Missoula Economic Partnership

Business development program:the business development program at the Missoula Economic Partnership (mep) is designed to cater to businesses at all stages, offering direct services and collaborating with key partners. In 2023, mep conducted 52 business retention visits with Missoula county businesses, marking a significant increase from the previous fiscal year. These visits were aimed at understanding business priorities, exploring available resources, and gaining insights into the current business climate. Through these engagements, mep not only fostered stronger relationships with local businesses but also gained a deeper understanding of their unique needs. Recognizing the importance of downtown businesses, mep established a Partnership with the Missoula business improvement district. This collaboration involves allocating a portion of a full-time business development director's time to focus specifically on downtown businesses. This concerted effort ensures enhanced support for downtown businesses and contributes to their overall growth. To extend our impact countywide, mep organized a day-long business meet-and-greet event in seeley lake. This event served as an invaluable platform to connect with local businesses, gain insights into their distinctive challenges, and explore collaborative opportunities for mutual growth and support.

Land development program:building on the previous year's efforts to accelerate housing and commercial development processes, mep established a land development committee. Comprising of land development practitioners and professional experts, this ongoing committee meets quarterly to advance land development strategies and opportunities outlined in mep's strategic plan and Missoula's comprehensive Economic development strategy (ceds). Additionally, in collaboration with the city and Missoula redevelopment agency, mep played a pivotal role in recruiting and informing investors and developers interested in the development of Missoula's old library block. Through these efforts, mep engaged with 14 teams and played a key role in helping the city find a team that aligns with its vision and goals for the site.

Talent development program: mep actively fosters pathways for individuals to unlock their potential. In collaboration with Missoula county, mep secured $1,615,000 in big sky Economic development trust fund job creation grants. These grants support seven Missoula companies in creating 325 full-time jobs surpassing the county's average wage of $24.26/hour. Successfully fulfilled, these jobs will generate over $16m in annual wages. Additionally, mep partnered with Missoula county, climate smart Missoula, and mountain home Montana to secure $180,000 funding from the u.s. department of energy american-made challenge. This funding aids the coalition's efforts to build a diverse and equitable workforce, connecting low-income women to job opportunities and advancing Missoula's transition to clean energy. Mep furthered this initiative by successfully submitting a joint application with the city to the national league of cities good jobs, great cities academy. Mep's talent development program collaborates with private sector stakeholders, educational institutions, and peer organizations. The program focuses on expanding career pathways, incumbent worker training, talent retention, and attraction.

Communications and engagement programmep expanded communication and engagement efforts to foster stronger connections with the community and provide valuable resources and information to businesses and employees. Mep initiated a monthly radio news program reaching 20,000 listeners while covering pressing Economic issues. More than 800 people were reached on a bimonthly basis through mep's newsletter, the indicator. In Partnership with parsons behle & latimer, mep hosted a successful event to inform more than 100 attendees of impactful legislation from Montana's recent session. In addition, mep engaged with the community by providing resources through workshop events and social media campaigns, building both audiences throughout the year.