. Honda’s sales were up 5.0 percent to 105,466. Sales of its Fit subcompact jumped 81 percent after a recent redesign, but sales of other cars like the Accord and Civic fell. Nissan’s sales rose 2.7 percent to 118,436, a February record for the Japanese automaker. Nissan was led by the Rogue small SUV with a 24.6 percent sales increase. Volkswagen’s sales fell 5.2 percent to 25,710. Big sales gains for the new Golf couldn’t overcome lower Please see Briefs, 32 April 2015

Briefs Continued from 31 sales elsewhere in the German automaker’s lineup.

Amazon boosts small businesses

NEW YORK — It may be the biggest online marketplace in the U.S., but a new store on Amazon will support the little guy. The e-commerce powerhouse is opening a store that will offer exclusive electronics, toys and other products created by inventors and small businesses, including products featured on the ABC reality show “Shark Tank.” Dubbed Amazon Exclusives, the online store promotes unique products created by small businesses such as a range of Jackery mini phone chargers, $70 Hot Chocolate Design’s

Chocolaticas Mariquita shoes and $75 Zackees LED turn-signal gloves that alert cars when a cyclist makes a hand signal to turn. Some of the products like the gloves and phone chargers were funded by Kickstarter campaigns. Others like a $700 inflatable paddle board were featured on “Shark Tank.” — the ABC show that pits inventors with new products seeking funding against each other. Amazon said it also focused on products that won innovation awards from industry associations. All products in the Amazon store will be available only on Amazon or at the product creators’ own website or physical stores. The items are eligible for free two-day shipping for members of Amazon’s $99 annual Prime loyalty program. The new store is the latest push by Amazon to expand

into different areas and reach new customers. The company’s strategy has long been to spend a big chunk of the money it makes to grow and expand into new areas like cloud computing, streaming video, hardware and adding services for its Prime loyalty members. Last week the company opened a store on Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba’s Tmall retail platform to reach more Chinese customers.

Ag graduates in big demand

Adam Donkers and many of his friends at the University of Minnesota don’t need to worry about jobs after graduating. They’re majoring in agricultural sciences or agricultural business, and large and small companies are eager to hire them. “Pretty much every member (of my ag fraternity) has a full-time job when

they’re graduating,” Donkers said. “Every junior has an internship, most of the sophomores have internships and a good handful of freshmen have internships.” Job posting boards, on-campus interviews and a special annual career fair for ag students show much the same trend, according to Sara Newberg, director of the university career center that assists ag majors. “We have a limited number of students with an interest in that career direction and far more employers interested in hiring them,” Newberg said. Donkers, raised on a family farm in Minnesota, is a junior majoring in agricultural business. He’ll learn about agricultural lending this summer at CoBank, a co-op that specializes in farm credit. Purdue University and the U.S. Department of Agri-

culture studied the shortfall in agricultural jobs on a national basis, and estimated that from 2010 to 2015 there would be about 54,400 openings each year in agriculture and natural resource jobs, and about 29,300 graduates from specialized colleges and university departments to fill them. Brian Buhr, dean of the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, said there’s clearly a need for more ag students in the pipeline, and he’s not surprised that companies are doubling down to find newly trained scientists. “There’s a whole hightech side of ag that’s really booming,” he said. “It’s everything from robotics and sensors in harvesting equipment or livestock production systems, or even managing soil and drainage issues, all the way over to the genet-

ics and genomics side of the world.” Adam Holton, CHS senior vice president of human resources, said the shortage of trained students is not a crisis, but that it has become more difficult to find and attract the best candidates in some areas. “In our case, that runs the gamut on the pure engineering side with our energy business to our agriculture side to our processing and food ingredients,” he said. CHS is the nation’s largest farmer-owned cooperative. “There is a challenge, and as we go into the future it will get harder.” To recruit the best people for its needs, Holton said, CHS has heightened is efforts to go “upstream” and contact undergraduate and community college students early in their studies to inform them about ag-related fields and careers.

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firstinterstate.com 32

I April 2015

Billingsbusiness

Business Success StoriesBriefs Recognizing People and Local Achievements Commerce at a Glance

Harmon in new construction job

Everson joins Century 21

of Montana. Prior to that, he was director of regional operations at Billings Clinic. Angela Everson has A.J. Harmon has reBefore joining The Goodman joined the real estate team at Group at Billings Health cently joined Dick Anderson Century 21. Everson studied & Rehabilitation as direcConstruction nursing at Montana State Billings as a tor of nursing, he worked University Bozeman while project engiat Christiana Care Health obtaining a bachelor’s degree System in Newark, Del. neer/assisin science. She has a backtant project Williams started his D.A. Davidson ground in sales. Everson may career and education in the manager. He be reached at 861-5559 or is a recent honors advisers military. He has a master’s Harmon graduate of D.A. Davidson has named email her at angela.everson@ degree in nursing adminMontana three financial advisers from century21.com. istration from Norwich State University with a bach- the company’s Billings office University and a master’s elor’s degree in construction to one of the firm’s honors in education from Montana Valley Health engineering technology. clubs. Named to the D.A. State University Billings. hires Williams Davidson President’s Club, Williams is a registered Tra Williams has been which recognizes outstandHealth team named executive director of nurse and is board certiing integrity and service to Valley Health Care Center, a fied as an American Nurse is selected clients, were Dennis Lusin, Credentialing Center nurse The National Leadership CWS, senior vice president, senior living and health care community which provides executive. He is a member Academy for the Public’s financial adviser; Chad Lipof the American College of comprehensive rehabilitaHealth program has chopert, senior vice president, Health Care Executives and tion and long-term care sen a team of health care financial adviser; and Dale American Organization of professionals affiliated with Haarr, vice president, finan- services. Williams will play Nurse Executives. a key role in Healthy By Design to partici- cial adviser. the managepate in a yearlong program 1st Interstate ment of all focused on improving health Water manager departments through a collaborative promotes Willis and proleadership development receives honor Carol Willis has been cesses and model. Healthy by Design Woody promoted to president of the providing is a collaborative effort Woods from First Interinformation Williams spearheaded by The Alliance the Lockstate Bank and direction (Billings Clinic, St. Vincent wood Water west branch to all staff, Healthcare and RiverStone & Sewer at 2501 Cenwhile maintaining consisHealth). Team members District at tral Ave. Wiltent standards throughout include Shawn Hinz, B.S., 1644 Old lis has been every building. MPHC; April Keippel, M.A.; Hardin Road with First Woods Willis He brings more than Jeanne Manske, M.S.; and received the Interstate 11 years of experience in Heather Fink, M.A. This “Manager of since 2003, skilled nursing and health team will receive support the Year” award during the serving as vice president and care management. Most from additional leadership 36th annual Montana Rural a commercial loan officer. recently, he served as direc- She may be reached at 255members and staff from the Water Systems conference tor of nursing operations three institutions including at the Heritage Inn in Great 6118. at Advance Care Hospital Falls on Feb. 19. Claire Oakley, Ph.D.; Luke Billingsbusiness Kobold, MBA; Tracy Neary, M.S.; TommiLee Gallup, B.S., CHES; and Nathan Stahley, B.S. The program, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will provide training and support.

Hedge earns CFP credential

Josh Hedge of Anderson, Hedge, Wagner & Associates in Merrill Lynch’s Billings office has earned the Certified Financial Planner certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, and is allowed to use the CFP certification mark as an educational credential. The CFP designation is awarded to individuals who meet rigorous education, examination, experience, ethics and other requirements set by the CFP Board. Hedge earned a BSBA double major in accounting and finance from Xavier University and a master’s degree in taxation from the University of Denver Sturm School of Law. He joined Merrill Lynch in 2012. Hedge is in the Billings Merrill Lynch office at 550 N. 31st St., Suite 100, and may be reached at 406-255-5542 or by visiting fa.ml.com/ahw_team.

Peers honor 2 local attorneys

Two attorneys from the Billings Holland & Hart office have been named “Lawyer of the Year” by the national peer-review publication Best Lawyers. Those included are: Jeanne Matthews Bender, a labor and employment lawyer, and Scott Mitchell, a

natural resources attorney.

MAFE names 2015 officers The Montana Association for Female Executives organization has announced its 2015 officers and board of directors: President Kindra McMullin, Valley Credit Union; Vice-President Amanda Ramsey, Scentry; Secretary Pat Ruess, retired; Treasurer Kim Bar, Bar Accounting Services; and adviser Polly Taggart, independent Mary Kay consultant. Other MAFE board members and committee chairs include: Stephanie Drager, Carlin Hotel & Extended Stay (accommodations); Jan Pursell, Pierce Flooring (membership); Kris Kallinen (networking); Debbie Singer, NorthWestern Energy (public relations/newsletter); Brittany Souza, Arrow Solutions Group (program); and Melissa Thompson, Payne West (retreat). Vice-chairs for the committees include: June Luptak, J L Services/ Billings Clinic; Networking: Erin Kramarich, Enterprise Holdings (networking); Lisa Perry, NorthWestern Energy (program); and Kathleen Stratton, MKK Engineering (retreat). For more information about the group, go online to montanamafe.org. April 2015 I 33

STRATEGIES for success

W hen sales exceed expectations , that ’ s a good problem to have The key here is to do some great business planning. Conservative planning is good, however, there is also the time to think “What if ” and develop a plan for exceeding the original plan.

Joe Michels Joe Michels, PhD, P.E., C.P.I., is principal of Solomon Bruce Consulting LLC. Contact him at 406-672-6387 or at www. solomonbruce.com.

I April 2015

A new bakery opened recently. The bakery had used a commercial kitchen of a restaurant to begin their product offerings. The business was OK, however, just OK. The recipes were perfected, the processes were defined and documented and the staff of three plus the owner had gotten into a rhythm that had a certain flow to it. However, after about 18 months of operation, the owner decided to get his own store and not use the commercial kitchen. A business plan was developed, investment money was sought and obtained and a new storefront was found. The storefront was actually a restaurant that had gone out of business several years earlier. However, the commercial oven hood was still in place, the kitchen was of commercial design and had all of the necessary plumbing fixtures, etc. The bakery owner took about three months to refurbish the old restaurant, repainting the walls, cleaning everything up, buying used, but perfectly serviceable equipment, both for the seating areas as well as the kitchen. Interestingly, the local business paper had found out about this new bakery and ran a preview article on what the owner was going to do now that he had moved from the original kitchen in the restaurant and into his own space. Hence, the bakery received free advertising even before the doors were opened.

Finally, after the holidays, the bakery opened. What happened next is just short of amazing. The first week, the owner and one staff member came in around 4 a.m. to begin the day’s baking. The products were all completed and put out for sale when the bakery opened at 7 a.m. They started out baking the same amount as when they operated out of the commercial kitchen. However, now that the bakery had its own store, business exploded. The first week, all of the product was sold out by 9:30 a.m. each day after opening at 7 a.m. Each day, the owner elected to double the order produced from the day previous, and everything was gone by 9:30 a.m. On the fifth day of this schedule, the owner talked to our firm. “Now what do I do? I double the order every day and it sells out,” he asked. Well, that is the problem that everyone wants to have. However, the owner was now running on fumes — he was at the bakery 24-7. He was able to find some additional help who had bakery experience. He also figured out that he should have bought larger and greater capacity production equipment. After several weeks, he told us that the production cycles had stabilized, that

they had figured out how much product to make each day and not run out, but were still going full speed ahead. We talked about additional strategic planning factors which allowed the bakery to use the existing equipment and still fulfill all customer demands without wasting or making excess product. The exciting part of this story is that the sales projec-

tions, after two months of operation, are about three years ahead of schedule. Now, the projections were very conservative, which in our mind is ideal. However, the bakery owner did not anticipate or expect that his products were going to be as wildly successful as they have been. The key here is to do some great business planning. Conservative planning is good,

however, there is also the time to think “What if” and develop a plan for exceeding the original plan. Two months after opening, the bakery is strong, has a good clientele, has an excellent vibe and it is fun to go and enjoy a bakery treat. The bottom line is to always anticipate the unexpected. You never know when something like this may happen to your business. Billingsbusiness

SBA announces Small Business Week award winners By TOM HOWARD B idding on jobs and scheduling work isn ’ t

F or R ich N aylor , owner of M y H andyman S ervice , a B illings much of a problem for

home repair and construction business . For Naylor, the biggest challenge of running his own business is finding qualified workers. “I look for people who are reliable, have good communication skills and can show empathy for people whose homes need repairs,” Naylor said. Naylor launched the business in 2010, ending a seven-year career with New York Life Insurance Co. Naylor said he enjoyed the insurance business, but after a while he decided that he missed the challenge of working with his hands. Naylor started out by himself, but he hired his first helper within one year as work picked up. These days, Naylor has five employees, and he is looking to hire two more. Naylor’s company does a variety of jobs large and small, from carpentry to plumbing to remodeling projects. Nayor is among nine Montanans who were named the Small Business Adminstration’s Small Business Week award winners for 2015. Naylor won in the category for businesses with 11 or fewer employees. Two other Billings busi-

ness owners were also honored. John Armstrong, owner of Q’s Art Shop and Gallery in Billings, was honored as the SBA’s Encore Entrepreneur. Armstrong, 65, started the business in 2005. The store sells art, framing services, art supplies and also holds art classes. Mike Capser has been teaching a painting class every other week, and it’s always full, Armstrong said. When McIntosh Art closed a few years ago, Armstrong saw a need that was going unfilled and began selling art supplies. “Billings is a wonderful arts community with a lot of talented artists,” Armstrong said. “It’s a good buyer’s market but not as good of a market for sellers. That’s why the best artists also sell in other markets.” Hayley Vannatta, owner of Yellowstone Valley Woman, was honored in the Women-owned small business category. The glossy magazine geared toward female readers has experienced Photo by JAMES WOODCOCK steady growth in advertising since Vannatta Rich Naylor started My Handyman Service in 2010 and by the end of 2012 had enough work for a four-person crew. purchased it in 2007. Circulation has risen to 25,000, and the magazine is distributed in four counties. Other businesses honored by the SBA were: n Shalon Hastings, owner of Hub Coffee and Taco del Sol, Helena, Small Business Person of the Year, for businesses with 11-50 employees. n Debora Poteet, Poteet Construction, Missoula, Small Business Person of the Year, for businesses with more than 50 employees. n Logan Feeney and Trapper Clark, Alcom LLC, Bonner, Exporter of the Year. n Karyn Bonderud and Sari Feenstra, Eskay Bridal, Bozeman, Women-owned Small Busi— John Armstrong, owner of Q’s Art Shop and Gallery ness. n Bryan & Kari Schultz, Roughstock Distillery Inc., Bozeman, Veteran Small Business. n Jordan Husted, Edward Jones, Great Falls, Millennial Entrepreneur.

“Billings is a wonderful arts community with a lot of talented artists. It’s a good buyer’s market but not as good of a market for sellers. That’s why the best artists also sell in other markets.”

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Business licenses The following business licenses were filed with the city of Billings in February of 2015. Stellar Industrial Supply Inc., 2505 Overland Ave. 253383-2700. Motel 6 No. 0178, 5400 Midland Road, 972-360-5557. JWM Construction, 762 Torch Drive, 850-2390. Bull Mountain Brew, 4220 State Ave., 697-9337. Patton Construction, 612 N. 22nd St., 794-8875. D & J Snow Removal, 530 First Ave. N., 259-7328. Vintage Creations, 6 Vista Drive, 690-7818. D & D Framing, 1501 Plateau Road, 860-3078. Lisa’s Sandwich Den LLC, 2908 First Ave. N., 671-2080. DC Montana LLC, 3024 Melrose Lane, 652-0868. Big Sky Cleaning Services LLC, 1202 Ninth St. W., 6907054. PRD Construction, 337 Stonegate Circle, 426-4075. TLC Landscaping, 312 S. 31st St., 694-4184. All About That Bling, 1111 Main St. Pita Pit, 2813 Second Ave. N., 534-4824. Lessons By Boom, 416 Rimrock Road, 503-577-4236 Cascade Rain Gutters, 234 Rene Place East, 200-2703. C & C Lawn Care & Home Maintenance, 547 Washington St., 697-4974. Elite Pro Painting, 1102

I April 2015

Terry Ave., 591-2089. S & J, American Falls, Idaho, 208-226-2450. Lone Pine Plumbing, Reed Point, 780-0269. Darins Hobbies, 118 Tracer Drive, 850-8920. Lindo Michoacan, 34 Brookpark Drive, 855-6839. John Gregerson, 210 Buena Vista Ave., 371-1002. Lynnette A. Feusner, 5908 Whisperingwoods Drive, 8120923. Tire Service, 530 First Ave. N., 259-7328. 3B Construction, 839 Avenue B, 647-7186. YISP.Co, 2101 Grand Ave., 545-2900. Beartooth Process Service LLC, 439 S. Lakeview Drive, 697-7800. Big Sky Dippers, 1447 Grand Ave., 850-8863. By L.A., 930 Terry Ave., 647-0135. Abel Roofing and Construction, 4244 Bruce Ave., 371-3193. Bold Magnolia, 1837 Forest Park Drive. Matheson Flight Extenders Inc., 1761 Aviation Place, 916685-2330. Matheson Flight Extenders Inc., 2191 Overlook Drive, 906-685-2330. Tebay Construction, Park City, 860-5708. JMH Construction LLP, 2901 Monad Road, 671-5979. RCM Construction, 1103 N. 23rd St., 690-7692.

A & E Smart Storage, 2850 Overland Ave., 655-1891. Greg Koszuta Painting, 60 Sunlight Circle, 860-9216. JC’s Flooring, 16 Bing St. N., 781-4366. Service Plus LLC, Fromberg, 876-3453. Chillin Web Designs, 16 Bing St. N., 781-4366. Cathrin’s Gift Baskets, 2653 Meadow Creek Loop, 480-772-2514. Ashley Ricks, 9045 Hobble Creek Drive, 208-360-0997. Jax Electric, 2109 High Sierra Blvd., 860-5802. A-1 Surplus, 2225 George St., 633-3517. Darla Shields, 5420 Vintage Lane, 806-420-6096. Melissa’s Cleaning Service, 5244 S. Thunder Mountain Square, 240-9790. Rimrock Cleaning Professionals, 3041 Poly Drive, 671-5390. Ravens Repair, 3001 62nd St. W., 697-6989. Suave Sedan, Laurel, 6698787. Eagle Mountain Construction LLC, 2105 Woody Drive, 605-569-3537. Voyage Personal Training, 1120 18th St. W., 781-2641049. Shirey’s on the Edge Roofing, 818 Constitution Ave., 253-282-3673. Affordable Rentals & Handy Mann LLC, 19 Patton Ave., 860-1105. Farm House Finds LLC,

3301 First Ave. N., 861-5484. R. Bansemer Consulting LLC, 2221 Monad Road, 307921-9597. Kleinsasser Construction, 3190 S. Daffodil Drive, 8395021. Pine Cove Consulting LLC, 1220 Avenue C, 656-9121. CM Construction, 2622 Rimrock Road, 475-5257. Signature Painters, 608 Glen Drive, 670-4142. Philling Station, 274 Sphinx Place, 697-9337. Bridle Contracting LLC, Worden, 606-0057. Dead-On Construction, Huntley, 348-2089. Deadfall Designs & Creations, 817 N. 25th St., 860-2777. Cindy Marie Photography, 4466 Edgar Road, 281-0730. Jessica Byrum Photography, 1803 U.S. Highway 87 E., 839-1582. S & S Roofing and Construction, 728 Custer Ave., 468-5707. Rustic Reclaimed Montana, 1504 Janie St., 794-8291. On the Level Handyman Service, Laurel, 860-1611. Pinnacle Seamless Rain Gutters, Laurel, 860-1611. Tamra Gollick, 1226 Cottonwood Blvd., 696-9964. Empain-Puppies Emotional Support Canines, 67 Mountain View Blvd., 855-0985. Clandon Construction, 934 N. 23rd St., 702-9434. Chas. Weldon Saddle Co.,

2047 Wyndham Park Drive, 208-8025. Bee Line Parking Lot Striping, 1535 Cook Ave., 633-3833. Supreme Construction, 2711 Howard Ave., 281-3892. All Day Painting, 1719 Janie St., 534-1272. Stonehouse Ventures, Shepherd, 694-8050. IDoctor, 315 Main St., 5810867. Shipton’s Big R, 1908 Main St., 252-5707. Camera Cottage LLC, 703 Grand Ave., 671-6640. JPEG & Chaos LLP, 1439 Twin Oaks Drive, 698-2117. NKH Controls LLC, 5873 Summerwood Drive, 3713092. 3G’s Convenience Store No. 5, 4106 State Ave., 8392058. 3G’s Convenience Store No. 7, 357 S. 24th St. W., 2818175. 3G’s Convenience Store No. 4, 1221 Wicks Lane, 2484539. G & L Enterprises, 317 Westchester Square S., 2417534. Chuck Krutel Construction, 12 Vandalay St., 927-5611. Crafts n’ Stuff, 2101 Eighth Ave. N., 850-3203. Darcie’s Consulting, 1276 Mirror Lake Lane, 850-2058. Contractor Business Solutions, 2285 Rosebud Drive. BSCC King East LLC, 750 Southgate Drive, 534-6422.

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Montana patents Below are listed U.S. patents issued to Montana inventors Jan. 27-Feb. 17, 2015. For assistance in patent filing, call Billings patent attorney Antoinette M. Tease at 406-294-9000. Shane K. Sizer of Bozeman, Graham I Cummins of Livingston, Bert Jeffrey Lutzenberger of Bozeman, Gary D. Orser of Bozeman, Benjamin P. Echols of Bozeman and Jeffrey D. Trom of

derivatives. 8,946,421. Feb. 3. GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals S.A. of Rixensart, Belgium. Timothy M. Keeler of Kalispell: Spatula cleaning device. 8,950,033. Feb. 10. Dana Wright Gleason Jr. of Bozeman: Backpack frame system. 8,950,644. Feb. 10. Mystery Ranch Ltd. of Bozeman. Jeffrey D. Messerly of Cincinnati, Ohio; Daniel J. Abbott

of Loveland, Ohio; Jeffrey L. Aldridge of Lebanon, Ohio; Eitan T. Wiener of Cincinnati, Ohio; Matthew C. Miller of Cincinnati, Ohio; Aaron C. Voegele of Loveland, Ohio; Daniel W. Price of Loveland, Ohio; Robert L. Koch Jr. of Cincinnati, Ohio; Mark E. Tebbe of Lebanon, Ohio, and William E. Clem of Bozeman: Surgical generator for ultrasonic and electrosurgical devices. 8,951,248. Feb. 10.

Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio. John Lawrence Snapp of Westminster, Colo.; Daniel Zacek of Boulder, Colo., and Donald D. Mondul of Seeley Lake: System and method for simultaneous routing of a special number call to a plurality of agencies. 8,954,081. Feb. 10. West Corporation of Omaha, Neb. Dana W. Gleason of

Bozeman: Backpack with side bolsters. 8,955,729. Feb. 17. Mystery Ranch Limited of Bozeman. Randy J. Dixon of Billings: Hose coupling locking mechanism. 8,955,885. Feb. 17. Vijay Sethi of Laramie, Wyo., and Clinton B. Camper of Billings: Method of drying biomass. 8,956,426. Feb. 17. River Basin Energy Inc. of Highlands Ranch, Colo.

Stock Construction Company, $174,795 3058 Western Bluffs Blvd., — 263 Brookshire Blvd., Mark Johnson, MDJ ConstrucMJ Construction Inc., MJ Con- tion LLC, $340,750 struction Inc., $164,910 3759 Poly Drive, Lais De3113 Peregrine Lane, velopment Inc., Lais DevelopHelgeson Homes, Helgeson S. ment Inc., $205,485 D., $279,570 1705 W. Thunder Mountain 3108 Alpine Drive, Eaton, Road, J and S Development Larry D., Eaton And Yost Con- Co, Jeff Junkert Construction tractors, $272,290 Inc., $319,060 3329 Castle Pines 1629 Hidden Cove Lane, Drive, JKC Const., JKC Inc., McCall Development Inc., Mc$244,570 Call Development, $190,150 5348 Sundance Mountain 1646 Hidden Cove Lane, Circle, Jeff Junkert, Jeff McCall Development Inc., McJunkert Construction Inc., Call Development, $211,635 $249,300 6240 Ridge Stone Drive 5816 Horseshoe Trail, S., Picard Company, Picard Trails West Homes LLC, Development, $214,055 Stock Construction Company, 6254 Timbercove Drive, $174,795 Kai Pawiroredjo, Double Dutch 5734 Horseshoe Trail, Construction, $434,340 Trails West Homes LLC, 5320 N. Thunder Mountain,

Jeff Junkert Construction , Jeff Junkert Construction Inc., $215,140 1619 Hollyhock St., McCall Development Inc., McCall Development, $216,450 2316 Golden Blvd., Desin, Joel A. & Cynthia L., Cougar Construction, $571,490 6239 Western Bluffs Blvd., Halton Homes Inc., Halton Homes Inc., $360,000 4168 Banbury Place, Dorn/ Lowe LLC, Bob Pentecost Construction, $245,000 2643 Meadow Creek Loop, Gordon Rock, Summit Construction, $226,585 4108 Headwater Lane, Classic Design Homes, Classic Design Homes, $383,775 6809 Copper Ridge Loop, Pierson Jensen Construction, Pierson Jensen Construction Co., $245,000

3121 Peregrine Lane, Helgeson Homes, Helgeson S.D., $279,570 563 Boca Raton Road, Ron S. Hill Living Trust, Specialized Construction, $213,475 545 Boca Raton Road, Ron S. Hill Living Trust, Specialized Construction, $196,590 3117 Peregrine Lane, Helgeson Homes, Helgeson S.D., $279,570 2902 W Copper Ridge Loop, Copper Ridge Development LLC, Oakland Built Homes Inc., $171,055 2921 W Copper Ridge Loop, Oakland Built Homes, Oakland Built Homes Inc., $171,055 2901 W Copper Ridge Loop, Oakland Built Homes, Oakland Built Homes Inc., $171,055 2950 W Copper Ridge

Loop, Oakland Built Homes, Oakland Built Homes Inc., $135,900 557 Boca Raton Road, Specialized Const., Specialized Construction, $194,100 1631 Hollyhock St., McCall Development Inc., McCall Development, $182,220 1717 Hollyhock St., McCall Development Inc., McCall Development, $209,405

Bozeman: Document server and client device document viewer and editor. 8,943,608. Jan. 27. Workiva LLC of Ames, Iowa. W. Alexander Gray III of Whitefish and Russ Holbrook of Matthews, N.C.: Ornamental design for a pillow with hourglass profile. D721,519. Jan. 27. Standard Fiber LLC of Burlingame, Calif. David A. Johnson of Hamilton: Lipidated imidazoquinoline

Residential Permits Demolition Permit Residential — 4120 Buchanan Ave., Schreder, David, Double S. Contracting Inc. $8,000

Addition Single/ Duplex/Garage — 3119 Western Bluffs Blvd., Trent Buscher, Buscher Construction Ltd., $9,200 2807 Glenwood Lane, Richard Michele Dee, $28,000

New Garage — 617 S. 34 St., Seitz, E. Andy, $7,560 37 Clark Ave., Reiter, Brandon D. & Kelsey A., $30,240

Billingsbusiness

New Single Family

New Two Family — 5308 Frontier Drive, Cousens, Jonathan E., Premiere Builders LLC, $365,752

Remodel Single/ Duplex/Garage — 5336 Sundance

April 2015

Residential Permits, continued Mountain Circle, Jeff Junkert Const., Jeff Junkert Construction Inc., $21,000 2004 Clark Ave., Ninneman, Scot J., $200 1689 Lakehills Drive, Carlson, Alvin B. and Daisy M., Pella Window Store, $1,500 1041 Avenue C, Christensen, Carol Fae, Ty Nelson Construction, $35,000 375 W Daffodil Drive, Joslyn, Ronald J. and Betty Diane, Pella Window Store, $650 391 W Daffodil Drive, McKinney, Beverly B., Pella Window Store, $650 351 W Daffodil Drive, Kaae Family Revocable Trust, Pella Window Store, $500 3134 N Daffodil Drive, Schillreff, Virginia, Pella Window Store, $500 385 W Daffodil Drive, Ford,

Dorothy, Pella Window Store, $500 2640 Cody Drive, Busch, Darlene R., Trustee, Billings Window and Siding Spec., $500 371 W Daffodil Drive, Rude, Mary, Pella Window Store, $500 365 W Daffodil Drive, James W. and Nancy A. Lasater, Pella Window Store, $500 3165 N. Daffodil Drive, Ille, Robert C. and Maureen E., Pella Window Store, $500 3154 N. Daffodil Drive, Dernbach, Stephen and Colleen, Pella Window Store, $500 1127 Avenue C, McCreary, Melanie Sue, $3,000 1903 Belvedere Drive, Geering Chad M., $500 1813 St. Andrews Drive,

Lilleberg Philip and Betty J., Lynnrich Inc., $1,113 3068 Western Bluffs Blvd., Double Dutch Construction, Double Dutch Construction, $26,000 719 Avenue B, Propriedad LLC, $19,600 4389 Rangeview Drive, Kingston, Gayle, Pella Window Store, $2,100 336 Stewart Court, Sais, Nadia M. Etal, Big Sky Maintenance Inc., $44,000 1022 Nutter Blvd., Clovis, John J. and Mary L., Lynnrich Inc., $1,436 477 Freedom Ave., Zieske, Susan R., One Source Construction LLC, $1,895 3916 Audubon Way, Nunnery, Benjamin D. III, Stevens Renovations Plus, $409 636 Avenue C, Bradley,

Jesse C. and Laura L., Aaron Higginbotham, $500 546 Avenue F, Jeremy Wagner, $6,000 208 Grand Ave., Curtiss, Leonard B., Billings Window and Siding Spec. $3,150 957 Governors Blvd., Evans, Vickie Sue and Morgan H., Precision Siding & Construction, $17,000 4124 Laredo Place, Mercer, William W. and Marci L., Pella Window Store, $3,150 52 30 St. W., Palmer, Ronald A. II, $10,000 2417 11 St. W., Jill Diercks, $2,500 3106 Leeann Blvd., Gladstone, Lisa M. and Wallace J., One Source Construction LLC, $3,000 2202 Willowbrook Way, Summers, Diane M., Freyenha-

gen Construction Inc., $7,000 1825 Avenue D, Steiner, Nathan G. and Chantelle, Hanna Construction, $4,500 354 W Daffodil Drive, Peigneux, Gene and Sherri, Pella Window, $1,200 350 W Daffodil Drive, Peigneux, Sherri, Pella Window Store, $1,200 4107 Headwater Lane, Christy Fenno, Thompson Const. Co. Inc., $20,000 2517 Irving Place, Sample, Barbara M., Freyenhagen Construction Inc., $22,000 1931 Patricia Lane, Leikam, Tiffiny, Billings Window & Siding Spec., $1,800 2511 Arvin Road, Big Horn Investment Property, Cody Handyman, $1,200 There were 117 permits issued for Fencing/Roof/Siding.

Copper Valley Circle, Feb. 16. Sharon Ruth Behlmer, 1439 Flathead St. Apt. 7, Feb. 17. Leah A. Lund, 3327 Lynn Ave., Feb. 20. Russel Arnold Hankinson, Rita Louise Hankinson, 620 Sixth Ave., Feb. 20. Dawn Marie Ripplinger,

1616 1/2 Maurine St., Feb. 23. Janet Lee Zielinski, 1012 10th Ave., Laurel, Feb. 24. Samantha M. Williams, 539 Burlington Ave., Feb. 24. Jason David Majerus, Sara Ann Majerus, 201 Third Ave., Laurel, Feb. 24. David Charles Dunham,

Jennifer Rae Dunham, 3146 Myrtle Drive, Feb. 25. Jennifer Dey, 208 Third St. E., Roundup, Feb. 26. Andrea Gudrun Gettmann, 42 Almadin Lane No. A3, Feb. 26. Victoria Jenny Seaman, 416 Seventh Ave., Laurel, Feb.

26.

Bankruptcies Billings area filings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Feb. 1-28, 2015. Addresses are in Billings unless otherwise noted.

Chapter 7 Robert Alan Sisco, 2504 Lackawanna, Laurel, Feb. 9. Scott Brian Brester, 911

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Billings Commercial Building Permits Feb. 1-28, 2015 Fence/Roof/Siding

811 N. 17 St.

Eighth (8th) Avenue North Limi

Brock Barney Construction Inc.

$20,100

Remodel

23 Yellowstone Ave.

Cosman Properties LLC

Cucancic Construction Inc.

Remodel

1613 Aviation Place

City Of Billings (Airport)

Hardy Construction Co.

Remodel

2710 1 Ave. N.

Bill & Marcia Honoker

Remodel

1020 Central Ave.

1020 Central Avenue LLC

Remodel

3737 Grand Ave.

Randy Swenson

Principal Construction

Remodel

5110 Southgate Drive

Billings Lodging Investors LLC

Independent Construction Resources

$65,000

Demolition Permit Commercial

1099 N. 27 St.

Art Properties LLC

Cayton Excavation Inc.

$43,080

Addition

5514 King Ave. E.

Compton Timothy D. and Stacy J.

Hulteng Inc.

Fence/Roof/Siding

620 N .32 St.

Moonstone Properties LLC

B & W Builders

$18,000

Fence/Roof/Siding

2605 Minnesota Ave.

Montana Rail Link

B & W Builders

$18,000

Fence/Roof/Siding

524 Jerrie Lane

Carroll Bro’s LLC

Jones Construction Inc.

$20,000

Remodel

925 Broadwater Ave.

Star Services

Remodel

3318 3 Ave. N.

American Exchange Corporation

Lonewolfmt

$3,000

Fence/Roof/Siding

4015 1 Ave. S.

Davidson Patricia Lynn

Wegner Homes

$8,000

Fence/Roof/Siding

926 Main St.

East Billings Investors

Rocky Mountain Roofing

New Warehouse/Storage

1200 30 St. W.

School District 2

Ostermiller Duane

Remodel

4910 Southgate Drive

Williamson John and Rebecca

$12,000

Remodel

1611 High Sierra Blvd.

YellowstoneCounty

$65,000

Remodel

120 Jackson St.

School District 2

Remodel

2707 Montana Ave.

Remodel

1739 Grand Ave.

McDonaldLand Holdings LLC

Remodel

1233 N. 30 St.

Sisters Of Charity Of Leavenworth

$65,000

Remodel

1442 Grand Ave.

Bennett Garry V.

$65,000

Remodel

637 Anchor St.

BillingsHeights Post 6774

$65,000

Remodel

14 S. 27 St.

Michael Lee Investments

$5,000

Addition

820 N. 31 St.

School District

Dick Anderson Construction EEC Inc.

$1,300,000 $184,000 $8,500

$42,500 $2,100

$191,968

$5,000

$126,000 $2,200

Langlas & Assoc. Inc.

$45,000 &600,000

Billings Remodel And Paint Inc.

$12,000

$6,179,000

Addition

4809 Grand Ave.

Grace Montessori Academy Inc.

Addition

526 Laurie Lane

Fraternal Order Of Eagles

Fence/Roof/Siding

2618 King Ave. W.

Wilson-Taylor Partnership

Empire Roofing Inc.

Remodel

1734 Lampman Drive

Jones Enterprises LLC

Neumann Construction

$12,000

Remodel

505 N. 24 St.

Montana Rail Link

P & G Construction LLC

$7,000

Remodel

315 Main St.

G5 LLC

Demolition Permit Commercial

438 Lake Elmo Drive

Linde Properties LC

Billingsbusiness

$748,634 $49,000 $120,000

$25,000 Weber Gary Construction Inc.

$39,000

April 2015

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