GREAT FALLS — The Great Falls Development Alliance is always looking to expand the businesses in the Electric City, and they do this by looking at other Montana cities, seeing what they have, and targeting them for growth here in Great Falls.
Jake Clark, Vice President of Business Development with the Great Falls Development Alliance, said, “Well, it's really great. Great Falls has really good momentum right now in downtown especially, so trying to ride on that success. And one of the ways to look at how we can kind of identify targets for downtown is, given what we have, what can go really well next door.”
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He noted that in a single meeting, his team identified a dozen targets that would likely succeed in downtown Great Falls.
Clark said, “We want to see that they've been successful, dealing with market conditions that are similar to Great Falls.”
Conditions include looking at other Montana cities the businesses are in, seeing how they fared, and if they have expanded across the state.
Clark said, “If folks are seeing businesses that are doing really well, that are, you know, community focused, that are engaging, the kind of things that would take you downtown if you weren't already headed there. Those are the kind of businesses we'd love to hear about.”
One franchise that recently made its way to Great Falls is Big Dipper Ice Cream, which opened in Great Falls in June 2024 and which was not initially looking to expand here.
Bryan Hickey, President of Big Dipper Ice Cream said, “It was just a perfect fit. It was a location that we'd heard good things about from other Missoula businesses that had opened up a chain…franchise there. And so it was kind of just the perfect alignment for us and for them.”
Hickey said that the team working in Great Falls is highly skilled, and the expansion has been smooth.
Hickey said, “They’re a highly capable team. Honestly, I wish they reach out more because we're here to help. But… they don't really need it.”
As Big Dipper celebrates 30 years of operation, they are thrilled that Great Falls has welcomed them to the downtown with open arms.
Hickey said, “We're really excited that, Montana has embraced us the way they have and that we can say that we've done this for three years now.”
The Great Falls Development Alliance is still looking for more businesses that would work well downtown, and are open to suggestions from the public.
You can contact Nicki at Nicki@GrowGreatFalls.org or call 406-750-2099.
