Bob Clement
5 Minutes witH
Peter Grass
Hilands Golf Club
Bob’s Motorwerks
May 2015
Right in tune Billings Symphony takes a cue from business leaders, prepares for future
The Banyan Tree, a women’s clothing boutique, opens on 24th Street West
Billings Business 401 N. Broadway Billings, MT 59101-1242
CONTENTS
May 2015
An indispensable business resource On the Cover Music Director Anne Harrigan conducts a rehearsal of the Billings Symphony’s “Gone Country” at the Alberta Bair Theater on March 14.
Photo by CASEY PAGE
FEATURES
Right in tune............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Billings Symphony takes a cue from business leaders, prepares for future
Special Report.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 BMW motorcycle rally will bring thousands to Billings area
The Banyan Tree.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 20 Women’s clothing boutique opens on 24th Street West
Caterpillar Oil & Gas invests in GTUIT................................................................................................................................... 28 Organic interests............................................................................................................................................................................................. 45 Consumers spend $39B on certified organic foods
HR expert: Employees are at their happiest when they trust their boss................................. 51
Commercial & Residential
Strategies for Success.............................................................................................................................................................................18
Flood or Fire, we will restore your property from beginning to end.
Sales Moves...........................................................................................................................................................................................................19
Complete Reconstruction
Columns
Economic Development..........................................................................................................................................................................10 BMW motorcycle rally will bring thousands to Billings area, Page 12
24 Hour Emergency Flood & Fire Restoration Services
Melanie Schwarz - BillingsWorks aims to help address workforce needs Joe Michels - Paying attention to detail can help your business thrive Jeffery Gitomer - Work every day on self-improvement
Travel & Leisure.................................................................................................................................................................................................27 Billie Ruff - An airplane can be your office in a pinch, but some tasks work better than others
Better Business..................................................................................................................................................................................................50 Erin T. Dodge - Trademark scams target companies’ intellectual property
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From the Editor........................................................................................................................................................................................................4 By the numbers......................................................................................................................................................................................................5 Page 16 Peter Grass
The local economy at a glance
Billings Business is mailed each month
Chamber News.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 15
to area business owners, managers and
Alex Tyson - Billings opened some eyes in bid for Big Sky tournaments
Five Minutes with............................................................................................................................................................................................16 Peter Grass - Hilands Golf Club
Business Briefs..................................................................................................................................................................................................47 Success Stories.................................................................................................................................................................................................48 The Listings............................................................................................................................................................................................................52
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May 2015
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the editor
GE’ s B illings presence is about more than
May 2015 • VOLUME 21 • NUMBER 7
looking for a great place to do business
mike gulledge tom howard COPY EDITOR chris jorgensen GENERAL MANAGER allyn hulteng PUBLISHER
editor
Billings earned its stripes as Montana’s commercial hub in part because generations of dedicated, capable business owners knew how to get things done. Banking, agriculture, the medical sector, manufacturing and the government all contribute to a diverse economy. People travel here from throughout Eastern Montana, the Dakotas and Wyoming to shop, access medical care and buy and sell goods and services. With all that Billings has going for it, there were some legitimate reasons General Electric’s finance arm, GE Capital, selected Billings as the site for its operations center back in 2007. GE threw a monkey wrench into the works on April 10 when it announced that it plans to get rid of most of its financial operations over the next two years as it concentrates on its industrial heritage. The announcement left local officials scrambling to learn how the Billings site fits into GE’s future. It may be weeks or months before we find out anything substantive. A bidding war of sorts erupted after former Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., announced that GE was looking at several Montana communities, including Billings, for an operations center. Several Montana communities were in the running, but GE picked Billings in part because Yellowstone County officials assembled a generous package of financial incentives that includes tax breaks, state and federal grants and direct payments to the multinational conglomerate. Steve Arveschoug, executive director of Big Sky Economic Development, outlined the local, state and federal commitments to GE’s Billings operation in a recent letter. Here they are: n BSED executed a $9.3 million loan in 2008 through the Montana Board of Investments and Stockman Bank to build a state-of-the-art facility to GE’s exact specifications. BSED then entered into a lease agreement with GE that established lease payments that will fully meet the debt-service obligation on the new GE facility. Right now there is $7.03 million outstanding on that debt
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service. n BSED provided an annual operating incentive of $50,000 per year for the first 10 years of the lease for a total of $500,000 n BSED secured a $758,000 federal Economic Development Administration grant for infrastructure improvements n Yellowstone County and the City of Billings provided a property tax abatement with estimated tax savings of $550,000 over 10 years n The state of Montana provided funding for workforce development totaling $1.6 million. GE officials have praised the Billings operation, known as the General Electric Montana Center for Excellence, as one of the best in the company. “This location, we think, can out-compete anybody in the world, and that is what determines long-term success,” Jeffrey Immelt, GE’s chairman and chief executive, said during a 2010 visit to Billings with Baucus. Critics say the taxpayer subsidies heaped on GE are nothing more than corporate welfare. In recent years GE has also fended off claims that it pays no federal income taxes despite booking billions of dollars in profits. On the other hand, the facility’s payroll, which likely amounts to several million dollars each year, provides a sizable contribution to the Billings economy. In reality, GE’s presence in Montana had a lot less to do with Billings than it did with the company’s relationship with Baucus, who chaired the influential Senate Finance committee before opting to retire from the Senate in 2014. Here’s how the National Review characterized the relationship between GE and Baucus two years ago: “The fiscal cliff agreement signed earlier this year included language approved by Baucus’s committee that provided significant tax breaks for companies such as General Electric, where his former chief of staff works as executive director of government relations.” If GE decides to keep its Billings operations center, it may require the kind of steadfast maneuvering that brought the center here in the first place. However the story turns out, it’s bound to become more interesting.
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
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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. For classified advertising, call 657-1212. Advertising deadline for the June 2015 issue is 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 5. 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.
Billingsbusiness
Personal
By the Numbers
Business
LocaL and regionaL economic trends
real estate Member FDIC
agriculture King Ave 655-2700
Hilltop & Main 896-4800
Shiloh & Grand 655-3900
PAMPERED PETS
Downtown 655-2400
www.stockmanbank.com
14th & Grand 371-8100
Airport boardings
National park visitors
4 3
Americans spent $58 billion on their pets in 2014. That includes food, veterinary care, supplies and other services such as grooming, boarding and walking.
In ten thousands
In ten thousands
3
Source: American Pet Care Association
2
1
0
New single-family home building permits 40
80
30
60
20
40
10
20 November
December
January
November 2013 to March 2014
March
February
32
49 Feb.
Mar.
Bozeman
2014
(per cwt.)
7
$8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
200
6 4 3
100
2
50
October 2013 to February 2014
0
November 2013 to February 2014 November 2014 to February 2015
5
150
October November December January February
November 2013 to February 2014 November 2014 to February 2015
Unemployment
Montana Beef Cattle
(per bushel)
Feb.
Source: Montana Department of Transportation
Source: National Park Service
Ag prices
Jan.
November 2013 to February 2014 November 2014 to February 2015
December 2013 to March 2014 December 2014 to March 2015
2015
Dec.
Missoula
Glacier National Park
Montana winter wheat
Billingsbusiness
Jan.
December 2013 to March 2014 December 2014 to March 2015
YTD Through March 31
November 2014 to March 2015
Dec.
Yellowstone National Park
0
Nov.
Billings 0
Source: City of Billings
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
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1
Billings housing starts
0
Worden 967-3612
1 October November December January February October 2014 to February 2015
0
Sept.
Oct.
Montana
Nov.
Dec.
Yellowstone County
Jan.
Feb.
U.S.
Source: Montana Department of Labor and Industry
May 2015
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Right in tune Billings Symphony takes a cue from business leaders, prepares for future
Music Director Anne Harrigan conducts a rehearsal of the Billings Symphony’s “Gone Country” at the Alberta Bair Theater on March 14. Photos by CASEY PAGE
By TOM HOWARD A cacophony of sound that occasionally resembles music is bound to happen whenever eager children share the same room with musical instruments .
Youngsters plucked and bowed violin strings, puckered their lips to coax sound from a French horn, pounded on drums and tapped notes on a xylophone during the Billings Symphony Orchestra and Chorale Adventures in Music day March 14. Putting instruments into the hands of young people is just one way the Billings Symphony Orchestra seeks to broaden its audience and introduce classical music to a new generation. That night, the symphony set audience members’ toes tapping with its Gone Country concert. Singers Clinton Curtis, Christopher Ryan Grand, Celia Woodsmith and Ellen Moak crooned hits from country stars such as Patsy Cline, Hank Williams and Charley Pride, with accompaniment from the full orchestra. “We’re trying to do different things,” said Anne Harrigan, the symphony’s music director. “Billings folks like variety, and nontraditional things like country western and the
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Macy Krumdieck, 6, tries out the xylophone during the Billings Symphony Orchestra’s instrument petting zoo.
symphony are among those things.” Through 64 seasons, 10 with Harrigan as director, the Billings Symphony Orchestra and Chorale has been recognized as a key contributor to the local arts scene, a vital
creative outlet for hundreds of musicians and singers, a magnet that attracts out-of-town visitors and a point of pride for those who fancy Billings as the region’s cultural center. The symphony has cultivated a rich
history and a steady following through six decades. Just the same, board members and staff are turning their attention to the future rather than resting on their laurels. A fiveyear strategic plan recently implemented by Billingsbusiness
Photo by CASEY PAGE Billings Symphony Orchestra percussionist Rebekah Reger helps Mia Walter, 5, with her form during the instrument petting zoo.
the board lays out initiatives to expand the symphony’s presence, grow revenue, boost attendance, continue to stage engaging performances and offer the kinds of shows that Billings folks want to see. Without a roadmap, “It’s easy to be scattershot or get what we call mission drift,” Harrigan said. “In our case, the vision is that we will be the premier orchestra in the region and that we’ll be expanding the quality and diversity of programming that we’re offering,
Billingsbusiness
not only here, but elsewhere.” Nancy Boyer, a former symphony board member who helped facilitate the strategic plan, said the document was written with the intent to be implemented, not to be placed on the shelf to gather dust. “Some strategic plans are so blue sky,” Boyer said. “So we set goals that are achievable.” Putting the plan together included an assessment of the organization’s strengths
and weaknesses and the challenges it faces. The document also includes a list of initiatives that aim to assure the delivery of highquality music, expand the audience, grow the number of financial supporters and generate revenue. Board member Bill Mercer said the time spent on preparing the plan was essential. “Strategic planning is something that a lot of government agencies and non-profits should be doing,” Mercer said. “In the private
sector it’s a little easier to quantify how efficiently you’re using your resources, who you serve and how to make money. In a nonprofit, there’s no measurement, no key to determining if you’re succeeding.” So why is developing a strategic plan so important to the Billings Symphony or any other nonprofit? Julie Dial, executive director of the Western Heritage Center, said one reason the museum prepares a strategic plan is to maintain its accreditation with the
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Photo by CASEY PAGE The Billings Symphony Orchestra rehearses for “Gone Country” at the Alberta Bair Theater on March 14.
American Alliance of Museums. Beyond that, it makes sense for a nonprofit to have a plan, she said. “To keep that higher standard we need to create a vision of what and how we’re doing, and make sure our work is at the highest standards,” Dial said. Dial, who has been with the Western Heritage Center for 10 years, said the museum initially focused on operational issues in its strategic plan. After the museum’s financial footing improved, the focus shifted toward programming and creating a vision for the future, Dial said. Management expert Peter Drucker says the best nonprofit organizations devote a lot of effort to define their organization’s mission. “They avoid sweeping statements full of 8
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good intentions and focus, instead, on objectives that have clear-cut implications for the work their members perform—staff and volunteers both,” Drucker wrote in Harvard Business Review. Mapping out the next five years is especially important in light of current trends with symphonic orchestras, officials say. The Billings Symphony and Chorale played to a packed house for their April 18 performance, called From Russia with Love. The symphony’s endowment is growing, and the organization is on sound financial footing. But symphonies through much of the country have struggled in the wake of flagging interest and financial struggles that were exacerbated by the Great Recession of 2008-09.
In 2011 the Philadelphia Orchestra filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. A 15-month lockout of Minnesota Orchestra musicians ended in January 2014. Likewise, a two-month lockout involving musicians of the Atlantic Symphony ended last November. “Especially during the Great Recession, orchestras were hit hard,” said Darren Rich, the symphony’s executive director. “It’s a transition period for orchestras across the country. I think a lot are recognizing that they need to rethink what they’re doing and they can’t just keep on doing the same thing they’ve always done.” Symphony officials say a strategic plan must provide a clear vision of what an organization will look like in the future. “The strategic plan process is a good
method for having that conversation. It’s a chance to say, ‘OK, what are the priorities for the organization?’” Rich said. Already, many aspects of the plan are being implemented. In January, orchestra members loaded up and traveled to Red Lodge for a performance of “Peter and the Wolf” in the Red Lodge High School gym, part of an initiative to expand the symphony’s reach. “Of course we’ll keep performing in Billings, but some of our aspiration is to grow our regional profile so we’re more widely recognized as a top-quality orchestra, and an important part of that is reaching more people,” Rich said. The plan also includes an effort to have the orchestra stage a performance somewhere in the Bakken region within the next five years. Billingsbusiness
“Especially during the Great Recession, orchestras were hit hard. It’s a transition period for orchestras across the country. I think a lot are recognizing that they need to rethink what they’re doing and they can’t just keep on doing the same thing they’ve always done.” — Darren Rich the symphony’s executive director
As director, Harrigan is charged with hiring a full complement of the finest orchestral musicians in the region, and openings tend to generate a lot of interest. Harrigan said as many as 50 people audition each opening. In the “blind” audition, the musician and judges are separated by a curtain and don’t communicate, other than when the selection is played, she said. One of the plan’s more ambitious initiatives calls for increasing revenues by 5 percent per year. The board hopes to pursue that goal by increasing concert sponsorships, by pursuing past financial gifts that may have lapsed, and by focusing on planned giving, which involves convincing contributors to include the symphony in their estate planning. Lynn Marquardt, chairwoman of the Billings Symphony board, said the board surveys its members to get a better idea of what kinds of music to perform. Other areas for growth opportunity include appealing to young professionals. “We have some ambitious plans for the future and some things we’re excited about,” Rich said. “We want folks to say Billings has good hospitals, a good quality of life — including a good symphony. We want to be perceived as a real community resource.” Billingsbusiness
Photos by CASEY PAGE With his father Rene Sanchez looking on, Ezziah Sanchez, 8, tries the French horn with the help of Emily Prouty, right, at the Billings Symphony’s instrument petting zoo March 14.
The Billings Symphony Orchestra rehearses for “Gone Country” at the Alberta Bair Theater.
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SPONSORED BY THE big sky economic development
B illings W orks aims to help address workforce needs For Billings and Yellowstone County to continue to grow and prosper, the quality and availability of talent is a top priority.
Melanie Schwarz Melanie Schwarz is the member investor director at Big Sky Economic Development. Reach her at 869-8419 or by e-mail at melanie@bigskyeda.og.
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During the past six months, BillingsWorks Workforce Council has been preparing a “State of the Workforce Report.” This report, from Thomas P. Miller and Associates, details our current workforce status, provides data ranging from demographics to training opportunities and lays out a workforce plan complete with four community goals. Below is an excerpt from the report. Yellowstone County employers have plans to hire. In fact, it is estimated that they have plans to hire more than 1,000 new workers in the next year alone and their ability to do so hinges, in part, on the availability of qualified talent to fill these jobs. The good news is that Yellowstone County has a very active and engaged labor force as demonstrated by its 68.8 percent labor force participation rate (compared to 63.8 percent for the U.S.). Furthermore, Yellowstone County has a robust system of education and training providers available to equip workers with the knowledge, skills and abilities needed by business and industry. However, more work needs to be done to ensure that qualified talent is available to Yellowstone County employers who plan to hire. Currently, not all employers
are confident in the quality of the Billings workforce. The 2015 Billings-Works Workforce Survey found that only 47 percent of employers are confident in the overall quality of the workforce. Furthermore, According to the employer survey, nearly 7 in 10 employers reported that a lack of available workers hinders business growth. It is clear, then, that in order for Billings and Yellowstone County to continue to grow and prosper, the quality and availability of talent is a top priority. We know providing a highly skilled talent pool requires a multifaceted approach that involves partners from business and industry, education, economic development, workforce development, local government, and community organizations. It is through a collective effort of all partners, rather than individual projects, that Yellowstone County’s talent pool will grow and advance. This is the reason the BillingsWorks Workforce Council exists — to cooperatively identify workforce issues, establish goals, develop and implement strategies, and monitor outcomes to address near and long-term workforce needs. Through a collaborative approach that is informed by data, the Billings commu-
nity will become the premier business-driven workforce development hub in the economic development region by 2023. The complete State of the Workforce Report can be accessed on our website at bigskyeconomicdevelopment. org and click on BillingsWorks.
BillingsWorks members n Big Sky Economic Development n Billings Chamber of Commerce n School District 2/Career Center/Adult Education n MSU Billings/City College/ Extended Campus
n Rocky Mountain College n City of Billings n Yellowstone County n Billings Job Service n Montana Department of Labor and Commerce n and 80-plus private industry partners
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Big Sky Economic Development Finance Team would like to congratulate Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom on their remodel.
Thank you to Old Chicago for helping to grow the Billings community and economy.
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May 2015
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SPECIAL REPORT: TOURISM TRENDS, FORECASTS & PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES
BMW motorcycle rally will bring thousands to Billings area
Photo by LARRY MAYER BMW motorcycle mechanic Bob Clement of Bob’s Motorwerks will attend this summer’s national BMW rally in Billings.
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Billingsbusiness
TOURISM BY THE NUMBERS BMW motorcycle rally heading to Billings this summer Date: July 23-25. Location: MetraPark Registration: bmwmoafoundation. webconnex.com/2015billings Cost: $50 for BMW MOA members, $70 for non-members. BMWMOA membership: 32,000 Expected attendance: Up to 7,000 riders from throughout the United States and foreign countries.
Photo by LARRY MAYER BMW memorabilia is on display in Bob Clement’s shop near Joliet.
By TOM HOWARD W hen thousands of riders converge on B illings for the BMW M otorcycle O wners of A merica rally at M etra P ark this J uly , some will undoubtedly detour to R oberts and pay a visit to BMW motorcycle mechanic B ob C lement , the highly regarded — some would say legendary — owner of B ob ’ s M otorwerks . Clement said 90 percent of the mechanical work he does is on air-cooled twin-cylinder BMW motorcycles built between World War II and 1995. Thousands of the German-made cycles are still Billingsbusiness
rolling, even after hundreds of thousands of miles of travel. Their owners, known as “airheads,” have a special affinity for these rugged machines. Clement also works on BMW’s ear-
lier K model motorcycles, which feature liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, overhead-cam engines. “They’re tough, tough motorcycles,” said Clement, who has logged half a million miles on BMW motorcycles since purchasing his first one in 1962. It was a 1960 R50, a 26-horsepower touring machine that he rode across the country. These days, Clement is trying to spend fewer hours in the shop, even though there’s a big demand for his services. A dozen or so BMW motorcycles in various stages of assembly are lined up in a double row. The shop’s walls act as a mini museum of photographs and an assortment of BMW-related memorabilia. “I don’t put in the 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. days
Accommodations: MetraPark will provide about 2,500 camping places. Local campgrounds and motels will also welcome riders. Do you have to ride a BMW motorcycle to attend? The Rally is for all BMW riders and their guests. Other brands are welcome as long as they meet local noise abatement regulations. Will wireless service be available? The Rally grounds will have wireless service in limited areas
Please see BMW, 14 May 2015
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BMW
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• Meeting, training & banquet facilities from 2–200 • Full service catering with customizable options • Room discounts for groups 8 or more room nights Hilton Garden Inn Billings 2465 Grant Road, Billings, MT 59102 406-655-8800 • 1-877-STAY-HGI www.billings.hgi.com 14
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motorcycle sounds and looks, and the way it feels under you when you go around a corner. Continued from 13 You have to pick what turns any more,” Clement said. your crank.” “I’m very careful about how Billings tourism officials much work I take on.” had been courting the BMW Part of Clement’s strategy motorcycle rally for at least to idle back on his work load four years before the Billings is related to the loss of his rally was announced in Januwife and business partner, ary 2014. Anne, who died three years “One of the most imporago. tant things about this type “We traveled so many of business is that we’re not places together. I was with strangers to hosting large her for 40 years. We were best motorcycle rallies,” said Alex friends,” Clement said. Tyson, executive director of Clement has attended Visit Billings, the tourism several BMW MOA rallies, marketing arm of Billings and has been asked to appear Chamber of Commerce. on panels for the Billings The Honda Gold Wings gathering. As of late March, Road Riders Association held he hadn’t made any firm its convention at MetraPark in commitments. 1997, 2000 and 2007. “I know a customer from In 2006, the Harley-DaSitka, Alaska, and another vidson owners group brought one from Minnesota who are about 10,000 people to Billcoming here,” Clement said. ings. They spent an estimated “I have friends here and there $6 million in the community. who are coming, but I’m not Tyson was part of a Billgoing to obligate myself to ings contingent that attended be in the shop all the time. the 2014 BMW MOA rally in I want to go there and have Roseville, Minn., in the Twin some fun and see people.” Cities. Over three long days, Motorcycle enthusiasts the Billings representatives fall into different camps, fielded questions and handed often based on their loyalty to out maps and literature perspecific brands. taining to the 2015 rally. “These days there aren’t Riders were especially any bad motorcycles,” Clem- curious about memorable ent said. “When I started rides in the Billings area. They riding, the BMW was what received information about got you coast to coast. It places like the Beartooth was far and away the best Highway, the Chief Joseph long-distance bike. However, Highway, the Little Bighorn I don’t think the BMW is the Battlefield and Pompeys Pillar only bike. National Monument. “The Japanese make “We had three state maps excellent motorcycles. in front of us, and we had Harley riders are a cult unto nonstop conversations, with themselves,” Clement said. people asking about what “It all depends on how the routes they should take if
they’re coming from Iowa, Quebec, Washington state or Arizona,” Tyson said. “They asked about the must-see sights, and people seemed excited to come.” The rally, July 23-25, could bring more than 7,000 riders from up to a dozen countries. MetraPark will provide around 2,500 camping spaces, and the rest of the riders are expected to stay in area motels and campgrounds. Clement said BMW riders don’t mind traveling long distances, and they tend to travel light. Many choose to pitch a tent rather than stay in a motel, he said. Steve Wahrlich, owner of the Best Western Clocktower Inn and a member of the Tourism Business Improvement District, has been involved in business engagement, or helping educate local merchants about why the rally is important. Putting on a friendly face and creating a memorable experience for riders could generate repeat business in future years, Wahrlich said. “Imagine if every place has a button that says, ‘Welcome BMW riders,’” Wahrlich said. The BMW rally will be a “big fish in a small pond. If you can get that community enthusiasm going, I think it will pay dividends, and people will want to come back and see the community. It could have ramifications for years to come,” Wahrlich said. Tours of local breweries, concerts and a shuttle service that brings riders from MetraPark to downtown will all be part of the rally, Wahrlich said.
“Imagine if every place has a button that says, ‘Welcome BMW riders.’” — Steve Wahrlich owner of the Best Western Clocktower Inn, member of the Tourism Business Improvement District.
©2015 HILTON WORLDWIDE 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
Trailhead Classic Golf Tournament Professional Development Friday, May 8, The Briarwood, 7:30 Seminar a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Presented by Vertex Consulting Group, $500/team of four
B illings opened some eyes in bid for B ig S ky tournaments I have never been more proud of this community.
Alex Tyson Alex Tyson is executive director of Visit Billings. Contact her at 406-869 -3726 or at Alex@visitbillings.com.
Billingsbusiness
Three years ago, Visit Billings received word from its sports consultant that the Big Sky Conference was considering a pre-determined site for the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships. Fast-forward to last fall, our team, together with the Governor’s Office, Department of Commerce, city and county officials, MetraPark staff, Billings hoteliers, large alumni communities and numerous members of the local business community, submitted a competitive bid on behalf of Billings that argued Montana’s Trailhead was the ideal host destination for the 2016-2018 Men’s Tournament. The Chamber and Visit Billings staff, stakeholders and boards knew how successful the tournament could be in our great city, but communicating that to the site selection committee in order to ‘make the cut’ for a site inspection was the objective. In the end, Billings’ financially competitive bid along with a viable tournament venue and regional draw for strong attendance offered enough reason for the Big Sky Tournament Site Selection Committee to travel to Billings for further investigation. We had 22 waking hours with the group, and left no minute of the jammed-packed itinerary to question. We had a few days
to prepare for this visit and every person our office called upon to assist took off with the opportunity and didn’t just run, but logged a marathon making sure the best Billings, the Billings we as residents and professionals know, stepped forward. From Logan Airport and MetraPark employees to AD Creative Group, EPCON Sign Group and TransMar teaming up to transform the airport and Rimrock Auto Arena into Big Sky Conference Central, to Montana State University Billings and Rocky Mountain College Athletics, Central High School’s band and cheerleaders, Todd Buchanan spearheading alumni from Big Sky Conference Schools and contacts with Midland Roundtable, The Billings Gazette and other media outlets, the banking community, hotels, restaurants, and community leaders, we shined Billings. I have never been more proud of this community. When our group was shooting trap at Blue Creek Shooting Complex, Sen. Jon Tester, DMont., even called the deputy commissioner’s cellphone to personally welcome him and his colleagues to Billings. Based on the group’s departing comments, they left Billings realizing how important their visit was to us, how much of a player Billings truly is in the
sports segment, how excited we were about the prospective business and how seriously we take our community as a destination. Our bid and efforts were sincerely appreciated by the committee. The 2016-2018 Men’s and Women’s Tournaments were awarded to Reno, Nev. Reno can host 24 teams in closer, walkable proximity to the
May Business After Hours
Delegation, Accountability and Progressive Communication Wednesday, May 27 Billings Chamber, 10 a.m.-noon $25, BillingsNextGen.com
Wednesday, May 13 Dude Rancher Lodge 415 N. 29th St., 5-7 p.m. Cost is $8.
tournament venue. Congratulations, Reno. Reno is tough competition and a different tier of destination than Billings. But, if the conference likes this pre-determined-site scenario, there will be another bid round in a few years. And, we will again be ready. On behalf of the Visit Billings and Chamber boards
and staff, thank you, Billings, for your support. Our office bids on large conventions and events often, including the BMW MOA International Rally, the NCAA DII CrossCountry Region Championships and the GNAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, but this bid was one for the community-pride books. Presenting Sponsor
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May 2015
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Peter Grass
Getting in the swing country. What’s the situation here in Billings? Approximately 25 million Americans play 455 million rounds annually at the nation’s S ure , P eter G rass , golf course superintendent at H ilands G olf 15,350 facilities. Twenty-nine states showed growth in rounds played in 2014 and overall C lub , has heard the jokes about how his last name must have play was up .6 percent nationwide last year. With the great weather we have experienced destined him to a career on the golf course . I n fact , G rass so far this spring, things are going great at all courses in the area. Since the recession a few fell in love with golf at an early age , so it shouldn ’ t be years ago, golf numbers have been steadily increasing in both Yellowstone County and all surprising that he chose a career on the links . R ecently around Montana. he was named vice president of the G olf C ourse What’s being done locally to get young golfers interested in the sport? S uperintendents A ssociation of A merica . H ere , The Billings area is a great place for young golfers to learn the game and develop skills. G rass talks about his long association with the Besides The First Tee, which is a program for all kids up to age 18, it teaches life skills and sport . healthy habits through golf. Last year was the Can you tell us a little bit more becoming the superintendent in 1990. I became first season of the PGA Junior League, four courses participated with more joining this about the organization? certified in 1995 as soon as I was eligible to year. Teams of youth from area courses, public Golf Course Superintendents Asso- apply for the program. I love to play the game and private, play each other in a home and ciation of America is the professional and used to be pretty good at it. I kiddingly say home series, similar to Little League — uniassociation for the men and women (but it is true) my handicap increased one stroke forms and everything. Each course has junior who manage golf facilities and work with each of these events: got married, bought programs and camps during the summer in the golf course management a house and had five children. There are seven months also. The longest running program for industry worldwide. It was founded additional strokes. For those of you who have kids has been the Yellowstone County Juniors, in 1926, it has 17,300 members in 78 had those events in your life, you realize that which Nels and Katie Christianson started in countries and its headquarters is in each one takes a little of your free time away. I 1983. They have both passed away, and their Lawrence, Kan. GCSAA’s mission still love to play whenever I have the time. daughter Jackie has run the program ever since. is to serve its members, advance Is there any information available To me, this by far has provided the most optheir profession and enhance the about how many golfers there are in Billportunities for several thousand area kids over enjoyment, growth and vitality of the ings and how the community ranks in the years. Every course in the county hosts a game of golf. terms of its percentage of golfers? tournament each summer. It costs $5 to enter How did you get interested Yellowstone County has nine different golf and it is a great chance for all kids to play all in a golf-related profession? Did facilities: Pryor Creek (18 holes private/18 holes courses, both public and private. love of the game lead you there? public), Eagle Rock (18 holes public), Lake Hills Are your kids golfers? I started playing golf with my (18 holes public), Briarwood (18 holes private), Yes, each of them has at the very least father at Lake Hills at 14. I started Hilands (9 holes private), Exchange City (18 dabbled in playing the game. My two sons are working at Hilands Golf Club 40 holes Par 3 public), Peter Yegan (18 holes pubavid golfers, and my son Stephen just joined my years ago. It was a summer job during lic), Yellowstone (18 holes private) and Laurel Hilands staff as an assistant superintendent, high school and college and it just (18 holes private). It is a great mix of facility following in his father’s footsteps. He also just happened that the assistant superintypes and allows great options for players of all graduated from the University of Montana tendent position opened up right as abilities and economic circumstances. with a business degree and then added a golf I was about to graduate from Eastern Last year Hilands members spent $2.1 mil- turf management degree from Rutgers this Montana College (where I played on the lion. Hilands paid $876,000 in wages, and it past December. Our youngest is a sophomore golf team for a year) with a business employs 45 people, 18 of them full-time. in Missoula, so we are empty nesters, and my management degree in 1981. I Some media sources say golf is waning wife, Charlene, is hooked on the game after served in that role for nine years, taking it up last year. in popularity, at least in some parts of the
By TOM HOWARD
Peter Grass, superintendent of Hilands Golf Course. Photo by JAMES WOODCOCK
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I May 2015
Billingsbusiness
From the heart of a baby.
22 weeks Fetal echocardiogram
Family history Tetralogy of Fallot
ThorinsStory.com
When Amanda Amanda Langve Langve was was just 22 weeks weeks preg preg egnan nantt with her second second child, child, her obst obstetrician etrician Dr Dr.. Maur Maur aureen een Lucas Lucas had a hunch. Because Because Amanda Amanda manda’’s first child was was born born with a congenital congenital heart heart defec defec ectt, Dr. Dr. Lucas Lucas order order dered ed a fetal fetal echocardiog echocar diogrram at diog at Billings Clinic and confir confirmed med her suspicions with pedia ediatric tric car cardiolo diologist diolo gist Dr Dr.. Jerem Jerem emyy Ar Archer and a ma matternal-f ernal-fetal etal medicine specialist sp ecialist.. Bab ecialist Babyy Thor horin in would would come come int into the wor world ld with Tetr etralogy alogy of Fallot allot,, a rar rar are e condition condition caused by by a combina combina ombination tion of four four heart heart defec defec ects ts.. As ts As an added precaution precaution in the deliver deliver eryy, Dr. Dr. Nadine Seger Seger, neona neonattolo ologist gist,, a respir espira ator ory y therapist therapist and nurses helped with the birth birth of
Where it all comes together.
Thor horin. in. The doct doctors and nurses in the Neonatal tal In Intensiv ensive e Car are e Unit con ontinued tinued the monitor monitoring ing and care care of this precious pr ecious little baby baby. Fiv Five e months months lat later er,, he was was healthy healthy enough to to undergo undergo succ successful open-heart open-heart surger surgeryy at a Children Childr en’’s Hospital of Color Colorado ado. Toda odayy, Thor horin in is living proof pr oof:: Life oof Life has its best chance chance when all your your specialists wor workk together together ogether.
Billingsbusiness
May 2015
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STRATEGIES for success
P aying attention to detail can help your business thrive
If the sign is faded, the letters are obscure, the windows have tape to repair a broken pane — those are all signs that someone is not paying attention to detail.
Joe Michels Joe Michels, Ph.D., P.E., C.P.I., is principal of Solomon Bruce Consulting LLC. Contact him at 406-672-6387 or at www.solomonbruce.com.
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One of the facts of life is that we all have a “call to nature.” Where you are and the urgency of the call determine how you solve the problem. We recently presented a program on attention to detail in business. The accompanying picture portrays a public restroom in New York City. The photo generated a lot of conversation afterward. One individual had a colleague who was a chef who had trained in Europe. The first thing that he did whenever he entered a new restaurant was to check out the restroom. After all, mother always taught you to wash your hands before meals. If the chef found that the restaurant’s restroom was not well kept, regardless of the time of day or day of week, he would not eat there. His logic was that if the restroom was unkempt, then probably the kitchen was in the same condition. Another attendee sent us a note a couple of days later. She had checked her restroom when she returned to her office and found it to be unsatisfactory — the point being, that continuous improvement is the key in any business environment. The real question becomes, “Would you use this restroom?” The answer, I suspect, depends upon how bad the urge is to address
This restroom, photographed in New York City, would probably scare away customers of a typical business. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to details in your business.
the call to nature. However, I unless the challenge were so suspect that most folks would dire that they needed immeprobably try and go elsewhere diate relief.
Paying attention to all parts of your business is the key to success. If the sign is
faded, the letters are obscure, the windows have tape to repair a broken pane —those are all signs that someone is not paying attention to detail. This is also free advertisement to all of your potential clients and customers that attention to detail is not a focus of your business. This is the not the kind of free advertising you want. One way to be sure that you do not possess a blind spot in your particular business is to have someone who is not familiar with your business have a look around. Be prepared to answer a lot of “Why?” questions. Why do you have the counter there? Why is that table up against the wall? How come the saw is out in the middle of the floor without a safety guard attached? What this exercise reveals is that because you are in the business every day, working the business every day, you often miss some of the key points of attention to detail that others will not miss. This is a very instructive tactic to use, no matter the type of business. One well-honed business homily is “Pay attention to the the pennies; the dollars will take care of themselves.” The same can be said about details—take care of the little details; the big details will solve themselves. Billingsbusiness
SALES moves
W ork every day on self - improvement
Be a person of your word. The best way to do this is to keep your promises and do what you say you will do.
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.
Billingsbusiness
When I was 20, I knew everything. By the time I reached 21, I realized how stupid I actually was. Somewhere between the ages of 20 and 21, (personal enlightenment) I rededicated myself to education, personal development, and professional development. And I’ve stayed on that track for more than 45 years. My goal then, and now, is learning something new every day. And the only way I can achieve that goal is to expose myself to new information on a daily basis. The great Jim Rohn said: “All the information you need to succeed already exists; the only problem is you’re not exposing yourself to it.” In today’s world of information overload, I have to be selective about what I subscribe to and what I read. I feel certain that you are the same. A short list of my subscriptions include: Selling Power Magazine, SUCCESS Magazine, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, various blogs about selling and business, and about 20 other information sources. At the moment all of my information sources have one thing in common: They are all online. They didn’t start there; they all evolved there. I read information from old masters and original thinkers like Napoleon Hill, and I read modern pieces of advice and information from people I respect like Jack Canfield and Darren Hardy, and Seth Godin’s blog every day. I read various tech and social selling blogs. I am closely following Owen Hemsath, the new
YouTube guru. One guy I have been following for the past 20 years is my friend and fellow positive attitude advocate Julio Melara. I read his “Mental Snacks” post yesterday and had to pass it on. Here are three of Julio’s tips to inspire you in your life’s journey and help you continue to grow in your character and in your results: n Be a person of your word. The best way to do this is to keep your promises and do what you say you will do. No matter how small the promise is, no matter who the promise is made to, you must keep your word. While some events may prevent us from honoring commitments we made, don’t let a commitment slip by without getting back to people to let them know why you can’t fulfill your promise. Resolve to handle your word as precious currency and watch how your value rises in everyone’s eyes. n Don’t take shortcuts in quality or sweating the details. Henry Ford once said, “Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” Do you preach to your team that quality is an important value, yet when there is a crisis, you find yourself telling people to take shortcuts at the expense of quality in order to get the order out the door? If you ever do that, it will erode your authenticity in the eyes of others. Eventually, when you speak about quality, they will discount it as lip service. Sweating the details and valuing quality pays big dividends in business and in life. n Work constantly on improving yourself. “Work
harder on yourself than you do your job” is advice legendary author Jim Rohn used to teach. He was right. We must never stop learning and growing. Part of that work is listening to yourself. When your heart speaks, take heed and take good notes. You see, being a person of character has little or nothing to do with the position you hold or the title you carry. It’s all about the way you do your job: the attitude, energy, competency,
creativity and perspective you month’s issue of SUCCESS bring to life every day. magazine to its founder, Orison Swett Marden. Begin to expose I love how Julio incorpoyourself to new information, rates thoughts and quotes from even if it’s 100 years old. the masters, and adds his own How do you do this to a thoughts and ideas. point where you begin to beYour insight, ideas and come more learned and more thinking process come from successful than you are? Julio exposing yourself to other Melara has a saying that sums insightful thinkers: from it up as well as I have ever seen Albert Einstein to Oscar Wilde, or read. “It only takes everyAbraham Lincoln to Martin thing you’ve got.” Luther King Jr., John F. KenA golden statement if there nedy to Benjamin Franklin, this ever was one. May 2015
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The Banyan Tree
Women’s clothing boutique opens on 24th Street West
Photo by LARRY MAYER James and Jana Pennington are shown in The Banyan Tree women’s clothing store at 529 24th St. W.
By TOM HOWARD
A few years ago , J ana P ennington entered an executive training program at H ennessy ’ s , hoping to become a merchandise buyer for the department store . 20
I May 2015
Pennington never got a chance to fulfill that goal after Mercantile Stores Co. Inc., the parent company of Hennessy’s, opted to consolidate buying functions at the corporate level. Dillard’s bought out Mercantile Stores in 1998. After opening The Banyan Tree, a women’s clothing boutique, Pennington is handling
all of the merchandise buying, in addition to many other duties associated with running a business. The Banyan Tree adjoins Yellowstone Olive Co., the specialty food store that she and her husband, James, opened three years ago at 529 24th St. W. Pennington’s buying trips have taken her to national markets in Los Angeles, Las Vegas
Billingsbusiness
Photo by LARRY MAYER The Banyan Tree women’s clothing store at 529 24th St. W. carries more than 10,000 pieces of jewelry.
and Orlando, Fla. “I’ve hand-picked everything in the store,” she said. “I’ve gone to these big markets to get an opportunity to see the styles and trends.” As a small retailer, she has the opportunity to pick merchandise that’s well suited to the Billings market, Pennington said. The Penningtons became familiar with banyan trees during a trip to Hawaii several years ago. The banyan is a species of East
Billingsbusiness
Indian fig tree that sends roots down from its large canopy into the earth. In India, where the banyan is the national tree, the tangle of roots and trunks symbolizes unity within a culturally diverse country. James has been instrumental in the store’s design. He assembled around 1,200 pieces of pine strapping into two structures that resemble a banyan tree’s broad canopy. The store’s 3,300 square feet of space
include four 5-foot by 7-foot dressing rooms. That was a priority for Jana. “In a lot of stores, the dressing rooms just aren’t accessible,” she said. She described the store’s merchandise mix as eclectic, with lots of accessories and more than 10,000 pieces of jewelry. “We wanted something for everyone, with a wide variety of styles that fit most women,” Pennington said. “I have three daughters
who are 17, 15 and 11, and this is right in their wheelhouse. But I also wanted something that’s fun for older customers.” The store went through a soft opening in early April and is now officially open. Early on, many customers ventured over from Yellowstone Olive Co., and word spread through a marketing campaign that relied on social media. Within a week, the store had collected more than 500 Facebook likes.
May 2015
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Big Sky Economic Development to host outreach center for veterans By TOM HOWARD A $348,735 federal grant allows B ig S ky E conomic D evelopment to host a site where veterans can receive counseling , financial advice and training for starting new
BSED, Yellowstone County’s economic development agency, has been selected as the new site for the Veterans Business Outreach Center that will service the Small Business Administration’s Region VIII states: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. “Big Sky Economic
businesses .
Please see BSED, 25
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Billingsbusiness
BSED Continued from 22 Development is very excited to have been selected as the new site for a regional Veteran’s Business Outreach Center,” said Steve Arveschoug, BSED’s executive director. “We want to thank Sen. Tester, Sen. Daines, Congressman Zinke, Gov. Bullock, the county commissioners and our board of directors in their support for us securing this vital service for veterans. We look forward to helping veterans and their families establish and grow their businesses in the region.” “This is a very exciting opportunity to serve our veterans at a higher level,” said Dena Johnson, director of the Small Business Development Center at Big Sky Economic Development. She wrote the grant that brought the program to Billings. The
new center is tentatively set to open June 1. Johnson said the center will help new and existing businesses with consulting, technical assistance and market research, and will provide advice on starting a business. The center’s director, who will be hired soon, will also be able to connect veterans to other available services, Johnson said. The Billings center was among 14 nationwide that were funded through a $3.8 million grant that was announced by the Small Business Administration. Each year the SBA helps more than 200,000 service-disabled veterans and reservists start their own businesses. “The SBA congratulates this team of stellar VBOC award recipients. VBOCs play a significant role in the veteran community,” said Barbara Carson, acting
associate administrator of SBA’s Office of Veteran Business Development. “We look forward to working closely with these centers to provide resources to enhance entrepreneurship opportunities for veterans as they continue to serve our country by contributing to the local economy and creating jobs in their communities.” A key responsibility of the VBOCs is to support transitioning service members as they embark on postmilitary service careers that often include small business ownership and other forms of self-employment. A portion of the funding will be used to cover costs associated with coordinating, delivering and conducting outreach to increase participation in the entrepreneurship track of the Department of Defense’s Transition Assistance Program, known
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or pursuing small business ownership. The nationwide VBOC competition was open to all eligible institutions of higher learning; private organizations or businesses; veterans’ nonprofit community-based organizations; state, local or tribal governmental agencies; and nonprofit organizations. Each award is made for a base project period of 12 months, with up to two renewal option periods of 12 months each.
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TRAVEL &leisure
A n airplane can be your office in a pinch , but some tasks work better than others Let’s face it, the cabin of a domestic airplane is not designed for business productivity.
Billie Ruff Billie Ruff is owner of Travel Cafe. Reach her at travelcafeonline.com.
Billingsbusiness
Business travel very often involves long hours in flight. For most business people, this is lost productivity time that can be torture if you cannot get work done in flight. How often have you said to yourself or to a coworker, “That’s all right, I will just work on that on the airplane.” That is a noble intent, but circumstances inside an airplane cabin, especially in coach, can make that hard to accomplish. Like anything else, if you are going to redeem the time in the air, you should come prepared with an agenda of work you can get done and with your expectations well in check before you even check in. Let’s face it, the cabin of a domestic airplane is not designed for business productivity. You may have myriad distractions from crying babies to a talkative neighbor. The airline personnel have quite an agenda of items to interrupt your time with and then there is the turbulence and the narrow seats. To expect that you will have the seat next to you to spread out your work or that this will be the flight of perfect peace and quiet is to set yourself up for frustration and disappointment. So to be prepared to achieve some level of productivity on an airplane, design your work so you can use that time within those constraints, not in spite of them. A basic necessity is a good set of ear plugs or earphones
and a mobile device. You can use that device to pipe music to your mind that can be conducive to concentration and thought. Earphones sufficient to block out the kind of distractions you will encounter must be pretty sophisti-
cated. So don’t cut corners on this purchase. It will pay you back over and over as you use them to block out noise in an airplane cabin. The best way to walk off the airplane with a sense of accomplishment is to set your
goals before you board. You cannot expect to be able to open your laptop and work peacefully in coach. It is possible you will be able to do that, but you may find turbulence, an active population around you or other factors
may make such work very difficult to do. So to be sure, prepare a project to work on using your laptop, but don’t be disappointed if it turns out to be too difficult. And above all avoid setting a deadline you have to hit using the time during your flight. That will only make the flight frustrating and result in an angry and worn-out business traveler. The best form of work you can assign to yourself is analysis or reading. If you have a document or some documents to review, the confines of an airplane seat accommodate that work just fine. Business reading is easily the best form of work to do in flight. Using those noise-canceling headphones to block out the world, you can lay back with a book, a business magazine or a report and take your time to study it or read lengthy blocks during a long flight. In a two- to three-hour flight, you can read entire chapters of a business book and come off the flight with a tremendous amount of information to take into your businesses meetings. It is possible to redeem the time in the air by accomplishing some solid work. But the key to success is to be realistic about what can be done in an airplane seat and tailoring your expectations and goals accordingly. If you do that, you will be happy with how you used the time and the flight will go by much more quickly. May 2015
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Photo by LARRY MAYER As gas flares in the background, workers from GTUIT operate portable gas capture equipment near Watford City, N.D.
Caterpillar Oil & Gas invests in GTUIT By BILLINGS BUSINESS
Headquartered in Billings, GTUIT was founded in 2011 to provide customers with creatively engineered and tested solutions Caterpillar Oil & Gas has made an equity to meet the dynamic conditions found in oil investment in GTUIT, a manufacturer of fields around the world. mobile gas treatment systems that reduce the “At GTUIT, we have differentiated need for flaring gas at drilling sites. ourselves in the gas-capturing market by The system helps improve air quality and offering mobile, scalable solutions that sigreduces costs from flaring gas, a byproduct of nificantly reduce flare volume and maximize oil exploration. GTUIT products and services production levels under increasing govare manufactured for customers operating in ernment regulations,” said Brian Cebull, production, land drilling and well stimulapresident and CEO of GTUIT. “As a result of tion applications. the Caterpillar investment, we are looking 28
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forward to expanding beyond the Bakken into other North American basins as well as global markets.” “At Caterpillar, we are continuously looking for successful companies who share in our commitment to sustainability, one of our enterprise core values, and who strive to proactively find solutions to complex energy problems in today’s production environment,” said Dave Dunlevy, Caterpillar Oil & Gas managing director. “Through future collaborations with GTUIT, we expect our customers to have access to an enhanced
portfolio of solutions that we believe are tailored to reducing emissions, increasing productivity and lowering costs.” As a result of the investment, GTUIT expects to continue to expand its offering of turnkey flare reduction systems and treatment services. “Sourcing the correct gas treatment systems can be challenging,” Cebull said. “With GTUIT, customers can select the appropriate services and solutions for their operations.” More information is available at www.cat. com. Billingsbusiness
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Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom Open-cOncept flOOr plan, cOntempOrary design and delectable menu Offerings
highlight city-chic renOvatiOn.
By Brittany Cremer Photos By Larry Mayer
It used to be lonely being a Detroit Lions fan in Billings, Mont. Not anymore. With 27 high-definition TVs airing every NFL football game (and team) this fall, the newlyremodeled taproom/restaurant at Old Chicago will be your new favorite haunt to catch the game, hang out with friends, enjoy gourmet pizza and savor craft beer. But that’s not all. Located at 920 S. 24th St. W., guests will immediately take note of the remodeled restaurant’s open, spacious new layout, which extends past the bar and into the dining room. Left: General Manager Mike Niemeyer said he’s pleased with the overall function, flow and aesthetics of the updated space, which seamlessly blends the bar, hostess station and dining room.
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“More than anything, the new design allows us to better serve our customers and increases dining comfort,” said Old Chicago General Manager Mike Niemeyer. Reconfigured booth space, updated decorative elements and a few new surprises to the menu make Old Chicago a great place to enjoy lunch, dinner, celebrate AND cheer on Matt Stafford (Go Lions!)
Dine divine
The extensive remodel— which was completed in three A large paining of the business’s moniker anchors the dining room. phases—began in the dining room. Langlas Construction’s Joe Clark led the charge in orchestrating the process. Working in sections, the middle seating area adjacent the hostess stand and the bar were still open for business while the dining room was tented-off for updates. Noticeably more spacious and free-flowing, the dining room is anchored by a
decorative brick wall displaying the business’s moniker painted in rustic-white letters three feet high. Combination booth and table seating wrap around an attractive partition with high-def TVs peppered throughout the space.
We are proud to be part of the team seRvicinG all youR consTRucTion needs in MonTana since 1982
Congratulations
Old ChiCagO 2270 Grant Road • Billings, MT 59102 Billingsbusiness
406-656-0629 • www.langlas.com May 2015
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special advertising section “One of the goals of this project was to enhance function and flow with the open concept floor plan,” Clark said. In keeping with this framework, the seating area and wall that used to be adjacent the hostess station was removed, creating more space for the taproom/bar area. Colorful pennants describing the nuanced differences in the types of craft beer (stout, ale, porter, etc.) now cover the walls, adding function and fun to the space.
Smith, party of six
The newly-designed hostess stand acts as a buffer between the dining and taproom, offering bench seating while customers wait, a pizza to-go station and updated signage. Guests will note that Old Chicago no longer offers its pizza buffet, a decision Niemeyer said made sense for the business. “It allows us to focus on what we do best—offer made-to-order
OPE N
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• • • •
L 2AM
• S AT • FRI S R U TH
Above: Old Chicago’s dining room was streamlined for functionality and includes four HD flat screen TVs for optimal viewing. Right: One of four HD TVs on display in Old Chicago’s newly-decorated dining room.
WINGS • SLIDERS • PIZZA MOZZARELLA STICKS • ARTICHOKE DIP NACHOS • JALAPENO CHEESE PRETZEL SMOTHERED CHEESE FRIES
Congratulations
Old Chicago! It’s you and
920 So. 24th St. W.
BILLINGS 655-8122
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together.
firstinterstate.com Billingsbusiness
special advertising section gourmet pizza with super-fresh ingredients,” he said. The good news is, there’s plenty on the menu for guests to enjoy. Whether it’s the Double-Deckeroni, a signature sandwich or savory salad, the menu offerings at Old Chicago are diverse. A few new menu items to ask your server about include Old Chicago’s spicy steak sandwich, calamari and new craft burgers. “There is truly something for everyone on our menu,” Niemeyer said. From a logistical standpoint, it was challenging to pare out time to renovate and remodel the host station/entrance—as that’s the number-one way guests arrive and depart. “We had to work on the main entry during off hours,” Clark said. Despite best efforts, the restaurant did need to close its doors for four days in order to knock down the large wall that separated the bar from the middle section of the restaurant. When the wall was demolished—and the dust hadn’t yet settled—Clark said it was immediately evident that opening up the space was the right move. “That renovation allowed the bar/ hostess stand and dining room to seamlessly flow into each other,” he said. “The space is impressive.”
Craft-beer connoisseurs
The renovated bar area at Old Chicago features ample family-friendly seating.
The staff at Old Chicago takes their beer seriously. Amid a wide variety of craft beer options, customers can also enjoy ol’ standby domestics, wine and mixed drinks. “Our state-of-the-art beer system shows our commitment to quality,” Niemeyer said. “We want every pour, every beer to be your best.” For the draft beer, it all starts with the glass. The bartenders at Old Chicago are trained to know what type of beer goes into which glass (and at what temperature) for superior taste and flavor. Pints, pilsners and Weizen glasses are all employed. Gold nameplates line the walls of the taproom—members of Old Chicago’s “Hall of Foam” World Beer Club. Members receive perks, discounts and bragging rights— not to mention instant access to any number of tasty brews on tap. Staff at Old Chicago makes every effort to stock area craft favorites from breweries in Billings and Red Lodge. If you’re feeling bombarded by all the options, just ask one of the friendly, knowledgeable staff for suggestions. And chances are, whatever you order will taste great with one of their gourmet pizzas or appetizers.
atulation r g n s o c hi a C g o! C Old
1702 1st Ave. N Billings, MT
406-702-7070
www.fischercommercialflooring.com Billingsbusiness
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Game-central
Whether you’re meeting a barrage of buddies or flying solo, the bar/taproom at Old Chicago is a great place to catch the big game. Family-friendly seating options abound—and you won’t have to worry about bumping elbows with your neighbor. (Remember those 27 highdef TVs?) Watch your favorite team and keep an eye on other games going simultaneously. Golf, baseball, soccer—they’ve got it all. Ambiance and attention to detail were also taken into account when designing the business’s interior. Attractive LVT flooring used throughout warms and enriches the restaurant, which was formerly covered in red-embossed concrete. State-of-the-art surround sound and a set of 10-inch subwoofers installed in the taproom’s ceiling enhance the dining experience, with instant music videos and a constant playlist of ever-evolving tunes playing in the background. Guests can also enjoy “Buzztime Trivia” by picking up one of the electronic tablets in the taproom—kids can also use these to play games and pass the time until the pizza arrives. After dining or watching the game, guests can linger a little longer—a lot longer, actually. One of the few full-service restaurants offering extended hours, Old Chicago is open until 2 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights
Above: Ask your server about which unique flavors of craft beer Old Chicago has on tap. To ensure quality and freshness, some of these brands may switch from week to week. Right: Not a beer fan, no problem. Old Chicago also stocks liquor and can craft mixed drinks.
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Chipotle Mexican Grill
Another fAntástico dining option Arrives At West pArk promenAde in midtoWn Billings By Brenda Maas Photos by Casey Page
After the recession of 2008, few business gurus would have considered the “build it and they will come” philosophy. Yet, Bob McDonald, owner of the 1960s-era West Park Plaza, did just that—and the location not only survived but now thrives. The latest national chain to invest in Billings’ rapid growth, Chipotle Mexican Grill, opened on April 16 to a waiting crowd of about 50 people. Founded in 1993, Colorado-based Chipotle is one of the country’s fastest-growing chains, garnering a large following for its fresh and responsibly-raised approach to dining out. Chipotle Mexican Grill opened on April 16 at 1601 Grand Ave., in West Park Promenade. The Billings location is the first Chipotle in Montana, with a second location planned for Missoula later in 2015. Billingsbusiness
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special advertising section Like many components of the 21st century business, the timeline from lease-signing to opening the doors followed an aggressive plan. Chipotle executives signed their lease in December of 2014. Interior construction started in January of 2015, and the keys were handed over to the operations team on March 31— essentially a 12-week conversion. The restaurant opened 16 days later. Langlas & Associates was selected as the general contractor on the project with Joe Clark as project manager. “We looked for general contractors with extensive restaurant experience, and Langlas & Associates was a great fit,” noted Danielle Winslow, a Chipotle Mexican Grill public relations and marketing representative. “We enjoyed working with everyone from the field superintendents to the office personnel, and we hope to continue working with them on future projects.” Clark noted that Langlas & Associates first needed to become a Chipotle-approved contractor; however, they are now positioned to be awarded bids on future Chipotle locations. Although Chipotle operates about 1,800
The fast-casual dining trend includes an open atmosphere that takes down walls and brings the kitchen to the customer’s view. The interior of Chipotle Mexican Grill offers a clean, seamless aesthetic with a variety of seating options—dining table or pub-style seating.
Congratulations chipotle mexican grill
2270 Grant Road • Billings, MT 59102 36
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We are proud to be part of the team servicing all your construction needs in montana since 1982
406-656-0629 • www.langlas.com Billingsbusiness
special advertising section company-owned restaurants, the location at 1601 Grand Ave. is the first in Montana. Chipotle confirmed plans to open another 190-205 new locations, including one in Missoula this coming summer. “We look to put restaurants in locations where there is a high volume “Our restaurants are designed of customers, specifically in urban and suburban areas with strong daytime and with an open kitchen so nighttime populations,” noted Winslow. “This location is great for us because customers can see everything it is stand-alone near the entrance of a going on, which is important shopping plaza, and a lot people shop in the area throughout the day.” to us since our food is cooked Other national chains, including Umi Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar, Red and prepared in-restaurant Robin Gourmet Burgers & Brews and every day using classic cooking Panda Express, have observed the same demographics and selected the newlytechniques—a practice that is renamed West Park Promenade for similar reasons. (See sidebar for listing.) very different than what you
see in traditional fast food or
National popularity
Chipotle leads a pack of restaurants that expound on the “fast-casual” approach to dining out. Further enhancing that premise, the locations —Danielle Winslow, feature the “less-is-more” design Chipotle Mexican Grill element with an industrial-style interior. PR/Marketing Representative. Highlighted with stained concrete flooring, a veneer-covered beverage station, crisp white subway tiles, stainless steel and abundant natural light, the aesthetics emulate a simple attitude. “Our restaurants are designed with an open kitchen so customers can see everything going on,” noted Winslow, “which is important to us since our food is cooked and prepared in-restaurant every day using classic cooking techniques—a practice that is very different than what you see in traditional fast food or fast casual restaurants.”
fast casual restaurants.”
Mexican Grill offers a clean, seamless aesthetic with a variety of seating options—dining table or pub-style seating. Billingsbusiness
Lighting, both natural and man-made, are big component in a Chipotle Mexican Grill location.
Congratulations
Chipotle Mexican Grill! We Are Proud to Be Your Tile & Flooring Contractor
406-702-7070 • 1702 1st Ave N, Billings, MT 59101 www.fischercommercialflooring.com May 2015
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special advertising section The simplicity starts with Chipotle’s menu: burrito, bowl, taco or salad. Customers then walk down the order line, selecting exactly what they want to go into their meal. Chipotle further delineates its fare by offering responsibly-raised meats, rBST-free cheese and sour cream and handmashed guacamole along with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. Those who opt for “to go” orders can download the Chipotle app (iPhone or android) or order online then park in spots specified for “pickup” customers. To make that option even faster, Chipotle dedicates a station inside solely for pickup orders. The Billings location is 2,500 square feet, which seats 46 inside with an option for 22 outside and is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Right: Customers order at the far end of the line, opposite of the door, and interact with the serving associates customizing their order as they move toward the cashier. Inset: Customers can place their order via the Chipotle app, or online, and pick it up at designated location, rather than wait in line. The restaurant also has “pick-up-only” parking near the door. Below left: The doubledoor vestibule section of the Chipotle Mexican Grill is a northernenvironment component that is not necessary in warmer climates, noted Joe Clark, project manager from Langlas & Associates, the general contractor.
West Park Promenade’s New and Refurbished Businesses: Apricot Lane Blinc Beauty Bar Chipotle Mexican Grill Greens & More *Hastings Music Books & Videos *Lion’s Den Lucky’s Farmers Market Massage Envy Spa Panda Express Pure Barre *Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Brews Sears *Time-Out Sport Umi Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar *rebuilt/changed original location
Congratulations
Chipotle Mexican Grill
THANK YOU CHipOTle MexiCAN Grill For choosing us to be a part of your project. 1402 Central Ave • Billings, Montana 59101
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Above: Social and environmental responsibility and integrity are a big part of Chipotle Mexican Grill’s philosophy— and perhaps, is part of its draw to the consumer. Lower left: The patio space at Chipolte seats up to 22 customers and offer offers heaters for cool evenings.
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Pierce Flooring & Cabinet Design Center
ElEgant Extras and improvEd dEsign crEatE
onE-stop-shop for flooring, cabinEts, countErs and morE
By Brittany Cremer Photos by Larry Mayer
Kyle Frank.JPG Vision. It’s an abstract art form—equal parts creative nuance and daring confidence. A leap, a chance and faith are often implemented while putting visionary goals into action. Skeptics without foresight may balk and question, but when the stars align and the intangible somehow finds form, captivating revelation takes hold. From the outside, Pierce Flooring & Cabinet Design Center looks much the same—but inside, a transformation has taken place, much like a butterfly growing within a cocoon. The metamorphosis has enhanced the shopping and home design experience for its customers tenfold. And the visionaries behind the remodel couldn’t be more pleased seeing their creative concepts reach fruition. Above: Pierce Flooring & Cabinet Design Center, located at 2950 King Ave. W., offers comprehensive flooring, cabinet, kitchen and interior design services. Left: Kyle Frank, store manager at Pierce Flooring & Cabinet Design Center, sits inside the building’s new “Vision Room.”
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Contemporary-chic
While the overall footprint of the building did not change, an innumerable amount of updates were implemented. “We wanted to achieve a modern-contemporary look with state-of-the-art extras,” said Kyle Frank, store manager. James Kordonowy, ASID and associate designer with A&E Architects, partnered with the staff at Pierce and went to work. “We dialed-in on the concept of thoughtfully and strategically using Pierce products to showcase the different sections of the store,” Kordonowy said. Known for their countless flooring options, the new layout allows for the tile, hardwood, carpet and commercial flooring areas to stretch their legs and showcase individual products. The previous concrete flooring, installed when the original space was built in 1997, did not offer this added marketing advantage. The subliminal switch in flooring type also signals to the customer that he/she is entering a different section. Guests to the newly-renovated Pierce Flooring & Cabinet Design Center will note the spaciousness of the sales floor. Display cases in the center of the showroom were all lowered to eye-level.
THANK YOU PIERCE FLOORING
Building Tomorrow’s Visions Today
DESIGN/BUILD •TURN-KEY CONSTRUCTION • PRE-CONSTRUCTION PLANNING • CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT • 406-248-3700 Billingsbusiness
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Dynamic displays
One of the most noticeable adjustments made was lowering all display cases, swatch panels and office spaces in the center of the store to eye-level. “It’s much more user-friendly,” Frank said. “Customers can see the complete layout of the store with ease.” Lowering the displays also added an element of airy dimension to the sales floor, he added. Anchoring the entry is the customer service desk, greeting guests with an attractive patina-infused tile and flat screen TV. Individual work stations and desks are interspersed seamlessly throughout the sales floor, freeing up space in the greeting area. Just adjacent to the customer service island is a cozy coffee nook—the perfect place to comfortably discuss home projects or sit with a laptop to casually chat about ideas. On the periphery of the store, bookcase-style displays showcase the latest and greatest in flooring samples—tile, luxury vinyl tile, hardwood and carpeting. The touch-and-feel component of the design approach invites and entreats customers to literally feel and experience the different materials between their fingertips. Above: Pierce Flooring & Cabinet Design Center’s “Vision Room” combines all the services offered into one workable venue—flooring, cabinets, counters, paint and interior design. Customers can sit, relax and brainstorm the design possibilities.
Other visionary elements include streaming media to digital design vignettes so customers can easily sync the pages of their Pinterest to a large screen—sharing their creative thoughts and ideas accurately and instantly. “I was impressed with the forward-thinking of the staff and contemporary approach to truly revitalizing the store,” Kordonowy said.
Vision quest
The staff at Pierce Flooring is interested in customers’ personal design ideas and concepts—which is why they took the time to create several private and semi-private spaces to work with designers and flooring specialists one-on-one. The first area is a specialized tile design pod, complete with in-floor heat so customers can take their shoes off to get a feel for the product. Here, Pierce tile specialists offer tile presentations, or customers can sync flooring photos/ideas to the adjacent flat-screen TV. “Remodeling or re-flooring your home should be a collaborative process,” Frank
Congratulations Pierce Flooring!
GOOD DESIGN IS GOOD BUSINESS
We are proud to
3307 Grand Avenue Billings, Montana
have been part of
Phone: 256-8200
your remodel team!
Co
s n o i t a l u t a ngr
Pierce Flooring
We are proud to be involved with this project!
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR REMODEL - WE’RE PROUD TO BE PART OF YOUR PROJECT
www.aearchitects.com | 406.248.2633 42
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Specializing in commercial projects Licensed. Bonded. Insured. 2915 Hannon Rd. • 406-245-6100 Billingsbusiness
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Visit us: 1201 4th Avenue North, Billings, MT Call us: 406.876.1521
Top: A cheerful children’s play room, dubbed “Kids Camp,” provides the perfect wait area for little ones while mom and dad shop. Center: A comfortable coffee nook is positioned adjacent the customer service island for clients who want to sit down and casually visit about their home improvement projects. Bottom: Hearkening back to the turn-of-the-century, Murphy beds are back in style and feature space-saving amenities. Billingsbusiness
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special advertising section said, “and we want customers to feel encouraged and comfortable sharing their ideas with us.” The next design space—appropriately named “The Vision Center” is a tactile feast. Featuring products from Pierce’s flooring cabinet and tile lines, the space is intended to be a room where customers can “sit back, relax and enjoy a one-of-a-kind design experience,” Frank said. This space is truly a one-stop-shop for design inspiration and integration, as customers work one-on-one with a designer to select flooring, paint, cabinet and counter options for their project. “Everything from the inspiration boards to the flooring underfoot is intended to get them dreaming about where they could go with their project,” Frank said. Adjacent the “Vision Room” is a smaller, more modestly-appointed room dubbed the “Builder Room.” This space functions as a meeting room between staff and subcontractors/ builders to discuss products, view home specs and blueprints. Five offices and a fully-stocked sample room round out the administrative space toward the back of the building. To the right, Pierce offers an expansive commercial flooring display—complete with sport court flooring, interlocking weight room flooring and garage floor Congoleum.
an oversized wagon so parents can load up the kids and wheel them through the store.
Kitchen couture
The crowning jewel to the business remodel is the addition of an elegant, state-ofthe-art cabinet/kitchen display center. When the Appliance and Cabinet Center adjacent Pierce closed its doors, the owners saw an opportunity to fill a niche and assumed the space. Offering three full-time cabinet designers and all new cabinet vignettes, the culinary design options abound. Everything from contemporary-chic to country traditional is offered, with counters, built-ins, backsplash and flooring to match. In the same area, an attractive glass tile shower vignette showcases the artistry in tile design while a Murphy bed and rich cabinet built-ins offer additional stylish options to mull. “We have a wide selection of styles for every taste and home,” Frank said. “And here, we encourage customers to touch the products and ask for demonstrations. Our highlytrained staff is eager to assist in any way to help you make the best buying decision possible.”
Wait in style
Sample shopping can seem monotonous for someone not immersed in the project. The staff at Pierce understands this, which is why the owners took time and care in designing a comfortable and luxurious lounge waiting room. Cozy seating, an area rug and a flat screen TV mirror the comfort found in your living room, while the Kids Camp play area is sure to keep the kiddos busy for hours. Complete with toys, activity tables, chalkboard and curious kid-friendly seating, the only trouble with the Kids Camp area will be getting your little ones to leave. And if the kiddos want to be a part of the fun—no problem. The Kids Camp area offers
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Contractors Commercial – Industrial Institutional Systems Custom Metal Fabricators
2041 Harnish Blvd. PO Box 30776 Billings, Montana
Phone: 248-1757 • Fax: 248-6320
Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association – SMACNA
Congratulations Pierce Flooring
Creating Images Since 1906
715 CENTRAL AVENUE (406) 252-5172 • www.bigskylinen.com
Serving Businesses in Billings & Surrounding Areas 44
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Top: The cozy waiting lounge features a flat screen TV, comfortable seating and a quiet place to relax while family and friends shop. Above: This stylish kitchen vignette at Pierce Flooring & Cabinet Design Center features Zebrawood butcher block island top, Cambria quartz counters, space-saving pullouts and Victorian vintage-white cabinets. Pierce Flooring has broadened its scope of services to include kitchen and cabinet design. Billingsbusiness
Call for Nominations.
Do you know an exceptional woman?
Photo by Gazette Staff Rachel Negaard of Neegard Produce sells early lettuce and parsnips that she grew herself at the Earth Day Celebration at Good Earth Market.
Consumers spend $39B on certified organic foods Associated Press
The industry has been rapidly growing since the United States put strict rules in place for organic labeling 13 years ago — some critics say growing too much, as food giants WASHINGTON — like General Mills and Kellogg have entered C onsumer interest in the the organic game and many small organic food companies have grown into large businesses. organic label continues Laura Batcha, head of the trade associato grow . tion, says that growth has helped the industry move beyond a niche market. “The only way to create change is for The organic industry says U.S. sales of its products jumped 11 percent last year alone, to there to be widespread adoption,” Batcha said. more than $39 billion, despite tight domesOrganic foods generally are grown with tic supplies of organic ingredients. And the number of U.S. organic operations has grown fewer chemicals and artificial ingredients and by 250 percent since the government started are produced according to a strict set of govcertifying organic products in 2002, accord- ernment standards. Foods cannot be labeled organic unless their production adheres to ing to new Agriculture Department data those rules, and those extra steps mean prices released Wednesday. for organic products are generally higher. The industry estimates that organics The USDA said the number of organic now make up almost 5 percent of total food operations grew 5 percent last year, and Agsales in the United States. But much of the riculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced it growth is also in nonfood items like textiles will create a new database so consumers can and personal care items. The Organic Trade Association says those nonfood sales jumped track companies’ organic certifications. “The more diverse type of operations almost 14 percent last year and totaled more than $3 billion. Please see Organics, 46 Billingsbusiness
EXCEPTIONAL
WOMEN 2015
Women make up more than 50 percent of the population in Yellowstone County, and many are making incredible contributions to our community, either through paid or unpaid work, volunteering or in the inspirational ways they live their lives. To recognize and honor these efforts, we are seeking nominations for 20 extraordinary women in the greater Billings area. These women and their incredible stories will be featured in our upcoming special publication to be published in September 2015. If you know of a deserving woman who fits this description, please nominate her today.
Nominations will be accepted from May 1 – May 31, 2015 To nominate, log on to: billingsgazette.com/20women For more information or to subscribe to Billings Business, call 406-657-1202
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Organics
fruits and vegetables, which make up the largest sector of the organic market, due to difficulties finding land suitable for Continued from 45 organic farming. Some of the supply issues trace back and the more growing market sectors we to cultural issues in highly agricultural have in American agriculture, the better areas, where farmers see organic as an off our country’s rural economy will be,” enemy that is disparaging the quality of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in their conventional product. Growing ora statement. ganics also means you can’t use as many Despite its success, the industry is chemicals like herbicides, which many facing some major challenges, includfarmers have grown used to. ing struggles to source enough organic The industry is also fighting confuingredients. Much of the shortage is in sion in the marketplace, with many food organic milk and eggs, due to low invenpackages touting “natural” ingredients tories of organic corn and soybeans that — a term the industry believes consumfeed cattle and poultry. The industry says ers confuse with organic. To combat there have also been some shortages of that, organic producers are pursuing an
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industry-funded Agriculture Department “checkoff” campaign — think the milk industry’s “Got Milk?” ads — to promote itself and make those distinctions. The Organic Trade Association data released recently show sales growth in all areas of the country. But the strongest sales remain in the Northeast and on the West Coast, and 73 percent of organic buyers are white. Just 16 percent of those who buy organic are Hispanic and 14 percent are black. The trade group says sales among minorities have jumped sharply, and notes the breakdown closely resembles the demographics of the United States. “Our survey shows organic has turned a corner,” said OTA’s Batcha.
“The more diverse type of operations and the more growing market sectors we have in American agriculture, the better off our country’s rural economy will be.”
— Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a statement Billingsbusiness
Business Briefs Local Commerce at a Glance
PPL Montana tries to sell Corette PPL Montana is seeking parties to buy or dispose of the pieces of its shuttered coal-fired power plant in Billings, including 74 acres along the Yellowstone River. In April, the company posted a notice offering up the J.E. Corette Steam Electric Station for “acquisition, disposal or other alternative use.” The offer includes the plant site, its steam boiler, its turbine and other equipment. The 153-megawatt plant operated from 1968 until it was shut down earlier this year. It will be decommissioned beginning in August. PPL blamed the closure on the high cost of upgrades needed to comply with new
restrictions on mercury pollution. The restrictions have helped drive a wave of coal plant closures across the U.S. PPL also is spinning off its ownership interest in the 2,100-megawatt Colstrip plant to a new corporation, Talen Energy.
Auto repair store expands to Billings Texas-based Christian Brothers Automotive is building its first Montana repair shop this summer on Billings West End, another development on the Zimmerman Trail corridor. The new 5,000-squarefoot, nine-bay facility will be between Walgreen’s at the corner of Grand Avenue and King’s Ace Hardware at 1551 Zimmerman Trail.
The Houston company is spending between $1.5 million and $2 million on land acquisition and construction. Franchise owners Tony and Laura McCoy are putting up an additional $400,000 for furniture, tools and other equipment inside. The new shop is coming to a growing retail sector on the West End, and a planned $2.8 million widening of Grand Avenue from Zimmerman Trail to Shiloh Road this summer could spur further growth. Officials at Christian Brothers said these factors prompted their decision to expand. “We saw (Billings) as a very attractive market. We know there’s some strong residential growth, along
with some good retail growth,” said Josh Wall, Christian Brothers vice president of franchise and strategic development.
The money was raised during Subaru of America’s seventh annual “Share the Love” event, during which each customer who bought or leased a new Subaru had the opportunity to designate Subaru donates donation from Suba$12,189 to charity aru$250 to charity. Five national Rimrock Subaru of Billcharities were selected by ings has presented $12,189 Subaru of America, and to Family Service Inc. as part of its “Share the Love” individual Subaru retailers were allowed to add a sixth winter campaign. Family Service Inc. works charity from their local to prevent homelessness and community. Rimrock Subaru partalleviate poverty in Yellownered with Family Service stone County. They assist Inc., a decision clearly emstruggling families with basic needs, including food, braced by the dealership’s customer base. More than clothing, rent and utilities. a third of Rimrock Subaru’s They also offer special sercustomers chose to desigvices — such as emergency prescription assistance and nate Subaru’s donation to vision care assistance — that Family Service Inc., resulting in a fundraising success help vulnerable children, that exceeded expectations. adults and senior citizens.
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“Family Service has operated in Billings for more than 100 years,” said executive director Stacy Brown. “Generous donors and volunteers are vital partners in our work, making it possible to provide help, preserve dignity and instill hope among our neighbors in need.” “This was the second year that Subaru asked dealers to choose a hometown charity option, and we were excited to again partner with Family Service Inc.,” said Ernie Lee, owner/partner of Rimrock Subaru. “Family Service Inc. changes lives, and helps stop the cycle of homelessness in our community. Our customers appreciate that, and they had no problem helping to Please see Briefs, 49
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Business Success StoriesBriefs Recognizing People and Local Achievements Commerce at a Glance
Chiropractor takes honor
Billings chiropractor Dr. Marcus Nynas was recently honored as the 2015 Chiropractor of the Year by the Montana Chiropractic Association. A graduate of the Northwestern College of Chiropractic, Nynas opened Nynas Billings Family Chiropractic in 2005. He served as president of the Montana Chiropractic Association from 2011-2014 and is the Montana delegate
to the American Chiropractic Association. He served on the Rocky Mountain Health Network board from 2008 to 2014. From 2005 to 2013, Nynas was team chiropractor for Rocky Mountain Athletics. From 2008 to 2013, he was team chiropractor for Montana State University Billings, as well as an adjunct faculty member from 2009 to 2012 and the 20142015 curriculum years. He was named as a Billings Gazette “40 under Forty” in 2010.
WSB’s Walker set to retire
Western Security Bank
announces that Jim Walker will retire as president of Western Security Bank at the end of 2015. Walker was named CEO of Western Security Bank in April as they welcome their new bank president, Mike Seppala to the team. Seppala brings 31 years of banking experience to Western Security Bank. Seppala started his banking career as a loan clerk in his hometown of Newcastle, Wyo., and happened upon the job to get out of the cold work he was doing in oil fields. From there he served as a collector for problem loans and then as a junior lender in Torrington, Wyo. He eventually moved to Colorado to run three new branches
for Pinnacle Bancorporation. Seppala has served as a bank president for 18 years, most recently as president of a bank in Pueblo, Colo. Seppala graduated from Black Hills State in Spearfish, S.D., with a degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance. Seppala said that he and his wife, Suzanne, “look forward to meeting new people, making new friends and becoming part of the community all while taking on the challenge of running the Best Bank in Billings.” Walker has served as the president of Western Security Bank for 15 years as the bank’s only president since its inception. At the end of his 40-year
banking career this winter, Walker will retire to spend more time with his wife traveling and golfing. Walker says, “The best part of being the president of Western Security Bank is the variety of challenges that are encountered every day. There is never a dull moment, and each new challenge has given rise to a new opportunity. Working with a great team of employees that strive to ‘exceed the expected’ has made Western Security Bank very successful.”
Billings farmer’s corn crop honored Darren Miller of Billings
placed third in the state in the Irrigated Class with a yield of 207.4094 bushels per acre, as part of the 2014 National Corn Yield contest sponsored annually by the National Corn Growers Association. The hybrid used in the winning field was DEKALB DKC4413RIB. The local grower was one of 434 state winners nationwide. The 2014 contest set a participation record with 8,129 entries from 46 states. Farmers are encouraged through the contest to utilize new, efficient production techniques. Please see Success, 49
It’s more than a
small business loan.
It’s knowing you’ll have the tools to get the job done right, and the momentum to move forward into the future. It’s you and together.
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Billingsbusiness
Success Continued from 48
Engineers honor individuals, project
At the recent Billings Engineer’s Club annual banquet, two individuals and one project were honored with awards. The BEC is a multidisciplinary group that covers all branches of engineering, meeting monthly to share their knowledge and experience with other engineers. The club also sponsors an outreach program introducing grade school students to engineering and a scholarship program for high school seniors who plan to pursue engineering in college. Randy Crellin received the 2015 BEC Distinguished Service Award given to recognize distinguished engineers for their exceptional technical contributions to the engineering profession and their contributions to their community. He is employed with HDR Engineering in Billings, workCrellin ing in the field of electrical power engineering. He is a 1982 graduate of Montana State University. He is a registered professional engineer in Montana, Hawaii, Minnesota, Utah and Wisconsin. Recipient of the Young Engineer of the Year award was Tyler K. Westrope. This award is given annually to a young engineer who has made outstanding contributions to the engineering profession and the community during the early years of his or her caWestrope reer. Westrope works for the City of Billings Engineering Division and is a 2004 graduate of Montana State University. Billingsbusiness
He is a registered professional engineer in Montana. The Shiloh Conservation Area was named the Project of the Year. The Billings Engineer’s Club presents this award in recognition of a firm that exhibits outstanding achievement using innovation in engineering design. The project was jointly designed by DOWL Engineering (Billings), Geum Environmental Consulting Inc. (Hamilton) and Land Design Inc. (Billings). The finished project is owned and operated by the City of Billings as part of its storm drain system. Shiloh Conservation Area is an innovative stormwater project that incorporates multiple design objectives including water quality treatment, flood control and community recreation and education through sustainable and environmentally sensitive design. It is the first project of its kind constructed in Montana.
Nelson named top producer
Tom Nelson of Murphy Business and Financial of Eastern Montana has been named a Top 10 producer for Murphy Business (out of 260) in business brokerages in the United States and a multimilliondollar producer. Nelson’s office is at 1643 Lewis Ave., Suite 200, and he may be reached at 256-7470.
Stillwater names board member
Stillwater Mining Co., a leading producer of platinum group metals, announced the appointment of Peter O’Hagan to the company’s board of directors. O’Hagan joined KKR in 2014 as an executive in residence of the Energy and Infrastructure group after almost 23 years working at Goldman Sachs where he most recently co-headed the global commodities business and served as head of origination and structuring.
Briefs Continued from 47 support the Family Service mission.” Subaru of America expects to donate more than $15 million to charities in 2015 as part of the 2014 “Share the Love” campaign, which has provided nearly $50 million in donations over the last seven years. Rimrock Subaru, owned by Lee and his wife, Kelly; John and Ann Soares and Steve Zabawa and his wife Susan Sullivan, has been in business at 324 S. 24th St. W. in Billings since 2002.
if early signs of income growth bear out and occur in proportion to expected interest rate increases,” said Fannie Mae chief economist Doug Duncan. “Meanwhile, the wait for housing expansion continues.”
Japan top holder of U.S. bonds
WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department says that Japan overtook China in February as the top foreign holder of U.S. Treasury securities, a position Japan last held in August 2008. In its latest report, the department says that total foreign holdings of Treasury debt slipped a slight 0.9 Consumers are percent in February to $6.16 in no hurry to buy trillion, down from a record Consumers think it’s a of $6.22 trillion in January. good time to sell a home but The holdings of China, they aren’t so keen on buy- normally the top holder of ing one. Treasury debt, slipped 1.2 Only 60 percent of percent to $1.22 trillion. participants in Fannie The holdings of Japan fell Mae’s most recent monthly 1.1 percent from the January national survey, released in level. China’s decline was a April, said they would buy a bit larger, allowing Japan to home if they were to move. slip into the top spot, $700 That’s down 5 percentage million above China. points from last month to an all-time low since the survey began in June 2010. BBB warns of ‘Best of’ scams Meanwhile, the share The Better Business Buof people who said it was reau is warning of an email a good time to sell a home reached a survey high of 46 campaign announcing that local businesses have ‘won’ percent. the 2015 Best of (insert Economists at the city name) award for their agency attributed the falling desire to buy a home to industry. Supposed winners are concerns about household income now and in the fu- then encouraged to pay ture. Only 41 percent of the $149 or more to claim their 1,000 consumers surveyed award and receive a personalized plaque. This scheme said they anticipated their personal financial situation is using multiple websites to improve during the next including (city).dalhousa. net, awardsystem.net and 12 months. (city).awardsystem.org. “We believe the recent setback in consumer senti- Each site appeared nearly ment should be short-lived identical when replacing the
city with Billings, Missoula or Spokane. This is a vanity award scheme where businesses are not winning based on merit, but for the sole intent of purchasing the plaque or certificate for an inflated price. The website claims this award program is run annually to recognize the best in the industry for, “exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category.” BBB’s investigation into each of the above websites found the domain was registered on March 4, 2015, to a man in Los Angeles, although the site listed a business address in Chicago. A satellite map search shows the Chicago address appears to be a warehouse. BBB attempted to call the phone number listed and was unable to reach a representative. BBB’s investigator was also unable to find business licensing in Washington, California or Illinois. BBB recommends the following tips to avoid a vanity award scheme: n Check the company’s BBB Business Review at www.bbb.org to ensure the offer is legit. n Learn everything you can about who is giving the award. If it is coming from a mystery company, chances are it simply wants your money. n If you didn’t apply for an award or the group cannot tell you how you were nominated, chances are the award is not legitimate. n Most legitimate awards do not come with costs for the recipient. If there is a cost, scrutinize it even more closely. If there is a fee for winning or for
receiving a certificate or plaque it could be a scam. n Ask specific questions about how your company or organization was chosen for an award, and find out how many similar awards are given each year. Get details. Businesses and organizations that offer legitimate awards will usually be willing to provide detailed information on why a specific company received the award. n If the announcement for the award leads to a Web site, do not enter any personal information on that site unless you are positive of the company’s legitimacy and the award’s validity.
Quotas hurt, businesses say
Some small business owners say government quotas are keeping them from finding the highly skilled help they need. H-1B visas allow foreigners with college degrees to work in the U.S. for up to six years. There’s such high demand for employees adept in technology and other skilled fields that nearly two-thirds of the applications will be denied. Congress set a limit of 65,000 for visas for workers with bachelor’s degrees, and 20,000 for those with master’s degrees. “There is not really an abundant supply of the types of folks we’re looking for, with a science, technology, engineering and mathematics background,” says Anand Sanwal, CEO of CB Insights, a New York-based company that compiles information about private firms. He’s waiting to hear if visas for three job candidates will be approved. May 2015
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BETTER business
T rademark scams target companies ’ intellectual property
Scammers have jumped on the opportunity to create confusion around trademarks for monetary gain.
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.
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When you start a new business, have a new product or service, or make a change to your brand, registering your trademark can be important to protect your intellectual property. Trademarks, which can be a name, design or both, can convey a message about your brand that connects with customers on an intellectual and emotional level. Consider the Nike swoosh, the Apple logo with the bite in it and the golden arches of McDonald’s. Each logo brings up its own set of values and might create an emotional response in you. Brands can make us feel empowered, smart and even hungry. Trademarked brands touch our daily lives in so many ways as customers. For a business, a brand can have a huge impact on the bottom line. A trademarked brand can make it easy for customers to find you in a crowded market. Trademarks are assets that are effective in all visual communications, including websites and social media. A positive feeling associated with a brand can lead to investor interest, easier hiring and even acquisition by another company. Your trademarked brand is an asset that can gain value over time as your business expands and its reputation grows. You can see why registering trademarks can be important for any business. The fees for filing and maintaining a registered trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office range from $225 to $400, a fairly inexpensive endeavor considering the benefits. Many businesses will hire an intellectual property attor-
ney to handle their trademark registration, which can add to the expense. Or business owners may choose to file for trademarks directly with the USPTO. If you’re planning to file a trademark on your own or just want to learn more about the process, you can visit uspto. gov/trademark to learn about the basics. One thing to note is that the information provided in your USPTO application is completely public. Scammers have jumped on the opportunity to create confusion around trademarks for monetary gain. Specifically, businesses have reported receiving mail and email solicitations that resemble invoices or renewal notices one might expect from a government agency. The solicitations are from entities that use the terms within the USPTO name or closely associated terms, such as: Trademark, Patent, Agency, Registration and U.S. or United States. The solicitations, which can look like official government documents, will often use the USPTO fee schedule to demand payment. They often include, and even emphasize, official registration information such as the application serial number, the registration number, the International Classes, filing dates and other public information from USPTO records. Some solicitations will include text from the U.S. Code to make the request for payment seem official. Businesses have experienced another scam involving “trademark monitoring services” from entities using names like “Trademark Protection” or “Trademark Monitoring” in order to confuse consumers into thinking it is a service provided
by the USPTO. In addition to “monitoring” and “protecting” your trademark, these solicitations also attempt to get you to pay for renewal and filing fees but provide no real services at all. Other scams and attempts to defraud businesses include legal services surrounding trademarks, offers to register trademarks with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and offers to register trademarks in a national or international registry that is actually a private registry with no legal or intrinsic value. There is a process for international trademark registration, called the Madrid System. If your business has a global presence, you can learn more about international trademarks and the World Intellectual Property Organization at www.wipo.int/ madrid/en/. Another scam related to trademarks involves correspondence that someone is trying to register a domain name for your registered trademark, possibly in a foreign country with the country code top level domain extension. The scam asks for payment
in order to stop such activity and protect your trademark, usually when no such “threat” exists. The USPTO has informed the public of some basic information to help avoid paying fees in response to look-alike solicitations for payment: n All official mail correspondence will be from the “United States Patent and Trademark Office” in Alexandria, Va. n All email correspondence will be from the domain “@ uspto.gov”. To see examples of nonUSPTO solicitation scams, visit 1.usa.gov/1CM6vWK. To see examples of international trademark and patent solicitation scams, visit bit. ly/1oTLFzX. The most important thing to remember when receiving any invoice or demand for payment that looks official is to not panic. Scammers will include threats, such as cancellation of a trademark, and deadlines to create a sense of urgency. They know that these tactics make it more likely that business own-
ers will act without thinking. You can thwart these attempts to defraud you by taking the time to research the solicitation. If you have an IP attorney, contact them before you make any payments. Also, you can call the USPTO at 800-786-9199 or contact them using the information found at www.uspto.gov/about-us/ contact-us when questions arise. If you have been tricked into paying fees to non-USPTO entities, you can email scanned copies of the notice and its corresponding envelope to TMFeedback@uspto.gov. The USPTO may include the solicitation in the list on their website so that others won’t fall victim to the same ploy. You can also file complaints to help stop the scammers. To file a complaint with the Montana Department of Justice Office of Consumer Protection, visit dojmt.gov/consumer/ consumer-complaints/. For the BBB, visit go.bbb.org/LFdTAV. For the FTC, visit www. ftccomplaintassistant.gov/. Billingsbusiness
HR expert: Employees are at their happiest when they trust their boss a well-trained questioner asks employees things like, “Why do you continue to work here?” and “How H uman resources expert R ichard F innegan has can I make your work better?” Employees often fear that askbeen known to help the C entral I ntelligence ing employees what they think will lead to demands for more money A gency reduce its employee turnover . and more generous benefits. In reality, most workers want solutions to For obvious reasons, Finnegan employee turnover saps productiv- problems at work, Finnegan said. “They want better work procan’t share a lot of information ity and erodes the bottom line. cesses. They want to know what it about the CIA spies he worked with. Several business publications will take to help them get their work But he points out that no organiza- compile annual lists of the best done. They want to get equipment tion, regardless of how secretive companies to work for, with acfixed, and they want to be more proor prestigious, is immune from companying photos that show ductive,” he said. employee turnover and other work- perks like onsite gyms and catered “Sure, they’d love to make more place issues. meals for employees. But Finnegan Many employers are looking for doesn’t put much stock in this kind money. But most of the time they want to be more productive,” he a magic bullet that will solve their of publicity. said. workplace issues. Unfortunately, “The Top 100 list is crap,” he Some research also shows that a many just don’t understand what it said. “(Companies) spend a lot of large percentage of workers aren’t takes to hire and retain top-quality money to get on these lists.” But employees, Finnegan said at a recent most companies take the wrong ap- fully engaged at work. “It’s a problem for your company if two-thirds meeting of BillingsWorks, a local proach to keeping employees. of them are sleepwalking,” he said. group that’s has been developing “The simple reason is that we Finnegan said there’s a strong strategies to address workforce insist on trying to solve problems needs in the Billings area. with programs like ‘employee of the correlation between what employees think about their supervisor and Finnegan is president of month’ or ‘employee appreciation Finnegan Mackenzie, The Retention week,’” he said. how satisfied they are with their job. Firm, and is the author of several Instead of doing exit interviews, “The more you like your boss, books on human resources. a common tool in human resources the better you thought your pay Finnegan said employers are departments, Finnegan prefers to was. And if you thought your boss coming around to the idea that high conduct a “stay interview,” in which was a jerk, you weren’t happy,” he
By TOM HOWARD
Richard Finnegan is president of Finnegan Mackenzie, The Retention Firm, and is the author of several books on human resources.
said. “The punch line is: A jerk boss will trump any goodness you feel about work.” Finnegan asked those in attendance to think about the best boss they’ve ever had and the worst boss they ever had. “I’ll bet you $20 that you trusted your best boss and distrusted your worst boss,” he said. “But your best boss had shortcomings, and your worst boss had strengths. But you’re blindfolded because they’re a jerk. The definition of a jerk boss is somebody you can’t trust.”
“They want better work processes. They want to know what it will take to help them get their work done. They want to get equipment fixed, and they want to be more productive. Sure, they’d love to make more money. But most of the time they want to be more productive.” — Richard Finnegan human resources expert
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Montana patents Below are listed U.S. patents issued to Montana inventors Feb. 24-March 17, 2015. For assistance in patent filing, call Billings patent attorney Antoinette M. Tease at 406-2949000. Elisabeth McGavin of Whitefish: Flying insect trap. 8,959,830. Feb. 24. Edward J. Trout, Adam J. Trout and Andy Breke, all of Billings: Telescoping frame system for portable home or other structure. 8,959,843. Feb. 24. Eco-Built Homes, LLC of Billings. Julie Ann Reil of Billings: Correction of female urinary incontinence and skin reduc-
tion. 8,961,577. Feb. 24. Wenjun Qin of Missoula: Systems and methods for distributing gas in a chemical vapor deposition reactor. 8,961,689. Feb. 24. GTAT Corporation of Merrimack, N.H. Rajesh Baskaran of Kalispell; Robert W. Batz Jr., of Kalispell; Bioh Kim of Milford, Conn.; Tom L. Ritzdorf of Bigfork; John L. Klocke of Kalispell, and Kyle M. Hanson of Kalispell: Electrolytic process using cation permeable barrier. 8,961,771. Feb. 24. Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif. Donald E. Kiely of Missoula; Kirk R. Hash of Drummond; Kylie Kramer-Presta of
Missoula, and Tyler N. Smith of Missoula: Hydroxycarboxylic acids and salts. 8,961,813. Feb. 24. The University of Montana in Missoula. Michael T. Tessmer of Bozeman; Lee E. Cannon of Bozeman; Charlotte S. Centuori of Henderson, Nev., and Alan D. Williams of Las Vegas: Method and system for weighting odds to specific gaming entities in a shared bonus event. 8,968,071. March 3. IGT of Las Vegas. Gregory J. Wilson and Paul R. McHugh, both of Kalispell: Electro processor with shielded contact ring. 8,968,531. March 3. Applied Materials Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif. Bryan Puch of Kalispell:
Bankruptcies Billings-area filings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, March 1-31, 2015. Addresses are in Billings unless otherwise noted.
Chapter 7 Tara Elaine Haman, P.O. Box 154, Laurel, March 3. Grace Margaret Freasier, P.O. Box 326, Roundup, March 5. Kandy Wright Maley, 1131 Avenue E, March 5. Willie James Washington, Tammy June Acher Washington, 821 N. 27th St., March 9. Delores Mae Wagner, Gerald Allen Wagner, 1907 Sixth St. W., March 12. Jacob C. Peters, Andrea M. Peters, 1718 Maurine St., March 17. 52
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Electrochemical processor alignment system. 8,968,532. March 3. Applied Materials Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif. Randy A. Harris, Daniel J. Woodruff, Jeffrey I. Turner, Gregory J. Wilson and Paul R. McHugh, all of Kalispell: Electroplating processor with geometric electrolyte flow path. 8,968,533. March 3. Applied Materials Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif. Wayne A. Green of Encinitas, Calif., and Gary A. Strobel of Bozeman: Compositions of volatile organic compounds and methods of use thereof. 8,968,798. March 3. Synthetic Genomics Inc. of La Jolla, Calif. Mark A. Hughes of Ponca
City, Okla.; Charles J. Lord III of Bartlesville, Okla.; Bruce B. Randolph of Bartlesville; Joe B. Cross of Bartlesville; Sumod Kalakkunnath of Bartlesville; Mike K. Corbett of Bartlesville; Roger K. Goenner of Billings, and Larry E. Reed of Bartlesville: Treatment stages for selenium removal. 8,974,676. March 10. Phillips 66 Company of Houston. Derek C. Tarrant of Kalispell: Electrode configured for turbulence. 8,974,940. March 10. Vizn Energy Systems Inc. of Columbia Falls. Bingjun Brian He of Moscow, Idaho, and Randy Latayan Maglinao of Havre: Catalytic conversion of glycerol
or acetol to alcohols. 8,975,453. March 10. University of Idaho at Moscow, Idaho. David L. LeMieux of Clancy: System for rivet fastening. 8,978,231. March 17. Keith Illston of Anaconda: Multi barrel paint ball mine powered by firearm cartridge primer. 8,978,561. March 17. Bryan Steadman and Ross Taylor, both of Bozeman: Targeted heterologous antigen presentation on calicivirus virus-like particles. 8,980,275. March 17. Takeda Vaccines Inc. of Bozeman. Eduard A. Stefanescu and Sunil V. Kulkarni, both of Butte: Clay-based concrete sealer. 8,980,377. March 17.
Chipotle Mexican Grill No. 2490, 1601 Grand Ave., 303222-2524. Lizz Ann Photographer, 3222 Henesta Drive, 876-4305. Renata Haidle Photography, 4237 Pine Cove Road, 6986388. JC Cleaning Services, 2323 32nd St. W., 252-876-6470. CSDI Construction Inc., Boise, Idaho, 208-338-5973. JC Professional Painting Company, 2323 32nd St. W., 252-876-6470. Supreme Cleaning, 2938 Weaver Ave., 320-1645. Doll Construction, 432 Wyoming Ave., 861-2103. M and T Construction, 317
Ecton Circle, 579-9383. Grassmasters of Billings, 4706 Arapaho, 672-4346. Barrio Golden Gloves, 106 S. 31st St., 850-9383. Voss Co., 2237 Fairway Drive, 307-431-2755. Therapeutic Touch, 2619 St. Johns Ave., 690-8181. D Wolff Construction, 3137 Canyon Drive, 861-1337. Sommerfeld Construction Inc., Red Lodge, 446-1628. American Plumbing, Heating & Excavation LLC, 1310 Alkali Creek Road, 690-8595. Once Upon a Time, Laurel, 927-7097. Resource Support & Development (R.S.D. Inc.), 604 19th
Business licenses Ronald M. Lang, Rose Marie Lang, P.O. Box 752, Bridger, March 19. Robert W. Burris, 3816 South Tanager Lane, March 19. B. Rose Lockhart, 610 N. 24th St., March 23. Jerod Lee Birchell, Brittany Michelle Birchell, 608 Avenue F, March 25. Misty Lynn Hust, P.O. Box 193, Roberts, March 25. James Gregory Tomicich, 395 Moccasin Trail, March 26. Deborah Marie Rannebarger, 910 10th St. W. Apt. 222, March 26. Luis Pedro Rodriguez, Carrie Jane Rodriguez, 29 Bing Street N., March 27. Alan Richard Scott, P.O. Box 115, Belfry, March 30.
Melissa E. Becker, 3904 Parkhill Drive, March 30. Evelyn Mae Davis, Patrick Kelly Davis, 2521 Golden Blvd., March 30. Tracy Arron Dinkel, 2434 Avenue B, March 30.
Chapter 12 Rachel Claire MyrstolSnyder, 1263 U.S. Highway 87 N., Roundup, March 19.
Chapter 13 Dale Monte Dahlin, 2558 Yellowstone Ave., March 9. Karen Racheal McCrummen, Robert Brett McCrummen, 1729 Sylvan Lane, March 23 Tony A. Tjaden, 4 1/2 Lincoln St., Hardin, March 26.
The following business licenses were filed with the city of Billings in March of 2015. Guadalajara Family Mexican Restaurant, 1223 Grand Ave., 652-5156. Palms Grand Casino, 1112 Grand Ave., 969-1602. Mike’s Commercial Laundry Repair LLC, 1515 Custer Ave., 696-5351 Barrio Graffix, 106 S. 31st St., 850-9383. N & S Construction, 833 Lake Elmo Drive, 694-1439. Mattern Remodeling, 4519 Toyon Drive, 855-9511. Network Information Systems, 8428 King Ave. W., 670-2313.
Billingsbusiness
Business licenses, continued St. W., 652-5120. Rock-N-Roll Construction, 4123 Ryan Ave., 606-5006. Mike Mjelstad, 3102 Wendimere Lane, 855-0705. JP Enterprises of MT, 3301 First Ave. S., 699-6953. Dominic Enterprises, 3119 Lampman Drive, 850-2854. Rodenberger Painting, 2111 Santiago Blvd., 698-4373. DJ GQ, 2141 Burnstead Drive, 698-2928. Abell’s Plumbing, 8420 Cut Throat Drive, 861-0354. RJ Mac Homes Inc., 1645 Natalie St., 860-4586. J.T. Construction, 1123 Howard Ave., 317-506-5968. Indoor Air Solutions, Laurel, 697-6211. Setline Construction LLC, Shepherd, 794-4032. Joe’s Lawn Care, 383 Windsor Circle S., 876-4530. Matthew Van Dyken, 463 Caravan Ave., 605-370-4194. All About Turf & Snow LLC, 1350 Yellowstone Ave., 698-2776. Big Creek Plumbing, Huntley, 307-689-3087. Nick Kamp Construction, 233 Ashley Court N., 366-1656. Vic’s General Contractor, 1155 Arlington Ave. S.W., 697-8670. Newman Built Quality Homes, 724 Avenue D, 307-751-1042. Xiao’s Sewing, 424 Silver Lane, 245-5156. Houseworks, Columbus, 3211844. Majestic Painters, 4143 Jansma Ave., 647-9763. Nancy Glen, 1712 Ninth St. W., 505-920-2503. Mr. Wire Electric, Wolf Point, Billingsbusiness
650-7009. Installer Direct, 2907 Morledge St., 366-0557. Savage Construction Inc., Ballantine, 860-2259. JT Media Inc., 2751 Gregory Drive S., 697-5092. Garage Storage Solutions, 705 Lohwest Lane, 208-6102. Urbaniak Carpentry, 716 Avenue B, 671-7797. Knottywood Guitar Co., 716 Avenue B, 671-7797. Gabriel Peters Consulting, 1032 Lake Elmo Drive, 208-7075. Mango and Moss, 2644 Country Lane, 671-3529. Natural Trek Foods Inc., 1705 River Stone St., 595-8887. The Owl’s Nest, LLC, 1106 Main St., 307-287-8315. General Construction, 204 Prickett Lane, 696-7163. Antojitos Mexicanos Tres Estrellas, 204 Prickett Lane, 225-2767041. The Banyan Tree, 529 24th St. W., 534-8533. HKF Medical Billing, 2475 Village Lane, 855-8961. Serendipity Salon & Spa, 2528 Grand Ave., 969-3276. Superior Roofing and Landscaping, 1203 Lake Elmo Drive, 794-6932. Hair by Melissa W., 71 25th St. W., Suite 3, 672-1625. Kakalecik LLC, Great Falls, 781-9936. Wood B Trees Service, 2401 Miles Ave., 200-4778. Emmons Building and Design LLC, 5136 Chevelle Drive, 2088139. Busy Bee Housing Services, 204 Garden Ave., 850-3255.
Residential Permits D2B Landscaping, 3730 Full Moon Drive, 969-5523. Lolo Liquor, Lolo, 273-0199. M & M Sales, 323 S. 30th St., 855-5611. Bakich Builders, 3335 Lynn Ave., 208-4467. MTZ Construction, 421 St. Johns Ave., 371-1596. Sparkle Home Cleaning Service, Shepherd, 698-3807. Above All Roofing, 719 N. 16th St., 431-0845. The Swanky Fox Salon LLC, 1210 12th St. W., 698-3844. Irish Interiors, 3244 Becraft Lane, 794-8304. Yellowstone Therapy Center, 2110 Overland Ave. Rick Dvorak Construction, 19 Rhea Lane, 850-3298. Wolf’s Combined Services, 1118 23rd St. W., 839-4326. Epic Construction, 209 S. 28th St., 690-7825. Erickson Family Holdings, LLC, 3216 Westfield Drive, 698-6518. The Doo-B Co., 2822 Minnesota Ave., 672-5016. Zondo Solutions, 524 N. 23rd St., 694-2152. House of Style, Hair & Nail Studio, 15 W. Wicks Lane, Suite B. Aries Cleaning, 1600 Avenue E, 281-4285. Billings Food Truck Tracker, 3222 Henesta Drive, 876-4329. Beeler Construction Inc., Menomonee Falls, Wis., 262-2527000. 406 Dental Laboratory, 6050 Dawson Drive, 670-0260. Blades of Glory Lawn Care, 32 Attika St. N., 697-7384. Southern Retail Construction Inc., Fishers, Ind., 317-863-5643.
Amanda C. Rambur, 5222 Black Stone Circle, 425-8156. Architectural Doors and Hardware LLC, 650 Central Ave., 259-6573. Leo Pritchard’s Carpentry, 919 Avenue D, 696-1435. Organica, 3436 Barley Circle, 860-4473. SMM Construction, 905 N. 32nd St., 694-7562. Great Rate Concrete LLC, 1722 Lynn Ave., 696-1562. Lopez Roofing & Siding, 120 S. 31st St., 200-5189. Bayou City Catfish, 5353 Midland Road, 696-4631. Le Lustre’ LLC, 2719 First Ave. N., 702-1211. JD Lawn Service LLC, 401 S. 25th St., 697-9766. Wise Wonders Children’s Museum, 110 N. 29th St., 702-1280. Rigby Law Firm, 5440 Gene Sarazen Drive, 206-755-7600. J and L Hobbies, 3142 St. Johns Ave., 208-699-3269. Jeremiah Dourette Rentals, 2409 Nina Clare Road, 670-6097. Trenton Jones, 7409 Lewis Ave., 208-8715. Billings Wedding Photographers Inc., 2814 Second Ave. N., 6619312. Boogers and Bandaids, 3429 Winchell Lane, 794-7419. Eyemart Express LLC, 795 King Park Drive, 972-277-3011. Wambeke Air & Mechanical, Shepherd, 581-7178. Joy Global Surface Mining Inc., 1124 Main St., 256-1179. America’s Swimming Pool Co., 4102 Stone S., 200-0521. CR Lawn Service, 1315 Sierra Granda Blvd., 697-7786.
Demolition Permit Residential — 4116 Buchanan Ave., Community Leadership & Develop., Koinonia Housing Construction, $4,000 706 N. 27 St., Grosulak Larry, Cayton Excavation Inc., $66,737 711 N .17 St., Holman Dustin, EEC Inc., $3,000 2222 Virginia Lane, Eisenbarth Jamey Ronald, Yochum Contracting Inc., $2,000
Moving Permit Residential — 1200 30 St. W., School District No. 2, Ostermiller Duane
Addition Single/Duplex/Garage — 354 Tabriz Drive, WVG LLC, $22,640 1281 Hardrock Lane, Theis, Richard Charles, Cody Handyman, $1,800 3700 Heritage Drive, Cantrell, Victor G., Rosekelly Masonry, $113,100 2215 Brentwood Lane, Chester, Robert, $25,000
New Garage — 525 Avenue F, Lehnen, Darrell J. & Pamela J., $14,210 1043 Terry Ave., McVay, Michael and Tawny, $31,920 3648 Vickery Drive, Pettis, Dean F. & Betty A., $26,880 3104 Daystar Drive, Haggerty, William P. & Pamela J., $20,000 519 Avenue D, Brownson, Wayne D. & Judy I., Custom Concrete Inc., $32,760
New Single Family — 4573 Payton Trail, BTS Inc., Classic Design Homes, $320,470 May 2015
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Residential Permits, continued 5309 Sundance Mountain Circle, Jeff Junkert, Junkert Ron Construction, $175,705 1607 Hidden Cove Lane, McCall Development Inc., McCall Development, $150,070 1626 Songbird Drive, McCall Development Inc., McCall Development, $444,985 6838 Copper Ridge Loop, Daniels Builders LLC , Daniels Builders, $211,630 1643 Hollyhock St., McCall Development Inc., McCall Development, $209,535 2735 Burlwood Drive, Classic Design Homes, Classic Design Homes, $261,520 6830 Copper Ridge Loop, Oakland Built Homes, Oakland Built Homes Inc., $171,055 2986 W. Copper Ridge Loop, Oakland Built Homes, Oakland Built Homes Inc., $135,900 2649 Meadow Creek Loop, BCJM Properties, Hanser Construction Co., $192,845 2618 Meadow Creek Loop, BCJM Properties, Hanser Construction Co., $229,307 3110 Peregrine Lane, Dan Fleury Construction, Dan Fleury Construction Inc., $276,875 5808 Horseshoe Trail, Trails West Homes LLC, Trails West
Sorensen, Martin J. & Elizabeth, Lynnrich Inc., $5,283 1025 Custer Ave., Milligan, William K. & Cindy L., District 7 HRDC, $2,500 3060 Western Bluffs Blvd., MDJ Contracting Inc, MDJ Contracting, $35,000 2208 Avalon Road, Fox,, Karen J., Ty Nelson Construction, $2,000 2316 Meadowood St., Marchant, Ronald L. & Lauralee, Cody Handyman, $700 210 N. 19 St., 4-D Properties LLC, J.T. Construction,$250 3390 Canyon Drive, Barfield, Nicholas & Tamara, American Exteriors LLC, $5,219 1844 Dogwood Drive, Miller, Nannette M, American Exteriors LLC, $3,789 199 Norris Court, Duty, Ronald L. & Linda M., C’s Construction Of Billings, $10,570 2201 Diablo Circle, Robinson Remodel Single/ Regina, Les Nouveau MilieuxDuplex/Garage Bob Habeck, $1,100 826 Poly Drive, Bonawitz, Mitchell G., Les Nouveau — 1624 Hidden Cove Lane, McCall Development Inc., McCall Milieux-Bob Habeck, $1,500 2702 Highwood Drive, KeeDevelopment, $7,020 num, Robert W. & Deborah G., 1110 N. 31 St., Simonsen, Freyenhagen Construction Inc., Eric M. & Laura M., $8,000 $15,000 1937 Bannack Drive, Homes LLC, $189,270 5726 Horseshoe Trail, Trails West Homes LLC, Trails West Homes LLC., $189,270 1722 Hollyhock St., McCall Development Inc, Dan Fleury Construction Inc., $283,380 2621 Meadow Creek Loop, BCJM Properties, Hanser Construction Co., $196,500 3139 Harrier Lane, Mac Leffler, Mac Leffler Construction, $480,000 1416 Anchor Ave., Kenmark Corp., Kenmark Inc., $165,430 327 Annandale Road, Rimrock Builders, Rimrock Builders Inc., $261,045 919 Ninebark St., Trails West Homes LLC, Trails West Homes LLC, $203,380 5718 Horseshoe Trail, Trails West Homes LLC, Trails West Homes LLC, $189,270
Outdoor living with natural gas.
1013 4 St. W., Colton, Shane D. & Gina McIntyre, $8,000 2215 Brentwood Lane, Chester, Robert, $500 709 N. 23 St., Kaufman, Ross, MDJ Construction LLC, $5,300 2437 Eastridge Drive, Ashcraft, Jimmie L Trustee, Pella Window Store, $2,200 5355 Sundance Mountain Circle, Love, $1,300 1219 Twin Lakes Drive, Clyde H. Larsen and Sons Construction, Cody Handyman, $500 618 Sahara Drive, Johnson, William T. and Eileen C., ABC Seamless Of Billings Inc., $2,400 4555 Hi Line Drive, Chouinard, Rob and Sheila, Wolf Construction, $20,000 2410 Hoover Ave., Blakeslee, Robert R., One Source Construction LLC, $850 4205 Wedgewood Drive, Boyce Family Trust, G & L Enterprizes, $9,500 914 7 St. W., Steppe, Terry, G & L Enterprizes, $8,000 3157 Marguerite Blvd., Carroll, Jeffrey A. Trustee, Pella Window Store, $1,200 3424 Fife Circle, Suazo Family Trust, One Source Construction LLC, $650
1222 Peony Drive, Abrahams, Rebecca L., One Source Construction LLC, $1,100 2637 Broadwater Ave., CJ Deeney , $2,500 2629 Huckleberry Lane N., Owen, Thomas and Jackie, C’s Construction Of Billings, $5,539 1201 Galway Drive, Church, David Lee, TAC Construction, $5,000 2614 Huckleberry Lane N., Nord, Eric Edward & Bonnie Sue, Reichenbach Construction, $9,000 2232 Maple St., Johnson, Brian & Julie, $6,700 3131 Iron Horse Trail, Kenmark Corporation, Kenmark Inc., $31,800 212 Birchwood Drive, Vestal, Lorraine A., Craigo Construction, $5,000 3711 Gymnast Way, Torno, Bryan & Elizabeth, Colossal Construction, $1,800 2022 Northridge Circle, Johnson, Earl D., Colossal Construction, $250 4524 Audubon Way, Longenecker, Byron D. & Jessica, $600 2720 Poly Drive, Outback Properties LLC, Singh Contracting Inc., $15,000
3225 Rugby Drive, Harder Sidney E. & Pamela J., Ty Nelson Construction, $7,500 1109 Toole Court, Klein, Michael J. & Tania M., Stevens Renovations Plus, $5,000 4525 Upland Drive, Johnson, Jeffrey A. & Linda R., Pella Window Store, $7,300 1529 Peony Drive, Hicks, Jeffrey J., Erickson’s Construction LLC, $15,000 3109 Radcliffe Drive, Steel, Bruce C. & Teresa K., Freyenhagen Construction Inc., $24,000 3909 Cambridge Drive, Peterson, Darwin W. & Carole J., Cody Handyman, $500 3909 Cambridge Drive, Peterson, Darwin W. & Carole J., Cody Handyman, $800 210 Clark Ave., Reichenbach, Shaun & Jody, Lynnrich Inc., $5,313 1140 Cortez Ave., Gilbraith, Joshua E. & Janet L., Lynnrich Inc., $1,965 2145 Hyacinth Drive, Schultz, Darrel & Sharon, Lynnrich Inc., $2,063 1970 Country Manor Blvd., Monson, Michael A. & Kristi E., Lynnrich Inc., $13,651 There were 330 fencing and roofing permits issued in March.
1-800-638-3278 Montana-Dakota.com • clean • abundant • affordable • efficient • reliable • safe • domestic • environmentally friendly •
In the Community to Serve®
Billings Commercial Building Permits March 1-31, 2015 Addition
401 N. 23 St.
Thomas Murphy
Hanna Construction
Fence/Roof/Siding
1245 Central Ave.
Staley Harry R. & Susan K. Trust
Lennick Bros. Roofing
$7,200
Fence/Roof/Siding
2101 Broadwater Ave.
Billings Business Properties
V.W.C. Inc..
$6,800
Fence/Roof/Siding
1709 1 Ave. N.
Pekovich Greg & Becky
V.W.C. Inc.
Missions United Inc.
Dick Anderson Construction
New Hospitals/Institutions 1920 Wyndstone Way
54
I May 2015
$60,000
$20,000 $14,300,000
Billingsbusiness
Billings Commercial Building Permits March 1-31, 2015, continued Remodel
3318 3 Ave. N.
Jeff Essmann
Lonewolfmt
$50,000
Remodel
2290 King Ave. W.
Property Tax Dept 69
Uintah Refrigeration & Electrical LLC
$17,669
Remodel
4910 Southgate Drive
Williamson John & Rebecca
Swanke Construction
$7,500
Fence/Roof/Siding
3295 Granger Ave. E.
Phyllis M Cornell Revocable Trust
McCarthy Contracting
$10,200
Fence/Roof/Siding
220 N. 27 St.
City Of Billings
Perfect 10 Roofing & Construction
$60,700
Fence/Roof/Siding
2309 4 Ave. N.
JM Rentals LLC
Fence/Roof/Siding
3327 Central Ave.
Dutton Anna
Sprague Construction Roofing Division
$6,700
Fence/Roof/Siding
115 N. 32 St.
Alternatives Inc.
Dutton Construction
$7,000
Fence/Roof/Siding
115 N. 32 St.
Alternatives Inc
Dutton Construction
$7,000
New 3/4 Family
730 10 St. W.
Bonini Enterprises LLC
Bonini Enterprises LLC
$639,000
New 3/4 Family
720 10 St. W.
Bonini Enterprises LLC
Bonini Enterprises LLC
$808,000
New 3/4 Family
1010 Wyoming Ave.
,Bonini Enterprises LLC
Bonini Enterprises LLC
$814,000
Remodel
729 Parkhill Drive
School District No 2
Remodel
3133 Central Ave.
Neumann Gerald A.
Neumann Construction
$100,000
Remodel
615 N .19 St.
Head Start Inc.
EEC Inc.
$132,000
Remodel
2851 King Ave. W.
At & T Mobility Corporation
Remodel
2011 Overland Ave.
R Homestead Partnership
Alpha-Omega Disaster
$80,000
Fence/Roof/Siding
1439 Main St.
Billings Volunteers Of America
Empire Roofing Inc.
$95,000
Fence/Roof/Siding
1016 Alderson Ave.
Church Of Christ Of Billings
B & W Builders
$70,000
Fence/Roof/Siding
3321 Central Ave.
Dutton Anna
Sprague Construction Roofing Division
$11,200
Fence/Roof/Siding
1041 Broadwater Ave.
1041 LLC
Ty Nelson Construction
$2,000
New Warehouse/Storage
20 Moore Lane
RSD Inc.
Jones Construction Inc.
$2,089,433
Remodel
2135 Lewis Ave.
School District 2
$225,000
Remodel
1930 Clubhouse Way
Go Play Golf LLC
$58,000
Remodel
909 Shiloh Crossing Blvd.
Shiloh Crossing Partners II
|Kenco Enterprises Inc.
$2,288
Demolition Permit Commercial
3127 Central Ave.
Neumann Gerald A. & Ardis M.
Neumann Construction
$10,000
$2,500
$115,000
$65,000
Fence/Roof/Siding
3295 Granger Ave. E.
Poole Kristine E. Webster
McCarthy Contracting
$10,000
Fence/Roof/Siding
3295 Granger Ave. E.
Tuesday Ruby K.
McCarthy Contracting
$10,000
Fence/Roof/Siding
77 Lily Valley Circle
BLW Investments LLC
Haran Roofing
$23,750
Fence/Roof/Siding
1636 Augsburg Drive
City Church Of Billings Inc.
Cornerstone Siding Company
$38,650
Fence/Roof/Siding
10 S. 30 St.
Salvation Army
Norse Builders
Fence/Roof/Siding
3407 1 Ave. N.
Debtor Co Trust
Sprague Construction Roofing Division
New 3/4 Family
6422 Southern Bluffs Lane Buscher Construction
Buscher Construction Ltd.
New Church/School
900 Barrett Road
Dick Anderson Construction
School District 2
Remodel
1201 Kootenai Ave.
School District No. 2
General Contractors Const. Co. Inc.
Remodel
1520 Wyoming Ave.
DSD LLC
Ralph Dupea Contracting
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